Veil of Aether

Kei Y stood calmly, facing his former sled across the arena. The man who would one day become known as Hermes, Messenger of the Greek Pantheon—famed for speed so sharp it tore reality—glared back, eyes twitching with restrained fury.

If that was truly Hermes’ fate, Kei Y already knew that relying on Healing Force alone wouldn’t be enough to match that speed.

“Tch. You may have handled Hades with a single strike, but that was just luck,” Hermes spat, disdain dripping from every syllable. “You’re nothing. You can’t even begin to imagine what my abilities are.”

Kei Y tilted his head, as if genuinely considering.

“Would your ability be… being completely useless?” he replied, voice mild. “You’ve failed to kill me twice already, so I don’t get why they still keep you around.”

A vein bulged in Hermes’ forehead.

And then—he vanished.

A burning pain ripped through Kei Y’s side, a deep gash blooming across his robes in a burst of blood. Hermes flickered back into view, dagger dripping.

“You sure like talking with that mouth of yours,” Hermes scoffed.

Kei Y glanced down, pressing a hand to the wound as blood seeped between his fingers.

“What else am I supposed to talk with?” he muttered, flinching lightly. “Tsss… that’s deep.”

“Hmph. Enjoy your fun while you can,” Hermes snapped, vanishing again.

Kei Y’s body jolted as another cut split across his back, then another across his thigh, each slash accompanied by a gust of displaced air and a flicker of golden light.

Hermes was fast—so fast that even the spectators without a high enough cultivation level could barely register the afterimages.

Kei Y found himself on the defensive, his HP bar constantly dipping, then slowly creeping back up as Healing Force struggled to keep pace with the relentless cuts. Blood splattered across the arena floor, forming a slick trail that mirrored each brutal strike.

Looking around at the blood he was leaving everywhere, Kei Y idly wondered if this would create new problems later, considering how his Bond formed connections through his blood.

Hermes reappeared a short distance away, breathing steadily, daggers glinting in the arena light, eyes filled with smug satisfaction.

To his surprise, Kei Y was still standing.

“Let’s see how long your aether lasts,” Hermes sneered, daggers pulsing with golden light. “I’ll drain you dry before I end you.”

Kei Y glanced down at the bleeding wound on his ribs, sighing.

“I should let you know… I have a rather large aether supply,” he said calmly, lifting his head. “We might be here a while. Your little winged feet might get tired before I do.”

Hermes’ jaw tightened. “I wonder if you’re really that calm under that mask,” he taunted, twirling a dagger. “Let’s show everyone what a helpless coward looks like.”

“Well, if we’re being honest,” Kei Y replied, examining his forearm as the wound slowly closed under Healing Force, “he probably looks like someone who knocked you out twice already.”

Hermes’ eyes flared, his grip tightening on his daggers. “You look so helpless now! You’re just standing there! Aren’t you going to attack me? Try it!”

Kei Y shrugged, ignoring another gash splitting across his shoulder as Hermes flickered past.

“You have super speed, you twat,” Kei Y said plainly. “I’m good at healing cuts. Why would I waste effort chasing you when you can’t even threaten my life? The last two times I only managed to hit you because you tried to act all stealthy and came at me by surprise, but now?” Kei Y met Hermes’ gaze through the mask, his voice cool. “Now you’re trying your best, and you’re still basically harmless.”

Hermes’ aura spiked, rage twisting his features, golden flames igniting along his daggers as they crackled violently.

“You’ve got quite the smart mouth, don’t you?” Hermes hissed. “Let’s see if you’re still talking when I succeed on my third and final attempt!”

Kei Y tilted his head slightly, unfazed.

“Calm down now. You’re not the one with three heads and a dog. No need to be growling,” he taunted lightly, a faint, amused edge in his tone.

Hermes’ aura flared brighter, golden light flooding the arena as his killing intent spiked, the true fight about to ignite.

And in all his rage, all his hyper-focus on Kei Y’s taunting words, Hermes failed to notice the small, orb-like projectile that had quietly appeared between Kei Y’s blood-slicked fingers, held low and hidden by the shadows of his robes.

