Rise of Sabertooth: Time

Upon the Sabertooth guild, their allies and Nicklaus Flamel all entered the portal that was underneath the ace of spades. Upon entering their world Flamel would explain that there are a total of five Elders located through this massive shadow realm.  The god of war Mars Ultor, Father of time Chronos, Creator of life and fire Prometheus, Lord of earth Geb and Ruler of the underworld, Hel. Thanks to the Information provided by Flamel, the Earthland mages knew that the four huge energies that could be felt in the distance belonged to four out of the five with Hel being the only one unknown. How he knew was another matter entirely but the only way they could proceed was to split up their forces and take the fight to the four elders that were physically present in the world, the only downside is that Flamel had no clue which Elder was located specifically so they wouldn’t know what they were facing until they entered the battlefield.  Team Kite consisting of Roy, Luna and Zar would be heading East to combat the God of War Mars Ultor. Team Ryo Consisting of Mashyuu and Kenna would head south to deal with the Prometheus and his primal flames. Team Cirven consisting of Kiersa Bec, Imai and Kanrya would be on their way west to face Geb and his dominance of earth. Team Ardere consisting of Itori and Rai Chu would be heading up north to face the lord of time Chronos. Flamel would stay behind for he was merely a spectator for now.

Update

Nicklaus Flamel:

After evacuating as many sabertooth guild members as he could, Ardere landed his ship and followed his old friend down beneath the guild to safety. He trusted Kite with his life, but he found the whole situation to be odd. It appeared they happened upon quite the conundrum. Not only had the ace of spades been attacked, it had been attacked by deities. As a good slayer, he was the most prepared to take them on, but he was not prepared for what he found when they entered the portal beneath the guild. Another world was leaking I to theirs, a world of Gods. The Fire King had been tasked with a god he was not so fond of fighting; Chronos. Out of all of the enemies he could have faced, the god of time was not the one he would have picked. But he would not stand by and let them destroy the place he called home once. Sabertooth was Infinity Hydra sister guild, and Ardere used to call it home. Today, he would draw his crimson blade and traverse this rough terrain to fight the master of time.

Fortunately, he was not alone. The samurai had two mages accompanying him on their journey to the north. Through rough rocks and jagged hills, he kept his sworn drawn. The swirling spire off in the distance gave off a rather impeding magical presence. The only time he had been exposed to something like this was when he fought the Black Dragon, but then he had the help of three other top tier mages. Taking a deep breath, he adjusted the red and gold samurai armor he adorned. His dark brown hair flickered in the cool breeze, red piercing eyes fixed on their destination.

Alright guys, stay close to me. I have no idea what Chronos is capable of, but anyone with power over time is a force to be reckoned with. Just stick with me, and we'll make sure each other gets home safe. Giving the group a reassuring smile, he could not help but feel a combination of nervousness and determination welling up deep inside him. Clutching Clarent tightly, the guild master looked up at the massive spire before them. The energy coming from it was enough to tense up his jaw. Gritting his teeth, he cracked his neck before readying himself.

Itori's attempts at repairing the lachrima that was supposed to hold the Sabertooth guild hall high up in the air had unfortunately ended in failure. She wasn't a professional thaumcrafter so she was aware that it could very well be beyond her ability to repair, and as it had turned out the lachrima hadn't even malfunctioned: the reason the guild was falling was not because the magic inside the lachrima had gone haywire, but because the lachrima itself had been cracked and crushed, leaving a broken shell with the magic having lost all semblance of order as its container had been destroyed. Itori tried to think of a way to salvage the situation, but it quickly became clear that in the short amount of time she had before the guild hall would reach the ground she wasn't going to be able to fix this. While she had a lot of finesse and skill with her magic she didn't have nearly as much mana as the more well known mages out there, which meant that even if she could be quite crafty with what she had she couldn't do a lot in a situation like this, where one simply needed to have enough mana to solve the issue. If she had more time to work on this she might have been able to figure out a way to at least keep the guild hall from outright smashing into the town... but as it stood, the time limits forced the issue into the very simple question of whether she had enough raw power or not, and the answer to that was decidedly no.

As such Itori had no choice but to abandon the lachrima, sprinting through town away from the epicentre with a trail of silver following her. She managed to get to a safe distance in time to see that the others had managed to escape safely as well, along with numerous of the citizens of Ace of Spades. Looking back up at the guild hall which was now not more than half a minute away from crashing into the ground Itori watched with both sadness and deja vu. The guild hall had been quite the pleasant place to live in, fulfilling jobs from time to time but for the most part enjoying a place where she could openly reveal her inhuman nature without having to deal with the mistrust that normally accompanied it. Even more so, this was the place where she had met the person who had helped her overcome the curse which had been afflicting her for as long as she had been alive. That person had already disappeared, the Kitsune having no idea where she might have gone or where she would even have to start to find her. However this had still been the guild they had both belonged to, and she wished it didn't have to end like this.

However on the other hand, she couldn't say that she hadn't been preparing herself for something like this down the line. The Sabertooth guild hall had been a grand and impressive one, which gave you the feeling that it'd last forever. As someone whose lifespan surpassed not only that of most creatures, but even most kingdoms, empires and nations, Itori had too much experience with watching mighty things fall to ruin until they were forgotten, only for later generations to find the broken remnants and marvel at that which had been lost. Sometimes a group or system managed to hold on for a while longer, but Itori could safely say that there wasn't a single thing left of the civilizations and cultures which had existed when she had been born (excepting herself, and throughout the years she most likely had gone through so much that she could hardly be considered the same person, part of the same culture as her younger self). The mages of Sabertooth had survived, which meant that not all was lost, but the destruction of that grand structure certainly meant that something important had ended, with the Kitsune once again being someone to watch and remember it.

That said, there were more important matters to attend to. Their guild master, Kite, destroyed the guild hall before it could actually collide with the town below, saving quite a few lives: as dramatic as the scenario was it had occurred in the middle of night, with no warning, so even with Sabertooth mages trying to warn people and get them out Kite's actions ensured that many people today had been saved from having a giant amount of architecture fall on top of them to send them to an early demise. Itori had to admit that she was impressed: not many people would have been able to destroy such a large structure, even if it was already falling apart. The stream of flames that the guild master shot out after he himself had safely descended to the ground had Itori moving towards him, joining the rest of Sabertooth as they would have to discuss what would happen next, unless Kite already had a good idea of what they would do. With the guild hall destroyed the damage had been kept to a minimum, but the rubble could still have caused damage and casualties that they'd have to deal with.

However before they could begin that conversation a stranger appeared, mentioning the destruction of the guild as if it was nothing important, more an idle observation than anything else. Itori couldn't blame Kite for reacting a bit hastily to that, although she took a step forwards in case her guild master actually tried to harm the man in his anger. Fortunately he still had his wits about him, as he instead asked the stranger to explain what he was doing here and what he was talking about. Even more fortunately the stranger obliged Kite, because the Kitsune was pretty sure that if the stranger had refused to talk Kite would have scorched him on the spot. Although... Kite had a pretty tight grip on the man's neck, and yet he had replied so calmly and nonchalantly. Leaving his state of mind aside, his windpipe being pressured in such a manner should have affected his breathing and voice. However what the man had to say was even more important enough, although Itori kept the man's apparent lack of dependence on a functional air supply in the back of her mind.

The Kitsune's three tails rapidly swished behind her when the man explained how he was connected to the situation, her eyes widening before she managed to regain control and both returned her expression to the usual polite and calm state and forced her tails to still themselves. Those elders that the stranger was talking about... Itori really wished she didn't remember those, but she had been wandering even before those monsters were sealed away. And it was a good thing that they had been sealed away, because even if not all of them were as outright evil as one another all of them were too dangerous for the mortal beings living in the world. Even the most patient and reasonable of them had still been prone to causing devastating harm simply because it suited them. If those were the creatures that were awakening right now then the destruction of the guild hall had become completely irrelevant in comparison. Itori didn't want to speak ill of the guild or its mages, but the threat posed by those gods was of much higher priority than either the home of the mages gathered here or the lives of those mages. Itori couldn't say whether she'd actually have a way to help fight these elders, as the man had been quite correct in saying that sealing had been the only thing which seemed to even slow them down: everything else that was thrown at them was at best mildly interesting.

Nodding in agreement with Kite Itori stepped forward, joining the rest of the guild as they travelled through the portal to see what they could do to prevent the elders from ages past to ruin the world of the present. As someone who had lived in both worlds, Itori had to say that the current was highly preferable, so despite all doubts she'd at least try her best to help preserve it.

---

And now that the not so quick recap is over...

Itori followed the guest who had joined Sabertooth in gaining revenge and protecting the world against these intruders from ages past, Ardere the Fire King, guild master of Infinity Hydra and lord of the mountain city Terra Ignis. Infinity Hydra and Sabertooth had close connections, which would help explain why their guild master was helping them out... or at least, why he had been present when they were told it was either this or letting the gods destroy all life as they forced their way out of their imprisonment. Itori wasn't going to complain for the assistance: Ardere was certainly a very strong mage and fighter, so even if she doubted that brute strength was going to be the factor which allowed them to prevail against the gods at least they had someone who could help provide a lot more magic power than most of them could come even close to equalling. It also helped that the opponent that she, Ardere and the little mouse-like creature that was accompanying her (called Rai Chu, although Itori hadn't really gotten the opportunity to talk a lot with him so far) was an extremely troubling one, so the powerful mage could help act as a source of comfort.

Chronos, the Father of Time. Depending on how you looked at it, this could be the most troublesome and dangerous of the five elders that were threatening their world. Each of the others had immense power and vast abilities that would turn them into monsters should they choose to be, but Chronos was the one who, if he so pleased, could very well be capable of going to whatever point in time he wanted and doing whatever he wanted. Depending on the exact nature of his powers he could even go back to when he was sealed and prevent it happening, thus changing thousands of years of history. Or maybe that wasn't possible because of the way causality worked... would the god of time be able to change what has already happened? Or would he be restricted to seeing the future and affecting the present?

The Kitsune kept one hand on the hilt of her sword as she headed north after Ardere and together with Rai Chu, looking around and memorizing their surroundings as she thought of what they were about to do and how they should do it. If Chronos was still a living creature she should be able to disable him: however if he truly was a conceptual entity, the powers of time given sentience, then she wasn't sure if there was anything anyone could do about them. Back then, all those ages ago, they had been considered unstoppable and unkillable with good reason, so Itori couldn't help but be doubtful of the effectiveness of a plan which was more suited for hunting down powerful beasts.

Her tails swirled behind her and her ears swivelled as she picked up all the sounds around her, her vermilion eyes scanning this strange world. If Chronos was still an actual creature and not the sentience of a concept they should be able to do something. Ardere was very powerful, and Rai Chu might be able to help as well (although Itori wasn't sure what powers he possessed aside from basic lightning magic). Maybe he could weaken it enough? Although that wouldn't be an easy battle no matter how strong Ardere was... Itori's grip tightened on the hilt of her sword as she considered the white blade. If it was still an actual creature then she should be able to take its soul once it was too weak to resist. Itori's powers were usually rather subtle or deceptive, and she didn't have a lot of raw power, but her sword was certainly a powerful magic item, and the control she had over it only made it more useful.

"Understood." Was all Itori said for now, smiling back at Ardere as he tried to reassure her and Rai Chu. Itori wasn't inclined towards excessive worry, having seen a lot and thus having gotten used to bad situations so she didn't tend to actually panic or lose her calm often. However in this case she had to focus on the less pleasant possibilities to see if they offered information that might be useful as they walked north towards one who wielded the power of time.

If he was the sentience of a concept... would they have to somehow use the concept of time to defeat it?

