In a small town over 200 miles away from the Ashuwa tribe's territory, there was a small group of ragged but bloodthirsty men who were camped out at the outskirts of the small town.
There was a young bald dark skinned man who was seated across a leopard the size of a small car by a campfire with a dead 6 pound grass rat being cooked over the fire.
"So let me ask you once again, just so I make sure I understand you clearly. So that random boy that came to the hamlet, who at the time of the attack was only in the first realm. Managed to produce that fifth realm level art we saw, that destroyed the land around for nearly 15 miles.
Are you sure it wasn't the old lady? I mean it would make more sense if it was her and not this child."
"I'm positive of what I sensed, the boy was the creator of the art and not any other soul." Akeem squinted his eyes at the leopard and leaned forward.
For a long time only the sizzling of the flames and the banter of his men could be heard by Akeem before he let out a deep sigh. He looked up at the sun, almost as if he were seeking answers for the absurdity he's heard for over a week now.
"This world makes no sense sometimes," Akeem could only sighed once more as Zari ran up to him to deliver news.
"Hey boss I sensed around 25 mystics here and only 3 of them are in the third realm with one being at the peak." Akeem smiled at the information delivered and patted the child on his head.
"Dakari!"
"Yes sir." Dakari seemingly appeared from almost no where at a speed that one wouldn't think a man of his size could move.
"I know a few of the brothers are a little hungry right now. So just run them on down there and make sure they get they fill."
"Yes sir." Dakari after giving his confirmation went to rally 15 mystics to form an attack formation with him in front.
The land that the town stood on was flat and dry for as far as the eye could see. With the sun blazing above, many people took to hanging under the shade provided by their homes and trees that were nearby.
A young girl of 12 years by the name of Sade was out playing tag with some of the other kids. They may have been poor but at this stage in life material wealth means little to nothing.
They played around in the mud like pumbas. they tried to take flight to the sky like the birds they would see. Sade was simply content in playing tag with her slightly older brother Mari around a sausage tree that seemed quietly content in the presence of these loud kids. The shade it provided could be proof of this quiet love.
Eventually Sade grew tired of chasing her brother and laid flat on the ground with her arms spread wide.
"It's not fair! How come you always runaway like that?! Hmph, don't tell me you're secretly a coward big brother!" Mari after catching his breath sat down next to her on the ground.
"Oh c'mon now Sade, don't go calling me that now. You know better than to assume that running always means cowardice." He said with a sagely demeanor as he pinched her small cheek.
She weakly slapped his hand away and looked up at the lush sausage tree canopy. Mari did the same.
The wind blew gently across their dark skin, cooling the flesh and warming their hearts. The ground under the tree felt like a thin prickly sheet that made them both feel like they were in heaven. To these children here, the rough texture of the grass was their root to nature and may perhaps be their tether to a long and beautiful life.
Suddenly the ground started to shake violently accompanied by a mighty roar from the soil that could strike fear in the hearts of men.
The pair snapped their heads back to peer far away to the edge of the small town.
They saw that in the distance there was a quickly raising earth tide that flooded its way towards the small town. It was slow at first but it got faster at a staggering speed and rose even higher. By the time some of the mystics tried to stop it, the earth tide already grew over 150 meters into the sky.
The few mystics that were in the town mobilized without delay. The peak third realm expert was a middle aged brown skinned woman. She had a regal manner to her posture as she stepped up in front of the defenders. Her name was Aye Makoiri, the mother of both Sade and her brother.
["Mystic art: Martial Vision!"]
Her eyes changed from the color black to a sharp golden yellow. Her vision acuity increased by 8 times the average human. Along with this, she gained a third eyelid and an additional foveae which dramatically rose her magnification.
She could see that at the top of the earth tide there were a group of 20 mystics that all gave Aye the feeling of staring down death itself.
"This isn't a natural earth tide! We are under attack!" The mystics around her grew fearful of whoever the enemy was that could produce such an attack.
"Don't panic! Their top expert seems to only be in the third realm middle stage, so this attack must be a joint effort by the group at large. Aye's aura surged as peak third realm aura burst out in a bright red hue that covered the area the mystics stood on.
["Territory Art: Martial Flight!"]
Immediately this energy covered the group and converged on their backs, in the next moment everyone grew wings and felt as though they had these wings since the day they were born.
"Remember the combination art and follow me!" Aye command as her body started to shapeshift.
["Transformation Art: Martial Matriarch!"]