While Hermes raged, while the flames of his Force rose, while the crowd held its breath—

“Come on then, Messenger Boy,” Kei Y said, voice cool and cutting. “Let’s see if you can finally succeed on your third try.”

Kei Y flicked the orb downward, and Hermes raged forward aiming to end it once and for all.

It landed with a soft tap.

The moment it did, Lotus Bloom took effect as pure white petals bloomed in the arena, forming a zone around Kei Y.

Seeing the petals bloom around Kei Y, drifting down like soft embers of light, Hermes came to an abrupt stop. His sudden halt at near-invisible speeds forced the air to snap, his muscles screaming under the strain as fibers threatened to tear.

But he didn’t care.

His eyes were locked on the scene before him.

The petals, infused with Kei Y’s Healing Force, landed gently across Kei Y’s shredded robes, the torn flesh beneath knitting back together visibly. The glow of the petals merged with the faint shimmer of Healing Force already at work, amplifying the regeneration speed by several times.

Deep gashes sealed in moments. Bruises faded. Bones realigned.

Kei Y exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders.

“Ooohhhh, now that’s a pleasant surprise,” Kei Y marveled, genuinely impressed as he watched the petals work faster and cleaner than his Healing Force alone.

Hermes’ eyes narrowed, flickering with curiosity despite himself. The strain from his sudden stop had left micro-tears across his arms and legs, dull aches biting at him.

Slowly, he reached out, fingers stretching toward one of the drifting petals.

The moment his fingertip touched it—

Ssss.

The petal flared, singeing his skin with a sharp, purifying burn.

“Tsss—!” Hermes hissed, yanking his hand back, shaking it as the faint burn glowed on his skin.

Kei Y paused, then burst out laughing, unable to contain himself.

“Hehehe—burn, you evil spawn!” Kei Y cackled, gloating without even trying to hide it.

Hermes glared, clutching his hand, irritation simmering as he noticed a slight numbness from the irritation. “Why do you sound so surprised, like you didn’t expect this to happen?”

“Because I didn’t,” Kei Y admitted without shame, shrugging. “Any more genius questions to ask?”

Hermes’ eye twitched, but he glanced warily at the petals drifting around Kei Y, observing how they continued to glow softly before dissolving into motes of aether upon completing their healing.

Kei Y lifted a hand, letting one of the petals land gently in his palm, studying the warm glow it emitted before it dissolved into his skin.

“So… contact with the petals causes purification,” Kei Y murmured to himself, thoughts turning as he examined the skill overlay in his interface.

[Lotus Bloom: Healing Force Variant]

Upon impact, infused projectiles blossom into a storm of radiant, healing-infused petals or feathers that swirl gracefully around the point of contact.

These blooms mend allies they touch, closing wounds and restoring vitality, while burning enemies with purifying force that disrupts aether flows and inflicts searing pain without traditional damage.

Healing Petals:

Drift in a gentle yet precise pattern, stitching cuts, reinforcing tissue, and soothing pain wherever they brush against allies.

Against foes, petals leave behind shimmering lines of light that interfere with force circulation, causing numbness, sapping aggression, and weakening hostile intent.

Bloom Scaling:

Each bloom scales with the depth of Healing Force infusion and adapts to your throwing angle and rotation speed, allowing for wide dispersal to cover chaotic battlefields or concentrated showers for focused healing and purification.

The faster and sharper the throw, the more petals are created, increasing the bloom’s density and amplifying its restorative or purifying effect.

A slow grin formed under Kei Y’s mask.

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“It’s like it purifies hostile aether signatures on contact, forcing rejection,” he thought, tilting his head toward Hermes.

“Good to know,” Kei Y said aloud, his voice calm but tinged with amusement as petals continued to swirl around him, reinforcing his restoration.

Hermes scowled, flicking his burned hand.

“Tch. Don’t get cocky,” he muttered, golden light pulsing once more around his daggers.

Kei Y only tilted his head, a single petal gliding down to rest upon his shoulder before dissolving, fully closing the last gash Hermes had inflicted.

“Oh, I’m not cocky,” Kei Y replied, voice low, amused, and calm.

“I’m just enjoying the fact you can’t touch me without burning yourself alive.”

