Tiless Assassin: Volu 9, 'A New Era Of Chaos'
"n do not wage war for land, or gods, or survival.
They wage it to be seen.
Peace allows too many lies to persist, too many small n to believe themselves sufficient, too many fragile hierarchies to stand untested. War strips those lies bare.
It forces every soul to answer a single question it has spent a lifeti avoiding.
'What are you at your core, when there is nothing left to hide behind?"
And when the answer terrifies them, n do not change.
They simply call it destiny, and march."
- Archivist Halden Vire, On the Nature of Conflict Vol.2
(Over 2 millenia ago, The Tiless Assassin's POV, Planet Ixtal)
The Tiless Assassin sat in the tea room of the stone castle as he often did, one hand loosely wrapped around a porcelain cup while steam rose in slow, patient coils, the warmth settling into his fingers as he enjoyed the peace and tranquility.
The room was quiet, not out of emptiness, but out of respect, its stone walls worn smooth by centuries of conversations that had reshaped the universe, as even the wind inside seed to drift carefully, as if afraid to offend the overlord of the universe.
*Step*
*Step*
Footsteps approached.
He did not turn.
He never needed to.
Kaelith entered the room with the easy confidence of soone who knew he was always welco here, as he took the seat across from his father and poured himself tea without asking, copying the motion he had watched a thousand tis before.
*Trrrr.....*
The Tiless Assassin glanced at him over the rim of his cup, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"So," he said as he set the cup down, his tone amused rather than curious, "you are finally spending your afternoons with your old man again."
Kaelith smiled lightly as he settled back.
"I thought I would today," he replied as he lifted his own cup.
"You always say the best conversations happen when nothing urgent is happening, and since you seem free today, I thought why not join you?"
He explained as the Tiless Assassin humd faintly in approval. "A carefully worded sentence.... It gives the impression that you ca here without a specific goal in mind, just to spend ti with ....
Which is not true, however, since it is not worded that way, your aura doesn't waver and I cannot catch the lie.
You have truly beco eloquent."
The Tiless Assassin complinted, as Kaelith bit his lips in sha.
He knew his father was smart, however, he had hoped his trickery would not be caught today.
Unfortunately for him though, he did not quite know how to fool him
just yet.
The duo sat in silence for a mont, tea cooling slowly between them, as eventually Kaelith just bit back the guilt and bared his true intentions.
"Father, I was reviewing the Chakravyuh formation recently, and had so doubts...."
He began as his gaze drifted toward the open archway, his voice casual, almost idle.
"I realized I never actually asked you about so of its limits.... And about why you designed it the way you did...."
Kaelith explained, as the Tiless Assassin raised an eyebrow, his fatherly smile deepening.
"Oh," he said as he tilted his head slightly.
"So you have picked up an interest in formations now?"
He asked as Kaelith simply shrugged in response.
"I have to find so way to catch up to Soron," he replied as if stating
an obvious truth.
"He has surpassed as a warrior, and as the elder brother I need to
find a way to get ahead of him once again...."
He confessed as the Tiless Assassin chuckled softly, the sound
warm and unguarded.
"And here I thought you were just here to have afternoon tea with the
old man...."
The Tiless Assassin teased as Kaelith laughed once more with
sha.
"I am not that filial, father, I think you know it all too well" he said as he shook his head. "And neither is Soron."
The Tiless Assassin studied him for a mont longer, then nodded.
Ever since his children beca Gods, they seed to have stopped caring for his approval and beca their own n, as no longer were they filial in their duty towards him.
"Ask your question, son, I'll always teach you all I can"
The Tiless Assassin said regardless, as he leaned forward slightly, the curiosity in his eyes burning bright as he expressed genuine desire in seeing what Kaelith thought about his formation. "You designed the Chakravyuh so that four demigods could power its core, correct?"
Kaelith began, as the Tiless Assassin nodded in acknowledgent. "So that even warriors who are not full Gods can co together and take down Gods by sealing away the fourth dinsional axis and forcing them into the three dinsional realm...."
"Yes,"
The Tiless Assassin replied calmly, as he interrupted Kaelith's
question.
"Trendous Power should never be left without a leash."
He clarified as Kaelith nodded in agreent.
"But what if the core was changed," he asked as he looked back at his father. "What if, instead of demigods, four gods powered the formation? And they use their aura to block out the fourth dinsion
completely."
He asked as the Tiless Assassin did not answer imdiately. Instead, he set his cup down with deliberate care, his fingers lingering for a fraction longer than necessary, as his eyes narrowed slightly, not
in suspicion, but in calculation.
"For a short ti, the formation would resist itself."
He said at last as Kaelith leaned forward, attentive.
"But once it stabilizes," the Tiless Assassin continued as he lifted
his hand, faint geotric rings blooming into existence between them, overlapping layers of light and law folding inward, "the Chakravyuh would beco unstoppable."
The rings tightened, space subtly warping around their edges.
"If four gods power the core," he said as he looked directly at Kaelith, "then no one can break free from it."
He declared as Kaelith hesitated and gulped a mouthful of saliva.
*Gulp*
"Surely," he said carefully, "you would be able to break free from it
father, after all your strength surpasses the strength of all other gods
put together."
He praised, as the Tiless Assassin laughed a genuine sound, as he
shook his head.
"No, my son," he said as his expression softened. "Not even ." Kaelith froze, just briefly.
"The Chakravyuh is a special formation...."
The Tiless Assassin continued, unaware of the weight settling
behind his son's eyes.
"I created it so that Gods would never stand above consequence. It
allows weaker warriors to band together and kill a God if necessary." The rings dissolved into nothing.
"But if Gods use it against another God," he said as his tone turned absolute, "then whoever stands at its center is already dead." Kaelith lowered his gaze, nodding slowly, absorbing every word with the reverence of a student.
Yet beneath that calm, sothing else took shape.
Not anger.
Not hatred.
But understanding.
As Kaelith realized in that very mont that the greatest warrior to
ever exist had just unknowingly explained exactly how, if ever, he could be killed.
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