The first to change was her head, back and arms. Her mouth stretched out and turned into a beak while her head started to shape itself into an eagle head. Her back turned into a dark brown color, along that feathers grew all across Aye's body. Her feat contorted inward, causing Aye to let out a groan of pain as her feet grew back out into three long 6 inch talons for each foot. They were sharp enough to crush stone to dust, much less the bones man and beast alike.
She stretched out her arms and let the pain spread to her arms as they soon turned into massive dark brown wings that spanned for over 24ft across.
By the end of the transformation, Aye was fully transformed into a large 6,3 female martial eagle. Her eyes never left her intended target.
Dakari along with most of the gang rode on top of the earth tide like a humanoid breed of brown pelicans, coasting atop the earthly waves, stalking for pray they marked for death.
The people were quickly evacuated as far away from the calamity as possible. But Aye knew that no matter how fast they could run, no even a cheetah could out speed this man made mythical disaster.
She spread her wings out all the way and held that pose for a moment. The others held their wings out as well as weapons and various juju artifacts.
Whoosh!
Aye took flight along with 9 mystics, five first realm mystics, 3 second realm mystic, and finally 1 other mid third realm mystic. The winds they generated were so strong that they blew back rocks and soil for nearly 40 meters behind them.
"Well damn! Looks like we're in luck today my brothers. Not only must they keep some fine stock hidden, but they're so nice as to offer us some artifacts to, haha!" One of the men laughed.
Okun behind the man only sighed somberly.
"If only Malak was still alive, he would be burning with Joy right now."
"Don't let yourselves get distracted! The enemies are closing in!" Dakari shouted as Aye's group reached the group.
["Mystic art: Tempered Stock!"]
Aye chanted out an art that through her territory art spread to the rest of the mystics to reinforce their defenses. One of the many benefits of having a territory art showed itself here as the defenders felt their skin harden without the need for their own augmentation.
"We'll fucking kill you all!" One of Dakari's men shouted as both sides began engaging one other.
9 of the defenders circled around above the attackers and launched a volley of arrows, spears, and various elemental attacks. The area above the attackers lit alive with the colors of death.
Dakari clasped his hands together and yelled.
["Mystic Art: Layers Of Ala!]
Immediately large chunks of the nearby earth tide were moved to provide cover for the men. Parts of the earth tide were quickly arranged in such a way that they formed multiple dome shaped layers around Dakari and the others.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
One attack after the other collided with the first layer of protection, a deep vibrational rumbling could be felt by the attackers. Most people in their positions might of been frightened by the strong wave of bombarding, but instead this only seemed to truly excite the men who smiled with a wicked gleem flashing in their old and young eyes. Even Dakari cracked a small smile at the scene.
"Madame Makoiri! Their defenses are too strong! We won't be able to breakthrough in time!" One of the defenders shouted fearfully while Aye quickly looked back at the small town and then back at the earth tide.
"They're still at least 300 meters from the edge of town. Have the people there been evacuated?" The man nodded as Aye's sharp eagle eyes flashed with a dark murderous light.
["Killer Art: Messenger Of Heaven and Earth!"]
Aye spread opened her wings and flew high high above at such a speed that she broke the sound barrier. She pierced into the clouds and dissappeared from sight and sense. For a few moments it seemed as if Aye had retreated from the battle entirely until.
"Look! Big brother it's mother!" Sade pointed towards a group of clouds that quickly grew into a dark grey.
The siblings watched with awe as a giant martial eagle dropped down from the heavens to deliver one single message.
Cracks of lightning surrounded Aye body while a trail of fire was left behind in her mad descent from the sky. The air itself failed to move out of the way in time.
Dakari used a juju artifact in the shape of a white pearl to see Aye's approach.
The trajectory of her fall would crash head first into the area Dakari would be better at in less then a millisecond. Using the short time window, Dakari could only brace himself and infuse nearly a quarter of spiritual energy into his right fist.
"Damn there's no time to convert the energy to strength! Fuck it, this'll do!" He thought before Aye quickly crashed though every layer of protection in an instant and appearing right before Dakari.
Bam!
The two third realm experts collided for a massive clash that produced a shockwave sending all of the other attackers flying back. Along with this the top part of the earth tide collapsed, except the part that Dakari stood on. The earth tide seemed to almost have a mind of its own as it blew pass these experts.
Fist met beak as the two leaders stared into one another's eyes. One was focused and eagle eyed while the other was disciplined but inwardly a deep excitement was making itself known.
"You know? This might be a little more fun then I thought it would be." Aye narrowed her eyes at the strange comment.