In Sabertooth there was one clear way now to know things were bad; Rai would be silent and wouldn't heckle the humans that resided in his immediate vicinity. Needless to say this wasn't something that had happened at all since his arrival. Not until now at least. The Thunder Demon was silent as his eyes took in his surroundings. A lot had happened over the course of the past hour, particularly the scenario Rai now found himself in; he'd gone from being curled up in his room, to the guildhall falling and now here he was in the company of two humans he didn't know and facing some being that could control the very concept of time...and he was expected to fight it? Still, as much as he didn't know these two people, they'd clearly not been involved in what had happened to the guildhall and - for the time being at least - they were on the same page and thus not a threat.

The larger human, a great hulk of a man that Rai assumed was Ardere - the pilot of the ship that he had been flung onto - was taking charge. He tried to reassure the duo of Sabertooth magi, something which failed on the Thunder Demon seeing as how he was already severely pissed off rather than afraid or worried. Sparks were gently crackling from his fur, fizzing out after an inch or so as they trio ventured forth. Itori would be the first to reply to Ardere, simply showing support to him leading them. Rai remained silent a while longer before he spoke.

"I'm gonna tear his damn throat out with my teeth."

Okay sure it wasn't exactly a statement of support, but given Rai's normal demeanour, this was an improvement. He would continue to mumble quietly to himself, working himself up more and more as he so desperately wanted to teach this 'Chronos' a lesson. How DARE he destroy the princess' home!

Since Wolfe’s return to the Infinity Hydra guildhall he had slowly been learning the ropes and what it was to be a mage again. He still hadn’t really had any break through on remembering anything, but a few things like fighting seemed to come so natural to him, it was like it was just second nature, and there was something slightly comforting in it, and if felt familiar. However, some days it was just a little too much and he ended up retreating back to his home. He knew he would need to fight through and just accept his place, but he wanted just a tiny bit ore time.

Wolfe had retreated back to his room pretty early that day and when he did this he found himself sleeping a lot. Some nights were better than others, and some nights all he could do was scream at the walls as he woke up repeatedly from nightmare after nightmare. The worst part was sometimes they felt so real he wasn’t sure they might not have been real and the thought sent him into fits of rage, and each time he did his powers would rage out of control and his house was full of marks of proof from these freak outs. Scorch marks covered large areas of the walls, and places where there were evidence of small explosions from concentrated lightning, and where simple things like his clock or his radio had been, but was now nothing more than a hole with pieces of the device scattered around the area.

However, amidst all this chaos he did find one comfort, Ardere. Wolfe had spent as much time as he could speaking to the mage, and guildmaster. After talking to him a few times Wolfe was able to piece together at least some small picture of what he was, and what had be able to do. Also he felt a connection with this man, almost like he was a brother. With his help Wolfe was gaining more control over himself and his powers, and also Ardere had placed him back into his “old position” as the Head of Destruction for the guild. From what Ardere had told him, this was a ob filled by Wolfe and in some truth was more than just a position, as the very description of what the ace spot stood for spoke volumes of the man Wolfe had once been.

This evening Wolfe had again retired back his home and fallen into a deep sleep, and once again his head was filled with dreams he could not even begin to try and understand. However, this time was different, as it felt more than anything he felt before. He saw images of fire, and earth, chaos and felt as if time itself was void from the images themselves. He even saw Ardere, and others he had no clue who they were, and a world of shadow. He couldn’t figure out why he felt so connected to the images and why they felt so different, but amongst all of this was a background of a storm, and he felt drawn to it.

Then in a moment Wolfe’s eyes flew open and he shot up from his laying position as he jumped from the bed to his feet. He took a second to gather himself, but he felt the draw again and he knew he was meant to be somewhere else. Wolfe grabbed a shirt and threw it on as he stepped into his boots and ran out of the front door of his home and in pure instinct he shifted into a bolt of lightning and shot into the sky.

Without knowing why he just knew where to go and within what seemed like moments he came crashing down into the middle of what looked like a wreck. Chaos was everywhere but he was drawn here and as he looked around he saw it, Ardere’s airship, but it was empty. Wolfe without knowing how was drawn towards a force of energy and after a short time of searching he found the portal and knowing he was meant to be here he walked through it to find himself amongst others gathered here. It took no time for him to find himself next to Ardere. He looked at his guildmaster and spoke ”Before you ask… I do not know… I was sleeping and I saw images of flame, earth and chaos swelled within a storm of time… I don’t know what it meant but I woke up and I just knew I was to make my way to your side. I know I am still recovering from whatever happened to me, but I know I am supposed to be here. Let me help you and these other mages in whatever it is they fight.” Wolfe turned and looked upon the others here next to Ardere, a white haired fox woman and a small yellow creature who Wolfe could tell instantly also shared the element of lightning. He was not sure what he was getting himself into, but he knew regardless that he was meant to be here.

Standing before the spiraling dark tower before him, Ardere took a deep breath as he clutched Clarent. Just before he could enter the tower, someone came running out of the blue. Turning around with a cocked eyebrow, the scent was all too familiar. Sighing slightly, he shook his head. I just can't keep you out of trouble, Wolfe. Just don't go running off old friend. And don't get yourself killed. Deal? Giving a half smile, he turned to the group. There's no turning back now. Once we step foot inside this tower, the fight begins. He will use everything he has to stop you, but you must fight with everything you've got. I'm not sure what awaits us inside, but gods and titans are nothing to be trifled with. Be cautious.

Before his armor covered hands could touch the massive twin doors that lead into the tower, they opened by their own free will. There was no creeping, but rather pure silence for a few moments. Slowly stepping foot inside, the fire mage could feel the magical presence emanating from within the fortress. Ascending the seemingly endless flight of stairs, Ardere kept his sword close. The only decor along the walls were glowing blue crystals, flowing with a strange magical energy. This energy flowed through the walls and could be felt as leather covered fingertips trailed against the rough stone. And the further up the tower they got, the more powerful it grew. Outside strikes of lightning could be seen, and the bellowing thunder rocked the tower to it's center. The world around them was under the domain of a being vastly more powerful than most could fathom.

Midway through the tower, the group found themselves in a vast hall. This hall lead them to a room that looked far to large to be in such a thin tower. Filled with ancient tapestries and sculptures of hourglasses, the room gave off a rather philosophical feeling. Nine powerful pillars held up the roof, but at the end was a massive painting of a large mountain. So you have come. I must say I am rather offended they only sent four, but you will do. Hmm. The god slayer Ardere. I did not expect to meet the disciple of Hephaestus. And the rest of you bare such unique magical energies. This will be quite the battle. But first, a test. Lifting up his sword, Ardere looked around, wearily. Amidst a swirling blue vortex of energy, a man appeared before them. This man looked to be quite old, with a black cloak. Extending his arms, he summoned forth two younger looking men with white hair, bearing a striking resemblance to the older man. The men standing before you are as much Chronos as I am. The only difference is the time they hail from. If you can defeat them, I will consider your challenge.

Bursting forward with no hesitation, Ardere attempted to strike the man, but as he brought his blade closer to the old man, the ground beneath him began to fall apart and decay. Stopping in his tracks, the decay stopped. What the hell? Be careful, guys. Staring the old man down in the face, he arched his brows, only to receive a devilish smile. Gritting his teeth, the fire mage stepped back, and the two alternate forms of the man stepped forward. It appeared that they were not to attack the god directly just yet. Such an impatient young king. You will have your chance, assuming you survive. Motioning for the group to move, their first objective was set. The floor and the pillars appeared weak, as the decay was strong. This was no doubt due to time magic. What exactly were they up against?

Chronos: https://www.khwiki.com/images/thumb/3/3e/Forms_of_Xehanort.png/350px-Forms_of_Xehanort.png

(Top is Chronos, second and fourth are in front of us)

Itori was somewhat surprised when the small electrical creature expressed such violent intentions. Looks could be deceiving, but she had to admit that with Rai's appearance she wouldn't expect him to say things like that. A small reminder that things weren't always what they seemed. Although thinking about that pulled Itori's thoughts into another direction entirely, namely the mission they were currently on. That stranger had told them that the reason that the Sabertooth guild hall had been destroyed was because of these ancient entities which had finally found a way to break out of their prison and return to Earthland to once again wreak havoc. Indeed, the fact that the portal leading to this dimension had been there proved that something was happening, and Itori personally was actually old enough to remember those entities and the level of danger they presented. All that together meant that dealing with these gods (if actually possible: ancient deities tended to be difficult to actually take down, which was exactly why they were sealed away instead originally) was most likely the best course of action. However... Just because the surface layer seemed to be solid, did that mean that there couldn't be deeper layers present as well? That stranger who nobody seemed to know the slightest thing about had been awfully convenient with his explanation, and the fact that he was keeping on eye on things without actually interfering... The Kitsune didn't like the possibilities this presented. The rest of the guild seemed set on defeating those gods, so she couldn't just tell them all to stop (especially with them already having split up), but she definitely was going to keep an eye out for further complications and hints towards deeper plots.

As the fox woman was thinking this her ears twitched as suddenly she could feel another magic presence behind her. Itori quickly turned around with her hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword, ready to draw it and strike if need be. She didn't recognize this magic presence, so she had no way of telling whether it was friend or foe. The man who appeared had an unusual appearance: very tall but at the same time very thin, towering above people without actually looking very massive, like a tree rather than some builder. Beyond that his pale complexion and spiky teeth made Itori think of vampires for a moment before her nose reassured her that this wasn't one of those blood-suckers. Strange as the man's appearance was, he still seemed to be human in scent and soul, so he was less likely to be an enemy in this situation. After all, these gods had been sealed away for ages, and that man appeared from the direction of the portal which had only recently opened. Better to not appear to hostile, so Itori released her sword and instead watched as the newcomer approached Ardere. It quickly became apparent that the two knew one another, and that this newcomer had somehow had a vision about this place and felt like he should help them out. Itori nodded and smiled at Wolfe, but then returned to looking ahead towards the large structure the group was heading towards.

The structure was some large spiralling tower, imposing and a sign of some grand power being in charge. Only a large group of people or a powerful entity could make such a structure, and this place was supposed to be empty. Itori could feel an ominous sensation coming from that tower: the inhabitant of this place wasn't some small fry (although with the name god that was kind of heavily implied). The Kitsune nodded as Ardere reminded them that once they entered the tower there would be no turning back, and that they would have to be careful when dealing with a divine entity. The man was most certainly right, the fox woman placing her hand back on the hilt of her sword as the group entered the tower, her ears swivelling to catch any and all sounds.

The inside of the tower didn't seem to be anything but a spiralling staircase which went on and one, with magic and glowing crystals adorning the walls as the group made their way up. Itori herself refrained from touching anything, being pretty sure that a god of time wouldn't need someone to touch a trap to do something nasty to them, but still not feeling like tempting fate even more than they were already doing by being here in the first place. The world song in this place was... very strange. The Kitsune frowned as she tried to make sense of it. It was heavy, with a strange pattern to it that seemed both very slow and very fast at the same time. Chronos's presence was making time itself unreliable, and her ears were reflecting that temporal uncertainty. Itori didn't like that one bit, since that meant that one of the most powerful forces in the universe was now something that could be used against them...

When they arrived in the warped hall Itori's attention was quickly caught by the one entity standing in the room. Looking at that man Itori's ears went flat against her head and her three tails swayed quickly in agitation, as the man gave off some really bad sensations. It wasn't that he seemed to be overtly evil or unholy. It was just that the sheer amount of power and the way that his powers affected his surroundings was telling her instincts that this was not a safe place to be in the slightest. Placing her feet a bit wider apart lowering her stance a bit so she'd have an easier time moving if necessary Itori listened to the short exchange between Ardere and Chronos, as well as the example of Chronos's power as the area around him began to crumble when the fire king tried to attack him directly. It seemed that for Chronos this was little more than a game, which wasn't very reassuring.

