Diomedes Cestus 16 : Road home finale
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Year 205~
Cassius felt a surge of energy coursing through his body, fueled by the pills he had consumed and the adrenaline of the impending battle. He was at the peak of his strength, with his Qi fully restored for the first time in months. His men were ready, armed, and determined to make their last stand against their besiegers.
As they charged out of their defenses, Cassius was surprised to find the enemy camp in complete disarray. Fires were raging, soldiers were fighting each other, and some were even deserting their posts, advancing toward some distant, unknown goal. It was chaos.
Cassius's second-in-command, an archer, looked at him questioningly. "Sir, should we continue with the plan, maybe we could use this option to break out and retreat?"
Cassius surveyed the situation, his hand stroking his beard in thought before a grin started to split his. "This is not the final stand we envisioned, but it's just as well. Let's add to this chaos!"
With a shout of encouragement, Cassius raised his sword and led his men into battle. They charged into the fray, fighting with all their might and adding to the confusion and destruction around them. It was a glorious and chaotic battle, and Cassius knew that he and his men would never forget it.
…Was that the one of the kings he saw in this distance? ,The figure might not be the first but it would do he thought as he changed directions and beelined towards it battlelust filling his veins as the startled figure moved to attempt and run away from its impending fist shaped doom.
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Bai Da had served the illustrious Fifth Koi King for several decades and was a guard captain of great renown. He was a mighty cultivator of the eight stage, with the potential to rise to the ninth stage or even break into the legendary foundation realm. As he carried another pile of reports into the command tent, he confidently and proudly strode forth, assured in his place.
The siege command tent was an uncommon sight for many in the Koi King's lands. While the tent itself was spacious but simple, its insides held a concentration of power unheard of by many.
Inside the tent, the four kings were seated around a map of the Cestus lands. The Seventh King was a tall, heavy-set man who seemed to care more about the food served to them than the map. The Fifth King was the one Bai Da was most familiar with, and he served under him in various capacities over the last few decades. An unassuming scholarly individual, the Fifth King preferred to immerse himself in the administration of the camp and in his duties.
The Fourth King was a serious man and the closest under the top three to the mid-foundation. He was known to be mighty with his elemental arts, allowing him to defeat many of his lesser cultivators. At the head of the table sat the First Koi King, an old and powerful man who had reached the mid-foundation two centuries before and was the mightiest of all present.
Conspicuously, the empty chair that was supposed to hold the now-injured Second King sat in front of the First King. Despite this setback, Bai Da was sure that, as long as the First King led them, victory would surely be theirs.
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Jiu Cheng, also known as the First Koi King, was utterly exhausted. He had grown weary of the endless scheming and maneuvering required to maintain his grip on power. He was fed up with the incompetence of his underlings, and above all, he was sick and tired of this blasted campaign.
On paper, it had seemed like a simple task: send a few of his weaker subordinates to subjugate a newly ascended establishment expert before any of his rivals could get their hands on him. This would expand his sphere of influence and bring him one step closer to his goal of unifying the Koi lands under his rule.
But things had not gone according to plan. Setback after setback had beset him, with his emissaries sent back in defeat and his forces decimated by ambushes and tunnels. He and his subordinates had been held back by maddeningly effective defenses sourced from golden devil-sourced defenses (and wasn't that a nasty surprise—his body still ached from that infernal fire Qi tower).
At one point, he had even entertained the idea of cutting his losses and letting one of his rivals break themselves against this tiny fiefdom.
But then came the rumors.
At first, he scoffed at them. The notion that someone in this remote corner of the world could stumble upon the inheritance of a core-level cultivator was preposterous. All such treasures were claimed centuries ago.
And yet, Cestus had managed the impossible. He had not only held back the First King's forces for almost a decade, but he had also managed to consolidate and form his second pillar. With his main rival now joining the siege, Jiu Cheng found himself in a precarious position. He had to either continue and finish the campaign or, in the far-fetched scenario where the rumors turned out to be true, face the prospect of his position becoming untenable as the lesser kings flocked to the victor.
Jiu Cheng let out a weary sigh as the sound of panicked guards rushing towards his tent reached his ears. He was utterly exhausted by this campaign.
The first king watched as the young man rushed into his tent, startling him with his hasty entrance. He barked out, "Report!" to the startled youth, who snapped to attention at the sound of the first king's wizened voice and quickly relayed the message, "Your highness, the men have been redeployed to the outskirts for inspection and are waiting for your presence."
As the inhabitants of the tent looked at each other in confusion, the first king felt a sinking feeling wash over him. The fifth king narrowed his eyes and questioned the young man, "And what do you mean by inspec-?" but was interrupted by a series of people rushing in with their own problems.
"The troops of the fifth are attacking-"
"The southern half is on fire-"
"Cestus is attacking our positions!"
The first king focused on the last words, feeling a sense of urgency. He whirled around to the speaker, a heavily armored cultivator with multiple pouches and myriad weapons on his person. "Silence!" he commanded. "Repeat that."
The cultivator spoke again: "Cestus is attacking our positions, just thought you should know, sir."
