Heir of Chaos: Blade of Death

Chapter 4 - Appearance of a god

A few things finally came to light in Rime's mind…

First and foremost, they were awakeners in the title alone. They could not feel mana energy or even regulate the energy of their aspect as of yet. 

Secondly, they needed divine artefacts like this mirror to stir up the sleeping or dormant aspect ability within them.

These were strong facts. So anyone who awakened and didn't recognize with, the government… or even Echelon high school, will find it difficult to discern their aspect, control their mana inflow and outflow, stir up their aspect and finally learn to use them.

Rime took a deep breath as he watched Fiona stand in front of the mirror… and not until cracks started to appear in the void. 

Rime's mouth opened ajar. 

Fiona's figure was the same, however the hazy figure of a beast hovered just behind her like a monument. 

Everyone's pupils shrank immediately and they retreated. Void beasts were rare and whenever they attacked or a gate descended close to the border, despite the barrier, they could still find their way into the city and cause havoc. Their powers were if not bizarre and terrifying and that is exactly what Fiona here had awakened.

At least, she was able to figure out how to control it before she wasted so much mana and just like that, it came to an end. 

An hour later… Rime was the last person left to discern his aspect. He watched the shields around him dissipate and finally he could take a step forward.

"Rime Havan, please step forward."

He didn't need to be told twice.

In front of the mirror, Rime stared into it searching for what others saw that triggered their aspect… wondering why he wasn't seeing anything at all.

"Concentrate… do not doubt. When you believe, you finally break the thin thread keeping you away from your aspect."

Rime looked away from the mirror for a split second and when he saw that Bruce was back, staring at him… he decided that he must focus so he looked into the mirror and this time, his line of sight shifted.

His expression changed drastically.

'What the hell am I seeing? Who am I acting like… no, that is not right… Who am I now?'

Five beings surrounded him with greed in their eyes. They couldn't be humans, realizing that they radiated divine energy… 

'Who are they?'

He looked at the white sand and saw blood stained there… his blood perhaps.

Rime touched his lips and felt a sharp sting and when his thoughts started to trail away from the situation at hand… a single memory dropped in his mind.

*They are your brothers and they will take what belongs to you before killing you.*

A chill crawled down his spine.

'What?'

His eyes darkened and then he unleashed a single aura…

***

In the hall, no one could see what the person in front of the mirror was seeing… the trigger that unleashed their aspect ability. 

But Rime was taking much longer than anyone else that it even clocked another hour. 

Suzan chuckled in mockery.

"Isn't he the person Bruce brought in? I bet that he hasn't awakened and he let him into our inner circle."

Bruce turned towards her but then ignored her. 

Even principal Tade was starting to suspect that Susan was correct, but looking at Bruce's calm expression, he did not know whether to laugh or to cry.

He had already informed the government that there were 10 awakeners. If they receive nine awakeners instead of ten, wouldn't that make Echelon high school so unreliable?

"I wonder what the kid is even seeing in the mirror… I think he's pretending. Normal humans will not see anything no matter how much they concentrate. Standing in front of this mirror and deceiving everyone will not help… let's get him out of there."

Bruce immediately cut in.

"Take a single step forward Basil and I'll chop off your neck." His tone was so cold that everyone felt like the atmosphere changed, dropping a few degrees lower.

Susan scoffed, "look at you threatening a higher ranked deity. He will effortlessly crush you without batting an eye."

Bruce stepped forward and turned to Basil, a demonic smile on his face…

"Fine… let him crush me. Basil, got anything to say? Or do you really want to fight me like she said?"

Basil seemed to remember something before he chuckled nervously…

"Let's wait for the awakener to finish alright." 

He took a step back.

Then everyone decided to patiently wait… but of course, one person snapped taking a step forward. 

It was Susan.

She walked towards the portfolio where Rime stood with the mirror with the intention to pull Rime out of there.

"Let me show you how it is done." She muttered with pride in her tone, tying her hair in a bun. But then, no one was prepared. Even the others that had awakened also felt like Rime was a lie, so they put their guard down. 

Before Susan would touch Rime's shoulder, that was when the memory had fallen into his mind. He didn't even use the aspect, just his aura and a terrifying pressure slammed into her, the force of impact sending her flying and spitting out blood. 

Everyone's eyes widened.

"Everyone take cover!!!" 

But it was too late since they all underestimated Rime, they all had to pay. They all did… except Bruce but even he still faced the consequences for the others' impudence.

The entire fifth floor shattered, from the walls, the titanium metals and the aluminum vambraces, everything crumbled… Echelon high school cracked from top to the bottom. Principal Tade was slammed into the ground, his body actually bursting out of the fourth floor, the energy only dissipating at the second floor where students were currently in physics class.

The so-called coordinator, he wasn't even spared, the force tore his shoulders apart and like a storm, Bruce intervened or the man would have died.

But that act put Bruce's life at risk in an instant. Luckily, he had more experience than anyone else there so he managed to survive despite being slammed into the ceiling and bursting out of the sixth floor. 

Bruce did not relent. 

By now, Echelon high school's alarm and warning bells had gone off and the government's elite team were already on their way, just in case the situation still persisted and they could not stop it.

Bruce spat out blood and wiped his lips ¹ appearing before Rime in an instant. 

