Chapter 1726: Song of Victory - Frosttusk

It appears your descendant has decided to let the power get to his head," Zhen Shi commented as the two of us looked up towards a hole in the cave that was just carved open by Hakon with the [Frozen Blossom Axe]. "Should we be worried?"

[It should be fine,] I assured my host. [I had the exact same reaction when I first got my hands on the proto-treasure version of that weapon.]

"I see..."

We were silent for a few shared moments as we stared at the hole...until I finally realized the exact way Zhen Shi had asked me that question.

[When did you-?!]

"Around the time you first parsed through my memories," Zhen Shi admitted. "Turns out that was a bit of a two-way street. You led a very exciting life back when you were a mere mortal such as myself."

[I...cannot agree with that assessment,] I refuted Zhen Shi. [My life was...a series of questionable decisions one after the other.]

"Including marrying—"

[Except that!] I interrupted with an anger I didn’t know I could still muster. [Never that.]

"I see...well, I suppose instead of wallowing in what could’ve or should’ve been, we do everyone and ourselves a favor and go save your descendant from whatever bullshit he’s about to roll up in."

[Right.]

"And stop holding back. I know you and the other kaijin progress faster than my grandson. So let’s see what happens when I tap into...what do you call your version of an [Icon]?"

[Omen.]

...

•What the fuck is that?!•

•No, the question is: Who the fuck is that?•

Exiting out of the hole that Hakon had made, Zhen Shi and I had floated into a battle that had reached a lull due to my descendant’s sudden arrival.

And from what we could see, the situation had already been brutal for the three chiefs of the Rot Feather tribe, Red Weaver tribe, and Star Viper tribe.

All three of them were decked out in their [Regalia], armed with their [Astra], and had summoned their [Icons] to buff one another.

Zhen Xun Tian, had also done the same, but she was clearly holding back.

Instead of busting out all six arms, she had only summoned her [Astra] arms and her dragon-bone aether treasure arms.

Aside from obvious aether manifestations, though, the most obvious signs of power disparity were the levels of injury.

Despite the self-repairing and healing provided by the [Regalia], I could see that the rival chieftains were thoroughly battered while Zhen Xun Tian only had superficial wounds upon her person.

In other words, Zhen Xun Tian had done exactly as she had promised and only distracted the enemy Aether Kings...by not outright killing them.

They were still threats to warriors of a lower rank than them, but they were significantly less dangerous now.

In other words, they were the perfect opponents for a freshly promoted Grandmaster Hakon wielding his familial treasure and a [Taboo].

Granted, in the eyes of the enemy chiefs, he appeared to be an Aether Lord at least.

Seeing as how Zhen Xun Tian decided to hammer on the chieftains during this moment, the trio began to speak up one after the other in order to determine what had occurred while they were playing mouse to a four-armed cat.

•You...who are you and why have you come from the Storm Devil’s burial ground?• Chief Lattom of the Rot Feather tribe asked first. •And why does that axe in your hand look so...no...•

The vulture bloodliner looked every bit as nasty as I remembered his ancestor being, although, I think the manginess of his feathers were somehow worse in this generation than the previous one.

•That weapon! You stole the Mistress’s prize!• Chief Pythox of the Star Vipers hissed in rage. •Young bastard! I will personally skin you alive!•

Chief Cobrax was just as very bit as charming and vicious as Pythox, but I could tell that this man wasn’t his descendant due to a lack of oiliness I remember from them.

Still every bit the bastard, though.

•Calm down, gentlemen, maybe we should let the new bundle of silk speak for himself,• Aranid of the Red Weavers interjected, an unusual confidence appearing in her voice since Zhen Xun Tian decided to draw back her aggression.

The Red Weavers was a tribe that formed after my time, but I remember that there was a very similar tribe in the past known as the Blood Spinners.

Judging from the patterns on this High Priestess’s [Regalia], though, it was more than likely these fuckers were their descendants or an offshoot.