On the other hand... if he could just make things decay as he wished, why even bother with this? Amusement? He could just be so certain of his victory that he didn't think it worth the trouble of fighting them seriously and instead wanted to play with them until he got bored. However as the god of time he should have experienced countless stories where a powerful entity was brought low because they became too certain of victory, ending up defeated solely because they themselves gave their enemies too many openings to exploit.

Well, nothing for it. Itori wasn't the most powerful of fighters, so if she attacked first to see what the clones were capable of it should reveal enough to be worth showing her own hand. She preferred being able to choose her options a bit more freely, but she doubted that the god of time would be impressed by a surprise attack even if it was enhanced through illusions. Letting go of her sword Itori stepped backwards while placing her hands together, white fog billowing out from between her hands to envelop the team of mages. Moving her hands apart nine small spheres of spirit fire formed around each hand, Itori first throwing one from the cover of the already fading fog, then making a throwing motion with the other even as those spirit flames disappeared.

One of the time clones would see nine tiny globules of spirit fire shooting towards him at high speed, the fog cloud which was already pretty much gone having hidden Itori forming and launching them in the hopes of making it harder for the man to dodge. If they hit the man they wouldn't actually do anything, disappearing harmlessly as if they had never been.

The more important part of the attack was that, regardless of whether the man dodged or was hit, about a second later nine invisible spirit flames would converge on the time clone, unless guarded against or otherwise negated eating away at his clothes and skin.

Wolfe followed behind Ardere without question as he opened the large doors in front of him and entered the large spiral tower before them. Wolfe could instantly feel the power of the magic within this place and suddenly he felt the same presence he had felt in his vision. This felt just like the vortex that surrounded the rest of the elements he had seen. He had no clue what the flames, earth, and chaos meant, but this was the shifting, and whirling that almost felt like time itself. Wolfe got a bad feeling deep in the pit of his stomach and he just knew this was far more than it seemed. It was just as he felt this feeling that he watched as Ardere began his accent up the spiraling stairs in front of them.

Wolfe took the rear of the pack to make sure that no one could surprise the group. However, Wolfe got the feeling that tricks like that were not to be expected. The sheer power in this place gave the idea that whoever, or whatever lay at the top of this staircase was more than enough powerful to fight this group head on, and it was pretty obvious that they were in over their heads. Even with that knowledge they could not turn back, or give up, so that meant they would have to find a way no matter what. As the group ascended the staircase, only the light of the floating crystals to illuminate the path, it became even more obvious that the power of this place was vast as the sheer pressure of it increased with each step they took.

Upon reaching the main room at the top of the steps, Wolfe got a second to look around at the vast room before them. However, the thing that truly caught his attention was man that stood before them. He stood no more taller than Wolfe or Ardere himself, but his presence cast a shadow that towered over them and his power was no less intimidating. Wolfe then watched as the man, named Chrono a he boosted, exchanged words with Ardere. Everything clicked with Wolfe at this point. Wolfe may have forgotten memories of who he once was, but he remembered facts and information, and Chrono was the name given to the concept that time had a personification. As it would have it, this man here claimed to be the personification of time itself, Chrono, and just at the moment any disbelief he might have had on the subject was tossed out the window as he watched Ardere make a dashing attack at the man and watched as he speed up time to decay the distance between them to stop the attack mid dash.

Wolfe then watched as Chrono made two copies of himself, or rather brought them forth from other points in time. The two copies being from a much younger point in time from the older looking Chrono who stood before them. Ardere warned his companions to be careful, but it seemed that Chrono intended for Ardere and company to take out the two copies of himself before the real battle would begin. So as Wolfe saw Itori start her own attack, Wolfe figured he would try his own shot at the copy she wasn’t facing. If he was lucky he might be able to do some damage and help get the team to their main target faster.

Wolfe took a dash at the other younger Chrono that Itori wasn’t attacking and just as he reached the area that was decaying between them, Wolfe focused all his energy into his speed and flash stepped and teleported just behind and slightly to the right of the Chrono he was dashing at. He then took a step forwards and brought his right arm down and cupped his hand and and he swung it up he pivoted on his left foot so he turned left and his arm was now shooting up and aiming right for Chrono’s throat, almost like an uppercut, but Wolfe intended instead to catch Chrono’s neck in his hand and lift him up as he would then slam him down and into the ground.

Ardere twirled the crimson blade between his armor covered fingers, taking a deep breath before staring down both of his opponents. Rather than acting initially, he waited for the fog to overtake the area they stood in. Exhaling deeply, the samurai entered a meditative state as he observed his surroundings, waiting for the opportune moment to strike at his opponents. Itori went for one of the time remnants, who chose to summon an array of clock shaped shields to defend against the attack, but what he did not realize, what that the spirit fire would consume his clothes and skin. Jolting in pain, the clone activated an ability that allowed his clothes and skin to rewind in time, but it appeared the attack was a bit too severe to fully heal. This was a time mage's version of a healing spell, but as most spells, it did not heal all wounds completely. Meanwhile, the other clone was being bombarded by Wolfe. As soon as he saw the lightning mage disappear, he activated a spell that allowed him to slow down time in a small area surrounding him. He could perceive Wolfe's attacks as his mind still worked at full speed, but his body was also slowed down by the ability. So instead of attempting to move and counter, he could feel the magical presence behind him, and created a shield in the shape of a clock's face, with the minute and hour hand present. The shield was only powerful enough to prevent the clone from taking full damage, but he was still knocked forward.

It was at this time that Ardere summoned a gargantuan amount of energy in his hands, black corrupt energy. Slamming his hands down into the ground, the floor began to erupt with dark flames. The ground on which they stood began to quake and split apart, collapsing into large chunks. All of the mages would then fall through to the next floor, including the clones.
The only one who did not fall was Chronos, who used time magic to slow his descent.
During this fall, the fire mage blasted flames from his feet to catch the younger female mage and guide her to safety if needed, and the same applied to Rai. Wolfe, however,
he was confident would land just fine and could take care of himself. Your mistake, Chronos, was assuming that I cared about the terrain in which we fight on. But I will burn this whole tower to ashes to defeat you. The roof above that had once been their ground was crumbled and left a gaping hole, as they were all scattered across the stairs and halls below. The two time remnants had taken their places in front of their master, damaged just slightly but obviously ready to battle. Hmm, perhaps. But let us see how you deal with this, fire mage and allies. A third time remnant would appear before them, but this was was obviously closer to the original's age. It was beginning to become apparent that age possessed a factor in strength with the time remnants. The one that Itori had been attacked charged towards her, unleashing an array of clock hands made of energy towards them. This rain of energy was persistent, and would continue. The one that Wolfe had been attacked pursued by causing the ground beneath him to decay into nothingness, as did chunks of the pillars near him, prompting them to collapse and fall towards him. This remnant also sent a flurry of clock hands, giving him multiple issues to deal with.

The newly created time remnant charged towards Ardere, summoning forth a clock hand set of swords, the longer shaped like a minute hand and the shorter shaped like an hour hand. The fire mage easily blocked his strikes, and parried, knocking him back. But beneath the samurai's feet appeared a symbol in the shape of an hour glass. Dashing forward and colliding with the time remnant, he noticed his movements were slowed. A slash went right up his shoulder, bypassing his elemental body by a small percentage, and dealing direct damage to him. Sliding back, the guild master gritted his teeth and stared down his opponent. Holding his blade out, it was engulfed in massive blade flames, which he could swing like a paperweight, making it hard for the remnant to get close to him, even with the debuff. You may be the master of time, but what is time to perseverance? Facing down his enemies, he hoped his partners were able to hold their own as well. This was going to be one hell of a fight they were in for, and it had only just begun.

(If you have any questions, pm me. My depression killed my muse for a sec, but I'm working on it now. Just deal with the events and your attacks, then counter however you wish. And try to have fun. If you wanna take some liberties with the time remnants, feel free. They seem a bit op, but realize they are using spells, which do have cooldowns)

It looked like the time clones reacted to attacks the same way as normal people, which meant that either they really were clones with independent trains of thought or Chronos was good at playing games. The disturbing part was that they both seemed to have their own souls, even if those souls were ridiculously identical to Chronos's. The only reason there was any difference at all was because time affected souls as much as it affected the body, in some cases even more so. It was probably best to just assume that these bodies were in fact actual opponents and not just puppets controlled by Chronos directly, although they would probably listen to him if only because they were pulled into his timeline and he had seniority. Itori wasn't sure how Chronos's contract with himself worked, but she assumed he had already worked out for himself that if he was pulled into another timeline the original Chronos from that timeline would act as the boss, even if he retained independent thought. There wouldn't be much reason to get into a fight with himself from another point in time, after all.

Which meant that she'd have to treat them like actual enemies and not like puppets. It looked like their attacks were somewhat successful: the newcomer who Itori didn't know had managed to force one of the clones to put up his guard instead of attacking, and the one that Itori had been bombarding was using some rewind ability to undo some of the damage done to his clothes and skin. Considering that he didn't just rewind all the way either there was a limit to how far he could use that rewind ability to change his state or being attacked by a magical or spiritual attack hindered the rewind effect. The latter was more likely, since it wasn't exactly a secret that foreign magic could interfere with using magic on oneself. Itori took a couple of steps back as she thought of her next course of action, her hand once again on the hilt of her pure white blade as she was ready to pull it out and strike if one of the clones got too close. Or Chronos himself... how trustworthy was the word of this deity?

However before either Itori herself or one of the other participants in the fight could do anything the fox girl noticed something in the corner of her eye, as well as an alarming sound and a feeling of power. Glancing towards the side her eyes widened as she saw the corrupted flames that Ardere was gathering, together with the way he was standing... He wasn't seriously planning to... He was. Itori looked around to see a way to deal with this rather unexpected threat, but Ardere was already slamming his hands onto the ground to collapse the entire floor, leaving Itori with no other option than to fall down together with the rest of them. Chronos was the only one who didn't seem to have issue with the floor being gone, Itori herself already trying to correct her fall so she'd land upright and with bend knees to absorb the shock when instead the fire mage grabbed her and helped her land safely. Itori nodded and smiled at him in thanks before quickly turning back to the matter at hand. It looked like the other two didn't have issues with descending, but Chronos was still there and he might try something after Ardere made it clear that he wasn't afraid to pull out the big guns if he thought it necessary.

"I find it doubtful that expending so much energy as needed to demolish this entire construct would be a good idea, especially since time and space aren't necessarily trustworthy here." While it was clear that Ardere was the strongest of the mages here he still didn't have endless mana. If he used too much of it on collateral damage and structural destruction he might end up with not enough left to fight Chronos, and with how powerful this deity seemed to be that was a very real possibility.

Chronos himself didn't seem to be bothered by the threat either, which was either a threat or confirmation of Itori's worries. as if to show that he wouldn't be that easy to beat he pulled out another time clone, this one looking closer to the time god's current age while also possessing more power than the younger time clones. Thinking about this made Itori pause, but she didn't have the time to sit and consider the strange evidence being provided for a hypothesis she didn't have the time to proof: the clones were already attacking, and she'd have to wait for an opening to show itself before she could talk about the issue with her allies (if they were inclined to spend time considering a puzzle instead of fighting).

The one she herself had targeted began to return the favour of being barraged, together with a charge which suggested the barrage was meant to keep Itori from moving away rather than actually hurt her that much. Narrowing her eyes Itori used the second or so before she'd have to begin dodging to look at the other clones, then closed her eyes and relied on her sensitive ears, listening to the song of a world and the way that time was being warped.

Moving with purpose and precision Itori danced between the projectiles: not an actual dance, but the way she moved, flowing and without pause as she stepped and weaved between the spectral clock hands, could easily make one believe it was some kind of dance. Still keeping her eyes closed Itori made her way towards the advancing time clone even as she kept weaving and moving, only for her to suddenly turn into a streak of white and red, like a ghost or a slimmer of light slipping through the barrage to end up behind the advancing clone, drawing her sword to cut open the small of his back. Not the most fatal of wounds, but she was more focused on actually getting a hit in, and it would be difficult for him to dodge an attack so close to the centre of his mass unless he used magic.

