A Prince's Fate

Kaieda's heart raced, as the child of Atlas charged at his daughter and Kalista without hesitation. Time seemed to slow down, as he couldn't believe he was about to witness, another one of his children killed, this time in front of him.

He was a proud man, even with his demeanour. He didn't lack in his training and responsibilities as the crown prince. However, one thing he did regret in his life, was not spending much time, with his daughter. Her older brother had died in a skirmish with the children of Atlas and he was unable to do anything, even though he was close to their battle site.

Although situations had never favoured him, he still blamed himself. Now once again, he still couldn't do anything.

Time resumed, for it never waited for him, as the child of Atlas got within a meter of killing Yori, who was not prepared. However, suddenly, dropping like an anchor out of the sky, was the Hashin guarding their shuttle, who managed to block the child of Atlas' charge.

Her skin was cracking up like Kayed's, having used the technique, to allow her to make it on time. She felt her comrade's life flash off in the distance and assumed a code zero mentality. Her priority was to keep the royal family safe and help them escape the danger. "Forbidden Art, Acidic Clouds."

Tiny sprouts opened up, all near the child of Atlas' feet, quickly bellowing out, a massive plume of acidic smoke from the planet. Surrounding him, and maintaining position, his skin burned, blistered, and peeled, as his body tried to keep up with the damage. He began to choke, then dropped to his knees, coughing his lungs out.

The Hashin spurted out blood, as one of her organs was crushed as a sacrifice. Still, she wanted to see this through and was ready to sacrifice another.

"Haha ahaha... Just kidding." The child of Atlas stood back up, as a big swirl of electricity, blew the acid clouds away from him, and crushed the ground around his feet. "Did you think, that was going to hurt me? With all the stories that I used to hear from Father, you're generation has truly disappointed me."

Her eyes grew wide in terror. She raised a massive golem of lava behind him, throwing down a colossal fist, while glancing back just once, to yell at them to run away.

However, it all happened too quickly, for them to register. She glanced back at him, as a gigantic, violet lightning strike, struck the golem down with ease and continued to converge into his hand. An object looking like a spear, was all she could make out, as he threw it with intense velocity, trying to kill the two women behind her as well.

The Hashin managed to launch them out of the way, towards Kaieda, with a clay dome, absorbing the impact. Time was still in slow motion for her, as her feet began to lift off the floor, and she finally, was able to look down. Seeing the gaping hole, centred through her chest.

"I see..." She said faintly and unleashed the last of her energy, as her body hit the floor. "Forbidden Art... Land Reformation...."

With her last breath, thousands of geysers opened up all around them, as sleeping volcanoes of the entire country blew up. In moments, the entire land was covered in lava, a burning land, with no habitable spot as far as the eye could see. The waves consumed her, as everyone else had to worry for their lives.

Kaieda kept Kalista and Yori behind him, facing the enemy, who was wary of the lava, the moment it began and took to the skies after them, keeping his distance. "Kalista take Yori with you now, you can use the opportunity she bought us to escape his reach!"

Kaieda took off his coat, letting it fall into the burning ocean, with his black sword gleaming by his side. Then, he gathered enough energy to go into third gear.

Yori, piped up between them, a tear beginning to streak down her cheek. "I can fight with you!"

Suddenly the child of Atlas attacked and kicked him with such speed it immediately shattered a couple of bones in his arm, yet he blocked it, grinning. His knowledge of iko was one of the best on Azuria, given his private lessons from his father. However, he knew immediately, that this opponent wasn't someone he could hold back against.

The wind from the force of the strike nearly blew Kalista and Yori away. The man smiled, glancing at each of them. "I don't like when you guys ignore me like that. No need for any planning. Show me your strength. What are you worth, Prince of Azuria?"

Kaieda lurched taking another strike to his stomach. He gritted his teeth and grabbed hold of the man's arm while covering his other fist with magma. Striking him square in the face and dislocating the man's arm.

He yelled out in pain, glaring at him, then smirked, as his arm popped back into his shoulder, by itself. He glared at Kaieda, but quickly regained his composure.

Kaieda braced himself. "If you know of me, then you know I won't forgive you, for what you have done to my people and the harm you tried to cause my child."

The child of Atlas shook his head. "No, it's truly an honour, I've heard stories of you ever since I was a youngling, as well as the Hashin. It's why I was excited to come to this planet... Ahh my bad, I forgot to introduce myself."

Purple lightning struck him, as he held the charge, going into first gear. "I go by Galaico, the 85th child of Atlas. I must add your skull, to my collection."

