Chaos' Heir

830  No

Izraz fell, his small eyes fixed on the figure above him. Khan calmly watched the Thilku while hovering high in the sky. The exchange didn't inflict much damage to either warrior, but both knew what it meant.

A loud thudding noise spread through the area when Izraz crashed on the metal floor. His weight and accumulated momentum bent the surface, digging a humanoid shape into it. Yet, the alien quickly adjusted his position, standing up and resuming his look at his opponent.

Khan lingered in the air a bit longer before slowly moving toward his opponent. He performed clear steps as if descending from an invisible staircase. The air looked solid under his feet, enhancing the mystical aura around him.

The troops couldn't divert their gaze from Khan. They had checked their leader's condition, but Khan had immediately reclaimed their attention. The mana had enabled wonders, but Khan seemed to wield proper magic. His every move exuded grace, and his power looked overwhelming.

The truth was very different. As much as Khan could claim control over the battlefield, his attacks couldn't pierce Izraz's innate defense. He could only make the alien look bad before his underlings and had succeeded at that.

Izraz waited for Khan to land before him. His smirk had long since disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. As inconclusive as the exchange had been, Izraz couldn't feign ignorance anymore. Khan didn't deserve it. Of course, things were different for Khan.

"[Now I can kill you]," Khan announced when he landed on the ruined floor. His left hand went to his sheath, and his eyes started glowing. He wouldn't hold anything back against that alien.

Izraz glanced at the hand on the knife's handle before focusing on the shining eyes. Khan had showcased incredible speed and massive destructive power. An all-out battle between the two would inevitably involve the company, which was better to avoid.

Yet, Izraz wanted an audience. Besides, sending his troops away would show weakness, which was unacceptable for someone aiming for lordship. Khan had already played with him, so making everyone retreat would deny his previous claims.

"[Blue Shaman]," Izraz called, "[Let's not destroy this place]."

"[You can't decide that]," Khan responded. He wouldn't let Izraz dictate favorable terms. That possibility had disappeared long ago.

"[I offer you a challenge]," Izraz explained. "[Your best attack against mine]."

"[To set conditions]," Khan commented, "[You must be stronger than your opponent]."

Izraz almost fell for the insult but managed to hold back. The planet was important for the Empire, and the same went for its manpower. His ambition was intense, but he couldn't put so much at risk for it.

"[Are you willing to damage Empire's property]?" Izraz questioned.

Khan fell silent. He was one of the Global Army's Ambassadors, and that planet ignored the interspecies treaties. Theoretically, he would have some leeway if he destroyed something. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

However, the Thilku had also awarded Khan their cape, which implied responsibilities and duties. He couldn't unleash destruction in the Empire's domain without prior authorization. He would put his privileges at risk otherwise.

"[Step back]," Khan ordered, glancing at the company.

Izraz's smirk returned as he nodded at his troops. The company retreated but remained close enough to inspect the imminent exchange. Some soldiers even summoned their mana, ready to cast defensive spells.

"[You are no weakling, Blue Shaman]," Izraz admitted, his voice growing louder as mana fused with his lungs. "[I won't let you fall into darkness once I become a Lord]."

Izraz's voice echoed throughout the area, growing louder by the second. His show of power resembled Khan's heavy aura, but its power kept increasing. The alien also took a slow but deep breath, accumulating and condensing air inside his lungs.

Khan could somewhat understand what would fly after him. The mana's nature and the still-nearby troops hinted at a beam-like attack with immense piercing power. The spell would probably affect his insides, too, and could melt his organs if it reached a decent density level.

Normally, Khan would dodge the attack, flying out of its range. After all, his speed was his best quality. Yet, the deal with Izraz had forced him into a frontal clash, and resorting to tricks would only ruin his reputation among the Thilku.

Even those with weak senses could notice Izraz's massive accumulation of mana, and the troops expected Khan to resort to a similar attack. It would actually be more in line with his destructive element, and his previous array of spears vouched for that.

