Word chains are a simple concept. They are a game that can be played for fun provided you have another person available. After saying a word, the other person would also then say a word but it had to begin with the letter that the previous word ended on. For instance, if person one said ''cactus'', person two would have to pick a word that begins with ''s'' like ''sky''. Person one would then have ot pick a word that begins with ''y'' and it keeps going until one person can''t name a word that hasn''t already been said. Typically, to make the game shorter, this game is played in categories such as place names, names of celebrities, animals, etc... Although most commonly known as ''word chain'', it''s also sometimes referred to as ''the name game'', ''last and first'', and, more importantly, ''alpha and omega''; the translation of which fittingly means the beginning and the end.
In the case of Mako''s art, it was especially fitting as him chanting it signified the start of the match and, by the time it was done, would bring about the end of it too. See, Mako''s game of Alpha And Omega wasn''t quite as fun for the person, or people, he was playing it against. Or rather, he didn''t even give his opponent a chance to play in the first place... And worse still, every word he spoke brought about the corresponding object into reality via neon holograms that would seek out and attack the enemy automatically, like heat seeking missiles.
"Bullets. Sword. Dynamite. Eel. Lava. Avalanche. Elevator..." As Mako spoke, his neon holograms were brought to life via magic and they assailed the enemy team without pause. Mako didn''t take a single breath but he didn''t let his foes take one either without being swamped in a hail of bullets before being forced to dodge a 30ft projection of a sword that came crashing down into the arena. As the dust cleared from the impact, each of the combatants found a vest of dynamite strapped to their chests they had to desperately remove before they met their explosive ends. One enemy wasn''t quite so lucky and lost half his body as the nerves had kicked in and his shaky hands couldn''t grip the vest properly. Before the rest of the team could even breathe a sigh of relief having escaped their perilous trial tens of electric eels began swarming their location and leaping at them from all angles. Amidst the shocking onslaught a looming shadow crept over everyone before a tide of neon snow smothered the entire arena. Another member passed away from suffocation while the others fought with all their might to resurface, only for one to be immediately crushed by a rapidly falling elevator. The worst part was that they knew what was coming as Mako''s rambling was loud and clear in everyone''s ears, they just could do nothing to stop it. By the time one misfortune had manifested it felt like three more were already in motion. This was not an art that could be beaten, it had to be endured until the caster needed to stop. Unfortunately for the team being dismantled at record pace, the hard truth was that Mako was nowhere near his limits and could keep this up for, at minimum, another five minutes if he so chose. And that wasn''t even the worst part, no, they were about to find out the hard way just how unfair fundamental pillars really were. Yes Mako was currently summoning random objects, whatever took his fancy, but this art and his pillar could easily transcend common sense and he was about to prove it.
"... Runoff..."
The enemy team gasped in horror and gave up on the spot while the spectators recoiled slightly at the revelation taking place before them. Runoff was a normal word, sure, but it was also a little more than that... It was an art...
"... Flamethrower. Rivers Run Red. Drag Traps. Stick ''N'' Ticks. Swipe Right. Thunder Strike."
There was little point to resisting the incoming pain train and, quite frankly, it was nigh impossible anyway. If the other team couldn''t handle random nouns being thrown at them what chance did they have against full-on arts being sequentially deployed in their direction? Runoff was an art of the surge aspect that summoned a considerable amount of water to bog down the opponents feet, slowing their movements and even altering it via the flow of the water. The stronger the cultivator the more they could push their foes around by controlling the pool under everyone''s feet directly. Also, as was common with the surge aspect, it paired incredibly well with the lightning pillar for obvious reasons.
Next up was Flamethrower. This art was a common one and there was no particular combat-oriented reason for Mako to have chosen this, he simply wanted an art that began with ''f'' and ended with ''r'' to meet the criteria of his word chain while leading into another art he wanted to cast. The Flamethrower did scorch one of the remaining opponents to death but Mako was no longer even paying attention because, quite frankly, he didn''t have to. His neon arts were firing off all by themselves and he needed no input to make them anymore effective than they already were.
Rivers Run Red was a combination art between the surge aspect and the drain aspect. Long story short it converted any water the cultivator could summon or control into a parasitic liquid that sucked away the blood of any opponent touching it. This blood red water could then be morphed into blood magic and attack the enemies in any shape or form the user wished. It functioned as a method of gaining access to the opponent''s blood for easier casting for the haemomancer in question and had a wide variety of uses. Currently, the Runoff had been affected by this magic and had become even harder to move in than before. Water was one thing but wading through blood was harder given it''s thicker consistency. Plus blood spikes were constantly impaling the last two team members who were flailing about with no plan of action in mind. The neon silhouette of the blood river buzzed away and numbed the legs of anyone touching it as an added bonus. Mako''s holograms had a sort of ''fizzy'' feel to them as they vibrated around their outer edges constantly.
