《Tales of Astora: Legacy (FINISHED)》


 Just a Prologue

    At the beginning there was nothing. Then God came. "Let there be Light" he proclaimed and with his words, a bright light began to shine in the Void. From this light came the stars and worlds filled with Monsters. But God was not satisfied with his creation. For Monsters only followed their animal instinct. He wanted something more: an intelligent life form in his image.


    And so God forged the First Flame. And from it life began. The Prime races were created: Human, Elf, Beastman, Dwarf, Dragon and Celestial. He then chose one representative from each race to be their own Gods, giving them extraordinary power. These six were later known as the Primordials, as they were the first of their race. And with their commands, the world continued to prosper.


    But the brighter the light the darker the shadow. For if there is Light, so is Dark. The Dark would not accept the Light. It corrupted the Monsters, creating an abomination known as the Demons. Savage creatures who dared take the form of man, who only knew killing to satisfy their bloodlust. The Demons waged wars against all races, driving them into near extinction. When all hope seemed lost, the Savior came and brought hope back to the people. For he was the hero sent by God to protect his subjects. As he struck down the First Demon Lord and repelled the Demons back in the isolated continent of Ragna.


    However, one day, the Dark will come back and the Demons will rise again. When that time comes, the hero shall rise again and we will repel the Dark in the name of our Lord.


    -Chapter 1 "Origin of the world" from the "Holy Scripture" by Saint Peter the First, First Pope of the Church of Light-


    * * *


    Kingdom of Ceadric, Frontier Village Caine


    It was cold. Of course it was since it was in the middle of winter. In the outskirts of Caine Village, an old man was returning from the hunt with his trophy on his back: a wolflike creature with a horn on his head, a Storm Wolf. The storm wolf was a common monster in these parts. They usually hunted in group but awkwardly not this one. This explained why the old man managed to slay it as it would have been difficult for him if there were more than one of them.


    The man seemed to be in his sixties, bald with dark skin. But this was no ordinary weak old man as his body was covered with scars, not from the wolf he hunted down but from years of battle. He used to be an adventurer, going in dangerous dungeons looking for treasures or defeating terrible monsters. But it was not odd to see a retired adventurer walking around in a forest. What was odd was the direction the man was walking toward. Normally after a hunt, the next thing to do is either to sell the prey or bring it home. But the old man continued walking in the direction opposite of the village. Not to mention in this cold weather. The answer was simple: he was going home. But why live outside the village? Monster attacks were common in these parts. Surely it was better to stay inside the protective fence surrounding the village... Unless you had something to hide.


    After a long walk, a wooden cabin came on sight. It was a simple two story house, located in the middle of the woods. The area surrounding the house was clear of trees. Normally it would have been covered by flowers, but in this season, nothing could grow on the snow. The light was on and white smoke was coming out of the chimney. An odd stench was filling the air around the house. The old man, approaching the house, recognized the smell immediately.


    "10 years and still the same damn soup. Please God, let me live through this, as you did for the last 10 years!" he mumbled to himself.


    Upon entering the house, he was greeted with a smile from a beautiful elven woman. "Welcome back, Gazel!" greeted the woman. Her name was Morgan. Long black hair as dark as the night with dazzling violet eyes as amethyst in a black coat, the elf looked almost out of place in the middle of this half broken place. She was seemingly concocting some mysterious potion in a big cauldron. The substance looked black with bubbles on the surface.


    "I see you got quite a catch today. I wonder what dish I could make with this one. Oh I still have some leftover soup. I didn''t know you would be back today so I let the children eat and go to bed already." she smiled grimly, glancing at the wolf on Gazel''s back.


    But when Gazel looked at what was inside the cauldron, he let out a long sigh."Every time I see that thing, I wondered if you are actually a witch.... FOR GOD''S SAKE WOMAN!!! How did you manage to turn only vegetables into this? Look at that! It even seems to be moving." Although on numerous occasions did he try to teach her how to cook, she somehow always managed to magically turn every ingredient into a black liquid substance, which surprisingly was edible but the taste and smell were so terrible that they caused the monsters to stay away from the cabin.


    "You say that but in the end you always finish everything. Come on. Admit that you like it!" Morgan playfully tried to tease the old guy. Every time he complained about the taste of her cooking, but he always gulped it all down in the end.


    ¡°Anyway this should help us get through this winter. Well, we still have some supplies and dry food as reserves in case of emergency.¡±


    The old man spoke to the woman. He wrapped the wolf in a piece of cloth and put it in the storage. Suddenly he felt something jumping on his back. It was Alice. ¡°Grandpa is back. Tell us some stories, please, please.¡± She then dropped down, smiling brightly while looking at her grandpa with big eyes. A small boy, timidly hid behind her. He was Alastor, Alice¡¯s little brother.


    ¡°Alice, don¡¯t bother grandpa. He is tired. Let him rest. And it¡¯s time to bed for you two.¡± Said the elf woman.


    ¡°But mom, it¡¯s still early.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I will take them to their beds." Gazel then turned to the children. Taking them to their beds implied a bed time story. Thankfully even if as an ex-adventurer, Gazel had more than enough stories to tell. Whether they were true or not it was a different story. "However just one story ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeeaahhh. Quick, grandpa quick¡±, Alice took his hand and went for the stairs.


    ¡°You spoil them too much. Ok fine but just one story alright?¡±


    The mother gave a sigh, giving up on dissuading the children. The girl jumped around with excitement and dragged her grandpa to their bedroom. The little boy said good night to their mom and followed Alice quietly.


    The children now in the bed, only poking their small heads out the sheet. The old man took a chair and sat by the bed.


    ¡°So which story do you want to hear today? Last time was the creation of the world, if I remember correctly?¡±


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    ¡°We want to hear about the story of the six heroes again.¡±


    The two children answered with excitement, opening their big eyes and listening carefully to their grandpa.


    ¡°Alright, alright. You two never get tired of this story, do you? Here goes. Once upon a time...."


    "Wasn''t it just 10 years ago?" Alice interrupted.


    "Well yeah but just bear with me for a second. And no interruption this time or I won''t ever tell you bed time stories again."


    Understanding what their grandpa said, both children cover their mouths and nodded in agreement.


    "Ahem. Once upon a time, there was a demon king who threatened the very existence of all life in this world. Upon seeing that, the six gods took pity on the people of Astora and chose six heroes, one from every race. Each received the blessing of their god. They were:


    Lakyus, leader of the heroes¡¯ party and also First princess of the Empire. She was renowned for both her beauty and her swords skills which no man can rival.


    Ingrid, the White. A celestial that has lived for a very long time. Some say that she has lived ever since the creation of man.


    Izago, the Mighty. The king of the dwarves. Known not only for his unrivaled strength but also his beard which was the same as his height.


    Theoron, the Wise. A three hundred years old elf who served as the elf king personal advisor. Known for his powerful spells and wisdom.


    Celdora, the Dragon Lord. One of the few dragons who can take human form.


    And finally Arshe, a rogue of the beast clan. Not much is known about him because he always hides in the shadow.


    In their adventure, they encountered both friends and foes. Together they went through countless challenges and battles. Arriving at the demon lord''s castle, they challenged the Demon Lord Asgore. It is said that their fight was so intense that the sky was set ablaze, mountains were cut in two, and forest burned to ashes. But in the end the heroes managed to defeat the demon lord and the world was finally in peace again."


    "But what happened to the heroes after that, grandpa? Even though they killed the demon lord, I haven''t heard about them a lot.", Alastor asked. Always the one with questions.


    "Well that it''s a good question. The answer, however, is a bit sad. Only half of the members of the heroes survived. Celdora returned to the dragon continent. Apparently he settled down from the world politics, married a human and had a child. I don''t know much further than that. Information from the dragon continent rarely reaches here. Arshe became the Captain of the royal guard for the Beast King and became rich. Everything a man could want, I suppose, for saving the world. But I have heard that a year after his return, he quit and became an adventurer or mercenary and has since traveled around the world. The celestial Ingrid, however, disappeared completely, never to be heard again. The celestials were looking for her but I guess they gave up after 10 years. As for the three who perished, people has built temples and monuments to acknowledge their sacrifices. Aside from that I don''t know anything else." Gazel explained proudly.


    While the tales and accomplishment of the heroes were known widely, not much was known on what exactly happened to them after that. Not even scriptures of the Church of Light depicted the aftermaths of these events but only focused on their journey and how they defeated the threat of the demons.


    ¡°Alright It¡¯s late now. Go to sleep. I can always tell another story tomorrow. Sleep now, children!¡±


    The old man patted both the children''s heads before going out and closing the door of the room. He went down the stairs and sat at the only table in the room. Morgan had prepared a portion of soup for Gazel on the table and was still finishing up the chores in the house. He stared at the roof for a while, thinking about Morgan and the two children.


    ¡°It has been already 10 years now. Time passes so quickly.¡±  He took a glance at Morgan. She reminded him so much of his deceased daughter. The one he could not save from the hands of the bandit. He even lost his wife in that attack. It was since that day that the adventurer Gazel gave up hope. He quit the Guild and settled down in this god forsaken village, drowning himself in alcohol waiting for his end. His son however, could not bear watching his father falling from grace, departed from home and went to the capital of the Kingdom. Last time he heard his son became a knight captain, serving the king dutifully.


    Gazel remembered as if it was yesterday. He used to live inside the village instead of this god forbidden place. After all he was and still now the village elder of Caine Village, there was no reason for him to live this far from the village. That was it until 10 years ago when 3 strangers appeared in front of the village gate. It was an elven woman accompanying with a baby child and a small girl.


    While the villagers here were kind to each other, they were very wary of strangers, most likely because of bandits. When you lived in a frontier village, far from the capital, not only you had to deal with monsters but also bandits and even soldiers pillagers from another country.


    At the beginning, people refused to let her come in the village. The only one who defended the woman was Gazel. Not out of pity nor out of conscience but because the elf reminded him of his daughter. The villagers here all knew the old man''s past so they did not push it further. After a while the three strangers were openly accepted in the community. But one day, for an unknown reason Gazel decided to move to the outskirts of the village. Sometimes people still tried to convince him to go back. No one understood why he decided that way. Everyone was very kind to the elf woman and her children. Yet he refused to come back. Except for times when the woman came to the village for supplies, no one even saw her children. After a few years, people gave up and thought that maybe he has just gone senile. But did he?


    That night, young Alastor had a dream, or perhaps it would be better to call it a nightmare. He was in a dark place. So dark yet seemingly endless. Then he noticed a shape inside that darkness. A black humanoid shape with a white outline. Then he spotted a second with a slightly different shape but still humanoid. Then another and another. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by hundreds of black shadows. While these shadows had no eyes, Alastor could feel their stares right on his skin. He could sense their emotions in the air: some with anger, others with pity. So many different emotions yet all share the same goal: revenge. Then he heard a voice in his head.


    ¡°Let the Ascension begin!"

 Chapter 1: Ascension

    One day before the Ascension


    Avant - Heim, Citadel of the sky


    Avant-Heim, the capital city of the celestials, was a humongous floating island in constant move, being the largest city in the world in term of size and wealth. From a far, it looked like a giant pyramid-like citadel with nine different levels. Each level had their own purpose, from living quarters to magic research. One could only believe that such a wonder can only exist in the realms of the god.


    The celestials themselves were a peculiar bunch among all races. Characterized by their symbolic wings on their back, celestials highly valued order and stability, seeking balance between all races. They saw themselves as the guardian and watcher of the world. Perhaps because they were the first race to have been created by the Gods. It gave them a major confidence in their own ability as they were the servants of the Gods, give out judgement in their place.


    Celestials had a particular hatred toward demons. To the celestials who were the most faithful worshippers of the Gods, demons were seen as a living sin as they were not originally a race created by the Gods and therefore must be eradicated.


    In time of war, the celestials usually secluded themselves from the rest of the world, only intervened when the war threatened the existence of the world itself. But even in those time, they only gave out hints and directions or did things behind the scene. Never had they openly participated in a war at the front line, not because they were weak. On the contrary they were one of the most powerful races, second only to the dragons. Celestials just thought that the affairs of mortals were below them and only intervened when things were at their worst. But even so, they were respected across the world for their neutrality and were often invited to serve as an arbiter in important events. One of the few occasions where the celestials went to war was when a demon lord appears, such as ten years ago. However aside from that, they always remained in the background, sometimes pulling strings in some events. And as always, behind the scenes. Until now¡­


    A celestial was running across the halls of the seventh level of Avant-Heim. Quite special for a celestial such as her: blue haired with white wings. The woman was in her late twenties, at least in appearance. She wore a white long coat and on her back a two-meter crystal long claymore. The sword itself emitted a terrifying yet divine aura. The lady finally stopped in front of a giant door with two guards standing in front of them.


    ¡°Hold! Only those who have received the Calling from the Overseer may proceed.¡± Said one of the guards.


    ¡°I have been summoned by the Heralds to participate in the Calling. The name is Executor Ikarus Salem.¡±, Ikarus replied while placing her left hand on her chest proudly.


    The guards brought out a small crystal the size of a pebble. From it emitted blue light scanning the Executor. After a few seconds, the guards nodded and made ways for Ikarus.


    ¡°You may proceed, Executor. The Heralds have already arrived. You are the last to have come.¡±


    ¡®Tchh. No need to remind me that I am late¡¯ Ikarus thought face to the sarcasm of the guards.


    Without any delay, Ikarus entered the gate. She went across a long hall before reaching the end of the corridor. Opening its gate, she saw six others celestials already present sitting around a large round but hollow table. She apologized for the delay and quickly took a sit.


    The Council of Heralds. Consisted of six members, each was referred as a Herald. They managed the affairs of Avant-Heim, from internal politics to foreign affairs. In short they were the leaders of the celestials. One of the six celestials, a blond man in his thirties, began to talk.


    ¡°As you all know; we are all here for the Calling of the High Overseer. Let us not make him wait any longer!¡± The man threw a glare at Ikarus before resuming.


    A bright light flashed in the room. It began to materialize as a person in hood. His wings seemed like they have seen better days with their greyish color, to the point as if they were withering. While Ikarus didn¡¯t see the person face because she was only seeing their back and the person was wearing a hood, she knew immediately that the person in front of her must be incredibly old due to their voice.


    ¡°It has been a while, young Mikael. I see that everyone else is here.¡± The old man turned his heads around to look at everyone¡¯s face. He stopped at Ikarus. ¡°And you must be Executor Ikarus.¡± Putting his right arm to his back, he began to watch Ikarus from head to toe, analyzing every inch of her. ¡°Hum impressive for a common celestial but nothing that special either. Then why ¡­.. no no there must be something else.¡± The old man then mumbled something but Ikarus cannot heard it. But she felt a little uncomfortable with someone staring at her like that. The awkward silence was broken by Mikael.


    ¡°Ahem. Greetings High Overseer. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± Finally, Mikael managed to have the old Overseer¡¯s attention. ¡°Let us go back to the reason why we are all here. Please tell us the reason why you have made this Calling.¡±


    Mikael seems tensed, as all others Heralds inside the room. Of course they had plenty of reasons to. Last time the Calling was made, a demon invasion took place. What could possible await them this time?


    ¡°Ah yes yes. Ehem. I have summoned all of you here because I have seen a vision. And a troubling one at that. In two days, in the eastern part of the Kingdom Ceadric, a calamity will take place. In my vision, I have seen a young human boy. From him, the calamity will spread and it will consume our world. And that¡¯s the reasons I have summoned you all here. You the Heralds are the strongest of our race. You are to be sent there and stopped the calamity to happen. If possible, I want you to bring the boy back to me alive.¡±


    The words shocked everyone in the room. A calamity would happen unless they acted immediately. But this was too sudden and the prophecy itself raised a question among the crowds.


    ¡°And may I ask: what exactly am I doing here then?¡± asked Ikarus. Everyone turned their attention to her. ¡®Yes why would we need her in this meeting?¡¯ must be what Ikarus thought what everyone was thinking right now.


    The old man chuckled. ¡°No need to rush things young celestial. For I have not revealed all of the vision yet. You see in my vision I saw you, Executor.¡±


    ¡°What? What am I doing there? You can¡¯t be thinking that I have something to do with this?¡±, Ikarus shouted, hitting the table angrily.


    ¡°No no of course I am not suggesting anything. However, since I saw you there, I believe it would be better for you to accompany the Heralds in this mission, just in case. My vision only shows me a fraction of the future. You never know the future completely.¡± Laughed the High Overseer loudly.


    ¡°Very well. We shall do as you said High Overseer. Everyone please prepare yourself. We leave in three hours. And Ikarus, I expect you will in time this time. I now conclude this Calling.¡±, announced Mikael before glancing at Ikarus.


    Everyone began to stand up and leave the room through the door. The last one remaining was Mikael. As he began to stand up, the old man spoke to him.


    ¡°I did not mention this earlier but at the end of my vision, amidst this calamity I saw a small, or should I say a tiny little flame surrounded by darkness. I have not said this because I don¡¯t know its meaning yet. But keep it in your mind Mikael.¡±


    Mikael nodded in respect. Just as he was going out, he was stopped by the Overseer¡¯s words.


    ¡°Be careful young Mikael. Actions bring repercussions. But remember that sometimes inaction itself may have dire consequences.¡±


    Mikael, stunned by those words, turned back but the Overseer was no longer there. He stood there silently, reminiscing something in his mind before moving out.


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    I always knew that I was not like the others. Why you asked? Because either I was mentally crazy or I had people living in my head. People, at least, that was what I thought they were. Ever since I could remember, I have had these strange dreams where I was in a dark place, surrounded by these shadows people. Every now and then, only one of them showed up, others time a dozen. I have tried talking to them but it was very hard to distinguish one from the other as they all looked the same to me. Well, the shape of each one was slightly different but in this dark place, managing to see them was already an accomplishment. Sometimes I just bumped into one when I tried to walk my way out of the dream. A futile effort from personal experience so I just waited for it to end.


    Occasionally a shadow would talk to me. Oddly I was not afraid. Weird wasn''t it? I knew next to nothing about these people who kept appearing in my dream and here I was, talking to them. I was not the kind of kids with lots of friends. From times to times when Alice and me sneaked out of our house to play with the kids from the village, even though mother forbid it for some reasons, I had a lot of trouble trying to talk to the other kids. I just felt .... different from them. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I had no mana at all.


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    While kids would not be able to cast fireball at our age, the least we could do was making spark. But I could not. Not a single thing. I was afraid that I would be a disappointment. But mother and grandpa just smiled at me and comforted me. What surprised me the most was Alice. I thought she would make fun of me like every other thing but she did no such thing. Instead she volunteered to teach, to help me train, to no avail but she continued. When others kids laughed at me, she would jump and punch them to their faces. Well she was always the kind with muscle for brain so I was not surprised about that but still, it made me happy, happy that I had people who cared about me.


    Then again perhaps it was true that I was different. Last time I checked, human kids did not have a gemstone on their chest, or anywhere else on their body. But I had one. A black gemstone as dark as night on my chest. At first it was the size of a bean then it just kept growing with me as I grew older. It must have doubled its size by now.


    Back to the weird shadows in my dream, you would expect me to try to run from them but somehow I felt close to these people as if we had something in common. They would tell me stories of great kingdoms, ferocious monsters they defeated. At first I thought they were joking as I have never heard the name of the kingdoms they mentioned. Grandpa had a lot of history books in the storage and since I would rather stay inside than going out, I just read all of them one by one. But as I continued to listen to their stories, I was convinced that these were definitely not lies. I was fascinated.


    After all these years, I started recognizing some of the shadows. There was one woman called Asmodeus. At least I think "she" was a woman because of her feminine voice and bosom. She always teased me for being small and how she wanted me to be her little brother.


    Another shadow called Beelzebub or Belz for short, a very friendly one I supposed. He was a rather big guy, bigger than most of the shadows here. He was the first shadow I talked to. We shook hands when we first met but the moment my hands touched his, I fainted and woke up.


    Since then I learnt that touching the shadows with my hands will wake me up instantly but I felt greatly tired after that. There was also a guy called Belphegor but all he did was sleeping. Well at least when I was in the dream. Of course I talked with a lot of others shadow but these three were the ones I talked to the most, well at least that was the case for Asmodeus and Belz.


    Now why did I start thinking about all of these? Because at this moment I was being surrounded by at least a hundred of these shadow people. Suddenly I heard a voice I did not recognize in my head.


    "Let the Ascension begin!"


    While I stood there baffled by all of these, a shadow approached me. It was Belz.


    "It''s time young Alastor."


    "What? What do you mean Belz? What is going on?" I started to panic. I could feel that Belz was not in his usual mood. He was serious. For the first time I was scared of being here. I took a few steps back, only to bump into another familiar shadow.


    "Forgive me, little brother!" It was Asmodeus. I felt as if she was sad.


    All of the sudden, all the shadows reached out to the gemstone on my chest. When a shadow touched it, the gemstone seemingly absorbed it. One after another. Each time I felt an intense pain in my chest, my vision darker as if the world around me was ending. But I could not move. The darkness in this place was holding me down. I started hearing whispers. The whispers became louder and louder.


    "KILL THEM!!!"


    "Why did this have to happen?"


    "I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU !!!"


    "Why do I have to kill?"


    "SLAY THEM ALL!"


    "Forgive me everyone!"


    There were so many voices. Children, man, woman. All mixed together. I felt sick listening to these sounds. But one voice had my attention.


    "LAKIUS!!!!" this particular voice had a male accent. It was filled with anger and hatred. Could it be?


    Because I could speak a word, I felt an enormous presence. I tried to look around. The shadows were all gone but above now lied a giant dark sphere. I could barely make out the outline of this sphere but it was enormous. Then I heard that voice again, the one talking about Ascension.


    "Possession has been completed. The vessel is now ready for the final phase of Ascension. We will now proceed with the Kindling."


    A red light began to shine inside the dark sphere. It looked almost like an eye. I could feel the enormous pressure from it. I tried to move but I could not. And before I could even scream, chains started to come out of the gemstone on my chest. They pierced the sphere and then they started to pull it toward me.


    "IT HURTS!!! IT HURTS !!!!" I scream out. After a while I submitted to the pain and fainted.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    "Ascension completed. The Dark welcomes you, Demon Lord Alastor !"


    * * *


    Same time somewhere else


    Inside a room lit only by candles, a large figure in a black robe was sitting in front of a crystal orb. The figure was chanting some kind of spell but nothing happened. He clenched his fist so hard it would any man bleed by now. But the man did not bleed. Of course he could not bleed if he did not have any blood or skin. The figure was a lich.


    Lich could be described as a skeleton wielding magic. They were intelligent and not mindless undead, unlike zombies and simple skeletons. Although their form was basically a skeleton wearing a mage robe. However, this was not just any normal lich but an elder lich, the strongest magic caster compared to any kind of undead. But alas, his spell did not work. The spell he was casting allowed one to find a specific person from anywhere in the world but it did not work for the last ten years he has been trying. Filled with anger, he shattered the crystal orb to the ground. His efforts did not pay any result. All these years for nothing. But he would not give up. Not now, not ever. He sat down, looking at the candle, thinking about the next spell which could probably help him find the person he was searching for. Suddenly he felt a small disturbance in the mana flow inside the castle he was in. Someone or something was emitting mana from the vault.


    Curious he decided to check what was the source of this mana. He took his staff and went out of the room. A moment later he found himself in front of the vault. The vault was where every magical item not being used was stored, whether because they were useless or they were too dangerous to use. It was protected by a barrier no one could cross unless they had the password. Could it be there were intruders inside the vault? Impossible only four person had the password and the barrier was still here, which meant no one has used the password yet. Whatever the case he could not leave this situation persisted.


    The lich raised his staff and cast a spell. The barriers reacted to the words spoken and vanished into thin air. The lich stepped inside the vault. It was very dark inside but the undead could perfectly see in the dark just as human during the day. From the outside the vault looked like the size of a small room but inside it was as large as a castle court with different levels. Thankfully, the lich could perfectly sense the direction of the mysterious mana source and just walked toward that direction. Inside his head, or what was left of it, since it was only a skull, he wondered about the mana source. Could it be an ancient artifact being activated after so long? Or really some powerful intruder had managed to sneak inside this castle without being detected? He considered many possibilities. Until he met a dead end. He knew this section of the vault. Just some old dust-gathering weird machines left by the old Artificer.


    Not convinced, he looked around for more clues. Until he met eyes with a peculiar object: a doll inside a glass box. If he remembered correctly, this was one of the last creation of the old Artificer. The old guy wanted to create a living doll, with its own feelings and conscience. In other words, a doll with a soul. Everyone laughed at the idea at that time but the artificer continued his work. In the end the doll did not even move an inch and he passed away without ever seeing his creation coming to life. The lich looked carefully at the doll. Sure at a glance the doll looked just like a young human girl. Short white haired in a white dress, she had however a peculiar gemstone sticking out of her chest. The lich approached the glass to look at the gemstone. Suddenly his eyes met her opening eyes. The mage was startled and jumped back before pointing his staff toward the doll to prepare a spell.


    The sound of gears pressing again each other echoed inside the silent vault as the doll started shaking. Then she spoke a half broken sentence


    "As....cen...si...on...As...cen...sion..I....fo..und...you"

 Chapter 2: Attack

    "There was once a town that was famous for producing great mages and sorcerers. Even in this town, one family stood out for having a history of the best mages in the entire land, more than enough to gather attention from numerous kings and lords of different countries. Then one day, the next heir to the family was born. People expected so much from him even months before his birth. His parents were at that time the most powerful mages. Would he be a king? Or more than that? Perhaps a God of Magic? Whatever the case, prosperity would surely follow him and his family.


    But none of that happened. The boy had no talent for magic. He could not even cast the simplest of spells. Soon the family and the town shunned him. But he did not give up. Instead of magic, perhaps he could use something else. Something that would bring him recognition, so that his parents would accept him. He departed from the town and travelled the world. Years after years, he searched. And one day he found it. Inside a dungeon far to the North, he found the golems. Machines that existed since ancient time. If he could not cast spell, then he could create golem to fight for him.


    The once talentless boy in magic found himself a new goal. A few years later, he became famous for his creations, receiving countless invitations from kings to join their army. Happy more than ever, he decided to go back to his town, waiting for the price of his efforts: his parents'' recognition. But he received none.


    The father was angry when the boy showed up with his golems. He rejected the ideas of machines, thinking it was preposterous to use them while his magic could do much better. Then he hit him.


    The golems, reacting to their master''s injury, grabbed the boy''s father and threw him to the ground. The villagers were terrified. They began to attack the golems. But they underestimated them. And so the golems destroyed the entire town, killing everyone else. There was nothing the boy could. He just stood there, watching the carnage with tears in his eyes. He could not stop the golems from killing his family. Or could he? Perhaps the golems simply acted according to their master''s hidden desire....


    The boy disappeared from the world that day. Some speculated that he continued his research in golems. Not just any kind of golem, a golem capable of human emotions, one that could be considered a living being. But for what? Perhaps to replace a now lost family."


    - "Tales of the Artificer" by Arshe the Wanderer


    * * *


    BANG! A loud noise sounded from downstairs. ¡°It sounded like someone just knocked our door down,¡± Alastor thought out loud. He had jumped out of his bed and landed face-down on the floor. He was sweating and breathing heavily. Not too much surprise, what happened last night or rather what happened in his dream was quite terrifying and so real. All the years he sometimes thought that all those conversations, all those exchanges he had in the dream was just him being wacky. Even though it seemed so .... real, so authentic.  But yesterday was completely different. For the first time in his life, he felt fear. And the pain he endured... even now it persisted. By instinct, Alastor wanted to check the gemstone on his chest. It did not change much in term of size but now it was glowing a dim light and he could clearly a small red glow in the center, although nobody would notice it with a mere glance. "Ascension.... Demon Lord... What the hell was that all about? " he thought to himself. Then he felt something lacking. Something was amiss.


    Then he realized it. Alice. The boy freaked out when he didn¡¯t hear the annoying wake up from Alice as usual. She would usually shake him up while yelling his name, something accompanying with a few slaps in the face. Well it was not like he hated it, rather it soothed him that when he waked up, he would see a cheerful face, albeit an idiot one, of someone he cared about. He also noticed that he did not hear his mother''s humming when she cooked breakfast. The house was totally noiseless.


    Not a minute later after being in deep thought, Alastor knew something wasn¡¯t right. Still half asleep, he grabbed his clothes, paced around his bedroom contemplating if he should walk out or not, and finally, he decided to take the leap of faith and opened his room''s door. He took two steps out the door. Looking left and right, he saw everything was still in its place. He raced downstairs to see if anyone was there. None. He tried to look around, seeing if Morgan left a note like she always did. But nothing.


    Anxious of what might happened, he took his coat and went out of the house. He spotted footprints in the snow. They leaded to the village. It seemed like someone was coming here and then his family decided to follow that person back to the village. He decided to follow the footprints to see what was going on.


    After arriving at the village, he saw a commotion at the town center. Everyone was gathering there. He looked left and right. People had a scared and confused expression. Just what was happening?


    * * *


    Gazel''s POV


    I still couldn''t believe what Alec told me this morning. Earlier he barged into our house, screaming how everyone was dead. The boy looked shaken up and could not even speak properly. I had to calm him down for a while before he conveyed to me the horrible thing that happened. After hearing the whole story, I called everyone up to the village center. Rumors have already been spread around like a plague. Better speak the truth now before anyone took them any further.


    "Alright. Now that everyone is here. Tell us what you have just told me earlier. Speak up boy!", I told Alec.


    ¡°Ka¡­.Karl village has been attacked. Everyone there is dead. They are all dead¡± - the young man trembled as he speaks. You could see the fear in his eyes, as if he has seen hell on earth. Then he continued.


    ¡°I was on my way back from visiting the Guild when I decided to go to nearby villages to sell some stuffs left from the trade at the capital. Then, from afar I saw several column of smoke. At first I thought they were holding a festival or something. But when I got there, all I see it¡¯s blood everywhere. They were all killed. Then I panicked and ran as fast as I could back here. It must have been the bandits. Only they could do this. The others villages in the area have also been attacked. We are the only left. They will surely come here to kill us. Oh god it¡¯s so horrible¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I was horrified by the story when I first heard it. I knew people there. Some of them were my friends for years. But now it was not the time for mourning.


    ¡°Everyone, please calm yourself. We should not panic now. What we must do is strengthen our defenses. Lote, you go recruit a team of scouts and secure a zone of three kilometers around the village. I want to know everything that come in or out. Pan, go gather equipment from the storage. If there isn¡¯t enough, take from the blacksmith. The others men, please follow me. Women and children should go back to their home. Please don¡¯t worry! As Alec has said, we have asked aid from the Guild for a monster subjugation. With luck, they may come here tomorrow morning.¡± I called out to every villager.


    All villagers quickly followed my lead. The tension was not as heavy as before. Hearing the Guild sending aid surely calmed them all down. I only hoped that they will make it in time.


    I was still bothered by the news. The Karl village was double the size of his village. Plus, they had a few competent fighters. No bands of bandits in this area were large or organized enough for this scale of attack. It was true that for years villages in this area have been plagued with bandits but they have never been this aggressive. And yet Karl fell so easily. Not to mention that most people of Caine village were simple farmers who have never held a weapon. Something was not right. However, contemplating here all day wouldn¡¯t solve anything. All I could hope for was to pass the night and wait for the adventurers to come.


    For now, I asked Morgan to take the two children who followed us back to the house. Although I preferred for them to stay inside the village, Morgan insisted that she was more than capable enough to defend the kids. I knew that she was no common elf and her mana clearly belonged to an experienced fighter, perhaps even more than more. I have tried to ask her what exactly happened ten years ago for her come in this isolated place, accompanied by two children but each time she avoided the subject and I would not push it further. But I knew it had something to do with the boy and his.... lineage.


    * * *


    The sun has gone down for a few hours and tension was raising. The eerie sound from winter gust only added the stress inside the village. Ever since the announcement at the plaza, everyone has been on edge. Houses have been fortified with wooden planks. The guards have been increased and many have volunteered to join them to protect their families. The women and children stayed inside their houses with closed doors. The men, some had pitchforks, others with rusty swords or even sticks. With just one look, it was obvious that most of them have never even held a weapon in their entire life before. But it was not like they had any other choice. Something or someone has been attacking village after village in the area and theirs was the last standing one. They could not just wait to die. Something had to be done.


