SYSTEM ASCENSION

Claude skipped a tour of black empire, just so he could learn what Sienna and Elias were talking about.

She led through a narrow part that led to a temple. It was almost isolated, with only a few people walking that part. Vines that covered most of it, but he could still make out most of the structure.

He looked around, observing the structures and drawings. These were familiar pieces of artworks, because he had seen them a lot in the monastery.

Yet, something else caught his attention. More artwork. Unfamiliar.

He stopped and narrowed his eyes.

It was a round table, surrounded by people. Precisely ten of them. Some of them held strange weapons, and some didn’t look human.

”They are called the protectors.” Sienna’s voice sounded behind him.

He turned his attention to her. ”Protectors? Of what?”

She hunched her shoulder. ”I’m not sure. No one knows the tale of them. We just stare at it till we get tired.”

”Isn’t that frustrating?”

”It is.” She smiled and continued moving. ”Come with me, there is a more detailed picture inside the temple.”

He followed her.

”If you’re curious about it, the only people who know about it are my Lord, his highness, and Elias who he told.”

”Hmm.”

She led him to the door and held the handle.

”It has been abandoned.” She pushed it. A stiff groan sounded as the door gave way. Light shone into the temple. ”No one comes all the way anymore.”

They walked inside. The temple was dark, covered in cobwebs and dust.

She raised her hand.

”Ability activate. Fan.”

Wind blew in from the door, fluttering his hair and gathering in her hand. The ability was embedded with vital energy, and a fan was created. It wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either.

She raised her hand and swung it mildly.

At first, nothing much happened. Only a small amount of energy was flickered. Instinctively, Claude held on to the door, and immediately the wind picked up.

A huge gust of wind bursted out from every direction, meeting in the middle to create a tornado. Every dust and particles were vacuumed into the wind, before dispersing.

It was gone as soon as it came.

She turned around and smiled.

”You alright?”

He raised a brow. ”Could you tell me before you do something like that next time?”

Laughter bubbled from her throat. ”Sure. Sure. Come on in.”

They walked in deeper. Just like she had said. A detailed art work was drawn inside the temple. He looked at it.

A giant creature caught his attention first. ”What is this?”

Sienna peeped at it. ”I heard it’s called a dragon. Just one of them could raze down an empire in flames.”

”That sounds terrifying.” He moved his eyes, and caught another winged figure.

Giant wings, blindfolded and held a flute.

”Is he blind?”

”I dunno.” She shrugged.

He pointed to another. ”What’s that weapon?”

”It’s called a gun. I heard the protector is someone from a distant world known as earth.”

”Earth...”

He looked at the rest one by one. Beside the fascinating details of the paintings, no one really caught his attention until the last one.

A woman.

She looked normal, except the gavel and scale in her eyes.

”That’s...” he pointed.

”What?”

”My ability. Whenever it activates, it’s like that.”

”Really?” She raised a brow.

He turned to her and activated his ability. The symbol of a gavel and a scale appeared.

”See?” He deactivated it.

”Hmm,” she placed a finger on her lip. ”I guess that’s why Elias told me to bring you here.”

”What? Elias did?”

”Yes.” She twirled. ”This place is Elias’s birthplace.”

”Huh?”

”I said, he was born here, in this very temple. I didn’t see it though. Myai never let anyone close to her child except his father.”

She looked back at the drawings.

”When I was allowed here for the first time, he was one year old. He sat on the ground, staring at these paintings. In fact, he spends eighty percent of his time in black empire in this temple, staring at paintings.”

”Why?”

She scoffed and glanced at Claude. ”Why? Did you just ask why?”

She placed her hand on his shoulder and asked. ”Have you ever looked at Elias, and figured out why he does things?”

Claude scoffed. ”It was a stupid question indeed.”

She swivelled and walked towards the centre of the room. She loosen a rope from her sleeve and tied up her hair.

”Alright. Let’s begin.”

”Huh? Let’s...begin?”

”A duel first,” she said, rolling her shoulders. ”Let’s see your ability.”

Claude stared at her for a moment before sighing. ”I don’t feel so good fighting with an elder.”

She raised one hand. ”Don’t disappoint me boy.”

A breeze moved through the temple.

Claude’s eyes narrowed. ”Ability—”

Sienna disappeared.

”What...”

The wind exploded beside him.

Claude threw himself backward as a blade of compressed air tore through the place where his neck had been a moment earlier. He landed, rolled across the dusty floor, and immediately raised both hands.

”Court—”

Another gust struck.

He crossed his arms and braced himself, but the force sent him skidding several feet backward.

”Don’t announce everything you do!” Sienna called.

Claude frowned. ”But I’m supposed to announce it.”

”Says who?” She came again.

Wind gathered around her feet, launching her forward. Claude barely ducked beneath the first strike, then twisted away from the second, only for a third gust to catch him in the shoulder.

He stumbled.

Sienna was already behind him.

”Pick a boo.”

He spun around.

Her palm stopped inches from his chest. The air between them compressed.

Claude’s eyes widened. ”Wait—”

The blast sent him flying. He crashed against a pillar and dropped to one knee.

”Damn...”

She walked to him, talking in a singing tone. ”I’m attacking.”

She snapped her fingers, and the wind inside the temple twisted. Dust rose from the floor and gathered.

Claude immediately activated his ability.

The gavel and scale appeared in his eyes. The pressure of the courtroom descended over the room.

”Statute One—”

”Too slow.”

The wind slammed into him.

Claude was forced sideways.

”Statute Two—”

Another gust came at him. He ducked, just for another one to slam into him.

His breathing became heavier.

Sienna smiled. ”You’re still trying to speak.”

”What am I supposed to do?”

”Think.”

”I can’t think when you’re beating me up!”

She vanished into the wind.

Claude’s eyes darted around the room.

”Where...”

A gust came from his left. The wind caught him and threw him forward.

He caught himself against the floor.

Sienna landed several metres away and walked to him.

”Your brain already works faster than your mouth,” she said.

He looked up. ”What?”

”You see a violation before you speak about it, don’t you?”

He hesitated. Of course he did. Whenever he used The Judge, the situation was already processed in his mind before the words left his mouth.

”But I still need to say it.”

”Who decided that?”

”...”

She grinned. ”You did?”

”I didn’t!”

”No, you did,” she bent down and caught his chin. ”You must be thinking, my ability is a very useless ability, right?”

”No...”

”It’s the direct opposite of you,” she continued. ”The judge is calm. You’re not. You’re feeling divided.”

He looked away. She snapped her finger to bring his eyes back to her.

”You’re a person that doesn’t need to think to act, and the judge is forcing you to. You feel like two different people.”

He pulled back his face and frowned.

”Fine! You’re right! Now what?”

She grinned and flickered her hand.

The open door of the temple groaned and moved.

”What...”

The door sealed shut, lunging the room into darkness.

”What are you doing?!”

”What?” Her voice echoed from everywhere. ”I’ll beat you so much, your body and mind will merge as one. Get up, student.”