The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Under the false moonlight, his radiance shone brightest, the long sword spearing upward, pulsating waves of light that overwhelmed the darkness. Oscar had circled most of the walls and converted a sizeable number of accursed to his side. He grimaced as the Defiants and Haven Academy Exalts prostrated themselves before him, an unsettling discomfort gripping his heart that pumped cold blood through his veins. Who wanted to be their savior or hero? The burden of so many lives was a curse he knew to be too heavy to bear. Their chants echoed in his ears, and he wished they were deaf just for this moment.

"Father!" Renn called out, sounding excited.

Oscar put on a weak smile toward Gloria and Renn, afraid his grim mood might disrupt their hopes. He darted his eyes to the side and hardened his gaze. Great, his horrid night sunk deeper into the quagmire at the sight of her. Maia Claude stood firm and countered with a defiant glare. He heard the news that her rebirth from phoenix ashes was successful, but seeing it firsthand still stunned him. The red wings of blazing fire folded to her sides as occasional sprouts of flames burst from her body. Nearing her, Oscar halted and lowered Volten's sword, clenching his hands into fists. Likewise, Maia unfurled her wings and surged her flaming Ein.

"Dad!" Gloria hurried over and tugged on his arm. "Aunt Maia saved us! Please don't hurt her. She's family!"

Family? Oscar twitched at the thought of being family with her. Strangely, Maia also trembled, a flicker of softness passing across those ruby pupils before they sharpened in fiery hostility once more. Freeing his arm, he patted his daughter's hair and nodded, stepping ahead and reaching a few feet away. The air grew stifling as the dense heat emanating from the white-haired woman pounded every inch of his skin. After a minute of silence, Oscar slammed the pommel of Volten's sword on the ground, the loud thud jolting Renn and Gloria, who watched, eyes wide and their faces contorting in clear worry.

"There's no reconciliation between us," Oscar stated.

"Of course. We were at war, and what I did, I would do it over again if it meant victory for my people." Maia pursed her lips into a mocking smirk, though Oscar felt it seemed directed toward herself as well. "Or perhaps are you too holier than thou to think you haven't done anything wrong?"

"No. You are correct. It was war. You and I, we're both sinners of that war. That's why I said there is no reconciliation." Oscar looked at his adopted children and sighed, "But you helped them. I won't interfere if my wife or them wishes to meet with you." That was the only compromise he made for his wife and children. Forcing Avril was the highest form of insult to his moral code and role as a husband. If it weren't for that, her past deeds in service to his family, and the firepower she brought to the defenses, he would kill her right now.

"Then, we're agreed. Fighting you is very tiresome. Ignoring each other is best." Maia flew up and soared ahead, spreading fiery feathers that exploded upon contact with the accursed. It reminded him of the carpet-bombing tactic Gol-4 mentioned. As it turned out, her powers had swelled tremendously since her rebirth, still human yet carrying the essence of a phoenix. Her flames came close to the power of primordial flames, a shocking achievement.

Oscar scoffed. He cared not for Maia's future or choices. Suddenly, he felt a small pair of arms embrace him from behind. Obviously, it was Gloria who was sobbing on his back. He couldn't handle the faint crying, turned, and lifted her up. "What is it, you overgrown child? You should be past the phase where you used to run and cry in my arms."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Bah! You and Renn both!" Gloria's cheeks flushed red as she pulled on his ears. Her smile beamed brightly. "I'm just glad nothing happened. I was so scared you and Aunt Maia would fight."

"Only an idiot will fight right now, Gloria." Renn smacked his face from the side. Oscar gave him a stern look, and Renn bowed in apology for mocking his sister. A loud shriek echoed, quaking the earth, and a foul, heavy Ein descended on them, an incredible pressure building and pushing downward. Oscar let go of Gloria and saw a hulking behemoth leaping across the fiery pits and smashing its fists in a meteoric crash. Putting up a flame barrier, he protected his children from the rain of stone and rubble.

The monster growled, drool leaking from its blackened maw. As the dust settled, the fires illuminated the accursed's features, and they were unlike any Oscar had ever seen. The accursed was a foul mimicry of a person. Its massive arms were comprised of dozens of smaller arms clumping together in the shape of one. The torso, legs, and even the giant head on its massive shoulders were comprised of several others. The many screeching heads that formed the giant skull all opened their mouths in a foul scream. Shockwaves of Ein flowed along the winds of its breath and crushed the dirt into fine sand.

Glowing eyes wriggled and rolled in their sockets, darting in every direction as if the creature couldn't decide where to look. Oscar backed away, carrying his children far from the terrifying pressure around it. Renn gritted his teeth and stood up on trembling legs, as did Gloria, an act of grit in which Oscar felt immense pride. But he pushed them, forcing them to sit.

"Father, that thing is too dangerous. Let me fight by your side!" Renn thumped his chest.

"It's alright. Santen has it covered." Oscar reassured them and called out to the Third, "Santen!"

"Lord!" Santen boldly stepped before the abomination. In his usual droning voice, he asked, "What shall I do?"

"Will you be alright fighting that alone?" Oscar decided he had spent enough time here and resumed his walk to the other entrances. Out of all of them, Marcus showed great leadership and empathy, earning the respect of the others, but overall, the one who gave him the most confidence was Santen. With him here, Oscar carried on, believing there was nothing to worry about. The only shortcoming he saw in Santen was the tendency to use minimal strength. "Are you still holding back?"

"I'll be fine, my Lord. Leave this entrance and the young master and miss to me." Santen chortled in the strange clicking sounds of his laughter and gripped his wrist, the hand fully extending like a blade. "Santen, the Third, will now handle it." The abomination roared and stomped once, its body blurring forward before the sound of its steps could be heard as a storm of fire and dust swirled behind it. Santen acted faster than the abomination and swung his arm fiercely down, the ground splitting across the epicenter of their thunderous clash. Overwhelmed, the abomination was flung away and thrust into the earth. A deep chasm trailed behind it as its body swept past the pits and continued deep into the hordes.

'If only he could start that powerful. It's a mistake that his mind draws closer to pacifism.' Demon remarked.

'How's the situation over there?' Oscar reawakened the light of Volten's sword and marched onward to the next entrance.

'One of those abominations is here, but the beast is taking care of it.' Demon said.

'Good. I'll be there soon.' Oscar raised the sword higher, letting its light reach far and convert more accursed that roared in a warcry and betrayed their fellow dead. Hector and Helen stared with strange looks as he passed by, and for good reason. The sight of the accursed rallying under his light would stun anyone. And again, more bowed and cried out his name, chanting in great fervor not unlike the brainwashed zealots of New Dawn. It disgusted him.

Several minutes later, he arrived at his original location and saw Erden wrestle the abomination. The antlers tore off layers of limbs and flesh, many heads plopping off like ripe fruit. His friend roared and stomped a heavy foot of steel and fire, the abomination screeching to deaf ears as the continuous stomping reduced it into a fine pulp of smoldering flesh. Oscar rushed in and impaled an accursed, flowing like water from one to the next, the other Exalts cheering at his arrival.

Every so often, he had to make the rounds around the walls, converting fresh accursed to join the defenses. The hours felt long, and the night had no moon to tell the passing of time, ever stagnant as if the moment would last forever. Little wonder it was said many went crazed during the last year. Panting, Oscar unleashed a flaming Shattering Wave and swiped his foot, encased in a platinum drill, cleaving across multiple accursed. He thought this night might never end, but his efforts paid off. Suddenly, the night gave way to the bright day, the ten orbs beaming brilliantly in the blue sky.

The first night had ended.

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