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Ahh, Light and Dark. These two elements constantly caught in a race for supremacy. While scientific laws dictated that light was the fastest thing in the universe, metaphysical laws said that while light thought it was fastest wherever it raced it always find that darkness was already there waiting for it. Which was true? And what really counted as true in a super powered battle on a place like Gaia where scientific rules of the universe were shattered each and every day? Why...Ryugi himself was tearing the very fabric of the universe twice over to tap two elemental planes.

Nothing is true. Everything is permitted. And in a fight like this, assumptions and beliefs, even recognized facts are bound to be thrown at the window just as soon as they are realized. For instance, in the face of the pool of light gathering around Maximos, Ryugi had expected certain things of the Shadow. He would likely be surprised to find absolutely none of those things occuring. Maximos' armor was not phased, infact surrounded by the glowing rune the armor seemed to darken. Its surface no longer hard edges but a foggy miasma of blackness. Likewise, as Maximos brought Ankokuko straight vertical, with both of his hands even with his chest...the blade didnt seem dulled any.

Light was light, the single beam or pool or gathering of light pouring from one source. Fire was fire, and when fires met they simple fused into one fire. Water, was water, only powerful as a unit otherwise diffused into drops. Wind was just the same, a single powerful thing. And even Earth, though able to be broken into smaller stones was separate in nature, larger stones were more stubborn and harder to move. Shadows however, pulled themselves apart from other elements in this regard. While Shadow's came from separate source Shadow's all belonged to a single community. Shadow's were a group, a family, they shared a bond with each other that other elements did not have and this gave them strength against the others. When Maximos stepped outside each and every day he wore at least one piece of shadowcrafted clothing. And never once had Ryugi seem Maximos' clothing melt in the sun, or had he seen Maximos stop to focus on maintaining the crafting. Enough Shadow layered upon itself, time and time again would provide enough protection against anything. It made it so the wind did not simply blow through Maximos pants, fire did not reduce it to cinders like tissue paper, stones did not tear through it as easily as air, water did not melt it away. And yes, light could not pass through.

Of course, this was a principal only known to one born of Shadow. A man who played with the deeper darkness daily. A dragon of Light and Fire only knew the effect light and fire had on the Dark. Ryugi had never felt the embrace of the Shadowfather's family. Coiled in its grip, light could do nothing but jealously glare. This fight was all about overcoming limitations, wasnt it? And with all the shadow's called to the very Caller of Darkness, light was not shattering the strength. Just as the blackness now pooling and surging under Maximos' feet was not blotting out the blast of direct glow.

Maximos had been cut off from his draw. But as soon as the draw was cut, a moment of realization dawned on him. It wasnt right. The beast inside of him deserved its place in this contest, but how could he claim to have overcome or even survived Ryugi if he only did so using Ryugi's energy? No, that lacked the proper manly mood for such conflict. And the draw stopped. Now there was only a question of what to do with all that energy.

Arcane veins of purple and blue still pulsed in Maximos feet. And now, as Ryugi burst down at him, as light began to surge beneath his feet the veins spread. They crossed his thighs, torso and his entire suit. Here to for, Maximos had only used his jeet boots, but the whole suit could hold a speedy charge. It was time to put this race to an end.

The pillar of light shot up, Ryugi raced down. And in the middle, the foggy miasma surrounding Maximos' suit exploded off in a puff, and with a sizzling blast of indigo and plum, Maximos appeared to explode. He was gone, absolutely. No energy trail remaining, to essence left to simmer where he once stood.

They simply moved to fast, in an instant, Maximos was behind Ryugi, several feet up and leaving the dragon to face his own oncoming blast head on. The Shadow was laughing, hard and hearty as he brought Ankokuko up over his head, despite the light and hurled it straight down at Ryugi like a jet black blurry spear to to pierce the Light. The black scaled dragon form of the blade raced behind its physical form as if lending its aid via its present to the attack. While veins of raw power still surged across his suit, Maximos grinned. If Ryugi expected Ankokuko to be dulled, he was about to get a very up close and very potent show of exactly how wrong he was.

The truth was, that a sword maker was not the person who knew a sword best. That title belonged to the sword's wielder. One might even argue that if Ryugi knew Ankokuko perfectly, then the accident which created the Caller of Darkness would never have occurred, and Ryugi would have gifted Maximos with a normal elementally forged blade, not an anomaly. A sword maker, creates a tool but he does not create its function. A man can make a paint brush, but that brush maker cannot stake any claim nor predict how and what kind of art the brush will create. The same applied to swordsmanship. A man can make a sword, but it is the swordsman who brings it to life while making art. It is he and the blade who forge a bond in the heat of battle and training. That bond was the heart of swordsmanship.