However, Khan didn't unleash anything massive. He let go of his knife, lifted his hand, and drew lines into the air. A complicated Thilku rune soon appeared before him, but none of the troops could translate it.

Izraz also noticed the rune but failed to understand its meaning. He didn't think Khan knew his own language better than him, so he quickly reached different conclusions. That was an imitation of the Thilku runes, and its effects were privy only to Khan.

The rune didn't seem to do anything. Its reddish glow intensified slowly, never reaching proper brightness. It simply hovered in the air, waiting for Khan to activate it.

Nevertheless, a few attentive soldiers noticed something odd. Faint gales had started blowing in the area, flowing through the company to converge toward Khan. Izraz's aura disturbed any deeper inspection, but the wind could only have one target.

Of course, Izraz appeared to have seized the upper hand. His accumulation of power was simply more recognizable, and many soldiers' survival instincts kicked in at the scene. Everybody knew he was about to unleash something massive, but Khan remained utterly calm. He actually looked bored while his eyes watched a world only he could see.

'If only this were easier to use in normal battles,' Khan thought, inspecting the symphony. The world lost colors as his rune absorbed them, almost returning his eyes to a human level.

"[Blue Shaman]!" Izraz shouted, his voice seemingly ready to make the area explode. "[Are you ready]?"

"[Yes]," Khan said, his voice resembling a whisper compared to his opponent's.

"[For! The! Empire]" Izraz shouted, his mouth spreading toward Khan as his lungs released all the air accumulated inside his lungs.

The almost dark environment immediately regained light in Khan's eyes. An attack visible only to him had shot forward, creating a wall that ripped off the metal floor during its advance.

'It's big,' Khan thought, inspecting the incoming attack, 'Piercing and targeted at my insides.'

Khan was sure none of his defensive techniques would stand a chance against the incoming attack. Its nature had no weaknesses. It would pierce shields and internal protective spells alike. Running away was the only option.

Still, Khan didn't move from his position. He gracefully lifted his hand, placing a finger on the closest line and pushing it into the others. The rune fully activated, and the world turned purple-red.

The company lost the ability to see. They felt like they had stared too long at a bright light source, leaving blind spots in their vision. The area also fell silent, preventing their ears from gaining details about the exchange's outcome.

The troops slowly recovered, and their half-closed eyes gradually returned to the battlefield. They still found it hard to see, but details eventually appeared.

The metal floor had almost completely disappeared, leaving bent and shattered metal behind. Yet, a deeper channel had appeared at the center of the destruction, reaching the machines beneath the platform. Also, the scene showed a clear winner.

Izraz was on his knees. His uniform had disappeared, and his skin had melted, showing live flesh on most of his body. Trails of blood also fell from his closed eyes, and smoke rose from his shoulders.

Meanwhile, Khan stood before Izraz, floating above the gap that stopped at the alien. He was uninjured and wore the same bored expression, but his hand soon rose to place two fingers on the Thilku's forehead.

"[May this teach everyone]," Khan announced, "[Don't mess with me]."

Khan was about to unleash the killing blow, but something suddenly invaded the quickly returning symphony. A ship flew at high speed into the area, and a figure jumped out of it instead of waiting for a proper landing.

The aura was familiar, but Khan didn't turn. He had already made up his mind about the matter but would listen to his ally out of respect.

"[Blue Shaman]," Lord Exr called, his heavy steps resounding on the intact parts of the landing platform. "[What is the meaning of this]?"

"[Izraz plotted with the humans to bring me here and capture me]," Khan explained shortly, his bright eyes still on the kneeling Thilku. "[The specifics are unknown]."

Lord Exr stopped, glancing at the company. The news initially felt surprising, but anger soon arrived. He knew more than Khan about the Empire's politics, so he could reach more detailed conclusions.

"[Ah]!" Lord Exr cried. "[This is shameful! We will interrogate Izraz immediately and start an investigation]!"

"[No]," Khan said, mana escaping his fingers. Izraz fell sideways, leaning on the metal floor and showing the bloody hole at the center of his forehead.