Mockingbird

Fate had just finished another bout with the bot when the door to the Dilation Chamber opened. Princess Dinan and Master Geifong strode in to find the edge of Fate's sword lodged in the bot's neck, its halberd hanging limply at its side.

Since they had left him two weeks ago, his winning streak had been broken thirteen times, forcing him to start over. Three days ago, he had finally bested the automaton's swords one hundred times in a row, allowing himself to move onto the halberd. Now he was currently four wins in against the halberd, counting this most recent one.

Something told him that Geifong had started him off with the hardest weapon and had him work his way down, as the halberd was several times easier to win against with a Miao Dao than two swords were.

At the same time, the axe-like blade often caught his sword when he tried to intercept the polearm, giving the bot an opportunity to disarm him. He'd already had to restart his streak four times against the halberd.

Fate and the bot placed their weapons on the rack in the room, and then Fate moved to greet the two, bowing to his master.

"Are you ready to do battle with the Fractured, Savior?" asked Dinan.

"He's already moved on to the halberd," Geifong noted. "They shouldn't stand a chance; even with just his Manifest Power and his blade, he could cut them down like the dogs they are without breaking a sweat. Tell me, how many times was your streak broken against the bot's blades, young one?" Geifong asked Fate.

"Thirteen, Master."

The katana master's eyes widened slightly, his hand reaching up to stroke his beard in an attempt to calm himself.

"Thirteen, you say?" Even Lu Gao, one of the best students he had ever had, suffered thirty-two losses against the automaton.

"Yes, Master. But to be fair, I have been fighting for almost my entire life."

"Hm. Regardless, it is time to outfit you for battle. Come, we will take you to the armory. You'll need a proper sword until your Manifest sword is ready."

"Of course, Master."

A short trip to the armory later and Fate was armed with a proper Miao Dao, one made for war instead of training. He rejected Dinan's proposal that he wear armor, despite her vehement insistence, citing his Manifest Power as all the protection he would need.

Eventually, she wore him down, getting him to wear some light metal armor: a small chest plate that covered the upper half of his torso and back, pauldrons on his shoulders, bracers on his forearms, and greaves on his legs. He also wore boots outfitted with sabatons to protect his feet, and mail-backed gloves. The entire set was pure white, providing a stark contrast to the black clothes he wore underneath.

The Miao Dao he was equipped with had a silver blade with a white leather-wrapped hilt, complete with a white scabbard engraved with silver images of roses and dragons, which he wore on his right hip.

All in all, he felt ready for war.

Princess Dinan directed him to the southern gate of the city, where he was to join up with the soldiers scheduled to rendezvous in Frendnann. They assigned him to a wagon when he got there and said they'd be leaving in twenty minutes.

He sat in the back of the open-topped wagon, receiving the stares from the other white-armored soldiers in the wagon, some of whom were curious to see the fabled Destroyer up close, and others who gave him looks of contempt and jealousy for his special treatment.

In the end, it didn't matter what they felt about him. They'd all live and die on the battlefield together.

He didn't say a word even when the wagon drivers yelled out "FORWARD!" and the wagon jerked forward. From what he was told, they were headed to a teleportation platform five miles outside the city so the troops could be transported all at once. Other than the teleportation pad in the palace, which was only for emergencies and was set to teleport wherever the royal family wished, the other platforms in Venlanz were set to teleport only to other teleportation platforms.

These platforms were impossible to power down and needed just a slight funnel of Divine Energy to activate, meaning they were huge security risks. As such, every platform in Venlanz was constructed outside of major cities, giving the towns ample time to prepare for an attack, as the signs of a platform activating were detectable from miles away.

The platforms made outside of the cities were crystalline, just like the one Fate was summoned onto. They had gentle, sloping edges that formed ramps allowing the wagons to drive up the sides. They were a lot rougher than those from the Hephaestus Guild. After the teleportation, over a quarter of the soldiers threw up their lunch, leaving puddles of gross chunks on the grass as the wagons once more resumed their journey.

In the distance, Fate could see the looming walls of Frendnann. Several buildings within were even taller than the walls, with each one sporting a canopied watchtower on top. It would've been an awe-inspiring sight... if it weren't on fire.

Half of the city was set ablaze, more fire streaming from a small dot on top of the wall. Fate was too far to tell, but he was sure it was an Embodiment, although he was confused as to how a Fractured would have the Fire Manifestation.

To his side, several soldiers cursed to themselves. "This isn't good," one muttered under their breath, the flames in the distance reflected in his eyes. "It's a Mockingbird."

"A Mockingbird?" Fate asked. He wasn't familiar with the term.

"What, they didn't teach you in the castle, O Savior?" the soldier sneered. "Mockingbirds are Emotional Embodiments with powers that replicate Elements or Universal forces, only the fuckers twist and distort it so it's as impure and tainted as them. Damn good thing we brought a General along."