As was evident by this next art, Drag Traps, and the one that followed it, Stick ''N'' Ticks, not only could Mako create neon versions of common arts but he could also create runes and gadgets with but a single thought. None of this was limited to his Alpha And Omega art either, he could cheat them out in seconds whenever he wanted. Most runes and Gadgets could take hours to prepare, if not more, and yet here was Mako, deploying them in two to three syllables at most. As for what Drag Traps were, they were an art of the formation aspect that created runes on a solid surface that could ambush anyone that stepped on them or near them. As the floor was currently covered completely in opaque, bloody water, these were basically invisible to the opponents who were dragged next to them via the pull of the water. When they detonated there was no harm done to the victim but they would instead be pulled to the centre of the rune and kept there for a few seconds in a form of mobility lockdown. The pull was extremely hard to escape from so it was typically used as a means of guaranteeing a follow up attack while they were stuck inside the rune.
The Stick ''N'' Ticks Mako generated were hollow neon constructs but they packed no smaller a punch than the regular versions. Mako''s neon copies of the arts he replicated barely ever lost any power if the art in question was a simple one. More convoluted arts would be watered down somewhat to keep the pillar in check but the variety on offer, and the ability to hurl them out without any breaks, was already ridiculous enough as is. Plus this was more so a temporary setback than permanent problem. Mako likely wouldn''t have any drawbacks later in life when his cultivation went up and he experienced his apotheosis to Godhood. Even the temporary apotheosis form he could achieve early on wouldn''t have this setback but, then again, the temporary apotheosis form was essentially the real thing just with a time limit. Ares would get his own too and that came with it''s own benefits but it was achieved via a cultivation realm that existed beyond the transition realm so it was still a while away in that regard. Back on topic, the gadgets Mako had summoned out of thin air were actually not thrown towards the two trapped opponents. Instead of spreading out the Ticks they were grouped up into the side of the arena right up against the wall and the reason for this was simple...
The Swipe Right Mako conjured formed with time to spare, thanks to the Drag Traps doing their part, and came swinging towards the last two opponents as it tore through the air. The hologram crashed into the two combatants and outright killed the front most one by crushing all of his internal organs... Or, well, they were internal at one point. Most of them had gone flying out of his skeleton and splat against the far wall. His blood simply splashed down into the Runoff and became a part of the art still tormenting the final, broken opponent. The last guy had been battered and thrown headfirst into the pile of Ticks that, one by one, all started making their incorrect-but-highly-recognisable trademark beeping noises. The countdown to demise echoed through the arena and those who were adverse to witnessing gory explosions averted their eyes and waited for the inevitable.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM BANGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG BANNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
As though Ares had been called in to deliver explosive deliverance from this mortal coil, a cascade of detonations descended and a cacophony of booming blasts rung true. Body parts were strewn about in the pool of blood drenching the bottom twenty centimetres of the arena. Legs swam, arms drifted, and heads rolled as they sunk below the Runoff. Initially Mako had expected maybe one or two competitors to make it out alive of this hellhole bombardment of arts but he was sorely mistaken so his last art served no purpose other than cleaning up the mess before him. From the heavens a cleansing Thunder Strike tore into the Runoff, violently eviscerating a majority of the art and all the remains stored in it. A crater in the centre of the arena was all that was left of the Runoff that had once existed there and the few bits remaining at the edges of the arena were slowly trickling into it. It looked like a ritual site with crooked veins of blood performing some kind of ritual as they swam towards the centre to open up a portal to the afterlife where the previous victims were currently residing.
Such a half-hearted effort from Mako and yet his little game had won the match so easily and so quickly. This was but a single art in his arsenal and, even though he put a bit more effort into this fight than his last one, he was still holding back a fair bit. Naturally he was saving the best of the best for Ares but there was also no need to go overboard on these nobodies who couldn''t even hack ten or so seconds of him spitting random words at them. He''d even stuck to plain old objects but, when he saw they were even weak enough to die even to that, he just whipped out the arts, runes, and gadgets to end this farce. The only thing worth doing here was looking up at Eagerton, who was glaring down at him, and smirking at the posh prick!