Maximos was a strategist, but perhaps more important than knowing your next action is reading your opponents actions. Onee could argue that reading Ryugi's actions was something what easier than most, because Ryugi entitled these actions and read them while using them, seconds before they struck. Those seconds, in a high speed match such as this could be the difference between a hit and a miss. For instance, the Adamant -Vorpal- Twister, was infact a twister spiralling wildly and dangerously. The Supernova Attack, was infact a gigantic explosion like its astronomical counter part. But, at its base the Adamant -Sword- Rain was missing a key element. Ragnarok could have been the sword, but there was no rain. The idea of a move with that name actually being a pillar of light coming from beneath him while Ryugi crashed down...it made no sense. Simply put, it was not Ryugi's style. It did not fit his strategy. Until Maximos saw some raining, he knew better than to get in the middle, around, or beside the light wielder and his surplus of glowing white. It was why Maximos raced past Ryugi and not straight up to him.

And then came the light. It came at Maximos in every direction. Maximos a man capable of guiding the movements of five swords simultaneously. A man borne of speed and shadow. A man who, while his sword fell had done nothing but watch Ryugi cut through his own attack and watch as light fell and scattered all around him in pin pricks and forged itself. Really, as the hero below prepared his attack and Maximos stood above posing, what else was he to do but watch? In the quiet moments between the light scattering and launching Maximos pondered many possibilities. He could have unleashed all the essence pent up inside of him and exploded it outwards a moment before he was struck, forming a makeshift shield. He could, with his super speedy fists attempt to punch, kick and otherwise melee away every oncoming sword. Or at least try. He already had a full suit worth of speed burst, arguable he could have continued as planned and raced down to catch Ankokuko, or even behind Ryugi for some sort of sneak attack. All of these plans involved minimal to no damage, and they scratched the surface of the capabilities he was granted by having so much power.

That is what he was able to do, according to the data given. But just as quickly as those plans came into being, they vanished. While these strategies could have lead to victory, victory was not the goal here. Training was the goal. As it stood, Ryugi's strategy consisted of a large attack, after another large attack, after another large attack. Scale and power alone were never going to beat Maximos. No matter the scale, no matter the power level. The attacks granted by that sort of thing even when layered were entirely too simple. They were, for Maximos' eyes, one dimensional. But it wasnt Ryugi's fault, how can you detail your attack in layers when dealing with so much power? It was like trying to evenly and neatly fill a cup, while using a fire hose. Anyone could see that mass of light coming, and whatever astronomical and or magical rules dictated which element was faster...those rules had already been broken. There was just no way this attack, any of these attacks here to for should hit.



Black leaked from Maximos' armor like smoke escaping a burning house. It flew off in wisps, curls, puffs and more. Maximos snapped his limbs out as if he was a black star in the sky...and then he was impaled. And impaled, and impaled. And then impaled some more. Within a fraction of a second he was a pincushion punctured at every conceivable angle, and then he was one. Lost behind a storm of blades and light.

And then there was an explosion. Unbidden by anything but the synthesized sky the explosion tore across the open air in every possible direction and blanked out the blue and the clouds in a sheet of pure white.

When it faded, all that remained were chunks of black armor falling to the ground, each one steaming jet black steam. Here was the greater portion of a left shoulder, there was half a helm. What appeared to be the front half of a torso plate attacked by thin strips of black to tiny chips of a black back plate fell. A left boot. A right thigh piece. A left glove, and of course, an entire right arm. Though the bindings of black metal which indicated the Twilight Gauntlet were unwinding leaving only the crumbs of the former right gauntlet to sprinkle down. Thankfully, there was no blood, and no gore. But really...what flesh and blood could survive a blast like that as anything other than simply dust. Even if the Nocturnis Loricatus could have kept the light out, once it pierced inside the suit all it could do was keep it viciously within. Survival was, impossible.

All at once, with a clang and a tragic crumble the armor pieces fell into a lifeless pile across the dirt several hundred feet from Ryugi.

It seemed it was over, and yet Ankokuko never struck the ground. The writhing dragon behind it flapped its powerful wings and bolted forward, snatching the blades hilt in its mouth and then flipping in mid air to land tail first and coil itself like some sort of gigantic black shock absorber. Its fierce eyes locked on Ryugi, unrelenting and fearless. The air warbled around its lips with invisible heat, and from the jagged line of its fang a deep violet glow could be seen.

It could never be over as long as those eyes still looked at Ryugi that way.