The first king closed his eyes for a moment before coming up with a plan. "Seven and four, go grab as many as you can and fight Cestus. Beat him if you can, but do not let him escape." He watched as the fourth king stood up and left, while the seventh king hesitated in fear before a glare from the first king sent him scurrying after.
"Five, go grab the idiots at the outskirts and redeploy," he commanded the scholar, who nodded and left with his entourage.
As the noise levels began to drop and the last of the cultivators left the tent, the first king felt a migraine coming on. He sat down, feeling a sense of regret for not attempting to join the Golden Devils when the recruiter came to his hometown. At the very least, he would have had competent troops under him instead of this group of bufoons. He watched as the remaining cultivators stumbled over one another in their hurry to obey his orders.
As the last of the cultivators began to leave the tent and the noise levels began to slowly drop, a familiar glint of metal caught the king's eye as he looked at the heavily armored cultivator, who lingered a bit too long, staring at him before turning to leave.
"Hold!" the first king called out, pointing at the armored man. A few minutes passed as the last of the cultivators trickled out of the tent, and the king and the armored man were left in blessed silence.
As the cultivator's discipline started to drop and he began to fidget in place, the first king let out a sigh and began to walk out of the tent, motioning for the armored man to follow him. The two walked for a while before stopping at a hill overlooking the developing battle. They both stared down at the last attempt by the besieged to reverse their situation and the chaos that was born of it.
"Boy, if you are planning to use that blade of yours, you better not miss," the first king said, startling the cultivator whose arm was in the process of attempting to stealthily draw the aforementioned blade from its sheath.
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Diomedes glared daggers at the back of the old man, who was the source of all the devastation that graced his home, his mind and instincts screaming at him to immediately strike him down the moment the old man revealed that he knew what Diomedes planned.
It took everything he had for Diomedes to ignore the years of training and the screaming instincts he gained over his centuries that told him to strike down his enemy as fast as he could.
Reigning in his emotions and qi, Diomedes allowed his blade to fall back to
Its sheath with a metallic screech.
Keeping his hand on the pommel he glared at the old man who seemed unbothred by the near assaination attempt on his life and the danger Diomedes represented to his continued well-being.
"Since you have seemed to come to your senses boy, you could start by telling me what brings a golden devil to mess around in my territory and create chaos in my armies. "The First King spoke at Diomedes as he turned around and leaned on his cane in Diomedes direction.
Sensing an opportunity Diomedes took on an arrogant tone and pose trying to imitate some of the more stuckup young masters he had encountered while liaising with the righteous path
"I have no need to explain myself to a mere vassal of a vassal, just know that the actions of your fellows has displeased your betters Kowtow and drop your armaments right now and i might convince my legate to spare you once he arrives!."
"Kowtow?",The old man blinked befuddled at the unexpected words coming out of diomedes mouth "You are quite brazen boy , demanding an elder to bow at your feet have you no shame! ."he scolded Diomedes
The old man's eyes narrowed as he studied Diomedes, his keen gaze noting every detail, every nuance of his body language. "If you had come with force, I would have done nothing less," he said, tapping his cane on the ground. "But you came alone, relying on misdirection and tricks to sow chaos in my armies. You are not as clever as you think you are, young devil."
Diomedes gritted his teeth, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. He had not expected the old man to be so astute, and he felt his arrogance slipping away. The old man was right - he had not hidden his actions well enough, and now he was exposed.
"I recognize you," the old man continued, raising his cane in threat"as the son of Cassius Cestus, whose territories I have been besieging for decades. You think you can come here and take revenge on me for what I have done to your father, but you are mistaken."
Diomedes raised his blade in alarm. "You cannot seriously think that you can get away with slaying a member of the Golden Devils. Even if you manage to win, you will be hunted down," he warned.
"Perhaps," the old king replied calmly. "It's likely that I would have to pay a heavy cost and even flee the Organ Meat Desert altogether to survive. But the die has long been cast. Now then, protect yourself!"
With those words, the Koi King rushed forward, his cane raised high, aimed directly at Diomedes' heart. Diomedes quickly raised his blade to block the attack, the sound of their clash ringing out loudly. Their clash seemed to be about equal as superior skill met superlative physical might,dozen of blows were quickly exchanged , each one futlily attmpting to gain the upper hand .
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Diomedes faced off against the first koi king, their clash unfolding before them. The rhythm of battle filled the air as they Fought, eyes locked with unwavering focus.
With each passing moment, Diomedes could feel the pressure building. The first koi king's mastery born of his age became evident as he expertly parried Diomedes' strikes and launched precise counterattacks. Diomedes fought valiantly, his strikes like thunderous waves, but he found himself slowly overwhelmed by the king's relentless assault.
In a swift motion, the king closed the distance between them. His strikes were a harmonious blend of elegance and strength, a relentless flurry that forced Diomedes to desperately block and evade.
Four blows to his temple were expertly batted away before the cane snaked it way through a gap in diomedes defences.
The impact sent him flying backward, sparks filling the air, and the force of the blow caused his body to ache and blood to rise to his mouth.
