Odin, as he still went by that name despite all that had changed, wandered through the marshes in Dahlia, where farmers grew their crops and people went missing or wound up dead on a weekly basis. It was, perhaps, the most 'Dahlia' of locations within the town, as it perfectly encompassed everything that the town was known for. Of course, Dahlia was a town itself, and grew with trade that the civilians grew and sold at markets. That is why the famer's worked, and why they stayed. But also, there was the fact that many people were killed or disappeared in this area, giving birth to the fact that Dahlia was, as well as being a town, in a constant state of war. War between the church and its cultists, war between the vampires and the lycans, and war between humans and more humans, the death and violence never ceased, and nor would it, as death begot more death, killing causing more killing as was its nature.

Despite the almost perpetual darkness that Dahlia was known for, Odin had entered the marsh during a bright, sunny morning. The sun was not quite at its peak, with the time being around 10am, and Odin stood in the center of a field of dead crops, with nothing around him but flat land. Despite his position, he was not standing there to attract attention, but more to run some tests. He had a new body, and wanted to know if he still felt the warmth of the sun on his bones, as he now lacked flesh of any sort. Strangely enough, he did.

Full MP
Boom Blade Equipped

Spell:

It wasn't until he became a creature of magic that Odin could truly appreciate the world that he lived within. To be a skeleton, a being of darkness, and yet still feel as if human, it defied all normal physical laws, and yet it was. There was no flesh on Odin's new body, no nerves, and yet he still felt the warmth of the sun heat up his core, and the marshy grass below him still felt wet to the touch. There was no way to explain what was happening to him, but for all intents and purposes he was the same man, just in a new body and with new magical potential: a fact which was easily the strangest feeling.

Odin felt empty, there was no other way to describe it and it didn't just arise from lacking skin and organs. He was, for the first time in his life, completely alone, without Lucifer's guidance and aid when called upon. All the power in his possession was his own, and everything he did was of his own volition. The demonic influence of the prince was no longer an aspect of the dark mage's own personality, but neither would Odin have another to blame for his misfortune any longer. From now on, his choices, be them mistakes or otherwise, were his own to make.

A questioning greeting pierced the otherwise silent morning, as a human approached Odin's location from the west. Turning to face the stranger, with the sun now shining down Odin's back, the skeleton opened his own mouth to speak: a dull, hollow sound emerging from the gaping maw.

"Can I help you?"

Odin noted that, despite the man being roughly 15m away from the Lich's current location, he was intrigued enough to approach something that could easily have been his doom. It was unlikely that he was a simple farmer, as the civilians of these lands knew better than to approach something they didn't know the origin of. This man was curious, but also willing to pursue curiosity, a dangerous combination in the right man. If this interaction turned violent, Odin already had his hands hanging naturally at his side, ready to grasp and equip his knives, which were strapped to each  side of his waist, at a moment's notice should the need arise. Despite having gained new powers, the Lich wasn't sure he was yet ready for a real battle, perhaps he would have to adapt sooner rather than later.

Shura straightened up, he raised a eyebrow behind the mask. ‘Huh imagine that I guess they could leave the carnival. Or this is a byproduct of Dahlia.’ He thought while hearing the skeleton talk. A male voice came from the skeleton so he could assume he shared the same gender. He could help Shura a lot actually in this very moment, he just had to respond in kind. Keeping his distance of 15 meters he just held up one hand to show he was doing nothing menacing. While doing this he spoke, “First off, where are my manners. I am Shura Ranzu of Phantom Lord.”

He continued to reach for his pouch, and pulled out a singular pop. He held it between his index and middle finger while pointing at the skeleton. The lollipop was facing the sky with the stick between his two fingers. During this he spoke, “Well I was drawn here by these special candies. They pulsated fiercely as I got closer, with the current trend of things. Means you are holding some. I was curious to know if you were willing to part with a couple. I am trying to find the mystery of these things and something tells me the more I have the better. Considering you look well, kind of dead I am sure I could find more use for them”

Shura was on his best behavior at that moment, knowing full well it could all go sour. At any given moment. By keeping things calm and neutral he was able to play the part. He was ready and willing to pop off if it was needed. If he could walk away without anyone getting hurt that was possible also. Thing was during this whole time while talking he kept a close eye on the skeleton in front of him. Not taking his eyes off it for a moment. It seemed Shura was defenseless but he had several ways to attack and escape impending doom should the need arise. He waited for some kind of response from the skeleton in question.