Regardless of whether she managed to hit him or he blocked/evaded Itori would then dash away from him, without pause spinning on one foot before racing towards the time clone assaulting Wolfe, running with a strange swaying motion which caused her three long fox tails to make a sinuous movement behind her. While the time clone was busy throwing energy bolts at Wolfe she'd try to slash him as well, this time in the small of his knees, before once again taking her distance.

Wolfe’s attempt to attack one of the time remnants didn’t work out as well as he had hoped. He had tried to get the jump on it and slam him into the ground, but instead it had used a spell to slow down time around it and was able to perceive Wolfe’s location and attack before he could make it. This allowed him a chance to cast a spell that resembled the face of a clock as some form of a shield between himself and Wolfe. However, Wolfe’s attack was quick enough to at least get a hit in, but the blunt of it was absorbed by the shield. Wolfe realized that wasn’t going to work again, and there was no way he would fall for the same trick twice. Wolfe knew he would just have to wear down the remnant and try to get him that way.

Wolfe was about to try his attempt again upon the remnant, until Ardere made a decision and took out the floor beneath them by using a spell that ripped the very ground apart and cause the floor beneath them to cave in. Wolfe shifted his attention to his allies as soon as he started to fall to make sure they would be fine. He turned just in time to see Ardere shoot flames from his feet and shot over to the fox girl and catch her. Knowing they would be fine he shifted his attention back to the time remnant he had attacked before and noticed he cast a spell on himself to slow down his fall. It was at the moment that the kink in time elder’s power shown through to Wolfe. He might be strong, and he might be smart, and his mastery over the power of time was nothing less than infuriating at best, and lethal at worst, but he was still a mage and all of this was magic, and therefor he had limits. Whether it was number of spells he could cast, the amount of mana he had, or the quickness in which he could cast these spells back to back he had a weakness none the less. Wolfe just now had to pinpoint which of them would work best for him and exploit it

Wolfe then turned into a bolt of lightning and shot downwards to the ground and in a bright flash of light he reformed just in time to watch his target land softly. What came next was nothing less than a relentless game of tag as the remnant cast a spell to speed himself up as well as another one to slow time around himself. This coupled with Wolfe’s ability to teleport and phase shift was not something he was looking forward to as both the remnant and Wolfe disappeared out of sight for about two seconds. Then reappeared about halfway across the room for a moment as Wolfe went in for roundhouse kick, but then the remnant disappeared and avoided the attack only to appear behind Wolfe and swing for his head. Wolfe’s roundhouse kick hit nothing but air, but at the last second he felt an attack from behind him and used the momentum of the kick to shift his weight and move the top half of his body out of the way of the punch. Then again the two figures teleported again and then appeared on the other side of the room, this time the remnant swung in for a solid uppercut and Wolfe phase shifted right behind the remnant and went for a sweep kick, which the remnant jumped over and as he landed the two once again disappeared.

Over the next ten seconds this happened six more times as the two would appear for about a second and a half to two seconds then appear somewhere else and do it again. Finally Wolfe realized all of the time remnants attacks were very basic melee style attacks. This was were Wolfe needed to exploit him and on the next time they appeared Wolfe instead of dodging the punch he rolled into it and with it, which gave him an open shot at the remnant’s ribs and he swung in with a elbow just under the remnant’s punch and he was forced to use his other hand to cast as another one of his spells that used a clock face to block the attack. However as Wolfe had rolled with the punch he used his foot to pivot and leaned his whole body back and spun into the remnant’s punch, and his own elbow and brought his other elbow back and up and as his spin concluded it found it’s place in the remnant’s chin and knocked him back a few steps. Wolfe was going to have to use all his fighting skills to force the remnant to make mistakes and use his spells to force him waste all his mana, and he could tell this was not going to be an easy fight.

While his teammates were dealing with their enemies, Ardere began to roll his neck back and forth, as several popping sounds emerged from the crevices between his bones. Sighing slightly, his face became more serious than usual. As a laid back and relaxed person, this look was rarely ever plastered across his face. Bringing the sword to his center body mass, he held it upwards. Energy began to charge within his body, causing it to burst into flames. His skin hardened a bit in places and began to glow, just like volcanic rock. His long brown hair burst into dark flames, as he entered his Legacy Form. It was quite obvious that his power increased, prompting a look of intrigue from the Time entity; Chronos. This power is from my ancestor. One who was said to have surpassed his teacher; Prometheus. I wonder if I can surpass my teacher, and you....God of Time. Bursting forward, the flames he utilized made him almost as fast as he was before the debuff to his speed. Unleashing a flurry of attacks, he was beginning to notice the swordsmanship of the oldest Time Remnant was that of a fencer. Deflecting each strike, the remnant began to create clock faces around the fire mage, attempting to hit him from all sides. With the combination of clock hands and a clock sword coming at him, the Fire King was on edge. Being slowed down further, several of the clock hands pierced the samurai's body. Falling down to one knee, it was evident now that he had been injured. Clock hands jutted from his arms and legs, even one through his shoulder. But unfortunately for the time remnant, his flame body severely reduced the damage.

It's gonna take more than that to finish me off. Focusing the flames in his body, he used his pyrokinesis to make his own flames explode, shattering all of the clock hands and sending the remnant sliding backwards several meters. The image of a former Chronos seemed quite confused as he stared down a very 'fired up' Ardere. The samurai appeared in front of the remnant with another sword in his hands, this one was made of flames. Striking the remnant in several places before he could attack, his body was covered in slashes as it was engulfed in flames. The time remnant was defeated in an instant, as he could not keep up with the casting speed and flame manipulation of the fire mage. It appeared to outsiders as a gargantuan explosion, but what actually happened was he used his mental ability to control flames to break all of the clock hands, and engulf the remnant. The remnant had made an attempt to turn the flames back into nothing, but there was too much for him to keep up with.

The time god stuck his hand out, and all of the flames that surrounded the ground turned to nothingness, as if they were now just oxygen particles in the air. I grow tired of this. I will recognize you all, but only for a moment. One that will feel like eternity... Holding his hand up, the tower around them began to decay, but it did not collapse onto them, rather everything above the ground they stood on turned to dust. This revealed their location as within a rather large sphere of energy that encased the once massive tower. The energy surrounding them was sheer time magic, proving two points; the first being that they were completely engulfed in the time control of Chronos, the second being that his area of effect control was limited. While he was sure his defensive control to affect singular spells and objects was less limited, his area power was not. Smirking slightly, Ardere clutched his blade tightly. During this time, the two time remnants that fought against Itori and Wolfe began to age into closer to what would be a middle aged man. The magical power within them increased drastically, as would be evident to his two partners. Be careful guys. The real fight has entered final gear. Regardless of what attacks the remnants were throwing during the scuffle, after they became more powerful, they would remove their cloaks, revealing a black vest and leather pants. It was now apparent that blue runic markings covered their arms and torso. These markings would glow, as their speed drastically increased. This was not a physical buff, but the increasing of time around them in a very short radius. Sadly, the large clock seal was still imprinted beneath the mages, slowing them down somewhat. Cracking his arms, the flaming haired mage stared down the true Chronos as he began to slowly walk towards the group with his hands behind his back. The red piercing eyes of the guild master met Chronos' focused yellow ones. The Time God began to gather up energy, and the sphere encasing them began to shift, as if it was about to move. He was unsure what the entity was planning, but it seemed big.

(Ard and Remnant 3 fight, Ard wins. Chronos destroy the top part of the tower, revealing the team to be in some sort of time void or sphere. Remnant 1 and 2 age, their power and speed increases. [You can choose their next attacks, as I have something big planned I will control] Chronos begins to move, and gather energy to change the void)

Wolfe didn’t have long to do much as everything around him began to change. He could see his guild master Ardere was fighting his own remnant and was pulling out some serious stuff to try and end his battle as quickly as possible. Wolfe was about to try and do the same but then the room boomed with the voice of the main elder himself as he spoke up and said he would acknowledge them and their abilities but them he held out his hand and Wolfe and his companions watched as the tower around them decayed and gave way to a swirling arena made of time and magic itself. Wolfe knew this was not a good thing as then the two remnants that were still standing both removed their cloaks and then aged slightly. Wolfe could feel a power surge from them for a second and knew they were no longer the same as before and then he noticed the symbols that began to glow on their arms. Wolfe knew his fight was going to go to the next level but in truth there was a part of him that was getting fired up at the idea of a good fight.

Wolfe didn’t have to wait long as he got exactly what he wanted when his time remnant dashed forward and took a swing at Wolfe’s head. Wolfe almost didn’t have time to duck back to dodge the attack, and it was instantly obvious that the speed and most likely the power of the remnants increased with their change and this meant the fight was about to get good. As Wolfe leaned forward again he flung his head forward and the time remnant never even expected it but Wolfe slammed his head to the face of the remnant with a solid head-butt which caused the remnant to jerk his body backwards but as he did he had thrown his other hand low at Wolfe’s gut and activated a concentrated time spell and just as Wolfe’s eyes darted down at the last second to see it, it was too late and the spell went off in a concentrated burst right into Wolfe’s gut and sent him sliding back about a meter. Wolfe could only smirk as he looked the remnant that was now staring him down. The attack had hurt a little but it was getting Wolfe more fired up than even before as he knew this was only going to get better.

There was a moment for a second as both of them stared at each other before they both disappeared and then about two seconds later reappeared halfway across the arena with Wolfe landing right hook on the remnant’s jaw and him landing another time spell into Wolfe’s left ribs. Then just as quickly as they appeared they were gone again and once again a few seconds later they appeared on the other side of the arena with Wolfe landing knee into the remnant’s gut as the remnant was landing another time spell melee attack into Wolfe’s jaw with his left hand. Wolfe and the remnant were exchanging blows but Wolfe was going to have to end this soon if he intended to help with the elder and still have something left to give. Wolfe dashed at the remnant and waited for the remnant to make it’s attack. Just Wolfe was expecting the remnant swung in for a hook shot to Wolfe’s face, but Wolfe ducked forward and down, and as he did he lifted his right leg up and back and caught the remnant with the flat of the boot of his boot, which caused the remnant’s head to fling back. As Wolfe pulled his leg back down he swung it under him and brought it up in one full motion into a knee right into the remnant’s gut causing him to double over. The remnant attempted to take a left hook at Wolfe as he was doubling over, to try and stop Wolfe’s attack, but Wolfe ducked under it as he spun around the remnant. As he concluded his spin he was standing behind the remnant, and at the last second the remnant tried to move away but Wolfe swung out both arms and caught him in place as he wrapped hi hands around the remnant’s waist and with all his might Wolfe lifted the remnant and with all his strength Wolfe suplexed the remnant as he did he yelled ”Ragnorok!” ad just as Wolfe suplexed the remnant into the ground a bolt of lightning came crashing from the sky and hit the remnant at the same second his head slammed into the ground.

Wolfe released the remnant’s body as it went limp and he did a kik up and was now standing as he turned to look at the elder and other remnant ready for anything they might throw at them.


-----------------------
Remnant #2 is down now.

It didn't seem like this was going to get easier any time soon for any of them, Itori frowning as it didn't seem like either wound she had inflicted on the clones had actually had much of an effect. She couldn't smell any blood, so they probably had managed to avoid actually being cut. If they could pull tricks like that actually hurting them was going to be even trickier, especially since Itori wasn't much of an offensive mage. She didn't have much in the way of attack power other than a very high quality sword and her skills with said sword, so if they could deflect physical attacks she would have little choice but to try and keep this clone distracted until one of the more offensive mages could finish it off. The clone that wasn't being occupied by either Ardere or Wolfe stood quite a distance away from Itori, gathering magic for some kind of spell that no doubt would make the situation even more complicated.

