Like sticking a few [Disks] onto his [Armor], turning his greatest defense into tomb. Slowness runes, and Conqueror was moving like a man through mud.
Conqueror dispelled [Yuzhou]—because the [Disks] were attached to his [Armor] and not his physical body—but wasn’t that what Stainless wanted? As soon as the [Armor] dropped, boom! Right under his feet, an arcane rune exploded into a purple puff and turned him into a wingless pigeon! Holes were burned into his [Combat Suit] and he no doubt felt the hurt. Yet Stainless refused to show sympathy for his junior.
Instead of landing on dirt, Conqueror’s back was pressure-washed by a hot geyser of water, lifting him in the air again. Everybody heard him whining in pain—yes, yes, water pressure hurt—and he uncontrollably landed on his belly. Then fire runes were thrown into the still-spewing geyser.
Boom, hiss!
Half of the arena was covered in burning steam and Conqueror was trapped inside.
An interesting strategy, yes? Stainless knew Conqueror would equip his [Armor] again, so why not take advantage of that? The man was going to steam Conqueror alive in [Yuzhou] like a dumpling!
“...Sophos.” Quite the interesting guest decided to stand next to her.
“Rector, where’s the other one—?” (“Home.”) “—swell. Your boy is getting his rear-end handed to him.”
Conqueror burst through the steam, one arm covering the silts in his helmet, only to immediately step on a force rune and get blasted back into the steam.
Rector didn’t betray any significant emotion other than perpetually-exhausted-of-everything-and -everyone. “He’ll manage. Wait, what shirt are you wearing? It’s hideous.”
I won’t tell him its true creator, then. “Personally, I think the odds slightly favor Stainless. He’s battle-hardened and far more intelligent than your average rabble, mhm. Yet Conqueror, if what Overseer says is true, is unraveled in battle IQ and practical intelligence. He lacks the years, however, and that will greatly impede him. He has already surpassed everyone’s expectations, though. Good for him.”
When she finished her analysis, Conqueror had already escaped the steam. Stainless created a forest using light runes, each manifesting tree-sized pillars of light that hit the low ceiling above. Thus, the two fighters raced around the “trees” like bloodthirsty hunters. Stainless was a frustrating rabbit persistently a step away, his [Disks] bullets of a myriad nature; and Conqueror was the large wolf using actual guns and bullets. A hit there, a graze here, trading blows.
Rector watched the exchange intently. “I won’t disagree, but Conqueror is a tough man. The match will come down to whoever has the most tricks.”
“I concur, but I’ve been thinking about his [Skill].” A stray bullet struck the barrier a few meters to their left. “[Memento Recollection] generates weapons—well, after Kotone, it generates tools—based on interpersonal relationships.”
“What about it?”
The pillars’ duration ended, being snuffed like wind over a sea of candles. Conqueror rushed to intercept Stainless, but unfortunately an earth rune disagreed. A thick, rock wall separated him and his adversary. What will he do? Climb over the top, knowing runes were waiting for him? Punch through, knowing more runes were also there? Or wait for Stainless to recuperate and prepare his next masterplan?
Sophos chuckled. “Can you really consider it as a you-know-what? There are similar creation-type [Skills], so surely, the accumulation function warrants its ranking, yes? I disagree with that sentiment. An interesting creation method and limitless accumulation aren’t enough for that kind of [Skill]. Look at mine as an example. It’s absurd and grand, a perfect representation of its rank. So, do you want to know my hunch, young man?”
Conqueror retreated from the wall. An interesting choice, and ultimately the correct one because the wall was blown to smithereens and now it was raining chunks of rock and soil! Yet Conqueror was hardly affected. The wall itself had been the intended weapon, intending to bury him alive so Stainless could do whatever he wanted to do. But it failed and now the playboy was on the run.
