Like a comet flung through the bright sky, under the gentle light of the soul sun, a large explosion rang out in one of the uninhabited fields surrounding the one and only city of this realm, the grass was scorched away, leaving only a bed of ash in its wake.
"Ahah! Who else but you would dare to get anywhere close to me? It's been a while, Alistel!" emerging unscathed from the bright blue flames, Irlanx Xacobus spread his arms wide.
"It's been a little while, indeed… I wasn't expecting you to have the galls to show your face again" the living was holding onto her sheathed blade, her towering figure managing to loom over the king of all restless even as he hovered slightly off the ground.
"Now… Don't speak like it wasn't you who had to retreat last time!"
"Why did you suddenly decide to attack? I made it clear last time, countless of your precious subjects would have to be destroyed in such a case, many times more than if you just sat back and allowed us to hunt them over time" Alistel wasn't trying to have a little chatter and instead wanted him to give straight answers.
"Why? Oh, why indeed? You see, gorgeous… Me and my people have been made aware that we were eligible to be part of something else, something greater! This is but a microcosm, my dear Alistel, you and I- We may be incredibly powerful individually, but this world… It is but merely a secluded region of a much vaster plane"
"Do not be so impatient, even if I quite enjoy the sight of your angry expression- That one! Gives me shivers in my sacrum!"
"Aherm… What I am talking about is simple, we, the restless, are undead creatures, and an undead from the great empire of death has come to visit and inform me of all of this, as children and scions of death itself, it is our duty to bring you heretical living into the light- Into the dark? Both, let's say both! It is up to us to show you that it is, somehow, much greener on the other side for you folks"
He made a gesture with his head and body as though trying to mime a wink, which naturally wasn't very well conveyed due to his lack of everything but bones.
"And that is worth sacrificing countless of your own people for?" Alistel frowned.
"No, of course not, it wouldn't be worth it at all no matter the benefits… However- The undead empire, or rather, its champion has told me about something most incredible, they are true eternals, and we shall be too, no matter what happens to us, as long as victory is achieved, all shall be reborn as good as new! All, everything single of my brethren who have fallen since the dawn of creation! Is that not worth fighting for?"
"And you actually believe it?"
"What can I say? Might makes right, and he bested me fair and square, I can only trust in the words of such a man"
Slightly pushing against the guard of the blade with her thumb, Alistel finally drew her sword, revealing a weapon which sides were covered with a hitatsura hamon pattern, which did not raise an eyebrow for anyone originating from this realm, but those from the outside familiar with the weapon remnants that perfectly matched those that were in common usage here, they would wonder why a tochian forging technique would be found here.
And also why Alistel's sword would be so different from all other manifested soul weapons, it didn't really belong to any known culture's style, resembling as sort of odd melding of multiple, it had one edge, was subtly curved, its guard was more similar to a tochian-style, but the rest of the hilt definitely did not.
"Dearest Alistel, do we really have to fight? I already told you, that champion was able to best me in combat, and no one can possibly even hold him back at the moment, what do you think is happening? My troops would be lucky to even get to fight a single living with him running around, the loss of your kind is a foregone conclusion, just yield now"
"Do you really think that I am the sort to give up?"
"Well no, of course not… But hey, it never hurts to try, right? What if I add that I think that we should unify our people by having a nice political marriage, would you reconsider?"
She raised her blade.
"It's been so many years but still no? What a shame, just because I am skeleton, does not mean that I can't give you ple-"
With a swing, a ten meters tall wall of fire was erected right where Irlanx had stood moments ago.
Xacobus knew these flames well, soul flames can made Xaltar's look like a refreshing option in comparison, and that had been a long time ago, they had grown ever fiercer since then, there was no doubt that any other restless would be instantly consumed if even a single bit of these flames were to land on them.
Thankfully, the king was far above any other restless, the flames parted as dark flies pulsating with deep red spreaded from him, having assumed the form of a sphere around him just before anything could reach him, they now moved to consume the unforgiving inferno.
He too had grown many times more powerful since their last clash, his skull blazed with a golden flame.
"I see that you've truly set yourself apart from the rest, unleashing this sort of attack with just your soul weapon, without even using the first step! You truly are a woman worth fighting for, Alistel!"
"Cease your pitiful attempts at flirting, Xacobus! If you want me so much, then come and claim me by force!"
"And is that not flirting back? Very well, I'll kill you" swinging his arm, Irlanx manifested a most atrocious amount of flies, and like vile torrents, they dove into the ground and ate right through all matter and all life in the surroundings, multiplying to even greater numbers as towering slashes of soul flames were launched through the air, incinerating them to their core as they grew in numbers whilst also aimed to slice the golden skeleton.
With his other hand, the restless lord called forth a slew of golden chains, grinding them all against one another with sickly metallic sound, the movement of countless near them caused the air to push the resulting dust right at the living, who simply burnt it all away with a simple swing.
As the flies who had dove underground reemerged, their numbers having increased by many times through the destruction of matter.
Turning his hand into a fist, Irlanx made the army of flies close in on the living.
"Show me how hot you can burn, Alistel…"