Dual System: Ascension of A Nameless Nobody

“What…is that?”

Lifting his arm weakly, Xiaodan pointed up towards the hazy sky with his questioning words leaving quietly.

The two men looked up as well, catching a glimpse of something in the distance.

It was difficult to make out at first, but it seemed to be a figure riding upon a red horse, traversing the skies as the equine bore far-stretching, majestic wings.

“Lay it to ash, my steed! Our war is just beginning!”

Booming from the skies, the rough voice of the one who rode upon the back of the airborne steed held a sword up high, commanding bolts of crimson lightning to strike the city below, terrorizing the tall-standing structure.

The wind howled as the red horse bearing a blazing mane galloped across the sky with the zealous man raising his sword high, roaring out his signals of battle.

[Identified: “War” | Level 140]

They all noticed the indomitable level of the mystical foe who rode through the skies, leaving destruction in his path.

As the horseman rode in a circle just below the crimson clouds, “War” steered directly in their direction suddenly.

“Quick…!” Korain said, tugging on his sleeve.

He was pulled into the alleyway with Xiaodan on his back as Korain clenched his teeth, clinging to the wall beside him.

Just then, the one named “War” rode through the sky above them, roaring out a war-cry as he unleashed destruction on the street; ripping up the asphalt with strands of lightning.

It seemed as if all were enemies of the golden-skinned man dressed in nothing but a simple cloth on his crotch, who while on horseback struck down one of the Tarnished Colossals with a swing of his divine blade.

“You dare obstruct my path of war?! This is God’s Will; the lands, the people, the riches, and the authority–such things belong to the strongest; the victor of war!”_.

The golden-skinned man with flowing, dark-red locks spouted out with his mighty, heavenly voice as his sword strike caused a massive slash of flames to cut through the colossus with utter impunity.

As the colossus fell backward slowly, the air vibrated in the path of its massive weight before it crashed down, sending an ear-filling “BOOM” across the town as well as a powerful tremor that momentarily shook the streets.

“…Just who the hell is that…?” Korain questioned.

“Level one-hundred-forty?…Isn’t that way too high?” Xiaodan asked.

While the two were utterly bewildered by the wild presence of the one named “War”, who tore through the city, he remembered his encounter previously with the plague-bearing entity.

…Pestilence, War…is this? He realized.

“‘The Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse’,” he muttered.

[Correct. It seems this is the final assault launched by the Creator before the Tower opens. The Four Horsemen are unbeatable in your current state. This is not an obstacle meant to be faced head-on.]

The Sage System spoke to him personally as he waited a moment.

Korain and Xiaodan caught onto his words, coming to that same understanding now, which could be the only explanation of such a unique entity.

“I was starting to think it was that, but damn…This world really is over, isn’t it?” Korain said.

“With levels that high…How are we expected to fight back?” Xiaodan asked.

He replied, “We aren’t. This isn’t called the ‘Final Culling’ for nothing…We tuck our tails between our legs and run.”

Still, it was easier said than done to do even that with the impossibly powerful figure riding above, patrolling and laying destruction across the city.

“This world is my eternal battlefield! Let it be plundered, let it be asunder!” War roared out before laughing out boisterously.

As they waited in the shadows of the alley, watching the eccentric horseman sail the skies, he looked back at Xiaodan.

“…Are you able to walk yet?” He asked.

“I think so…let me try,” Xiaodan answered.

Getting off of his back, the silver-haired boy stumbled a bit, but was able to stand.

“I guess I can,” Xiaodan said in surprise.

“That’s great,” he nodded with a small smile.

While the two were focused on that, he looked back once hearing the jiggle of a door knob, seeing Korain testing one of the handles to the alleyway door.

It opened.

“Bingo,” Korain smirked, “Come on. If we’re going to move, it’d be best to stay out of sight the best we can from that guy.”

“Right. Good thinking,” he nodded.

Entering the building, it was used merely as cover for their expedition towards the Tower and reuniting with the others.

While moving through the clothing store, the building rumbled as the sound of the fiery-maned horse traversing the skies directly above could be heard.