It began with a moment of deja vu.

In the very moment that launched his last few light blades, Ankokuko burst forward writhing in anger and roiling with rage. And then it was pierced. The Caller jerked awkwardly against the light, then pushed forward only to be struck again, and again, and again until all that was left was the large serpentine dragon performing a tragic dance, gyrating, darting, and otherwise being sent in several directions as each blade tore cleanly through it. It gave Ryugi one final ferocious glare, becoming perfectly still so as to make the moment of eye contact stretch on for far longer than it should have...and then it exploded.

A splash of black stained the floor like the vines of some sort of ragged plant. Chunks, chips and pieces of shadow burst in absolutely all directions, and Ankokuko the blade was sent hurdling upwards into the sky making a tell tale whub-whub sound like the dying beats of a gigantic heart.

And then there was silence. Shadow spread all along the ground in broken pieces and ruins. A promise of so much power, and now a crumbled mess. Ankokuko had fallen like its wielder. And yet, the training simulation pressed on.

It came as a sound first, it was behind Ryugi that sound rustled in the distant grace. Then it was images, a flash of something black darting just outside his peripheral vision, existing just enough to make one absolutely sure it was real. And yet vanishing so fast one could only question that very same absolution. That was, until the laughter. Not mocking, though amused. It came from everywhere, broadcasting from all directions. And yet it came from no where, as the voice had no foundation. It seemed to be echoing down a very long hallway, and yet was only that...an echo.

"That. Felt. Wonderful." It said, and the pieces of black scattered across the floor like an overturned jigsaw puzzle began to jitter and stir. It was the helm that moved first, it steadily rose off the floor, wobbling as if held by shaky hands. As the half of a head piece rose, so to did the spaulder, the torso, and so forth. Each piece of the broken armor rose, but rose in accordance with where it would be stationed on a body, if infact there was one. As if the armor was suspended by a set of puppet strings, or still being warn by an invisible body. The face plate covering the half of the floating helm snapped back.



Maximos' right hand raised up. Three of his fingers were not yet attached to the palm, and yet floated and moved as if completely connected. Ankokuko fell from the sky like a comet, trailing a black ribbon behind it. Maximos let the falling blade slide right by his hand, letting out a rasp as steel fingers touched a steel blade, and then grabbed it by the ribbon attached to its hilt and spun it around like a fan beside him. "If you mean to actually hit me, your going to have to try a bit harder. But most importantly..."

Maximos flipped Ankokuko side to side letting it whirl at either side like a violent propeller, and then he pointed straight forward. By the time his left hand was fully extended his entire suit had been repaired without so much as a scratch. A shadow spirit in a shadow body in a shadow suit? It was almost too easy to repair, over and over and over. For as long as there were shadows, there was Maximos. That was the beauty of the Shadow Curse Release.

With a smirk, Maximos pointed directly at Ryugi and his face plate slammed shut. A wash of purple and blue crossed the suit as its entire form energized. "...you should watch your back."

Had Ryugi been watching Maximos this whole time? Had he been listening to the Shadow's words and taking in his fancy display? One might say that was foolish, but in this case it didnt really matter. Ankokuko had learned to draw in energy. And it hard learned from Ryugi how to draw in its own energy. How to, effectively, use its own draw to make it vanish from magic sight or sense. That is to say that unless Ryugi found a way to communicate with shadow it wouldnt be until Maximos gave the warning that Ryugi would notice the reformed enormous lizard Ankokuko preparing to violently slam into his back launching itself mercilessly out of Ryugi's own shadow.

And yet, that was only the beginning. Ankokuko had been whirling and whirling, and now in an unexpected attack Maximos tossed the Caller of Darkness straight at Ryugi denying him even the chance to respond to the large draconic shape smashing towards him from behind before being faced with a blade flying at him from the front.

No disembodied voice, no light show, no special effects. Ryugi asked the simulation to end and it did just that. The Maximos across from him gave no final speeches or poses, he simply vanished as the simulated sun in the perfect blue sky snuffed out and the entire room went black the exact same way it was when Ryugi entered.

But there was more to it than that.

Once Ryugi ended the simulation the energy he had built up did not just fade. It vanished. As if someone had flicked a switch in the dragon and simply clicked it off. There was an honest answer for this. Some of the simulations in this particular training room had a tendency to get far out of hand or reach levels that could upset or otherwise disrupt the magic floating around the island powering innumerable enchantments and even keeping the island afloat so high in the sky.

