On his speedy return, borrowing from Yetrema once more, he noted the numerous destroyed airships and even the entire fallen slum city Klugetown. This would not be struck from any creatures' mind let alone from any historians books.
Arctus saw a lone figure stand on the balcony behind the throne room of the castle as he raced through the city, passing by caged ponies. He reached the throne room easily enough, staring at a caged Twilight in a cart.
"How?! I saw you flee the city!" Tempest trotted to him, stamping her hooves harshly on the marble floor. Arctus huffed, catching his breath with a short respite. The broken unicorn had left her ascent to the balcony.
"Princess Twilight, as the only conscious ruler, I report that Klugetown, airship reinforcements, and the Storm King's nation have all been destroyed. The Storm King has no miltary left but the ones present in our city," Tempest's eyes widened.
Twilight's jaw dropped open. She was the only princess left unpetrified, but she looked exhausted and shocked at the report he just gave, incoherent babling left her mouth.
"Your friends are on their way to rescue you," he reached into his leather tabbard and retrieved Hazth's journal, the name and Aeternia symbol emblazoned on the front, "go report it, broken unicorn," his spear pointed toward the balcony behind the throne room, "tell him his kingdom has fallen and he will be forgotten."
Tempest backpedaled, her hooves a lot quieter before she broke into a gallop. The Master Scout's eyes fell to the stone Celestia, "don't worry, I will do when necessary," Twilight's friend burst through the door shortly after and they quickly freed Twilight from her prison.
Arctus paid no attention to them, rising the steps slowly with spear in hand while Twilight rushed past him, determined to still get some kind of good outcome that wasn't an incredible amount of bloodshed. So Arctus held back while Twilight went onto the balcony, seeing a huge storm brewing.
"Fix it! Fix it!" Tempest shouted at the Storm King who looked remarkably like, but more civil than his military personnel did.
"No! I never had the power to and I never will repair it! I used you like Hazth!" From the staff in his hand, a giant bolt of magic shot and exploded at Tempest's feet, the broken unicorn soared through the air only to be caught before being taken by the giant tornado in the distance by Twilight.
"I see, this is the Aeternian you talked about in that spell," he grinned at Arctus, "another Master Scout. I have the power to kill you now, hairless monkey! Beg for your life!" Arctus took his spear from his back, "you defy my power?!"
His spearhead nullified the magic blast sent at him and the Storm King's eyes were filled with dread.
"Arctus! We need that staff!" Twilight shouted over the stormy weather at him.
"I will make sure it's retrieved."
A purple-bluish flickering star formed in the dusty sky clouded with debris, "what is that?!" The sole standing adversary shouted.
"Master Scout Hazth kept a lot of secrets from you it seems. I assume you never used him, but he thoroughly used your ambition to fuel a kingdom that he would militarize."
"You fell for his manipulation," Arctus approached, letting his spear neutralize another magic blast before he used the rounded butt of his favored weapon to knock the Storm King into his own tornado in the distance. The Master Scout present stopped resisting and leapt off the balcony.
"Arctus!" Twilight called while he started to trace a symbol.
The Storm King met him as he levitated himself into the center of his storm, firing lightning bolts in Arctus' direction but missing each strike as he flew in circles around the tornado.
"Powerful Bakta! I ask for your magic to fill my vessel. Grant me the power to force my foes to cower in your name! Give me the means to crumble away all that must be dusted away!"
His eyes bled a harsh white light over the Storm King as he forced himself to a stop in the tornado.
"You play with godly force without having any experience in it. I will show you the true power Hazth wielded that you were oblivious to," Arctus commanded the winds to stop and the tornado vanished. He forced the moon to the correct time, overpowering the Storm King's stolen alicornhood.
The humanoid could utter no words as he floated in fear. And then the staff was ripped from his grasp and sent back to the balcony in the distance. Arctus levitated the Storm King himself.
"I tire of everything taking a chance to strike at Equestria and my home. You will become a display for me," he levitated him higher into the air while Arctus floated in the same position.
To Twilight, he appeared siazable, she count count limbs, equipment just barely. Those on the balcony could not see the Storm King except as a dot.
The black clouds in the sky were dispersed by Arctus' temporary mastery. Yellow lightning streaked from every direction in the sky, striking the foolish ruler again and again with loud booms echoing the Master Scout's desire for peace in the lands he settled in. The yellow bands strewn across the night canvas made their own daylight, painting roads to show the spectacle.
"Feel all of my wrath."
And the Storm King continued to be zapped before a glob of lava ripped from the mantle below Arctus flung up to meet the tall primate, coating him in an orange glow. His flesh was melting, the pain was indesrcibable as Arctus forced his life to stay in his body.
And eventually he let him die, shattering the cooled obsdian block across the entirety of the planet, far out of Equestria. The ashes and melted remains of the Storm King were thrown into the Southern ocean, cutting the journey into mere seconds.
The Master Scout levitated himself back to the balcony, Tempest was the only one present.
"Hazth...was that powerful?"
"Is...and I will rip him apart next."