Grimly, Diomedes assessed the damage to his armor, realizing that overpowering the king would be a near-impossible task. Instead, he focused on withstanding the onslaught, hoping that the toll of the first koi king's advanced age would eventually give him an opportunity to use a decisive move and end the fight. With renewed determination, Diomedes threw a series of daggers into the air, momentarily forcing the king to retreat, and quickly regained his footing.
As the battle waged on, Diomedes could feel the weight of exhaustion settling into his muscles, each movement becoming more arduous. He fought against the encroaching weariness, his mind refusing to yield, but the first koi king's unyielding skill seemed tireless. Desperation began to creep into Diomedes' thoughts, urging him to find a way to create some distance between himself and the king's relentless assault.
Drawing upon his inner reserves, Diomedes focused his qi, channeling it deep into his dantian where his sole pillar resided. With determination burning in his eyes, he prepared to unleash a technique that would grant him a brief respite from the king's overwhelming attacks. His plan was to create an opening, allowing him the space to use the soul bursting fragment hoping to rely on the supernatural luck to turn the tides in his favor.
Block after block, Diomedes skillfully deflected the king's strikes while simultaneously gathering more and more qi. The rhythmic clash of their weapons echoed in the air, and with each exchange, Diomedes drew closer to his critical moment. Finally, seizing the perfect opportunity, he exerted all his strength to deflect the king's cane,his pillar pulsing simultaneously
[
Grasping hands of the eart-]
A sudden interruption startled them both. With a resounding thud, two unconscious bodies were thrown at the feet of the first koi king. It was Cassius Cestus, Diomedes' father, who stood before them, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Well, well, well. Seems like you've lost something," Cassius jested, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. He gestured towards the fallen bodies of the king's subordinates.
The first koi king's face twisted with a mixture of annoyance and exasperation, as if he had reached the limit of his patience. He glanced from Cassius to two bodies he threw,before sighing his voice tinged with a mix of humor and dissapointment. "I should have known those incompetent idiots wont be able to beat you cestus ,I had my hopes but to think they couldn't even hold you back."
Cassius took a casual step forward. "Really, you should just surrender," he spoke before pointing at Diomedes. "If you could barely handle this weird guy, whomever he is, you sure as hell can't handle me, old man," he continued, stopping between the two of them.
"Or don't. I have been wanting to punch your face in for a while now," he said, turning his back to the king and looking at Diomedes. "And you, I appreciate the help, but you can leave now, stranger. I can handle this all by myself!" Cassius proudly declared, grinning confidently, seemingly uncaring about the baffled and stunned stares from both Diomedes and the king.
As time continued to pass, and the trio stood there unmoving, Cassius's grin slowly started to fade. He noticed the stares and asked, "What, is there something on my face?" He moved his hand to check.
Diomedes and the king exchanged a look before the Koi King let out a sigh. "This day, I swear," he muttered, taking his cane in his hand, now filled with cracks. "That's it, Cestus. Cestus spawn, time to die," he called out as his grip tightened, and pieces of the cane fell to the ground, revealing the sword hidden between.
Diomedes felt his hairs stand on end as he gazed at the Koi King, whose aura, while weak, grew sharp and focused. In the king's hands now was a metallic rainbow-colored blade. Diomedes identified what he was facing - a Sword Cultivator.
"Now, I remember, you are a sword cultivator!" Cassius's boisterous voice cut through the air, stating the obvious as the koi king slashed the air and the duo were forced to dodge.
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Diomedes ducked under a swing rapidly spending qi in an attempt to put some distance between him and the rainbow blade of the swordsman in front of him.
At first he had attempted to cross blades with the man but -Qi slash - his mind blared as he quickly pulsed his pillar and raise an earthen barrier to take the blow, but the remnant of his blade had showed what a poor choice it was.
Of course he mused as he sent his qi to the ground and forced the king to dodge as a series of earthen spikes erupted from below him,which he attempted to follow up with a combination of deadly flames and roots to grapple the king when he would land set up already in one of Diomedes previous dodging attempts, he could compensate if not for… that
As the king swung his blade and disperesed Diomedes's flames he seemed to be about to land in the trap only for caius to jump into the exact spot that diomedes trap was laid , the grappling roots erupting and leaving him open to the king backswing.
Flying back Caius bleeding and scarred body smashed into the rocks kicking up a dust cloud while the king gently landed in his now unoccupied spot spotless.
Diomedes let out a sigh, this was the third time in this battle that his father had somehow managed to rush into one of his traps by what seemed like sheer bad luck .
And yet, he blinked as His father emerged from the rubble back up moments later with only a new bleeding line on his chest
"No" Diomdes decided , "traps wont work", not with his father breaking them all repeatedly .
A new set of tactics will have to be used.
- [Thoughtstream Acceleration Method]
Pouring qi into his mind Diomedes felt his perception slows as he executed the technique.
While incredibly costly in term of qi usage and his body could not keep up in short bursts it was perfect for something like this.