    Usually villages and towns were under protection of the royal family. If someone dared to attack them without any provocation, the royal army could be deployed to take care of the threat. If they paid a good amount of taxes or present a good strategy position, the army or at least a squadron would always be around to protect them. However, that was not entirely the case for frontier villages. They were poor and poor people had little to pay for the taxes. And so they were abandoned. Another reason was that villages near the borders of others countries usually were attacked and pillaged by those countries. Since they could not provoke open wars without concrete reasons, small skirmishes like these were more or less ignored as the blame could always be placed on bandits or monsters. So long as the damages were not important enough.


    This was the reason why in case of emergency these villages would call out for help from the Guild of Adventurers. They accepted all kind of requests, as long as they were legal ones and the prices were more reasonable compared to what they have to give to the royal family.  If they could hold out until morning, everything would be fine. Or so they hoped. This hope was shattered the moment they heard the bell from the watchtower. What followed was the guards screaming.


    ¡°WE ARE UNDER ATTACK¡±


    The guards and volunteers quickly grabbed their weapons and moved to their positions. Standing on the wooden wall was Gazel in his old armor. He was the first one to spot moving torches from afar. The enemies numbered at least a hundred. Judging from the moving speed of those torches, they were cavalry.


    Gazel couldn¡¯t believe in what he was seeing. Not only he was amazed by the number of the knights and their heavy equipment. But there was another reason: their banner. On the flag was an emblem of a shield with the image of an eagle on it. It was the banner of Ceadric, their own kingdom. Gazel was shocked by this revelation. He didn¡¯t hear anything about reinforcement from the king nor did he inform the authorities about what happened since he knew they would simply ignore it.


    The villagers were overjoyed when they heard the coming of the imperial army. Their king has not abandoned them after all.  Their joy did not last long however.A small boy who has always been fascinated with knights ran to the fence. In a backwater place like this, seeing an entire battalion was rare so he could not miss this chance. The boy excitedly waved his hand to salute the army. And what did he receive in return? An arrow right in the head. The moment he fell down, confusion spread as the villagers started to scream, horrified. Even the guards were not able to keep calmed and start throwing arrows back to retaliate. This time what came back were not arrows but fireballs at the size of a man¡¯s head. Hundreds of them. They came from the ten hooded men standing in front of the imperial army. They each wore a blue robe with golden signs on it.


    ¡®Mage¡¯, the word echoed inside Gazel¡¯s mind. They were master of magic who manipulated mana inside their body and surroundings to their will. There were many levels of mages and some even had unique powers. But whatever the case, mages were rare. Only one out of ten can have the potential to be a mage and even so they would have to go through training for years before becoming a master.


    ¡°This is not possible. Army from our own kingdom coming to kill us. If we go outside the knights and archers will massacre us and if we stayed inside, those mages will burn this entire place to the ground. What can we do?¡± Gazel muttered to himself angrily. This was far worse than what he was expecting.


    ¡°God help us all!¡±

 Chapter 3: Onslaught

    "They say God loves all his creations. They say all things in this world have a purpose. Then what is the reason of our existence? For what do we live if not to be slaughtered?


    We are Monsters, the first race created by God long before the Primes. We are His children. Yet He casts us aside. Our home, taken from us. Our lives, stolen from us. The Primes have declared their crusade against us. The so called Primes deemed us as evil, mindless creatures that do not deserve to live. They say our existence itself is a sin. Then I ask thee: if we are sin incarnated, then did God committed a sin when He created us? If God committed a sin, then why do we have to pay for it?


    When all hope seemed lost, the Old One came. Seeing our sufferings, She pitied us and gave us her blood so we can break from our shackles, to be free from God. That day, we became something else. That day the First Demon was born."


    - "The First of our kind", Archives of the Vault.


    * * *


    Morgan''s POV


    It has been ten years that I stayed in this place. Ten years since that event. And just when I thought I could get a peaceful life, it ended too abruptly. I have truly gone rusty. I looked at the forces outside of Caine village. Although it was dark, I could hundreds of torches. With that kind of troops outside, this village will fall in no times. Before that happens I have to get the kids out.


    As soon as we get home, I told Alice and Alastor to prepare their bags. They were a bit confused but obey me in the end. I had perhaps gotten too accustomed with this ''mother'' role.


    As I was preparing my equipment I thought about Gazel. He treated me like his daughter and here I was abandoning him. "Please forgive me Gazel! But this is more important than both me and you. Whatever happen the kids must survive. Even if I have to die for it. You can curse me all you want. I am already prepared to go to hell for the sins I have committed.", I thought hard in my place. I imagined the scene if he somehow survived this chaos, what would I say to him? Rather what could I say to him? And I realized that I am shedding tears. Someone like me could still shed a tear for someone else after all.


    Before I grasped back to reality, Alastor was standing right next to me. He just stood there quietly looking at me. Then he reached his hand to my face to swipe my tears before hugging me.


    "Are you crying mom? Please don''t cry! I am sure Grandpa Gazel would understand our reason for living, although I don''t know it myself" he spoke to me like a proper adult. Then he gave me a gentle smile. He was always .... strange yet it was not repulsive. I knew he was special ever since the day I took him away from that place. Always mature than kids his age, sometimes more than some adults I know. And he is smart, perhaps a bit on the shrewd side. He tried to hide that however because he wanted to act normal but it could not escape my eyes. And my ''former'' career allowed to detect lies easily so at least that''s one thing I am proud of.


    "I am fine honey. Don''t worry!" I smile back at him. Now that I look at him, he starts to become more and more like his father. With his silver hair and the two glowing red eyes, "You will be quite dangerous when you grow up" I laughed when I thought about all the girls who would jump at him.


    Then I noticed Alice coming downstairs, running up to me with a worried face. She must have heard Alastor talking about me crying. Always so upright yet so compassionate. She was just like the opposite of Alastor, no perhaps more like they compensate each other weakness. I knew some of the kids from the village bullied Alastor for his timid tendacy. But I never had to intervene. Alice would always come to her brother'' side to protect him. ¡®Protecting the weak is the duty of the strong¡¯ is something like her motto. She must be heavily inspired by all the heroes in those stories Gazel told her.


    "Never thought I would see the day you cry sister."


    "Shut up! Who say I am crying? It''s just I have ... snow in my eyes."


    "Your eyes must be freezing then. Maybe it will cool your head too."


    Alice starts pinching Alastor''s little cheeks. Now she was angry but her expressions have brightened a little bit. As I said, Alastor is a shrewd. I looked at both of the children I raised again, I start question myself: "Will I live to see the days they grown up?".


    Then I heard riding horse noises outside.


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    I was surprised when Gazel told us to stay inside without letting anybody but him in. And what surprised me even more was my mother. I knew that Gazel was an adventurer when he was young so I expected him to have weapons and armors but mother never told us about her life before having us. When she took out two strange looking swords and wore a light chainmail I was stunned. So was Alice but instead of wondering like me, she was looking at mother with admiration. The look that showed a hope that one day she would be like her mother.


    We were so different, so much I often wondered if we were even related at all. Well if those rumors about me were true, then I guess I was the adopted one since clearly Alice had those elven ears. Whatever the case, even if we were not related by blood. I considered them my family and loved them. I would do anything to protect them. Anything.


    Suddenly Alice tapped on my head, waking me up from my thoughts.


    ¡°Are you afraid Alastor? Don¡¯t worry! Your big sis is here to protect you!¡± said Alice while hugging me to her chest. She gave me a smile which I thought was angelic.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, sis. Though I would appreciate if you take in consider that face that it¡¯s the duty of a man to protect his family.¡±, I said firmly, showing my convictions.


    ¡°Hahaha ! Don¡¯t you underestimate us women! I have always been stronger than you, you know.¡±


    BOOM


    Then I heard sound of explosions from outside. The grounds shook heavily. Alice and I immediately ran to the window. What followed was a giant column of fire rising from the village.


    ¡°What on earth is going on out there?¡± Alice screamed out. No surprising at all since it was her first time seeing magic in her life. As for me I had my share of experience with magic a few times.


    Then I heard the sound of horse approaching. A few men stopped in front of our house.


    ¡°Keep quiet both of you. Stay inside until I said it¡¯s clear, understand?¡±, said mother while keeping a finger in front of her mouth, signaling us to stay quiet. We simply nodded in agreement. She patted us on the head, took her twin swords and went outside. The walls were thin so we can still hear perfectly what was going on outside.


    ¡°My my. I didn¡¯t expect guests so late at this time.¡±


    ¡°Stay where you are, woman! Drop those swords immediately!¡±, an angry voice shouted


    ¡°Calm down, Culan! She is just a peasant. And a beautiful one at that¡±, a young male voice seemed to try to calm the other.


    ¡°Thank you for the compliment but I would appreciate if you leave now¡±.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°The night is still young. Why don¡¯t we ¡­.¡± The young male voice then stopped immediately, followed by the sound of something falling on the snow. Then a small moment of silence and we heard screams from different people.


    ¡°Oh god. She killed him. How dare you !!!¡±


    ¡°Seem like I have truly gotten a bit rusty after all these years.¡± mother¡¯s voice seemed very confidant. What followed could only described as a slaughter. Curious, we peaked our head from the window, only to see a woman seemingly dancing with her twin blades. With every move blood splattered on the ground and the soldiers were panicking. They did not expect a peasant to be able to kill them so easily.


    The carnage continued until only one knight was left on his horse. I sensed a dangerous aura from this person. During the entire battle with mother, this hooded guy did not move a single inch from his spot even when his comrades were being killed.


    When mother finished her ¡°dance¡±, the guy just stared at her and clapped his hands, as if thanking for the show.


    ¡°Well done! Well done indeed! I certainly did not expect to encounter someone of your caliber here in this forsaken place. And a Vicar at that.¡±


    Mother seemed troubled. She was startled when that guy mentioned the word "Vicar". What is a Vicar?


    "How do you know?", mother asked the guy in hood. She was preparing herself. She knew that this guy was different from the others. She grasped her swords firmly.


    ¡°The emblems on the sword. You must be a Vicar to have those swords. " hearing those words, I could feel her bloodlust increasing from here. Yet the guy seemed unfazed even in this tension. He just continued teasing her.


    "Or you could steal from one. Judging from your expressions though, it seems my guess was correct... Hum but I was not informed of any Vicar doing their missions here. How troubling¡± The guy scratched his head thinking about something. ¡° Ah yes where are my manners? I must be so mesmerized by your dance to even forget to introduce myself. Please forgive me, my lady! Ehem, my name is Raventhorne. You can call me Raven for short. May I ask yours?¡±


    ¡°Morgan¡± the guy seemed a bit crazy mom. You didn¡¯t have to answer him.


    ¡°Not a person of words I see. Then let us not delay this any further.¡± He jumped down his horse and taking out a weird weapon. It looked like a sword but very rounded. Also the tip was slenderer and pointy.


    Suddenly he rushed toward mother with an amazing speed. The snow on the ground was split into two sides, leaving a trace from his position to mother¡¯s. But mother managed to parry him and gave him a kick to the stomach. Alice was gasping in excitement watching the fight. The other guy was not bad either. Even though kicked he did some acrobatic moves and regained his foothold on the ground. But mother definitely was more experienced and skilled than him.


    They exchanged a few blows after that. Each time more violent and deadlier than the last. The mysterious guy now was exhausted. His heavy breathing could be seen through the hood. Mother seemed fine. She maintained her composure and did not even need to move from her stance since the beginning.


    Alice was getting worried. She did not to entirely understand the situation but she was worried about mother. She did not know what to do and decided to run outside. I tried to grab her but missed. At that moment the Raven guy made a dash toward mother. His sword extended and became a lance, gashing at mother. However, when the door opened and Alice ran outside, Morgan was distracted and turned her head back. Raven noticed the child coming out of the house but was unable to stop his attack and pierced Morgan through her stomach. When she fell down he retracted his sword, looking stunned.


    ¡°MOM¡± me and Alice screamed out. I ran outside to my mom¡¯s side, holding her head on my knees. Alice was crying, calling out to mother. She was in pain but still conscious. I put my hand on her wound. There was so much blooding coming out. I then teared my cloth and made a bandage to close the wound. My hands were trembling; in fact, my whole body was. I was afraid of losing her.


    I was so dismayed by the whole thing until I noticed the knight approaching. But then Alice was standing in front of us, expanding her hand to make a gesture, stopping the knight from approaching. Even though she was still sobbing and tears still came out of her eyes.


    ¡°Relax kid! I would not hit a fallen adversary and I despite those who hit children. That¡¯s just... just wrong you know. Also she was distracted and I am afraid if this continues I would have lost. So take this potion and get out of here. I cannot guarantee that the others would be so kind like me.¡±, said Raven.


    ¡°How can we trust you? You attack our village and now you tell us you don¡¯t kill children? Do you think we are stupid?¡±, I shouted angrily.


    The guy did not respond. He simply sighed before throwing the potion on the ground and going back to get on his horse. Before leaving, he rode his horse back to us.


    ¡°Sometimes you don¡¯t have a choice if you want to keep living in this world. If you are not happy with the way this is then be strong and change it. The world is shaped by the strong after all. Become a man and maybe one day we will meet again.¡±


    As soon as he left, I quickly grabbed the potion and helped mother to drink it. She had some trouble to drink but after a few moments, the wound was already closed, not completely healed but at least she was not in danger anymore.


    ¡°Thank you Alastor. And don¡¯t cry anymore Alice! We got to move soon¡±


    ¡°I am sorry mommy¡±, apologized Alice in tears


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am happy as long as you are safe. Now help me get up. We have to get out of here before things get worse¡±.


    Me and Alice helped her standing up. Mother decided to take a shortcut to avoid the route the solders took. Looking back at the village, now plunged in fire, we could only hope that Grandpa managed to get out of there.


    * * *


    A winged figure was floating in the sky. It was none other than Mikael. Five other figures were flying toward him before stopping and forming a circle.


    ¡°Did you find anything?¡±, asked Mikael


    ¡°We have been scouting the entire area and have only found nothing but ruins of destroyed human settlements. The traces indicated that it was recent. Someone must have been attacking those villages one by one in the last few days. Do you think it could be connected to the boy we are looking for?¡± , said Ikarus.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whatever the case the boy must be somewhere around in this area. I do not imagine a kid being by himself like that so there must be others people with him. Somewhere like a village would be the place we are looking for. Ah there is Gabriel. You finally came back. Please tell me you find something useful.¡± Asked Mikael


    ¡°Yes I found a human settlement in the North of here. However when I was there it was under attack by another group.¡±, reported Gabriel seriously.


    ¡°Then we must go there and help them. Villagers in these areas don¡¯t know how to fight. They would be slaughtered at this rate.¡± , exclaimed Ikarus.


    ¡°I agree that we must go there immediately. But do not misunderstand this Ikarus. We are looking for the boy in the prophecy. Not rescuing humans. We will not interfere so long as the boy does not make his appearance. And who knows? Maybe this attack will lead us to the back. We must limit intervention as much as possible. I don¡¯t want to lose this lead because of some mortals.¡± ,said Mikael coldly.


    ¡°But ¡­.¡±


    ¡°Did I not make myself clear enough for you, Executor?¡±


    ¡° ¡­ Yes milord !¡±

 Chapter 4: Magnus

    ¡°Let us pray¡­. Let us sing in communion and feast upon the wretched fiends.


    Blasphemous murderers. Accursed savages.


    Atonement for the wretches.


    By the wrath of the Great Mother.


    Listen to the baleful chant.


    Let us pray¡­. Let us weep for their sins, for their transgression.


    Let us weep for us, for our salvation.


    For with blood it began and it shall end with blood on our hands.


    We are the sword of the Ragna.


    For we shall give judgement to the wicked.


    Let us free them of their villainous ways.


    Mercy for the poor, guiltless children.¡±


    A tall man was kneeling down in front of a stone monolith. The man was in his forties, at least in appearance. He had a humanoid figure but with oddly elongated limbs. Wearing a noble attire, he could be confused for someone of royalty if not for his arms, when extended, practically reached his knees with their sharp nails, almost like claws. Yet the most striking feature of this man was a pair of huge bat-like wing on his backs. That''s right. The man was a demon. A demon who was praying.


    With his head down and his hands grasping each other in a praying gesture, he was muttering an unusual chant. It was difficult to distinct if he was praying for himself or instead cursing someone else. The chant itself was quite eerie. It was unusual to curse and at the same time weep for our enemies.


    ¡°How odd! You didn¡¯t quite strike me as a religious man, Mephisto.¡± A voice spoke from the corner of the room. But Mephisto did not turn back to see who it was. In fact he already knew the answer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that¡¯s a good luck chant.¡± The man looked at the stone monument and whispered ¡°And a reminder of what happened¡± he stood up and fixed his clothes. He then turned towards the figure speaking from the corner, who now has revealed itself to be a skeleton in a black robe. The skeleton was holding a creepy staff surrounded in a green glow.


    ¡°How goes the preparation, Noroeth?¡± Mephisto asked the lich.


    ¡°The Portal is almost ready. Amelia is on the task. I am still surprised she manages to open one all by herself without a catalyst. I remember how I used to have at least ten acolytes and a mana stone just to maintain one opened. And so small.." Before Noroeth could finish , Mephisto cut him off with a silence gesture.


    "Ah don''t even say that word in front of her. She is twice your age you know."


    "I know that but she is smal... I mean humble in term of size, it''s difficult to admit defeat in front of a girl barely five foots you know." The lich was disappointed in himself for losing against a little girl.


    ¡°Anyway are you sure we could trust that ? We spent ten years looking and we found nothing. That doll found it the moment it woke up. It just seems a bit sketchy to me." Mephisto was talking about the doll Noroeth found in the Vault yesterday.


    When Noroeth came to him with the doll, he was suspicious. All of this seemed just too convenient for him. Noroeth insisted that the doll was telling the truth but when Mephisto interrogated her on how she knew it, she simply answered "I just know it". Aside from that Mephisto could not gather any other info from the doll. Going blindly without proper intelligence was against Mephisto''s thinking. It was not that he did not trust Noroeth but Mephisto has made a clear stand to view everything with suspicion.


    "I honestly don''t know. But when I saw her, I had the impression that I could trust her. It''s difficult to explain." It was unheard for a lich to develop a sense of affection or emotion toward someone. But perhaps Noroeth was no normal lich.


    "Hum. I don''t really support this expedition but sitting here wondering won''t solve us any problem."


    "That''s why all of us will be going with you. Safety in numbers. And the doll will be coming too. Amelia''s portal may get us there but she could not send us directly to him so we still need the doll it show us the exact location."


    "And if things go down hill, we kill it on spot."


    * * *


    The trio Alastor, Alice and Morgan have just managed to get out of the village. They were now running through a dense forested area. The hidden shortcut certainly saved their lives since unless you were someone from the village, you wouldn¡¯t know about its existence. However, they have left a lot behind in order to get here.


    During their escape, they could hear screams calling for help from the village but Morgan has decided to ignore it despite Alice consistently wanted to go back for them. Morgan already had enough for her hands. She was injured, not fatally but enough to hinder her abilities. In addition, she had two defenseless kids on her hands. If she went back she might not even be able to protect them, let alone saving others. While it was heartless to abandon Gazel who has taken care of her family for ten years, she could not risk losing her children. That was what was keeping the elf to go forward. She could mourn him later but now it was not the time. She ran as fast as she could, holdings hands of the two children. She could finally see an exit from afar. Finally, they would be safe.


    Or so she thought. As soon as they were out of the bushes, a group of chevaliers in armors has already encircled them.


    ¡°So a few rats escaped? You really cannot trust a group of mercenaries after all. Useless bunch. Can¡¯t even finish a few peasants. Finish them off !!!¡±, a fat man in armor, hiding behind two knights said as he ordered the archers behind him. Five arrows flew toward the trio. Alastor and Alice held together tightly and closed their eyes, preparing for the worse. Then nothing happened.


    They opened their tiny eyes, only to see their mother standing her ground facing them. Blood was coming out of her mouth. The fives arrows pierced her back. You could see the pain on her face and how she tried to hold it. She grasped for breath and tried to say something but no words came out.


    The young girl called out to her, crying. She wanted to run to her mother but a soldier has caught her from behinds.


    "This one would make a good slave. Look at her red hair. I know some noble who would pay hundreds of gold coin for someone like her. Ha ha ha!" the fat laughed out loud. All he could think of was the money and promotion he was going to get after finishing this mission.


    Alastor remained still, shocked by what he was seeing. He wanted to cry but he could not. He wanted to save his sister but his hands were tied by the two soldiers behind him. He just stood there, without uttering a single sound. One look at him and you might say he had given up.


    Then something changed. His eyes started to lose their crimson colors before turning completely black. His pupils could no longer be seen. Something dark was invading him.


    "ALL OF YOU WIL DIE!", the new Alastor proclaimed.


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    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    We finally managed to get out of the forest. After that awful ordeal we had to ignore the call for help of others villagers just to save our skin. Honestly aside from mother, Alice and grandpa, I did not hold much affection for the rest of the village. The kids always bullied me and the adults were staying away from me. But none of them deserved this.


    ¡°I am sorry grandpa. I am sorry everyone.¡± I thought to myself as I wiped away my tears and just continued to run. As we got out of the forest, I thought we would be safe. But my stupidity got ahead of me. Soldiers already surrounded us. End of the line. I was afraid of dying but most importantly losing my family. And here I was. Weak, coward. My mother lied dead before me and my sister taken away right in front of me.


    ¡°Please at least my family! I would do anything! Please !!!¡±, I murmured to myself in vain. Suddenly everything around me went black and I heard a small voice calling out to me. Then it became louder and louder. I knew this voice. The one from the dream.


    ¡°We finally meet young Alastor. Would you do anything to save your sister? Anything?¡± the voice said. It was a deep voice and certainly not a human one. But I was not afraid of it, more like curious.


    ¡°You were from that dream. Who or what are you?¡± I asked the mysterious voice.


    ¡°That was no dream young Alastor. Everything you have seen until now in your so called ''dreams'' actually happened. Including those you have met like Asmodeus and Beelzebub. You are currently in the Abyss, a dimension reflecting your true self. To put it simply It''s an image of your soul. Time has no influence in this place. The past, the present and the future are all intertwined in this place. So take all the time you need to ask your question."


    I was confused. A voice just talked to me in my head and spouted some none sense which I could not make out of anything. My heart was beating so fast I almost forgot to breath. I had to calm down and think logically. This thing might just be the only way to save my family.


    ¡°Then first question: what happened last night ?¡± For now I should focus on gathering as much info as possible. It would allow me to think of something.


    ¡°Your Ascension took place. You had awakened the demon blood in you and has been chosen as the new demon lord. Rejoice, young one! For you will obtain power you could not even imagine in your wildest dream. As the new demon lord, this means that you are now able to use the gift of Legacy, the power of your predecessors which resided in your blood, waiting to be awaken."


    Frankly speaking, I have thought of the possibility that I was a demon. I was sure that I was no elf since I did not have the ears, clearly not human because of that weird crystal on my chest. As for dwarf, beastman and celestial, clearly no signs of any attributes from one of the races. All that was left was the demon race. Also the fact that mother always tried to confine me at home. I knew something was up. But a demon lord ? That was something else entirely.


    "What is this Gift you talked about?", I asked my second question.


    "Each generation of demon lord, when reached the peak of their power, can obtain a special skill unique to them. When they die, a portion of their power is imprinted in their blood and passes to the next generation. This means that every demon lord can use the power of the previous demon lords before them. This power is called Legacy and you can use it however you like."


    All the powers of the demons lords who have existed. With that kind of power, I could surely save mother and sister. My excitement was cut short however.


    "But..."


    "But what?"


    "You don''t get the power immediately. Remember those shadows you saw. Those are the previous demons lords. They have to give their power to you willingly before you could use them. That leads us to our problem. Currently you only have two Legacies from Asmodeus and Beelzebub. Use them wisely and you can wipe out the attacking easily but as for our guests from above, it''s hopeless. You are still far too inexperienced and your body is too fragile."


    "...Then what''s the catch? You can''t be giving me this power without anything in return. Destroy the world or something like that I assume?" I may be a kid but I knew how the world worked. Anything came with at a price. The question was whether you were willing to pay it.


    "None at all. At least not from us. As the new demon lord, people will seek you out and try to kill you everywhere you go. That''s more than enough of a disadvantage. What we want is free will, the power of choice, for you to determinate your own fate and perhaps your actions will bring consequences to the world."


    I did not really understand what it meant at that time. Freedom, from what ? But I did not have time to sit there thinking.


    "Very well then. I accept!" I answered swiftly without thinking twice. "As long as my family is safe". If they would be saved then to me this was the perfect deal. I did not care about being the demon lord. I did not care about power. All I wanted was my family.


    "Perfect. Everyone, gather up!" As soon the voice commanded, hundreds of shadows appeared behind me. Then I finally saw the true form behind the mysterious voice. A dark sphere with a red crystal in the shape of an eye inside it. From it, hundreds of chain slashed out, binding the shadows. One final chain threw itself at me and pierced me. Damn it hurt.


    "You will wake up soon. Good luck, Alastor! About the two Legacies, Asmodeus and Belz will talk you through it quickly before you woke up again. Now be gone!"


    "Wait! I still don''t know what to call you."


    "You can call us... me Magnus."


    * * *


    "And... he is gone. You know you could just take over his body and use it against those winged bastards. He is just a kid. Never have a battle in his entire life. He is just getting himself killed. And that affects us as well." one of the shadow said worriedly to Magnus.


    "Either way he is going to die anyway. Why not let him choose how?" Magnus said as if he pitied the boy, someone who he just threw into the endless cycle.


    "Are you serious that you will let him die? Just like that?", Belz intervened.


    "If he die, I quit. Screw the others who will come after him." Asmodeus was angry. She was quite fond of Alastor and clearly not happy hearing Magnus would let him die.


    "Don''t you worry! He won''t die! He can''t!"

 Chapter 5: Meetings

    "Day 1


    The war has finally broken out with the demons. Today we moved our force to invade the continent of Ragna, where the demon force is based in. Our lord had given us a specific mission: find a safe shortcut to the demon lord''s castle. If it succeeds, a special squad can move in quickly and assassinate the demon lord, thus ending this war swiftly. Our group is composed of seven experienced adventurers of rank A. Surely this would be more than enough for a scout mission.


    Day 2


    Although the forest was filled with monsters, we managed to get out safely without losing any injuries. This is too easy.


    Day 3


    One of our rogues found a small cave behind a waterfall. We decided to make it as our temporary base for this mission. The position is perfect. A nearby water source. The waterfall will mask our traces so no one will find us here.


    Day 4


    We lost one man today. He fell in fissure. Damn bastard was stupid. He thought he heard something and fell down there by himself. But I don''t mind: the less we are, the bigger our share.


    Day 5


    A fight broke out between the two swordsmen. Each claimed that the other tried to kill him. Luckily we managed to stop the fight before they kill each other. Now we lost two of our main fighters. Tomorrow we will let them stay at the cave with the priest.


    Weird... they used to be best friends before the trip.


    Day 6


    I killed the priest today. When we went back to the cave, she just jumped on me and tried to stab me with a knife. She used to be so gentle. How can this happen? We found the two swordsmen already dead on their beds, their throats slit open with a sharp object. Did the priest kill them ? Why?


    Day 7


    Now I know why all this weird thing happened. There must be a traitor among us. He wants us to kill each other to take all the money for himself. It must be. The word ''traitor'' keeps repeating itself in my mind. But which one is the traitor? Cole or Jack ?


    Day 8


    I killed the two traitors. I saw them whispering to each other behind my back when I was scouting. They must have been planing to kill me to get the gold all to themselves. But I was quicker than them. I moved first. At first they yelled at me about how I misunderstood. When I finally stabbed one, the other started crying and begged me to let him go. Taking me for a fool... as if a traitor would admit to be one. I took his head and smashed it into a nearby rock. Now the money is all mine.


    Day 9


    There must be another traitor. Apparently it''s a woman since the voice was female. I could hear her whispers everywhere I go. She must be hiding somewhere around here.


    Day 15


    I still could not find her. But I could hear her voice. It just keeps getting louder and louder. I searched carefully, sought every possible trace but still nothing.


    Day 20


    Why am I still writing this damn diary? I can''t stop. My hands just move on its own as it writes down my every thought. And I keep hearing her damn voice. Suddenly I felt a chill behind my back. I turned my head around: she was behind the whole time. And there she asked: "Would you die for me?"


    -end of entry- "


    - Diary of an unknown soldier


    * * *


    "ALL OF YOU WILL DIE", the reborn Alastor proclaimed. His voice was filled with anger. But in his mind, he was calm. More like he could not afford to be agitated right now. The life of his family was on the line.


    He has been talked with Asmodeus and Belz about the two powers he received. But he discovered that these abilities were not really meant for offensive strategy. He would have to use them wisely to win this battle.


    Watching a ten year old kid making such a statement, the fat general could not hide the anger on his face. A mere peasant dared defy his authority. Unacceptable. He ordered the mage beside him to kill the boy.


    "Javis, kill that brat right now!"


    ''This ugly pig dares giving me order me. If I have not accepted this mission from Father Terrick, I would have ...'' thought the mage while making a dispirited expression. He looked at the boy, pitied him for facing Javis. ''Don''t hate me for this, brat! I am just doing my job.''


    The soldiers, afraid to be hit by the blast, let go of Alastor and spread out. They would not expect this little boy to be able to run away anyway.


    Javis raised his staff and launched a fireball at the young lad. But the boy was smiling. He has waited for this moment since the beginning. Alastor raised his hand toward the incoming fireball.


    " <Beelzebub''s Endless Hunger: Devour>" Alastor murmured softly.


    A black hole opened on his hand before completely sucking the fireball into it. From afar it was as if the boy has just catched the fireball with his hand before crushing it. The soldiers, including the mage Javis and the fat man could only stood there, wondering what just happened. Did the spell fail ? Could this boy also be a mage ?


    As for Alastor, he kept checking his hand if it was burned. Nothing. Instead he now had a weird hole on both of his hands.


    ''Amazing! So it''s true. Belz''s Legacy allowed to absorb all form of mana for myself. Even now I could feel that my own mana has increased, although only a little bit.'' Alastor analyzed in his head his new found power. ''Lucky me since a mage attacked first. If it was an archer or a swordsman, I would be dead''


    "What the hell do you just stand there for? Keep firing you idiot!" the general shouted at the mage.


    Hearing the shout, Javis came back to reality and this time fired a succession of ten fireballs. But it was for naught. The boy just made all the fireballs disappear into thin air.


    "And you bunch of idiots. Don''t just stand there! Do something!!!" This time, the general yelled to the soldiers near Alastor. He started to panic. He did not expect to encounter resistance in this kind of place.


    The soldiers, hearing their commander''s orders, started encircling the child. They now saw him as a real potential threat, not just a normal farm boy like before. But it was all according to what Alastor had in mind. In fact since earlier, he had waited for the soldiers to come closer while gathering enough mana from the mage. He could now use the second ability he had received.


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    " <Asmodeus'' Dominion: Absolute Authority>"


    A dark mist engulfed Alastor before launching into multiples projectiles at the soldiers. The knights immediately raised their shields to defend but the mist simply passed right through it before entering the knights'' body. As it entered, the knights fell to their knees before standing up again. But something changed in them. Their eyes were lifeless, as if what was left was simply a corpse. They now turned toward the other group of knights surrounding the general.


    "Slay them!" Alastor shouted as he pointed toward the fat man on his horse.


    What came next could be simplified by a slaughter between the two sides. The knights who maintained their conscience were caught off guard. They were not prepared to fight against their own. The mage immediately ran into the forest as he realized the severity of the situation. The general was not that quick however. He was stunned by the scene before him. He kept shouting at the knights to stop fighting but no one listened to him anymore.


    Even his horse, agitated by the surroundings knights, kicked him off and ran away. Before he could even regain himself from the fall, a knight approached him, raised his sword before plunging it into the fat man''s head.


    Now that the fight was over. Alastor rushed to his mother'' side. She was covered in blood but still breathing. He still had some of the potion the Raven guy had given him. He immediately poured the rest into Morgan''s mouth. But without proper care, she would not last long.


    Although heavily injured, Morgan was not unconscious. Her years of training has allowed to overcome the pain and this situation was no exception. She saw how Alastor did. She was not surprised by these new found powers. She already expected those. But the thing she was back was that it came too soon. But for now she would simply smile to Alastor. At least it would ease his concern for her.


    Alice, now freed from the knights, also rushed to Alastor and her mother. She could not speak properly as her eyes were swollen by the tears she cried. She could simply hug Alastor and her mother.


    Their reunion was cut short however.


    "So here you are. We finally found you, you little demon !", a voice came from above.