This particular training held a close association to another room the house. The Dock. The dock was magical, dimensionally and in all ways sealed, and so was this room. A magic rift or portal could not actually be opened. Just as the walls and scenery were as blank as the magic in the room. It was the door knob that Ryugi touched on the way in that matched his person to the profile of "Ryugi Kazamaru" stored in the database and conformed the room appropriately. There were no portals, but shadows and shadow magic at its base and core exists to mimic. The experience took months to craft but using his personal experiences with Ankokuko, and the bit of information received from a certain dragon monk in Angara as well as a few purchased Angaran texts Maximos was able to re-create the feel perfectly. As such, when the simulation ended the simulated arcana fed to Ryugi as would be fed through a portal...vanished.

All and all, the experience might even feel a bit cold. But then came warmth in the form of a friendly voice which kindly as always said, "Lights."

And just as when the simulation began, the room was lit and its vast white expanse came into being once more. By the door, or rather by a single black line which marked where the door should be stood a one Maximos Lucillien Dark. He held two mugs in either hand, and offered Ryugi a bright smile as he sipped the black one, and left the white one untouched. "You'll have to excuse him, he would normally have given you a parting greeted but as soon as he recognizes my presence master controls switch to myself and well...I'm working out the kinks."

Maximos chuckled lightly and stepped forward across the distance between the man and drake and silently offered Ryugi the white mug in his left hand, steaming with a freshly brewed life leaf tea, and with a smirk said, "You didnt think that if there was a training match going on in my own home involving me I wouldnt be there did you?"

"I have to say though, I'm both impressed and surprised!" Maximos laughed, taking another sip. He wore a dark blue dress shirt, and yet it looked slightly disheveled. Or at least disheveled for Max. His cuff buttons and the top button were undone, stains of various colors and hues covered his sleeves, finger, hair, and even his face in dots and lines. "A portion of the simulation is based on expectations and belief my friend...is that what you think I'm like?"

Maximos let the question sit for a moment, but likely before an answer could be reached he laughed and walking toward the door said. "Oh, we can discuss it while we travel back. We have something of a walk ahead of us and I doubt Walter would appreciate it if his meal went cold because we just chatted away. I trust your hungry, yes?"

"One of these days." Maximos repeated with something of a nostalgic hint on his voice. It was the city arena at the second incarnation of the stadium, if memory served. He remembered wielding the Nameless and of course, the infamous trash can incident. The Shadow's smile spread across his face and he nodded slowly. "Yes indeed my friend, one of these days."

"In the mean time, I'm glad you liked it. Its taken alot of work to get it this far. I've spent weeks in that room and I couldnt possibly have hoped for a better first run!" Max lead the way out the doors and down the hall, in the reverse of Walter's depart where Maximos stepped the bluish purple torches ignited making the path a bit more hospital for those not shadow sighted. A minute or two into their journey Maximos turned to look at Ryugi and said, "And what about you my friend? It seems a lifetime since we've been able to actually sit and talk. How is life treating you these days Ryugi?"

I can't really complain much, Max. Overall, life has been treating me fairly well. I'd hoped to run into you when I arrived on the island, because...well... I actually have two things I was really hoping to discuss with you, but neither of these two things is good for discussion while walking. We might need to sit down for this.

What was this? If his words were not enough to spark the Shadow's curiosity then the look on his face most certainly was. The gleam from his soul was just icing on the cake and reflected off the lenses of his glasses like in shades of white, pink, and a golden. Maximos eyebrow cocked at the same as a grin split his face.

In a highly interested and somewhat amused tone Maximos said, "To sit down? This must be serious news!"

The Shadow stopped at what seemed like no where special and reached out for the nearest shadowflame light. He grabbed it as if he was about to pull it from its holster but instead twist it. The torch turned completely sideways one way, and then Maximos turned it the other way until it was upside down. At no point did the fire itself actually move. Even upside down, it burned downwards. Maximos smiled bright at Ryugi and said, "No harm in taking a short cut or two then is there?"

--

The hallway let out in half the time of the original journey and directly into the lunching room. It was a vast room with a oval shaped table in its center easily able to fit a couple dozen individuals. As they entered Maximos slid the door shut behind them, which revealed itself to actually be a moveable wall panel and shut with a click resuming its identity as such. The room was decorated to its fullest, lit with soft blue and purple lights as well as large windows and brighter colors associated with lunch and picnics. That was to say, it had more silver and blue than pitch black. But there was still more black and dark than would have existed in anyone else's home. The table was covered in food. Absolutely filled except for the two place settings on one side positioned across from each other. Sandwiches, soups, deserts, patties of various meets and buns to match. There were even a few recipes made from Dragonfruit by Walter's masterful hand.