Diomedes quickly went through the steps drilled to him by the legate once he ascended past a mere legionnaire and was taught a semblance of tactics.
Evaluate the situation, consider assets , identify weaknesses,execute plan.
Situation:One enemy, Sword cultivator ,skilled ,old,effective strength ?, late foundation.
Assets:Two foundation cultivators , reinforced and two pillars.
First asset, self: earth pillar established , bears golden devil toughness ,notable physical capabilities and high durability and stamina beyond baseline.
Second asset? At this diomedes stopped the technique for a moment to take a brief look at his bleeding father who seemed to be ignoring the half a dozen bleeding wounds on his flesh to rush at the sword wielding elder once more.
Two pillar cultivator,strong, tough, uncooperative , operate around.
Observing the man receive another smack after striking the swordsman's blade, Diomedes couldn't help but tack on another.
"Idiot."
He was an utter and complete fool of the highest degree.
He was uncooperative , incapable of doing anything but relentlessly attacking his enemies while ignoring anything else.
Any tactics he will ruin , and any traps diomedes will try to establish he would fall into.
Diomedes eye glinted, he could work with that.
Iron-blooded herding tactics it is.
Finally The weakness.
Scouring the form of the First king Diomedes rapidly calculated and dropped several ideas.
Outlast him by taking advantage of his old age?
No Diomedes rejected that idea .
The First King appeared fresher and possessed greater reserves. Diomedes could sense that neither he nor his father were operating at full capacity.
Overwhelm his defenses and kill him outright? Diomedes pondered, but quickly rejected the idea.
The difference in lethality and skill presented by the man was too great to accomplish within acceptable levels of risk.
Deprive him of his blade? Diomedes's eyes narrowed, fixating on a minuscule chip broken off during the king's latest clash with Diomedes's father.
"Bingo."
Dropping the technique entirely diomedes charged forwards at the swordsman.
It has been only mere seconds with the acceleration of the technique but already he could see signs of the swordsman deadliness with his father being on the backfoot , being forced to give ground with each clash or face an untimely end.
Striding past his father Diomedes channled massive amount of metal qi into his blade.
Normally such an expense would be carefully controlled and measured , unleashed only if an opening was found but well ….
Diomedes nameless blade clashed in a cachopny of screaming Gravebronze against the rainbow blade of tHe king blocking his blow and blunting his advance.
A waste of qi normally , but Diomedes could see a small sliver of a crack grow in the chipped blade where he hit.
"Hey he is mine" came the cry of outrage behind him that Diomedes promptly ignored.
Repeatedly, Diomedes unleashed strikes upon the swordsman, expending qi like water, generating such sheer force that the old man was forced to retreat a few steps as he parried the blows. The crack widened.
Harnessing the power of earth qi to surge forward, Diomedes was abruptly halted as a hand seized his shoulder, hurling him backward. His father charged forward simultaneously, aiming a punch at the First King.
"He belongs to me!" he proclaimed as his fist connected, sending a few more minuscule chips flying from the sword.
Grinning at a plan going well Diomedes rushed between the two man blocking the swipe generated by the king and forcing His father own strike to go wildly into the night.
Just three more steps. Step one: Look at the idiot.
Diomedes turned his head to glance at his father.
Step two: Make eye contact.
Meeting his father's gaze, Diomedes grinned and opened his mouth.
Step three: Say the words.
"Dont worry, ill deal with him , he is too strong for you anyway".
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too strong for you
Dodging a swing that aimed to take his head Diomedes felt the words ring out
And a nearly tangible pressure fall upon the battlefield, as his father form froze.
too strong
Diomedes weaved between two more blows one to disarm his blade and the other to 'disarm' him ,and proceeded to ram his blade at the growing crack on the kings sending another chip flying and shattering his own gravebronze sword.
Strong
Drawing a pillum and raising his shield Diomedes hurriedly attempted to stop the incoming barrage of blows as the tide turned against him.
*CLANG * Diomedes blocked a blow that came for his head with the haft of his spear,
Before the wave of sharp qi emanating from it forced him to abandon it.
CLANG! Diomedes raised his shield to block a downward blow, only to have it shattered into ruin. The green bronze splintered and scattered across the battlefield, leaving Diomedes vulnerable amid the chaos of combat, as his last armament was destroyed.
Normally such a vulnerability would have meant his doom , and indeed the sword of the koi king swayed halting in place before moving to cut down diomedes in the backswing.
Normally, but luckily diomedes wasn't fighting alone.
With the sounds of cracking bone a fist appeared from diomedes periphery smashing into the koi king nose and sending him flying , accompanied by a shout
"IM NOT WEAK!."
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Jiu Cheng found himself sprawled on his back within a crater, his trusty sword clutched tightly in his hand. It was a position unfamiliar yet not entirely unwelcome, as his weary bones sighed in relief at the mere thought of resting. Perhaps, he mused, it was time to surrender and succumb to defeat.
A sudden intrusive thought interrupted his contemplation, causing him to blink and raise a hand to his throbbing head. It appeared that the elder Cestus had struck him harder than he had initially realized, if such defeatist notions were creeping into his mind.