    The six heralds and Ikarus finally arrived. They have observed the situation from the sky since the beginning. At first Mikael did not think much of the boy. He could not sense any mana from him. He thought perhaps the boy in question was someone else. Until he saw Morgan. He recognized her face. The face that reminded him of his mistakes. The face that has haunted him for the last ten years. Now he knew it was this boy and none other. He did not care about the death of all those innocent villagers. Sacrificing the few to save the many. It was the most plausible solution to him.


    ''Celestials... So these are the guests Magnus mentioned. I could feel the pressure they emit even from here. I don''t have any offensive attack and at my level, <Absolute Authority> won''t work against them. We need to move out of here.'' was what Alastor had in mind. But it was too late.


    In an instant, Mikael teleported to Alice and has taken her hostage before teleporting back to the other celestials. He was sure that the boy was no match for Ikarus, let alone six heralds. But he wanted the boy alive and he saw how Alastor manipulated those men. It was better to be careful than sorry later. The end justifies the means, no matter how dishonorable it is.


    The celestial drew out his luminous sword as if it was made from light itself and put it to Alice''s neck.


    "Surrender or this girl won''t live to see another day" said Mikael. With this it was checkmate.


    Unknown to him, the celestial Ikarus did not share his point of view. She was raised to be an Executor, one who holds justice above all, even among celestials. The kind of person who would rather die than committing something this despicable. She wanted to unsheathe her sword but for now she remained silent.


    "Release her Mikael! She had nothing to do with this.", said Morgan with her weak voice.


    Mikael smirked at the frail Morgan now half way to death''s door. He dropped his sword but still held Alice tight at his arm around her neck. "You brought this on yourself when you decided to turn against us that day, Morgan. Did you even think about what you did? That boy''s life is nothing compared to the peace of this world. And look what you have been doing these ten years! Playing house with that demon. Did you even tell him the truth ?"


    "No... Stop it Mikael..." Morgan began to lose her composure. She tried to walk up to Mikael but her legs were giving in. She then tried to crawl with her hands but Alastor stopped her as he was afraid that her wounds would open.


    "About how you kill his parents?"


    "No... that''s not..."


    "I pitied you demon. Not only did you lose your real parents the day you were born, you were adopted by the one responsible for their death." Mikael gave off a sneer to Alastor.


    "Mom, what did he mean?" The young Alastor was now confused. Not only was he facing with an unbeatable enemy, these things he was hearing. Talks about his real parents. Their death.


    "I....I...." Morgan could not say anything to Alastor. She was overwhelmed with grief. Images of that event started come back to her.


    "Time to end this charade!" As he finished his sentence, Mikael threw a rope made of light toward Alastor. But it was cut by a pair of claws at incredible speed.


    A tall man with demonic wings in a noble attire now stood in front of Alastor. Four others followed him: lich in a black robe, a girl dressed in white with a cold expression, a three-headed wolf like beastman, a small girl in a luxurious robe mixed with black and purple holding a small blue slime.


    "FEAR ME MORTALS!" shouted the slime while trying to make a spooky voice but ended up with a ridiculous one.


    ....


    No one uttered a single words. The newly arrivals made a disappointed impression as their comrade''s attempt to make an entrance only made them look even more ludicrous.


    The girl holding the slime and whispered. "Shut up and read the mood you idiot!". She tried to stretch the slime to make him shut up.


    "Ahem", Mephisto was irritated. But he tried to remain his composure and started talking. "Ignoring that. Are you all just being mean to the kid here? Six celestials ganging up on "


    Mikael was furious. He did not expect the demons to act so soon. Not to mention he knew who these four people were. The only he did not recognize about was the lich and the girl in white.


    "And are you rude to interrupt someone else''s conversation, Mephisto? How about you damn bastards just wait there for your turn? We will exterminate you in the name of God."


    "Watch your language, boy! There are children around. Try to stay civilised! Or have you filled your heads with all that God thing so much you could not even appreciate a sense of decency" Mephisto made a mocking gesture, provoking the celestials even more.


    "YOU FLYING CHICKEN!!!", clamored the slime.


    That was it. The line was crossed.

 Chapter 6: Confrontation

    "THAT''S IT. YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT." one of the herald, Uriel, roared as he blitzed toward the young girl holding the slime. His sword clashed against a gigantic axe in the way. In an instant, he was sent off to the sky but thanks to his pair of wings, he managed to regain his balance midair. It was the three headed wolf beastman.


    "Your opponent is me!" the beastman said as he swung his titanic axe.


    The others heralds have also taken our their weapons and prepared for battle. Even Mikael. He turned to Ikarus.


    "Ikarus, take the girl! If she try to run, kill her. Also watch out for the boy!" Ikarus nodded in agreement but her heart was telling her to do something else. Something that might cost her life. She reluctantly took Alice into her arms. But as soon as Mikael flew away, she whispered to Alice.


    "Don''t worry! Stay still and I promise nothing is going to happen to you." she tried to reassure the little girl.


    "I don''t care about me. Just don''t hurt my brother and mother please... Hic ...hic" Alice tried to hold back her cries. Her body was trembling in fear but she could still spout those words that made the celestial clenched her fist.


    * * *


    As for the demon''s side, the demons have prepared. Mephisto gave out the orders to everyone.


    "I will take on Mikael and the angel beside him. Each of you takes on another one. That celestial holding the girl is staying behind so be careful in case she jumps in. As for you doll...."


    "My name is Stella." the doll spoke coldly.


    "..well then Stella, take care of the boy. He is vital to us. And be careful around that woman Morgan. We can''t afford to let her trick us a second time." Mephisto did not fully trust the doll yet. But in this situation he had no choice.


    The doll nodded before dashing towards Alastor. As she approached the boy, she saw a woman in question covered in blood. A complex feeling, unknown to the doll, started to make the doll ponder about something. But as soon as she tried to touch the woman, the little boy beside her took a nearby sword and pointed it at her.


    "Don''t touch her! Who are you people?" Alastor said in an intimidating voice.


    "I am not your enemy, master Alastor." the doll replied.


    How did she know Alastor''s name? This was the first time they met yet Alastor felt strangely familiar as if he knew her for a very long time. He dropped his sword and decided to trust this person in front of him. Was it because of his naivety ? Or something else ?


    "Please save her!" he begged the stranger in front of her.


    "If that is what you wish." Stella crouched down to Morgan'' side as she casted a healing spell on her. She told Alastor to hold Morgan as she tried to remove the arrows. With each arrow out, Morgan screamed out in pain. Soon it was over.


    When the doll was healing his mother, Alastor saw that her hands were not human. In fact they did not even belong to a living being. It was a wooden doll''s hand.


    "You ... You are a doll. Sorry I did not mean anything offensive behind that. It''s just the first time I see a doll." Alastor stuttered.


    "Please don''t worry, master! And you can call me Stella" she replied.


    "Why do you keep calling me master? It''s the first time we even meet." Alastor asked in confusion.


    "Because you are my master." she answered coldly.


    Alastor wanted to ask her more questions but he realized now it was perhaps not the perfect time. As the healing was done, with Morgan now unconscious, Alastor started to remember what happened earlier. He had so many questions for her about his real parents: who were they ? Did they really die? And why did that celestial say that Morgan was responsible. But one thing at a time, he needed to save Alice first.


    "Stella, I need to save my sister. Would you lend me a hand?"


    "Of course, master! Whatever you wish." Stella kneeled down before Alastor, putting on her hand on her chest, as a display of her loyalty.


    "And you can stop with that ''master'' thing. Just call me Alastor!"


    "But... if that''s what you want, Alastor! I await your orders."


    "It''s very simple. Make sure to catch me!"


    * * *


    "My name is Uriel. Remember the name of the one who will kill you, demon spawn!" Uriel said with a majestic voice.


    "The name is Naberius. Likewise, don''t forget to mention my name when I send you back to your maker." the head in the middle of the beastman said. His voice was filled with excitement.


    For the last years, Naberius has not fought anyone decent. Mephisto wanted them to lay low. But now as if the beast was unleashed from its chains, Naberius laughed with hysteria. The thrill of battle, the smell of blood shed and the uncertainty of its outcome. Oh how he missed those.


    " <God is my light>" Uriel made the first move. His body was engulfed in a protective radiating armor. His sword flickered and turned into a luminous lance. "Prepare to die, demon!". He dashed toward Naberius and thrust his spear repeatedly with amazing speed.


    But Naberius has defended Uriel''s attack with his axe. The head of the axe was so big it could serve as a shield. But no normal man could even handle such a weapon as it was too heavy. For Naberius however, he could control it with ease as if it weighted nothing,


    "My turn!" Naberius said with a grin of his face.


    He used the axe''s handle and hit Uriel in the face. With one handle, he caught the angel by his neck and threw him into the air.


    Receiving a blow to the head, Uriel was stunned but before he could realize it, his body was in the air. The next moment he saw Naberius right above him, holding the axe with both of his hands, making a plunging attack.


    Naberius executed a vertical cleave. The force of the attack was so powerful it made a hole in the ground with Uriel''s body. One would think no one could survive such an attack. But then Uriel stood up from the hole. He was only lightly injured. The armor has protected him well although it has suffered a few cracks


    "You dare!" screamed Uriel.


    * * *


    "Where are you hiding you demon?" the celestial Raphael screamed in anger while searching for his opponent. When Helel told him that he should deal with the slime while she would take care of the small girl, he thought it would be too easy. The slime has jumped from the girl''s arms into the forest and he has pursued it. But now it seemed that he lost it.


    "....." the slime tried to remain silent.


    "You coward, come out right now"


    "I am right here, you know!"


    "What? Where?"


    "You are stepping on me, you chicken bastard!"


    At that moment Raphael realized he has literally walked into a trap. Since this was at the end of winter, he did not suspect the slime to be hiding as a water puddle.


    Several icicles shot from the puddle. Luckily for Raphael, his foot were quick enough to jump and cover himself behind a tree. The puddle started changing form, back to a slime.


    "You sneaky little shit!", Raphael cursed the slime. He raised his right hand, covered in chains and launched the chain towards the slime but it split itself into two, avoiding the chain.


    "How rude! At least let me time to present myself!" the two slimes now said the same thing.


    "I have no need to hear the name of a demon, especially one who is going to die." another chain attack but this time was a horizontal cleave which cut down easily multiples surrounding trees easily. But none managed to even touch the slime. Thanks to its small size, the slimes'' movement were so quick normal eyes could not catch on.


    "For someone who is the Archangel of Wisdom, you seem terribly dull. You don''t even know my name. Me, the Great Azurus. But I guess you can''t ask much from a chicken. With their little head and such." One of the slime continued to taunt Raphael, whose face was red in anger while the other kept bouncing around. " COME AT ME YOU CHEEKY WALLY!"


    * * *


    "So....", said the celestial Helel reluctantly.


    "Yes ?", asked Amelia, the little girl in a luxurious robe in black adorned with multiple golden ornaments on it.


    "Are you just going to sit there? Not doing anything?". Helel was baffled by the situation in front of her. Ever since that slime went to the forest with Raphael chasing him, this little girl has just sit there, doing absolutely nothing. But Helel would not get her guards down so soon.


    Unlike Raphael who refused to learn about the demons, Helel actually knew quite a lot about the demon world. For her, the key to victory is the ability your opponent. So she spent years after years, going through archives and texts to learn more about the demons. Their leader, best fighters, organization, etc.


    She was more like a bookworm rather than a leader. In fact she did not even want to be elected herald. But her friends thought her expertise on demons would make a fine addition to the herald''s rank. So she accepted the position only one year ago. She thought things would go by peacefully. The demon king was gone. The rest of the demons were confined at Ragna. So there were not much to do as a herald aside from a few meetings she had to attend.


    Yet look at her now. In front of one of the most influential and powerful demon. This seemingly harmless girl in front of her was the Witch Amelia. She has served the last three generations of demon lords, always being in their royal guards. Cunning and cruel, the worst kind of opponent Helel would want to go against. The same witch who slaughtered three hundred celestials by herself in one single attack.


    Her thoughts was disrupted by the witch.


    "There is no need for us to fight. By keeping you here, I have already fulfilled my mission. Now how about some tea?" Amelia asked as she made a tea set with two cups coming from no where. She took the tea pot and filled the two cups. She then pushed one of the cup to Helel''s side, inviting Helel to sit down.


    Had it been any other celestial, they would have refused and attacked Amelia by now. But Helel was different. Not special but she knew what would happen if she drew her weapon. Behind the innocent smile of Amelia hided a terrifying aura. Helel was experiencing fear for the second time of her life. The first was when she first saw Amelia ten years ago. The image of a young child covered in blood walking on a mountain of corpses.


    Then Helel realized it. If she could keeping Amelia here, the others might be able to come and help her. The four demon royal guards might be tough but she did not know about the lich and the girl. Surely they could not be at the same level as Amelia.


    And so Helel decided to sit down and accept the invitation. But the moment she took the cup on her hand, one thing crossed her mind. "What if this is poisoned? What if this is part of the witch''s plan?".


    BAM. Helel fainted from a head blow from behind.


    "What''s wrong with your opponent?", asked the person who hit Helel from behind. It was Azurus the slime.


    "I am afraid that my fear aura worked a bit too well. Been a long time I have not used it so I put on a bit too much power. What about you? Done already?" Amelia asked gently.


    "That guy is an idiot. I just have to leave a few of my clones back there to play with him." Azurus replied while making a victory sign with his body.


    "Well then. Let''s finish this and go home. I need to refill my tea pot."


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    Leaving mother behind a tree, I casually walked to the celestial who was holding my sister hostage.


    "Hold it right there! Don''t take another step!", the celestial shouted at me.


    I stopped going any further. I knew that I would not be able to use force to take back my sister. The celestial already saw Stella so she could not use the element of surprise on her. Also I did not know the extent of Stella''s abilities. I had to carry out my plan by myself. All I hoped was that Stella would be able to hold the celestial back after that.


    "What does a high celestial like yourself have to fear from a kid like me? I may be young but I am not stupid. I have already lost so if you let my sister go, I will surrender myself willingly. Just promise that you would do that! Or do you really want to kill a child to capture another one?" I did mean every word of it. If there were really no other choice, I would gladly take Alice''s place.


    But I obtained something I did not expect. The celestial seemed a bit taken back by what I said. Now that I remembered, when that guy Mikael passed Alice to her, she had a disturbed expression. As if she did not want to do it. Could it be? Should I gamble on it?


    "You would not do something that dishonorable would you ?" I continued.


    "OF COURSE NOT"


    That was it. She was exactly like Alice. The type who held justice and honor above all. Now I was sure that my plan would work.


    "Release her first. Even if I try to run from this distance, you could catch me easily." I said to the celestial.


    At first she hesitated but the moment she released her hands, Alice ran toward me.


    "Are you ok, sis.... " SMACK. It hurt like hell. I could not even finish what I was saying and Alice just gave me a slap to the face. I did not understand why she did that. Until she showed me her face.


    "You idiot brother. You scared the shit out of me. I thought you would die when that mage threw a fireball at you. Idiot! idiot!", Alice said as she tried to punch me further. But it did not hurt. So I just let her continue and took the beating.


    "Sorry to interrupt but we don''t have all day. Come now, boy!"


    I pushed Alice but she would not let me go.


    "This is for your safety Alice! Please let me go!" I said to Alice.


    "NO NO NO! I would not lose you."


    "Please! Or the bad lady bird will kill both me and you. This is the only way!"


    "NO" Alice took a tree branch on the ground and stood in front of me. She pointed it toward the celestial. "I would not let anyone take my brother from me." I found it quite funny. She was trembling in fear yet she stood up for me still. I expected nothing less from my sister.


    "I..." The celestial could not say another word.


    As I thought this lady celestial was the kind of person who would not resort to cheap tactics like that guy Mikael. If I could create doubts in her, I would win. And I did.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "Very well" The woman withdrew her sword."I did not consent to this kind of underhanded ploy in the first place. I will let you go for now. But know this demon. There won''t be next time."


    Finally we did it. The others must still be fighting. Now we just needed to go back to mother and use the confusion to get out of here. Or so I thought.


    * * *


    "The situation does not look good for us, Lords Mikael. Helel is down and Raphael has fallen into the enemy''s trap. If we continue, I am afraid we would not walk out of here alive.", the celestial explained his concern to Mikael through his mind, who was in midst of a battle with Mephisto.


    Mikael would not accept those words. He could not admit defeat. But reality was cruel. He could sense two powerful aura approaching his location. Even together with Gabriel, they were only on par with Mephisto. If another two came, they would surely lose.


    However he still had one option left.


    "Call everyone back to Ikarus'' location. We will settle it there.", he gave his orders to Gabriel.


    In an instant, Gabriel has used a spell to teleport all celestials back to Ikarus. The demons soon followed and now everyone has gathered back where Alastor was. But what shocked Mikael was Ikarus has let the girl go and now they were running away.


    "Damn you Ikarus, you useless!" he yelled at Ikarus, who seemed to have a satisfied expression on her face.


    "That''s what you get for resorting to dishonorable means, Lord Mikael! I am prepared to accept my punishment but I will not pursue that boy any longer. Not today." As Ikarus declared, she dropped her sword to the ground, making Mikael even angrier. But he could not deal with her now. The demon threat was right in front of him. In his mind there was no other choice. He turned to Mephisto


    "I admit you are strong. But it matters not. I know not what the boy means to you but at least you won''t have him."


    As Mikael proclaimed, he created a luminous spear and threw it towards Alastor. The young boy only had a second to turn his head back before realizing his incoming death.


    But then nothing. There was no pain. Was that how death was supposed to be? Like a gentle embrace?


    Alastor reopened his eyes but he saw no spear. Only a gentle smile from his mother. She looked with tenderness. Her hands reached to his face,


    "I am sorry, Alastor! I neither deserve your forgiveness nor your sympathy. But please take care of your sister for me!"


    "Mo..m ?" spoke Alastor haltingly.


    "I am proud to be your mother, Alast...or!" Those were the final words of Morgan. She collapsed on the ground. The spear that pierced her has turned to dusk, leaving behind a bloody body.


    "MOM!" screamed Alastor and Alice.


    "Mom, please stand up! Please, mom!" Alastor tried to cover the wound from the spear with his hand. "Please Stella! Help her! I beg you!" He turned to the doll next to him.


    "I am sorry but there is nothing I can do. She is already gone." the doll answered as she looked down to the ground, apologetic.


    Before anyone could act, Mikael was already in front of Alastor and drew a sword on his neck.


    "A pest till the very end. Don''t worry! You will join her soon!" Mikael smirked. Finally victory was at his hand. It was regrettable that he could not bring the boy back alive but at least this would not be a failure. He waved his sword in the air and performed a guillotine.


    Half way down he could not move his arm. It was by caught by a small arm. How could such a delicate arm could block an attack from one of the strongest celestial?


    The tiny hand clutched so tightly Mikael could not even move away. He looked down the small boy holding his arm. It was no boy. The looks in his eyes, filled with hatred. The thirst for vengeance bursted all bounds. In his mind, he cursed the ones who killed the villagers. He cursed the ones who took his family away from him. But most of all, he cursed himself for his powerless. He was too naive, one or two special abilities would not make a boy into a man. He was the same feeble as before.


    ''The one who took away my dear mother. And the weak child who failed to protect her. They die today'' that was the last thought, what was left of his rationality, before giving in into insanity.


    "Suffer!"


    A single word from the boy. Mikael was screaming in pain. He could feel his arm being suck into the boy''s hand. No matter how he struggled, he could not fend off this force.


    "Die!"


    The absorption increased. Mikael''s right arm was already crushed. At this rate, the celestial would be sucked whole into that black hole. But then with a single slash, Mikael was burst away. Ikarus has reacted in time, taking the decision to cut Mikael''s arm. She could not retrieve his arm as it was already devoured by Alastor''s hand. But it was better an arm than his life. She took Mikael, moaning in pain, and tried to fly away toward the others celestials.


    "You will not get away!", Alastor claimed as he lifted both of his arm and created a black orb. He then threw it toward the celestials. The orb exploded and expanded into a gigantic dark sphere but Ikarus and the others, including the demons were fast enough to avoid its range.


    "Not over yet!", Alastor proclaimed.


    The sphere now retracted back to only a tenth of its initial size, almost like a single black dot floating on the sky. In an instant, everything around was sucked into this tiny dot. The trees in the surrounding areas, the earth near it. Not even the light from the moon could escape from it.


    "Lord Mikael, we need to get out of here right now! Or it will suck us in!" Gabriel screamed to the injured Mikael.


    But Mikael was already out of his mind. He was afraid. The mixture of pain from a lost arm and the taste of fear was quite a dangerous combo. He continued mumbling some intangible words, not even paying attention to what was going on around him.


    "Forget about him! Get us out of here or we all die!" Ikarus shouted at Gabriel. Gabriel nodded in agreement. Soon they were being engulfed in by a bright light and disappear into thin air.


    "Alastor stop! You will kill us all!" Mephisto tried to shout at the boy but his words could not reach him. It seemed like not even sounds could escape from this black hole. And if the demons tried to come closer to Alastor, they would be instantly sucked in. The only two would could stop him now were Alice and Stella. Both were unknown to Mephisto.


    "Brother stop!" Alice wailed at Alastor. She tried to stand up but kept losing balance and fell to the ground.


    "I... can''t... control...it" Alastor tried to stop the spell but to no avail. At that this even him and Alice would be sucked into it.


    But then someone hugged him from behind. She pressed her chest onto his head and wrapped her arms around his. Then she gently whispered into his ear.


    "Calm down! Listen to my voice! Breath, Alastor!" Her voice echoed inside his mind. ''Do you trust me Alastor?"


    He was baffled. Although the girl did help him before, he has only recently met her and now she was asking him to trust her. But strangely he did, without a single doubt.


    "Yes I do!" Alastor replied


    "Then close your eyes! This would only hurt a little!"


    As he closed his eyes, he felt calm. Then he felt a slight discomfort on both of his arms. But it did not hurt at all. On the contrarily he felt at peace. Thus he fell deeper and deeper unconscious.


    The orb was already gone. The catastrophe was averted.


    Alastor fell unconscious but Stella caught him and slowly put him on the ground, with his head placing on her laps. Mephisto and the others rushed to the boy. What might seemed like a tranquil scene from Alastor''s point of view, shocked everyone. Both of Alastor''s arms were crystallized.


    "What did you do to him?" Mephisto drew his claws toward Stella.


    But the doll felt no fear. She simply replied.


    "Please lower your tone. He is sleeping!"


    <del> </del>


    "You..." Before Mephisto could continue, Noroeth the lich interfered.


    "Please calm down. She did not harm him. In fact she has saved us all" Noroeth continued to convince Mephisto to trust the doll. But in his mind, he was now the one who trusted her the least. But right now it would be preferable to keep her around.


    ''That was Crystal Magic! It can''t be...'', Noroeth the lich was the most dismayed by this performance. He knew about this magic. He knew it too well.


    "Let''s just bring them back to the castle! It''s not safe here! Then you can continue your little chat later!" the witch Amelia interrupted.


    "Very well. Let''s head back! Naberius, take the boy please!" Mephisto said.


    "What about the girl?" Azurus asked as he jumped down on the ground, staring at a frightened Alice.


    "We can''t just leave her there. It''s his sister after all." Noroeth commented.


    "Wait what about Grandpa and mother?" asked Alice in confusion.


    "I am sorry to say this. On our way here, we have not seen any survivor. We were looking for you so I made sure that we did not miss anything back at the village. Right now I could sense a large group of people is right near the entrance of the village. Must be some kind of adventurer group so we cannot risk going back there now." Mephisto explained to little Alice.


    At first Alice refused but gave up in the end. She quietly followed behind Naberius who held her brother on his arms. Everyone headed back to the portal Amelia used to come here.


    The long night finally came to and end, opening a new dawn and a new world.


    * * *


    A man was running inside the forest near Caine village. He has witnessed the events that took place here. The demons. The celestials. The mysterious boy.


    "What kind of monsters were they? I have to report back to Father Terrick." Javis the mage thought out loud.


    He was the only survivor of that battlefield. But he knew there were other squads in charge of the siege of that village. Now that the monsters were gone, he could just run there and this terrible night would be over. But he was stopped half way.


    "My, my. It''s bad to peek at people you know. Although I could not say the same to myself." A mysterious voice rang inside the forest.


    "Who are you? Show yourself!" Javis yelled at every direction. Could one of the demon has discovered him? He started to sweat like crazy.


    "I was curious when I first heard of members of the Church collaborating with the Archduke to attack some villages at the borders. But now I have found something much, much more interesting. Who would have thought a new demon lord would rise at this forsaken place?" the voice disclosed to Javis.


    "What? Then that boy is the new demon lord?" Now that Javis calmed himself, he remembered that the boy used strange abilities, none he has ever seen or even heard of.


    "Surely you must have realized it by now. Else why would the demons even bother to come here? It''s too risky, even for someone powerful like them. They have remained hidden for the last ten years. Why come out now? Because something or someone even more important than their safety is here. And that could only mean the demon lord. Even the celestials were involved." the feminine voice analyzed the facts to Javis.


    "Yes of course. How could I miss this? But you still did not answer my question. Who are you?" asked Javis loudly.


    "I am but a simple mercenary." answered the voice.


    "Mercenary? Then if you could help me out of this forest, I will make sure that you will be rich for the rest of your life. Could you imagine what people would say if they know that we are the one who discovered the demon lord? I might even be hailed as a hero." Javis imagined all kind of richess and glory he would receive from the royal family if he told them this information. Even Father Terrick would have to acknowledge his abilities now.


    But all he got back was a sinister laugh. From the tree, a woman jumped down. She wore a curious set of cloth: a leather attire in black with a long coat covering her legs, a tricorn hat and two swords, each on each side of her garb. The woman herself was a beauty: pale skin with white hair. Her golden eyes and crimson lips could only add to her charm. Yet the woman emitted a dangerous feeling.


    "Oh but it would trouble me if you go around babbling about the new demon lord. They would just want to hunt him down. He is still weak now so he needs some more time to grow.", the woman said as she gave a gentle yet creeping smile.


    Now Javis knew. This woman was dangerous. But before he could even retaliate, the woman was already right in front of him. In an instant she raised her arm and touched Javis'' face gently with her slender hand.


    For a second, the mage was mesmerised by her beauty. And it was the last thing he ever saw.


    Blood started coming out of his nose. His eyes turned red as they began to bleed. The red liquid even surged out from his mouth. Javis could sense his blood boiling inside him. He could not move his body to resist. All he could do was keeping his mouth open.


    By now he recognise this woman. He has heard of her. Many things were said about her. But no matter the source, they all agreed on one thing: "Don''t let her touch you!"


    "Yo..u...are... Blo...ody...Ma...ry", the poor mage tried to say his last sentence.


    "Shhhh. Don''t resist! It would be over soon!" She maintained her gentle smile. Even though she was killing a man with a single touch.


    She moved her hand to close Javis'' mouth. The mage started chocking on his own blood. A few minutes after, the woman released her grasp and Javis fell down, dead, drown by his own blood.


    She took out a white handkerchief to wipe out the blood on her hand. She called out "Scarlet". Then a shadowy figure appeared behind the woman.


    "Yes, Lady Maria!" the figure kneeled before the woman.


    "Find the rest of the soldiers at the village! Kill every single one! Leave no witnesses! Make sure no one who knows about the existence of the boy leaves this place alive. Be quick as the group from the Guild is near!"


    "What if there are any survivors from the villages, milady?" the figure asked.


    "Then make it as quickly and painless as possible!", with no hesitation, the woman answered coldly.


    "It will be done, milady!", the figure replied before disappearing into thin air.


    Now all alone, she placed the handkerchief, now bloodied, on Javis, covering his face. "Good bye Javis!" she smiled to the dead mage lying on the ground.


    She stood up and walked toward the forest''s exit. Inside her head, she thought about the boy she saw today.


    "Grow, my little demon lord! Grow and I will see you again!"

 Chapter 7: Revelation

    Empty. Dark. That was what this place was. A little boy was lying alone in the middle of such a place. He curled up in a fetal position, with his hands cuddling his legs. He did not feel cold but in his mind he was craving for a source of warmth. Not just any but from his mother.


    It was to be expected. It did not matter if he was more matured than kids at his age. In the end, Alastor was still a child who was never separated from his mother.


    Nonetheless it was too late. He already lost her. He wondered in his mind if he has taken her for granted. If he could only more time with her. He remembered her soup. How horrible it tasted. How funky it smelled. How ghastly it looked. But most of all how his mother struggled to make them for him and how she smiled at him. Nevertheless, memories stayed as memories, echoes of the past.


    He felt guilty. He wondered if there was something else he could do to prevent this. Perhaps if he managed to stop Alice from coming out of the house during that time, Morgan would not be injured and they could have gotten away. Or maybe if he has mastered his power from the beginning, things might have gone differently.


    Tears poured from his eyes. The sadness was consuming him. The guilt was eating him. "If only I have died..."


    SLAP. His cheek was hit by something. It came from an elven woman in her thirties in appearance. Her dark hair had an asymmetric hairstyle with one side longer than the other. Wearing a purple dress, she looked down on Alastor with anger.


    "Don''t you dare say that!" It was Asmodeus. Normally she was a shadow but now she just looked like a normal person, as if she has been washed off the darkness that usually covered her.


    Alastor swiped his tears and tried to regain his composure.


    "So you have your colors back. What do you want with me? Was I too weak for your expectations?" Alastor said with sarcasm.


    "You stupid!" Asmodeus lifted her hand again. But her arm was stopped by another bulky man. It was Belz. A large, almost chunky, beastman. His body was covered with a coat of brown fur, wearing a heavy armor.


    "Wait wait! Didn''t you say you want to conform him? Why are you hitting him like that for?" he tried to calm Asmodeus down.


    "Let me go! As his sister I have to educate him."


    "Shut up!" Alastor said in a small voice then he yelled out "SHUT UP! What do you even know about me? Don''t you call yourself my sister! Because you are NOT!"


    Asmodeus was blown away. She could not utter a single word. Despite being on the verge of crying out but she tried hard to hold her tears.


    Meanwhile, Beelzebub stood in the middle of them. "Alastor, you did not mean that! Asmodeus, he is still young! Let it go!" Belz desperately tried to calm both side. But it did not seem to work.


    "Get away from me!" Alastor ran towards the darkness, leaving a panicked Belz and a somber Asmodeus behind.


    A shadow approached them. He looked at the running Alastor then turned to Asmodeus. "Should you let him run away like that?"


    "He doesn''t want to see me. What do you want me to do?" Asmodeus hesitantly replied.


    "No no I don''t mean that. It''s just... isn''t he running toward that?" The shadow calmly spoke.


    "What do you mean tha.... OH NO!" Asmodeus and Belz realized at the same time. The Abyss seemed like an endless surface but it actually had different levels. And at the lowest level, there was something else. Something the shadows usually avoided. And the only way to go there was to go in the direction Alastor was running toward.


    "That guy is over there!!! That creepy guy!" Belz screamed. He once went there by curiosity a few years ago, only to running for his life without even looking back. What could scare even the demon lord?


    "Shit! Let''s go after him!" Asmodeus rushed with Belz reluctantly followed behind.


    The shadow was left alone. He scratched his head and then lied down on the ground. "What does it even matter anyway? At worst we find another one."


    Meanwhile Alastor just kept running toward nothing. At first he thought he managed to lose Asmodeus but then he could hear her shouting his name from behind. So he kept running. And he fell.


    It was too dark to see but there was a cliff and Alastor did not see it. "Is it how I die?" he thought out loud. As he fell into this seemingly bottomless cliff. He turned up and saw Asmodeus screaming his name. He muttered gently as he fell "I am sorry!".


    Accepting his fate, he closed his eyes and let himself drop down. After what felt like an eternity he finally hit the bottom. The boy lied paralyzed, but surprisingly he was still breathing nor did he suffer any injuries, aside from the disorientation and a massive headache.


    Then he heard a combination of sounds: footsteps with clacking armor, followed by a sound of something heavy being dragged on the ground. But his limbs felt sluggish. His head, torpid. He could not move at all. The creeping noise just went louder and louder. Suddenly it stopped.


    Alastor could see an armor legging in front of him. He felt distressed because of the creepy heavy breathing he heard. And that was the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious.


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    I opened my eyes. My head still hurt like hell. But I immediately forgot about the pain when I saw what was in front of me. A giant flame, looking like a bonfire, was blazing in this middle of the Abyss. I thought this place was empty.


    "Isn''t it wonderful ?" a grave inhuman voice spoke to me. His words echoed in this place.