However before that could come to pass Ardere showed off his might as he basically burst into flames, then rushed forwards and engaged the strongest of the clones head on without hesitation, only to be pierced by clock hands. The Fire King wasn't one to be slowed down by something like that though, as he basically burned it all away before he rushed the clone once again and managed to ignite it before it could dodge or negate the attack. The conflagration that followed almost made Itori wince, only her own strong will and self control gained through millennia of training and honing her skills allowing her to remain unmoved. When the conflagration ended the clone was gone, and Ardere clearly had the god of time himself in his sights now.

Chronos, on the other hand, didn't seem to be quite willing to go into a old-fashioned close quarters fight. In an even more impressive display of power than Ardere himself he removed the parts of the tower that were still above them, revealing the barren land around and below them as they were now all standing on a platform high up atop the tower. It seemed that this entire time the four of them had been inside a time bubble of Chronos's design, of such size that it wasn't visible or even possible to properly sense until he removed the tower and allowed them to see it directly. Such size and such absolute control truly was godlike, as Itori was pretty sure that any mortal who tried to perform such feats with manipulating time would find themselves overwhelmed even if they did have the raw magic power for it. Gods not only were extremely powerful, but their minds and souls also worked in strange ways that were very difficult to comprehend. A god of time was much more skilled than a mage with chronomancy if only because a divine perspective allowed one to better grasp the nature of time and control it in more complex matters. If they already were trapped in such a huge time bubble... Itori squashed the feeling of hopelessness as she kept thinking of a way to deal with this. The two males both seemed to be more excited than anything, which made Itori wonder if they realized the implications of such a huge time bubble or if they knew of a way to deal with it.

Not that she could afford to waste time despairing anyway. With all of that having occurred Itori had kept the clone in front of her at the very least in the corner of her sight, even though honestly she could already keep track of him with her ears. She couldn't suppress a frown, however, when she noticed that the man seemed to be... farther away than before. Yet, she was quite sure that he hadn't actually moved. Was he messing with time to increase the distance between the two of them so he'd have more time to react if she attacked? For now he seemed more concerned with removing his jacket and revealing that his arms were adorned with glowing runes even as he grew older and more powerful. Itori readied her blade, closing her eyes as she got the feeling that trying to rely on her eyes in a place where space itself was unreliable would be more likely to make her dizzy than be beneficial.

Her ears twitched before she put her blade in front of her, just in time for something bright and sharp to clash against it as the clone closed the distance with frightening speed. She could hear that Wolfe and his clone were jumping around the room as well, but the clone in front of her was already more than a handful. Before she could even counter he disappeared, her ears twitching again as she spun on one foot and blocked the next attack as well. It seemed like this clone wanted to use his increased speed in close combat, which meant that for now Itori would have to figure out how to strike back even as she relied on her sharp reflexes and sharper ears to keep herself from being sliced open.

Another attack came, but this time Itori instinctively felt that she had to dodge, so rather than relying on her blade she dumped to the side, in time for some strange wave to pass her by. The strange song she was hearing as the blade passed by... It was a song of mourning, a song of a sudden and unexpected death. With her eyes closed Itori could pay better attention to her ears and nose, and with her ears having some special qualities combined with her having a sharp mind she figured that the clone had launched an attack that would have aged anything it hit until the point of crumbling into dust. A truly deadly attack, since it couldn't be blocked and if a portion of the body just faded away the rest of the body most likely would soon follow. She would be more inclined to appreciate the deadly technique if it wasn't being used against her.

Another twitch of the ears, and Itori once again sidestepped, then sidestepped again as the clone tried to catch her with a double attack. The fox woman kept her eyes closed even as her brow furrowed, trying to figure out how to deal with this. She did actually have an idea, but it might be risky... Too risky. Dismissing that thought she tried to think of something else instead. Fighting against someone with an absolute mastery over time was nearly impossible because if they could actually control time that meant they always knew what you were going to do and thus also knew how to deal with it, if only by not being there when you did it or preventing it if they could not deal with the actual action itself. However this clone hadn't been using that type of clairvoyance so far: if he had, he would have hit Itori already unless he was just playing with her, but she wasn't getting that impression. The only real answer was that since Chronos had seized complete control over time inside the bubble, while the clones could still manipulate time the fact that the entire area was no longer stable meant that clairvoyance was no longer reliable. Which meant... that they could actually be caught off guard.

The next wave came, but Itori had been so caught up with trying to think of a plan that she was too late to completely dodge it. She let out a pained gasp as leg and all three of her tails withered away within seconds, blood pouring out of the now open wounds as she fell down, struggling to get back up. The withering area was very precise, so the places where the withering parts connected to the still living parts were as smooth as if they had been cut off with a blade instead. Which meant that the fox woman was losing a lot of blood. The time clone approached, readying another withering wave when suddenly the Itori on the ground disappeared and was replaced by another one who still had all her body parts, rushing him from the side. The time clone spun around and unleashed the withering wave, managing to launch it before Itori could interrupt his casting with her own attack. Once again Itori cried out as this time her main body was caught... And yet again this Itori faded away.

The time clone spun around, readying another withering wave... only to suddenly be decapitated from the same direction that the second illusion had assaulted him from. Mere decapitation might not have been enough to completely disable the clone, but when Itori followed up by using her unusually sharp blade to smoothly slice off its limbs and then sever its body at the waist the clone fell apart, the runes on his arms losing their glow as the Kitsune wiped her blade with a quick swipe to shake off the blood, followed by her once again taking a stance while stepping away from the corpse and turning towards the main Chronos. If the clones couldn't actually see into the future then they could still be deceived by clones, and by playing into that fear of deception Itori had managed to create her own blind spot to strike from.

She just hoped the real Chronos wouldn't be any more difficult than this clone, but she knew that hope to be futile. That clone had been fast, and if it wasn't for a lot of training and very good reflexes Itori would have been the one on the ground, losing body parts and most likely fading away as the time clone withered her into nothingness.

(Time Clone #1 eliminated.)

Clutching the crimson blade and flame blade in his grips respectively, Ardere's bodily flames flickered back and forth. His dark brows arched downwards, as he stared at the time God with an intensity only a King of flames could provide. Twirling both blades in his hands, he slid the two into one another, encasing Clarent in an even stronger flames that began to condense to the exterior, almost like a wetsuit of fire. As this happened and the two remnants were taken out, Chronos' ability began to take effect. The time sphere the group was trapped in began to shift, as if the world around them was changing. The world outside of the sphere began to alter, turning into a more tropical world, littered with wild life. But this was no ordinary wildlife; it was prehistoric. The time deity had sent them hurling through time, into an age when dinosaurs ruled the world. Floating above the group, he dispersed the time sphere, exposing the three mages to this new reality. My God... Gritting his teeth, the samurai took a deep breath before side stepping a charging beast. Keep your senses keen guys. Anything could pop out. Sliding back, he could feel the ground began to shake and tremble, as if something of gargantuan size was approaching.

Within moments it was clear the danger that was approaching; a Spinosaurus. The large creature stood several stories high, it's spikes running down its spine like armor. The beast emitted a powerful roar, as several groups of smaller carnivores charged the group. Deflecting the attacks of these meat-eaters, Ardere leaped towards the leader. Slashing open the hide of the dinosaur with ease, he was smacked to the side by a rather large claw. Tumbling across the ground, he utilized his flame abilities to launch himself up. Hovering above the crumbled tower and the lush jungle, he noticed it was the dead of night. A nearly full moon shone bright in the sky, the only sign of light in this dismal world they found themselves in. The Fire King pulled out an amulet from behind the plates of his armor, the amulet of the moon. This was a gift from the village he had saved years ago, from an army of lycans. The amulet soaked in the moon's light, providing him more mp. The magic power filled his body, and the flames encasing him grew in strength, enough to melt the plant life surrounding him. Staring down the beast, he burst forward, bypassing its strikes. Flame God's Gungnir! As he summoned a flaming drill the size of a large building, stretched over 80 meters, Chronos nearly smiled as if he had one. The smile would soon turn to a look of annoyance, as the drill obliterated the spinosaurus. Its armor was melted, and its flesh began to wither away. The guild master did not come unprepared, he possessed an array of abilities to increase his fire power. This was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Hurling us through time will not give you an advantage, Chronos. I will end you either way. As Ardere blasted forward with intense speed, he attempted to strike the enemy with his blade. As he did so, a clock face blocked him. Staring the yellow eyed man down with his red eyes, the sword and the clock clashed until the sword shattered it like a mirror. Swiping the god's cheek, he left a slight singe. A determined look appeared on the samurai's face, as he continued to unleash a barrage of strikes. For the first time, the time mage summoned forth a clock hand of his own. As the two blades clashed, the flames on Ardere's blade turned back into oxygen, being dispelled instantly. The Fire King felt the frustration deep in his chest, but little did the time entity know; fire magic was not his only weapon.

After taking a second to gather himself after taking out the remnant he had been fighting he turned to see the fox girl they were with finish off the other remnant with some of her magic. Wolfe then turned to look at Ardere who was almost completely covered in flames as it was obvious he was very serious and focused. It was at this moment that Wolfe began to realize the word around the sphere began to shift and change and as it did Wolfe could feel the energy itself and it wasn’t good. The area outside the sphere began to shift the time around them and a tropical world began to spring up around them until they were in a much different time so far in the past Wolfe was sure man did not reign this time. As Wolfe got a better look at the creatures of the time his theory proved to be right and this was not the time of men, but rather dinosaurs . However, Wolfe and his companions didn’t have time to adjust as the sphere shattered exposing them to this new time period and any of the dangers it might possess.

It was at the moment that Ardere called out for everyone to watch themselves and with perfect timing of his warning that the earth beneath them began to shake from something that was obvious nearby and coming closer by the second. Only seconds later a Spinosaurus broke into the area, and it was enormous, stacking many stories in size. Wolfe watched as the beast let out a fearsome roar and then as Ardere sprang into action and attacked the beast with his sword. He cut open the beast but was knocked aside by it in the process. Wolfe was about to jump into action to help him with the huge monster when he noticed the groups of smaller beast that had come with it. Wolfe decided he would leave the larger beast to Ardere for now and if he still looked like he might need help when he was done he would help Ardere then, but for now Wolfe was going to work on these smaller beasts.

Wolfe sprang into action as he dashed forward at the first of the smaller beasts with the intention and going for the high shot but at the last second it side stepped and spun trying to smack Wolfe with it’s tail. Wolfe stopped at the last second and dug his feet deep as he lifted his right arm and as the beast’s tail hit Wolfe he dropped his right arm down and grabbed a hold of it. The force of hit cause Wolfe to slid about a meter but then he stopped and he beast’s tail was held in place by Wolfe and just as another one of the dinosaurs went to dash at Wolfe he shifted his weight and with all his power he pulled at the tail and started to pivot his footing and as he did he began to lift the beast as he spun and slammed into the beast that was making it’s attack and smacked it and one he was using as a weapon into the group of the others standing there. The group of beasts went down like dominos as they slammed into each other. Wolfe then released the dinosaur he had been holding and went on the offensive and started wailing on the entire group of beast as they were trying to get up. Wolfe’s attacks were brutal as he ripped half of the beast to pieces making sure none of them would get back up. As Wolfe tore the last one’s head clean off it’s neck Wolfe turned to see That Ardere had not only finished his beast but was now face to face with the elder. Wolfe saw at the two clashed blades, and Wolfe knew this fight was about enter it’s finally stages, and this was going to one hell of a fight.

The situation had both improved and become worse, as Itori quickly found out after the clones faded away. The fact that the clones didn't just reform was a relief, since Itori wasn't sure if the same trick would work twice, especially if the clone could just become faster by ageing. Not that she only had a single way to use her illusions, but now that she had tipped her hand on the kind of tactics that she might use the next version of Chronos might be smart enough to predict her attacks and counter them successfully. However even as the clones disappeared whatever Chronos had been doing with that large time bubble neared completion, and the Kitsune and her two allies had no choice but to stand and watch as the world around them changed to one completely foreign to any one of them. Even Itori couldn't claim to know this world, which was new to her: she had already lived for millennia, so to be placed in an environment so ancient that even she was too young to have known it was a bit of a shock. Tightening her grip on her white blade Itori readied herself, wondering what the plan was in this place.