Several beads of sweat dripped down Kaieda's face. He had only felt this much power, often from his father. Now facing someone at that level, he realized, this was the moment of his life, where he had to surpass Akio, in every way.

Which meant, he had to put his life on the line. "Ahh Galaico was it? I've got to be honest with you. Getting serious isn't my style. I like to have fun. Travel the galaxy and see new things. However I've been blessed to have experienced so much and wish my daughter the same life, but better in every way." His expression changed, as a deadly aura, began to emanate from him. "You and your family, threaten her way of life. I can not allow you to live!"

Galaico smirked. "So what are you going to do? Can you even survive, my next strike?" He said, settling into a stance, ready to pounce on his prey.

Kaieda clasped both of his hands. "We'll see, I'll be giving it everything I've got!" Steam, escaped his breath as he bit down, and exploded the energy within him. "Forbidden Art, Self-Volcanization!"

His heart lit on fire, as his skin began to crack and shift like magma. Enormous power coursed through him, as volcanoes in the entire area erupted once more. His hair remained silver, as lava marks flowed through his skin coursing faster.

The prince dodged raining rocks and debris, as Kaieda raised one palm at him. "Shūchō Roar!"

A large sphere of lava had started to form in front of his palm while gathering some from below before it shattered forth. Carving out the burning sea below them, as it chased the Galaico, who was trying to escape. At some point, he disappeared with a flash, and reappeared, kicking Kaieda on his side, and crashing him down into the sea of lava.

Kaieda, immediately jumped back up into the air, as pillars of lava followed behind him, each grabbing for Galaico. Who once again zipped around, dodging each one. Blurring, with the speed of his movements, as he drew his sword and aimed to cut the Azurian down.

However, as he struck at Kaieda's body, the magma he covered himself in armour with, morphed to grab hold of his sword and hardened. Then Kaieda grabbed his arm, as he couldn't escape, burning him as he gripped tightly.

"Let go of me!" The prince yelled struggling to get free, then flipped up to try and kick him away. However, a massive hand of magma soared out of the sea like a dolphin. Then, grabbed hold of him, before crashing back down into the lava with him

"Hagye Nightmare." Kaieda said, as he turned off the limit-breaking technique, which had already shaved away a quarter of his life, and thanked the Hashin for her last gift.

He turned around to begin heading back to his daughter, when the burning sea began to shake, rippling earthquakes through the land, as lightning struck down all around him, then at him as he raised a barrier above, to protect himself.

Galaico rose out of the sea of lava, with a barrier of electricity, dripping lava off of it. His entire body was messed up, with all of his clothes burnt off.

He pointed raised one palm at Kaieda. "You're paying for that! Lightning Flare!"

A laser of electricity ripped through the side of Kaieda's abdomen faster than he could react. He began to fall out of the sky.

The prince looked at him, angrily. "That's not enough. Not yet!"

He raced towards Kaieda and kicked him harder, sending him crashing into a mountain, outside of the country.

Kaieda could barely see, his vision was blurry, and nausea washed over him. He felt multiple bone fractures throughout his body. 'This is it.' He thought to himself. 'I can't win, but I hope I bought them, enough time to escape.'

Galaico landed in front of him, standing above, with a disgusted look. "Someone proclaiming to be a prince of the Azurians and the next leader of the Rahmanaka Clan should never be this weak. I'm disappointed, Prince Kaieda."

Kaieda coughed large amounts of blood, as he sat himself up. "Maybe so, but I am proud to have served my people to the very end. I'm not sure if I'll be missed, but my daughter, will make a fine Queen one day and I don't want her to ever have to see you again."

He had one hand planted on the ground, the entire time, beckoning the lava, burning where they left, to go down under, and manipulate tectonic plates. The ground below them, started to vibrate violently, as earthquakes ripped the land apart.

"Galaico! You messed with the wrong clan!" Kaieda yelled as he sacrificed his life's entire potential.

The prince's eyes grew wide, before he spun around and began running as fast as he could, then took off into the air, but his leg was caught on to something. Rather something was pulling him back down.

Arms growing out of each other made out of titanium, clay, and different steels, extended out of the ground, with one of the arms grabbing hold of his leg. Then, like a whip it dropped him back down to the ground, as Kaieda yelled out loud. "Forbidden Art, Continental Detonation!" Then smiled, one last time, as Galaico watched him slump over to the side.

Galaico panicked as time seemed to move in slow motion for him. His life flashed multiple times before his eyes, as he cut off the arm, holding him down, and dove toward the sky as quickly, as quickly as he could. Just in time, as the entire continent erupted.