    Before I realized it, I have completely forgotten about the person in front of me. It was difficult to ascertain if it was really a male or a female from the look alone. But judging from the voice, I assumed it was male. A slender and tall body, wearing a fine white armor with a dark blue cape. The armor seemed to have seen better days. There were some tiny cracks and it has lost its gleaming. You could say that the armor now had a mixture of black and white color as some parts seemed almost burned. The cape itself was worn out and a bit soiled. The person wore a helmet with a slim blue plume attached to it.


    There was a greatsword behind the knight, impaled to the ground. At least twice my height in length. Although it was showing signs of rust, I felt this sword could easily cut me in two.


    I tried to look at the person''s face but was startled. There was nothing inside the helmet. Rather I could only see darkness inside as if the person had no face. It reminded a bit of the shadows I saw.


    He was staring at the flame. I decided to talk to this enigmatic knight.


    "Who are you?"


    "...No one" the knight paused then replied. He kept looking at the fire.


    "Did you save me from that fall?" I asked again.


    "....." But I did not receive any replies.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Watching over the flame. The flame must go on!" Another cryptic answer


    "Where is this place?"


    "...Core!" The knight answered but I did not understand.


    I kept asking questions but he remained silent the whole time. He did not seem like a talkative type so I did not press anymore.


    We stayed quiet for a while. Then my memories started come back to me. About what happened before.


    Empty, perhaps that was what described me best right now.


    I wanted to let my anger rage. I wanted to trample everything around me. At the same time I wanted to forget about this sadness I felt.


    Now that I thought about it, it was the first time I lost someone close to me. Those who have not lost anyone cannot comprehend the depth of my despair.


    I could feel my heart aching, seeking for revenge. I hated the ones who stole mother from me. I hate those who attacked my village. But most of all I hated myself for being powerless to do anything.


    Demon lord''s power? What a joke! What use was it for if I could not even protect my loved ones?


    "You... have that look in your eyes!" My thoughts were disrupted. The knight finally spoke something.


    "What do you mean? What look?" I asked him.


    "Despair....Rage....Crave for power! A warrior look!" the knight spoke with his eerie voice.


    I was surprised that this stranger whom I met for the first time could see right through me. He definitely was not just some wandering shadow like the others. He seemed perceptive and very powerful judging from his sword.


    Then for unknown reasons I decided to tell my story to the knight. I told him everything. Since the very beginning. The years I spent in Caine village. Morgan, Gazel, Alice. Then the attack. How I lost mother. Everything.


    There were times a few tears dropped from my eye but I did not stop. I did not even know him and now I was telling him the story of my life. How strange.


    For the whole time, the knight kept quiet. He listened to my tales without asking a single question. He just listened.


    I kept talking for how long I did not now. Until I finished telling him everything. I remained silent for a while.


    I felt suddenly much more lighter. As if a great burden has been lifted off me.


    "Do you know what to do now?" the knight asked me.


    "Thank you for listening to my tale! I think I get it now!" I smiled at him.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Just now I became aware of what was behind me the whole time. I did not notice when I talked to the knight but there was a colossal door behind me. The gate seemed ancient. On it was imprinted the image of a great tree divided into six branches. Each branch leaded to a circle, each had a character inside. However it was in a strange language I could not read at all. So I decided to ignore it for now.


    Perhaps it was time for me to go back. I could not stand here doing nothing for the rest of my life. Hiding here would not solve anything.


    I opened the door and went out. I recognized this place. This seemed like where I fell down from the cliff. I looked back at the door. From here I could still see the knight and the bonfire but if I tried to go around it, there was nothing on the other side. It seemed that the only way to go to the flame was by passing this door.


    I then heard the sound of the door closing. I rushed back at the entrance, only to see that gate has already been closed. No matter how I tried to open it, it would not budge at all. Seemed like I could not see him again, for now.


    BAM. Something fell down behind me. I turned back and realised it was Asmodeus. Once she saw me, she rushed toward me. I thought I would receive a slap for what I said to her. I apologized immediately but all she did was asking if I was hurt and checked my body for injuries.


    I chuckled at her actions. The face she made when she panicked was too cute for me to stop her. She was quite embarrassed about it and told me to stop laughing. A few moment later, Belz jumped down too. He was a bit scarred to jump at first as the first time he did, the knight chased him away. I asked if Belz knew anything about him but he did not know anything.


    We returned back to the surface with Asmodeus holding me. Oddly it only took a few minutes to get back. I should wake up and check on Alice. I did not think the demons we met were evil but Alice must have been so confused after last night.


    After saying goodbye to Asmodeus and Belz, I realized that now I could "wake up" whenever I want from this place. This should prove useful.


    As for the mysterious knight, I should come back seeing him when I got the chance. He did not even tell me his name.


    * * *


    Alastor woke up  in an extravagant room. The place was decorated with golden ornaments. The floor, covered with expensive looking red carpet. The sunlight came in the room through a big window embroidered with long  and fancy curtains.


    He looked on the spacious bed he lied on, there was Alice sleeping next to him. Her crimson hair brightened under the sunlight. She showed such a peaceful expression on her face as if nothing has happened yesterday.


    ''Please let things stay like this'' Alastor wished in his mind.


    Then he felt someone was holding his hand the whole time. But no it was not Alice''s. Then he looked down on his hand. A white haired girl was staring at him. Although her hands were not human, it emitted a certain warmth just like one.


    "Hum... Good morning, Stella" Alastor said to the doll.


    "Are you ok? Does it hurt anywhere?" she asked slowly. Despite the fact she did not show any expression, Alastor could sense her worries about him.


    "I am fine. Where are we?" the boy replied.


    "We are in the demon lord''s castle on Ragna continent.You fell unconscious after what happened yesterday so we decided to bring you back here" answered Stella.


    "Wait what about Gazel? What about grandpa?"


    Stella explained their decision to leave. Alastor understood their reason. It was the logical choice. He knew. But it still haunted his mind. Stella reassured him that they sent a few scouts in the area so if there was any news he would be informed.


    The conversation was interrupted by the sound of opening door. A skeleton in robe walked in.


    "Ah you finally awake. I am sure thing are very confusing for you right now and I understand that you have many questions for us. But for now take your time and prepare. Stella can you bring him to the parlor when he is ready?" with that the skeleton leaved.


    Alastor tried to get out of the bed silently, avoiding waking up Alice. Sure she was older than him but much more innocent. He did not want to make things complicated for her so it was best to leave her here and tell her when the time was right.


    Stella has already prepared an attire for him on her hands. She insisted on helping her change. Alastor resisted at first but finally gave up.


    Once done, Stella leaded him out of them room. In his way to the parlor, Alastor passed through a number of halls. Being raised as a commoner, Alastor was left speechless seeing all these fancy decorations. But alas he wanted to focus on the main thing and the only one who seemed to have the answers were these demons.


    Upon entering the room, Alastor recognized the lich from earlier.


    "Ah young Alastor! You have come. The others have some matters to discuss first so they will arrive later. As for me I am Noroeth, a lich. Please take a sit!", Noroeth presented himself.


    Alastor has heard of these undeads before but it was his first time seeing one. Powerful undead magic caster could be were created by necromancers to do their bidding.


    " Never mind the formality. Can you now tell me what is going on? Who are my parents? Am I really a demon?" Alastor directly jumped at the subject.


    "One question at a time young one." The lich sighed before resuming. Honestly speaking, he did not know to approach the subject. He thought he was prepared for this moment but now there were still doubts in his mind. Nonetheless, he continued.


    "Let''s just start with the beginning. What do you know about the demon invasion ten years ago?" Noroeth asked the boy.


    "All I know is that ten years ago the demon lord Asgore declared war on the world. All the Prime races joined together and formed a hero party to kill the demon lord. That''s just about it." Alastor claimed.


    "It was actually eleven years ago. And the truth is there was not any war declaration. What Asgore sent to all kingdoms was not a war declaration but a declaration of independence. He wanted to establish a country for demons.


    As you know the continent of Ragna has been the refuge of demons for centuries. But in fact it did not belong to any country. So adventurers could come and go as they please. Demons subjugation were not uncommon. Slavers and criminal organisations built their hideouts here since there was no law enforcement.


    In short it was a heaven for the lawless. That is until demon lord Asgore became king. He managed to retake control of the continent and exiled all the others races. But he envisioned more than that. He did not want us to be secluded on this continent forever. He wanted for demons to be recognized as a race of this world. So he sent those declaration to each kingdom. Needless to say, this did not please the leaders of every race.


    So the leaders claimed that Asgore has declared war. So they picked out their best fighters and sent them to kill Asgore. Of course Asgore expected this. He knew that peace would not come so easily. He thought if he could push back every assassination attempt, eventually they would give up." Noroeth stopped. He glanced at Alastor.


    "Do you understand what I am saying? You should have realised who you are by now."


    "Am I Asgore'' son? is that what you are implicating?" this thought did cross Alastor''s mind a few times. He knew he was a demon based on what the celestial Mikael said. If he was important enough for the demon royal guards to come fetch him, he must have been someone important enough for them to risk this. Not to mention the mysterious powers he had. "


    "Yes!" Noroeth replied.


    "Then who is my mother? Is she also a demon?" Alastor asked brashly.


    "About that.... let me continue. As I have said before. Asgore managed to repel all his assailants without even killing one. After a few month of failure, the leaders were desperate. So they finally sent their ultimate weapon: the heroes. Each race chose their strongest and formed the hero''s party. But...." Noroeth paused. Some old memories came back to his mind, making him silent for a while. Then he continued. "There was something else no one at that time expected. Not even the Gods.


    I think it would be better to show you directly. Come!" Noroeth stood up and went to the door. Alastor and Stella followed behind.


    They walked inside the castle until they reached a dead end.


    "Although it is custom for demons to bury the members of the royal family in the royal tomb, Asgore was an exception. After his death, the demons built a hidden room to serve as his final resting place instead of putting him together with the previous demon lords." Noroeth explained.


    "Why is Asgo... I mean my father an exception?" Alastor inquired. He found this whole deal of secrecy very suspicious. Although Noroeth did tell him many things, he did not mention how Asgore was killed. Not to mention he just discovered that there were special circumstances behind Asgore''s death.


    "You will see."


    Noroeth pushed his hand on the wall and murmured a few words. The wall revealed to be only an illusion that revealed the path only to those who knew the password.


    The trio entered the room. Inside the place was only lighted with candles. Then Alastor noticed something else. There were two stone coffins on each side of the room. A stone monolith stood in the middle of the room. Alastor approached and read the inscription on the monolith.


    "Here we commemorate King Asgore''s companions for their honorable acts"


    Two names were under it.


    "Izago, King of the mountain


    <del>Theoron, the Sage</del>


    May you all find peace in the next world"


    Alastor was bewildered. How could the name of the heroes be here, inside the demon lord''s tomb? And why was one of them be crossed out.


    Noroeth remained silent. Before Alastor could even speak, he told him to go to the next room.


    The second room was a bit different. There were many more candles floating on the air. Another two coffins lied at the end of the room but this time they lied next to each other. There was another stone monolith in the middle of the place. There were some writings on that.


    As if it was calling to him, Alastor walked toward the stone and read the inscription on it.


    "In memory of our King Asgore and his beloved ....." The next word Alastor could not read out loud. He fell onto his knees. He looked again at the stone in disbelief. Then he finally read the last word "Lakyus".


    "Yes. Ten years ago, demon lord Asgore met the hero Lakyus and they felt in love with each other. They had a child. That child is you, Alastor." Noroeth slowly spoke.

 Chapter 8: Ten years ago

    "What is the nature of a Soul?


    The Church of Light believes that the Soul is the source of life. According to the old scriptures of the Church, when God created the Primes, he only created an empty vessel of flesh. Not a living being. But then God created the First Flame and gave each one of us a part of it, our Soul. The Soul gives us our intelligence, our conscience. It makes us for who we are. When a person died, the Soul returned to the Flame before being reincarnated into another body. This is the Cycle of Reincarnation as we know today.


    Many mages believed that the Soul can be simplified as a mass of mana, much more condense than the mana we are used to in nature. Their proof is that using magic or tools that absorbs mana, such as a mana stone, one could manage to store a Soul inside. This led to the creation of two new branches of magic as we know today: Soul magic and Necromancy.


    Soul magic aims to manipulate the flow of pure mana, not contaminated with any of the elements, therefore able to inflict damage to their opponent while ignoring all kind of defense. This proves to be very useful against opponent with strong magic defense such as dragons.


    Necromancy however manipulates the Soul itself of the living. When a person dies, the Soul leaves the body and sometimes lingers for a time on Earth before going back to the Flame. By retrieving these lost Souls, necromancers are able to put them in a new body and manipulate them to their will. These people are known as undead. While most undeads lost their conscience due to the mediocre way of practice of the necromancer (low quality of mana stone to store the soul, inexperienced necromancer), there are cases of some powerful souls who are able to retain their conscience and a part of their formal power.


    In my opinion, there are both truth and flaws in these theories. If the Soul is what makes us intelligent, then what keeps us alive? Necromancy has once been mistakenly as resurrection magic. But the undeads who come back no longer possess the power they use to have. Therefore this is not a complete resurrection. Many have tried to preserve the body of the deads and even in perfect condition, what comes back is still not the same as before.


    Thus I concluded that there must be a third factor aside the Soul and the flesh that make us who we are as a complete set. I will call this factor Essence. To me, the Essence is what keep us alive. It''s the life energy that was given and flow inside our body since birth. Much like mana, this energy is inside every living being, including the monsters. But while we could increase our mana pool with intensive training, this energy will stay the same amount, or rather will only decline as we grow older. When nothing is left, our bodies fail and we die as a consequence of this.


    I believe that if we manage to manipulate this energy, a true resurrection magic will no longer be just a dream. We may one day surpass the immortal celestial and dragon.


    As a final note of this research, I have personally tested necromancy on a few demons. I observed that necromancy worked on demons just like any races of the Primes. Does it mean that the demons too have a soul? If yes then are we really that different from each other?"


    -Diary of a heretic


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    "What is the meaning of this? Why are the heroes buried here? Why is my mother Lakyus?" I yelled at Noroeth. Why would the hero and the demon lord have a child together?


    "About that even I don''t understand. First she wanted to become the hero to defeat the demon lord. The moment she met him, she told me that she wanted to marry him. What was I supposed to do? Can you imagine what went through my mind at that time? I thought she was under a mind control spell but no, she was too powerful for that sort of spell to work on her. I even personally check myself but there was nothing." Noroeth started to gush out angrily.


    I did not know an undead could be so.... lively. He just seemed like an old father grunting about his daughter being married away. But wait just a minute.... why did he sound like he know Lakyus, or should I say my real mother, very well? Shouldn''t he know Asgore better?


    "You sound like you know my mother pretty well." I expressed my concern.


    "Of course I did. I was her god damn teacher" the lich continued his grunting.


    "Wait what? How can a lich be a teacher of the hero?"


    "I was not always a lich you know. I used to be known by another name: Theoron."


    ''Theoron....Theoron.... Isn''t that the Sage? One of the Six heroes?'' I repeated inside my head.


    "Are you THE Theoron?" I howled at him.


    "Ha ha ha! It seems my reputation has gotten the better of me. Yes I am Theoron the Sage, One of the Six heroes. But now I have another name and that''s Noroeth." Noroeth laughed and answered proudly.


    "How did you end up like this?" I continued with the question.


    Suddenly his expression went dimmer.


    "Like the story said, I died ten years ago. But that''s not the problem. The problem is I don''t know who killed me. Ten years ago, we were surprised when we met the demon lord. We expected to meet a ferocious beast but he seemed just like a decent guy. Although we did try to kill him the moment we saw him, most of us ended up blown away. But only your mother, Hero Lakyus, was a match for him.


    They fought for three days consecutively before finally ended in a tie. I think it was during that time they saw something in each other. Lakyus insisted that we were not to interfere. It kept repeating itself for the next few weeks. I thought perhaps the demon lord was just toying with her since he clearly did not use his maximum power. But then one day she showed up with Asgore, hands in hands, and told me that they were going to get married. And also she was expecting a child.


    We did not know what to do. Lakyus could not fight anymore and we were powerless against him. So when he invited us to his castle, despite our suspicion, we accept anyway. We thought perhaps there was something there we could use against him. Or at worst learn more intelligence. If he really wanted to kill us, he could do that easily already.


    At first I did not trust him. But when he told me about his plans, what his vision was for the demons and the world, I just could not help but kept listening. I have lived for more than three centuries and I am proud of my wisdom. But at that moment I began to doubt myself. Could it be that my prejudices against the demons were wrong ? If that is the case then how could I consider myself a Sage when I could not even see what was right in front of me for three hundred years.


    With time passed, the others shared my opinion and so we decided that upon our return we would spread the demon lord''s message to the rest of the world. None of our wanted war. No longer should we continue this endless cycle of hatred and bloodshed. Could you imagine it? Peace between demon and the rest of the world.


    Plus we were happy that you would be the first living proof that showed that demon and others could live together.


    But alas our dreams were shattered. The day you were born, I was outside the castle. Then I saw great light from inside. That was the last thing I remembered before I died." Noroeth paused before resuming.


    "When I woke up again, I was in this body. Remember the little girl you saw carrying a slime? That is the witch Amelia. She specialized in necromancy and so a few months after I died, she managed to recover my soul and put it inside my old body, which became like you see right now.


    The demons royal guards were not in the castle that day because they were on a mission. When they came back, everyone inside the castle was already dead, including Asgore and Lakyus but you were missing.


    As for the others, Celdora and Arshe were accompanying Mephisto and the royal guards so they were not at the castle. Old Izago passed away. He was found outside your mother''s chamber. It seemed like he tried to defend against the assailants to protect her but....At that time, aside from me who was just outside the castle, Ingrid was staying with Lakyus and Asgore, together with a certain servant who accompanied us on our journey."


    "...was that servant my mother, Morgan?" While I did understand the situation, there was not any explanation on how I got out of the castle. Or how Morgan was connected to the events. But remembering what Mikael said, it must mean that she was at this castle ten years ago.


    "Yes. The others suspected Morgan because they did not find her body. And since you were also missing so we thought perhaps she kidnapped you. For what reason we don''t know. But to be honest I could not believe that she could cause all this by herself, or even with help. We are talking about both the demon lord and the hero party here, the strongest of the world and yet we were wiped out without a single trace.


    Sigh...There is just too much things unknown to us. But enough of this. What matters is now you are here with us."


    Noroeth halted his speech and patted my head. For a moment I mistook him for Gazel. It reminded me of how Gazel used to pat me. Except Noroeth''s hand was just bone.The gentle pat like every time he came home or when he finished reading us a tale of his adventure. It almost brought to tears but I managed to hold up.


    "I think that''s enough for today. Let''s go back to the parlor. The others must be waiting." Noroeth walked out of the mausoleum.


    I thought I would be more emotional about this whole affair.But what I felt at this moment could not be described as anger nor sadness. How strange.


    My real parents were murdered and yet I could not feel a single bit of resentment. Compared to when Morgan died, this was nothing. Was it because I was raised by Morgan instead of them? For some reasons I could not feel any love being at this place. Simply empty.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I looked back at the two coffins one more time before leaving the room. We went back to the parlor. Upon entering the room, I greeted the four persons inside. They were the demons from last night.


    After introducing themselves to me, I asked them what would happen from now on. The man named Mephisto started speaking.


    "Noroeth must have told you about your parents and the circumstances behind your birth. Then I shall not mince words any further. What we want is for you to become the new king of Ragna. It is only natural since you are the only son of late king Asgore.


    After the Asgore''s death the demons were divided into numerous factions. Some sought revenge, others took the opportunity to increase their influence while the rest stayed hidden. But in the end we all want the same thing: to drive the Prime races out of our territory and make them pay for what they did to our people.


    Lord Alastor, you are the legitimate heir to the throne. In others words, if you are to be crowned, it would make your authority unquestionable and we can unite our people once more."


    "I am a bit uncomfortable with adults calling Lord that? Could you drop it? As for what you just said, I highly doubt that it would be easy. Who would want to be led around by a ten years old? And they could claim that you use a substitution only to have a puppet as the king. " I asked Mephisto.


    "Very perceptive, lord Alastor! That''s why we decided that you will study under us to increase your power. What better proof than showing that you are much superior than them? So what do you say milord?" Mephisto spoke with a smile.


    If you thought about it, this situation could only be convenient for me. While I did not hold much affection for my real parents, I wanted to know who was behind their death. If I uncovered that, perhaps I could learn more about Morgan. Finally I could use the demon intelligence to search for who attacked our village. But there was something that bothered me in everything he said. I had to make my standing.


    "While the offer is certainly interesting, I would have to refuse." I gave my answer to the now dazed demons.


    "What ? Why?"


    Naberius and Azurus uttered in confusion. Only Amelia and Mephisto kept their calm and smiled. It seemed like I passed their test.


    "May I ask why?" Mephisto put his tea cup down on the table.


    "Many reasons. First, I am far too inexperienced as a leader to be a king. Even if you say that you will be teaching me about ruling, it means that right now I am not ready.


    Secondly, I lack power and therefore I don''t think the me now deserve to be even thinking about becoming a king.


    Lastly you have been talking like my future have already been decided. I don''t like people deciding my fate, not now, not ever again. So unless I want to be king, I will not be one. I want to take responsibility for the decisions I take upon myself, and not because I am influenced by someone else.


    Therefore to answer your question, no"


    The room stayed silent for a while. Everyone was stunned by the things I said. They did not expect a ten years old to say no in this kind of situation. Then the silence was broken by a loud laugh.


    "Ha ha ha ha! Well said! To be honest I thought you were a bit too naive, without a doubt because of your age. But now I see how wrong I was. You are much sharper than you look. Brilliant!" Mephisto chuckled.


    "I will take that as a compliment. To continue our discussion, would you care to hear about my proposal?"


    My proposal was for Mephisto to give me three years before I decided to become king or not. Until that time, I would study under the four demon royal guards to gain experience and to increase my power. The conditions were of course the safety of Alice and my access to any intelligence the demon had. In the end Mephisto accepted my proposal.


    With that, I decided to retreat back to my quarter to check on Alice. She might be worried if she did not find me when she woke up. I probably should not mention anything I learnt today to Alice. And how should I talk to her about Morgan...


    Naturally Stella quietly followed me from behind. I did ask her to stay but she insisted to go with me.


    I opened the door, still wondering what would be the right words for this kind of situation. Alice was sitting on the bed, peering at the window.


    "Hi sis...Um.. How do you feel?" I spoke haltingly.


    "Hi brother! You don''t have to be awkward about it. I know mom is dead." she replied to me with a smile. Her answer completely blew me up. I expected her to be crying, sulking but Alice was very mature about this.


    "Are you sure you are okay Alice? You seems a bit strange...." I asked her.


    "I am fine Alastor. I would like to ask you the same thing. I know this has been hard on you but I want you to know that your big sis is here for you. Whatever we will always be together as a family" Alice caught me off guard and hugged me "Of course I mean you too Stella. We are all family now. Come join us!" she smile at me and a surprised Stella.


    In the end we stayed like that for a moment. We did not utter a single word. There was no need to.


    People cannot live on their own. They seek companionship, warmth from another. And they will protect it. No matter the cost. The place we call home.


    That night, I stayed up quite late. Alice was already asleep. I thought I should not but I decided to tell her what Noroeth and the others have told me. Yet she accept everything very easily and she did not ask me any question. I thought it was weird for her to change her personality that abruptly. I feared that Morgan''s death has broken something inside Alice. But at that time perhaps I should have noticed the signs.


    I nearly completely forgot about Stella...again. The whole time she did not make even a single sound. She just sit next to the bed. Her blue eyes and white hair, under the moonlight, reminded me the first time I saw her. My heart almost skipped a beat thinking about that. How embarrassing.


    "Stella you still did not tell me why I am your master. Noroeth told me that you have only recently been activated so how did you even know about me?" I asked her in a low voice.


    "I am only doing what the voice in my head is telling to. When I awake, I heard a voice telling me to protect you from all harm. To me it''s enough proof that you are my master." Stella replied.


    "Do you mean the voice in your heart? Your conscience?" I knew Stella was a doll, artificial construct created to follow their master''s orders. But a doll with a conscience and self aware.... I did not think it was possible. The person who created Stella must be a genius. I would love to speak to him but I heard he was already dead shortly after making Stella.


    "I don''t know. Perhaps... I apologize Alastor." Stella mumbled.


    "It''s okay. Don''t worry about it" I smiled at her.


    Anyway I thought hard about what Noroeth has told me. I wanted to know the truth behind my parents'' death.  While they did not raise me themselves, it was not their choice and they probably tried to protect me till the very end. I supposed that was the least I could do to thank them for bringing me in this world. I believed that I would also discover Morgan''s past this way.


    Then I spoke.


    "Stella, I feel right now as if the whole world is against us. I am a demon. Some will try to kill me. Others will try to use me for their own ambition...."


    "I will kill all those who want to harm you." Stella said softly.


    "Innocents will die..."


    "As long as you live."


    "Don''t you want to know what my goal is ?"


    "Whatever your goal is, I will stand by your side."


    "What if I die before I could reach my goal..."


    "That won''t happen"


    "We don''t know what the future holds Stella. I could very well die tomorrow or in ten years."


    "Then I will make sure the world won''t have a future."

 Chapter 9: Lakyus

    The next morning, Alastor was on his way to the studies to see Mephisto.


    Following their discussion the previous day, Mephisto would teach him about politics between all kingdoms, Noroeth on the basics of magic and theories, Naberius on close combat and survival skills, Amelia on magic battle. As for Azurus, the slime told him that Alastor was not ready yet for his lessons yet so he needed to become stronger to do so. Looking at the slime, Alastor had some doubts as Azurus seemed to never take things seriously. Perhaps it would be better for Alastor to focus on the others for now.


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    "So Alastor, tell me all you know about Astora." Mephisto asked me.


    "The world of Astora is divided three main continents: Ragna, Oros and Mara.


    In the North is Ragna. Ragna is where the demons have retreated back a few centuries ago after the war. Since then, other races have multiples times try to eradicate all demons completely but there have not been any successful attempts because of the harsh climate and terrains which proved to be very difficult to pass by.


    Oros is the dragon continent to the West. Compared to Ragna, it is slightly smaller but the creatures who live there are extremely powerful. That is not to take in account the roaming dragons. While dragons are solitary creatures, they are rules by the dragon council in a similar manner to the other nations.


    Mara is the biggest continent as it is ten times bigger than Ragna. Located to the south of Ragna. It''s where all the rest of the Primes races live." I bragged about my knowledge.


    "Good. What can you tell me about the Prime races"


    "The race with the biggest population is the human. However they are divided into three kingdoms: to the North lies the kingdom of Ceadric. South of Ceadric we have Zagon Empire. The two countries have been in a feud since the last few decades and it is likely possible for a war to break out between the two. The last country, sharing the borders with the other two is the Theocracy of Light, ruled by the Church of Light, under the Pope. Together these three take the northern half of the Mara Continent. Compared to others races, human may lack in physical strength or magic affinity but they have proved to be the most ambitious and many great heros in history were human.


    The second race is the elf, renown for their affinity with magic and nature. Unlike human, there is only one elf kingdom, Malatas. But while they may seem united, the elves are divided into two faction: Solona and Luna.


    The third is the beastman. The beastman doesn''t have a country as they are divided in clans and tribes. Most of these tribes are located in the plains and mountains to the east of Malatas.


    The dwarf race is the most unfortunate one. They used to live near the volcanoes to the South east of Mara but after the eruptions of these volcanoes a few years ago, the dwarves were spread among all others countries or even the dragon continent. Because of this the dwarf no longer has a country for themselves.


    The celestials don''t live on any continent. In fact they live in a flying island which never stays at the same place for long. Even though they are small in numbers, they compensate with an exceedingly long life expectancy.


    Finally the dragon. They are known as the strongest race thanks to their natural magic resistance and scales hard as steel. Aside from that, I don''t personally know much about them as they are usually solitary and quite secretive."


    As I ended my speech, Mephisto clapped his hands to congratulate me.


    "You already covered the basics. I am glad! This means I can jump to the next part. About the demon race. Now Alastor tell me! In your opinion what is a demon?"


    His question certainly raised my curiosity. Up until now, I have seen many different kinds of demons. Most of them, aside from those who shared monster attributes like Azurus, had a humanoid appearance. They also shared attributes with the Prime races. Naberius for example looked just like a beastman but with three heads, Amelia like a small elf girl. As for Mephisto he just looked like a human except for his claws and wings. Could it be...


    "Is there such a thing as the demon race?" I answered Mephisto with a question. It seemed like I found the right answer judging from the smile he gave me.


    "You seem to have got it. You have seen demons who share appearance with the Prime races. Others with monsters. In fact according to the archives, the demon first appeared when one of the monsters accepted the blood of the Old One, a deity in the demon religion. Many demons are descendants of these monsters. Of course this knowledge is widely spread even among the Church of Light.


    But there was also a second part of this myth. Taking pity on the demon, the Old One put a curse on the Prime races. Anyone from the Prime races who succumbs to the Dark will become a demon. This means that even if all the Primes manage all demons, we would one day come back as long as there is life in this world. This knowledge is of course censored by the Church as it can cause panic in the population.


    So in short, anyone has the potential to become a demon as long as they meet a certain requirement. In the history of demon lords, there were some who were celestial or dragon to begin with. Of course these kind of transformation don''t happen every day but there are demons out there who have once been a Prime." Mephisto spoke.


    "Then which one are you?" I asked him.


    "The later. Would you believe me if I tell you that I used to be a priest of the Church? But alas that''s a story for another time. Now let''s get back to the subject!"


    * * *


    "You sure about this?" Alastor asked Naberius.


    "Trust me on this!" Naberius assured me while patting on my shoulders, making me lose my balance.


    "Here goes nothing!" The next second Alastor understood that he just made the stupidest thing in this life until now.


    Naberius has brought him to a nearby forest. He thought that the boy was too fragile and lacked endurance to begin the close combat lessons. Although Alastor did not wish to become a warrior, he still needed to be able to defend himself against those. Therefore he needed to work on combat instinct, sharpen his senses and survival skills.


    To Naberius, the only way to improve in those areas as quick as possible was to have a taste of death. And so he told the boy to hit the giant boar in front of him.


    "It''s waking up. What do I do next?" Alastor started to panic. The boar was huge in size. It had two curved horned from its mouth and spikes on its spine.


    "What do you mean? Run you idiot!" Naberius jumped on a nearby tree while Alastor was being pursuited by the boar.


    "What the hell? I thought you would teach me something." screamed Alastor while running as fast as he can.


    "I am. Just try to survive for one hour without using magic! That''s your first lesson. That''s how I learnt anyway." Naberius grinned.


    "You bastard!"


    Alastor wanted to use the tree terrains to avoid the boar. But none of that matter for the boar, it just charged toward him and crushed everything on its way.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Alastor could have used <Absolute authority> on the boar or even <Devour> to weaken it. But he decided not to. Using those powers could be convenient but solely rely on them was not a good idea for Alastor. Just like the night of the attack, those powers turned out to be useless against powerful opponent or at least Alastor did not have the power or experience to use them wisely. Therefore training on survival skills should be the top priority until he became capable enough.


    After one hour, Naberius found a paralyzed Alastor lying on the ground. As he lifted his head, the boar charged toward him.


    "Well done, kid! You passed. I will take care of the rest!" Naberius raised his axe as he spoke.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    "Isn''t that a bit too much?" Noroeth spoke to Naberius, looking at an unconscious Alastor on Naberius'' shoulder "How am I supposed to teach him with him like this?"


    After putting Alastor on the bed, Naberius turned to Noroeth.


    "No worry! He is a fighter. He can take it! By the way did you see my axe? I just dropped it outside the room." the beastman said as he checked outside the room but he could not find anything. He went back in and looked around the around.


    "Do you mean the three meters long giant axe?" Noroeth said while looking out at the window.


    "Yes that''s the one." Naberius confirmed.


    "The one with a white wolf emblem on the blade?" Noroeth added.


    "Yes that''s it. I didn''t know that you pay much attention to my axe."


    "The one that little girl is holding?" Noroeth pointed his hand to what he has been observing outside the window.


    "How....?" Naberius ran to the window only to see a sight he could not believe


    What caught his attention since earlier was a red-haired little girl, wearing a white robe in a the garden. Such a harmonious scene if no one took in account that she was holding a giant axe on her small shoulders. It was clear that the axe outsized her greatly but she handled it as if nothing.


    "This is certainly interesting!" Noroeth grinned.


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    "Alastor, what are the basic elements of magic?", asked Noroeth.


    "There are in total five basics elements: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning. Light and Dark are not of this as they are the primitive elements, meaning the basic elements are created from them.