Full MP
Boom Blade Equipped

The stranger seemed, for the moment at least, relatively calm and civil, introducing himself as Shura Ranzu of Phantom Lord, something that indeed intrigued Odin. Perhaps it was because of all the time he had spent in Grimoire Heart, surrounded by so many like himself, but he had noticed a trend in dark guild members being much less willing to divulge information about themselves. And yet here was Shura, a relative nobody from the looks of things, giving his full name and allegiance without any prompting, as if it was the most natural way to introduce himself. This usually meant one of two things: either Shura was an idiot who didn't have any idea how the world worked, or he simply didn't care what people did with the knowledge of himself. Regardless, kindness should be rewarded with more kindness, and so the hollow voice spoke once more, "A pleasure, Shura Ranzu of Phantom Lord. I go by-" there was a brief pause as Odin realised a strange fact. He had gone by Lucifer as it was his given name by Icarus, but that name had come from a power that Odin no longer possessed, was that still his name? "I go by Grimm, no surname, and no affiliation, just a wandering mage in search of the mysteries of the world."

It was then that things got interesting, to an extent. Shura reached into a pouch, and pulled forth a pumpkin pop, an item of great mystery and value to Odin. It seemed that they pulsated when they came into contact with others and, now that it was mentioned, Odin felt a tug from his own pouch, which hung loosely at his waist. Shura knew of Odin's ownership, which meant there was no reason to try and hide the fact, but the stranger also seemed to desire a few of them, if the Lich was willing to part with them. It was then that he produced one from his own pouch, and began walking towards Shura, the semblance of a smile on his skull.

"Depending on how many you're looking for, I could maybe spare a few. I've managed to get ten from my travels, although I lost too many of those carnival games that I barely got any from them, so I'd rather not part with all of them if it's all the same to you. After all, we're all interested to see what they do."

Hearing the name Grimm, Shura knew the skeleton was full of it. Of course in a metaphorical sense. Considering he had nothing inside. He thought about pressuring the question because he felt a sense that something was being hidden. Something magical happened to create this being. A roaming mage non the less. It was a oddity no doubt but Shura was also a oddball. He wasn't human himself but it was much easier to hide than something like this. Shura made a deal with the devil and this man gave his humanity away to the reaper. They had much more in common than both knew.

Maybe it was his paranoia, but people who went by special names like this had some form of meaning. Or maybe it was short for Grim Reaper? Only the skeleton knew the true answer. Shura withheld his curiosity for the moment and played along. He was trying to keep this a peaceful discussion. He had several chances to attack and end this without as much as uttering a word. Where was the fun in trying to use charisma. In the grand scheme of things this was practice for the future. If he couldn’t act on a small stage for one person and sway them to his side. How could he stand in front of a nation? Sure force is always the easy way out. Shura knew it made him no better than a common thug.

“Tis a pleasure to meet you Grimm.” As he spoke this he slid the pop back under his coat, not saying much more. The skeleton held out a pop and walked forward calmly. Shura made sure to appear calm but under his cloak he began to rub his finger tips together. He was still weary of the individual, and did not move from his position. He acted as if he was still rummaging around under his cloak for the pouch. In reality the rubbing of his fingertips together was a precaution of what could come. He took a empty hand out from behind his cloak while his middle finger rested on his thumb. The skeleton spoke while walking towards him, Shura listened intently. His eyes still focused on Grimm.

