The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

"Where are we now?" Oscar glanced up at Volten, who picked up the pace and hastened down the ruined path, the remnants of a paved road now mere trails of rubble. He looked around. No corpses littered the ground like before, and the stench wasn't that of a battlefield; he knew for certain it wasn't. Volten hadn't said a word since arriving in this place, but Oscar could guess they were in another one of Volten's memories. He called out again, but Volten remained silent, continuing his trek forward.

Over the next thirty minutes, Oscar and Volten walked on the road of rubble. The more they walked, the more Oscar spotted signs of devastation—several chunks of what appeared to be a castle stabbed into the ground. A few piles of brick and glass collapsed as dust clouds rose and lingered like mist. He sucked in a deep inhale and exhaled sharply, feeling discomfort in his chest. He had seen his fair share of ruins and destroyed cities, but it was still unsettling to witness. In the fog of the wreckage, Oscar closely followed behind Volten, unsure and unwilling to know what may happen if he strayed too far.

A short moment later, Volten's loud steps went quiet, and Oscar halted, seeing the old warrior had stopped. He peered beyond but frowned as only more fog and rubble entered his sight. Before Oscar opened his mouth to ask a question, the fog cleared the area they stood on, encircling them. It was an arena, and yet again, he had become the unwilling gladiator. Volten turned and brandished a strange weapon in his hand, the hilt as long as a spear's shaft and the blade just as long and six inches wide. A sudden weight tugged on his arm, and Oscar looked down, stunned to find his shield had appeared out of nowhere.

"This time, we can use all the techniques of Reis and our armaments," Volten said softly, eyes glancing backward for a second before refocusing on Oscar. "The memory that lies past is one even I dare not glance without readying my heart."

"We don't need to do this. Fighting won't help. It's just more pain." Oscar frowned, reluctant to fight again. "What's the po–"

Before his question fully formed, Volten vanished and reappeared, swinging his massive weapon. With that, the battle had begun. Oscar entered the Guise, blue antlers protruding from his forehead as a shroud of Eirin blazed over his figure. His shield raised high and received Volten's heavy strike, a powerful clang of metals clashing, striking like thunder and drowning out all other sounds. The weight behind the blow was unbelievable, and Oscar gritted his teeth and pulled his legs free from the ground, previously forced in by the overwhelming blow. Charging a fist with Shattering Wave, he sought to end this foolish duel, but Volten replied with a Ripple Shroud, a powerful burst of Eirin emanating from his body.

That bought Volten time. Volten swung his free fist and clashed against Oscar's Shattering Wave with his own. Their fists didn't reach as the Shattering Waves met, parting the ground between them and fiercely rumbling like a storm. It reached its limits and burst into an explosion of Eirin, flinging Oscar far back. He slammed into the invisible barrier of fog, narrowly avoiding being injured by using his shield to withstand the impact. A dull pain still dug into his bones, but not an impediment to his movements.

His heart hammered in his chest, blood gushing so fast he heard its roaring in his ears. He strained himself, gripping the shield tightly, and braced himself for another assault. Volten swung once more, the ground rupturing as a dense strand of Eirin swept across, aiming for his neck. The devastating wake of its arrival was only matched by its form's smooth, deadly arc, unrefined destruction combined with delicate control. Oscar fed an immense amount of Eirin into his shield and utilized the Line, grinding the Eirin into a similar strand of Shattering Wave. Swung out, the shield bashed against the attack, his back firmly standing against its power.

'Why is he doing this?' Oscar charged ahead, eyes forward at his target. He and Volten clashed without pause, shield meeting the blade in thunderous booms, sparks spewing as the blade's edge glanced on the sturdy shield. Shattering Wave after Shattering Wave, they both used the Line, the concentrated blows deafening their ears. He couldn't hear Volten, but he was sure from that gaping mouth that the old warrior was shouting at the top of his lungs, a loud cry that reached no one but himself. It was the same for Oscar, as he shouted.

'Is he venting? If this was for me, then why are we in his memories? Why does he want to fight?' In his moment of pondering, Oscar grunted as Volten took advantage, speeding into a blur, presumably to strike at his blind spot. He ducked below the strike, but the aftershock of the Shattering Wave toppled him off balance. Volten struck down, but Oscar shifted his stance to a low one, stabilizing his feet. The blade struck hard, nearly killing him. Oscar spun on its momentum, taking all of its Reis, and countered with an Omnireus.

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Volten also danced around and met Oscar's blow head-on, not backing down as a warrior's look replaced his usual calm, his eyes gleaming sharply with dense killing intent. It wasn't directed at him. Oscar saw that look and knew it wasn't for him. So, who was Volten looking at? Steeling himself, Oscar punched up and was in a deadlock as their Eirins meshed, parted, crackled, and blazed in the epicenter of their duel. It all went white, and all sounds muted. When it was done and the world returned, Oscar found he had his shield stretched out, blocked by Volten's arm.