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Eagerton would kill for the flexibility of this pillar. Having to write down his creations instead of just willing them into existence from the mind was a tedious process. Plus Mako could outright cast copied arts without the need for a treasure and they were much stronger than those from Plagiarism. The limits of Eagerton''s wordsmith aspect were quite strict because of how versatile it had the potential to be but being a fundamental pillar meant creation was free to do basically whatever it wanted at a moment''s notice without a long list of drawbacks. Part of why Mako was so utterly detested by Eagerton was because he viewed Mako as a philistine without a single creative bone in his body. The creation pillar, according to Eagerton, was ''wasted on a talentless chump like him''. To some extent this was true as well as Eagerton''s mind operated at a faster rate than Mako''s when it came to creativity. Eagerton would have better solutions to problems and more unusual means of attacking his foes but that was just a difference in approach. Eagerton preferred unexpected and difficult to deal with means of attacking while Mako liked to brute force things with sheer quantity and quality. Just because Eagerton would have been smarter with it that didn''t mean he was a stronger candidate for wielding the pillar, however. Mako took full advantage of the sheer power of the pillar in a way Eagerton would be hesitant to do so as such a brutish approach would be something he was reluctant to ever gravitate towards, thus lowering his efficiency with the pillar. Mako''s main method of fighting with this pillar hadn''t been shown yet but it was simply the kind of thing Eagerton would never do even though it was arguably one of the best ways of utilising the pillar. That was the main difference between them and why Eagerton wasn''t the chosen champion. The pillars had given their champion choices a lot of consideration and thought long and hard about the pros and cons of each individual. There were no mistakes in that regard no matter how much Eagerton disagreed.
Once Mako was done rubbing his pillar possession in his failed rival candidate''s face he went back towards the waiting room to exit the coliseum and head over to the pagoda. His job here was done for now and more important tasks awaited him. There were a lot of skills he wanted to train up before the big fight and, right now, pressure control was one of them. Terros had loosely briefed him on what kind of tricks Ares was packing and Mako needed to be resilient to at least some of them if he wanted to make it out of the Training Field alive when they duelled.
As for where Terros had been during all of this, he was sleeping inside of Mako because the match was a waste of time as far as Terros was concerned. One of the things Mako did best was train and train with dedicated concentration. Mako, in Terros'' mind, should be spending all of his waking moments honing himself not for the sake of the tournament but for the sake of the world. Still, his fight against Ares, win or lose, would be good motivation so he said nothing on the matter. Now that Terros sensed Mako was about to train, he woke and prepared himself to give advice where it was necessary. That was his role after all and, unlike a certain dumb lizard named Ignizz, he was actively fulfilling it. Honestly, by the time Ares found that stupid reptile, he probably wouldn''t even need him anymore. Hell Ares already had a contract with a God as is! Anyway, point being that Mako was lucky to have Terros by his side as he was a brilliant mind and provided excellent aid via his suggestions. And right now his number one suggestion was to train in pressure until Mako could safely flee from a close range brawl with Ares. the last thing Mako should ever want is to fight against Ares up close and personally with his noodle arms. It bared repeating because the elf was prideful and he would rarely admit when he was outmatched, even attempting to prove the opposite no matter the risks that came with his actions. Yes he was heading to the pagoda primarily to learn how to defend himself... But Terros knew that, subconsciously, there was a part of him that wanted to win. Wanted to beat the pagoda before Ares. Wanted to enhance himself with pressure better than Ares ever could. Wanted to beat Ares at his own game. It would never happen and Terros needed to remind him of that lest he get carried away. Mako was really lucky to have the perceptive Terros by his side as other Gods wouldn''t have picked up on this subtle desire just barely radiating off him.
When Mako arrived at the pagoda...
"Yo!"
... A familiar voice called out to him. Something was slightly off about the voice however and, when he turned to face the person responsible for said voice, he realised it was because Ares was currently chewing on some sushi. His gob had food in it but still he gave his greetings and Mako was tempted to slap this fool for being impolite! Then again, Ares had intentionally opened his mouth when no one was looking at him. Is it a crime if no one saw you do it? Ares finished eating his food by swallowing what was left of the tuna in his mouth before offering Mako some of the goods he had on him. Ares bought a lot because he was going to be here for a while so he didn''t mind sparing some.
"Want some sushi? It''s good stuff. You''re pretty new to Red Sun, right? A lot of real great food around here if you know where to look. Won''t find better sushi in Sheryashka I''m sure... Well the Freeride Federation might actually have a place that can compete what with all the rich merchants, nobles, and the readily available supply of fresh fish but you catch my drift. Anyway, as I was saying, you want some?"
Mako scoffed and summed a hologram piece of sushi that he promptly ate instead of Ares'' offering.
...
...
"Don''t try and hide it with silence, I bet that magic food tastes like shit." Ares tilted his head as he looked at Mako who was being unnecessarily defiant.
Mako recoiled slightly and sighed. "Painfully average. I can make it taste better when I improve my cultivation but... You know... That doesn''t help me right now... So can I actually have some of yours?"