"No," he sighed inwardly, shaking off the mental fog that clouded his judgment. This battle had progressed too far for him to yield now. Neither of his adversaries would permit him to depart without facing further challenge.
With effort, he staggered to his feet, his battered body protesting every movement. Taking a swift inventory of his injuries, he leveled his blade at the two approaching foes, both now unarmed. Despite his resolve, he recognized that his body could only muster one final attack before conceding defeat, and escape was no longer an option. His stubborn pride, it seemed, persisted even in the face of adversity.
"Forgive me, teacher," he muttered softly to himself, regret tinging his words. "It appears your teachings fell upon deaf ears once more." With a resigned breath, he reached for his blade, readying himself to unleash the last vestiges of qi within him.
[LIFE BURNING METHOD: TWIN PIERCING WAV—]
Before he could complete the technique, his battered sword shattered under the force of two simultaneous fists, one from the father and one from the son.
[CESTUS COMBINATION FAMILY TECHNIQUE: MOUNTAIN SMASHING FISTS]
As darkness enveloped his consciousness for the first time that day, the Koi King could only lament his impending fate. "Oh, this is going to suck," were his final conscious thoughts.
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Diomedes lowered his outstretched arm to the side of his body, wincing in pain as his muscles and drained qi channels screamed at him over the exertion.
Staring at the broken, unconscious body of the first Koi King, Diomedes felt a strange mix of pride and sadness swelling up within him. The old man had been a distant pillar of ineffable strength during Diomedes' upbringing. Back then, a qi condensation cultivator was to Diomedes a mighty and unreachable being, and the first king, who was the strongest among the thirty-three kings, was nothing short of a legend.
Now, in a short century, Diomedes had managed to serve an instrumental role in his defeat. The realization washed over him like a wave, leaving him both awed and humbled by the magnitude of what he had accomplished.
Shaking off the strange mix of emotions, Diomedes began to move away from the battlefield, only to tense up as a hand clamped sharply on his shoulder from behind.
Oh right, he had forgotten his father was also here.
His idiot of a father, whom he had provoked and didn't recognize him.
This was bad.
"
You." A rumble forced its way from Cassius' scarred and bloody chest.
This was very bad.
"Oh, son of a jingsheni concubine." Passed through Diomedes' head as the hand that lay on his shoulder clenched tightly, sending spasms of pain through his arm, before he was whirled around and pulled into a bone-crushing hug.
Huh? Diomedes was bewildered by the unexpected action of the man who, while he looked just as drained as Diomedes, seemed ready to try and crush him just a moment before.
"Diomedes, my son!" The man joyously laughed, his voice deafening Diomedes with its sheer loudness.
"F-father," Diomedes coughed out, alongside most of the air that remained in his lungs, which his parent's arms seemed so ready to squeeze out. "Can't breathe."
"Oh," the man uttered in embarrassment, releasing Diomedes to the ground, allowing sweet breaths of air to return through a series of coughs.
Standing up from his grounded position, Diomedes squinted at his father in confusion as a thought entered his mind.
"Wait just a moment, how did you recognize me? Just a few moments ago, you thought I was a complete stranger!" Diomedes complained.
"Isn't it obvious?" Cassius repeated as he shifted the unconscious bodies he held around his shoulders to avoid them slipping, a grin slowly coming up to his face.
"How can it be obvious? The only thing we did together in that fight was—" Diomedes quieted down, his face changing into horror as the realization hit him. "NO."
"YES," Cassius's grin grew into a shit-eating proportion as the realization sank in on Diomedes. "The great, unrivaled Cestus family technique."
"Dad, can you teach me how to fight?" a young Diomedes tugged on a much younger Cassius's clothes shyly. "They keep bullying me!"
"Sure, my boy," Cassius boisterously spoke as he took a stance. "Now see this." He formed a fist and showed it to Young Diomedes, who clumsily copied it after a few tries.
"This is called a fist. When someone tries to bully you, all you need to do is form one of these and—"
"Punch them really hard!"
Diomedes groaned in exasperation as his father's laughter accompanied them all the way to the old Cestus family mansion, where he grew up—or at least what remained of it after decades of siege, where the remnants of the Cestus levy greeted them, drunk from their victory.
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"So he slipped on a chicken , and then forced you to clean the entire legion latrines again?"Laughed out cassius before taking a long swig from the bottle in his hand and passing it around .
Taking a similar bottle that was offered from one of the many guards laying around diomedes retorted "Its wasnt my fault , that man was an idiot."
Taking a more measured drink, he wiped his mouth and leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "Besides, I got my revenge. I later had some of my new subordinates that you might be familiar with empty them into his tent!"
Throwing his head back both Cassius and Diomedes laughed together , before cassius spoke"I think i know who you are thinking about, it was that crafter brotherhood right?m "At diomedes drunken nod he continued"Useful group of buggers, just popped out one day and offered to to fortify and fix up our city, we wouldn't have lasted long as we did without their help, RIGHT BOYS!" at that he raised his voice so the rest of the camp would hear him to which they responded with the sound of drinking and cheers.