    While Dark magic is often frowned upon because it is usually associated with demons, it is not uncommon to see a practitioner of the Dark element. Aside from the Church of Light, other countries are very open-minded on using the Dark element." I answered.


    "Very good Alastor! To be able to use elemental magic, one must control the mana flow inside him and imbue your element into it.


    This means that you can''t use elemental magic you don''t have affinity with. That''s why mage with multiples elemental affinities are very well regarded, often working for the royal family.


    As for you, we have used magic stones to determine your elemental affinities and I conclude that you have no elemental affinities at all. But don''t take this as a bad news. In fact you might just be lucky.


    Just because you have no affinity with any of the element, it does not mean that you can''t use magic. In fact thanks to that, the mana in your body remains pure, allowing you access to certain magics that can only be used if the individual has no affinity such as Soul Magic.


    At first you might think that no affinity is bad but I can assure that Soul Magic is so powerful since it can bypass all magic defense. However these individuals are incredible rare so not many even know about this magic.


    There are also other types of magic who don''t rely on the elements like blood magic, necromancy but these are quite uncommon.


    Now while I can''t use Soul magic, I could still help you with the knowledge about magic. You may not be able to use elemental magic but you can learn about their weakness and exploit them against your opponent. Remember: knowledge is power!"


    As he paused, Noroeth saw that it has been three hours since the start of the lesson. He decided to end the lesson as it has been a long day for me. The old lich started tidy up the old books on the table.


    I still had a few minutes before going to Amelia for the next lessons. Perhaps I should use this time to ask him about my mother Lakyus. I have been curious for a while. She was, at the end, my real mother after all. Since Noroeth was her teacher, perhaps he could tell me a few things about her.


    "Theoron, can you tell me about my mother?" I asked him.


    "I have not been called by that name for a long time...." he put down the books and took a sit. "What do you wish to know?"


    "Everything please. I want to know as much as I can about her. She is my mother after all." I said to him.


    At first he sighed and seemed to be reminiscing about the past. Then he spoke.


    "As you known, Lakyus was the elder of the two princesses of the Zagon Empire. When she was chosen as a hero, the people saw her as a goddess on earth, even those from other nations. But like every story there was a darker side not many know of. Lakyus was not exception.


    Lakyus'' mother was a commoner. She caught the king''s eye when he was on an expedition out of the castle. But because of her background, the king chose to let her live outside of the castle, in an isolated house hidden from the rest of the palace. Later he found out that a child was born and that child had incredible magic potential in Soul magic. A rare gem, once in a thousand years. And that child was Lakyus.


    And so he decided to take Lakyus and her mother back to the castle and intended to make Lakyus the heir to the throne despite numerous protests from the nobility and the court. Of course the queen was not happy about this but she did not have a child yet at that time so she could not openly express her discontent.


    One would have thought that things started to have brighten a bit for little Lakyus but a year later her mother succumbed to illness and died. The king also learnt that because of the tremendous amount of mana flow inside her body, Lakyus would not live past her twenties.


    Disappointed, the king announced a new heir which was Lakyus'' young sister Morrigan who was born a few months after Lakyus was taken in the castle.


    But the king did not let his daughter go so easily. Although she won''t live long, perhaps her body could be of use for magical research or later to be used as a military weapon or so he thought. So Lakyus was locked away inside a tower for fifteen years, subject to countless inhuman experiments." Noroeth spoke in a sad tone.


    As I listened to the story, I unconsciously clenched my fist in anger. Even if I did not know her personally, to hear something like this about my mother was more than enough to enrage me.


    At that time, I realized that Noroeth had caught on the expression shown on my face. Then he continued.


    "And indeed the king found the opportunity. When the ''so called demon invasion'' was announced, he invited me to the castle to train Lakyus. At that time Malatas was in a friendly relationship with Zagon and we thought that the demons should be a priority concern so I accepted the invitation.


    But I changed my opinion about Zagon and its king when I first met Lakyus. She looked at me with a detached and cold eyes as if I was just like many of the others she saw before. Still she followed my training and instructions meticulously.


    Only a few months of training and she has already surpassed my level. She might had a fragile body but the scale of her magic potential and destruction was not of this world, unlike everything I have ever seen. I was suspicious of this. I only knew her as the hidden daughter of the king but to have this kind of power, I was afraid that Zagon was planning something bad. And so I sent a few spies to know more about Lakyus'' origin. But what I found shocked me to my very core.


    It was only at that time I learnt the truth about her, how she suffered, how she endured all this time and how she only hadlittle time left in this world. I tried to bring her out of the castle to see the world. I thought at least it would bring some happiness to this child. But the king refused completely, saying that when the time came, he would send her to kill the demon lord.


    I tried to do something, believe me! But my position did not allow me for careless moves. When you think about it, perhaps it''s true that I was just like anybody else in her life. Either a heartless one or a hypocrite.


    Then one day Lakyus came to me, saying that she wanted to go kill the demon lord. I was completely blown away. I did not know for what reason would make her want to do something like this. Why would someone who was abandoned by the world want to save it? But at that time I decided to follow her wish. She only had a few years left and I would do everything I can do to answer her wishes.


    At that time, the king was also desperate because none of the assassination proved to work so he agreed pretty easily for Lakyus to go. And so we gathered a party and went to the demon continent.


    As for the rest, you already know it."


    I was deep in my thoughts after hearing the story of my mother. A part of me wanted to go to Zagon and just let my fury freed, destroy everything there. The other part could only weep for her.


    I may be her son but I did not think I would be able to agree saving the world who treated me like I was some lapdog, only to be used when they needed me.


    I did not know what to say so I stood up, thanked Noroeth for his story and went to the door. But as just as I went out of the room, Noroeth talked to me.


    "Alastor I did not manage to protect your mother nor did I do anything to help her when she needed me the most. I consider her like my daughter even though we only knew each other for a few months. That''s why this is my promise to you. Whatever happens I will follow your decision."


    I looked at Noroeth who showed a sincere expression. I simply nodded at him as I closed the door and went to see Amelia. There was something on my face. Things were a bit blurry. I guessed there was a bit of dust in the castle.

 Chapter 10: Training

    Alastor''s POV


    As soon as I washed my face, I went to where Amelia was. I wondered what her room would be like. I imagined there would be hanging frogs, cauldrons with suspicious substances inside. But things were quite different compared to my expectation.


    Right now I was sitting in a completely pink room filled with girly ornaments and accessories. I guessed it would be normal to see a little girl like Amelia in such a room. But when you knew about Amelia''s reputation, being here brought a certain unsettling creepiness in this kind of place .


    Since I had no elemental affinities, Amelia could teach me Soul magic as she was also a practitioner of the art with both necromancy and soul magic. While the first lesson with Amelia would be about some basic spells during battle, it came to Amelia''s attention that my body was quite different since she could not sense any mana from me. And so she was stuck in a dead end as she had no idea what I could do.


    Nonetheless, it seemed that no one was aware of the existence of the Abyss and the souls of the demon lords inside it. I guessed it would be better to keep it a secret from everyone. The more information the enemy got on me, the less elements of surprise I got on them. I could not risk talking to someone close only for it to be reach the enemy''s ears.


    Later that day, when I talked with Belz in my dream, I realized that the reason I did not have any mana in my body was because I was unconsciously using a small version of <Devour> continuously for the last seven years ever since I met Belz. And because of my inexperience, I ended up absorbing my own mana and things surrounding me.


    But the quantity of mana absorbed was very low and slow so that was why no one detected it. Nonetheless, Belz taught me a few more things about his abilities. First, <Devour> could only absorb incorporeal object such as mana. Any physical object would be disintegrated and converted into mana, such as the Mikael''s arm I consumed. Secondly I could now use <Release> to discharge the mana absorbed into another object or myself. Thirdly the ability I used against Mikael and the celestials was called <Black Hole>. Unlike <Devour>, this would obliterate everything in its path, turning all into nothingness. I should be careful to use this.


    As for Asmodeus, I found out that I was lucky during the village attack as there were only common soldiers. Because of my low level of power, <Absolute Authority> would only work on someone much weaker than me or with a very weak mental of mind. But it did not mean not the skill was useless against powerful opponent. While I might not be able to control their whole body, with training I could try to control only one part like removing their sight.


    Asmodeus also recommended me to seek out others demon lords wandering the Abyss. This would increase my arsenal and I could discover some powerful combinations of skills. Still she warned me that not all demon lords would be as welcoming as her and Belz so I must be careful.


    At first I tried to go back to the depths to see the mysterious knight. I felt a bond with him the last time I saw him even though we have only met once. Perhaps he could teach me some of his skills. But the door was shut still. After several attempts, I gave up.


    I decided to see Belphegor as I already knew him.


    "Hi there!" I saluted him.


    ".... What?" he answered with disinterest.


    "Could you give me your power?" I smiled at him widely.


    "...No!" he said abruptly.


    "...."


    "....."


    "No matter how much time you just sit there, the answer is still no. Now let me take my nap!" he grunted at me.


    "......" But I did not react to his answer.


    But it did not move him at all. So I decided to stalk him everyday for one whole month. During the day I trained with the others while I followed him everywhere at night. Even though I could spend days in this place without spending a single second in the outside world, my mind could not take it so I could only stay for a few hours before leaving again.


    Finally after thirty days he caved in.


    "You are persistent..."


    "Should I take it as a compliment?" I asked him.


    "...like a pest" he continued.


    "I guess not"


    I could spend days here and went back to the real world without spending a second. If only I could train here. Unfortunately training has to take place outside in the real world as even if I trained here, there won''t be any change in my body.


    "Why do you even want to do this anyway? It does not matter what you do. You will die and there will be  another replacing you. In the end nothing will change." he finally stopped and spoke to me.


    "Honestly I don''t know if I can change anything. But I know for sure that if I don''t do anything nothing will change. And I can make a difference if you help me." I conveyed to him.


    After a short moment of silence he conceded. He raised his hand toward me and I could feel something changing inside me.


    "Asgore said the same thing... Like father like son I guess."


    "What? Do you mean my father? You talked to him? Is he here?"


    The mention of his name made me realized how much of an idiot I was. If Asgore was a demon lord and this place was where demon lords gathered after their death, shouldn''t Asgore'' soul be here as well?


    "He said the same thing when he tried to ''recruit'' me. As for meeting him, no I have not seen him ever since he died. In fact none of the people I know here has seen him."


    How was that possible? If only I could ask Magnus about this but the guy did not show up these days.


    "...Tell me! What do I look like to you?" I asked him. I have always wondered how I looked like from the shadow''s point of view.


    "Like all previous demon lords before you. You look like an orb of light." Belphegor said.


    "So it means you don''t actually know how he looks like. After he died, he would take his form in the real world and since you don''t know how he looks like, it means that it is not that you have not seen him. It''s you have not spoken with him. So there is still a chance he is here."


    The next day I went to see Amelia to let her know that my previous mana problem has been solved but also for another reason. I was still a bit bitter knowning that I could only use Soul magic and not any of the elemental magic. If only there was some way to bypass this predicament.


    Also there was something bugging me about what Noroeth told me concerning the events ten years ago.


    "Amelia, why did you only use necromancy on Theoron and not the others who died at that castle?" I asked her. It was weird that only Noroeth came back. If we used necromancy on someone inside the castle like mother or father, we should have known what happened.


    "It''s not that I did not try to. It''s because I couldn''t. In order to use necromancy, you need a soul. Normally when someone dies, their soul lingers for a while at the place they died. But it was not the case ten years ago. There was no soul to be found." Amelia spoke as she put down her tea cup.


    "What ? How is that possible? Then how did you do for Theoron?" I expressed my surprise.


    "Theoron was lucky. He was outside the castle so I think the spell did not fully work on him. It did manage to kill him but his soul was intact. It did take a few months for me to get it back into his body though. As for those inside the castle, whatever that spell was either fully destroyed their soul or trapped them somewhere else.


    But I have never heard of such a spell before, not in this kind of scale. At most I could do something like that for one or two persons but there were hundred of people that day inside the castle."


    If something did erase all the souls of everyone inside the castle, it could explain why Asgore was not in the Abyss. The person behind this must have really thought through this. But this kind of pissed me off.


    Anyway after my daily lessons and training, I went back to the Abyss, this time to look for more demon lords and at the same time asking about Asgore.


    Although many had given him their power, none have seen him since ten years ago. Though my search did not harbour any fruit, I did manage to convince two shadows to give me their power. Or rather Asmodeus convinced them to see me. I did not know how she managed but I dared not to ask.


    The first one was a slime named Devas. From my perspective, it looked just like Azurus but pure black. According to him,  his ability <Replica> allowed one to create a clone of himself. The clone however would only have a tenth of the user''s original power. As I increased my mana pool, I would be able to create more clones and even change their appearance.


    As for the second one, it was a colossal shadowy creature with two giant wings. Just one look at the creature reminded me of the most powerful race in the world: the dragons.


    "Are you a dragon?" I asked the creature.


    "Indeed I am little one. Now give me your hand." the dragon spoke to me in a dignified and ringing voice.


    As I reached my hand to him, I felt something flowing inside me. So this was a dragon''s power. As I lost my consciousness, I heard his voice again.


    "Rejoice as the Great Xenes has given you a portion of his power. Seek the Scion and the stars will follow your commands!"


    I immediatly woke up and found myself in my room again. ''The Scion...'' what did he mean by that? Anyway I should test these new powers first thing in the morning.


    ....


    ....


    It did not work. Neither the slime nor the dragon power worked. It has been several hours since I tried everything I could but nothing worked. Perhaps I did not have enough mana for these skills? I did not even know what Xenes'' skill did. But the slime I was sure I could create at least one clone.


    "What am I missing?" I thought out loud.


    Then my thoughts were disrupted by a grating voice.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    "You seem to be doing something interesting." said Azurus in a joyful manner.


    "Hi Azurus! What do you want? I am not in the mood today"


    Although he promised me that he would teach me something incredible, it has been a few months since I stayed here and still I waited for that special lesson. Other time he just passed by, saying some silly jokes and ran off. Usually I stayed listening to him but now I was not really cheerful enough to listen to his jokes again.


    "What a rude kid! I am here to help you solving your problem and you just push me away like that. This must be the famous rebellious phase every parent has to go through!!!" he said while faking to cry.


    "I don''t think you can help me anyway!"


    "Oh really! And here I thought I could help you with Xenes and Devas. Ok then don''t mind me then. I will just go this way right here..." Azurus nagged as he jumped away.


    As soon as I heard the name Xenes and Devas, I immediately stood up. I thought no one was aware of the existence of the Abyss. How did he know these two names?


    "Wait! How did you know about them?" I shouted at Azurus. He stopped jumping away and turned to me.


    "I know a lot of things kid. Just between you and me, you don''t have to hide about your ''special dream''. But that is not the problem isn''t it? The problem is that you can''t use Devas and Xenes'' power.


    How about a deal? I will help you with unlocking these for you, or at least send you in the right direction and in return you will not ask me anything about how I know all this. Deal?" avowed Azurus.


    While he only looked like a normal slime, he clearly knew a lot more than he claimed to. But could I trust him... But if I can''t unlock these powers, there might be a lot more I could not use. I would have to risk it. Beside he was also a demon, I did not think he would do something that could harm our goal.


    After spending a moment in deep thoughts, I finally agreed to his term.


    "Very well then. You got yourself a deal. Now tell me how to use these powers." I said to him.


    "As you know, the demon lord has access to the skills of his predecessors. You have gotten a few for yourself for example. But there are a type of skill that required more than just being a demon lord.


    The Bloodline Scion. Some demon lords were monsters themselves who evolved into a demon. To have their power, you will need the Scion of their bloodline, a proof that shows you are one of their kind in order to be able to use their abilities.


    For example, Devas is a slime himself and his ability is to create clone from his body. But the body of a slime and a human has nothing in common. Surely you can''t expect that you can just pop out a clone of yourself with only your human body. Therefore you need to have a slime''s essence inside you. Not just any slime but a pure one from the old bloodline. And as you can expect, those are incredibly rare.


    Lucky for you, I have just the right thing for you. Here take this!" Azurus threw a small blue gemstone at me.


    "That is the essence of a pure slime. Take it and you will be able to use Devas'' ability."


    "But how exactly do I do that? Just swallow it?" I asked him.


    "In order to absorb the essence, you need a way to convert matters into incorporeal to be absorbed by your body. But you have something like that don''t you boy?" he jested at me.


    He was aware of Belz''s power too... How did he know about this? I really wanted to ask him but...


    I decided to test out right away. Using <Devour>, the gemstone disappeared into my hand and I felt something changing inside my body. It was my arms. They were turning transparent!!!


    "What the ???" I yelled out while looking at my melting arm. It was almost like a slime body.


    "Calm down! Breath! Control it and your arms will return to normal!" Azurus reassured me.


    I took a deep breath and expired heavily. Instead of focusing on my arms, I tried to empty my head. A moment later the arms returned to normal.


    "Good! Now try Devas'' skill!" Azurus said to me.


    "<Replica>" I shouted.


    My left arm turned transparent again and this time it extended to the ground and twisted itself forming a clone of myself. The clone, at first transparent, turned into a black color. It looked just like a shadow now. Fascinating!


    "Congrat Alastor! Now you know how to use these skills. Find the Scions of the necessary race and absorb it for yourself. Eat and evolve! That''s the nature of a monster!


    Unfortunately I don''t have a dragon scion so you will have to find one for yourself. But I can assure you it would be worth your time." said Azurus.


    Then he turned around and started walking, or rather bouncing away.


    "Thanks but how do I get a dragon Scion?" I asked him.


    "Oh it''s easy. Just kill one and eat it. But remember it has to be a pure one!"


    * * *


    A few days after the events at Caine Village


    Avant-heim, Citadel of the sky


    It has been three days since Ikarus was imprisoned in a prison cell. She was waiting for punishment for her actions at Caine village. Mikael, as the head herald, has accused her of treason and now she was on her way to the Hall of Justice, where her trial would take place in front of the community.


    As she walked through the golden hall shining under the warm sunlight, she received countless stares of the people participating in the trial. Hundreds have gathered to see a celestial on trial. They were curious. It has been a long time since a celestial was on a trial as it was not their nature to commit a crime.


    In their heart, they were the image of order and justice itself. Perhaps that was why none could understand the reasons behind the action of this lone celestial, who was also an executor, a symbol of justice.


    Now Ikarus stood in front of three old celestials, each holding a golden staff, showing that they were the judges of this trial.


    As the judge in the middle raised his staff and hit the ground, demanding silence in the court, the whispers stopped.


    "We are here today to witness the trial of Ikarus Salem. As the principal judge of this trial, it''s my responsibility to make sure that the trial will be fair and everyone will have their right to talk and protest.


    Now we will begin with the statement from herald Mikael. If you please begin, herald!"


    None of the words spoken by Mikael reached Ikarus'' ears. Or rather she ignored him. In her mind she was thinking about her own actions. Did she do the right thing that day? Or did she make the biggest of her life? She have asked herself that questions for days ever since she returned to Avant-Heim. But no matter how long she thought about it, she still believed that she made the right course of action, that she was innocent.


    She could have ran away. There were many opportunities. But she chose not to. The celestial believed in the justice system she was once a part of. And they would prove her innocence. They must.


    Before Ikarus realized it, it was already her turn to talk. But she simply said.


    "I have nothing to say. I believe that I have done the right thing that day and I would do it again if I have the chance."


    The court room was filled with whispers again.


    "How could she say something like that?"


    "Has she no shame?"


    "How pathetic!"


    She tried to ignore those statements. But one caught her attention.


    "I am disappointed in you Ikarus! How could you shame me like this?  You are not my child"


    It was her father''s. His angry voice was hidden by the whispers of the crowds but Ikarus could only hear his voice. That was the only one that counted for her. Her father was the reason she pushed herself in this position. She wanted to follow his steps, to be someone that he would be proud of.


    "Ikarus Salem, for your charges of insubordination, treason and associating with demons, the court find you guilty of all charges.


    In normal case, you will receive the capital punishment. But the court has taken in account your services and so we have decided that you will be exiled, never to return again.


    And to make sure that you will shame your race no longer, your wings will be cut off.


    The sanction will take place immediatly. Guards !"


    Ikarus could only hear a single word "Guilty". It kept repeating inside her head. Even when one of the guard seized her on the ground while the other took out his sword in one hand while holding Ikarus'' wings on the other, she could not believe what she heard.


    Her trust in the system has been betrayed. Her family has abandoned her. And soon her wings, who had been with her for her whole life, they too would be gone.


    The guard raised his sword, waiting for the judge''s permission. With a single hand gesture, the sword sliced down. The trial came to an end with an agonizing scream from Ikarus.

 Chapter 11: One year later

    Alastor''s POV


    Has it been already one year since I stayed at this place? Time truly passed so fast.


    While it was not a very eventful year, I have made considerable progress in term of my power level. Even though it was just training, I was on able to hold on my own against Mephisto and Naberius. Well I did hold back by not using all of my unique abilities from the old demon lords but we did not fight with our life on the line so it was difficult to tell.


    Now my lesson with Naberius consisted only of spars since he ran out of things to teach me. The same could be said with Amelia but she refused to fight with me.


    I have also mastered many more tricks from the Abyss. Not only did I find new Legacies, I have modified and improved those I already had. I discovered this by pure luck while spending time studying those abilities. However I was still not able to unlock Xenes'' power because there was no dragon in this continent and I did not think I was ready to face one yet.


    As for Alice, she shocked me when Naberius took her as his apprentice. Apparently she had incredible strength and speed, even able to handle Naberius'' axe with ease. I did not object her to train with him however. I was worried about her but I believed that she could take care of herself and she might need those skills one day. If I ever intended to be the demon lord, people would target me and those close to me. I could not afford to lose anyone again.


    "Hey Alastor, what are you thinking about?"


    I was currently in the Abyss. There were a dozen of shadows surrounding me, or rather they used to be shadow. Once I made a pact, or received the Legacy, from a shadow, they took on their original colorful form instead of just being a creepy black mist. And of course these shadows were those I made a pact with, except for Xenes who did not like hanging out with the others.


    The guy who was just speaking to me was Lucifer. Once a celestial, he became the demon lord after refusing to obey the order of those above him. Quite ironic for a guy who used to kill demon to become the king of demons himself. But this guy was very short-tempered and just wanted to kill everything so even I had trouble to control myself when I used his Legacy.


    "Nothing. Just reminiscing what happened for the last year. That''s all." I said to him.


    "Boring. You are just going to rust here. Just go out there and kill those damn Primes!" Lucifer said with an irritated voice.


    "Perhaps you are right. My teachers don''t have anything to teach my anymore. Staying here any longer won''t get me stronger. But I worry about Alice. I don''t want to endanger her by bringing her with me." I contemplated.


    "Then just leave her here. She is just going to be a burden for us..." Lucifer grunted.


    "Say that one more time Lucifer!" I raised my voice.


    "I am only saying the fact." As he said, he vanished into thin air.


    "Forget what he said Alastor!" It was Asmodeus. A few of the new powers I got was thanks to her negotiation skills.


    "Hehehe! Things might quite different from what you said Lucifer. Never judge a book by its cover!" another shadow joined the conversation.


    It was Nyx. He was an elderly human mage who was fascinated with demons and ended up being one. The guy seemed a bit crazy, always talking in a cryptic way or babbling about something no one understood.


    I started to get tired of these conversations. But what Lucifer said about leaving here did cross my head several times in these recents days. I should discuss to Mephisto about leaving this place. But what of Alice? needed to check with Alice first.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    "Alice I was thinking...." I tried to find the right words to speak.


    "What is this brother? I am listening. You can talk to me." Alice smiled at me.


    "I am thinking about leaving this place and I want to talk about it with you."


    "I will stay here" Alice swiftly answered.


    "But...." I spoke but she continued.


    "I will just be a burden with the way I am right now. But don''t worry about me. I will join you once I am more capable. I want to protect you too little brother, not the other way around. I am the older one after all." She softly explained to me.


    KNOCK KNOCK. Someone knocked on the door outside.


    "If you don''t mind me joining the chat." the door opened with Mephisto entering the room. "I could not help but hearing your conversation from the dialogue. But this is perfect, Alastor. I also agree that you should leave this place, go on your own adventure."


    "I have learnt all I could here. If I want to get stronger, I need to go on a journey. To see the world with my own eyes. Only then can I decide to accept being the demon king or not." I said to Mephisto.


    "And that''s perfectly reasonable. Please don''t worry about Alice. We will take care of her until you return." Mephisto divulged.


    With that, we decided that I would depart the next morning with Stella. While I still had some doubts about Alice, she reassured me that she would be fine by herself and I should think more about me instead.


    And so my adventure finally began.


    * * *


    "What is this about leaving the demon realm? I can''t believe he decided just like that without consulting us." Asmodeus was not happy. She thought it was too early for a boy like Alastor to go on an adventure, even with someone else like Stella. "It''s all because of you, Lucifer. Putting that idea into his head"


    "Oh please! He already thought of it before I even mentioned it. That boy thinks just like me. It would be great if he turns out to be as outstanding as I am." Lucifer mused.


    "Oh great! Becoming a psycho going around killing everyone he meet is just the thing he needs. I knew I could not trust you when you voluntarily made a pact with him." Belz joined the fray.


    "The problem is that if he is found out as the demon lord, the whole world will be looking for him to kill him." Asmodeus added.


    "Perfect! Then he can get even more training that way. What better to improve yourself than killing those powerful?" Lucifer jested.


    "What if they send the hero ? He is certainly not ready to go against the hero by himself." Asmodeus asserted.


    "That won''t happen" A loud grave voice came from above. A giant dark sphere with a shining crimson dot like an eye descended.


    Asmodeus and the others did not understand what Magnus was talking about. Ever since the beginning of time, whenever the Demon Lord appeared, the Hero would also follow. The Gods made sure of that.


    "What do you mean it won''t happen?" Asmodeus asked Magnus. But the answer she got only made her more anxious. Magnus looked above with his red eye as if he was talking to someone else and not her.


    "Can you feel it Eden? How we shake the entire Heavens. Your Hero won''t come and your minions are surrounded by darkness. And when you decide to come out of your throne, we will be there for you. Ha ha ha! HA HA HA HA HA!"


    * * *


    Looking out the window, Mephisto watched as Alastor and Stella leaving the castle. Noroeth and Amelia were also there with him. The news of Alastor leaving shocked everyone, except for Mephisto.


    "I still cannot agree with this. He is just a boy. Why did you let him go like that?", an angry Noroeth expressed his view.


    "We have nothing more to teach him. If we want what''s best for him, for him to grow, then this is the best course of action. It''s not like I don''t understand your concerns but remember that he is the one who wants this. I ask that you respect his decision." Mephisto answered firmly.


    Noroeth cluched his staff. He wanted to say something but held back. In his heart he knew he would have to let the boy go find his own path one day. He just did not expect it so soon.


    "Anyway we still have a lot of things to do. If things go according to plan, Alastor will come back in two years. Until then we need to prepare our force. Amelia, how are things down at Tartarus?" Mephisto changed the subject.


    "Ten thousands undeads ready. Take a bit more time because we don''t have any corpse so I need to create undead by myself. From Naberius, about five hundreds Storm Wolves, six hundreds Hell Hounds and one thousand beastmen. As for Azurus, it''s a bit unclear but at least one hundred basilisks and ten hydras."


    "Azurus, despite his personality, always surprises me with his findings. Where does he even find those monsters? But never mind. As for the undead, it''s a bit less than my calculations. I will try to ask the supplier for more." Mephisto commented on Amelia''s report.


    "Funny how it was from those human merchants we get the corpses. Even though they knew we are demons." Amelia chuckled.


    "If there is one thing I know about human, it''s they care only about themselves, more than anything. They might speak some brave words but in the end it''s to each his own. Wars keep those merchants profits. And that''s exactly what we are giving them. Trust me! I know how despicable human can get." Mephisto clenched his heart as he spoke those words. "Anyway if there is nothing else, you may go!"


    Amelia excused herself and leaved the room. Noroeth was on his way to the door before he heard from Mephisto again.


    "Noroeth, to properly answer your question earlier, Alastor is no longer a boy. He might look like one but he is a capable man. Something his father did not have." Mephisto spoke.


    "What do you mean?"


    "King Asgore was a brave and strong man. I will not deny it. But there is something he lacked. Something all rulers must have: cruelty. He chose not to kill those who invaded our lands, even those who tried to kill him. I understand his reasons though. He thought peace could be reached if he refused to fight.


    But this world does not work like that. No matter how much you wish for peace, it won''t come. Not without a price. And in many case, that price is your own conscience. Cruelty is not about enjoying the suffering of your enemy. Cruelty is about being prepared to make the difficult decision, whether you like it or not. When you decide to sacrifice one hundred to save a thousand. That''s cruelty. When you kill a child to save a country, that''s cruelty.


    As for Alastor, it''s too soon to say if he is capable of that kind of cruelty but at least I know this: he is not of afraid of killing.


    Which raises the question: when the day comes, when Alastor ask you to lead his army, will you be able to kill your own countrymen?


    Please think about it the next time you refer to him as a boy."


    Noroeth was left speechless. Mephisto took off from the room. As he walked through the hall, memories of his past, when he was still human, came back to him. The people he betrayed. The sins he committed. The children.


    "This child will be my final sin. I do not expect nor do I deserve forgiveness. Please just wait a little bit more everyone! Your teacher will come home soon!"


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    "Stella where should we go first?" I asked Stella.


    I decided to leave Alice at castle to continue her training while Stella would be coming with me. But I thought even if I did not want to, she would still follow me anyway. Still having a companion helped ease the boredom of adventure and the person I trusted most was Stella.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    She had assisted me with many tasks during my stay at the demon castle: training, studying. I could not think of a moment without her around me. Even when I slept, she just sat next to me, watching me I guessed. It was a bit unsettling at first, knowing someone was staring at you the whole night when you slept but I fathomed you could get use to anything with time.


    She said she had no need for sleeping as she was a doll.  I assumed that every construct needed to recharge its power, or mana supply every there and then but Stella was special since she was the last creation of the Artificier so she did not need any power source.


    "I will follow everywhere you go." she answered me.


    Guess I should decide then. I wanted to go to the Mara continent but it meant that we needed to travel by sea and that meant a port. There was also a hidden way not many knew of.


    Actually the continent of Mara and Ragna was linked by a series of underground tunnels, passing even under the sea. It was because Ragna used to be linked to Mara until an earthquake sunk a portion of the land, separating Ragna and Mara. But now that land was still under the sea and linked the two continents.


    I decided to choose the sea road as I have never seen the sea before. And so we headed towards the coast to the south, hoping to find a town and harbor.


    The castle was located in the southern part of Ragna so it would take a few days by foot to reach the coasts. Although this was the demon territory, occasionally group of humans could be spotted wandering around. Some were adventurers hoping to find something of value. Others were bandits and slavers who took refuge around the coast.


    If there was one thing I hated, it was slavery. Taking away someone else''s freedom for your own gain, making them despicable things I would rather not name.


    I have heard that these slavers not only captured people of their own race to sell back at Mara, but also demons. In truth, demons were well known for being slaves, especially humanoid ones.


    And the fate of the demon slaves was sealed the moment they got caught. They would be branded so people could recognize them. To make matter worst, they were considered as mere entertainment tools and even if they managed to escape, it would be only a matter of time before someone else killed them as people of Mara did not take kindly of wandering demons.


    After two days of unexciting, saved for a few monsters encounter during the way, we finally arrived at a small town. This would be the first town I visited ever since I left Caine.


    And it was disappointing. By that I meant all the drunkards lying on the streets, the ground covered in dirty mud. By the look of it, it seemed they were slavers, with the slaves locked in those cages.


    As I passed through, the slaves were inside cages so small like dog cages that they had to bend themselves to fit in. There were all kind: human, elf, beastman and demons. The reason I recognized they were demon because they were marked with a brand on their arm or leg. How sickening!


    If I did not want to reveal myself I would have burn this place to ashes. Lucky for them we needed a boat and a crew to traverse the sea. But I would not be pushed around. If it came to it, I might just let go my rage.


    It seemed our presence did not go unnoticed. Thanks to her gloves hiding her wooden hands, Stella could be passed by as a normal human girl, an alluring one. Crossing the town, I could sense the stares from those tipsy shitheads looking at Stella. How they drooled at her.


    And now I was surrounded by a bunch of guys in grimy clothes. Look like bandits, trashes. One of they went up to me.


    "What''s up little boy? Got lost from your mama? Hahaha" a muddy bandit said.