“I would only need a couple, one, two maybe three. Depends on what exactly is given. I am not a greedy man I do not want all, just to add to my own lot to discover if quantity reveals their purpose.” Shura was almost double what this individual had. He did not give a number on purpose like the skeleton did. He wasn’t going to give pertinent information away just like that. He put a lot of effort into gathering them and this would be the easy grab. Not to mention he wasn’t too sure if this skeleton was truly friendly. Smiling faces don’t always tell the truth. The skeleton was roughly two meters away at this point. This was dangerous for both parties, and they were well aware of how south this could go.

Grimm, what a ridiculously cliché name to introduce himself as, although it would've been far worse to go by Reaper. Grimm was much more like Lucifer in terms of a pseudonym: more than likely fake but sounding like it could be a genuine name. After all, it was nothing new for someone to suspect Odin of being a liar, as very few people had let him go by Lucifer without at least some questioning, despite the fact that it was the legitimate name of the demon within him...formerly within him. That was a weird dynamic, and something Odin wasn't fully accustomed to as of yet: knowing that he didn't have another voice residing in the back of his mind. A prideful, boastful, borderline obnoxious voice that much was fact, but a voice nonetheless, one that had provided Odin with some comfort in his darker moments.

Now being a skeleton, it was obvious that many people would refer to him as Death, the Grim Reaper, or some other known skeleton from folklore. It was for that reason that the name had sprung to mind when questioned by Shura. If Odin had taken the time to consider what his new name would be, he may have come up with something slightly more convincing. But, it was what it was, and now it was the name he'd be known by. Lucifer was dead, scrapped from the history books, only remaining as the signature of the lease of the Swineherd Pub in Oak. From now on, Odin would need a more suitable name, and it seemed that he had made his decision, and was stuck with Grimm. In all honesty, his quick thinking could've easily come up with something much worse: at least Grimm was accurate.

Shura responded that he was pleased to meet the Lich, before returning his own pop to his pouch, with Odin making sure to note where it was he put it. Odin did the same as he walked forward, suspecting that he may require the use of his free hands, as they fell to his side, resting neatly on top of the Asuma Knives that he had recently acquired, not in a threatening way, more so because it was just a comfortable position for Odin to stand in.

Both hands rested atop the blades. Odin's left hand was curved inwards, ready to twitch inwards a little bit more and form a clenched fist, while his right hand rested with the middle finger atop the thumb of that same hand, in a similar fashion to Shura's own hand. Snapping fingers was one of the ways Odin activated his arsenal of spells, it felt unlikely that a Phantom Lord mage would simply rest that way. Instead, it was probably more accurate that Shura was gearing up to use something but, as he had yet to do anything, there was the chance that he was waiting for Odin to make the first move. Odin's motions were not intended as threatening, or anything of the sort. Instead, he was simply wanting to make Shura aware that they both didn't trust each other, and both were ready for anything.

"How uncharacteristically friendly for someone of your affiliation. I hope you will forgive me, but as a Phantom- well you don't have the reputation for being this businesslike. You may well be the exception to the stereotype, but how would I know? As it happens, I might still be persuaded, so tell me. What do you think their purpose may be? And what do you hope to gain from them if they are what you suspect they are?"

There was no hidden riddle in Odin questions, simply curiosity. It was getting more and more likely that, if either party wished to gain more pumpkin pops, they would have to battle for it, but there was no harm in postponing that for the time and having a friendly, if slightly tenser, conversation. After all, Odin was no doubt Shura's first Lich, what kind of monster would end that experience so abruptly.

The thing was about all of this, Shura never once hid his true intentions. That was just a byproduct of the mask. Hidden facial expressions kept the true nature covered. A persona used to keep himself hidden from the eyes of the world. This was out of fear for what could happen. Now that he had become a major player in the world, he couldn’t walk around all willy nilly without inviting disaster. That was the first mistake of a naive boy trying to reach the powers of a god quickly. He wanted to reach the peak faster but his body was not willing. Not taking the time and effort to refine himself. It should be a slow process that needed to be bathed in ambition while forged in the hot furnace of life. He was discovering himself still, a bit of him pushing against his rowdy, rebellious nature. The legacy of the Ranzu’s was coming around again. No matter how much one pushes against it they cannot fight who they are. The time was approaching that he let his true nature shine through.

