Ascension of the elder

Chapter 140: Men of culture

"What are you some kinda hippy cut your hair you damn beatnik!"

Kyle looked at his grandfather before letting his eyes move further up inspecting the top of his head.

"Nah I'm going to enjoy my hair while I can, I don't know if I'll start losing it like you are. You're getting a bit thin on top there desert head."

The beast immediately dropped his axe and used both hands to check his hair, feeling for any thinning with undisguised panic in his eyes.

"My hair my beautiful hair it's not leaving me is it no, no it's still as thick and lustrous as it's always been."

The beast's eyes then changed from panic to anger looking at his own grandson like he had been betrayed.

"Why you little how could you look at what you've brought me to."

"Look bongo head we've got work to do so strap on a wig and let's get busy."

Everyone was now staring at this grandfather grandson duo and were surprised by the lack of respect Kyle was showing to the old man and those who were aware of his reputation feared he would explode.

The beast himself was thinking internally 'Kyle reminds me of some of the other vets I speak to in the capital', which was a strange thought in itself as the insults and hazing that he was receiving didn't feel wrong or out of place when it was coming from Kyle.

"I'll get back to you, now about these pansies. RIGHT YA BITCHES LET'S BE HAVIN YA!!"

The beast shouted out this last part and unlike Kyle's trick of infusing mana into his words so it would gently reach everyone's ears the beast merely bumped up his volume using mana also causing the air in front of him to be disturbed and blast forward like a gale.

The enemy line that was currently facing him felt a sense of dread for if his voice was that powerful what would a strike from him be like? There was suddenly a shuffling amongst the line as some were pushed forward and others tried to retreat behind the line.

"Hey you're stronger you go first."

"Age before beauty and I need to look after my face."

"You're still a virgin at this age your life is already over."

"Oh damn I stubbed my toe I need to see the medics."

Various other excuses were heard and Kyle could distinctly see a vein pulsing on his grandfather's head, it looked as though Kyle's teasing had hit a nerve and the beast wanted to take out his irritation on those who planned to attack his family.

Reaching down slowly he grasped the shaft of his axe and took it in a double handed grip before stepping forward twice. As his foot reached the floor he swung his axe, to the men in front this seemed strange as he wasn't even swing the axe fast. To Kyle's senses however he could pick up on the pure amount of mana flowing with this strike.

Mana was fully surrounding his grandfather like a cloak and was imbuing the axe with energy. The reason the axe appeared to be moving slowly was because of air pressure building up on blade, suddenly with a snap the blade accelerated and the air that had become compressed was launched forward in a fine line.

Kyle could do something similar with wind magic, but in his grandfathers case this effect was caused simply by strength both physical and magical with no direct control. The slice of air flew forward and hit a section of the line.

Most of the men at the front had shields and they were all at least partially raised. Kyle was expecting that when this wind blade hit the line it would cut through; contrary to his expectations when the air hit the line several shields deformed and almost folded in while the men holding them were blasted back into their compatriots.

This disrupted the line creating an opening which the beast fully intended to exploit. Rushing for this weakness the beast began smiting his foes with great vengeance and furious anger. Kyle was watching as his grandfather didn't even use the blade, instead he was using the face of the axe like a bludgeon and where he swung people began flying through the air.

The beast had taken what his grandson had said to heart and rather than just kill these beasts he would leave them to serve his family instead. This didn't mean he wouldn't be a little heavy handed however, so there were people flying through the air with the greatest of ease only the landings needed a little work.

The 'death watch' weren't slouches however and as the beast hit the line they were already moving. Hitting the remnants of the line the 'death watch' hit like a tidal wave, pushing the line back injuring many before halting and reinforcing their standing before pushing forward again.

With this concerted and sustained strike the enemy line began to fold in with the flanks pulling in around the beast and 'death watch', this was a mistake however as when they collapsed in they were met by the Powell and Black family forces sweeping in over the flanks.

The family forces weren't concerned with keeping these men alive and began butchering them. The widow was also firing into the rear lines disrupting their attempts to reinforce or aid their men. It was a glorious mess; the beast was still swinging his axe sending any who approached flying, Kyle and Bruno were front and centre pushing with the rest of the men forcing the enemy back into each other.

Behind Kyle's line the disabled enemies were being hauled out of the way and being restrained by those following behind. It looked like a conveyor belt with Kyle's line stepping over the crippled and disabled enemies and them subsequently being dragged away to waiting carts to go for processing.

This sounded brutal and maybe harsh for good reason it was, but the alternative was to simply kill these men and Kyle needed more men to continue his plans. Finally the gangs broke with more and more surrendering.

Kyle's people were taking prisoners and while the family forces didn't want to they accepted Kyle's leadership in the end and they also passed on those that were surrendering to Kyle's reserve forces.

With the gangs cleared Kyle was now looking at the mercs. Kyle was looking along this much more organised line with almost glowing eyes as these were the men he really wanted in his forces, they would boost the numbers of the 'death watch' which given the current situation were sorely undermanned.

The beast was also looking at this line but he was cautious in his appraisal. After seeing Kyle's forces he knew they would win but against the seasoned mercenaries he feared the numbers they would lose in this conflict.

Kyle however had an ace up his sleeve so when his forces began forming up ready for the next push; he simply turned to his right and said.

"Now please Faye."

Faye suddenly appeared and used a simple flashing glyph to signal the go for 'steel lotus'. After his fun with the haunted house, Kyle had been thinking of ways to use magic more creatively. Working with Faye they quickly came up with a plan.

From the shadows between the buildings, multiple shadow tentacles came flying out, latching on to arms legs and even torsos. The mercs closest to these shadowed areas panicked with some attacking these tentacles and others scrambling to escape. This attack was largely useless but the effect on the mercs was for all to see, as their line collapsed with men running in every direction.

"MOVE IN MOP EM UP!"

Kyle shouted making his men jog across the open ground to engage. The beast was shocked by this development as he was expecting a pitched battle, but with a simple trick Kyle had broken the defences allowing them to move in almost unimpeded.

There were a few holdouts but most surrendered without a fight allowing themselves to be disarmed and bound. While the shadow constructs were able to grab people and trip them up, they had almost no real strength and if the men had been calm they would have been able to break free easily.

Kyle was pleased the mercs had surrendered as there was no one more pragmatic than a merc and even serving Kyle was preferable to being devoured by shadow beasts. Plus if the opportunity arose they may be able to escape. This last thought was quickly proven false as when they left the battlefield they were placed in the care of 'shadow hand', who were not above torture to maintain order.

The beast was looking at Kyle before he said to him.

"You like tentacles a little too much for someone your age".