The tension between them crackled, the arena holding its breath as Hermes’ aura flared once more—

"We'll see about that" Hermes said

Ignoring the strain of his muscles, Hermes began to once dash forward with his fire ignited daggers ready to end it all

But Kei Y wasn’t bothered.

A quiet zone of swirling petals surrounded him, making it difficult for enemies to approach without consequence. But even that wasn’t why he was so unbothered.

He had another plan to handle Hermes’ absurd speed.

All it required was summoning Gale Fang.

While Hermes had spent his time ranting, taunting, and pacing with false confidence, Kei Y had quietly adjusted his sleeves, letting thin needles slide into his grip. A flick of his wrist, and the needles shot forward—striking Hermes without him noticing.

A fun fact about those needles: they were coated in paralyzing poison. Kei Y didn’t know the exact dosage required to affect people in this world, so he decided a few extra doses wouldn’t hurt.

To the keenest observers, the needles were visible, thin and black, sticking out from Hermes’ shoulder and thigh, glinting faintly in the light.

And as Kei Y suspected, the dosage wasn’t quite enough to paralyze Hermes outright.

But it was enough to slow him down—just a bit. Enough to make his body feel heavier, his limbs a touch less responsive, a microsecond delay in his movements.

Hermes darted forward anyway, golden aura blazing, determined to end it.

The petals on the ground stirred, then fluttered into the air, drifting upward faster than Kei Y could fully track.

But he didn’t need to.

Because the moment those petals touched Hermes, they sizzled with a sharp, searing sound—like paper burning under a magnifying glass.

The scent of burned ozone and purifying force cut through the air.

And Kei Y chuckled, loud and bright beneath his mask.

Kei Y’s eyes widened behind the mask, as a searing burning, gash suddenly ruptured on his chest.

“Oh fuck!”

He yelped, staggering back as the searing pain registered.

“I didn’t think that fire would hurt that much!” he whined, clutching the already half-healed burn, rubbing at it as if that would help, shoulders tensed and hissing softly through his teeth.

To Hermes’ credit, Kei Y’s Healing Force and Lotus Bloom petals slowed under the assault of the white flames dancing along Hermes’ daggers, forcing Kei Y’s regeneration to falter.

“Heh. Let’s see how great your healing is now, you ingrate,” Hermes sneered, pride flickering across his sweat-slicked face.

And so he continued.

Slashes tore open across Kei Y’s arms, his side, his thighs—new wounds blooming in wet red as the healing struggled to keep pace, each cut sealed slower than the last. Kei Y did his best to deflect the strikes with Gale Fang, but Hermes’ speed was monstrous, his daggers a blur of white flame and golden arcs.

But it wasn’t all in vain.

While Kei Y couldn’t land a clean block, the positioning of Gale Fang forced Hermes to avoid vital areas, keeping the cuts shallow, away from arteries or the neck.

And that wasn’t Kei Y’s only goal with the blade.

Gale Fang, inscribed with Wind Force rune strokes, was gathering energy through the thin slit along its spine, air coalescing along its length, pooling at the tip.

Hermes didn’t notice.

And then, with a heavy strike, Hermes’ dagger knocked Gale Fang from Kei Y’s hand, sending it spinning across the floor.

Hermes paused, a cruel grin spreading across his face as he saw Kei Y now unarmed.

Finally.

He didn’t waste time with more words.

Hermes lunged, aiming to end it.

The moment he moved, Gale Fang clattered onto the stone, the stored wind erupting in a howling blast.

A violent gust exploded outward, instantly halting Hermes mid-charge, slamming him backward halfway across the arena, skidding him across the ground as the wind howled around him.

Kei Y wasn’t about to waste the chance.

Adjusting both sleeves with a flick of his wrists, Kei Y launched a storm of paralyzing needles, each glinting under the arena lights, whistling sharply as they flew.

Every single one landed.

Hermes’ body jerked violently as needles pierced into his arms, legs, shoulders, even grazing along his neck, sticking out like a human porcupine.

Kei Y tilted his head, observing calmly.

“It’d be a lot easier if I properly learned all the pressure points… ” he thought casually, as if reflecting on a minor oversight.

His moment of musing was cut short.