    "I would appreciate if you stick your stinking mouth away from me. Me and my sister here would like to cross the sea." I said to him.


    "Gutsy! I like it brat. So you want to cross the sea. But it''s not cheap you know." the jerk continued.


    "I have the money. Question is do you have a boat?" I asserted.


    "You hear that boys? He got the money. Well I do have a boat. But I may need something else, aside from the money you know." the guy babbled. He started to irritate me. "If your sister is ok to spend a night with me, I will think about it."


    "And ask your mother too. Hehehe. I will take care of her for you." another voice came from the crowd.


    "...."


    "Stella if you please...." I said to Stella.


    "That''s what I am talking about, boy. You sure know how to negotiate."


    "....go ahead and burn this town. Spare the slaves if you can!" I finished.


    In an instant Stella made a crystal cutter and stuck it into the bandit. Blood gushed out his neck and he fell down, dead.


    "She killed him. That bit..." another bandit yelled. It was the bastard who talk about my mother earlier.  But I used a wind spell to cut his legs off before he could even finish.


    I was not supposed to be able elemental magic since I got no elemental affinities. But I found a way to fix this problem. The reason I could not use them was because I need an element inside my body to convert the pure mana into elemental mana, necessary to cast spell of that element. But thanks to Nyx''s special ability, <Elemental Lord>, I could summon elemental orbs, which would serve as catalyst to cast the spell for me. All I needed to do was pour in the pure mana into these floating orbs around me and it would do the rest.


    As the guy screamed in pain, I grabbed his head and whispered into his ears.


    "You may insult me. You may try to kill me. I get it. But if you talk bad or try to hurt my family, I will find you. I will break your limbs! I will gut your heart and shove it down your throat! And finally I will shatter your soul so no one would known you even existed.


    Rejoice since I am in a good mood today so I only take your legs. Next time, it would something more .... interesting"


    Upon seeing two of their people got cut down like nothing, the bandits started screaming and ran away. ''This will be fun!'' I thought.


    "Stella I will take care of this part of town. Can you check the other part?" I said.


    "Of course Alastor!" and there she went.


    "Now how should we do this?" I asked myself. "How about this?"


    I cast a fireball, and another and another. Just because you lived by the sea didn''t mean you were safe from fire.


    A few bandits gathered and started sprinting toward me with their axes and sword. There were even some archers behind.


    Finally some resistance. But it would not change much. Look how they burned. Like moth to flame they ran toward the fire. Until only ashes remained.


    It seemed I kinda lost myself a bit there. The smell of burning flesh was filling the air. Except for the slaves inside the cage who I intentionally avoided, everything else in the area has already turned to dust, houses or men alike.


    Time to free those slaves. As I went near the cages, the slaves held inside trembled in fear. It was a natural reaction I guessed. A kid just killed a few dozens people in front of them after all.


    Perhaps I should show my good wills. I made a finger snap and the cages cracked open.


    "Stay away demon!" as soon the door was gone, the slaves ran and fled into the woods. So this was what I got for helping people.


    But there was a few still staying where they were. As I thought they were demons. But not all of them. A young human boy around my age I guessed was covering his ears and shutting his eyes, while shivering in fear.


    "Hey are you ok ?" I tried to touch him but a female elf jumped to his side and bowed her head.


    "Please don''t hurt the young master! I beg of you!!! He is just a boy."


    Brown hair with dark eyes in a half torn rag. And she had the brand on her left arm. So she was a demon. But  why did she protect him? I thought someone like her would jumped at the chance to kill her master.


    "I won''t. Who are you two? And why do you call him young master? And please don''t lie to me!" I tried to calm down the elf.


    "My name is Tasha. This is my master Edward. We were just outside of the capital for a trip when the bandits caught us and brought us here to make us slaves. Please the young master is just a child and he treats me kindly. Don''t kill him!" she begged me.


    "I don''t intend to kill him. I just want to get a boat to go to Mara." I said.


    "In that case if you can take us with you back to Cedra, I am sure the lord will be reward you kindly for saving his son." Tasha proposed.


    An interesting offer. It would also help me establishing a connection at the capital of Ceadric, Cedra and perhaps even some money on the side.


    "Agreed. I promise I would bring you two safe back to Cedra. But I expect some heavy reward." I said to Tasha.


    "Of course. Thank you, lord ..." she said, wanting to ask my name.


    "Alastor. And don''t call me lord please. I mean it. I am barely older than him." I spoke.


    "Oh I apologize. I have met demons before that is much older than they appeared so I assumed you are the same, seeing how strong you are." Tasha said.


    True, I knew a few people like that.


    "Alright. Please pack up your things and meet us at the harbor! And I think you know this but don''t call me a demon in front of someone else. Or else I might just have to take care of both of you." I said to Tasha. It made the elf shivered in fear thinking what might happen to her if she did not keep her mouth shut. I thought I might like this. I might even be a sadist.


    After leaving Tasha and Edward to do their things, Stella rejoined me. Judging from the rising flame from the other side of town, not much was left alive over there. Luckily there was still a boat left intact so I could use it. As for the crew, I needed it to use as cover but I guessed there would be no need for it now. I could just control the water flow to guide us there.


    "Stella there will be two others with us. A woman and a boy. We need to bring them to Cedra as our first priority. Then we will see where to go from there." I spoke.


    She was a little unhappy at first but agreed anyway.


    Looking back at the destruction I caused, I was taken by my thoughts and spoke out loud.


    "I did not even feel anything when I killed them. Did I change that quickly? Or was I always like this? Should I feel remorse for this?"


    Hearing me saying my thoughts, Stella slowly walked to me from behind and embraced me.


    "Listen to my voice, Alastor! There is no need for you to feel bad. You don''t feel anything when you step on an ant and you shouldn''t. You don''t have to see them as people." she spoke softly. Even though she was a doll, her skin felt so real and the warmth from her body, so genuine.


    "I don''t know if those words were supposed to be comforting" I smiled at her words. But it only made her hold onto me tighter.


    We stayed like that for a brief moment before moving on. Cedra was located in the northern part of Ceadric but still far from the sea. But there was a canal leading from the coast straight to Cedra and we could use that road to gain time instead of walking on land.


    Although the plan was altered a bit, we still had a boat. Next stop: Cedra.

 Chapter 12: The wingless angel

    Alastor''s POV


    It has been two days since we left Ragna on this boat. Thankfully the weather was good for sailing so we might arrive at Cedra in a few days.


    Two women and two children alone on a boat, that ought to raise some attention at the borders. But as long as the guards were common soldiers it would not be a problem.


    As for the passengers, the boy did not dare to come near me. He was still shaken up by the slaughter I carried out at the town. Pretty natural I guessed since he was still a kid. Although everyone else would probably be the same if they saw what I did.


    I have talked a lot with Tasha and learnt a bit about their background. The kid Edward was the only son of the House Osborne, a relatively small noble household which did not hold much influence but still a noble. Edward was a very shy boy and pretty mediocre in magic. Apparently, many have said that he was talentless but if you asked me, there was no such thing as talent. Okay perhaps a little bit but everyone, if taught the right way, could achieve something with efforts.


    Edward was a rare type of man, the kind who pitied the demon. Perhaps it was because he was still young. But when he met Tasha''s eyes during a slave auction on the street, seeing how she was beaten almost to dead, he could not stand the cruel treatment they were doing to her and that was how Tasha ended up being saved by Edward. His parents did hesitate a little bit when they heard the news but they caved in when seeing their timid boy begging for something the first time in his life.


    This action did bring him some persecution as normally when one purchased a demon slave, it usually did not last long as they were only seen as amusement and pleasure objects. They would be either thrown away or ended up dead after a few months. But it has been three years since Tasha stayed with Edward and it was clear that he treated her well. So rumors started spread around that Edward was a demon sympathiser, making the target of bullies and such at school.


    As for Tasha, she was deeply grateful to young Edward and pledged to protect the young master. But when she knew of the trouble she caused for her dear Edward, she wanted to leave but Edward insisted that she stayed.


    The story was so dramatic and touching it almost brought a tear to my eyes. Just kidding! Why the hell did she just tell me her life story? I only asked her about Edward''s family and she started babbling about how she met him and such. How could someone talk that much? It exceeded my understanding.


    We finally crossed the borders without much trouble. Thanks to my negotiation skills, the soldiers did not even bother to check us and simply let us through.


    Now that we were located in the northern part of Ceadric, the area reminded me of home. This was where I stayed for most of my life after all. I did not go out a lot but I remembered where Caine village was, or used to be.


    After the attack, Mephisto did send some lookouts to search for any info but they did not find any survivor or news regarding this incident as even all the soldiers attacking were killed by someone else.


    When I thought about what happened, I had a sudden urge to go back to there, where it all started. Perhaps I should, if not for finding clues then at least for closure.


    And so I convinced the others to take a detour, or rather forced them to.


    From afar, we could see a small town. Perfect, just what we needed right now.  When I left the castle, I did not consider take in these two with me so supplies ran out pretty quick.


    As we approached the town, there seemed to be a commotion going on here. I could see a group of people on horse, equipped with weapons.


    "Why are you stopping?" asked Tasha.


    "Are you blind? Look over there. Can''t you see those guys are armed?" I told her.


    "Doesn''t look like farmers to me. Bandits?" Tasha said.


    "Stay quiet! I will go take a look!" I signalled Stella to follow me while Tasha and Edward would stay behind.


    I jumped on a nearby tree to observe the situation. Sure seemed like bandits.


    "Where is the usual tribute? I thought we have a deal, old man." a guy who seemed like the leader of the bandits said, next to a pile of goodies.


    "I am very sorry sir. This month the crops did not sell very well so this is all we could gather. If you could please give us more time..." the old man, who seemed like a village elder, begged the bandit.


    "Really? If I bring only this amount back, the boss will not be very happy you know? And you know how he is when he is not very happy. Just look at the village next to yours, Cain or something, look how it ended up!" the bandit laughed out loud.


    Did he just say Caine village? It seemed I would have to talk to this guy a bit.


    "Please just give us a few more days." but the old man was pushed to the ground without mercy. The others bandits, watching the scene, simply laughed at the poor old fool who continued to kneel on the ground.


    But then someone stopped their laughter.


    "You cowards!!! Have you no shame, terrorizing innocents like that?"


    I turned my head to the source of the voice. I could not believe my eyes. It was that god damn blue haired celestial who held Alice hostage during the attack. What was she doing here? Could the celestials have sensed my presence here already? I decided to stay hidden for a little longer to watch how things unfolded. At least now the village would not have to worry about the bandits.


    But I was wrong, incredibly wrong. The celestial, who I thought was quite powerful, just received a full punch in her stomach, making her fall to the ground. How the hell was she that weak? And where were her wings? I could see something poking out of her back, almost deformed with feathers covering it. Did her wings get cut?


    "You again? Damn annoying bitch. Every time I come here, you just can''t shut your mouth heh? Did you miss my punches that much?" he continued to beat the fallen celestial. When his fists started to feel sour, he turned to kick her. She was completely a bloody mess.


    But none of the villagers even tried or showed to care about her. Even what the old man say surprised me.


    "Please sir! You could just take that woman and sell her as slave. It could make up for the small amount this time."


    "Are you kidding me? Who the hell would want a monster like her? Just look at the thing on her back already make me want to puke." as he kicked her one final time, he fixed his clothes and mounted on his horse. "I am tired already. I will come back tomorrow and if you don''t have enough, it will be your head old man."


    With that said, the bandits left the village. Every villager has already left the town square, leaving a bloodstained woman lying down on the ground.


    "Serve you right!" I thought out loud. While she did not directly kill Morgan, she was still one of them. I should just leave her to die.


    Then I saw that she was still breathing. With her delicate hand, she tried to crawl away but it seemed like her bones were broken.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    I would hate myself for this.


    * * *


    Gazel''s house


    Alastor''s POV


    "....where am I?" so she finally awaked.


    "My house. And you are on my bed so don''t move or the wound will open again. Don''t want to make it more bloody than it already is." I said to the lady on the bed.


    "You...I know you.... You are..." she sobbed. Seeing my face must bring back bad memories. The woman started to panic, looked around for a weapon to defend herself.


    "Don''t move!" I said louder.


    I caught her hands and kept her lie down on the bed.


    "You are too weak to even hurt me anyway. Please don''t let me regret saving you!"


    As I said, she calmed down a bit. I looked at her one more time. She was in rag, her face dirty by mud. The body covered with scars. What the hell happened to her?


    "Since you are here like this, I assume the guys up there did not take kindly what you did."


    But she remained silent. Her eyes still started at me, watching my every move. I only saved her since she released Alice last time but now I was starting to regret this already.


    Judging from the situation she was in, I figured that Mikael has exiled her and cut off her wings for letting me go. What a bastard! Taking out on others because of his own failure! I should have absorbed him completely instead of just his arm.


    "Why?" she finally spoke to me.


    "Let''s just say this is thanks for letting Alice go." I said to her while checking her wounds.


    "But you are a demon." she talked back.


    "And you are a celestial. So what? A pair of wings won''t make you that different from me. Demons have feelings too you know.


    As for me, I don''t really like watching woman being abused. Unless they are my enemy."


    "Aren''t we enemies?"


    "...No. Not yet. You were simply doing what you thought was best. You do what your heart tell you. I like that kind of person." I said to her. "But you are an idiot for defending those ungrateful jerks at the village."


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    "I did what was right to do. I could not let innocents people suffering like that."


    "And look at that bravery, that kindness had led you to. You can''t even beat a kid. Even after what you have done, not a single one of them cared about you. Even after the bandits left. When I asked them if I could borrow a room to take care of you, you know what they said to me? ''Let that monster die! We don''t want anything to do with it.'' Those are the people you tried to defend." I raised my voice.


    "They.... were simply scared since I look hideous like this." the woman moved her hand to her back, reaching for what''s left of her wings.


    "The same thing was said about us demons. We are different so we must die. Screw them! No wonder so many demon lords wanted to destroy to the world."


    After finishing checking her wounds, I renewed the bandages. She was a bit distressed by what I said. Perhaps I said too much. Now I was starting to feel sorry for her. What was wrong with me today?


    "Drink this it would help you sleep." I gave to her a potion, specially made by Amelia.


    She slowly took it and as she drank it, it clearly showed on her face that it did not taste good.


    "It''s bitter" she gulped.


    "Of course it is. Plenty of poison and all."


    "What?" she almost tried to spit it out but I stopped her.


    "Just joking. See that wasn''t so hard was it? Drinking a random potion from a demon. Now sleep! I will be downstairs so come back when you are awake!"


    I fixed the blanket to her neck to cover her tattered clothes. I then went to the door. As I opened the door, I turned back and said to her.


    "Just so you know. You are still beautiful if you ask me."


    The celestial''s face turned to red when she heard what I said. Her eyes tried to look away from me. Seeing how embarrassed she was, it was totally worth it.


    * * *


    Ikarus'' POV


    What was happening to me? How did I end up in a demon''s home? And he was taking care of me at that. Ever since that day, I have had these bewildering thoughts, these doubts against my faith and my own judgment.


    We ignored the innocents, to go after someone we presumed wicked. But what I saw that day was no demon nor villain. All I saw was a boy trying to save his family. And we took away that family from him.


    After the trial, I was thrown out of Avant-Heim. When I woke up, I found myself next to where we first encountered that boy. But no one else lived there anymore. The town was completely destroyed, its residents dead. I thought we as celestials were supposed to be the embodiment of justice, an example to follow for the others races.


    What we did was no better than those bandits.


    Even though I lost my wings, I did not lose hope. I still believed in what I must do. So when I learnt about how the nearby village was plagued with bandits, I decided to protect it from the bandits. But the villagers did not accept me. They called me demon for how I looked like. Despite the fact that I was trying to save them.


    At that moment, I realized. Could it be how demons have felt all these years? Being misunderstood by the whole world? If that was true, then what did I believe in for my entire life?


    Was this my punishment for what I have done? Perhaps it was. I will embrace my sin and accept my retribution.


    But it was so hard. Living alone in the wood, suffering all these beatings. I could not endure it any longer.


    And he came to me. The boy.


    I destroyed his family. I killed his mother. And yet he still chose to save me, despite what I did.


    How long has it been since the last time someone was kind to me? He saw me redden when he called me beautiful. But it was not embarrassment that I felt. It was happiness toward the kindness I received. Tears poured out of my eyes. These tears used to be filled with anguish and sorrow, now were tears of joy.


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    I could hear her crying from downstairs.


    "Still a child at heart." I smiled.


    After moving her here, I asked Stella and the others to go back to the town to purchase supplies. Without me and the celestial, they should be able to buy something.


    After a while, the girl finally went downstairs. Better ignored her crying.


    "Did you sleep well?" I asked her.


    "Yeah. Thank you!" she bowed her head to thank me. Quite a sudden change in attitude. Women never ceased to surprise me.


    "You still did not tell me your name. By the way I am Alastor."


    "My name is Ikarus Salem. You can call me Ikarus." she told me.


    "Well Ikarus! What''s your plan after this?" I asked her.


    "I don''t know. What about you? Why are you here? I thought you are at the Demon Continent." Ikarus spoke.


    "I was but after a while I got bored so I decided to travel a bit for some fresh air. As for my plan, I don''t know. Perhaps become the demon lord, destroy the world. Kidnap a princess, lock her in a tower with a dragon. Something like that."


    "...."


    "I am just joking!" I smiled at her. "But seriously, I am on a journey to create a world for my family."


    "A world for your family? What do you mean?" She asked me curiously.


    "A world where me and my family can live in peace without worrying about getting killed. I am a simple man, Ikarus. I am not trying to change the world nor do I wish to destroy it. I am not a benevolent nor a virtuous one. All I want is to be left alone, live my life as I see fit. But if this world would not allow me to have that right, if this world wants me dead, then I will make sure that it will go down with me.


    And so before taking my decision about what I should do with, I intend to travel and see the world through my own eyes. I will see to it whether this world is still worth saving." I proclaimed.


    "Then let me go with you!" Ikarus said to me. Caught me in complete surprise.


    "Hum...why ?" I asked her.


    "I know you are not evil. You want to see the world for yourself. And I want to be a part of it."


    "Why? So you can kill me when the time comes?" I inquired.


    "So I can make sure that you see the good side of it." she said to me.


    "...You are weird." I jested at her.


    "People have told me that." she finally smiled. "Anyway what now?"


    "We wait for the others. Do you want something to eat?" I asked Ikarus.


    "So there are others with you. Don''t mind me. I will just sit here." Ikarus moved to the table and sat down on the opposite of me.


    I looked at where her wings used to be. They were big, pure white the last time I saw it. Now all that was left was greyish broken. She saw me examining her and moved her hands back to caress her back.


    "Did it hurt?" I asked her gently.


    "Most painful thing I have endured. But that is not the worst of it. They are a part of me and now I lost them. A celestial''s wings is everything to them. Once we lost it, we lose our power, everything.


    But you don''t have to worry about it. I will try to not be a burden to you." Ikarus forced a smile on her face.


    I felt sorry for her. Letting me go has caused her to lose everything. If only I could do something about it. Then suddenly, a thought came to me. For the year I stayed at the demon castle, I have met a peculiar demon lord. Her power did not impress me that much compared to the others. Most likely because I did not know what I could use it for. Perhaps now it was time to test it.


    "Ikarus, would you like to have your wings back?"

 Chapter 13: Chain of bond

    Alastor''s POV


    I found myself in the Abyss again. This place was still the same as ever, constantly veiled under a black mist. In front of me sat a human female on the ground. She had long black hair covering her face. The most peculiar aspect of hers was what she wore. Chains, lot of chains as if she was a prisoner. Her hands and legs were shackled. Her arms covered by chains. Even her body did not have a single shred of cloth but only chains, enough to conceal her private parts. A black tattoo trailed from her legs to her face.


    "So you finally found one." said the woman.


    "Alice has one too you know. But yes I admit that I did not expect to find one so soon." I said.


    "Alice is your sister. I don''t count her as the first. But as for this woman, you barely talked to her. And she was an enemy." she continued.


    "I will manage it. No need to worry about me, Beatrix!"


    "The chain works in both ways Alastor. It will affect both her and you. Just like our pact, there is a price for everything. There is a reason why demon lords don''t want to give their power so easily."


    "I already knew about that. You don''t have to remind me of that. Let''s just get on with this."


    "I hope you know what you are doing!"


    Beatrix stood up and took out a chain from her body.


    "Are you ready?" she asked me, holding the chain with her arm.


    "Will it hurt?" I said.


    "I will try to make it as painful as possible."


    "What!!"


    Without warning, the chain lashed out at me and pierced my heart. It hurt much more than I thought it would.


    Meanwhile in the real world, Ikarus has prepared herself and sat next to my sleeping body. As I opened my eyes, from my chest, opened up a black whole. The chain flew out and plunged into her heart, opening up a white hole. Something was beating inside. Was this Ikarus'' heart?


    The chain ensnared her beating heart. I could feel her pain, passing through the chain to my own. So the link was established.


    It was finally over. The chain disappeared, together with the holes on our chest.


    "What....was that?" Ikarus asked me, trying to catch her breath.


    "The <Chain of bond>. It allows me to give you a portion of my power as long as you have that ring on you." I explained to her with my hand still clenching my chest. Even though the pain has passed, it still hurt a bit.


    Ikarus did not realise that a silver ring has manifested itself on one of her finger. A gleaming gem as blue as the sky was embedded on the ring.


    "What a beautiful ring! So does it work?" Ikarus looked at the ring with excitement.


    "Focus your mana into it! As for its power, even I don''t know. It depends on you and what you want. For now just think about your wings!" I advised.


    Ikarus closed her eyes, trying to focus. The rings started to glow as Ikarus was enveloped by a blue light. The next moment, when the light dimmed a little, I could see it. Her back no longer had the broken wings. Instead a grand pair of translucent wings extended from Ikarus. Even her scars were fully healed.


    "Magnificent!" I blurted at the sight.


    As for Ikarus, she simply looked at her new wings, silently. Did she not like it perhaps?


    "Sorry they are not pure white like the original one!" It seemed I screwed up a bit.


    "No no that''s not it. It''s just they are beautiful." her voice wavered."Thank you! Thank you!" At that instant, she grasped me and hugged me tightly.


    It was difficult to breath but I let her anyway. I kind of liked this feeling.


    "Uhmmm....do you want us to come back later?" a female voice woke me up.


    Ah damn it. Stella, Tasha and Edward were staring at us. In an instant I pushed Ikarus away. Seeing the others, Ikarus flustered with her pink cheeks.


    * * *


    "Alright Ikarus! Time for you to go test the ring''s power!" Alastor said to the celestial next to him.


    The group was now in front of the bandit''s hideout. This was due to Ikarus who wanted to exterminate them before leaving the village.


    When he asked her why she would do such a thing, even after being treated like that, she simply answered "Because I want to believe in people".


    Alastor could not comprehend the reason that would push Ikarus so far. What was it? Selfish justice? Or something else? As for Alastor, this coincided with his interest. He remembered the bandit talking about Caine village. They must know something about the incident last year.


    Ikarus lifted her hand and focused on the ring. A magic circle opened on the ground and something came out of it. With her right hand bearing the ring, she grasped the object and pulled it out.


    A white spear adorned with two small angelic wings on both sides. The tip resembled a cross shape. The tip and the handle was connected by a blue gleaming crystal.


    "Let''s go! Stella please protect Tasha and Edward!" Alastor gave his order.


    With that, Alastor and Ikarus charged forward into the bandit''s camp.


    * * *


    "Drink it up boys! For tomorrow we have a raid to do! Hahaha!" the bandit leader said while gobbing down his booze.


    "Boss, what if they give us the right amount as we demand?" one of the minions asked.


    "Doesn''t matter. That village is already out of resource. We will need to find another one soon anyway. Also the archduke has given me orders to move closer to the capital and find a target there."


    "I still could not believe that the archduke is with us in this. Not only he sent us reinforcement from the army, he even stopped any bounties on us to appear. Without the bounty from the capital, no one would be able to stop us now. Truly amazing."


    "Just remember to make it look like a demon''s attack and leave not a single thing that could trace back to us or the duke!"


    "No problem boss! We have been doing this for more than a year already. We know our stuff! Too bad we lost half of our group last year at that damn village. Heard there truly was some monster showing up and killed everyone."


    "Well the less we are, the more we get for each of us. I don''t see a problem with that."


    "ha ha ha good good! Well then! A toast to our richness!"


    "I see. So the archduke was behind this. No wonder the men who attacked the village was wearing their emblem. Bunch of idiots." a disembodied voice startled the drunk bandits.


    "What? Who is there? Show yourself!" the bandit leader, sobered up and shouted out loud.


    From the shadows, a kid and a woman holding a spear emerged.


    "You are that monster!!!" a bandit pointed at the woman. It was the woman he almost beat to death earlier that day.


    He grinned at the easy opponents. A brat and a sickly woman.


    "Let me take care of this boss!"


    The bandit took out his sword. But before he could even more from his spot, the poor bastard felt a slight pain in his chest. He looked down, only to find himself impaled by the spear he saw. But it was not just the pain he felt. His whole body was shivering and felt heavy. His breathing became slow and shallow. He tried to move his mouth but all he could do was mumbling intangible words.


    From the wound where the spear touched him, his skin started to freeze and in a mere matter of second, the bandit became a block of ice.


    Ikarus retracted the spear, causing the frozen bandit to shatter in thousand pieces. But the spear itself has changed. The previous blue crystal has now switched to a red color.


    Terrified by the scene they witnessed, the other bandits desperately lunged toward Ikarus in hope of killing her before she could move. Unfortunately for them, with a single swing, Ikarus has created a flaming corona burning them to ashes.


    Again after her attack, the crystal switched back to the usual blue color.


    Even Ikarus herself was surprised by the spear''s abilities. As if her mind was one with her weapon, she immediately understand how to use it, swinging it around like a part of her body.


    The only one left was the bandit leader, still overwhelmed by the monsters in front of him.


    "Tell me all you know about the attack on the villages or I will let my associate here take care of you." the young boy spoke with a sinister grin on his face.


    "Please don''t kill me! All I know is the archduke ordered us to attack the surrounding villages, making sure that it looks like a monster attack. In exchange he would lay us off the bounties and pay us a lot of money.


    Please that''s all I know! Here is the order the archduke sent to me last year. You can take it!"


    The bandit took out a scroll and gave it to Alastor. On the scroll was the instructions for the attacks and a seal of the archduke.


    "Please let me go! I only did what I was told to do!" the bandit pled for his life.


    "But of course! I promise she won''t harm you" Alastor said.


    Hearing that, the bandits was relieved. He could finally get out of his nightmare. He slowly walked by Ikarus, continuously observing her movement. But she simply let him go. The boy did tell him the truth. He could the exit by now. Finally.


    "But I will!"


    Alastor raised his hand toward the bandit and created a black hole in his hand. The bandit tried to run to the exit but the suction force was too strong. He carved his fingernails on the ground to try resisting. The exit was right in front of him but he could not reach it. In an instant he failed to grab at the last moment and disappeared into the hole.


    "Why not just kill him right away?" Ikarus asked the boy.


    "I wanted to let him hope. Let him see that he has a chance to get away alive. And at the last moment just before he could reach it, I took away that hope. That way he could feel the ultimate despair upon his moment of death, retribution for what he has done. Don''t you agree?"


    With no answer from Ikarus, the two headed back to Stella. The poor doll did not very appreciate being separated from Alastor, even more letting him with a celestial. But Alastor did insist that the celestial would stay so Stella had no choice but to accept it.


    They continued heading toward Cedra. With luck, they would reach it in a few days.


    The next day, Edward approached Alastor fidgeting, while everyone else was still sleeping, except for Stella who never slept.


    "...Hi...Alastor!" he greeted him.


    "Good morning Edward! What can I do for you friend?" Alastor tried to be friendly toward to the boy. Edward has avoided him for the whole journey since leaving Ragna because what he did was a bit excessive in term of violence.


    "Can you teach me how to fight? I want to become stronger. Just like you. Like you did at the harbor and the bandit''s hideout." he urged


    "So you did see me again at the cave." Alastor said


    "I..am sorry. I only peeked a little. But you were amazing back there."


    "I thought you were afraid of me because of that."


    "Yes a bit. But I know you did what you have to." Edward admitted.


    "Then tell me why you want to become stronger." Alastor asked.


    "At the harbor you said you would do anything to protect your family. To me, Tasha is someone of my family. It doesn''t matter what everyone said about her. I don''t care if she is a demon. I just want to be able to protect her. But right now I am weak, too weak to do anything." the boy confessed.


    "Protecting your family isn''t just about strength. If you don''t have the will for it, then it doesn''t matter how powerful you get. Can you say with conviction that you are prepared to die for Tasha? Because if you can''t then I will consider this conversation never happened."


    "I can" without hesitation the feeble boy looked at Tasha. His eyes filled with determination.


    "Louder" Alastor said.


    "I CAN"


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    "Good. From today onward, I will teach you how to master your magic. Be prepared as I am a strict teacher!"


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    It has been a week since I took Edward as my apprentice. Despite the fact that his mana pool was very low, he compensates with a very good control of his mana flow and has memorized all the basics.


    And he learnt pretty quickly, which made me curious on why he would do bad at school according to Tasha. Either the teacher was an incompetent or something else happened there.


    I have tried to ask him on several occasions but he always changed the subject while keep a somber face. Something was definitely up.


    But I did not press any further. It was not my business after all. As for my plan, I needed to find a way to investigate this Archduke. Hopefully since Edward came from a noble family, they could help me with something.


    Anyway we finally arrived at Cedra. Time to find the Osborn mansion.


    * * *


    Osborne Mansion


    It has been a few weeks since Edward disappeared without any news. Richard Osborne, current head of the family, was worried something might has happened to his son. But when he asked the help from the authority, they only responded by saying it was his fault for letting his son wandering alone with a demon. But Richard knew Tasha. Indeed she was a demon but he knew she was a kind woman. Of course no one listened to him when he said it.


    With his wife crying every night, Richard was getting desperate. He did not know what to do. But then from his study, he heard a loud voice echoing in the hall.


    "MY LORD MY LORD! The young master has returned!" a man ran as fast as he could to his master.


    "What? Where is he? Is he alright?" the lord asked his servant.


    "Yes I have led him to the guest room. He is fine my lord."


    Hearing his son has returned, Richard called his wife and ran to the guest room. As the door opened, he saw his  precious son. Tears poured out as the parents were overjoyed seeing their child coming home. They ran to him, hugging him as close as they could. So they were not dreaming. Their son has indeed returned.


    "What a touching reunion!" a young voice spoke.


    It was then that Richard realized there were three others persons in the room, aside from Tasha. A white haired young boy with red eyes and two beautfil women: a silver short haired beautiful young woman and a charming blue haired one.


    Lord Richard hurriedly stood up and fixed his clothes.


    "I apologize for my behavior. I am Lord Richard Osborne, father of this boy and head of the Osborne family. May I ask who are you?" Richard asked.


    Before Alastor could even respond, Tasha quickly jumped in.


    "They are Alastor, Stella and Ikarus. On our way back to the mansion, we were kidnapped and brought to Ragna. If not for them, young master and I would have been sold as slaves somewhere else. They also brought us back here safely."


    "Oh dead lord! I did not know. These accursed bandits are getting more and more aggressive every day. But I did not think they would dare kidnap a noble in broad day light like this. Those bastards! In any case, it''s good enough for that you two are safe. And where are my manners?" Richard turned to Alastor." In the name of the family Osborne, I want to give you three my profound thanks for saving my boy. Please accept this! I know it''s not much compared to what you have done for us but it''s a small token of our appreciation!"


    Rirchard took out a pouch filled with gold coins. But when he gave it to Alastor, the boy refused.


    "Thank you for your hospitality but we did not do this to receive a reward. It was common sense for us to help someone in need. So there is really no need for any kind of compensation" Alastor said firmly.


    "What???" Both Richard and Tasha yelled out in surprise. But when Richard turned to Tasha, she quickly covered her mouth and looked away.


    "But I could not just let you go without any kind of reward like this. Ah I know! Do you have somewhere to stay in the capital? Why not stay here for a few days? At least to let us thank you for what you did." Richard pleaded the two guests.


    "It''s true that we don''t have any place to stay. We are simply travelers you see. So if you don''t mind we would like to take you on your offer." the boy responded.


    "But of course. Tasha, could you prepare rooms for this young man and lady?" Richard asked the maid.


    "I will be staying in the same room as Alastor." Stella spoke softly. She clang on his arm, showing that she did not want to be separated from him.