His blood was beginning to boil, not out of rage. Out of excitement, he felt it from this individual. A dark power was growing and the potential was limitless. They were kindred spirits when it came down to it. Shura wasn’t aware of Grimm’s Lich background, hidden in plain sight. A lack of knowledge to fund the answers needed to all the questions crafted in his mind. That was irrelevant at this very moment. See Odin did something that made this rise up in Shura. His soul resonated with the demon dwelling within at that moment. He had a faint glow in his eye carrying the shade of azure.

Odin made two vital mistakes here. First was getting in such close proximity. Second thing that was place his hands on his weapons. Where Shura came from that was a challenge. His martial training taught him that all those years ago. here was one sure thing about fire. It was a double edged weapon. This was the territory that came with it. No allegiance to neither side, not even those who command it unless they bathed themselves and accepted it’s blessing. He was polite enough to let the individual monologue. During the speech Shura let his hand fall. With his hand by his waist he did this for a purpose. It seemed as if he was letting his guard down, a bait in nature. Regardless Shura planned to be the one to start this show. The twitch came, the want to interrupt but not a need for it. It was improper to do so, he could only hope Odin responded in kind.

“I have my upbringing to think for that. Why resort to violence if I can use diplomacy. I relish the idea of you handing those pops over just like that. We both are putting on a wonderful act for this vacant stage. I would have loved to have an audience but I guess we can’t have everything. Shame you had to pull the curtain back prematurely.”

If he interrupted during this little speech Shura would swallow up the area in his his blazing passion with a snap of his fingers. Regardless the show was going to get started now.


At that same moment The lights for the stage came from the two fingers still rubbing together making a loud snapping noise. Even if Odin reached for his weapons it was too late. Given the speed and nature of Shura’s attack it would have been futile. Twenty meters a second the lightning slammed into the ground right next to Shura’s foot. A wondrous blue flame covered the area like the tide rolling. At that same time of this happening he pressed off the ground with pressing his heel back. Using a skipping motion he stepped back causing flames to kick from under his feet. Someone could have asked if it could be the shoes? No it was Shura’s magic blasting him backwards moving at his top dashing speed. He hit six meters in roughly a second or less.

While moving backwards he kept a keen eye on the flames engulfing the area. He was not vulnerable he wasn’t to sure what this being was capable of. During this backwards dash his hand quickly moved up and held his fingers forward. At this very moment three spells became a possibility to be used in quick succession. He didn’t even need his spell arm for this string of attacks. Not to say if Odin was worthy or not but he didn’t want to kill the lad. Merely push his limits, greatest was forged by way of molten adversity. All he could hope was the boy wasn’t made of paper. If he didn’t back down then this was only going to get better. He kept his finger trained on the inferno waiting for something to come at him with hell on his heels.

Spoiler:

Shura was indeed an interesting character, as his arm fell during Odin's speech, leaving him open for an attack from the front. But Odin made no move to capitalise on this opportunity. He had not learned much about Shura beyond his name and guild, but there was a fire in his eyes, and a wealth of experience. He may have been younger than those such as Yumi, but he knew how to handle himself, which meant he knew how to make a feint look like a real attack, or a concealed bait look like the dropping of his guard. No, Odin would be foolish to try anything so rash. Instead he wished to wait for the opportune moment, something that was very close to presenting itself to him.

While listening to Shura's reply, Odin was on edge. As another word was uttered, the mood of their conversation changed. Previously, they had been civil to one another, with only an undertone of adrenaline. They knew they'd be close to fighting, and that they would likely have to fight to collect the pumpkin pops from the other, no matter how many they got, but it had remained an extra in their scene from the beginning. Now, as Shura spoke, that undertone was rising to the surface, and they were getting dangerously close to truly fight.

