A strike as the thunder rained down like water, it split the sky in two, roaring like a god awoken from slumber. The air trembled with a pressure too heavy to breathe in. Lightning danced in the clouds, illuminating the heavens with a pale blue light.
Aithur stood frozen, eyes wide as his gaze lifted skyward. From beyond the veil of clouds, monstrous ships emerged one by one, five in total. They descended like phantoms, their hulls wrapped in dark brown and black steel, sails stretching wide with the red skull emblem smeared across them like fresh blood. Each ship groaned as it tore through the clouds, warping the very air around them.
"Oh boy..." Aithur breathed, taking a step back.
The system that floated beside him trembled, its form flickering. With a startled yelp, it leapt away from Aithur's grasp and hid behind the half-sealed sword.
The sword, wrapped in old cloth and plastered seals, flickered dimly. Its usual aura was muted, as though hiding itself from the presence descending.
"We need to get out of here!" Aithur shrieked, panic rushing in. He bolted without looking back.
From above, a voice thundered louder than the storm, shaking the earth beneath them. "HOW DARE YOU!"
Elder Bo and the other Thousand Lotus Sect Elders floated into the sky, forming a circle of defiance between the land and the incoming invaders. Their robes flapped in the wind, their auras blazing bright, creating a dome of protective light over the sect grounds.
Aithur peeked from behind a stone pillar, heart pounding. "This doesn't concern me. Nope. Not at all," he whispered to himself.
A giggle echoed through the storm.
It began as a chuckle, but quickly turned into a twisted, unending laugh that wrapped around the sect like a choking fog. It crept into ears, crawling along the skin like ants. Aithur shuddered. Even the sword at his side vibrated uncomfortably.
"W-what is that?" the system whispered, voice muffled from behind the sword.
Everyone froze as the laughter grew louder, and then a figure emerged.
From the prow of the largest ship stepped a man—if he could still be called that.
His long black hair flowed down to his waist, tangling in the wind like dark serpents. His black garment clung to his body, stitched with red skull patterns that pulsed faintly like living eyes. A small black crown rested on his head, tilted with arrogance. A thick scar slashed from his right eye down across his chest, disappearing beneath his robes.
He stood tall, arms outstretched, as if welcoming the fear soaking the land.
"Greetings, Elders of the Thousand Lotus Sect," the man called, voice smooth like oil and twice as poisonous. "I am Molif, the new leader of your sect."
Gasps filled the courtyard below. Murmurs spread like wildfire among the disciples.
Elder Bo's voice erupted like a whip. "Blasphemy! You dare speak such nonsense in our presence? You think we are fools to tolerate your lies?"
Molif tilted his head, then laughed again. It was louder this time, crueler.
"You misunderstand," he said, smiling. "That wasn't a rhetorical statement. That was a prophecy. And it begins... now."
From the floating ships, dark figures began to descend. Dozens at first. Then hundreds.
They dropped like meteors, slamming into the earth with unnatural grace. Each one was clad in armor that shimmered with strange runes, their weapons already drawn and thirsty. Their eyes glowed red beneath helmets, devoid of mercy or reason.
"Thousand Lotus Sect, TO ARMS!" another elder bellowed.
Disciples scrambled into formation. Spells were cast, swords drawn, stances taken.
Aithur crouched lower behind the pillar, tugging the system and sword closer to himself. "Nope, nope, nope. I'm not dying here. This is way above my level. I'm just... passing through."
The sword at his side pulsed.
He looked down.
It pulsed again.
"Don't you dare," Aithur whispered. The sword shimmered faintly. Then with deliberate defiance, it used its tip to hook the cloth of Aithur's shirt.
"Stop—STOP! Don't you pull me—!"
The sword yanked. Aithur fell backward, dragged from behind the pillar.
"TRAITOR! You stupid blade! We had an agreement!"
The system trembled beside him. "I think it's reacting to the command... the command of battle."
From above, the cries rang:
"ATTACK!"