Hermes screamed, a ragged, pained cry tearing from his throat as he dropped to one knee, gasping and sweating, veins bulging beneath his skin.

In his shoulder, a cluster of needles stuck out in a trembling bundle.

Kei Y’s eyes crinkled behind the mask, a small, satisfied smile forming.

“At least I got the brachial plexus… Lucky me...….. ugh I don't think you feel the same way."

A puddle of sweat was beginning to form under Hermes as he took sharp ragged breathes, as the bundles of nerves in shoulder were pierced through sending sharp unbearable pain through his body.

It was so much, so overwhelming, that Hermes failed to realize Kei Y had calmly walked up to him, a brick in hand.

“That sounds like it hurts a lot,” Kei Y said, voice low, almost sympathetic. “Let me help you with that.”

Before Hermes could register his presence, before he could blink or breathe—

CRACK.

A force smashed down on the top of his head, slamming his face into the arena floor.

CRACK.

And again.

CRACK.

And again.

Kei Y stood over Hermes, mask tilted down, repeatedly bashing the brick onto his skull, each strike ringing out in the dead silence of the arena. Blood splattered across the white stone, droplets flicking against Kei Y’s robes, speckling his mask with dark red.

It was a difficult sight for the spectators, the rhythmic impacts turning their stomachs, the wet crunch of bone against brick echoing in their minds.

Hermes could do nothing.

The paralyzing poison had finally taken full effect, leaving his limbs limp, his body unable to muster even the smallest defense. His eyes, glassy and unfocused, twitched with each blow, blood and saliva dripping from his slack mouth.

Some participants looked on, pale, horrified.

Others couldn’t look away, eyes shining with morbid fascination.

A few felt pity for Hermes—once proud, now reduced to a helpless, twitching mess.

Others felt excitement, remembering every arrogant slight and theft he had committed, seeing justice in each blow Kei Y delivered.

After a minute or two, the arena was spattered in red, and Hermes looked like a man who had been thoroughly beaten to death.

And yet, somehow, he still managed to moan, voice small and broken.

“W… what…?”

Kei Y paused, tilting his head, the brick dripping blood as it hovered above Hermes’ shattered skull.

“I’m not letting you die so easily,” Kei Y said, voice calm, conversational, almost gentle. “My arm isn’t tired yet.”

He flexed his fingers around the brick, rolling his shoulder lightly.

“And when this one gets tired…” Kei Y glanced at his other arm, then back at Hermes, his mask reflecting a twisted, blood-streaked grin. “…I still have my other arm.”

Hermes’ eyes widened, the faintest flicker of terror returning to them.

“So I’m going to keep healing you,” Kei Y continued, matter-of-factly, Healing Force already knitting Hermes’ skull just enough to keep him conscious, just enough to let him feel the next blow.

“And then I’m going to keep bashing your head in. Again. And again.”

Kei Y’s mask seemed to darken, the air around him chilling as he leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper only Hermes could hear.

“So I hope you get comfortable.”

CRACK.

The brick came down once more.

And the arena held its breath.

And in that moment, it was as if themoon itself manifested in the arena.

A wolf’s howl split the air, low and resonant, as arrows flew—silent and fast, slicing through the darkness with barely a whisper. Kei Y caught their glint at the last possible moment, eyes narrowing behind his mask.

Trailing behind the first set, another volley followed, these arrows glowing faintly with Light Force, their tips shimmering with a cold brilliance.

“Tch. Annoying,” Kei Y grumbled.

In a fluid motion, he grabbed the still-paralyzed Hermes, lifting him and using him as a meat shield.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The arrows struck with brutal force, piercing cleanly through Hermes’ torso, shafts erupting out the other side as blood sprayed, though the arrows remained embedded in his flesh, quivering with residual force.

The impact shoved Kei Y back a few feet, boots scraping against the blood-slick stone as he stabilized himself.

Above him, a wolf materialized, pale fur glinting under the moonlight, jaws wide as it lunged downward, fangs bared to tear into Kei Y’s throat.

Kei Y glanced up, unimpressed.

“This feels way too familiar,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. “But you’re not as cute.”

He pivoted, leaping back to his original position, landing precisely in the pool of his own blood that still stained the arena floor.