"Fun?! You think this is fun?! Creating this damn tide while trying to kill and pillage our land! You're all dead men walking!"
Aye shouted as her beak started to dig into Dakari's fist. At the same time lightning coersed into Dakari's body that he constantly had to expend spiritual energy in order for his organs to not get fried instantly.
He smiled slightly. "Nah... you just don't get it. None of you righteous types ever do."
The attackers were wide open in their decent to the ground. Aye's side seeing the clear opening charged in to kill the helpless savages.
"Hmph, tell me then. What don't I get that I should get?"
The roles seemed to have switched as the defenders were now the ones pursuing the falling attackers. But strangely none of them were panicked in any way. In truth they were rather relaxed, almost like this was anticipated.
Aye saw those calm eerie faces and from her peripheral vision knew something was wrong but Dakari spoke.
"You've already lost the battle." Dakari said while ceasing to pour spiritual energy into his fist, allowing Aye's beak to pierce deep into his hand. However something prevented her beak from going deeper.
Dakari lifted his other hand and formed several hand signs.
["Domain Art: The World Is Mine."]
From the ground looking up, everyone saw a brown colored barrier materialize suddenly. This barrier quickly expanded to capture everyone that were in the sky.
Akeem looked up with a slight smile on his face before conversing with the leopard.
Aye opened her eyes to see that the world around her has been altered completely.
The environment was a barren brown wasteland that emanated an air of hostility that seemed to be bred to destroy all living beings. Nothing except a hot and dry wind blew through this desolate land. But once Aye looked up at the sky she could only be amazed at the sight before her.
It was larger than what the eye could fully comprehend. It was a bright blazing red color with a semi compressed circular shape. Its edges occasionally spat out azure red flames.
"Madame. Madame!" Aye jolts back into awareness of the situation by one of her men.
She looked around to see that she and all of the ones who flew into the sky with her were surrounded in a semi circle by the attackers.
She tries to flap her wings to fly but some kind of formless pressure doesn't allow such an action. She notices that the rest of the defenders also are unable to fly either.
Dakari walks up front and stands still watching the defenders with an stony face.
"Damn you bastards!" The second third realm mystic from Aye's side shouts as he casts an art.
["Mystic Art: Lightning Spear!"]
A spear made of lightning was quickly launched at Dakari who had no time to dodge.
Crack!
The lightning spear struck Dakari on his chest and an explosion ranged out, clouding the area in dust.
For a moment all that could be seen was brown dry dust.
"Hmph, you'll have to try harder than that to kill me boy." A voice was heard as with a swing of his arms Dakari revealed himself to be not only alive but unscathed in the slightest.
"W-what?! But how?!"
Aye looked at the man with a slight scowl for a moment before explaining.
"Must be an effect of this domain art of his, and I reckon we're only getting started. Ready yourselves."
"Charge!" Dakari yelled as a brutal fight began in earnest.
Aye's and her side were still amplified by her territory, but that amplification was reduced to only around 2 times as much defense as before. But not only this but thier movements now felt like trying to run with bolders on their backs.
Aye cawled in fury as she blasted balls of lightning out of her beak at any nearby attacker. Most could dodge but some were still hit and were gravely injured despite their own amplification.
The advantage of a full body transformation showed itself in this situation. Despite the dire circumstances Aye proved that she wasn't a peak third realm practitioner for nothing.
If the domain hadn't granted the attackers with better defense many would've died just then.
She forced a slight glide as she blitz some of the attackers in order to save anyone who was nearly dying. Dakari for all of his achievements could admit that speed was not his proudest skill. But even still he knew he had to do something to hold her down.
"I don't have much time to waste! This domain will only last as long as I keep pumping energy into it. But this bitch's transformation can last for a long time given her higher realm level." Dakari brain was running a 100 miles a minute to try and figure out a quick solution.
"Shit! Who would've thought that someone on a lower part of the same realm would have a damn domain!
That's usually something only fourth realm mystics can use.
If this continues for much longer people on my side are gonna start dying.
I need to strike them at their weakest link."
Aye racked her brain while narrowly avoiding a punch by Dakari followed by an invisible hand from Okun that would've reached her neck if she hadn't dodged.
While she was flapping backwards she caught the glimpse of Zari out of the corner of her eye.
Zari was currently engaged in a ranged fight with two older men 50 meters ahead of him.
An arrow nearly took Zari's head off as he fired one right back. Naturally each and every arrow fired was infused with spiritual energy, dramatically increasing its penetration damage and speed. Zari hopped and skipped around the rocks firing while on the move. The environment wasn't the best for this kind of engagement, mainly due to the relative lack of cover in the nearby area.