“I think…” Sophos said, “...we’ve yet to truly see everything from [Memento Recollection]. Much like its wielder, there are mysteries to unravel. I wonder if Conqueror knows that? After all, intense combat is a common way to receive breakthroughs in your own abilities. That’s why Awakenings and Inner Worlds exist.”
Rector sighed as Stainless ran around the arena like a cat fearing its owner, seemingly put on the back-foot. “That’s if Stainless will push him that far. Right now, they’re on equal footing. Heck, he’s running away from Conqueror.”
“Rector, Rector, Rector, try to open your eyes once in a while, child. There’s a reason why Colossus and Stainless wanted a dirt arena. The brownish color is remarkably similar to his red [Runemold].”
Stainless was constantly jumping, rolling, leaping, his hands constantly touching the ground.
The foolish Vice Guild Master chomped on his own lip. “I imagine there’s at least a hundred runes waiting to be activated, but Conqueror knows. He knows Stainless can and will turn the entire arena into a deathtrap.”
Sophos grinned. “Remember what you said earlier, Rector.”
Stainless stopped in his original position when the match first started, and he threw his arms up. “Conqueror, timeout! Timeout!”
Conqueror, in his [Armor] and a [Rifle] in his hands, paused seven meters away. “What?”
“Sorry about this.” And the arrogant man snapped his fingers.
It was exactly what Rector said: one-hundred-fifty-seven runes—Sophos counted, she was a genius—of a wide variety revealed themselves in a menacing red glow. They had blended in the dirt, and with a [Skill] that prevented his runes from being blemished, they became IEDs waiting for the trigger.
Conqueror himself had five within three steps around him and he sighed at the demoralizing sight. For most people, they would kneel and beg for mercy on the spot, but not this proud Slayer.
“Wanna throw in the towel?” asked Stainless, wagging his signature knife around. “Because you’re not gonna like the next minute if you keep going.”
“You won’t,” Conqueror coldly replied and held his [Rifle] to the side. “I was waiting for you to pull this trick.”
“Hah—?”
[Memento Recollection]
Sophos guffawed. “Whoever has the most tricks at the end wins!”
[Conviction]
***
What’s the biggest weakness for battlefield manipulators? It’s when the battlefield doesn’t apply to their opponents. Thus, for manipulators who have free reign over the ground, their biggest fear is encountering someone who thinks they’re too good to walk around on two legs.
I knew Stainless was slowly converting the arena into his own playground; that’s why I was saving [Conviction] for this very moment. If I had revealed my [Wings] sooner, he’d pivot to another strategy and I would lose an opportunity to incap him. Glad my strategy worked, though. I wasn’t a complete idiot after all.
And so, I let my [Wings] unfold. They spread far and wide, casting a long shadow over the arena. Slowly, remembering my numerous hours I’d spent in taming flight, I answered heaven’s call. I ascended into the air as a genuine Angel, donning [Armor] that my mother had inspired and wielding a [Rifle] designed to put down Slayers.
The spectators in the stand were driven silent by [Conviction]; from the corner of my eye, Colossus—who had once been annoyingly smug about his assumptions—was cold. But my focus was on Stainless. He twisted his neck painfully upward and heard the heavy flap of my [Wings].
A scared smile formed on his bloody lips. “Well, damn.”
[Skill Activation: Certain Shot]
A magick bullet struck his dominant shoulder—not my intended target—and he cried, immediately breaking into a directionless sprint. He slapped his own shoulder, and a large red rune was tattooed onto his skin. Recognized that design: a protection rune. He knew he was going to take damage.
Smooth and steady, I flew after him as the world’s stupidest human fighter jet hybrid. Stainless dragged his hand over the ground, likely rewriting existing runes or carving new ones into the dirt. Magick bullets kept him mobile; they cut him off, forced him to take sharp turns, and a few tested his protection rune. His body glowed with each sustained hit, but as he winced, I figured the rune didn’t negate the pain or the full extent of the injury.