"Only because I pity you..."
"Then why were you offering it to me in the first place? That first offering wasn''t out of pity. You being nice to me is rare you know? What do you stand to gain from this you cretin?!"
Ares snorted as he offered Mako the sushi in spite of his blatant rudeness! "Two reasons. One is that you are a fellow fundamental champion and I don''t hate you because there''s no reason too. And two, the pagoda is right there and I can escape from you whenever I want. You aren''t so bad when I have a way out of the conversation at my disposal."
Hmph
Mako snatched up the sushi and took a bite... "Shit, that''s really good... You weren''t kidding... Where is this place? I''m gonna want some more."
"Down the street, take the second left, third right, first left, and it''s on the left corner at the end of the road. Oh and I also did you one more favour already. I figured you''d show up here so I asked the Transmit guys to allow you to skip the queue. They probably would have let you do that regardless if you asked, what with being a fundamental champion and all, but I asked just in case and you''re good to go... Still gotta pay though, even I can''t escape the stardust toll... These cheapskates are milking my piggy bank dry... Guess it''s my fault though. Wouldn''t need to pay ''em a dime if I just beat Veteran... Guys a real tough customer though. I wonder if he''s the strongest person in the world? I should ask him. I''m sure he''ll answer my question if I bribe him with the sushi. Actually, Terros, do you have any clue? You should be just as, if not more, informed as Veteran no?"
"In some ways yes, in some ways no." Terros floated in front of Mako as he responded to Ares. "The world''s strongest is an interesting question because there are three different answers depending on who you ask. None of those answers are Veteran, I should add. People like him, Dominus, and Caribou are impressive, certainly, but there are clear standouts that reside in the league above them. If we''re talking about the number one agreed upon existence, that would be Astraeus, the current space-time God. He does most of the work fending off Xhilihx for now and has existed longer than any other entity throughout all of history so the strength he''s accumulated in that time is immeasurable. The problem, though, is that not many people are aware of his whereabouts or know that he can''t really exist in our world for too long without it causing issues. He hasn''t shown up in our dimension in hundreds of thousands of years so whether he even counts for this debate is dependant on the individual. Personally, I still consider him the strongest even if he doesn''t live in our dimension because he is uncontested.
As for the other two, one is a woman I know absolutely nothing about. She isn''t a recluse, per se, but she lives in quite a strict society that really doesn''t let in outsiders, or let out insiders. They are a mute planet in which sound is not permitted and a hierarchy determines everyone''s fate''s from birth. Making even a single sound in that domain is a death sentence so information rarely ever comes or goes from that place. Supposedly this woman, with an undying loyalty to her planet, is the strongest known cultivator but no one really knows much about her and she, like Astraeus, appears in public infrequently. I think Veteran might know a tad bit more about her but you''d have to ask him directly. As for the last option, he''s the only person on the list that is easy to find and actually interacts with the world at large. He''s a bit off a goofball in his own right and if you''re trying to have a serious conversation with him then I wish you luck. Still, his strength is self-evident and he''s basically a God in his own right even if has yet to ascend to the position. The God that might as well be a rumour in the wind, the woman everyone is aware definitely exists but rarely sees, or the guy everyone and their mother has heard of and probably even seen once or twice. Take your pick. Anyway, the reason I suggest asking Veteran is because he knew the strongest guy personally, and that guy has met the strongest woman. It''s a two for one information special. Unfortunately I have no suggestions for you if you''re interested in Astraeus... He''s impossible to seek an audience with even for us Gods."
Boy is this rock gonna have his pebbles drop when he sees what I have in store for him... The more he hypes Astraeus up the more he''s going to shit himself when the robo is contractually summoned and beats his ass. Ah well, you know what they say, sometimes it''s better not to meet your idols. Ares was very nearly tempted to bring a camera to his match with Mako to capture Terros'' shock in the moment but, like Enyo, he too planned on learning the memory sharing art. It just seemed useful both as a social tool and one of convenience for skipping long conversations and getting quick rundowns. Ares was going to see all sorts of nonsense going forward so if he couldn''t explain it with words, allowing his conversation partner to simply visualise it would be a great help. "Yeah, I''m about to head in so I''ll ask Veteran about it, you know, before he kills me again. We get along him and I, at least when he''s not pulverising my face or just generally treating me like a sandbag anyway. I''ll be on my way so good luck with whatever it is you''re doing here noodle arms."
"Hmph..." Mako was about to retort when he realised Ares was ignoring him and disappearing into the pagoda... Ares really wasn''t kidding when he said he had a way out of the conversation whenever he wanted...