Victory, his victory.

"Nicely fought. I always wondered what a battle between two Reis users might have been like." Volten lowered his blade. It somehow vanished into a puff of smoke, though it made sense, considering they were in a world of memory and thought. Oscar raised his arms, turning them over as the injuries cleared up and his robes tided back, the scrapes and tattered spots fixed to normal. Volten wandered off, the fog parting to show the ruined road again. "Follow me, young warrior."

Oscar sat up and sighed, tired from the two battles. There was no such thing as running out of Ein or stamina in this place, but he felt the strain nonetheless. His pace picked up, catching up to Volten, who paused again and irritated Oscar. Volten's eyes flickered with a strong emotion, one that welled bits of wetness near the corners of his eyes. Seeing that, Oscar dropped his frustration and watched, knowing the old warrior had suffered greatly, the scenery of the mountains of corpses proof of that.

"It doesn't get any easier, young warrior. Not at all." Volten stepped once more. "Never does."

Upon the clear tap of his foot, the fog cleared up and unveiled the smoldering pile of what Oscar could guess used to be a stone house. The sky was glaringly bright and showered on the horrific scene as if parading and mocking the two, putting misery on display. Two bodies held each other, smoke rising from their carcasses. The fires had burned off most of the flesh and charred the remaining bones, their forms barely holding on, but soon, they cracked and crumbled into ashes.

"They…were my parents." Volten's voice went somber, choking up.

"You had parents?" Oscar asked, recalling the story Ignyres told him on the creation of Volten, a being crafted by Talos and Esteres, not through conventional means.

"Many, many lifetimes ago, I was picked up by a couple who had trouble having children of their own. They raised and praised me, calling me a gift from Talos." Volten neared the pile of ashes and scooped some up. As the ashes spilled from his palm, he covered his eyes, stifling his cries. "How wrong they were. I was a curse, not a gift. They died. Killed and tortured by the enemy. Because of me." He dug more ashes up, all spilling off his fingers like the sands of an hourglass. "I couldn't come close, not even to preserve their bodies as I watched from that road. My body, devoid of will and freedom, had to leave to fight elsewhere, for the enemy was no longer here."

Oscar sat beside Volten, having no words to speak other than to clasp the man's shoulder. It wasn't on purpose, but he felt it was the right action.

"Imagine that…I couldn't even bury them properly. I left them to rot. As a son, I failed them. Some savior, huh?" Volten scoffed, wiped his tears, and lowered his head. "Thank you…for coming here. I have seen your pain, and you have seen mine. Thanks to you, I can finally see this memory again."

"Me? Is that so?" Oscar chuckled. He finally understood. He spoke softly, "It was for you?"

"For us. Both of us are cursed. The past never leaves us, and the future terrifies us. I always feared what may come tomorrow, what merciless horrors await my eyes in the red mornings. And what nightmares of the past will haunt my nightmares through the darkest nights?" Volten rose and lifted Oscar to his feet. "Oscar, your pain is unimaginable. The losses you suffered are what would break any man. But you are not defeated. You've helped me get past what I dared not to walk and see what I closed my eyes to be blind to. In our battles, I saw your sadness, your anger, your worries. It helps to know someone else understands."

"That's why we fought? To understand one another?" Oscar asked, watching as the world collapsed, cracks spreading in the air, shattering the veil of memory like a mirror.

"Like I said, it's a process by which we can understand ourselves and others." The world collapsed, and the false ceiling of the two suns welcomed him back. The sound of water streaming into the moat reached his ears, and the fresh scent of peace wafted nearby, calming his heart and cleansing his lungs one deep breath at a time. Volten stood before him, his hand reaching out. "Take my hand and walk again."

Skeptically, Oscar grasped his hand and was pulled up, worried it might fail. He wobbled for a moment, grasping for the pillar. His legs creaked and bent but stood firm. He glanced at his feet, let go of the pillar, and stepped around several times without aid. It worked. He didn't fall or lose balance. His legs kept him up. He looked toward Volten, who was smiling, and he thanked him.

"All it takes is one other person who can share your pain and understand you. Your mind is clear now. You and me, we're the same. We fight and fight and fight. We fight for our homes, our love, our people, and everyone, and we take everything from the bad to the worst, but we keep standing, and we fight on, dragging our feet across the mud. That's who we are. Sure, we may stumble, falter, and lose our way, but we never fall forever." Volten looked up at the two suns, light brightening his soft smile. "Forget what everyone else tells you. Follow your heart."

"But one more thing," Volten wielded his unique sword. "I have one more fight in me."

Oscar patted his knees and took out his shield. Demon manifested beside him and wielded his sword. "What's this fight for?"

Volten laughed, "Nothing. Just a simple fight."

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