Stainless was hurting worse than ever. He bled from his stupidly barren arms and legs, leaving a trail of blood in his panicked wake, and I was the eagle who’d picked up on the scent. Every time my shadow eclipsed him, he’d flinch and divert to a different direction, expecting a hail of bullets to lick at his feet.
So I fired, intentionally making a catchy rhythm out of my [Magick Rifle]. Rat-a-tat-tat, rat-a-tat-tat, that sort of stuff. The sound burrowed into his brain, making him expect the next burst of rounds—until it didn’t come on time.
Instead, my shadow grew larger.
Stainless looked over his shoulder.
[Solitary Demonblade]
Using the momentum of my descent, I split his chest open and gasps erupted from the audience. The protection rune, weakened from [Nightingale], faded. Blood spilled down his torso and onto the dirt as I swooped upwards again. Looked worse than it was. A shallow cut, but more than enough to drive home the message.
Stainless wobbled and hovered a hand over the wound. Something must’ve clicked in his brain: the possibility of defeat was real. Very, very real, but he didn’t move. He refused to move, and because of that, I didn’t indulge in a second round.
Maybe I should’ve, because a crisp snap pierced through the background voices.
Runes activated on the ground. Not all of them, but enough that I heard the earth rumbling from where I was at.
Thin fingers of rock and stone broke through the ground as though they belonged to Gaia herself. They twisted upward and touched the invisible ceiling. Like the pillars of light from earlier, they sprouted throughout the arena, and now it looked like a forest on the ground and a labyrinth from the air. Amongst the towers, Stainless stood in wait, smirking like a devilish dog, knowing he had the better position again.
Not earth runes. Gravity or force runes. He literally forced the Earth upwards.
Hate to admit it, but he called my bluff.
I was competent at flying, but navigating this was beyond my skill-level. With my few months as a Slayer, he knew I didn’t have much practice with [Wings], so I was forced to fly slow. Flying slow, then, gave him the opportunity to throw those damned [Disks].
Not at me.
At the pillars he’d created.
Sluggishly flying around the obstacles was a possibly fatal mistake. The [Disks] exploded and the rock pillars collapsed around me like I was flying through a booming cavern. Chunks of rock and stone pummeled my fragile [Wings], fell on my [Armor], knocked my [Rifle] out of my hands. A few meters forward, more explosions destroyed my surroundings and my vision became nothing but smoke and earth.
Then the Angel fell.
I was buried underneath what felt like a mountain of rocks. They had smashed through [Yuzhou] and deeply gouged my flesh, threatening to crush my ribs and other bones and squeeze blood and chunks from my organs. My head rang, probably suffering my one-hundredth concussion. Yet despite the pain from just shuffling around, I refused to surrender here. Not until he actually incapped me.
An [Impact] jostled the rocks. Another blasted the lighter ones away. The third allowed light to peek through the cracks. One after another, I blasted my way to freedom, crawling out of the ruins with my two bloody hands and a bloodier face. I limped freely into the distorted arena, being damaged and distorted beyond recognition.
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
I tried wiping the blood off my face, but there was too much so I gave up. Everything was hurting again. My head was hot, steaming, a fog touching my mind from using several [Mementos]. Every artery was pulsating from using [Mana Impact] consecutively. A few months as a Slayer and I still had a long way to go to fully condition my body.
Stainless uncontrollably grinned like he was standing before his favorite female celebrity. “I thought you’d call it there.”
“Not yet.”
“Got any more tricks, Conq?” Stainless gestured to the numerous runes he still had in play, then at the pillars still up. “I got more.”
“Hopefully, I do too.”
“Let’s see about that.”
Stainless finally used his greatest trick in the book: painting runes over himself. Strength, speed, protection, the whole nine. While he had a speed [Skill] already, he could combine both like [Chord/Discord] and [Mana Impact]. Unlike my [Skills], there was a reason why he hadn’t used this strategy until the very end. He could boost his attributes as much as he wanted, but it didn’t mean his physical body could maintain the enhanced state forever. Took too much energy out of him, so he had a limited time-frame to squeak out a victory and I needed to outlast him. Easier said than done.
