A New Dawn

  Lights that burned the sky. At least that would be the simplest way to describe the pillars erupting from the ground. The clear ocean that formed the ground was cast in shadows. Blood was no longer the only impurity staining the glass-clear sea.

  The party that found themselves there could only watch as the pillars cracked like eggs, and from them came serpentine tentacles, made out of the blinding light.

  ?“What is this? Another god or divine creature?”

  The burliest of the men, Yon, asked, yet the sound worked like an alarm for feeding time. What could only be presumed to be their tip tore apart, giving way to rows of jaws as the tentacles didn’t waste a moment. Beginning to feed on the pile of corpses from the dead gods slain by the party. A task once done to protect humanity from the corruption of the divine, now nothing more than a feeding platter for these creatures.

  By the time the tentacles were done their hunger was far from quenched. The creature looked at the group as its next meal. Ripping apart everything in their path as the tentacles went for the group.

  ?“What’s that? We cannot fight whatever that is.”

  ?Evelyn’s voice finally emerged through the silence, even as she tried binding the creature with chains of light. A saint helping to slay the divine could be comical, but the sight of this creature put even the mightiest gods to shame.

  She took a tentative step back, poised to run, being the first to voice the thought running through all their heads. Her hands shook, her legs barely holding up from collapsing.

  ?"Well, what can we do? I doubt running or hiding will do anything,” Yon proclaimed. His hands shook with barely restrained fear.

  ?Despite their fear, Blade was already running at it. This thing seemed to hold him in a trance. If he turned now, who would smile when dead? What tragedy would hit?

  ?“Blade? No!”

  ?Yet Blade utterly ignored her warning, already set on his way.

  He was a man who had sat on top of a pillar of gods, proof that even the impossible could be cut, and still outmatched couldn’t begin to describe this situation. Blade didn't want his party dying here, especially if a chance of survival existed.

  ?Evelyn wanted to argue more, to get him to listen, but understood his deep determination.

  ?"Don't you dare die here."

  ?Blade simply left the words unanswered, preferring not to answer a question he might very well have to lie on.

  ?When he tried to cut the creature, both he and his blade went right through the light, only to be smacked away by another tentacle. Bouncing off the ground before he got back up.

  ?His master taught him that everything could be cut, and he lived as proof of his master's teaching up until now. But these things were unlike everything he had seen. A mesmerizing cluster that brought nothing but terror. He bounced off the ground, rolling back to his feet in a single motion.

  Sheathing his sword in favor of creating a bow in his hand, Blade tried shooting the creature only for the arrows to fly right through the tentacles.

  The tentacles didn’t seek to prolong his suffering, or fight him at all. They came in a wave. In a singular unstoppable force. He felt them tearing him apart, felt his power sip away and his consciousness turn dark. Suddenly he was no more.

  Was this the sum of his life then? Serving his purpose until the end where he was discarded. Use and discard. How human. Maybe the truth was that a true life was simply beyond him.

  His thoughts ended where his life should. Finality, a fitting end and an embrace to death.

  ?So where was he now? Was he falling? All Blade knew was that he should be dead. But he was not… or maybe this was death?

  ?The only visible thing was nothingness, as a gaping abyss covered everything. An abyss that seemed to go on infinitely, like all his senses shut off and at the same time went to overdrive. Then he heard it. A voice, or at least what sounded like one. He thought he could hear them speaking, yet the only words that made it through his continually deteriorating mind were.

  ?"Why... I... interested... you…”

  ?But those were also the final words he made out before jerking awake on the ground.

  At least that was Blade's perception of it. The distinction was hard to make when everything both above and below him looked like the night sky.

  The sky looked beautiful. It bore no moon, instead having cosmic dust form a circling halo to replace it. Even in his bewilderment, the sight that greeted him was something to admire.

  ?After gaining his bearings, he began walking. Or at least tried. When he thought he was taking a step, his body did not move. As if the gravity here was so much stronger than the one he was used to. He tried to run at full speed, but that barely moved him a millimeter.

  Resorting to power through, pouring all his mana and aura into his body until each step became bareable. Before long he could take strides with acceptable pace, even if he used some time finding the minimum needed so he wasn’t wasting either.

  ?He walked with steady steps as he let his mind wander. Without a moment to ever think, he was now given the time to think about this seriously. He was probably declared dead in his past world. It would make sense. Even so, he held no concern for it, as he had taken care of the threats, though the serpentine tentacles plagued his mind.