Regardless, Zhen Shi and I could see from our current position just above the exit hole that Hakon was eyeballing the enemy tribal chieftains with a level of disdain and hatred that even I would show if I was in his situation.

I didn’t even need enhanced vision to see the way Hakon gripped the [Frozen Blossom Axe], to know that he was ready to explode.

Surprisingly, though, he didn’t immediately address the enemy tribal chieftains. Instead, he talked to Matriarch Zhen Xun Tian first.

"Lady Zhen Xun Tian, I thank you for distracting and softening them up without killing them," Hakon said, his voice slightly enhanced by the power of [Chaos] and aether. "But this is a grudge that should be settled by someone who has a deep karmic tie with them. I hope you understand."

Most other Aether Emperors would find Hakon’s words overly friendly and mildly insulting. To Zhen Xun Tian, though, she liked it when the younger generation spoke up.

"Oh, they’re all yours kiddo. And I’ll make sure that the others stay in line."

"Thanks."

The tribal chieftains were, understandably, disrespected by being treated in such a manner.

It was one thing to be treated as an enemy, it was another thing entirely to be treated as a trial for some young upstart they didn’t really recognize but felt a fantastic amount of antagonism towards.

Acting upon these feelings, the three chieftains exchanged looks with one another before attempting to charge at Hakon in a coordinated effort.

[Time to move.]

"Right!"

Matriarch Zhen Xun Tian was already making moves to intercept two of the three chieftains, but Zhen Shi and I had already engaged with one so that she could focus on the other.

The sight of our arrival caused the Inked Asura to laugh once more.

"Oh it’s about time you showed up, Xiao Shi! I figured I would be the only one keeping the little one from killing himself!" Zhen Xun Tian called out while using her secondary pair of arms to push back against High Priestess Aranid.

"No worries, matriarch," Zhen Shi answered as he used his [Astra] to restrain Chief Pythox. "The young need an opportunity to show off their growth, after all."

The remaining enemy warrior, Chief Lattom of the Rot Feather tribe, kept charging forward as he circulated aether into the claw-like [Astra] that covered his left hand.

A misasma of disease and rot formed around the claw, signalling to all who gazed upon it that even the faintest of scratches would lead to a vicious, painful end.

Hakon, however, didn’t look disturbed by the charge in the slightest.

Instead, with axes in hand, Hakon began to sing yet another song I had never heard, but one that seemed to synchronize both the [Frozen Blossom Axe] and Nepherage’s [Taboo] form.

Swirls of icy petals and embers began to form around him in a strangely harmonious whole, accompanied by the mirage of a great giant forming behind him.

Chief Lattom was either too committed or too stupid to change his course, so the dumb bird brained bastard simply charged in at full speed.

•Die you little shit!• Lattom shouted as he channeled power from the [Icon] on his chest into his claw, causing to nearly double in size and the putrid aura around it staring to solidify.

Alas, it wasn’t enough.

Well, it would’ve been enough if Zhen Xun Tian hadn’t been the one to tenderize him for the past fifteen minutes.

[Blossom of the Primordial Giant!]

Before Lattom could land his claw, Hakon was the first to strike with the burning axe that was Nepherage.

A flower made of molten rock formed around the burning axe before Hakon swung it upward and smashed Lattom’s claw into smithereens.

As he did, Hakon’s song sounded hot and fierce.

Next, around the [Frozen Blossom Axe], an equally majestic ice flower formed around it before Hakon swung it sideways and slammed it into Lattom’s torso, causing the Rot Feather chieftain’s [Regalia] to crack and splinter.

The song then took on a chilling, vicious tone.

Finally, bringing the two axes together, a giant blossom that was the perfect mix of ice and fire, formed above Hakon’s head before he swung down both axes hard against Lattom’s back and send the poor vulture down to the ground.

This was when the song reached its crescendo.

The moment he made impact, the constructed blossom exploded into a cloud of icy mist and black smoke that took on the shape of a perfectly bloomed poppy flower.

A perfect flower, for a perfect performance.