In his state, he’d break through [Yuzhou] with enough effort. Assuming he used the remaining runes on the ground, I was fucked further. What other tricks did I have? My offensive [Mementos] would be a dice-roll even with [Chord/Discord]’s limited amplification. Flying was effectively impossible, and using the [Anti-Slayer Techniques] were still out-of-the-question.
Think! There had to be a way out of this.
What could I do?
A new combo? Somehow smash [Chord/Discord] with another [Memento] like I had with [Technique Daggers]? As if. There was only the operation of addition in my [Mementos], this plus that: [Conviction] plus [Yuzhou], [Chain] plus [Daggers]. I needed multiplication. I needed a synergy, yet there was no way to synergize my toys unlike some [Skills] out there—
Wait.
Multiplying [Mementos], synergizing them, combining them. Strangely, something in my head told me the idea wasn’t as far-fetched as I made it seem.
It was still fucking crazy, but I was shit out of luck otherwise.
If I could perform this unfounded miracle, then I had to start at the beginning. In order to summon a [Memento], I recalled the original holder, invoking our shared memories, experiences, and emotions together.
[Memento Recollection]
So I thought back to Angels Guild and the short time I spent with them. I remembered our tumultuous introduction and the rough first days following afterwards, but eventually, the light embraced me. The Special Task Force had their own reasons for joining. For me? I wanted a tomorrow brighter than anything else in the world.
[Conviction]
Stainless laughed where he stood, [Steel] drawn. “That’s not gonna work out for you, bud—! Eh?”
Next was an esper. A really stupid esper. Of all people in the world, she had feelings for a cultivator hellbent on revenge. A terrible decision, right? Well, she was a master at terrible decisions, but being an Angel wasn’t one of them. She wanted to belong, to feel loved and cherished, to be with her friends, to have a home away from Kyoto.
[Chord/Discord]
These emotions… They were similar, traveling in the same direction like two parallel streams. Angels Guild represented many things: heroism, piety, charity, but for the both of us, it represented a chance at a new life. We could make mistakes, make connections, make something out of ourselves despite our setbacks.
So let’s try it, right? Uniting our feelings as one.
No one fights alone, after all. Not in this world.
My [Wings] snapped off my back.
“What the hell…?”
Instead of disappearing, [Conviction] spread out like an Eastern fan, then broke into twelve distinct feathers. They were longer, skinnier, and overall unimpressive at a first glance, yet they hummed with a vibrating energy that tickled my mind and gently distorted the air around them. Should be obvious what they were. I’d seen what she could do with them, and using her as a reference, I knew what I could do.
From the distant sidelines, I saw Kotone rush to the barrier and press her face against the surface. Everyone on the team did, realizing something special was happening. They knew this wasn’t her [Memento]. It wasn’t anyone’s [Memento] in fact, but it was ours. It was…
[Memento Synergy - Pinion Pylons]
Looks like I did have a few tricks remaining.
It was my turn to snap my fingers.
My twelve [Pylons] simultaneously pointed toward Stainless, and they began glowing with psionic energy.
Stainless smiled again, but it was heavily lopsided. “You… You actually aren’t an esper, right?”
“Not in most circumstances.”
Twelve [Pylons] and twelve white psionic beams, and one scared shitless playboy running for his life. They aimlessly tore through the arena, trying to pin down the speed-demon Stainless and toppling the earthen towers on his side. My mental control wasn’t advanced enough to aim each [Pylon] independently, so this was the best I got.
I wouldn’t hit Stainless anyway, not with his speed runes and [Skills]. He’d reach me in no time, but thankfully, watching a certain esper taught me a few things.
Half of the [Pylons] staked themselves in the ground around me, and the other half hovered a few feet above my head and directly over their counterparts. Electricity crackled between the [Pylons] and something in my head clicked: a psionic field was forming. With my weak will, the field morphed to my desires.