“Aha-ha! Tremble in the face of utter desolation! War lives on! Even if humanity shall die out, war is eternal!” War called out.

BOOM.

A strike of crimson lightning struck the street closeby, causing a scarlet flash to blind them momentarily as they stopped, staying quiet.

“One problem gone, and another appears…” Xiaodan mumbled.

“That’s just life for ya,” Korain responded.

As soon as it seemed they were clear of War, they quickly left the building, moving across the street and into the next alleyway.

Though it hardly held any benefit to do so, he looked up to the sky, watching the apocalyptic horseman zipping through the sky with speed that pierced through the sound barrier, razing the ground below while laughing out with enough volume to match the thunderous impacts he spurred.

We definitely can’t be seen by him. If he catches onto us–it’s over. Korain and Xiaodan can’t even fight as is, he thought.

“How far out are we?” Xiaodan asked.

“…At this pace? I’d say we’re a couple hours out from the Tower,” Korain answered, leading them forward.

Xiaodan walked in the middle, leaving him watching their flank while traversing the maze of alleyways in an effort to avoid being seen at all by the destructive, war-lusted deity of the skies.

“Do you think the others already made it there?” He asked.

Korain glanced back, “Yeah. So it’s up to us now not to be left behind, right?”

“Right,” he nodded.

Vrmmmm.

While they were moving together through the cramped, rancid alley, a familiar, but unwelcome hum filled their ears.

“Shit…!” Korain let out.

Up above, one of the Tarnished Colossals loomed over them, appearing through a coalescence of ash that clung to the air. There was no doubt about it to him now: the skyscraper-sized beings were definitely able to vanish and reappear, undoing the vital flaw of their sluggish bodies.

“…Does it see us?” Xiaodan questioned, gulping.

The three fell completely still, hoping the shadows of the narrow passageway of the alley were enough for the mighty entity not to see them below.

“Better start praying that it doesn’t,” Korain replied quietly, looking up as well.

Around them, the walls quivered from the weight of the mountainous colossus while the winds whispered sharply of its overwhelming form, humming in the presence of the building-flattening giant.

Vrrrrrm.

The faceless head turned down, aiming directly at the three stragglers in the alley as the azure flames that perpetually clung to its black flesh began to howl.

He could feel the back of his throat grow hot, tightening with blood-chilling before he tightening his grip on his weapons, one moment from making a futile decision before–

“You dare trample the land under my jurisdiction?! Fowl demon! I shall bestow upon you the taste of my brethren’s authority–death!”

Sailing across the sky as the winds parted and whistled in the wake of the speedy, majestic rider, War swooped past the colossus, leaving a flaming slash that lobbed its massive arm right off.

To their luck, the force of the slash had flung the arm to another block, though the impact deafened him by the brutal explosion that resulted.

“Aha-ha-ha! All of that size, yet you lack haste!”

Steering around to come back in for another attack, the golden-skinned horseman boomed with laughter as the colossus turned to attempt a massive sweep of his arm against the fiery-haired personification of war.

“Slow! Slow! Slow!”

Evading the towering limb launched towards him, the horseman encircled it swiftly in a swirling maneuver before the majestic horse propelled forward with further speed.

With a slash that sent an arc of flames cascading through the ashen sky, War beheaded the colossus, killing it flawlessly as if handling a tantrum-throwing child.

“…Did we…get saved?” Xiaodan asked.

“It’s a damn miracle,” Korain breathed out, having held his breath the entire time.

Somehow, they were saved by the war-lusted entity.

“Hold on…” He said quietly.

Though, that thought was fleeting.

Something so large, felled by just two sword strikes, had to come down naturally. It was directly above them, with its fallen limb having already fallen a block away.

“Oh, shit…!” Korain let out.

It was coming down directly over them; the corpse of the tower-sized colossus, slowly descending upon the three.

“Can you cut it, or something?!” Xiaodan asked.

“Something that big?…I don’t think so, but I’ll try!” Korain said, rearing his claymore back in preparation.