Chronos had thrown them back to a time where the world was still young: nature was running rampant as it expanded and adapted rapidly to the multiple climates that were taking shape. If any form of sentient life had already developed in this era it hadn't managed to grow strong enough to claim the world for its own yet, as beasts and plants all furiously fought for their own spot with nothing like modern civilization keeping them under control. Of course even in modern times some areas still resisted the supremacy of humanoids and their peers, but one would be very hard pressed to find a place as wild and primitive as this. Itori kept a tight grip on her sword as she looked around, trying to figure out what to do in this new situation. Chronos was a deity with control over time, so it was no coincidence that he would place them here of all places. Did he have traps prepared here, or did he just think that this place was dangerous enough on its own to keep the mages busy while he finished them off? Itori couldn't know, but the song she was hearing told her that things were going to get a lot more hectic from here on out.

The Kitsune nodded when Ardere warned them to be careful, and as if summoned by the Fire King's words the ground began to shake as something humongous made its way towards them. Itori stepped backwards when the large dinosaur showed up, wondering how they were supposed to deal with that. If they went all out the dinosaur shouldn't be an issue, but they should be careful with how they used their magic, since Chronos was undoubtedly going to win any battle of endurance. No matter how large an energy pool one might have, how could they outlast someone who could control time itself? Itori wouldn't be surprised if Chronos was capable of simply refreshing his energy pool with his powers if he felt it necessary. Deities were very dangerous entities, whose powers were outside the scope of what mortals could dream to accomplish, possibly even outside of what they could imagine. The Kitsune really wasn't feeling very confident in this fight...

Ardere had decided to take on the big dinosaur while a whole bunch of smaller dinosaurs erupted from the greenery and charged them as well, demanding Itori's attention even as she worried about the amount of power that Ardere was using. She was aware that his reservoir of magic power was vastly greater than her own, but even he would have a limit. She hoped he wouldn't exhaust himself before they found a way to deal with Chronos, because without Ardere's impressive firepower their chances of success or even survival would drop significantly.

Still, she couldn't just stand there worrying. Itori looked at the dinosaurs before she decided to step backwards, keeping a distance from the dinosaurs while casting some subtle illusions which would make her fade into the background. Not outright invisibility, since that was energy extensive, but camouflage could be maintained even with but a trickle of power. The dinosaurs were still tracking her, but they weren't as ferocious as they instead had to focus on finding her, which was fine by her. She'd have to think of a way to actually finish them off at some point, but for now buying time seemed like a good idea, especially since that meant her allies would have more time to take care of things.

Speaking of allies, it looked like Wolfe was following Ardere's lead in taking the frontal approach, which had the added benefit that the dinosaurs which had been focusing on Itori instead turned towards the other mage who was a lot more visible and a lot more of a direct thread. Itori waited for them to have turned their back before she suddenly dashed forward, her sandalled feet pressing down on the grass as she sped up until she was a white and red blur. Dashing past one dinosaur she pressed her hand against its side, a circlet of beads wrapped around that hand. Once she was past the dinosaur she stopped, jumped up, and spun in the air before landing on the beast's back, planting her sword in its neck with both hands. Quickly pulling her sword out she jumped off as the dinosaur collapsed, once again fading into the background to avoid having the rest of the dinosaurs focus on her. From the still cooling body an ethereal smoke drifted up, drawn towards the beads that Itori was returning to their hidden position inside her sleeve.

The other two mages would take care of the dinosaurs and Ardere was keeping Chronos busy, leaving Itori with some time to circle around the time god as a plan finally began to form in her head. Chronos was a god, which meant that in a direct fight he should have them beat in every aspect. However being a god didn't mean he was guaranteed to be immune to certain effects, and Itori did happen to have a certain magic item on her that might be able to ruin his day...

Ardere twirled the crimson blade between his fingers, gritting his white teeth heavily. Staring down the enemy before him, he attempted to make another attack. Unfortunately, the time sphere reappeared again, transporting them back into the streams of time. The world of dinosaurs and jungles dissipated, and a new world began to appear. What's your game here Chronos? The fire mage called out, and the lord of time merely responded with a chuckle at first. The world before mages didn't seem to bother you....hmm. How about the early world of mages and their primitive wars? The time sphere began to open as the entire group was helpless to stop it. Before their eyes, a war-torn world opened up. The once lush jungle was now an open field, full of mages and warriors alike engaging in battle. Tens of thousands filled the field, charging towards each other. Spells and swords clashed. The world was engulfed in a hell unlike any he had seen before. Meanwhile, Chronos sent entire squads of mages towards his partners. Armed to the teeth with weapons and primitive spells, they attacked. But this tipped off the brown haired mage to something, a secret to Chronos' power.

Gripping Clarent tightly, Ardere took a deep breath. Charging towards the time god once more, he was sent backwards in time, appearing in his original position. Shouting out in anger, he kept running. This time, he was not sent back in time. Rather than that, a horde of mages overwhelmed him. His flaming body was swarmed by hundreds of mages, toppling over him. It felt like he was being swallowed by quick sand. He only hoped his team mates were doing well with their remnants, and likely dozens of rogue mages around them. Being swallowed whole, the fire mage's body began to glow as crackling magic energy formed around him. The arrogant deity began walking closer to his enemy, a devilish smirk upon his face. I told you Chronos. Within the flash of an eye, the mages were blasted away from the samurai in an explosion of crash magic. The titan attempted to rewind the magic and put up a defense, but both were to no avail. The crash magic had ripped apart the magic particles in the air, thus rendering the time magic temporarily ineffective. Not only that, but Chronos was sent tumbling backwards, his cloak tattered and torn as he took a heavy hit. I have more than just fire magic, and I'm not afraid to use it on you. Bringing up Clarent, he stepped in front of the deity, magical energy surging around him unlike before, his moon amulet glowing bright against the pale moonlight.

As he brought the legendary blade down, it was caught by Chronos' hand. His elderly hand began spurting blood as the blade lightly skid across his chest. A feeling of shock ran through Ardere's body as the blade began to decay. Shaking in his boots, the blade of the sword turned to dust, leaving only the handle. The blade had saved him from so much, it was like an extension of his soul. Fortunately the handle survived, meaning through hard work it could be possibly restored. But that did not stop the samurai from feeling how he did. Gripping the handle tight, he summoned forth a blade of black flames in its stead, which then were infused with crash magic--a golden flame sword. Bringing the blade down into the time lord's shoulder, he broke right through a clock shield that appeared above him, and left a severe burn. The flames melted right through the flesh and bone like it was butter. This world of yours, it's fake. We're merely being hurled through your perception of time. None of this is real. I will destroy it, and you! The amount of sheer magical energy caused the ground to crack and decay. The fire mage appeared to have the upperhand, until he was sent flying backwards. Standing up, the enemy's magical power was surging as well, a deep blue just like the sphere around them. The world around the group still war-torn, bursting into flames and blood flying across the field. Standing strong, Ardere stared down his enemy before looking back to his allies. We're going to need to hit this guy with everything we've got. He can't affect ALL of our magic. We've got a shot. Looking down at the handle of Clarent, he still shook slightly. But he was not shaking with fear, but anger. Sheer rage coursed through his veins, almost enough to make him steam. If his blood wasn't composed of flames at the moment, it would surely be boiling. They did not have many choices, but if they worked together than perhaps they could win. He had successfully landed a hard hit on Chronos, thus sending the god into frustration. The amulet gave him some extra needed power, and there was still an array of spells at his disposal. Hopefully he could provoke enough from their opponent to lure him into a bind.

Wolfe watched as once again the time elder started to alter time once again and after a few moments he heard him say something about a war and then suddenly they were in the middle of looked like the end of times. Spells and weapons were everywhere and people and objects were exploding and falling this way and that. It seemed Chronos had sent them into a time of war in history and it was nothing shy of bloody to say the least. Wolfe watched as a groups of mages ripped each other apart with weapons and spells. There was no way to tell who was light, dark or otherwise.

Wolfe turned at the last second to see Ardere trying to attack the time elder only to be sent back to his starting place over and over until a horde of mages from this period began to overwhelm him. Wolfe was about to jump to his guild master’s aid but then he saw as the same was about to happen to him and he was forced to start to phase shift between the group of mages attacking him. Wolfe was trying not to cause any permeant damage as he wasn’t sure who was good or bad. In this cause he had just shown up out of nowhere, so to either side he was the enemy. Wolfe noticed the young fox girl companion as well and as it seemed she was trying to fade into the shadows, which he thought was the best for her. Wolfe assumed she was trying for a surprise shot on Chronos, so Wolfe decided to make himself a larger target by causing a huge ruckuses as he fought off as many of the mages as he could while shifting around so they couldn’t pin him down.

As Wolfe looked over he saw in a moment of power and rage as Ardere knocked all the would be attackers away with a surge of powerful magic. Wolfe knew of Ardere’s fire magic as he was a fire elemental, but he would have to ask him about this other magic later. In the meantime he heard as Ardere started to yell about this not being real, and how it was the time elder’s perception of time. Wolfe would normally have agreed with Ardere if the hits didn’t feel so real. However, Ardere began his attacks again and he saw as Ardere landed a hit but as a result his blade was turned to dust before his very eyes. Wolfe had been around Ardere long enough to feel the change in Ardere as he was filled with anger and rage, but also pain. Wolfe figured the blade was more than just a weapon to Ardere, but he would talk to him later when this was all over about it. He then saw as Ardere made a blade of flame and struck Chronos but then was sent flying backwards.

In this moment he felt Ardere’s rage, and complied with his own Wolfe finally lost it and with a roar that could shake the very heavens Wolfe began to charge up all his power. The ground under him started to crack a little as the air around him began to feel heavy and arcs of lightning began to erupt off of Wolfe. His eyes turned pure yellow and smoke began to smoke from the corners of them and there was a huge surge of power as lightning shot everywhere around Wolfe, hitting a lot of the would be attacking mages around him. Wolfe then took off in a dash at Chronos and phase shifted and appeared right behind the time elder and went in for a right hook. The elder was able to manifest a clock to block Wolfe’s attack at the last second but then in mid swing Wolfe seemed to fade away and then all the sudden he was standing next to Chronos and was swinging his left leg up for a kick to the gut and it connected sened the elder to stumble back a few steps. Wolfe then faded again as he appeared on the other side of the elder with another kick, but the elder once again was able to ward the attack off with another clock only foe Wolfe’s attack to fade again like before to appear behind him trying to knee him in the back, and once again Chronos was able to use hid other hand to make a clock to block only for Wolfe to fade one more time and time and appear in front of Chronos with a left hook to his chin.

It would be obvious that Wolfe was focusing all his power into these short bursts of speed and power to throw off Chronos with false attacks and hit him when he was open. Wolfe did this another two times as he shifted all around the time elder landing a blow every second or third attack, but Wolfe knew this wasn’t going to be enough to put the elder down for good, and he needed to set that up. So with his final burst of speed he attacked from the side then the front and then appeared right behind Chronos and he threw both his arms forward under Chronos’s. Wolfe then raised his arms and at the last second Chronos realized what Wolfe was trying to do and tried to move and slow Wolfe down at the last second but it was too late as Wolfe hands found their place coming up behind Chrono’s head and Wolfe now had him in a full nelson hold.