A rectangular psionic barrier just large enough for me: the Coffin Configuration.
Just in time too.
Stainless rammed into the psi-barrier I’d generated like running straight first into a brick wall. His [Steel] spasmed against the transparent surface and his teeth grinded together, neither of them getting through their respective resistance.
My mind strained, felt heavier, foggier. I was overusing my [Mementos] but I had to keep going.
Nearby runes triggered. Explosions, mud, water, and whatever else he assaulted me with. Knew he’d do that, but my barrier held and he didn’t currently have the strength to pierce through. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough focus to summon another [Memento] while maintaining this one.
To most people, we were locked in a statemate. Surely, collapsing the barrier would result in my defeat, right? Well, that’d be the case if you didn’t notice how far Stainless was extending his posture.
I flicked the psi-field off and stepped sideways.
Stainless, at the mercy of basic biomechanics, stumbled forward and [Steel] missed my neck by a mile.
I clenched my fist.
[Skill Activation: Mana Impact]
Straight into his stomach.
The playboy became a glorious piss-missile, crashing into the base of a rock tower. Dazed, staggered, and certainly weary. My [Pylons] replicated a trick from Kotone’s book: in three groups of four, three [Pylons] charged a psionic field and the fourth floated in the middle as the projectile.
The Railgun Configuration.
When Stainless came to his feet, a [Pylon] blitzed through the tower he’d been leaning on and he received a first-hand taste of his own medicine: falling rocks. He zipped out of danger, heard a second [Pylon] zoom above him, and more rocks threatened to crush his pretty face. Fearing the worst, he retreated deeper into the rocky forest of his own reaction. Couldn’t see where he went, and my [Pylons] likely wouldn’t reach him at this distance.
Because my nose was bleeding. That was a signal to stop using such a draining [Synergy]. Dammit all. Knowing his time limit, he was going to make a mad dash soon. I shouldn’t risk further brain damage using my current [Memento].
So why not test another [Synergy]?
I dispelled [Pinion Pylons], and this time called for a different [Memento].
The soldier’s. The man who’d sacrificed his body and sanity for our world, for America, only to realize the depths of their corruption and depravity. Despite this knowledge, he refused despair and became a man of duty, obligation, and honor. As honorable as you could get in this world.
[Nightingale Rifle]
Unlike me and Kotone, Alistair Romanos joined Angels Guild to protect his niece and nephew. Yet as he told me himself, he believed in their mission. He believed that Kosmos, Seraph, and Rector were good people. Thus, we joined hands. Who else would uphold order and defend against the progression of evil?
Someone had to fight the demons wearing human skin.
[Conviction]
In my hands, I had a [Rifle]. Black, heartless, callous. It was a tool designed to kill gods amongst men—the Slayers who’d betrayed their oath to humanity and indulged in sin. Today, though, that would change. Feathers peeled off my back and whisked toward the [Rifle]. From stock to barrel, it was covered in the brilliant white plumes of an Angel.
And the [Rifle] found salvation.
The feathers peeled away the old flesh and revealed the redeemed body underneath: a long-rifle of white and gold, born anew, as though hand-crafted and delivered by Archangel Michael himself.
I flipped the [Rifle] around my hands and aimed. A magic circle formed above the ironsights acting as a scope, and behind the wreckage of a destroyed tower, Stainless revealed himself behind rubble.
You know what they say.
Whenever a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.
Thus, with my [Rifle]…
Whenever this trigger is pulled, an angel cries.
[Memento Synergy - Angel Bullet]
A [Bullet] guided by God will never miss.
Stainless saw his maker ahead of time and fled, guided by panic and desperation rather than the shrewdness he’d displayed throughout our match, and the holy white comet followed. No matter how many circles he ran, the [Bullet] was destined to reach him. Humorously, his journey pulled him back i the open with me as if this was preordained.