"I would have loved to have an audience but I guess we can’t have everything. Shame-"

That was all Shura would manage before Odin reacted. The two hands on his right and left reacted simultaneously, and without any time delay: his left hand clenching into a fully formed fist in a matter of microseconds, with his right fingers snapping at the same time. This was the activation of two spells. The first pushed Odin forward at the fastest his speed could manage. It was a short burst, only usable for around five meters, but there were only two between Odin and Shura, and Odin didn't have to worry about crossing the entire gap. His clenched fist pushed him towards Shura, but his snapped fingers brought Shura towards him, with Odin's spell easily clearing the miniscule distance between the tip of his shadow, and the beginning of Shura.

With Odin standing at around 1.7m tall, he cast a rather large shadow, but it was longer today. Odin was facing West, facing Shura, with the sun to his back. At 10am in the morning, that sun was at an angle that caused Odin's shadow to be slightly longer than his height, which in turn caused Odin's shadow to rest at the feet of Shura's within no time at all. Given the time, it was likely that Odin would be heading towards Shura at the same moment Shura was being pulled towards Odin. There would be little time to react, and, with this quick attack and brief time, Odin's body was effectively running on adrenaline, moving almost instinctively.

The moment after Odin had used these spells, while he was dashing towards Shura's left, Odin's right, the Lich would take Asuma's Knives. Having had his hand resting on them while using the spells, it was nothing to slide his fingers through the openings and equip his weapons, something he did as he reached his desired location. As Odin passed by Shura's left, his head up, facing his opponent, and his weapons raised, he would strike with a left hook at the man's face, aiming for his eyes to blind him. He held the weapon like a tonfa: the blade pointing towards the Phantom as he passed, and Odin opened and then tightened his grip on the blade at the last second, increasing its length. Even if Shura tried to get out of the way of the blade, he would meet its increased length.

If all went to plan, and Odin moved past Shura, he would instantly turn to face the opponent, blades in hand turned inwards and pointing up, now held like dual swords, to see what his opponent would plan to do.

1265/1405:

Spoiler:

Grimm made a third fatal mistake which sent this whole conversation up in flames. No it all went up in a blue blaze in an instant. Grimm’s hands were in plain view, being two meters away Shura could easily see his hand movement. Not to mention Shura also had spells that required little to no body movement at all. Two fingers rubbed together at the same time of the individual clenching his fist. This meant three spells activated at the same time. Two of which relied on a shadow being casted. Here is the thing about explosions especially bright colored one. Light consumes the area and actively gives no leeway for shadows to grasp onto the world.

Four diameters were swallowed up in a instant. Bolt only had to travel less than a meter from his hand to the ground moving at twenty meters a second. With the blue explosion happening there was a small window of time because the shadows were being repelled by two things. First the bright blue light created between them. Second the ground was getting toasted and ripped apart by the explosion created by the bolt hitting the ground.

Shura was a bit agitated that Grimm did not share the same respect he did. He let him finish his little monologue, why couldn’t he do the same? That was just down right rude. Then again this made things interesting because it only meant he didn’t have to respect Grimm as an individual. He could treat him like a barbarian. Those who only understand the gravity of things through usage of force. This was what he wanted deep down inside anyways. He pushed off the ground with the back of his heel causing a small explosion to erupt. During the blue flames covering the area.

This caused him to be propelled backwards six meters. During this he opened his mouth causing a torrent of blue energy with a black outline to fire outward. While grabbing the handle of his weapon that was strapped to his back. It moved in a straight line, cutting through the ground and plowing through the explosion. With a eight meter diameter laser it was nigh impossible to escape through normal means. Shura’s feet hit the ground causing him to slide back a little while the beam fired forward. A bit much but he wanted to try out his new found abilities on a real opponent.

Spells:

It seemed that, no matter what Odin did, Shura had been prepared. The moment the Lich activated his spells, a bright light enveloped him, forcing Odin back and nullifying the effects of his spells: the light overpowering the shadows and stopping their advance. It was an impressive move, and was also Odin's first indication of his opponent's abilities. Shura was, much like Odin himself once, a wielder of fire magic, and clearly very adept at combat. This also meant that Shura now knew of Odin's powers, and also knew that he could directly counter them with his own magic. Odin was going to find himself hard pressed for this fight, especially as he didn't have many spells to work with, although the one's he did have he could use in quick enough succession to make it count.