With power came a cost, Arctus managed the one word and released Bakta's presence form his body. His body limped, collapsing over the railing in.
"Arctus! Wake up! Please!"
He began to stir, still in his complete armor, still clutching Hazth's journal.
"Art! You vowed!"
"I'm asking you to stand."
His mind lurched at the words and he immediately stood, still garbed in all of his armor with his equipment laying strewn about the floor. The blood within him responded to the volcanic vow he sealed. Celestia stood at his side, her eyes locked to the vial with Arctus' infused obsidian glowing white.
He bounded from the bed, leaving the journal behind and quickly gathered his gear again, "I will."
Celestia laid her head on his shoulder, "you sacrifice much for us, but...I think your final duty lies ahead. Your last fight for us."
In that one word, she meant Equestria and the lives they shared together.
"Where is Asarele?" He asked.
"She's flown free, she left when the airships approached, but somepony is keeping your rival busy."
He nodded, "I'll bring her home after I tend to him."
"Are you rested enough?" Arctus nodded and left the room, he had a guess where he was now based on the distant clashing he heard.
He had saved Canterlot from ruin at the hands of minotaurs and now he would save it from ruin at the hands of Hazth. Arctus arrived at the large balcony plaza in Canterlot, seeing a shield around it that dropped when he approached. His orders to the guards were clear, keep everypony inside and evacuate the city if he fell. He wanted this glory to be seen by more than the white space above.
Dark clouds began to swirl overhead, pegasi zipping to bring some kind of cover for the gruesome battle that was already underway, steel clashes ringing out along with yells of returned Scout.
Despite the balcony plaza now gaining a deepened shadow, a mysterious inky darkness consumed the area, one that was definitely magical in nature.
"Scout Sunset!" The darkness immediately vanished and reveal the talented unicorn warrior, holding a saber and longsword, breathing hard with many small injuries.
Across from her was a much more seasoned fighter, holding a hunting knife that looked worn in different ways from Arctus' in his left hand. His right hand held a hatchet just the same as Arctus'.
That was an Aeternian scout, wearing the same kit as him.
"Master Scout Arctus."
The rain began to come down, "Sunset, go take cover with Celestia," she had just arrived back to keep Hazth busy who showed zero signs of exhaustion.
Hazth took a bag from his side and tossed it far away, landing it against the side of a building behind Arctus.
"Art, I wish you luck," Celestia called from behind him near the abg while Sunset limped away, "I...I earned my title, but he's still leagues above me."
The rain storm billowed around them, high winds accompanied the booms in the air as the storm picked up to force Canterlotans inside. There was an audience to them beyond just those present outside, faces were lined in the windows of buildings.
History for Aeternia would be made right here in Equestria.
"Master Scout Hazth."
Silence followed after they addressed each other before the invader spoke, "you have a nice life here. It is much more peaceful with many more creature comforts than what mine had."
"So you know I've destroyed and slaughtered every last person of resistance there."
Hazth laughed, "of course I do. I lost control of my puppet and he decided to strike before I was ready. Now he's in a million ashy pieces. Your kingdom, Equestria, has won. So I came to see if you can win as a man, an Aeternian," he stood straighter, taking a moment to stow his axe and knife. He reached behind him with both hands and drew his jeddart axe into his right hand, the axe head was wider and more elongated than most, attached to an entire metal shaft. It was the same black material as Arctus' spear and Sunset's newly reforged saber, blue metal adorning the edge. The cup and band that protected Hazth's hand let for some room as the handle continued past without cover for added force in swings.
A jeddart axe was a terrifying weapon in its own ability, but his left hand pulled a moon hammer down from his back, the shaft long and the head imposing. Hacking and bludgeoning were a sure way to kill most people or creatures.
Arctus reached to his side and pulled his spatha into his left hand. His spear found his right hand's fingers.
The Sun fell below the horizon quite quickly and the moon rose, numerous stars coming out along with the Eight above. The Heroes' Stars didn't even need to be called they had always been there, waiting for the battle to begin, their lights dazzled and shone through the stormy clouds, leaving a rainbow effect on the balcony plaza an dlighting it up despite the effort to hide their battle.
The Eight Heroes wanted everything that could see the fight to be able to.
"Hazth, you didn't even want to fight my Scout Sunset, did you?" Hazth shook his head.
"I was waiting for you, you're my last target, my last challenge. If only Aeternia could know and see me defeat the revered Starborn. You," Hazth has a wide smile on his heavily bearded and scarred face.
Arctus smiled back, "found your journal."
"Good, read it if you win. I intend to read yours when I slay you," Hazth torted, "don't worry, I'll still give you last rites."
"When you get up there, give Silver Spike a proper battle," Arctus assumed his victory.
Hazth smirked, "so now we make history. The first two Master Scouts dueling to their deaths. You remember the one time we met in Aeternia?"
"You said I had potential to rise to your height...maybe."
The same thing was said to Sunset by Arctus.
"Now we'll test it," Hazth pounded his feet as he held his jeddart in front of him and moon hammer swaying behind his body.