He saw me standing there.
Then the [Bullet] struck.
Got knocked to the ground, every protection and durability rune fading from his skin. The wind was punched out of the poor bastard—no, with the force of [Angel Bullet], his insides probably felt like soup.
I marched, ignoring the active runes I was stepping over, and grinded my boot against Stainless’s stomach.
He gasped and instinctively clawed at my ankle, but his better sense kicked in when he stared down a white barrel.
“I think that’s the match,” I said, then I took my foot off.
I offered a hand.
Stainless looked at my ugly, scarred and bloody hand. Despite the enormous pain he was in, he laughed like he had just seen a monkey wearing a bikini. Weakly, he reached up and clasped it. “I’m beat. I don’t wanna see anything else you have.”
“That’s…” the announcer kicked on the speakers. “That’s the match! Conqueror of the Special Task Force wins! He conquered Stainless! Who would have expected this?! Absolutely nobody! And I just lost so much money! Oh my Lord, I lost a small fortune! I need a drink, goodbye!”
And she…signed off with that.
The arena’s barrier fell, and I wasn’t met with loud applause. Just silent awe and contempt. I’d proven my worth, but more distressingly, I was the reason why at least a hundred people lost money. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Stainless leaned against my shoulder for support, amazed at the phenomenon too. “...I’m not gonna hear the end of this.”
“Mhm, I—”
“ALEXANDER SHEN!” That was the sound of an angry esper charging the ring.
I nudged Stainless off me. “You’re on your own. I’m being hunted.”
“Wait, what—?!”
[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new function of Memento Recollection.]
[As a result, an additional effect has been unlocked in Yuzhou.]
*
[Memento Synergy]
You have discovered how to combine your existing [Mementos] together and form a new, synergized [Memento].
All [Synergies] are created when two or more [Mementos] are combined. It’s your responsibility to experiment and create new [Synergies]. All [Synergies]:
- Will be recorded in your [Profile]
- Will have their own entry
- Will take the averaged [Rank] of the [Mementos] used
When using a [Synergy], you are not able to use its base [Mementos] separately unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Enjoy your new development, Alexander Shen!
*
Yuzhou
Rank A+
Holder: Shen Xingyu (deceased)
Memento Type: Armor
Description: The [Memento] of your mother, taking the form of full-body armor. This [Armor] is protection. Warmth. Security. It will protect you from the outside world and endure as a constant reminder of her bright spirit. Always look towards the light, she says, and remember who made you smile.
Special Effect: When paired with [Mementos] or [Memento Synergies] involving the Shen Family, increase the rank of this [Memento] to S.
Pinion Pylons
Rank D
Synergy: [Chord/Discord] + [Conviction]
Memento Type: Psionic Pylons
Description: The [Synergy] of angels and espers, resembling a certain someone’s signature weapon. After experiencing the worst of humanity, there’s nothing more comforting than having a place to call “home.” Even if you make mistakes, even if you feel worthless, there’s always a place for freaks like you.
Special Effect: The [Pylons] function similarly to its real-life counterpart.
Angel Bullet
Rank C
Synergy: [Nightingale Watch] + [Conviction]
Memento Type: Long Rifle
Description: The [Synergy] of angels and soldiers, becoming a firearm forged in Heaven. Good must prevail. Evil must be vanquished. We must hold onto the faith in our hearts and stand on the side of morality. As long as we remain true, our path will never falter.
Special Effect: Unless stopped by an equal or greater force, the [Bullet] will never miss.
***
[Your Fabel Rankings have been updated.]
General Ranking:
Chronicle (Deep Arcana) -> Saga (Deep Arcana)
Geographical Ranking - Ordo:
N/A -> 9,891 / 714,514
Geographical Ranking - Asia:
N/A -> N/A
Specialty Ranking - Weaponmaster:
N/A -> 8,140 / 586,951
Guild Ranking - Angels Guild:
N/A -> 251 / 6,240