The time elder began to rage as he couldn’t break Wolfe’s hold and instead tried to rip Wolfe body apart with magic. He was trying to speed up the age of one part of Wolfe’s body while regressing another part. It was obvious that Wolfe’s body was being ripped apart but luckily since he wasn’t human it was doing nothing more than just hurting him. Both Wolfe and the time elder screamed out in pain and rage as Wolfe refused to let him go. Wolfe popped his knee into the back of Chrono’s knee to cause it to give way and as he did Wolfe lifted his other leg and they both fell under the weight to their knees. Wolfe continued to hold the time elder open for an attack as he screamed through the pain ”DO IT!! ATTACK HIM, AND END THIS!! I CANT HOLD HIM FOREVER!! The elder was realizing by this point that Wolfe wasn’t human and he started to just overload Wolfe’s body with magic causing it to surge worse with each second and cause Wolfe pain like he could not even begin to explain but his resolve was too great for it and he refused to let Chronos go. Either the elder died here, or they both died here. There were no other options.

Before they could get around to taking the god down (if they were even capable of such a thing) Chronos made time spin again, the four of them leaving the world of dinosaurs and unrestrained wilderness behind as the time god mentioned primitive wars. Itori narrowed her eyes as she realized what they would be seeing next. She hadn't done a lot when the dinosaurs appeared, but if they really were going to end up in a war...

When the time sphere disappeared they were indeed standing in the midst of a gruesome war between thousands of humans, all of them yelling their own battlecries as they charged forward to meet each other with metal and magic. It was a sight that was practically as unknown as the world of dinosaurs in the modern world: while war hadn't completely disappeared it had become a lot more complex and sophisticated. As time had advanced small groups of well trained mages and fighters had become more valuable than large armies, moving around to be in the right place at the right time to tip the scales in the favour of whatever country or group they served. Instead of senseless slaughter the winner could easily be the one who managed to assassinate the leader of the enemy in their sleep, and knowledge and economics were as powerful as any weapon. The sight that she and her two partners were currently seeing, that of large armies ripping each other apart in head on confrontations, had become outdated and senseless as people had begun to prioritize the value of life over such concepts as honour and glory, that there was anything noble about dying out on the battlefield as one amongst many, a victim of some magic bombardment or the other.

Itori had seen something like this before, in her long life which had actually managed to last long enough that she had been able to see humanity develop and evolve as intelligence surpassed raw physical strength. If you lived long enough that you could see nations rise and fall and see science go from the discovery that you could float on water if you just gathered enough wood and bound it together to people inventing bigger and more complicated warships and similar contraptions... You lived long enough that you got to see a lot of things, and a simple, brute war like this one was no different. Bloody, merciless, cruel, terrifying... War could only be loved by the heartless or those who had never experienced it. The people who only cared for their own survival and success, and those who had never experienced the terror of seeing your childhood friends died on the ground, slain by blade or blown up by magic.

Seeing this scenery once more Itori lowered her head until her bangs hid her vermilion eyes, her ears twitching as she picked up many sounds, way too many of which were quite gruesome, things which could leave one shaken and too nervous to wield a blade. Entering a crouch she gripped her white blade tightly with both hands, waiting for a couple of warriors and mages to begin approaching her at Chronos's command. Once they were close Itori's eyes seemed to flash once before she suddenly dashed forward, her three tails trailing behind her as she quickly accelerated to a speed where her vision nearly blurred. She didn't need to see though: she could hear everything well enough.

When the mages launched blasts of raw destructive magic the blasts seemed to hit some kind of ethereal shield around Itori, and when the warriors tried to strike her with swords, spears and clubs she weaved between them all, like a dancing flash of silver and red. Passing the warriors some of them fell down with narrow but deep wounds, blood freely flowing even though Itori never slowed down. The mages tried to erect barriers, but a flurry of ghostly flames burned away their magic even as the Kitsune struck again and again, passing them by while slashing one only to turn around and stab the other from behind, placing her foot on their back to push them off while simultaneously leaping back to evade the new barrage meant to take her down while her blade was buried inside one of their companions. Holding up one hand Itori's eyes glowed again, and ethereal shapes began to seep out of those she had struck, all drawn towards her hand. Dashing back towards her opponents she trailed the open hand behind herself as she dodged and weaved, this time only using her blade to block and deflect until all the ethereal shapes had reached her hand, at which point she absorbed the spirits of the fallen.

Itori wasn't fond of stealing souls, but she had experienced a war like this one before and she knew that there was no time for anything like remorse or hesitation. Using the energy she drained from the stolen souls she quickly stepped forward before the warrior racing towards her could react, using the sharp nails on her open hand to slice open his exposed stomach. Spinning in place she then sliced open both his neck and that of the warrior who had been hot on his heels, the entire group all trying their best to take down the white fox who seemed to be intent on not only killing them but denying them their afterlife as well.

Like that the fight only escalated, as Itori began to cut down all the warriors and mages and taking their souls as nourishment and fuel for her rampage. After she had taken down those who Chronos had sent to deal with her the spirit fox didn't slow down and instead began to slice and dice her way through any and all humans that got in the way of the fight with Chronos, leaving it up to Wolfe and Ardere to deal with the time god as the humans in the area quickly all got sidetracked by the fact that there was a white and red spirit dashing about killing them all without seemingly making any distinction, only moving faster and faster as more souls were drained from their bodies to feed the spirit and make her even more merciless.

When Wolfe got Chronos in a hold and brought the two of them to the ground the spirit at first didn't react, but when he screamed for Ardere and her to try and take him down suddenly the spirit fox dashed past the two of them followed by a pure white arc, slicing open the time god's neck before spinning in place and using the rotation to slice open the god's stomach. However instead of coming to a halt to see how well her attack had fared Itori then swiftly returned to striking down the imaginary soldiers that would otherwise interfere, her eyes narrow and her expression one of a deadly focus.

(OOC Note: Chronos' Trump Card is a one time use.)

The world began to turn a deep shade of red as blood trickled down Ardere's left eye. Clutching the remaining handle of Clarent, the gold flames burned bright as ever. As he attempted to push forward, his one and only Ace took the fight into his own hands. Dashing back and forth, he allowed for the fire mage to unleash a barrage of attacks. The god of time was overwhelmed by the attacks, even with his mastery over time magic. Itori even managed to utilize her spirits and slice open the deity, severely injuring him. For the first time since they encountered the time lord, they were able to corner him as a group. While the lightning mage held him down, the samurai felt a sting of pain as he watched his friend being torn apart from the inside. Staring down the bleeding out time mage, the Fire King grabbed his face. I will not let any of you invade my world. Fall back into the abyss you came from! Channeling energy into his palm, he aimed to create a gargantuan explosion of flame and heat to finish off their enemy. But just as the explosion started, everything froze.

The three mages would be fully aware of what was happening, but have no control over it. A smile appeared over the time lord's lips as he chuckled. Time began to move into reverse. Every action that any mage on the battlefield had taken had been rewound. This seemed to occur for ages until they all reappeared in the center of Chronos' tower. It was as if they had been taken back in time to when they first encountered their opponent. Even the tower was uninjured from Ardere's first attack. What the...

This is my trump card. Sheer time control. How can you defy a god who's control over time is more vast then comprehension? Chronos called out, holding his hands behind his back. Shaking slightly, the samurai stared down at his reformed Clarent. Had everything they accomplished been for naught? Gritting his teeth, the grip on the handle of his blade intensified. Removing the top plates of his armor, he ripped his jacket off. Revealing his pale muscular physique, Ardere cracked his neck. The flame tattoos on his neck, face, and chest appeared glowing red. I....I will not be deterred you bastard. Holding out Clarent to the side, the blade was engulfed in flames once more. Wolfe, Itori....stand back for a moment. The sword in his hand began to glow a bright white, as a new weapon began to form. Unveiling the power of one of the three Infinity Hydra guild spells, the Hydra's Fang began to form. The Fang was made of pure holy light, as black corrupt flames swirled around it. The light began to become a red tint as all of the magic power Ardere possessed was put into one sword. This was the ultimate spell combination, but it was an all or nothing attack. Since it is going to be your demise, I might as well tell you what this is. This is Finis, combining the power of all of the magic I wield. My three sword spells are summoned in the same hand, creating this one. The guild master spoke to the god, who's eyes widened as even he recognized the power of the weapon in front of him. The samurai whispered to himself: 'God I hope this works.'

Lifting the blade up, the stone beneath his feet began to crack. Ardere dashed forward as all six time remnants Chronos could summon were sent towards the warrior. Slicing through two of the remnants, they were turned to dust. The other four making their way to the two mages behind the armor-clad one. Take this! Thrusting his blade forward, the time lord summoned a shield, placing an immense amount of power into it. Piercing right through the shield, Finis slid through the old man's shoulder with no effort at all. The fire mage's arm was grabbed, as the flames in his body began to spark back and forth. It was an interesting process to age flames, but the mental control Ardere possessed over his own flames was immense, enough to slow the process down. I'll hold him as long as I can. Finish those remnants and make a final attack with me! Groaning in pain, the power of the final sword known as Finis blinded the time lord. Was this the end of the battle? Hopefully the three could pull it together. As reckless as a move the Fire King had made, he knew what he was doing. If they had forgotten, the necklace still hung from his neck. Dangling, the moon amulet shimmered for a moment.

Wolfe watched as their other member of the group, the fox girl, took her attacks at the Chronos. Through the pain Wolfe tried to focus himself to try and keep together as Chronos tried so hard to rip him apart. Wolfe saw as Ardere walked up to the time elder and grabbed him by the face and went in for what should have been the kill, but just as the hit was going off everything stopped.

Time itself stopped…..

Wolfe was aware as everything came to instant stop, then just as quickly as it stopped, it began to move again. However, it seemed things were taking a turn for the worst as time began to move backwards. As it did Wolfe seemed to be aware of the whole thing, but could do nothing about it. Wolfe watched as everything went backwards and rewound all the way back the beginning of the fight when they first went after Chronos. As time went backwards so did area around them as even the building from the start of the fight began to rebuild around them. Finally the everything came to a halt and time was back to normal, and they were standing in the tower, Chronos standing in front of them.

Wolfe didn’t like the idea that everything was undone as that meant more than likely they would just have to play out the whole thing again, unless his trump card took too much out of him and that is why he waited till he was pinned down like he was to use it. Wolfe only hoped that was the case, because that meant they might be able to bring this to an end very soon. Wolfe then watched as Ardere and Chronos exchanged words and then Ardere prepared for an attack. Wolfe watched as Ardere went on about how he refused to let Chronos have his way and then made his attack. However, there was also the issue that with Chrono’s rewinding of time he had also brought back hi clones, but this time he had made even more. Ardere mad his mad dash and managed to slice through two of the remnants on his way to Chronos. Ardere plunged his sword into the time elder’s shoulder and then yelled out for Wolfe and their partner the fox girl to make their attacks to try and take Chronos down.

Wolfe focused his energy like he had done before the rewinding of time and released a huge burst of magical power. Once again like before there was a huge surge of power from Wolfe as lightning began to erupt from Wolfe. In that moment Wolfe phase shifted forward, and with the same ferocity Ardere had shown he went after two of the remnants. Last time he had held back leaving his trump card for Chronos himself, but this time he was powered up and he was done playing nice. The two remnants didn’t even see Wolfe coming or stand a chance as he appeared right between them and in the same instant he reached out both hands and grabbed each by their necks and lift them up in a burst of speed that would have seemed a lur to most and with all his might as they both struggled to break his grip from their throats he leaned forward and droped to one knee as he slammed both of them into the ground. The force was hard enough to create a crater on both sides of him and snap the neck of each remnant. As Wolfe released the necks of the now useless remnants he looked up and towards the time elder. Wolfe then phase shifted again behind Chrono and threw his hands forward and grabbed ahold of his shoulders. Wolfe then focused all his speed and strength into a single burst as he jumped, and with the same speed he used to phase shift, he pulled his right knee up and slammed it into the dead center of Chronos’s back, right into the middle of his spine. As his knee connected he released a burst of lightning from his knee. The burst was so powerful it shot right through him and lightning shot out from the front of Chrono’s chest just missing Ardere.