    "My apologies. My sister had trouble to sleep without me so if you could kindly let us share the same room." Alastor apologized for Stella''s sudden behavior.


    "Please give me a room right next to his please!" Ikarus intruded.


    "But of course. There is no problem at all. Please take a rest! We will send a servant to get you once dinner is ready! Until then, please enjoy your time!" With that Lord Orborne took his wife and son excused themselves and left the room.


    Tasha led the trio to their rooms. On the way, she asked Alastor why he did not take the money even though he has told her that he expected a reward. But he simply answered that he had no need for money. Of course he did not. He already took a fairly large amount before leaving from the Vault. Also by refusing the money, Alastor could make the family indebted to him, allowing him to ask for their help when he needed, especially since it was his first time at the capital. Never hurt to have a connection with a noble family.


    While waiting for dinner, Alastor pondered to figure out what to do next. He could probably charge into this Archduke''s house but that would cause unwanted attention. He still had others places to go after Ceadric so it would be better to not get a bounty on his head.


    Anyway it was time for dinner. Tasha just arrived to take them to lord Osborne. Perhaps talking with them might give Alastor some ideas.


    "So master Alastor, I heard from Edward that you are an exceptional talented mage. Is that right?" Richard asked the boy.


    "Is that right? What else has he told you about me? And please, lord Osborne, call me Alastor. I am too young and inexperienced to be called master."  Alastor glanced at Edward, who shied away from his look.


    "He told me how you defeated the bandits and saved him and Tasha. And how he wishes to become like you. " Richard continued.


    "Please lord Osborne! You flatter me too much. I am sure with time young master Edward would one day surpass me easily". Alastor smiled at an embarrassed Edward but in his mind, it was quite different. ''Like hell you would!''


    "So Alastor, what''s your plan after this? if I may ask." Richard asked.


    "To be honest, I don''t have any plan yet. If I may ask, lord Osborn, are you familiar with the Archduke?" Alastor confided.


    "You mean Archduke Galatal? Yes I know him, only by name though. I have never met the man himself. He is the king''s right hand. Especially ever since the king fell ill he has taken over of all the court''s matter while waiting for the Prince to come at age, which will take place in a few months.


    Just between you and me! I heard there was some tension between the archduke''s faction and the prince''s. There are even rumors that the archduke is trying to assassinate the prince to take over. But those are just idiocy.


    Even if for such outrageous thing to happen, the council would never accept someone out of the royal family to be crown. They will just find another relative of the king in that case.


    Anyway it seems I have talked too much. Why do you want to know about him?" Richard explained.


    "Just simply curiosity milord. I am born a commoner in the country side so I am not very familiar with Ceadric''s politics. Then may I inquire you more about the prince? Surely he should let these rumors lurking around like that." Alastor asked.


    "The prince does not have time for such lousy rumors. He is currently finishing his studies at Helios Academy. The same one as Edward goes to." Richard said.


    "What is this Helios Academy?" Alastor inquired.


    "The Helios Academy. By far it''s known as the most prestigious school in the entire continent. Not only it has brilliant teachers from all corners of the world, the school is known for gathering the best students.


    To keep its reputation intact and not let any outside politics intervening with the students'' education, the school follows a strict neutral policy.


    While it is located on Ceadric''s territory, it has its own laws and rules that applied to everyone inside the school. It does not matter whether you are human or elf, commoner or royalty. Everyone is the same. Thanks to this policy, students from different countries can gather inside this institution without worrying about politics."


    Alastor''s eyes brightened when he heard what Richard just said.


    This school would be the perfect next destination for Alastor. If he was a student, he could investigate how powerful everyone from different countries are. He could profit from the classes to learn one or two new things. Surely Mephisto and the others did not teach him everything. And most importantly he could approach this prince to inquire further about the archduke. If they were truly enemies, Alastor could take advantage of the prince''s influence to take down the archduke. Now all he needed was to find a way to get in.


    "You said this is the school Edward go to?" Alastor asked. He remembered Tasha saying something about Edward was bullied at school.


    "Yes. He has been there for a year now. During the school year, you will stay inside the campus provided by the school but now it''s the vacation so he went back to home to visit us. My son is not very bright but he is motivated so I sent him there. Which leads to my next question: would you agree to go to this school with my son?" Richard implored.


    For years, Richard has knew about the situation his son was in, how he was bullied at school. The father could not do anything about it. As they said: everything happened in Helios stayed in Helios. But now he has seen that his son has changed a bit from last time he saw him. It could be that this was thanks to young Alastor''s influence. What his son needed was a friend.


    "It would be perfect for you. And since you two are close in term of age, you could be friends. You can teach him one or two about magic. At least he can''t be worse than he is now, right? Of course the others two ladies can accompany you. I will take care of all the paper works and fees so you can just focus on your study. So what do you think?" Richard tried to convince Alastor.


    It seemed that coming here was the right decision after all.


    * * *


    Somewhere else in Astora


    Ten individuals were standing in a dark room around a large round table. A map of Astora was imprinted on the table itself. In front of each person lay a candle, enough to show someone was there but not their face.


    "May the glory of the Sanctus grant you strength. You all may sit!" one of the shades said. "Terrick, has there been any progress on your side?"


    "Aside from a few minors issues which do not require attention, the rest has been going smoothly. The archduke has done exactly as what we commanded. I have already given the artefact. With its help, soon he will take control of the whole of Ceadric itself. And that mean we will."


    "Minor issues you say? Terrick, what you are doing is crucial in taking over Ceadric. Please keep that in mind! I prefer no problems at all than minor problems. Deal with it quickly!"


    "Of course!"


    "And what about Zagon? Any news?"


    "Unfortunately it was not doing so well. The Empress proved to harder to break than we thought. Which is why I have arranged something else. It''s just a matter of time before I succeed."


    "The Empress is the sister of the last Hero. It''s no wonder that she would be difficult. However I would have wished that you talked to me before changing the plan! My plan!."


    "I only wish...."


    "We will talk about this later. Anything else?"


    "The elves have already been dealt with. A civil war is unavoidable at this point. All we need to do now is wait when the time comes."


    "Very good! Still don''t be careless. It''s when we thought we won that we usually lose. So make sure there would be no interference from outside."


    "It has been taken care of. No one would be able to come in Malatas right now."


    "Good. Then what about Oros?"


    "The plan at Oros is still undergoing. I have to rush it a bit since Celdora has already caught up with our plan."


    "Celdora has lived for a very long time. Everything that lived has to end one day. Now it''s his time! Deal with it!"


    "Of course"


    "Sigh. So aside from a few minor problems, like Terrick said, everything else has been going on smoothly. Do you understand now Terrick? Compared to the scale of our plan, what they failed to do can still be considered a minor mistake, but still when you think about it, their mistake could cost us a nation."


    "I understand milord. I apologize for my ignorance!"


    "As long as you can learn something out of it. With that the meeting is adjourned."


    The nine shades disappeared in an instant, together with their candles fading out.

 Chapter 14: School Time

    "I can''t believe I am going to school... Again! At my age!!!" the celestial sighed.


    "How old are you Ikarus?" asked Alastor.


    "You know it''s rude to ask a woman''s age? Ikarus glared at Alastor.


    "My apologies miss Ikarus! Master Alastor did not have many interaction with the opposite gender aside from me and his sister so his etiquette is still lacking." Stella bowed her head to Ikarus.


    For only a few days staying, Stella seemed to have opened up to Ikarus. Most likely since they shared the same interest: Alastor.


    Ikarus was curious about the boy. She wanted to be able to understand him, to see things from his view of point. And Stella was more than happy to talk about him.


    Together with Edward, the trio were currently in a carriage on their way to Helios Academy. Thanks to lord Richard, Alastor and the others have secured a place in the Academy but they still needed to pass a verification test to evaluate their level and find out which class they would be assigned to.


    "Uhmm.. Master!" a soft voice spoke out.


    "Edward I told you that outside our training session, you will call me Alastor. It would be be weird for others to hear you say that." Alastor said.


    "Sorry. Alastor, can I ask you to stay away from me at school?" Edward uttered.


    "What an odd request! Why?" Alastor, bored from the chat between the girls, turned to young Edward upon hearing the unusual request.


    "Tasha must have told you already. People...are not very king at school with me. They think I am a demon sympathiser. If you hang out with me, they may ...."


    "Bully me too? Is that what you want to say? Really now Edward? Remember what I have done until and look into my eyes! Do you think some brats who can barely use magic can stand up to me?" Alastor raised his voice.


    "No no that''s not what I meant. It''s just..."Edward mumbled.


    Alastor understood what Edward was trying to say. He was only worried about involving Alastor and the others. He understood it but he didn''t like it. Not because Edward was underestimating him but because Edward did not ask for his help. Within the short time with the young noble, Alastor has felt a certain fondness toward the boy. Perhaps because he could be considered his first friend in his entire life.


    "You and I are going to be just fine!" smiled Alastor.


    On arrival at the school''s gate, the group separated from Edward and followed the newly admitted students to the gathering place where the exam would take place.


    Inside the immense amphitheater, all the students have formed into two lines. At the head of each was a teacher from the school, asking each student to come forward for their evaluation.


    "Next, Ikarus and Stella! Please come forward and put your hands on this crystal!"


    When the two girls came up on the scene, the auditorium was filled with whispers.


    "Wow! Two incredible beauties!"


    "Are they some kind of royalties or something?"


    "Hey dude, you think I have a chance ?"


    Not just the students, but also the two examiners could not hide their excitement once they finished their evaluation.


    "Two Dominus!!! Do you realize what this means? I thought the crystal would break the moment they touch them. In my entire life I have never seen any first year student above Sapius. And now two Dominus on the same day!!! And we have barely started. I think this year will be quite fruitful professor Logan." said the female teacher.


    "Indeed professor Frith! One with expert level in two elements. The other one has soul magic. Where the hell do these kids come from?" the male teacher could not believe in what the crystal was showing him.


    But they quickly quelled their emotion as there were still many others students waiting.


    "Anyway let''s continue! Next Alastor! Please come forward!"


    The young boy slowly walked to the front. The lines were composed of students of all different age. This was because there was no age restriction in Helios. People were free to join the Academy at any stage of their life. Also there was no fixed number of years of studies. A student may spend one year or ten years at the Academy until they reached the level they desired.


    While Alastor didn''t want any unnecessary attention, he must made an impression if he ever wanted to approach the prince. Apparently he was considered a genius among his peers. And there were rumors about how the prince was prolonging his stay at Helios to recruit capable followers so he could increase his influence against the Archduke. This meant that by playing the cards right, the prince would come to Alastor himself without needing to do anything.


    Alastor raised his arms and touched the mana stone. Infusing your mana into one such stone would make it illuminated. The brighter the light the stronger the individual. But as soon as Alastor touched it, the stone beamed brightly and shattered. The once noisy room now was silent.


    "It broke....he broke the stone!!! Imperatus? Or Phaedrus? or you think?" the female teacher shouted with astonishment.


    "Can''t be! Calm yourself Frith! You, inform the headmaster! Quick!" the male professor yelled at a senior student who was there to help."As for you young man, please come with us!"


    ''It seems I overdid a bit!'' Alastor thought before being dragged away.


    .....


    .....


    .....


    Alastor was now inside a room together with the two examiners. There were old books lying around everywhere, some covered by layers of dust. Behind a large wooden desk, an old man was standing looking out the window. He turned back and observed the young boy carefully. He made a gesture telling the teachers to go out being turning back to Alastor.


    "Greetings young man! My name is Ganon, headmaster of Helios Academy. I heard that you caused some ruckus during this morning entrance exam." the old man brought out the broken pieces of the crystal Alastor touched earlier. "Do you realize what you have done?"


    But Alastor feigned ignorance.


    "Mana crystal like this one has many applications. One of them is to evaluate the level of the holder by simply infusing mana into it. But the one used for the entrance exam has a limit. Are you familiar with Helios ability rank?" Ganon continued.


    Alastor just turned his head.


    "Everyone inside Helios, including the students and the staff, is ranked according to their power level. From weakest to strongest:


    - Discipulus


    - Peritus


    - Sapius


    - Dominus


    - Imperatus


    - Phaedrus


    - Deus


    This system allows us to group up people with the same level for them to facilitate the studies. Now because the entrance exam usually has students who have barely discovered magic, the crystal can only measure up to Dominus rank. Anything above that will overcharge the crystal and break it, like you did.


    Unfortunately we currently have no crystals capable beyond that. This makes ranking you a bit difficult. But since you are still young, I think it would be best to assume your rank as Imperatus. Because honestly there is no class beyond Imperatus, simply because there are no students reaching those ranks yet."


    "No one at this school is above Imperatus?  Kind of disappointing to have those ranks if there is no one for it no?" Alastor asked.


    "Now now I never said that. No students yes but there are still members of the staff. Well not most of them are but for example myself is rank Deus." Ganon said.


    "Does it mean you are the strongest in this country?"


    "Hohoho! I sure hope so. But no! When compared to the Guild rank system for example, I would be an S-rank. But even among S-ranks there are different levels. Not all of them are equal. Let''s say I am in the top tier but not THE best.


    As for Helios ranking system, this hierarchy is strictly unique to Helios. However I can assure you that our rank is not just for show. If you are a Dominus or above, you already have the qualification to be a commander of your own squad in the royal army. I think I don''t need to explain for the rest." Ganon showed a proud face on his face.


    It was no coincidence that his school has produced so many talents and now it seemed a genius has once again appeared. He must have him. That would ensure Helios reputation even more.


    "Anyway I am sure you will enjoy being in this class. If you are lucky you might be acquainted with the prince of Ceadric!" Ganon added.


    "The prince is also in my class?" Ganon finally caught Alastor''s attention.


    "Of course! He is one of the best students at Helios after all. He may be a bit older than you but I am sure you could be friends!"


    "If that''s what you say. Alright I am just a kid so I should follow what my elders tell me to." Alastor said.


    "Just a kid you say....the least I can tell is that you are already stronger than most of the people in the school. Who are you really?" the headmaster pressed the question.


    "The demon lord"


    "Hahaha! You sure have a sense of humor. It''s fine if you don''t want to tell me. Everyone got a secret or two.  Anyway it''s late but welcome to Helios Academy young Alastor!"


    * * *


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Alastor''s POV


    After the meeting with the headmaster, I was guided to my classroom by one of his aide. On the way, the teacher gave me a badge to pin on our coat. It showed our rank for easier recognition and certain areas in the school were reserved or prioritized for advanced students only.


    As expected of the prominent class of the school, it was filled with big shots: nobles, royalties. All were relatives of someone influential in the world. Perhaps beside the prince, I should make a few connections here and there.


    "Everyone, starting from today, Mr. Alastor will be joining our class. He is still young so I hope you can guide him along the way and treat him with respect, as you do with everyone else. Alastor, we have reserved a seat for you at the front. Please go to your seat!" the female teacher presented me to the class. If I remembered correctly, her name was Frith.


    I went to the empty seat on the first row to the left. Next to me sat a young man in his twenties. He had short brown hair and black eyes. The moment I sat down, he extended his hand to greet me.


    "Hello there! The name is Colin. Nice to meet you!" the young man said.


    "Likewise! I am Alastor!" I said to him.


    "Wow you really are tiny. How old are you?" Colin looked curiously at me.


    "Eleven." I answered


    "You must be a genius then. I have been here since your age but I started with the Peritus rank. How did  you do it?"


    "Just some usual home studies that''s all."


    "Really? At any case please ask me anything if you have a question!"


    "About that, I heard that we have a prince is in our class. Which one is he?" I asked Colin.


    "You mean prince Charles of Ceadric? Yes he is in this class but he is not in today. I heard he is busy going around recruiting people in their final year at Helios so they could join the royal guard or army of Ceadric. The teachers don''t really mind since he has already finished his curriculum a few months ago and soon he will be crown as the next king of Ceadric." explained Colin.


    "I see. Thanks for the help!"


    "Anytime buddy!"


    .....


    .....


    .....


    After the first few days at school I observed that there were very few Zagonians were in the school. I remembered Mephisto talking about the building tension between Zagon and Ceadric but I thought since Helios was outside of both countries'' jurisdiction, it would not affect this.


    But this should not be my immediate concern. I still could not find the prince or rather the prince still did not come finding me. Perhaps he was too busy to even hear about me. Looks like I had to create an even bigger uproar.


    Anyway this school was really big, almost like a small city outside Cedra. After the first day, when I moved to the dorm, I learnt that I would have a room for myself and it was right next to Edward''s. As for Stella and Ikarus, they seemed to have been even more famous than me thanks to their charm. Many boys have tried their chance only to have their dreams broken almost immediately when Stella said that she was mine. When I saw the broken heart boys looking at me jealously, I could not keep it to myself. This feeling of superiority! Their bitterness against me! How wonderful! I really was a sadist.


    "Hey you little brat! Come over here!" a voice shrieked from behind.


    I turned back, only to see three guys older than me. I pointed at myself to see if they were talking to me.


    "Yes you. Come here!" the big guy in the middle said.


    "If you want to talk to me, isn''t good manners to come to me instead of me coming to you?" I said to him.


    "Don''t you dare be a smart ass in front of me! I don''t know how you did it but I don''t believe in a second that you really are an Imperatus. You trick everyone to think you are so great. You even trick Miss Stella!"


    Oh dear, so this was all about Stella. So this guy was a broken soul who sought revenge against me.


    "Really now? You call me for this? Don''t you have better things to do than bullying kids?" I said to them.


    "Take this you little rascal!"


    The big guy hit the ground with both of his hands but with a single side-step I avoided the attack.


    "Not done yet!" the guy shouted.


    From the ground, sharp rocks shot out toward me. With a single stomp of my feet, I raised an earth wall to protect myself.


    "He can use earth magic. Use wind!" the big guy called the second one.


    The second guy chanted his spell and made several invisible wind slashes. But his aim was a little off so a few nearby trees was cut down. He cast the spell again and this time it was absorbed by my hand. I made sure that no one saw the black hole on my hand. From afar it was as if the spell simply vanished mid-way.


    "You miss again idiot?" the big guy shouted in anger.


    "No I swear it hit him"


    "The hell it did. Look at him! Does he look like injured to you?"


    These idiots. Now that I looked more carefully. They had the Dominus badge. So in same level as Ikarus and Stella. Of course I told Ikarus and Stella to purposely drop their level down to avoid too much attention. Three Imperatus enrolled at the same time? Imagine what would happen and it would be too suspicious.


    Seeing how their magic did not work so well, the three brought out their swords. Did the school really allow students to bring weapons on its premises ?


    "What is going on here?" a voice interrupted.


    It was Ikarus, followed by Stella behind.


    "Miss Stella and miss Ikarus! Hi..." the idiot trio quickly hided their weapons and greeted the girls.


    "What are you doing?" asked Stella.


    "Just....hanging around....nothing special!" two of the guys tried to change the subject. But unfortunately for them, their leader did not think the same.


    "Miss Stella, you are just being tricked by this piece of shit. Don''t let that scoundrel fool you!" the big idiot accused me.


    "What did you say?" Stella changed her tone. I could see her clenching her fists. That did not look good.


    "I just...." the moron continued but before he could speak, his neck was grasped. The seemingly harmless girl now held someone bigger than her on air so easily. She brought down his face to hers before stamping him down, making a crack on the ground.


    "YOU. DON''T. FUCKING. SPEAK. TO. HIM. LIKE. THAT. YOU. SCUM!!!" each word followed by a blow to the face. Everyone, including me, was stunning by the sudden change of personality in Stella.


    "STELLA STOP!" as if my words have awaken her from her anger, Stella stood up and looked at the mess she has done. The guy was beaten to a pulp, his face unrecognizable because of all the blood and the swelling. Stella''s white gloves has been drenched in blood.


    I took her hands and looked at her face. It was always difficult to tell her expression but I could the disbelief in her eyes. She herself did not know she was capable of such a thing.


    To make matter worse, here came the teachers. At first they accused me of bullying the others three but thankfully Ikarus and a few others students have explained to them that it was the trio who came to me first. Thankfully what Stella was considered as self defense so she would not be temporarily suspended like the others three.


    That night I had a little talk with Stella.


    "Stella are you okay?"


    "I am fine. I apologize for making you worry about me Alastor!" she gave me a forced smile.


    "How many times have I told you Stella? We are family. We stick together and we help each other unconditionally. That''s what family is for. So don''t ever say things like that again."


    "I am sor....I understand."


    "Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her.


    "I don''t really know why. When I heard him saying that to you, something inside me made me .....agitated. Is this what they called anger?"


    "Even so don''t you think it was a bit over line? It''s not like I was in danger or anything. But I guess if someone say something like that about you, I am not sure I would be able to hold back." I confessed.


    "Somehow hearing that makes me...happy." she finally smiled, and this time genuinely.


    I pat her head. Her hair really was silky. I knew her body was a doll but this just felt too real. With that, we spent the night watching the pale moonlight brightening the dark sky.


    "I wonder what Alice has been up to lately. I should speak with her tomorrow."

 Chapter 15: Alice in Spiderland

    At the demon lord''s castle on Ragna


    The four royal guards and Noroeth were currently having a meeting inside the main chamber.


    "Things are getting complicated. Aside from our own clans, the fours others have declared their separation. Two of them are already prepared for war against Mara." Azureus announced.


    "It''s true. My scouts have detected large movement in the South. If we don''t do something quick, the Arachnids will launch an attack on Ceadric in a few days. We are not ready for a all-out war yet. But these idiots don''t know when to quit!" Mephisto complained.


    "Then how about we go deal it ourself? No need to use our own troops, only send a small group of elites." Naberius proposed. He was bored staying at the castle all the time. Now was the chance to finally move some muscles.


    "I also want to solve this quietly Naberius. But we are talking about an army here. And you know those Arachnids will just go crazy if we kill the queen. Remember that she is one of the oldest demon in Ragna. It won''t be that easy to get her." Amelia analyzed.


    "At any case we can''t let them attack Ceadric. Not yet anyway. Where is Alastor anyway? If he took the sea route then he should be in Ceadric. Mephisto, do you know where he is?" Noroeth said.


    "Unfortunately no! He made me promise not to send any scouts after him so I did not. I wonder where he is right now." Mephisto confessed.


    "Helios" a young voice replied.


    The five turned to the source of the voice, right next to Naberius. Without anyone noticing, little Alice has sneaked up into the room, nibbling a small cake on her hands.


    "What did you say?" Mephisto asked.


    "Helios Academy. He is there to investigate about the attack on the village." Alice continued to eat her cake.


    "How do you even know?" Noroeth inquired surprisingly.


    "It''s a secret. Hihi!" the little girl giggled.


    "Hum! Where he is is not the main concern now. Right now we need to deal with this invasion issue first!" Mephisto interrupted.


    "Me me! I can go!" the girl yelled out, raising her hand high above her hand.


    "Wait what! What can you do?" Amelia and Mephisto raised their voice. Now it was not time for joke.


    "Hold on a minute! I agree that she should go. With me!" proclaimed the beastman.


    "Are you crazy? She is just a kid." Noroeth emphasized.


    "So is Alastor. But look at him now! And I have taught Alice for a long time now. Alastor was good but Alice is a genius in melee combat. And you know how strong she is. Trust me in this!


    Alice go pack your things! I will go by your room when we are done!" the old wolf insisted.


    "Ok uncle Nab!" she ran out excitingly without closing the door.


    .....


    .....


    .....


    Naberius was on his way to Alice''s chamber. Just before knocking on her door, he heard her voice talking and decided to snoop,


    "I am finally going out! What should I wear?"


    "Whatever you want"


    "If I do something good, brother will be proud of me right?"


    "Of course he will!"


    "I have to get stronger enough to protect him."


    "Yes you are!"


    All Naberius heard was Alice talking to herself. He grinned at how innocent the girl was and how childish she was.


    "How nice to be young!" he thought out loud.


    .....


    .....


    .....


    "So where are we going?" the two were now in the forest south of the castle.


    "You don''t even know where you are going and you just volunteer like that?" asked Naberius.


    "...Is that bad?"


    "Nope. I like it! Just like my style!" The wolfman grinned "We are going to the Spider Den, where one of the eight dominant clans of demon lived on Ragna. Long story short, we remind them who is the boss here. But we should avoid killing the queen as she is the only one who can keep them in check. If she dies, the rest will go berserk, which is what we are trying to avoid." Naberius said.


    "Okay I can do it!" the little girl joyfully answered.


    To shorten the journey, Naberius had Alice on his shoulder and dashed through the forest. In just a few hours, they were standing in front of the cave entraNce.They entered the cave together with Alice holding a great sword, fidgeting following behind.


    The cave walls was covered by a thick layer of web. Alice could see some little spiders hiding among the web but they should not pose any risk to them so they let them alone, while still staying aware of their surroundings.


    After a while, they stumbled across an enormous chamber. What was unsettling was actually inside. Thousands of spiders at the size of a grown man were parading around in formation. On the ceiling, on the wall, on the ground, everywhere. The whole room was filled with spiders. And Naberius found several rooms just like that. Luckily the tunnel they were in only passed through the room on the high ground, almost like a window peeking at the swarm of insects down there.


    "This is worse than I thought! Alice try to stay quiet! We can''t deal with this much on our own" he murmured.


    Alice covered her mouth with her hand and nodded in agreement. But then.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation."STOP RIGHT THERE!" an inhuman voice echoed from inside, stopping Naberius and Alice on their track.


    They looked at the origin of the voice: a giant spider with eight eyes.


    "Who dares trespass the Queen''s domain? State your name and business or face the wrath of her Highness'' elite guard!" the spider threatened, showing its large claws.


    But it did not receive the answer it expected.  Instead of a surrender from the stranger, an axe was coming in its direction. Nevertheless, thanks to its quick sense, the spider jumped back, avoiding the attack. It then spitted web attaching to the axe and tried to pull the axe away from Naberius. Though the beastman was at a disadvantageous situation because of the cramped cave tunnel making him unable to swing the axe freely, he still was able to use his brute force and pulled the axe toward him. The insect had to use all his strength just to stay fixed on his position. What it forgot was the little girl accompanying the beastman. But what could a small girl like her do in ? Surely nothing much.


    But it realized it could not be more wrong. While it was occupied with the axe, the girl swung her great sword, decapitating the creature. Its body moved in a uncontrollable state before succumbing to the wound and fell down. But the body dropped into the room, warning all the others spiders of the presence of intruders above.


    "Shit! Run!" Naberius yelled.


    The two tried to run back to the entrance. However they could hear footsteps echoing from there, hundred of them were coming their way. Now they had no choice but to go further into the maze.


    Eventually they ran into a dead end. Naberius prepared himself for a final stand.


    "Be ready Alice! ....Alice?" but the girl was nowhere to be found. When he looked around carefully, he spotted a small hole on the wall with a pair of small legs quickly disappeared into it.


    "Alice come back here right now! Alice!!!" but there was no answer. But he did not have time to worry about the little girl. Hundreds of giants spiders were now blocking his way and the only way to find Alice was to pass through them.


    They said people became desperate when pushed into corners. Even so for monsters. So what would a half man half beast do in this predicament? One simple answer: he kills. Naberius entered a berserk state. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!" he shouted as he started slaughtering everything on his path. His screams echoed in the entire cave, alerting even more spiders to come.


    Not far from there, only a couple of walls from Naberius, Alice has managed to come out of the gap and was now inside another large chamber. But this one seemed different. There was no spiders there. Not a single one.  The room was dark but there were a gap on the ceiling to let the moonlight in. One step into the room could make a veteran pass out. The malice emitting from inside, the bloodlust filling the air, fear, resentment. All came from a entity hiding inside. The spider queen.


    From the shadows, eight bright dots gleamed as a figure walked out. But it was no human, or not anymore. A  ghastly creature with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of an enormous spider. Her eights shiny eyes glowed in the dark. With her pale skin and red lips, she looked strangely alluring, despite the razor-sharp spiders legs on her back, not for walking but for stabbing her victims.


    "Who are you little one?" the queen asked the girl in front of her.


    "Alice! I am Alice! Who are you miss?" said Alice joyfully. She stared at the queen but she was not afraid. Rather she was curious of her strange appearance.


    "Me? My name...what was it? It has been far too long. I have forgot about it. They usually just refere me as Empress of the Depths, or the Arachnid Queen." the Queen gave a sorrowful look as if she was reminiscing about her past. Then she continued "Come closer child!"


    Alice slowly walked toward the queen. As she approached her, the spider lifted her spiky hands and touched Alice''s cheeks.


    "So young! So innocent! ....so fragile!!!" suddenly the woman started to strangle the little girl, lifting her onto the air. "Do you know what it feels like? To have your children slaughtered by those scums above? Of course you don''t. But no matter. If they take my children away, I will take theirs! Don''t struggle my child! It will be over in a second! So DIE!"


    Despite her incredible strength Alice was no match for the spider''s fortitude. All she could do was struggle while gasping for breath. Eventually her vitality ran out. Her body now hanged motionless from the queen''s hand.


    "Pitiful child!" the spider woman carefully placed Alice between her arms before entangled her body inside a pouch made of web and hanged it on the wall. "Your body shall be nourishment for my children!" said the queen before turning away.


    But only a few steps away and she could feel something behind her. She turned her head back, only to see it started glowing red before something sharp pierced the pouch from inside and cut it in half, releasing Alice. The little girl, who appeared lifeless a moment ago, now held a burning hot sword too big for her size.


    "Ragnarok!!!" the queen screamed as she saw the weapon Alice was holding. She knew it too well. "Where did you get it? Where?" she screamed at the girl.


    "Come and I will tell you!"


    .....


    .....


    .....


    Naberius continued his rampage across the entire maze of spiders. To see where he has been going for the last few hours, just follow the trail of dead spiders. But now his movements have become a bit sluggish. He ran out of stamina. It did not matter how powerful he was, fighting non-stop by himself against hundreds of enemies has left him exhauted. Now once again he found himself in a corner.


    "Is this where I die? No!!! I have to keep going. I have to find Alice. I have to...." but he could not even finish what he said. He needed to catch his breath. His visions have became blurry due to the poison from the spiders despite his natural poison resistance but everything had its limits and he has reached his.


    Suddenly Naberius could hear an inhuman scream echoing across the maze. This one was different from the spiders he encountered. As the spider heard the screams, they started to lower their claws. They were no longer hostile.


    Naberius could not understand. A moment ago they were out for his blood and now just like that they would let him go. As he walked toward the spider while still maintaing his guards, the insects separated into two lines, making way for the beastman.


    Finally he stumbled across a giant chamber. This one was different as it belonged to the Spider Queen but he paid no heeds for such details. All he could see was little Alice inside, standing next to the Queen herself.


    "Alice! Get away from that woman!" Naberius shouted and took out his weapon, preparing for battle.


    "Wait wait uncle Nab! She is fine! She promised that she won''t trouble us no more! Isn''t that right Archna?" the girl said and turned toward the Queen.


    "It''s correct! I apologize for my indiscretion and for all the troubles I have caused.I will recall my troops and await orders from king Alastor!" the Queen humbly answered.


    "What ? Archna? What the hell happened when I was gone?" Naberius was confused.


    "We just had a little talk and find some common grounds. That''s all, uncle Nab! Now let''s go home!" Alice dragged an hesitated Naberius toward the exit. "Goodbye Archna! I will visit again!"


    "Have a nice trip, lady Alice!" Archna bowed toward Alice.

 Chapter 16: Enemy of our enemy is our friend

    Alastor''s POV


    "Still nothing!" I grunted while lying down on the grass in the middle of the campus.


    "You have to be patient Alastor" said Ikarus sitting next to me.


    "It has been one month already ever since we came here. Do you know how many of you two admirers did I have to beat?"


    "That''s why I decided that it would be better if I stick around you. They won''t harass you as long as we are around." as Ikarus explained her reason for following me for the last three days, Stella nodded in agreement. It was true that ever since they decided to tag along, there have been no attacks. But I got a strange feeling of someone stalking me since I beat that trio on the school ground. So I did a little inspection.


    Lucky for me, the guy was only a Sapius, weak enough to be possesses by <Absolute Authority>. Taking control over the poor guy and making him spill everything. Apparently he was under the order of Charles to tail me and investigate if I was affiliated with the archduke.


    How could I have overlooked this? Three powerful individuals enrolling at Helios at the same time, right during the conflict between the Prince and the Archduke. If I was Charles, I would definitely suspect that these three were sent by the other party either to spy or to assassinate me.


    And since a few spies have already uncovered by the Prince, it would not be weird to find more of them. But that was not the problem right now. What I needed to do was to gain the prince''s trust. Time for some direct approach!