  Still they made little sense. They emerged from the ground, originally only gone for the gods and then targeted him. Could it maybe have been that they went for what held the most mana? If that was the case it became more plausible why they went after him. It also lessened the chances they would leave the realm of the gods, as it was the most mana dense place. So what was left for him?

  ?No family, no lovers. Not really anyone to call a friend, though he had comrades. That's when he began thinking about what he wanted. Not the world, not others, but Blade. What did he want?

  Always questioning his own desires, but never sure. Clouded by doubt he had never truly stopped to find his place in the world.

  Raising his arm in the air, he closed his fist around the sight of the moon. Wondering if this place may be a step towards finding that ideal?

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  The best action now, orienting himself. Moving, no matter the way, would give better results than standing still.

  His steps turned into a rhythm, walking with no ?goal or place in mind or sight. That didn’t stop him from meeting someone.

  A short distance in front of him stood a man. He looked almost unremarkable, were it not for the bloodied sword in his hand. Blade had no clue where he was, so the smartest decision would be treating everyone with caution. Unsheathing his sword, he didn't take up an immediate hostile stance as he tried talking with the man.

  ?"Hello, are you from this place?"

  Perceiving his words the man sneered saying.

  “And a lost lamb finds himself in front of me. Another contestant I guess.”

  The accusation made no sense, but Blade didn't have time to process it before the man lunged. The sword cut a few strands of Blade’s hair as he leaned back, only to be kicked away.

  Before he even managed to get up, he was met with metal as he barely blocked the sword strike aimed at his neck. The problem was that it left him unguarded. He braced for another kick. Instead, the man lunged, seized his arm, and slammed him into the ground. Afterward flipping him in the air and kicking him away yet again.

  “You seem stronger than expected, so I’ll at least acquire your name.”

  The smile on the man’s face was as present as ever. Shining even when Blade didn’t focus on him.

  What truly intrigued Blade was the combat. From the sword skills to the strength behind each strike. All of it held him in a trance. But most of all was simply the beauty of the intent behind each strike. This man was like the ideal version of himself.

  Even when he tried to close the strength difference using his mana and aura, he was still not a match. If pure swordsmanship didn’t work, change was necessary.

  For some reason a new feeling bloomed in him. A feeling of no longer being isolated due to his strength. The people here had meaning, could that mean he could have it too? If the people here had strength like this…

  His imagination began flowing with the thoughts of life. For now though, focusing on his opponent to beat him.

  Sheathing his sword and creating a black bow in his hands, Blade shot multiple arrows he created.

  “Suprising, I must say. I thought we were both swordsmen, but I guess I was wrong.”

  The man said, trying but failing to close the distance. His smile didn’t drop but the arrows halted him.

  Small wounds and grazes were everything Blade caused, the lack of firepower clear. Discarding the bow and launching forward, Blade moved his hand to the hilt of his sword. A sight the man quickly picked up on as he went in to deflect.

  “Back to swordsmanship, I see.”

  Blade never planned to clash with him like a swordsman. Creating a spear last second, piercing his shoulder. Drawing his sword next, he tried cutting the man in half.

  The sight of blood wiped any remains of a smile from his face, with the man creating a floating sword to block Blade’s attack.

  Forcing a block was a sign of progress, yet that sign was crushed with his spear as the man brought him closer. The slash that followed was fatal. Or at least could have been. Managing to stab the man’s foot, gave Blade the window of escape.

  Launching himself into the air, Blade unleashed a wave of weapons, intending to end the struggle. But the man did not look impressed, creating swords that shot forth and watching them break every weapon Blade made.

  A shock, but not one Blade could linger on. Landing, he created new weapons directly embedded in the ground, before going on an all-out assault. Dropping everything to attack. And the man welcomed the strategy with open arms.

  “What a fascinating strategy. I’ll execute you with passion.”

  ?Using every weapon that now riddled the ground, it became increasingly harder to guess Blade’s next move. Though the weapons broke after a single clash with the man’s sword, the strategy worked. He continued this way until all his weapons lay destroyed, and his actual sword lay in front of him, though behind the man now staring down at him.

  ?"Tell me, why do you fight?"

  ?Even with labored breaths his question was asked. His mana and aura weren’t empty, but throughout the fight he never thought about his own stamina. Something he was paying for now. His voice only hinted at tiredness from everything that had transpired. Even so the man answered.