The wolf landed where he had been, claws scraping against the stone, its amber eyes locked on him as it began to circle, hackles raised, lips peeled back in a silent snarl.

Kei Y wasted no time. His fingers traced rapid patterns in the air, ember-ash fire runes strokes igniting as he swept them across the blood-soaked floor.

Fwoosh.

Flames roared to life, burning away the blood with a hiss, evaporating it into black smoke that twisted upward before dispersing into the moonlit air.

For the first time since the tournament had begun, Kei Y was forced to disobey Auserre’s strict orders to stick to one Force during the matches.

But Auserre didn’t know how his blood worked.

Kei Y couldn’t risk it.

If another creature managed to form a connection through his blood without his consent, it would be a problem. Kei Y couldn’t risk a mistake.

High in the stands, Silvie’s eyes flicked toward their master.

She saw the slight narrowing of Auserre’s eyes, the tension in her jaw as she squinted down at Kei Y, visibly holding back her fury at his disobedience.

Silvie exhaled softly.

She understood.

She knew exactly how Kei Y’s Bond worked, knew the risks of his blood forming connections if left unchecked. Silvie could only silently agree with what Kei Y had done, hoping Auserre wouldn’t punish him too harshly for stepping out of line.

He couldn’t let another unwanted creature form a connection through his blood.

Not again.

The blood on his clothes? That was a problem for later.

Right now, his focus shifted as two new figures stepped forward, stepping out from the shadows.

One wielded a long bow, the string still humming with Moon Force from the previous volley. The other carried a short bow, Light Force glimmering at its tip, a quiet storm in his eyes.

“It was never said this death match had to be one-on-one,” the Moon Force archer said coolly, nocking another arrow. “So us stepping in together to kill you is perfectly within the rules.”

Kei Y glanced between them, then at the wolf circling him, and finally back down at Hermes, who was still twitching, skewered with arrows and too paralyzed to even groan.

These two weren’t just any archers.

They were gods of Greek legend.

Apollo, Light Force archer, radiating calm precision, each arrow infused with aether that brightened the air. His presence alone lifted the morale of the Greek recruits behind him, steadying their breathing and sharpening their vision, battlefield clarity rippling out like sunlight.

Artemis, Moon and Beast Force user, moving with eerie silence, a wolf-like grace that let her vanish between heartbeats. Each arrow she fired was cloaked in moonlight, her companion wolf circling the edges of the arena, its paws soundless, its eyes like cold silver as it waited for her signal.

They moved with unspoken coordination, drawing their bows in mirrored arcs, moonlight and sunlight converging into two pinpoints of lethal promise.

The Greek recruits behind them felt a surge of confidence seeing them step forward.

Kei Y didn’t care.

Kei Y tilted his head, deadpan.

“Forget the rules,” he said, gesturing at Hermes. “You just shot your own teammate. Repeatedly.”

He gave Hermes a light shake, making the arrows embedded in him rattle.

“Look what you did to my new shield,” Kei Y continued, voice mockingly aghast, before letting Hermes’ limp body dangle in front of him as the next wave of tension settled across the arena.

The two archers were flabbergasted by the accusation.

They had watched Kei Y pick up Hermes and use him as a shield, yet now he acted as if they were the villains. Both Apollo and Artemis were left speechless, frozen just long enough for Kei Y to reach forward and yank the arrows free from Hermes’ limp body.

“These arrows aren’t bad. Still got Moon and Light Force coursing through them… Thanks for the ammo,” Kei Y said casually, inspecting the arrows as he channeled Healing Force into Hermes, ensuring he didn’t die from the removal.

“Okay, Hermes. You’re no longer a sled. You’re my new shield now. Try not to die on me.”

“What—?” Hermes’ eyes widened, confusion and fear flashing across his bloodied face.

But Kei Y didn’t have time for questions.

With a smooth motion, he slammed Hermes down headfirst into the ground, the impact cracking the stone and knocking Hermes out cold.

“I don’t have time to listen to you complain,” Kei Y muttered, as he raised Hermes in front of him. “Be a quiet shield for me.”

His gaze flicked toward Apollo and Artemis.

These mythical gods of legend… They were going to be a problem.