"Hmm, could be worse." Zari thought rather casually. Giving the severity of the situation you would think a young child such as this would be panicked at the scene. But on the contrary Zari was having quite some fun. He ducked, dived, and dodged while chuckling to himself slightly.
The two older men were preturbed by the attitude of their young enemy and also at the fact that he dodged them everytime thus far.
But they couldn't make too many moves since other enemies may join the fight so for now they simply had to endure.
"Hey! How many shots you got left?" One man said.
The other felt around in his quiver before responding. "Three."
"Lucky you I only got one more." As he said that he let loose that last arrow that Zari just watched as it dug a arrow shaped hole into ground in front of him creating a small cloud of dust that covered Zari.
"Fuck this, I'm going down there and killing that little shit!" The man who fired that last arrow got up and pulled out a curved sword with a single jagged edge.
"I, I'll keep you covered!" The second man said while the first simply nodded while he charged forward towards the cloud of dust.
Aye had been keeping track of the entire battle while she was briefly engaged in a fight with Dakari who she launched into the ground with her massive talons.
The man ran up to the cloud and started swinging for Zari who simply dodged and sneak attacked wherever he could. So far neither one could land a decisive blow.
"Dammit! Come out you little coward and fight me!" The man yelled while receiving a small cut to his backside. He snapped his body around only to get dust tossed in his face, but not without at least grabbing onto Zari's arm.
"Argh, damn why is this kid so strong?!
He's only a middle first realm mystic while I'm at the half step to the second realm!"
The man tried to move Zari closer so he could aim a good slash but Zari didn't budge in the slightest.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
Three kicks were launched that hit the man in the genitals. This forced the man to let the child go as Zari simply retreated back out of sight.
While the other man couldn't see through the dust cloud Aye could, yet another benefit of her transformation. Her sharp eagle eyes could see through much of the dust cloud and she already made a plan.
Zari lept forward with a knife in hand. The man twisted to his right as fast as possible in order to clash with the enemy child.
Clack!
Zari's eyes nearly popped out of his skull at what he saw in front of him.
Instead of the man that he had been fighting with, in his place was a giant female martial Matriarch whose talons were striking down to end the life of young Zari.
"Wait... a substitution?!" Zari's thoughts moved like lightning but unfortunately his body couldn't move at the same speed.
["Mystic Art: Earthly Retrieval!"]
In an instant Zari's body was dragged underground with Dakari climbing up from the ground to grab one of Aye's talons with his bare hand.
Aye tried to bring down her other talon but Dakari only grabbed it with his hand as his body fully rose from the ground.
"I see. This brute bastard is cunning like a fox, he purposefully let me knock him into the ground earlier to let me try exploiting an opening I saw, only for him to exploit that to get a hold on me!"
Aye would've nashed her teeth if she was still in her human form. However Dakari could, and was currently nashing his teeth at the sharp talons that were digging into his hands.
Even with his defenses enhanced by the domain, the transformed Aye proved to still be more than capable in this setting.
But this only made him crack a wide smile. Zari who quickly rose from the dirt also cracked a smile.
"Thanks Uncle!" Zari said enthusiastically.
"Hehe, no problem kid. Just kill those two small fry for me if you wanna repay me."
Dakari said through a gritted smile while Aye thrashed and tried to shoot a ball of lightning at point blank range. However Dakari lept forward while letting go of the talons and opened his mouth wide to violently shove the entirety of Aye's beak in his mouth.
The sudden and severe action put Aye into a state of shock. Immediately destabilizing the ball of lightning she had charged up. Dakari took advantage of the moment to wrap both arms around Aye and immediately stomped down on the ground to hold her in place.
"Madame!" The man from earlier tries to close in but he's quickly forced back by an arrow that shot passed his shoulder and in fact hit the second man in his neck.
The arrow pierced through flesh and blood like butter, forming a blood red hole though the front and back of his neck.
A desperate gurgling was all that the man could let out as he reached up a shaky hand to touch his wound. His eyes as wide and white like pearls reflecting the sunlight. He fell forward, face first into the hot soil where his blood leaked out with a steamy residue.
For a moment he twitched, then another he grew still.
"Nice, first one down!" Zari pumped his fist in celebration of the life he took.
Some of the other defenders who had a moment looked at the scene including Aye.
She looked at his young face to see that his eyes radiated innocence, as if what he did were just a part of a children's game.