Chapter 203: The Winner’s Right

Long before the establishment of the Beastfolk Kingdoms, before the Wolf Crown ruled over Bravelm, there were powerful beings who were respected even by the oldest races. The Kirin. They were ancient mystical creatures linked to the natural order itself. They had an affinity for all elements and were much higher than just a simple magical being. Unlike other powerful creatures who claim territory, the Kirin were seen as protectors of balance, only interfering if other beings were causing problems that threatened that balance. They were also extremely powerful, on par with the True Dragons, and even the most powerful rulers of today would struggle to fight them.

Aurelith was the last known ruler of the ancient Kirin. He had lived for a very long time, seeing many rulers and civilizations come and go. He had appeared during an ancient time when the Beastfolk were divided due to constant war. He united them all under one rule, although he didn’t rule them directly. He created a system where each race had their own ruler and culture, but they were all under the rule of one who would keep the peace. This is how the Beastfolk King came to be. The Wolf Crown was given the task of keeping this system in place. The Wolf Kings were chosen by Aurelith himself, and the reason he was able to sense when the Wolf King’s life was taken was because of this ancient pact. His title itself, The One Who Does Not Hunt, reminds him of this purpose. He has little interest in hunting weak beings or showing his power by killing them unnecessarily. Those who thought him patient, however, didn’t last long. He had known several of the True Dragons for ages. Even the mighty Malachiel was still a nuisance and a disrespectful brat in his eyes.

Tanaka was starting to realize the difference between fighting a powerful Demon Lord and fighting one who was on par with the True Dragons. Aurelith hadn’t even moved much, but the area around him had been devastated. His control of his elements was so advanced that he was able to manipulate the battlefield with almost no wasted mana. Every technique he used was powerful enough to destroy large areas of the city, and even his simple attacks were hard to defend against. Tanaka wiped some of the slime’s broken arm off himself. "You’re something." Aurelith smiled. "Your flattery won’t help." "I wasn’t flattering you."

Tanaka lifted both his arms and four different elements surrounded him. The wind whirled around him, water condensed to create several floating balls, earth rose up underneath him and flames danced around his hands. The elements flowed together better than ever before. Tanaka had been forced to improve his skills due to constantly being attacked by Aurelith. His immunity to lightning had increased from fighting him, and his immunity to fire had awakened due to constant exposure. However, something strange had happened. The four elements had now all developed to a similar level and no longer felt like separate abilities. They had instead merged to create one ability, Elemental Resistance. Tanaka had also finally gained Fire Manipulation. His mastery of the four basic elements had increased to the point where he no longer had separate manipulation abilities, and this had created a new ability, Elemental Manipulation. Aurelith noticed. "Oh? You’ve gained another ability." Tanaka grinned. "It seems fighting you is a learning experience." "Then let me teach you more."

Aurelith lifted his hand. "Kirin Art: Fourfold Sovereignty." Four magic circles appeared around him, each with a different element. The earth below Tanaka erupted as pillars of earth shot up from all around. Massive torrents of water fell from above. A strong wind blew creating a powerful current of air, and flames spread across the battlefield. The elements had combined to create a swirling storm. Tanaka narrowed his eyes. "Elemental Manipulation!" The elements responded. Tanaka created a barrier of earth, deflected the water using water itself, and created a swirling shield of wind. His flames expanded and collided with Aurelith’s, creating a bright explosion that engulfed the area. The force caused the dome to shudder, and several Beastfolk watching instinctively moved away from it. When the smoke cleared, Tanaka was still standing. However, his body was heavily damaged, and the ambient mana began to repair him. Aurelith nodded. "Improving."

Tanaka didn’t let this opportunity slip. "Ooze Surge!" Tanaka’s body expanded and a huge wave of dark blue slime shot towards the Kirin. Several thick tendrils shot out from the wave and transformed into spears to attack different parts of Aurelith’s body. Tanaka condensed his fire and wind to create several spinning projectiles. Aurelith moved his hand. "Heavenly Gale: Thousandfold Severance." A loud scream filled the air. Massive numbers of invisible blades of wind shot across the battlefield, cutting through Tanaka’s slime tendrils and deflecting the projectiles. The wave was split apart and the slime scattered across the ground. Aurelith stepped forwards and punched Tanaka in the center with such force that his entire body rolled across the destroyed street. Tanaka reformed. He quickly created a wall of earth, but Aurelith’s next attack broke through. "Earth Dominion: Mountain Burial." The earth folded. Massive chunks of stone shot up from underneath Tanaka and surrounded him like the jaws of a giant beast. However, before they could crush him he released a gust of wind and forced his way through. The stone structures collided.