"Still",Cassius continued after the rest of the camp quited down to continue with their revelry, "Its good to see at least one of my kids is alive and well."He slurred out.
Diomedes froze as an icy feeling went through his veins and a lump formed in his throat. "You mean?" he nervously asked.
"All of your brothers and sister are dead?" Cassius's voice went flat, his gaze distant. "You would be correct," he continued, seemingly uncaring, though Diomedes could swear he saw his eyes go red.
The revelation hit Diomedes like a physical blow. He had lost contact with his family after leaving to join the Golden Devils, but to hear that all of his siblings had met their end was a devastating blow. Memories of their laughter, their shared dreams, and their struggles flooded his mind, leaving him reeling.
"Achilles, Ling, Wei, Mei..." Cassius's voice softened as he spoke their names, his expression reflecting the weight of their loss. "They were good kids, each in their own way."
"How"Diomedes hesitantly asked , "How did they?".
"How did they die? "Cassius softly answered, "AchillEs died fighting the Cannibals , when they spilled over the border some decades ago, few reached the kingdoms, and naturally the fool went out to hunt them , he won and won untill one day he just didn't return."
As the reality of his family's fate sank in, Diomedes felt a mixture of sorrow and bitterness. They had fought and struggled together, only to meet their demise in different ways. It was a cruel twist of fate that left Diomedes feeling more alone than ever amidst the drunken revelry of the camp.
"As for the twins, they survived until the siege began, but didn't live long," Cassius continued, his tone cold and uncaring of Diomedes' reaction. "Ling fell first, trying to hold the walls. Wei in rage tried to breakthrough wishing to avenge his counterpart, but the tribulation was too much for him and he perished."
As he reached for the last name, Cassius's voice became touched with some emotion. "And as for little Mei, she was never as talented as the rest of you. Once she hit that first wall, she all but gave up on cultivating. In the end, it was time that took her."
Diomedes listened in silence, his heart heavy with grief for his lost siblings. Each name spoken felt like a dagger to his soul, a painful reminder of the family he had left behind and the fate that had befallen them. Yet, amidst the sorrow, there was also a sense of closure, knowing the truth of what had happened to his loved ones after all these years of separation.
Seeing Diomedes' reaction, Cassius broke the silence, snapping Diomedes from his trance. "Bah," he cried out, "Look at us, messing around like a pair of idiots. Today is a day of celebration!" he declared, crying out for the world to hear.
Putting his hand on the unconscious body of the first king, he spoke. "Not only have we finally broken the siege, but we've beaten the crap out of the old man," grinning at Diomedes. "There will be time for grief, son, but now it's time for your father to drink you under the table."
Narrowing his eyes, Diomedes retorted, "Then you'd better be prepared to lose, father. We Golden Devils are of a hardier sort than what you can take."
The two continued drinking for a bit before Diomedes drunkenly noticed a figure approaching.
"Who's there"Cassius drunkenly slurred as a young man with a bow on his back came into the light
As The young man drew closer, Diomedes blinked heavily, the flickering flames of the campfire casting shifting shadows across hisfeatures. In his intoxicated state, Diomedes's perception wavered, and he could swear that Poyun's face seemed to morph and change in the dancing light. His eyes, initially a striking shade of amber, appeared to darken and then lighten again with each flicker of the flames. The contours of his jawline shifted subtly, as if his features were in a constant state of flux.
Rubbing his eyes and blinking again, Diomedes attributed the strange phenomenon to the effects of the alcohol, dismissing it as nothing more than his drunken mind playing tricks on him. After all, he had consumed his fair share of spirits that night, and it wouldn't be the first time he had experienced such hallucinations while under the influence.
With a shrug and a bemused smile, Diomedes pushed the strange occurrence to the back of his mind, focusing instead on the warmth of the fire and on his father words.
As Cassius spoke and nodded towards Feng Poyun, the young archer stepped forward from the edge of the firelight, as if waiting for permission to approach.
"Ah, Poyun, you got here just in time. We were just talking about family," Cassius spoke, his tone welcoming.
At Cassius's words and nod, Poyun moved closer, and Cassius continued speaking, "Diomedes, this is Feng Poyun, my student and your nephew. He's your sister Mei's son. She had married that brat of a friend of yours that you kept running around with, playing young master. Poyun, this is your uncle Diomedes."
Diomedes sluggishly turned his head towards the young man, who took a place behind Cassius. "Oh, so you are indeed Diomedes? I have heard of you but didn't put a face to the name," Poyun spoke coldly, his words seemingly distant over the silence.
Diomedes, perturbed by the sudden coldness from someone who was apparently family, tried to open his mouth for a retort before his observation hit him like a running desert scorpion. There was a silence. An eerie silence where once the revelry of dozens of guards filled the air.
Attempting to stand up and warn his father, Diomedes collapsed to the ground, his body freezing, his face positioned in the direction of his father.
A wet, meaty sound echoed throughout the night.
Diomedes looked on in horror as a clawed hand pierced through the place where his father's arm was once connected to his body.
