"Master Slade." Vettori bowed respectfully in greeting.
"Where is he?! Where is my son?!!" The Slade family head boomed, pushing past Vettori and straight at Micah, who held two bodies on each shoulder.
"Graham Slade—" Micah made to greet with a smile, but the Slade family head's incoming fist made his gaze tighten in alarm.
A terrifying pressure that sent everyone within the immediate surroundings rigid descended immediately. The charging fist suddenly became the focal point of their attention, as if that was the only thing that existed in the world — A slow, purposeful strike that filled everyone with an inevitable assurance that if hit, they were certain to die.
A resounding boom echoed immediately, sending a shockwave that frankly felt, underwhelming compared to the level of oppression they'd all felt from the incoming fist.
But when Isis, Vettori, and their bystander coachman opened their eyes, the spectacle their eyes beheld told them just where most of that force had disappeared to.
Micah stood right in the middle of a three feet crater, with a visibly strained expression as a shadow soul mass resembling a blindfolded swordsman stood with a sheathed sword pressed against the Slade family head's fists in a battle for strength.
"Hmmn… You dared to block?" the Slade family head snarled, staring into where the soulless eyes of the shadow soul mass was supposed to be behind its eye mask.
Vettori, watching from the side with Isis, grinned excitedly. This was a Master Arcanist at work. Within that short exchange, he knew there were details even he had missed, but for the most part he could glean — the strength, and most importantly, the control Graham Slade had displayed spoke volumes of his status as a 'Master'. That title was not for show at all.
Vettori knew Graham Slade already knew of the development concerning Finn, even before they arrived at the estate — The depths of the Slade family's influence in this city was not small. So, knowing that, this exchange was obviously something that was unnecessary.
If Vettori had to guess, the Slade family head was simply testing Micah. As the Caretaker who was about to persuade him to let his child tread the path of an Ossuarist, he at least needed to be powerful enough to ensure his child's safety even before any talks could be considered.
Vettori had more ideas about the whole situation. Along the lines of – whether or not the whole situation was even orchestrated by Graham Slade himself. With his influence, there was no way he didn't know his son dabbled in soul magic to this extent…
Maybe he was simply looking for a valid reason to set his son free…?
The thought crossed his mind. Aethelos, as the country with the most Arcanists in the whole world, wasn't the kindest in their perception and treatment of soul mages. So, bearing that fact in mind, making things 'spiral out of control' to the point where a Caretaker Ossuarist needed to step in… Well, wouldn't that solve any pointed fingers from rival houses?
It was a far-reaching, and frankly very dangerous thought. One that Vettori would never make known to any living soul. But… it was plausible…
He shook his head to rid the thoughts. That wasn't the main point of concern. Thoughts like that should be buried immediately they came.
Rather, he refocused his attention on the exchange again.
Graham Slade had attacked, knowing fully well that Finn and his friend Rick were the two on Micah's shoulders. Yet he didn't hold back.
Micah had needed to display extreme skill and power to block the strike quick enough, while still ensuring the force did not spread to the surrounding onlookers, and most importantly, Finn and Rick on his shoulders.
It was a very herculean task, considering the fact that he was up against a Master rank Arcanist. In particular, a Body Enhancement type Master rank Arcanist.
At Graham Slade's current stage, he had so much control of his body and force itself, that every of his hits barely dispersed energy waste. It was all almost packed into every hit, to the point where if he was making earth-shaking attacks, so long as you were not the target, you could be within a few feet of him and come out fully unscathed.
But for the target of the attack… It was like a compressed, focused explosion without any dispersed energy loss.
The fact Micah was able to come out of it still standing showed just how much he had improved compared to the last time Vettori saw him.
Vettori narrowed his eyes at Micah, who, while visibly strained, still had that playful smile on his face.
It was then he realized… they were no longer on the same level. In fact, they couldn't be spoken of in the same breath any longer.
The thought filled him with envy, but also, the drive to strive harder than ever.
"My son better be alright, else it's your head that will roll. The Ossuary be damned." Graham Slade growled.
"Now, now. Why don't we settle this amicably. There's no need to get this riled up, no?"
Graham snorted at Micah's words, refocusing his attention on the soul mass before him. "Shadow manifestation, is it? Let me guess whose soul they gave you!" He observed the swordsman more carefully. Particularly, the sword itself.
A frown colored his face for a second, before his eyes lit up in recognition and realization. "Haha. So that's how it is… I was wondering how an Artifact Nurturer's soul mass could keep up with my strength."
He pushed against the soul mass, causing both of them to step back a few steps for space. "The soul mass itself is from a Body Enhancer Arcanist. While the sword was an Artifact Nurturer's Spirit Sword," Graham pointed as he spoke, before locking his gaze on Micah. "All the 'covered-eyes' and 'swordsman nonsense' is just a facade to confuse your opponent," he chuckled. "You're just brute-forcing two contrasting paths to pose your summon as an Artifact Nurturer's soul mass."
"My, my. You've got me figured out like an open book, huh?" Micah whistled in respect, but still with a casual air. The slight twitch of his eye was the only faint tell that he was not as calm as he pretended to be.
"Of course," Graham Slade twisted a shoulder as though readying for a fight, "after all, who would better understand this than a true Arcanist." He got into a fighting stance, eyes locked on the soul mass in front of him. "The only thing left is to figure out your soul debt clauses, no?"
Micah's eyes widened in alarm. "Hey, hey, you still wanna fight?! Aren't you making this way too obvious, old man?!"
"Ready yourself, Ossuarist—!" Graham Slade stepped forward in a flash.
"Graham Frederick Slade." A frigid voice suddenly called out, sending a cold shiver down the Slade family head's spine.
"What do you think you're doing?"