The Banquet Hall was in an uproar. The news of the Trench turning to ink sent the
Lords into a frantic panic, their chairs clattering as they scrambled away from the
mud-caked scout. The High Priest's face was ashen, his hand trembling as he reached
into a hidden compartment behind the royal dais.
"If the Great Trench is falling, we have no choice!" the High Priest roared over the din.
"Bring forth the Divine Arch! The blessed weapon of our ancestors, gifted by the God
Suiseiryu himself to hold back the end of days!"
Four elite monks staggered forward, carrying a massive, ornate bow carved from the
rib of a sea-dragon and strung with a glowing thread of pure liquid light. It radiated a
holy, golden aura that pushed back the "noise" of the Sin-marble. The High Priest
grasped the weapon, his eyes burning with a desperate hope. "With this, we shall
pierce the heart of corruption! It is the only thing in this world that—"
SNAP.
The High Priest's speech cut off into a choked gargle.
Jee-shahn had stood up. He wasn't looking at the bow. He was looking at his plate,
where a puddle of blue wine was currently soaking into the last, perfect piece of
crispy phoenix skin. Without a word, he walked past the monks and grabbed the
"Divine Arch" with one hand.
"It's too bright," Jee-shahn drawled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. "It's giving
me a headache. And it's not going to bring back my bird."
With the casual ease of a man snapping a dry twig, Jee-shahn closed his fist. The
"indestructible" Divine Arch—the pride of the Suiseiryu lineage—shattered into a
dozen splintered pieces of bone and light. The holy thread snapped with a pathetic
twang, and the golden aura vanished, leaving the room in a dull, terrified dimness.
The High Priest fell to his knees, staring at the fragments of his god's weapon on the
floor. "The... the Arch... it's a gift from the heavens... you just..."
"It was in my way," Jee-shahn said, stepping over the splinters. He turned his azure
eyes toward the mud-covered scout. "You. Where is this 'ink'? I'm going to go see the
people who ruined my dinner. If they can turn an ocean into ink, maybe they can turn
my bird back into being edible. If not... I'm going to make the Trench look like a
puddle."
Jasmine grabbed his arm, her marriage ring glowing so brightly it left trails in the air.
"Jee-shahn! You can't go out there! That was our only holy weapon! Without the Arch,
we have nothing to fight the Sins!"
Jee-shahn looked down at her, then at the ring on her finger. A small, lazy smirk
tugged at his lips. "You have me, running lady. And I'm much louder than a bow."
He started walking toward the balcony that overlooked the Great Trench, his
Ceremonial Blue robes billowing in the sudden, salty wind. Behind him, the sisters
and brothers stood frozen, realizing that their ancient gods were oficially irrelevant.
The "Monster" was going to war over a drumstick.