"Finally, the poison worked. I had thought it would take longer," a cruel, high-pitched voice spoke.
"You know, I've got to thank you, Cestus," the clawed hand tore out of the ruins that was Cassius's arm. Connected to the hand was the melting and twitching form of what was once Diomedes' nephew, as bones cracked and flesh flowed and melted before settling on the form of a tall and spindly man with stretched-back features and a mouth of sharp teeth.
Lifting the bloody claw, the man licked the blood and continued, "When you nearly killed me that day, and I was forced to lay low for decades, I had believed killing you myself was futile. And as such, I could only stir the pot a bit before I left to join the sect master in the plains."
His face twisting in anger, he kicked Cassius's frozen form to the ground and drawled, "But then an opportunity struck, and your son, no less. Imagine that!"
A sudden joyous look filled the man's face as he looked kindly at Diomedes. "When I sent him to you, I had thought only to sow more chaos, maybe get someone killed, but you two had done the impossible and have given me such a wonderful meal!" The cannibal spoke as he pointed to the tied-up bodies of the kings near the flames. "With this, not only would I finally have my revenge, I would be able to gorge myself many times over and reach untold heights."
"You would be hunted," Diomedes managed to cough up as he desperately tried to circulate his Qi to counteract the poison.
Grabbing Diomedes by the hair, his face was brought up from the ground to the unhinged grin of the facetaker. "Maybe, but by the time this will be discovered, I would have already moved on, and with the face of a Golden Devil expert like you? I would be able to join the sect master in the plains as an ELDER!" He raised his head and cackled before his body froze in place and he looked down on Diomedes.
"Tricky, tricky," the cannibal tapped a long claw at Diomedes' chest plate just above where the heart should be. "You almost got me monologuing, trying to buy time for you to clear the poison."
Diomedes twitched in place, furiously cycling his qi again and again. The poison was clearing, he just needed a bit more time.
"Don't you worry, Golden Devil," the young cannibal spoke, pulling his arm back. "You can be proud. You are strong." Diomedes' fingers twitched just a bit more, and after I'll eat you, your strength will be MINE," the cannibal cackled, thrusting his claws through Diomedes' chest plate, the metal screaming as it was torn apart.
As he felt the claws nearing his chest, Diomedes closed his eyes in resignation. "Father, I'm sorry."
And opened his eyes in shock as a massive wave of sword qi cut off the offending limb along with the cannibal's right leg and a decent chunk of his side.
Turning his head in shock towards the source, he could see the aged figure of the first Koi king panting in place, the broken piece of a sharp jagged rock held in his hands like a blade.
"No, not aged, aging" Diomedes observed, the swordsman actively aging in front of his eyes, his body shriveling up and losing vitality with each passing moment, yet his gaze and posture were both unwavering as he pointed the rock at the recovering cannibal.
"You shouldn't be awake, much less standing "Facetaker shouted as a note of hysteria entered his voice, the cannibal Dioedes noted was missing his right arm at the shoulder and right leg at the knee forcing him to stand on only one leg , though the flesh at the wounds was bubbling fighting the sword qi that seemed to cling to the bleeding stumps to try and heal itself.
"Your sword was broken and your qi reserves emptied, you should be unconscious, much less capable of this power!" he continued.
"I should have known Cestus couldn't finish you off, scum," a gravelly voice came out from the old man's unmoving form, his qi continuously rising, a sharpness spreading out in waves from him.
"A true swordsman can use anything as a sword, and as for qi? My life shall make the difference." Rising the stone above his head, the qi seemed to reach its zenith as he readied a swing. The qi was sharp and unyielding, like a blade about to stab into one's heart. Moreover, it could be seen that the environment around him was being slowly cut up as tiny cuts were continuously inflicted upon the surrounding rocks and ground closest to him. Putting his second hand to support the one holding the rock, Diomedes recognized the stance as the one he and his father interrupted during their fight against this man.
[Life Burning Method: Twin Piercing Waves.] A wave of qi erupted from the shriveled king's "sword," racing towards the cannibal.
"NO! No! nO! I RefUSE tO DiE HEre!" the cannibal's words became garbled as his hands tore into his neck and drew out a twisted bone before he proceeded to shatter it, causing his body to twist and his flesh to bubble as his head split from his body and began to run away on a pair of tiny legs, abandoning it to face the oncoming slash.
The body itself seemed to rush as if possessed into the strike holding for a few scant seconds before being consumed entirely as a cloud of dust erupted at the location the two met.
Diomedes, who had managed to regain control of his head by now, opened his mouth to shout, to call out for the Old King so that he may give chase and cut down the rapidly fleeing grotesque figure that was the tiny cannibal, only for a thudding noise of a body meeting the ground to sound out.
Jiu Cheng, the first among the Koi Kings, had collapsed to the ground. To Diomedes' senses, the former bonfire that was the king had now become a sputtering candle quickly dying out.
"H-Heh," the king coughed out a laugh, blood dripping from his mouth, as he saw the expression on Diomedes' face, "Why are you surprised, boy? Never saw the death of an old man?"