The butler himself was present at one end of the table between both place settings and Skellies were busy with the work of aligning forks and spoons and napkins. A few were setting drinks of a plethora of colors, some idly pulled open curtains which presumably would have let in the sun if they were not underground.

Walter bowed a practiced and formal motion and then spoke in a soft tone which still seemed to carry across the distance audibly. "Sir Ryugi, Master Maximos, welcome. Lunch..."

And in perfect cue with his voice two skellion's pulled out the chair beside the two place settings. "...is served."

Grinning Maximos gave Ryugi a pat on the shoulder with one arm, and gestured to the table with the other. "Go on, age before beauty and such."

Now there was a sight to make any host happy! Almost every guest to partake in one of Walter's feasts seemed to only want to partake of the little bits. A dish here, a sampling there, one or two plates at the most. Ryugi dove right in, sampling a whole variety of things! It was almost too easy to forget that relatively small frame carried a dragon sized appetite with it! A moment after Ryugi sat, Maximos sat. The Shadow seemed to favor meat of various colors and shapes and sizes, and used less meaty things as additions on the side. Maximos of course, ate with the well mannered grace one might expect of him, but in no way did that hinder the amount which ate or the voracity of such eating. As the table was large and full, the Skellies were always on hand to automatically bring a dish closer, serve a dish, or refill on drink.

As always, Walter, you've prepared a fine meal. Thank you. I hope you're finding the Dragonfruit and the Creep Vines to be a good source of new tastes and experiences.

Walter bowed his head, and in a humble and respectful tone replied. "Thank you. The Dragonfruit has proved to be a culinary favorite around the house, and the Creep Vines are as beautiful as they are challenging and entertaining. I am in your debt."

Maximos smiled up and made a waving gesture, signaling a Skellion to bring him what looked to be sort of gelatin desert that wobbled as it moved and was most certainly made in part and flavored in whole by Dragonfruit, garnished with marshmellow and some sort of fruit and usually served with ice cream. The Skellion placed the dish between both men, as Maximos made a mental note to mention it later as his absolute favorite and include his things while insisting Ryugi try some. For the moment he left the dragon to his savoring knowing the true test of Walter's ability to manage the fruit would be the opinion of an Angaran native.

Well, you'll have to pardon me for speaking with my mouth full or between bites, but Walter's cooking is quite a treat. One of these days I'll have to introduce him to Vargus and they can share recipes.

Success! Maximos beamed and went back to eating. Walter in turn took a deeper, more formal bow and softly said, "I am and would be quite honored Sir Ryugi."

Of course, there are the two matters that I wanted to discuss with you. The first is rather simple...

Maximos for the first time since the meal began, put down his fork entirely. He dabbed his mouth with a napkin and set his mismatched eyes on the dragon across from him, giving him his absolute attention and wearing a bright smile. He would never have been so rude as to rush Ryugi through his meal or interrupt his enjoyment, but now that the dragon was ready to share, Maximos was all about listening.

I know you have a little shop of magical trinkets and the like in various locations, and that one of them happens to be in Latent.

Maximos gave short stout nod.

Well, you'll be having a new neighbor next door, because I recently acquired ownership of the space next to you...

One could absolutely see the spark in Maximos' eyes, the excitement at the concept and Nocturne only knows what sort of ideas ran through his mind, plots, plans, and potentials for the future and then...

...and plan on opening my very own weapon shop, complete with forge.

Maximos' smile sort of froze in place and twitched at its ends as if it was trying to tug itself into a flat line very quickly. His eyes widened, and sort of stuck there.

I'm naming it "Kazamaru Ironworks" after the shop that my father ran back in Angara when I was a child.

Ryugi beamed, but was also a little embarrassed. Maximos paused in silence for a few minutes, wanting to do absolutely nothing to increase that embarrassment or worsen his friends mood. Yet still, there were concerns. Maximos loved Ankokuko and treasured it dearly but...he still remembered that early morning when the sword first appeared wielded by a shadowy body and out for blood. It made Maximos speak, when he did break the silence moments later, in a slight apprehensive tone.

"Ryugi what you do for the memory of your father is absolutely beautiful but..." The Shadow scratched the back of his head in something of a nervous gesture. "I mean. Not to insult your skill, because..."

"I'm sure you've practiced since..." He imagined his health potion sales could potentially rise. He imagined his time spent performing his true vocation might also rise. "What I'm trying to say is...."

A deep breath, to lay the words out as gently as he could. "Your sure...these weapons, they wont try and...kill their prospective owners...right?"