Tanaka appeared above Aurelith. "Crimson Wyvern!" A fiery wyvern appeared from Tanaka’s palm. It was formed from condensed fire mana and flew towards the Kirin with its jaws open. Tanaka followed with a strengthened fist. Aurelith looked up and flicked his index finger, releasing a small bolt of lightning. The wyvern vanished. Tanaka’s fist stopped just inches from Aurelith’s face. The Kirin had caught it. "...Unlucky." Aurelith tilted his head. "You’re fast, but your attacks aren’t refined enough to threaten me." He twisted Tanaka’s arm and hurled him to the ground.

Tanaka had seen several spells being used and was starting to understand them. He had seen Aurelith create his magic circles. He had seen how the mana flowed through his body and had memorized the incantations used before certain techniques. Although his spellcasting wasn’t as refined as experienced Beastfolk mages, his understanding and ability to recreate the spells was outstanding. Tanaka brought his hands together. "By the earth below the heavens rise and answer my call. By the flames that burn all things, gather and become my spear!" A complicated magic circle appeared below his feet. "Elemental Art: Fourfold Spear!" Four massive spears of different elements appeared above Tanaka. The first was earth, condensed. The second was water. The third was wind. The fourth was fire. They whirled around each other before shooting towards Aurelith from different directions, and the mana caused a great disturbance in the air.

Aurelith looked up. For the first time he used both of his hands. "Kirin Art: Celestial Convergence." The sky darkened. Lightning rained from the clouds. Earth rose from below. The wind and water around them gathered. The four elements combined and created a bright sphere that engulfed Tanaka’s attack. It expanded and collided with Tanaka’s spears, creating a massive explosion. The force caused a shockwave to sweep across the ruins, causing even the strongest of the spectators to reinforce their bodies. Tanaka was thrown back. He collided with the ground, bounced, and crashed through some of the ruins. Aurelith stood his ground. His body had no scratches.

Tanaka slowly climbed from the rubble. "Seriously?" Aurelith crossed his arms. "You’re getting better, but you still don’t understand the difference between having an element and mastering it." He raised his hand. The whole battlefield shook. Tanaka could feel the mana gathering beneath his feet. However, he wasn’t sure what it was for. He spread his Mana Sense across the ground and searched for the formation. He found several small pockets of energy hidden beneath the broken pavement, linked together with nearly invisible strands of mana. His eyes widened. "Wait..." Aurelith smiled. "Too late."

"Kirin Art: Buried Heaven, Thunder Mine!" The ground beneath Tanaka exploded. A massive chunk of earth and lightning engulfed him. Several explosions followed, tearing through the pavement around him. Huge chunks of stone were thrown into the air. The shockwave caused dust and debris to fly towards the dome. Tanaka was trapped in the center. He tried to create a barrier of earth, but the first explosion had ruined his formation. He couldn’t use wind or water to deflect the pressure from below. His new Elemental Resistance lessened the damage, but the next explosion caught him and sent pieces of his body flying. Aurelith lowered his hand. The battlefield fell silent.

A few seconds later a dark blue mass began to form in the crater. Tanaka slowly reformed his body, although several parts were damaged. He moved slowly. His core was still intact, but he had very little strength left. He tried to stand. He collapsed. Aurelith walked over. "That’s enough." Tanaka fell to one knee. "...I lost." "Obviously." Aurelith chuckled. "You have a lot of potential. And that blessing from Malachiel has definitely made you more interesting than I expected. But you have a long way to go before you can be on equal footing with us." Tanaka managed a tired smile. "I realised."

Aurelith looked around at the battlefield. The remaining Beastfolk were still confused. He looked back at Tanaka. "Well, I guess that’s it." He rested a hand under his chin, pretending to think. "So Tanaka, since I won I can ask you for anything. What should I ask you for?" Tanaka’s smile faded. He gulped. He knew. Whatever the Kirin asked for wasn’t going to end well. And from the smug look on his face, he had already had an idea.