In front of Rime was the mirror, both unharmed… it was either they separate him from that mirror and harm him than for one man to decimate the entire Echelon high school.

That was a risk in and of itself and Bruce was ready to take it… He appeared before Rime but it was never easy, even his Tier 7 shield shattered but he achieved his goal, using his longsword to tilt the mirror to the side and that moment Rime returned from his stupor.

Rime blinked and then he felt his energy channel churn wildly and he spat out a mouthful of blood as his face immediately turned pale. 

'What… What just happened? And why am I injured?'

And then his gaze locked with Bruce and boy when he looked at the state of the fifth floor, he couldn't recognize the place anymore.

#

More than four hours had passed and everyone gathered on the fifth floor… a weird technology seemed to be mending the broken school and in a few more minutes, it looked like no damage had been done at all. 

But of course, the haggard expression on every face could tell that something went down.

Bruce finally turned to Susan who couldn't stop shaking from the trauma of such terrifying power.

"I warned you, didn't I? I warned everyone… He is mine, no one should monopolize him. Oh and, I am shocked… he didn't even use his aspect so we know nothing!"

Susan immediately stood up and sneered. "So what was all that for? Such power and you say he didn't use his aspect? Such a fucking liar."

Rime turned towards Bruce and asked; "wait, I didn't use my aspect? Then what did I use?"

Everyone was also curious.

"What did he use if it wasn't his Aspect?"

Bruce chuckled darkly, running a hand over his hair… "Does no one know what deities have over humans that could put one on their knees? Aura!!! The pressure… their emotions alone could alter the universe."

Silence permeated the hall than if a pin dropped anyone would hear it.

That was true… 

But how can a new awakened possess such terrifying power in just their aura? What on earth is his aspect ability?

At least those that awakened, they were able to tell what their aspect was with the display. But Rime's case was different.

In no time, seasoned warriors of the government rushed in… these were true experts. Before any awakened person goes to the government, they will have to pass every test, every trial and every mission in order to qualify. And even before they get access into the government's base, they will have to undergo certain tests too, to tell you how serious they were. 

But now they are rushing in because there's an Awakened that can cause even the top tier experts in Echelon high school to shiver.

"Everyone move aside… we will take him."

Everyone moved but Bruce didn't.

"Move aside Bruce Scyder."

Bruce immediately snorted. "You don't have to interfere… we've got it sorted. I stopped him."

Everyone turned to look at Rime and to be honest, the attention he was getting… Rime didn't like it at all. He would prefer if word of this doesn't go out. They were just a few seniors, the principals and the other nine awakeners. The rest will just hear the news but will never know who.

"This is coming from the government, you can't stop us from doing our job." 

Rime was intelligent and knew that he didn't want to be part of the government as of yet so he pulled Bruce back and stepped in front of him, wiping his bloodied lips.

"This is not the rules… even the government is breaking their own rule." 

"Tsk… the government is allowed to break their own rule." 

A man stepped forward with the intention to take Rime with him but Rime took a step back and said; "I am not coming… I want to graduate from normal school and Awakened School… I don't have to skip it."

But it seems that they wanted to bring him by all means so Rime sighed. 

He didn't want to take this step, but because of this… he had to.

Rime had finally discerned his aspect ability… in fact, he even realized that they were two aspects coursing wildly through his bloodline and one was potent… that for some reason it felt like he could use it perfectly. 

The first one was the jade that Azarax stoned into him… and he definitely isn't supposed to know that part, yet he did. Even going as far as retaining his memory of how to use the ability… 

This could only be the handwork of the mirror that had been rudely interrupted… 

The second aspect is probably meant to be back-up just to hide the one that Azarax had given to him… that one is actually haphazard, like he couldn't control it at all. 

Rime pulled Bruce who was about to step out, fearing that he would be affected by what he was about to do… Bruce was suddenly surrounded by a weird symbol and the man couldn't step out of it no matter how hard he tried. Then he stared at everyone daring them to stop him before snapping his fingers.

A split second later, everyone went still forgetting everything that happened. The entire government forces disappeared without a trace… 

Susan, the principal… the awakeners… the top experts… all of them looked like they were in a daze. Except Bruce that was when the phantom image of god Azarax manifested before Bruce causing the young man's expression to change drastically.

Who didn't know of the legend of god Azarax… except, no one knows that he had actually died.

"He bears a fragment of my power. For you to protect him means that you can be trusted to guide him. I will shut off my power completely until he can awaken it naturally but the other aspect ability, he should start training with it… He will also forget, so protect him!"

Bruce heard a god speak to him. But before he could ask any questions, that phantom image vanished completely and just like Azarax said, Rime forgot. 

Everything returned to normal.

Luckily, the commotion did not reach an extent that would have drawn the attention of the other five gods.

Let's just say… whatever that happened in a span of six hours was forgotten from everyone's mind… so the school returned to the way it used to be. 

Principal Tade woke up from his daze. 

Everyone, too. 

The coordinator immediately spoke; "Rime Havan… step towards the mirror." 

Because to them, Rime is the only left that hasn't discerned his aspect ability. 

However Rime remembered standing in front of the mirror and seeing his brothers trying to kill him before everything went blank… but he could feel pure mana and even his aspect ability coursing wildly through his bloodstream.

"But I have already discerned my aspect… I stood before this mirror."