The explosion pushed Odin back from the previous two meters to a distance of more than double that, placing the Lich a full five meters away from his opponent's position. Due to his frailer, not to mention lighter, body compared to normal humans, Odin experienced things like knock-back to a higher degree, which would do him a favour this time.

As Odin was pushed back, he kept his eyes focused on Shura, allowing him to keep track of what was happening, even through the explosion and the rubble, although he had disappeared for a brief period during the knock back. However, Odin caught sight of his foe in time to see him move backwards, and also saw a coloured light build in his mouth. Not waiting to see what that light was going to become, Odin pushed off with his right foot to dash to his left, with the quickest speed he could muster not being enough to avoid the the beam. Avoiding its centre stopped the dark mage from being pushed further back, as well as placed the damage only on his right hand side, but all of the damage was felt. Luckily, Shura had aimed for Odin's center, which then only required the dark mage to dash half the distance of the diameter of the beam, otherwise it would've been deadly. Now being at a much healthier 11m away, Odin would keep his eyes firmly in his opponent's direction. Shura was strong, there was no mistaking that, the Grimoire Heart mage would just have to keep his distance and react accordingly.

Spoiler:

Shura removed the blade from his sheath and stabbed it into the ground at the moment of the laser being finished. The flames were calm enough to see a charred Skeleton trying to stand tall. Trying to act as if he wasn’t affected by the attacks given out. He could see clearly that wasn’t the case. Shura wasn’t trying to kill the skeleton merely push him to the brink of destruction. Seeing the gap in power did two things to someone. It motivated them to grow and evolve. Or the sad decision where they gave up. Shura had seen into the abyss and hit rock bottom. He prevailed and only got stronger since then.

Shura was unaware of Grimm’s ability of dark and shadow manipulation. The ground being torn apart was a byproduct of his raw power being unleashed on Grimm. His spells being halted was merely a bonus. The intention of the spell was to harm and push back. Thankfully it fulfilled that intentions plus even more. Blue flames covered the area and continued to burn brightly. Shura watched his opponent with a careful eye. With his weapon shoved in the ground and being eleven meters away he did not move. Shura began to hell while holding the handle of the blade that was stuck into the ground.

“Seems like you are a bit more durable than most! I think it be best if you yielded and walk away from this. I rather not destroy such an intriguing being.”

Shura hoped Grimm learned the error of his ways and backed off. Otherwise he would find another dazzling display awaited him. This time it wasn’t going to be a mild burning. He was going to erase this farm land from existence in an instant. Grimm didn’t know that but Shura was ready to use his ace in the hole at any moment. All Grimm had to do was accept defeat and leave. Shura was a man of his word and rarely went back on it unless special circumstances. At any given moment Shura could easily force mana into the weapon causing a premature curtain call. He rather not snuff out a spark before it could become a raging inferno.

“Walk away with your life Grimm. I rather not push this any further.”

Shura was playing at a angle. He wanted to converse with the individual more at a later date. He committed the name and face to memory. He didn’t know this person at all. Being tight lipped about himself only added to the mystery behind Grimm. Be a shame to erase something so rare like him. This whole exchange of blows taught Shura a few things. This skeleton used to be human but gave away his humanity. He saw the same kind of human like actions from the carnival. Souls that are tethered to this world, unable to pass on. This one was more aggressive. Not to mention the clothes and tools used. He was like Shura, pursuing ultimate power at the price of their body and soul. Difference between the two was Shura was accustomed to his body at this point.

This individual was still discovering himself. Shura did not want to take that opportunity away from Grimm to grow. He could be a possible ally later on down the road or a dangerous foe. Regardless it was a huge gamble not to snuff this individual out here. Then again that was all dependent on how Grimm acted these next few moments.