  “Why I fight? For my goals of course. Everything one does is for their ideals.”

  The words were simple, obvious even. Yet to Blade they were almost foreign. The man went to end it without waiting for a reply.

  Blood dripped from his chest. Looking down the man saw Blade’s sword piercing him. Not fatal, but surprising. An opportunity, and the minute window Blade needed.

  Creating a dagger in his hand he pierced it right through the man’s eye. Dodging the man's wild swings, he created another dagger to pierce the other, but instead it broke on impact. His mana reserves were running low.

  Exhausted and now barely able to move in this new environment, he lost his left arm, though he managed to salvage his sword as he was launched back.

  ?He understood this place was hard to move in without mana and aura, but to be unable to even pierce his skin without it, was a shock. A dagger capable of killing an immortal god, now nothing more than fragile glass unable to even pierce the skin of someone from this world. He was beginning to question what more he could do, but that was when the unknown man fell to his knees.

  ?Without a moment to waste he attacked. Though he created all his weapons with the side effect of poison, he never expected it to work after the man brushed off his first attack.

  ?The unknown man pushed through the poison. The same one that could kill a god with a drop was barely managing to paralyze him after such a high dosage.

  ?Grabbing his sword, he attacked. Not desperately, but ugly work at best. It mattered little, though. Death was death, whether that was via one or a hundred slashes. Being forcefully taught to be ambidextrous came in handy.

  ?Slash after slash, Blade didn’t stop. Piercing whenever he could, he continued until there was barely life left, and using his remaining right arm, he decapitated the man in a final motion.

  ?With the man finally dead, he got time to think and catch his breath. Blade thought that since this had been his main weapon from as far as he could remember, some of his mana and aura must have remained in it, allowing him to actually hurt the unknown man.

  ?Now the last question remaining was what to do with the body, but that question was swiftly answered as the body started decomposing into magical energy. Blade saw an orb inside the decomposing heart, deciding to pierce it with his sword to make sure the man was dead.

  ?After his fight with the man, Blade was left alone for a while. He used his given time to recharge his mana by absorbing the mana in nature around him. Afterwards, he worked on reattaching his arm.

  The cut was clean, which made things easier for him. At least the chance of infection was less.

  Taking a few controlled breaths he ripped some cloth from his cape until it formed a thick piece he could bite on. From there he could only persevere through. Creating weapons that produced strings as he began the process. Without the right knowledge, and the pain blinding his vision, he was moving on gut feeling and the mana flowing through him. Using his mana to connect what he could not, he eventually managed to reattach his arm, though not perfectly.

  The work was uglier than his previous slashes, and it forced him to continue wearing the bandage. At least it kept the arm alive, and gave him the option to use it as long as he was careful.

  ?He doubted this would be his last fight in this new place. This furthered his desire and curiosity. The fact someone here could beat him made him want to explore more while also wanting to see more of what this place could offer. The voice that had talked to him seemed to know him, making him wish to find out who they were. While pondering, a sense of death crept up his back.?

  Turning faster than imagined, Blade managed to deflect the spear that sought to destroy his skull. The recoil left him unbalanced, and even more bewildered when he saw the spear fly back to its owner.

  “I guess that explains it.”

  ?The voice came from a man with a striking similarity to the unknown man Blade killed.

  ?"My name is Leo. Let’s keep this short shall we?”

  ?Looking confused, but able to put the pieces together, Blade answered only,

  ?"Fine.”

  ?Leo only scoffed and laughed at his words as he responded.

  ?"Glad you’re so agreeable. Much better than bland ignorance"

  ?The scene became much clearer as more people came forth. Leo cared little for a fair fight, he simply needed Blade dead.

  Character Card:

  A human who has slayed gods and extraterritorial creatures to protect the humans on his home planet. Now thrown into a plane beyond anything he could imagine, and has to fight to clear the mysteries behind his summoning.

  Name: Blade

  Age: 16

  Race: Human

  Title: Devil's Blade

  Appearance: Blade is a tall teenager with a slim but muscular build. He has short, spikey black hair and grey eyes. Blade's outfit consists of a dark grey shirt that was worn underneath a black trench-coat with gray linings, and black boots. He also wears a silver jawbone-like mask, covering the lower part of his face and his nose. On his hand he wears silver claw-like gloves. He also has his sheath for his sword on his waist, his sword being a katana with a dark gray blade, white hand guard and black hilt. The hand guard is formed like a circle with intricate patterns in it.