"But you were so strong a moment before!" cried out Diomedes in surprise at the man's condition.
"Didn't you hear what I called out? It's called the Life Burning Method for a reason," he scolded, his tone harsh. "What a shame, though. It seems this old man's life was not enough to kill a single measly cannibal," the old man muttered out as his sputtering qi, now only mere embers, finally died out.
"Listen up, boy, and pass this on to whomever you report to after this," the dying man's voice picked up in volume even as life was leaving his body. "With this, I have paid my debt for the previous actions against you, so whatever censures and punishments they may have planned will not fall on my descendants for my actions," he whispered, though his voice seemed to take almost a pleading tone.
"H-Hunt down this cannibal for all of our sakes before he becomes too dangerous and returns to haunt you all," he sputtered out, wheezing.
"And tell your father to stop acting like a fool and finally claim one of the thrones," he trailed off as the light finally left his eyes, and the First King's head fell to the ground as he finally died.
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Diomedes stood at attention in front of his legate's table in the main camp tent. The atmosphere was tense, the silence in the command tent palpable as the experienced core finished reading the report that had been submitted.
"So, let's see if I got this right," the legate spoke dryly, his eyes piercing through Diomedes. "After completing your second trial and reaching the foundation realm, you applied for leave to visit your homeland and family, correct?" Diomedes nodded in acknowledgment.
"Fairly standard so far, which is why I granted it. But what I do not understand is how it evolved to this," the legate continued, slamming his fist onto the ever-growing pile of reports, messages, and demands that cluttered his desk. "In the span of a few weeks, instead of resting and recovering from the trials, you apparently managed to involve yourself in a cannibal sleeper agent plot, fight several vassal leaders, and destabilize the politics of a region!"
Diomedes winced at the legate's tone, reminded of the many consequences that followed the death of the First Koi King. Already, the fighting had picked up again as surviving foundation experts in the Koi King's lands started maneuvering politically, forging alliances, and mobilizing troops.
Diomedes opened his mouth to ask about the facetaker but trailed off as the legate's next question rang out into the open air of the tent.
"Escaped," the legate answered, his face contorted as if he had bitten into a particularly sour lemon. "Following your clash and his injuries, he disappeared. While we started a search, his particular set of skills means that unless we dedicate a team to scour the divided mortal kingdoms for the better part of a century, we will have to wait until he rears his head again."
Snapping his hand up to catch an errant paper blown by a gust of wind, he continued, "And while normally that wouldn't be an issue, with the Jingshen offensive coming up, we cannot justify allocating resources to hunt down a single heavily injured expert."
Diomedes' hand clenched at the words, while logical and something he would have likely uttered himself were he in the legate's position. He couldn't help but remember the sheer terror he felt facing the cannibal, the man's crazed eyes promising death and suffering.
"So instead, I took the liberty of informing the current dragon emperor of the trouble in their backyard," the legate continued, a dangerous smile spreading on his face. "I'm told they were quite annoyed. I Imagine an enemy slaying their vassals with impunity for a few decades was quite the egg on their face. I suspect that cannibal of yours will have a much harder time for the next few years."
Feeling as if a heavy rock fell off his shoulder, Diomedes relaxed impercitibly at the idea that the cannibal would not be left unmolested to plot and conspire, and while for now he would be safe diomedes would prepare for once the man would rear his ugly head to
Take it once and for all.
Turning to leave Diomedes found his way blocked by his fellow centurions.
Confused at their actions Diomedes stood frozen, his heart sinking once his legate's voice pierced the air, stopping him in his tracks. He turned slowly to face the legate, who wore an unreadable expression. Before he could speak, his fellow centurions gripped his shoulders firmly and guided him towards an empty desk that had been hastily brought in by legionnaires of the Brotherhood.
"I'm afraid the paperwork piled up quite high while you were away, something about a kerfuffle in the Koi King's lands," the legate remarked casually, though there was humor in his tone. "Do take care of it, will you?"
Diomedes watched in disbelief as despair filled him at the coming doom that was approaching . The legate and his comrades chuckled among themselves as they exited the tent, leaving Diomedes surrounded by a mountain of paperwork. Cart after cart filled with scrolls and reports were wheeled in, overwhelming him with the sheer volume.
As he stared at the daunting task before him, a wild thought crossed his mind. Was it too late to fake his own death? Perhaps disappearing into the perilous Turtle Bone Mountains could provide a way out. But as he glanced around at the organized chaos of the command tent, he knew there was no escaping the reality of his predicament.
With a heavy sigh, Diomedes resigned himself to the paperwork, knowing that his fate was sealed—for now, at least. As he picked up the first scroll, he vowed to confront the consequences of his actions head-on, no matter how overwhelming they seemed.
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finally completed this chonker.This is by far the largest omake i have ever written , im quite proud of it.
The characterisation is a mess and the pacing and description inconsistent and its rife with spelling errors but i feel its a good step in the right direction!.
word count :8.367 now i just need 800 more to reach the 10k goal for this turn
iomedes Cestus,Centurion Steelbeard,??