From the very beginning Itori had felt somewhat uncertain about fighting a god of time, since time was one of the most fundamental forces of reality and one which could be abused immensely by someone who was able to manipulate it freely. In the middle of the battlefield of an ancient war it had looked like they had managed to corner Chronos, with the lightning mage having put him in a hold which allowed her and Ardere to strike at him and hopefully put him down. However as the Kitsune had been fearing fighting something like Chronos wasn't going to be just as straightforward as just bringing him down, as before he could die from his wounds or Ardere could finish him off he showed the three mages just exactly why he called himself the god of time.

Like the others Itori couldn't do anything as suddenly the world itself was stopped in its tracks, the Kitsune inwardly shocked at this strange experience where she could not move at all, not the smallest breath, yet she could still perceive and process what she perceived. It wasn't something she had experienced before: she had experienced being incapacitated, she had even experienced being conscious while her body was out for the count, but never had she gone through this strange state where she was still inhabiting her own body, and rather than just being stuck or incapacitated her body just didn't move at all. Even her metabolism had come to a complete stop, and the reason why she could still think was because of her soul not requiring movement to function. Normally being stuck in this kind of state would have resulted in severe necrosis, but because the culprit was time her body couldn't even decay or die. It was... Well, she was pretty sure that if she and the others weren't enjoying an adrenaline high due to them being in the middle of combat they'd have to deal with some very nasty psychological trauma because feeling your entire being just stop couldn't be good for the mind.

As everything got reversed to the start Itori tried her best to keep the souls that she had accumulated from the warriors of the battlefield from disappearing, but since Chronos was literally rewinding everything that had transpired there was nothing she could do. This was different from the abilities that the deity had been displaying so far, where he was only messing with time on a small scale. He had grabbed the wheel of time itself and forced everything within this dimension to revert to a time of his choosing: the only way to counter that would be to have enough power to directly counter Chronos's, and nobody had as much power as a literal god. The only silver lining in this situation was that by forcing an absolute reversal all the wounds and exhaustion that she and the other two might have accumulated was also reverted, and Chronos couldn't do anything to them other than force them to watch as he reset the entire fight.

Once the effect had ended they were all back to the very beginning, Chronos confirming the suspicion that this action had been meant to demoralize them by making them feel like all their attempts were futile since he could just reset everything if it happened to go badly for him. Itori frowned as she was feeling actual worry, unsure how to deal with this. She could deal with temporal distortions one way or another, as could the other two, but if he could actually just keep denying them victory whenever they managed to get close there wasn't a lot they could do... And the god had taken this opportunity to summon more time clones to keep them busy this time around. So far as demoralizing went this technique was certainly very effective: it is one thing to feel like your attacks aren't having much of an effect, and an entirely different thing to realize that even if you managed to make progress your opponent could just undo everything you did as if you had never bothered trying in the first place.

However they didn't have much of a choice in the matter: Chronos had to be stopped, so even if it felt fruitless they'd have to keep fighting. Itori would have preferred retreating and taking the time to think of a new strategy, possibly looking for clues to what the limit of Chronos's power was and whether the guild had anything which would allow them to counteract the time reversal, but the deity wasn't going to let them escape. The way it was looking now they'd have to keep fighting him again and again until eventually he managed to defeat them, after which time would permanently stop for them. Although... Even as Ardere began to move and the time clones also began their assault Itori was still thinking rapidly, thoughts flashing through her head like bolts of lightning even as she gripped her sword and took a stance. While Itori definitely wasn't about to underestimate a god of time she had to admit that his fighting so far had been... sloppy. He didn't seem to bother with clairvoyance at all, even though that was one of the most basic and powerful methods for abusing the ability to manipulate time. And rather than just warping time and space most of the time Chronos seemed to be more interested in messing with clocks... even though clocks were a mortal invention made in an attempt to keep track of time. Why would a god bother with something like that?

Stepping to the side Itori felt a spike of alarm as she saw that the stone she had been standing on fell apart into nothingness, along with a long line originating from two of the time clones to her position and beyond. They were once again using those disintegrating attacks, forcing everything in front of them to age to the point of nothingness. Itori kept running to the side as they fired more of their destructive time magic, frantically thinking. Why was Chronos relying on such mundane abilities? Even these waves looked more like what you'd expect from a mage who knew some time magic rather than an actual god who had the turning of the wheel of fate as his domain. Either he really was just not taking them seriously at all, or his powers were strangely limited... Maybe being trapped for so long had weakened him? But even so the clocks were just... odd...

The only thing Itori could really guess at with some degree of certainty was that Chronos seemed to have something preventing him from controlling the time of the mages themselves individually. He had tried to rip Wolfe apart and those disintegrating attacks were dangerous, but if he had absolute control he would just have frozen them all in time and then killed them off one by one. Someone with absolute control over time was as impossible to defeat in a normal fight as someone who controlled space, especially since the two tended to be related. But Chronos had some very strange limitations... Itori shook her head. Ardere and Wolfe were already attacking Chronos himself, so she had to take a gamble and try to eliminate these two remaining time clones as fast as possible. Fortunately she had an idea, which would be somewhat reliant on the theory that while Chronos could control time in an area, he couldn't control time for a single person or object beyond very basic stuff.

The two time clones had been advancing on her while releasing their disintegrating waves, until one of them was close enough to begin universally destroying everything around it. Itori backed off, but then suddenly planted her feet firmly on the ground before charging in even as she turned an ethereal white all over. The moment she entered the area which was being disintegrated she seemed to disappear, only for the affected area to flash a ghostly white even as she reappeared on the other side, the time clone suddenly falling down like a puppet with its strings cut, blood seeping from a cutting wound on its neck which had appeared so suddenly that it was as if it had always been there. Holding her blade Itori turned towards the other time clone, who was suddenly hesitant now that she had done... something. It seemed to have an idea of what had happened, and from its expression it wasn't like it even as Itori's face remained calm and controlled, her previous worry having disappeared as her gamble had turned out to pay off.

The remaining time clone shook his head before releasing a wide area wave of rapidly accelerated time that would make everything it touched fall apart, and at the same time Itori turned ethereal again just before the wave hit her. And once she was inside the wave...

Chronos for some reason seemed to be limited to controlling areas, not people. He could affect living things, but unless he controlled them through their surroundings his control seemed to be extremely rudimentary. If he had wanted to escape Wolfe's grasp without any issue he'd just have frozen the lightning mage in place. Instead he'd only tried to overload the mage's body with sheer power once he was already caught. Which meant that these disintegrating waves, in which time flew at a ridiculous pace, could actually be treated as normal for those who were completely caught within one. The reason that this didn't work for most people was because before the mind had adapted to the sudden acceleration of time an organic body would already have fallen apart, or the shock of being thrown into such a rapid stream of time killed them. But what if someone was a spirit? Spirits were immortal: no matter how many ages passed, a spirit wasn't going to fall apart unless it lost the minimum amount of focus necessary to remain whole, or an external force tampered with it. A spirit couldn't die from time alone.

The ethereal Itori stood within the rapid timestream, everything outside of the wave she had entered looking like it had been frozen in time. Now that her mind had adapted she could turn back into her physical form, flexing her hand as, from her perspective, she progressed through time at the same pace as anyone else. From the perspective of someone outside of the time wave she would look as if she was progressing so fast that, even with her abnormal lifespan, she'd probably be decaying and falling apart. This attack truly was deadly: there were very few ways to halt an effect which fast forwarded your time, and if sped up to this amount it'd kill practically anything. Even stone would be destroyed, because eventually even with no external forces entropy would make any physical object fall apart. Unless that object was protected in some way, that is. Itori's trick only worked because in her spirit form she could actually bypass the effects of time and entropy. Itori shivered as she thought of just how powerful Chronos truly was if he could force time to advance at such a speed that even stone, something so solid and consistent, disappeared within seconds. If they actually managed to kill this monster... It would be an incredible feat, because he certainly deserved to be called a god, regardless of what strange limitations his powers seemed to have.

Like the previous time the timestream was rapidly becoming dark as light was leaving it faster than it was entering. Itori mainly used her ears to keep track of her surroundings and beyond that had good nightvision as a fox, but still took it as motivation to stop standing around and move forward. Gripping her sword she walked forward towards the time clone who was frozen just like most of the tower, since the wave might have originated from him but he hadn't included himself, even though he probably could have entered and left whenever he wanted. Once she reached the edge Itori turned ethereal again, because if she tried to step back out into the normal timestream with an organic body she'd be trapped on the edge as part of her body would be frozen from her perspective. Even as a spirit leaving the time bubble was still a hassle, since she had to force her entire form to pass through the edge simultaneously. It was a good thing that she had millennia to become used to taking her time to carefully make her way through issues when she could afford to.

From the outside perspective this time wave would also flash before Itori suddenly appeared right next to the last time clone, grabbing its had to pull out its soul before she dashed over towards Ardere and Wolfe were busy with Chronos. Since Ardere had the god pinned with his sword and Wolfe was already striking from behind Itori grabbed her cursed spirit beads and pressed them against the god's head even as she forcefully began to pull his soul out. Normally this would be a laughable idea, since the god could just shrug off her attempt at pulling out his soul, but with Ardere and Wolfe already attempting to kill him he wouldn't be able to focus enough to do more than resist, which in return would mean that as long as he wasn't allowed to regain his focus he would be unable to move as his soul was too busy resisting the pull to give commands to the body or use magic.

Groaning in pain, Ardere drove the blade called Finis deep into his enemy. Wolfe and Itori employed their own tactics, the latter of the two choosing to do something he found quite strange. It appeared almost as if she were pulling his soul out. But as the three bombarded the time god, the tower they stood in began to decay, being ripped apart by sheer magical power. Blue lightning began to spark around the massive structure, this could be seen for hundreds of miles as it utterly destroyed the landscape around them. Cracks began to appear in Chronos' skin as he began to disintegrate from their attacks. His eyes glowed a bright blue as dark light began to pour out of the cracks in his body. The Fire King remained steady, his skin beginning to flake away, revealing black flames underneath.

Within a matter of moments, everything stopped. The tower remained half destroyed, the lightning halted, and the blue ash that remained of the time god scattered with the wind. The three mages had won. Their magic was depleted and they were likely exhausted enough to take a week long nap, but they had won nonetheless. Panting slightly, Ardere deactivated Finis. Chunks of his armor fell to the ground as his skin began to reform in the correct manner. Thank you guys. I think that's the last we'll hear of him. I couldn't have done it without you. Gripping Clarent tightly, he vowed to never fight with the extension of his soul so carelessly. The crimson blade was a part of him, not a toy.

Standing up, he held on to his two team mates to help them down the slightly wrecked building. Let's get the hell out of here and go home, shall we? Smiling slightly, for the first time in a while he was tired of fighting. He merely wanted to go back to the guild and see his beloved guild mates, then sleep for a few days. The samurai had been fighting for far too long. For once, it was time to relax. Then he could return to the line of duty, engaging monsters and the like. The combination of fighting the Dragon King and the God of Time had taken a toll on his magical power, one that likely would never heal. The only thing he could do was strengthen himself and those around him. As long as he had friends like Wolfe and Sabertooth, then it would be alright.

~The End~

(Thank you guys for sticking around and participating, I enjoyed it)

Still perched where the group had mages entered the elder's realm stood Nicklaus Flamel. His long blonde hair that was slicked back into a pony tail blew in the breeze. He stood in the direction that Ardere's group had traveled but stared down at his watch as the second hand clicked past the 45 second mark. "The flame god slayer sure does live up the legend that his life would spell, but to think that he and his group of mages dispatched the elder of time in such a manner is quite a remarkable thing." He would say flipping down the cover of his pocket watch and tucked it into the pocket of his vest and pulled out a small object which glowed a golden hue. "That went according to plan." he would say with a smile on his face.