902.5 Mp

Standing at the full distance away, Odin could see every action Shura made, just as the phantom could see the same of the Lich. He was clearly more powerful than Odin, wielding a magic that countered him without even knowing fully that was the case. His magic alone had been capable of stopping both Odin's own magic, and his weapons, the Asuma Knives that were much better at a range Odin couldn't stand up to. Instead, he'd be needing something more suited for a range, and he'd have to make himself better at range. Being a skeleton had come with many perks, but there were some disadvantages that Odin hadn't noticed until being in a combat situation. The most obvious of these was the fact that he wasn't as durable as he had once been. Being without flesh and muscle, this made sense, but the skeleton wouldn't be able to take many hits from his opponents before being down for the count. He'd have to specialise at range, and work on keeping his opponents at bay. In this way, he was grateful for battling Shura, as he had learned much from it, in both his new strengths and his weaknesses.

And so, when Shura gave Odin the offer to depart and yield, there wasn't really a question for it. Shura had been the stronger of the two in this fight, that much couldn't be questioned, but the cause of their fight had been for one to get the other's stash of pumpkin pops. Odin had no current way of being able to take Shura's, and it seemed Shura was not longer interested in gaining some, so there was no reason to continue their battle. The winner had already been decided, and Odin didn't see the point in fighting a battle he had already lost.

"Walking away with my life is no longer an option for me, but I will concede this battle. It's been educational. Sorry about interrupting your speech though, wanted to try and get a sneak attack in. Next time you're in Oak, swing by the Swineherd Pub and I'll get you a free drink, I own the place."

Bowing his head slightly by way of respect, from one warrior to another, Odin turned and began walking back towards Dahlia's main town. He knew now what he had to improve on, and how best to go about it. He also now knew just how powerful some people were, despite appearances, and had made a new acquaintance, someone who seemed to have big aspirations. Regardless of anything else, Odin was intrigued to see how far Shura was going to go, and had to make sure he didn't fall behind.

-Exit-

Shura relaxed the tension in his body a bit seeing Grimm back down. He didn’t remove his hand from the weapon, just let loose a sigh of relief. Not that he was worried or scared about what could happen. He didn’t want to get lost in the moment and extinguish a flame before it could grow into something magical. Grimm offered a drink at a local pub in Oak which is where he was heading next anyways. It was time to assume control and bring Phantom Lord into a new era. He didn’t say that outloud but he was thinking it.

“I will take you up on that offer. Grimm, maybe you can tell me about who you really are.”

By saying that last line Shura implicated he knew more about Grimm than he led on. Then again, Shura was also hiding information about himself. The fact he sold his humanity for great power was something he didn’t want being spread around. He did not need unnecessary heat from unknown parties. Due to laying low for so long he had gained a considerable amount of power very quickly. This little exhibition match was exciting but also alarming for Shura. His power was growing faster than he could have ever imagined. That deal with the devil was no joke and he needed to respect his demon heritage.

He could see how humans often lost their souls to demons. Even if Berial was a bit more friendly in nature, there was a lot Shura did not know about him. This is why he was in Dahlia for this short stay. Who knows, Berial could try to take over when his body was up to par. He tried not to think too much on it. Just ready to confront him when the time came again. For now he had to take care of more pressing matters. The old man awaited him at the crossroads. He had answers to some of the mysteries that covered this world.

He watched Grimm leave, “Till we meet again.” When Grimm was far off in the distance Shura took his hand off the blade. He stabbed the large sheath into the ground. Following that he removed the blade from the ground with relative ease. Dirt and grass was pulled up at the same time. He flicked the blade with one smooth motion to flick off the residue. He then slammed the blade back into the sheath in front of him and slung it back over his shoulder. ‘I really need a more convenient weapon. This is getting ridiculous.’ He didn't really like the bulkiness of the weapon now that he got further along in power. He also built a bit more confidence in his own ability as a mage. So the sword was merely a compliment now and not a need. Eventually he needed to find something that suited him specifically. Shura then turned and headed in the direction of the crossroads for the next chapter in his life.

[Exit]