    * * *


    Charles'' POV


    It has been several days since I sent one of my men to observe the three new students. When I first heard of a first year Imperatus, I thought it was just a mistake from the examiners or the crystal was broken. But when I saw how he defeated those three Dominus with ease in the courtyard, I realized he was a genuine gem.


    Voiceless incantation, the ability to cast magic without needing to speak out the spell. Just how many people in the world was able to do it? And that thing he did to the wind blade. How did he do it? The aim was accurate but it just disappeared when it reached his hand. Magic Cancel? I remembered something like that but only in tales from eons ago.


    Nonetheless I wanted to recruit him to my side. With someone of his caliber by me, I would be able to ascertain my ascend to the throne.


    Aside from Alastor, there were two other girls who were recently admitted to Dominus. But from their interaction, I could tell that they knew each other before entering Helios. Three powerful magic users entering Helios was too suspicious no matter how you looked at it. That was why I sent a few people I trusted to watch them, to know what their objectives were.


    Anyway they were supposed to be back by now to give me their daily report. Why has none shown up so far?


    "Lindzie, when was the last time you heard from Helmund and the others?" I asked the girl next to me. Lindzie was my childhood friend and the person I trusted most in the entire world.


    "Since early this morning just before they left. Do you think something happened to them?" said Lindzie.


    "It couldn''t be. Attacking our people would be like admitting that they were the Archduke''s men at this point. Anyway we should check it out." I said.


    "You cannot!!!" the girl shouted as she hit the table "You know you are to remain here for two more weeks until the coronation in two weeks. The headmaster was kind enough for lending us this secret room. No one would be able to detect you here.


    Please Charles! I am worried about the others too but if there is even a slight chance that you get attacked out there, I would not let you go!"


    "And what am I supposed to do? Sitting around here, leaving my friends behind ? A king who abandons his people is no king! I won''t become that kind of king. I don''t want that." I yelled.


    "It''s not up to you anymore! Think about your sister! What would she do if you are gone? We have all pledged our loyalties to you. Helmund and the others, including me, understood the risk but we did it for you. If you die right now, our sacrifice would be for nothing. Think about it Charles!"


    "God damn it!" I clenched my fist as hard as I could. I have already lost a few of my close friends because of this conflict. If Helmund too.... What kind of king was I?


    Suddenly I heard some kind of commotion outside. Lindzie immediately took out her staff, preparing herself. Finally the door bursted open.


    A young boy walked in with two young women beside him.


    "So this is what lies behind the magic wall. Still need some few upgrades here and there though." the boy said, looking around the room. It was Alastor and the others Dominus.


    "So you finally show your true face! What did you do to Helmund and the others?" I clamored.


    "No need to be alarmed prince Charles! I come in peace!" the boy looked back at the door where the two bodyguards lay down on the ground. "Well at least that''s my intention. For the record, they were the ones who attacked me first. And if you are talking about the beastman stalking me, I put him right outside the building. The guy ought to hide himself better. Rest assured! None of them are harmed!


    But still your Majesty! Am I not the victim here? Sending guys following girls around...that''s not very gentlemanly of you. In case you are wondering, no I am not associated anyway to the Archduke." the boy explained.


    "How can we trust you after what you have done?" Lindzie shouted.


    "Because if I am on the archduke'' side, you would be dead the moment that door opened. That should be convincing enough don''t you think?"


    "YOU!!!"


    "Stay down Lindzie!" I ordered Lindzie."He is right! If he wanted to kill us he would have done it by now."


    "What are you talking about Charles? It''s still just one Imperatus and two Dominus." asked Lindzie.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road."No...he is a Deus. As for the girls...Imperatus at the very least but still more powerful than me." I muttered in disbelief. I was proud of myself for able to gauge people''s abilities just by looking at them. It was not mana sense or something like that. More like a hunch. But what I sensed from the boy and the two girls right now was completely different from the other day. I did not want to admit it but his aura terrified me. Every inch of my body was screaming at me to run away. It took all of my willpower just to retain my calmness.


    "That can''t be..." Lindzie said in disbelief.


    "If you don''t want to kill me, then what do you want? Surely someone like you has nothing to want from this Academy. Just who are you anyway? I have never heard of you before. And I have my own intelligence network." I asked the boy.


    "You and I share the same enemy, prince Charles: overthrow the Archduke." he said.


    "What do you have against the duke?"


    "He once took something precious away from me. And I will make sure that he will pay for it! But I am not here to talk about me, dear Prince. It''s about you and your crown. On my way here, I have spotted a few rats watching this area and they were definitely not your men. Which means that they belong to the other party. Consider this a token of our good will!"


    The boy took out a knife which made Lindzie nervous all of the sudden but he held it by the blade and shown me the handle. On it was imprinted a crest: the archduke''s crest. He also gave me a scroll which clearly indicated that it was the duke who was responsible for the attacks of those frontier villages. For the last year, the Archduke has been convincing people of the court that the monsters and demons were responsible and asked for a joint crusade against Ragna with the other nations. So it was all just a cover up for his maniac incursion. But why? There was nothing to gain from attacking those villages. It was too risky. For what reasons could push him to go this far?


    Nonetheless now it was not the time for this. With these evidences, I could prove to the Council of the Archduke''s crimes.


    "Charles, I don''t know if we can trust these people... " Lindzie hesitantly said.


    "It''s alright Lindzie! So what will be the terms?" I turned to the boy.


    "In two weeks, you will be going to be crown at the royal palace. On that day the Archduke will be there for the ceremony. I want you to bring me with you on that day. In return I will make sure that you will live till that day. Do we have a deal your Majesty?" inquired Alastor. He extended his arm toward me.


    "I feel like I am making a deal with the devil here. But it''s not like I have another choice. You have a deal!"


    We shook hands, sealing our partnership for now. I felt like I was being used but I would make sure that I would not be the only one.


    * * *


    "It seems our little demon lord has been busy these days!" a lady in a black attire said as she looked at the boy from afar. "Can you see it from here Scarlet?"


    "Unfortunately not milady! I need to be right in front of him for my eyes to check if he has it." an disembodied voice spoke from behind the white haired woman.


    "Too bad then! But it doesn''t matter. We will continue as always. Or do you think it might hinder our plan?" asked the woman.


    "I cannot say. We don''t even know if he is the one responsible or just another victim. One thing for sure: every corpse I saw in the village where he was suffered the same affliction. And not just your normal kind of affliction you can find these days. But something rather ...primal. Someone or something powerful enough to do that, I would rather not face it." said the voice


    "Hum...what a strange conundrum! Anyway you should worry about it later! Right now we just need to focus on Terrick. He is our main target. We move on the coronation day!"


    "Why on that day exactly milady? Won''t there be more guards on that day?"


    "Only inside the palace. And I believe little Alastor will do more than just talk with the Archduke." the silver haired lady grinned, watching her demon lord accompanying the prince on the school ground. "It would certainly be a lively ceremony!"


    * * *


    "Be patient Veldor! Getting angry is not going to help us now!" a man in a white priest garb said as he sipped the glass of wine he was holding.


    "How do you expect me to be patient in this kind of situation? We have lost contacts from all the men sent to Helios." an elderly man wearing a noble attire hit the ground with his cane.


    "So the prince found someone capable for himself. It would not matter. Just use what I have given you! You are getting senile, Archduke!" said the priest.


    "Don''t you dare getting arrogant with me, Bishop Terrick! I may be old but I have been in this game of power long before you are even born! I know what''s bad and what''s not. And I can tell you that this is really bad for us!" shouted the old man.


    "Us ? You are the one who even failed to destroy a few villages." scolded Terrick.


    "Exactly what I am trying to tell you. The mercenaries are all dead for unknown reasons when they launched an attack last year. I recently learnt that the bandits I planted at that region also shared the same fate. These could not be a coincidence. Someone has been interfering with our plan. They... *COUGH*  *COUGH*" the old man coughed heavily, trying to reach a potion on the table. After he drank it all in one sip, he took a deep breath and sit down on the chair on the opposite side of the table.


    "Doesn''t look like you have much time left to hesitate either Veldor! In a few days the prince will be crown as the next king. That''s your chance to take back what is rightfully yours. Think about it! You have served for two generations of kings. You understand most how the court works. And yet they are now letting a brat in charge of the whole kingdom. Don''t you think it''s a bit unfair?"


    "Yes...yes you are right!" the old man uttered with a short breath.


    The priest stood up and prepared to leave. As he fixed his clothes, he said.


    "Just tell your men to be ready! And don''t screw up this time! In the next few days, you will be reborn as the new king of Ceadric." the priest laughed loudly.


    The old man, sitting on his chair, holding his cane, could see himself sitting on the throne. He deserved it. After all what he has done for the kingdom, it would be natural for him to claim it for himself. He made a soft grin of his old, wrinkled visage. He did not even has the strength to laugh anymore. Anyway he must rest, to prepare for his coronation.

 Chapter 17: Coronation

    Coronation day - Royal Castle of Ceadric at the capital Cedra


    "So the day is finally here! You could not believe how long I waited for this." the prince looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a royal red tunic with white leggings. Lindzie was by his side, looking carefully any small details, wrinkles and such on the prince''s outfit.


    "We all have your Majesty!" the human girl smiled at Charles.


    "Please Lindzie! Just stick with Charles as always! It''s awkward to have you call me that." implied the Prince.


    "You are now a symbol of authority and respect. Although I am your childhood friend,.. No! Especially because I am your friend, I must show them that you are the king, my king." affirmed Lindzie.


    "You are more than just a friend to me Lindzie." said Charles.


    After a short moment of silence, the girl finally understood what the prince was implying. They were friends since birth and she was always the first to understand him. But perhaps now she wished she did not and could just ignore what he just said. Still she could not.


    "You Majesty....I... I don''t know what to say!" Lindzie spoke haltingly.


    Her cheeks were now redden as she tried to turn her head away from the prince''s gaze.


    "Wow! Out of all the time to confess, you just have to do it now! I never understand how royalties think." a young voice spoke.


    The voice, as if a bell rang to bring these two persons back to reality, reminded them that they were not alone  in the room. On the couch sit the two girls and a young boy whom the prince recently recruited to their side. Perhaps ''recruit'' is not the right word. It was more like a mutual interest between the two parties.


    Alastor turned to Helmund and the others who were also in the same.


    "Well at least the future of Ceadric seems to be ascertain." joked Alastor.


    "Not until we deal with Archduke Veldor!" proclaimed Helmund.


    "Today will be the most crucial day. It''s his last chance to interfere with Charles. But honestly I don''t see how he could it. Even if for some reasons, he managed to assassinate Charles, he still has no place to the throne. I just don''t see why he would do this." Ikarus explained her anxiety.


    "You are right Ikarus! And there is the matter of the scroll I gave to you prince Charles! Why would he let such an important piece of evidence in the hands of a few bandits? And the spies we caught all have something that can be easily traced back to the Archduke. It''s like he is intentionally trying to be caught. That just makes no sense.


    Whatever the case you have to be extra careful today. Me and Stella will be accompanying you by your side as your bodyguards. Ikarus will check from the sky area and she should have a clear vision of everything. Helmund, Lindzie and the others will be among the guests, making sure to root out possible threats.


    Charles, during the ceremony Veldor would be at his closest to you. Although I highly doubt that Veldor will dare to openly attack you in front of millions of people, you have to watch out for him. He might has some tricks up his sleeves." said Alastor.


    "Of course! And I want to thank you Alastor, for upholding your promises. Ceadric will forever remember your help. I will make sure of that!" said Charles. He slightly bowed his head to Alastor to express his gratitude for the boy who saved his lives so many times for the last few days.


    "No need to thank me, your Majesty! We have a common enemy and I merely give you my assistance. You just need to uphold your part: leave the Archduke to me!" exclaimed the boy.


    Then someone knocked on the door. "Your Majesty! It''s time for the ceremony!"


    Now that everyone was ready, they began to move out. The prince walked out of the room, followed by Helmund and a few others guards. As Alastor stood up and began to leave, Lindzie held his hand back.


    "Alastor! I still don''t trust you one bit. We know nothing about your past and where you even come from. But right now you are the only person who can protect Charles. So I ask you this: please protect him with all you can! Because if something happens to him, I will chase you down to the end of the world! Remember that!" affirmed the human girl.


    But Alastor did not answer. He simply smiled at the girl before moving out.


    .....


    .....


    .....


    The coronation took place inside the main court room, assembling all nobles from across the country. A grand extravagant red carpet lay in the middle of room, leading from the gate to the throne above the stairs. Two maidens in white walked through the grand hall, spreading rose petals as they passed by on the two sides. A young man walked right behind them with two of his guards, who were none other than Alastor and Stella with Alastor in a black attire and Stella in a white one.


    At the end of the path, an old man was holding the crown, standing right in front of the throne. He was a member of the Council of Ceadric who served as the personal advisors of the king. They were also in charge of ensuring the passing of the crown to the next king, following the last king''s will and making sure that the true heir would be sitting on the throne.


    Beside them stood the Archduke Veldor. An old man who could barely stand up by himself with his cane. One look at him could tell that he was already one feet into the grave. What could he possibly want with a throne where he barely had a few months left to live? His eyes followed carefully as the prince walked up to the stairs toward the throne. The prince knelt down before the old man holding the crown.


    The old man carefully and slowly placed the crown on the prince''s head. With it he proclaimed.


    "Sirs and Madams, I here present unto you: king CHARLES NOCTUGAL, First of his name. Wherefore all you who are come this day to do your homage and service. Are you willing to do the same?"


    Everyone inside the court shouted and clapped their hand in joy, showing their willingness and allegiance to the new King. The guards blew their trumpets, echoing the entire castle. This showed that the ceremony has gone without obstacle and a new king has been appointed. The people gathering outside the castle, the commoners screamed the name of their new king. A happy scene indeed. Until it was interrupted by an explosion inside the castle.


    A dagger was thrown toward Charles but it was caught by the hand of a child, Alastor. He quickly threw it back to where it came from, stabbing the neck of one of the assassin hiding among the crowd. Blood gushed out as he fell to the ground, dead.


    Several men in black jumped inside the court room. A few of the knights were stabbed in the back by one of their own. They were men of the Archduke disguised as the royal guards.


    The royal guards quickly ran to protect the Council and their King, separating them from the crowd. Some escaped immediately. Others stayed trying to find out what was going on.


    Chaos ruled the atmosphere inside the hall as the screams of joy were not replaced with fear and terror. Alastor quickly sent several orbs orbiting around the prince. These elemental orbs would provide him with protection against mages.


    "Today I will be the new king of Ceadric. Bring me the false king''s head!" the Archduke shouted to his followers with all of his pitiful force, making everyone looking at him.


    "You dare!!!" roared the royal knights and the Council."Guards! Capture him!"


    But Veldor smashed the ground surrounding him with a single strike of his cane, breaking a portion of the floor and bringing down the knights with it.


    "None shall stop me!" he screamed as he raised his cane and cast another spell. This time it was a lightning spell in the form of a spear. He threw it toward the prince, only for it to be destroyed by the orb floating around. He tried a few others but none of them worked. Strangely he did not panic but simply grinned menacingly.


    Three assassins dashed toward Charles from three directions, drawing their blades. But they were easily stopped by Helmund and Lindzie. The third one was pierced in mid air by Stella and fell down on the floor. Seeing their comrades falling easily, the others assassins abandoned what they were doing and all targeted the Charles.


    As Lindzie and the others were keeping the prince inside a human barrier, Alastor simply stood there motionless. From an outsider''s point of view, it could be misinterpreted as a child who was too scared to move from his position. But Alastor was no common child. What made him puzzled was the Archduke''s actions. He did not expect him to do something this openly. And the assassins were too easy to deal with. Sure they might lose a few men and guards but none would be able to reach the prince. The duke surely must have learnt that by now considering he lost so many men at Helios. But then why?


    "Something is not right!" he mumbled to himself as he looked at the old Archduke.


    From his sleeves, the archduke brought out an old lantern with a blue flame inside.


    ''What is that?'' thought Alastor as he observed what that object was and why would the archduke bring it here? But his thought was interrupted by Stella.


    "Alastor! Stay away from that lantern! It will absorb your soul into it!" yelled the doll.


    "What? How do you know about it?" asked a confused Alastor.


    "There is no time to explain! Now we need to keep the prince away from it!" answered Stella after killing one of the assassin.


    At that moment, Alastor understood everything. Why the archduke did not even try to hide the evidences. Why he would dare attacking the prince in broad day light. It was all because of that lantern. The archduke was not after the prince''s life. He was after the prince''s body.


    The old man raised the lantern and pointed one side at himself and the other at the prince. Then he murmured: "<Soul Transfer>"


    A blue flame came out of the archduke.  As the archduke''s tiny flame fly toward the prince''s body, someone pushed the newly appointed king out of the way. It was Alastor. He made a promise to protect Charles and a promise was a promise.


    As the flame entered him, both the Archduke and Alastor fell down unconscious.


    * * *


    Inside the Abyss


    "Where the hell am I?" an old man was lying on the ground, surrounded by a black mist.


    The archduke thought he was inside the prince. He thought he already succeeded his plan. But then he remembered that a boy has pushed the prince out of the way. Did this mean that he was now inside that boy? Then what the hell was this place?


    "Damn it! That brat dared interfering with my plan. I will make sure he never woke up again!" he grunted.


    An old man he might be, he was still a master of magic. He has done a lot of research on the soul for this plan to work. He has even tested the lantern on several servants to see how it worked.


    For every time, he just needed to find and destroy the soul of the body owner before he could take it over. And he could use the lantern again to come back to the original body.


    Although each person had a different space, usually he would just end up right in front of the victim'' soul. However in this case he ended up in an unknown place with nothing in sight because of this black mist.


    "<Fly>" the old man floated in the air and decided to fly toward a direction. He started to lose his patience as it has been hours since he came here but still nothing. Then he saw someone coming toward him. It was a beastman in an armor. He was accompanied by several shadowy entities and a beautiful elf woman. Then they saw him.


    "Hum I don''t recognize you from around here. Asmodeus you know who this guy is? He seems to be in his true form but I have never seen Alastor with him." asked the beastman.


    But a single glance from the woman and she changed her attitude. What seemed to be a graceful expression on her face previously now turned to a grim one.


    "No! He is not one of us! I know everyone Alastor met in this place. And he is definitely not one of them." the woman confirmed.


    The shadows looked curiously at the confused old man. Inside his head, he could not understand what was happening around him. First he ended up in a strange desolate place. Now there were creepy peoples all around him. Each of them had a terrifying aura, especially the woman.


    "Get him boys!" shouted Beelzebub.


    The shadows all dash toward the old man. Lucky for him, he managed to evade them in time by flying on air.


    "What the hell are those things? They are...dangerous. I must get away from here!"


    But to his disbelief, he now saw hundreds of shadows floating on the ground right under him, each with two shining eyes looking at him. And now they were flying toward him.


    <Ice Lance>


    <Dark Sphere>


    <Tundra Strike>


    <Hell Flame>


    <Lightning Roar>


    .....


    All kinds of different spell were targeting the poor old soul. If he did not receive an incredible boost from the lamp for his soul form, he would be dead by now. But then.


    <METEOR>


    A large burning rock fell from the sky and hit the ground. In an instant everything was blast away, including the shadows and the old man.


    "Nyx! Do you want to kill us too???" shouted Asmodeus at the wizard.


    "But you did not didn''t you?" laughed the old sage.


    The archduke tried to stand up again. He was lightly injured since he cast a barrier in time and the explosion was far from his position. The shadows were now dispersed thanks to the blast. It was his chance to move.


    But now that he realized it. He was blast againt something. Something hard. But he could not see anything in front of him. Until he looked up. A shadowy dragon was staring down at him.


    "So we have a rat sneaking around here! Perhaps I should use my power!" the dragon grinned looking down on his tiny foe.


    "NOOO!" every shadow around screamed at Xenes.


    ''A dragon. There is a freaking dragon in front of me'' Veldor''s thoughts started going wild at the mere sight of the beast. He tried to run away, only to find himself in front of a cliff.


    But he did not have a choice. Staying here would just get him killed. He could use <Fly> to reach of the bottom of this cliff. In any case, it could not be worse than staying here. And so he jumped down.


    "See ? Now he got away because of you!" Asmodeus said angrily.


    "No need to worry! Did you forget what is down there?" Nyx said calmly while brushing his long white beard.


    "Ah shit! Now I feel pity for the guy!" said Beelzebub.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.* * *


    After hours of free fall, the old duke finally reached the bottom of the cliff. Thanks to his spell, he managed to land safely on the ground.


    "What the hell was that? A defense mechanism of the soul? Could this boy be a Soul mage?" he asked himself, remembering the horror he saw above.


    To protect themselves from others soul mages, a soul mage often implanted several defensive spells inside his mind so the intruder would not be able to reach or interact with their soul. But the archduke has never heard of something like this, not at this scale: an army of shadows inside a realm of darkness.


    And again he found himself in another unknown place. The mist was even thicker down here. He could barely see what was in front of him.


    But then he found it. A giant gate in the middle of nowhere. This was what he was looking for. Every soul was protected, usually hided behind something in the form of a door. The door could not be opened in normal case but with the lantern, the passage was clear.


    He pushed it with all of his strength and the door opened a bit and shown a glance of what was inside. From the crack between the doors, he could see a giant bonfire, burning intensively in the middle of darkness.


    "Incredible! This boy'' soul is huge!" but his joy was cut short sighted by a creaking sound.


    From behind him, the sound of armor clacking against each other could be heard, followed by the sound of something heavy being dragged on the ground. The old man could feel the chill on his spines.


    Fear. That was what best described what he was feeling at this time. Intense fear of death. He looked back and he saw the source of the strange sound: a walking armor with no face. Then it spoke to him in an inhuman voice.


    "You...do NOT... BELONG HERE!"


    The knight roared in a scream of anger as black smoke poured out of the faceless helmet. He sprinted toward the old man, continuing to drag his great sword on the ground. With a single lift of his arm, the old man was blast toward to sky. Luckily Veldor was able to remain on air thanks to his spell. But he did not escape unharmed. It seemed several of his bones were broken just from the hit.


    He could not take on this knight in close combat. Staying on air would be the best strategy against him. From above he cast several ice lances toward the knight. But the chevalier did not even try to defend or deflect the lances, he took it all on his body. His body, now pinned to the ground by the lance, was fulled of wholes. Yet he did not bleed. Only a black smoke was pouring out from the whole, accompanied by a painful and enraged growl.


    "<Immortal Body>" the knight murmured.


    The knight shook his body, breaking all the icy lances in an instant. The black smoke that came out of him now started to come back to his body.


    "What kind of monster are you???" shouted in terror Veldor. He continued bombarding the area with numerous spells but the knight just regenerated in the end.


    "Are you...done? Then die!" as he said, the knight raised his great sword above his head. The sword grew bigger and bigger before it became a twenty foot sword raising toward the sky made of darkness and gave a purple glow.


    Veldor could not believe what he was seeing. But this was no time to be amazed by your opponent. The sword now was much higher than where he was on air and it was starting to fall down on him. The old man cast a barrier to protect himself. Could he resist against this attack?


    As the sword collided against the barrier, an wave of dark explosion blast away everything around the old man. But he did not escape unharmed. The attack has pierced the barrier a bit and he was heavily injured by it. If not for his barrier, he would have been disintegrated by now. He lay half unconscious on the ground. All he could hear was the sound of foot steps and clacking armor coming closer to him. With his feeble hands, he tried to crawl away. But it did not last long.


    "The flame...must...go on!" the knight raised his great sword and stabbed the old man in his chest.


    "ARGHHH! It hurts!!!! It hurts!!!!" the archduke screamed in pain. But one could not simply die in soul form. The only way to get out was taking control of this body.


    Thanks to the lantern he could still stay alive but the pain was real and it stayed. But now because of it he was trapped in this place. Not even death could help him escape from here.


    The knight lifted his sword and placed it on his shoulder, still with the old man impaled on it, screaming in pain. He walked toward the door and fully opened it.


    The flame burned even more intensively. Perhaps it sensed that it was in danger.


    "You...are...safe now... little flame!" Said softly the knight. He turned back to the man impaled on his sword. The knight moved his sword right above the flame.


    The old man''s robe started to catch the fire under him. The fire spread from his legs to his body. Now His entire body was on fire.


    "ARGHHHH! Hot Hot! It burns!" the old man screamed as his entire body was burned  inside out. Even fire cam out of his mouth. He struggled as hard as he could to pull the sword out and it did not budge. He could not do anything but move his limbs aimlessly until there was nothing but the ashes left.


    "The flame...must..go on!"


    * * *


    "ALASTOR! Please wake up!"


    Alastor could hear something shouting at him. His vision was a bit blurry. But he could feel his body being heavily shaking by two beautiful girls.


    "Ah this must be paradise!" he mumbled with a grin on his face.


    "Stop joking around! You make us worry too much!" something wet dropped on his face. The celestial Ikarus was using all of her power to heal him but when it did not work she panicked and started crying. Now seeing him alive and well could not bring her a better joy.


    Stella was also by his side. Although she did not cry, perhaps because she was a doll, she showed a distressed expression on her face. She finally gave out a relief breath, seeing that her master was fine.


    "What happened?" Alastor asked.


    "Veldor tried to use the Anima Lantern on the prince to take over his body. But when you pushed Charles away, it hit you instead." Stella murmured to my ears. "I thought he took over your body but I guess a demon lord''s body was too much for him".


    "How do you know about that lantern Stella?" Alastor asked. He remembered that the girl knew what that was even before the archduke used it.


    "It was one of the Artefacts father created. As one of his creations, I obviously know about it." Stella explained.


    "Father? Do you mean the Artificer?" Alastor emphasized. He knew the Artificer was responsible for the creation of many wonders in the world but this. This was something he did not know at all.


    "Yes. But it''s not important right now. I have already taken in using the chaotic situation. We can have as much time as we want to study it later. But now we have some unfinished business." Stella pointed to a trembling old man hiding in the corner, surrounded by the royal knights.


    It seemed that ever since the Archduke awoke, he was screaming as if he was in pain. But no one could understand what he was talking about. Dragon, demons, shadows. Who could know what they were inside a mad man''s mind.


    Alastor stood up. He still felt a little sore but it was manageable. Then someone came over to him.


    "Alastor! I am glad you are okay! When I saw you fell down, I thought it was it. But now look at you! Good as new!" said the now king of Ceadric Charles the First.


    "Your Majesty, I am fine as you can see. More importantly what about the Archduke? Did he spill something?" asked Alastor.


    "Yes. He wakes up before you so I have a little time to interrogate him. It was hard since the man seemed to be completely out of his mind right now but I managed to get a name: Terrick" answered the king.


    "Terrick? Who is that?"


    "A bishop who serves as the ambassador from the Church of Light in Cedra. I have also sent men to bring him in. You have nothing to worry about." reassured the king.


    "Please tell me where he lives. I will go there myself!" said Alastor.


    * * *


    Bishop Terrick'' residence in Cedra


    A man in a white priest garb was running across his home. He wanted to destroy all the evidences that could possibly link him to the Archduke. As he rushed through all the documents, he continuously cursed the old Archduke.


    "Damn that bastard! My plan was perfect! I even gave him all the tools he needed. And yet he failed, miserably. And that damn brat! How dare you interfere?"


    Suddenly he could hear footsteps from outside the room. Could it be the royal guards were already here to catch him? No impossible. He left immediately after he saw that Veldor has been caught. They could not come here that quickly. But again judging from the footsteps, there was only one person outside. Why would only one guard come? Unless.


    The door slowly opened with the creaking sound of the old wood. A pale woman walked in. She wore a curious set of cloth: a leather attire in black with a long coat covering her legs, a tricorn hat and two swords, each on each side of her garb.


    Just a look at her made the priest gone grim completely.


    "Maria? Is that you?" Terrick said with a trembling voice.


    "Hello Father Terrick! It''s so nice to see you again! How long has it been? Eleven years?" grinned maliciously the woman.


    "What... are you doing here? I thought you di..."


    "Died? I am hard to kill you know. Actually you should know. You make me this way Father!" the smile from Maria''s face disappeared. Instead was an enraged look burning in her eyes.


    "You...demon!" Terrick continued to walk back until he was cornered by the desk behind him.


    "I wonder which of us is the real demon Father! But no more idle chatting. Tell me where he is! Now!" shouted  Maria.


    "I...can''t. I don''t know where he is!"


    "Don''t lie to me Father! If you tell me, I will make sure that your death will be painless. If not believe that I will make you regret the day you are born!"


    "I....I can''t"


    "So be it!"


    From outside the room, the scream of a man could be heard throughout the entire mansion. The scream was filled with agony and pain. He knew he would not walk out of this place alive. When he could no longer endure it, he begged to be killed. But Maria would not give him that small wish. She made sure he would have a taste of what he has done to her.


    .....


    .....


    .....


    The sound of something being stabbed on the table repetitively. Again and again.


    "Milady..." a disembodied voice spoke.


    But the sound continued.


    "MILADY"


    "WHAT?" shouted Maria.


    "He is already dead a few minutes ago! Stabbing him won''t do much now!"


    Maria looked at the mess in front of her. What was once a human could no longer be seen as one. Now it was just a pile of bloody flesh. She took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. She tried to find her calmness.


    "Fine! Did you find anything useful?" asked Maria.


    "A few documents linking the Bishop to the Archduke and...." Scarlet stopped mid sentence.


    "And what?" insisted Maria.


    "And this milady!" from the shadow Scarlet took form. It was a girl in her twenties with long dark hair. What was most usual about her was her left eye: it was red as blood. Unlike the other one which was simply black. She handed a parchment to Maria.


    As Maria read through it, she grinned her teeth in anger. When she finished it, she crushed the paper.


    "Those bastards! They are still doing it!" she raged.


    Maria looked back at Terrick''s corpse on the desk, or what was left of it. She kicked down the table, venting her rage. But something fell from the corpse on the floor. It was a pendant. Scarlet looked at it curiously and took it.


    "An interesting pendant! It won''t be useful for him now so might as well take it!" she said.


    Suddenly the two could hear the door at the entrance being smashed opened. As they walked out of the room in a hurry, the two finally met: Maria and Alastor.


    "Stop where you are!" shouted Alastor as he prepared an attack.


    When he saw Maria throwing something at him, he thought it was a bomb but it was only a scroll of paper.


    "That would help you. Consider it a gift from me!" Maria smiled at the boy.


    But Alastor did not pay attention to it. He ran toward the woman to catch her but when he did, the two women were covered by shadow before completely disappear.


    .....


    .....


    .....


    "That was close. I did not want for us to meet him so soon. Anyway did you take a good look at him Scarlet?" said Maria.


    Scarlet carefully touched her red eye as if she wanted to confirm something. Then she spoke


    "Yes. He also has it. The same as the villagers. The Curse of Memories!"

 Chapter 18: The Children

    Alastor''sPOV


    It has beenseveral days since Charles was crown as the new king of Ceadric. Because of the archduke''s mutiny, the palace has been in disarray ever since. Charles has organized a big clean up to root out every last follower of the duke, interrogating every noble from the lowest to the highest.


    And there was the matter of Bishop Terrick. Thanks to the documents I received from that mysterious woman, we had proof that the priest was conspiring with Archduke Veldor against the crown by supplying him with men and weapons. It was clear that the two were the one behind the attacks of the frontiers villages, most likely because of Terrick. In return the bishop would help Veldor to become king of Ceadric.


    King Charles has demanded explanation and accused the Theocracy of Light for attempting to overthrow him, plunging Ceadric in chaos. But so far the Church has denied all involvement and stated that everything was caused by the Bishop alone. Unfortunately we did not have anything proof linking to the Church so that affair has been stuck at a dead end.


    As for me, I learnt from Asmodeus and the others that apparently Veldor did indeed show up in the Abyss but he most likely ended up being beaten to pulp by the mysterious knight for trespassing his territory. I have tried coming down there to thank him but the door was shut close. As usual.


    One thing was different though. I remembered that the first time I was here, on the gate was the image of a great tree divided into six branches, each leading to a circle. However now, under the tree, in one of its root, I saw a circle with the character "Slime" on it. It definitely was not there before. How did it get here? Then I recalled what Azureus gave me that day to unlock Devas'' <Replica>t. Could it be from that time? Did that mean  that each time I consumed one of those Pure Bloodline Scions, it would affect this gate ?


    I should talk with Azureus next time I met him. For now there were more important matters at hands.


    "Stella you said that this Anima lantern was created by the Artificer right?" I asked Stella as I pointed to the lantern placed on the table. Together with Ikarus, we were in a room inside the palace. Charles has insisted that we should stay in the castle for now until everything would be clear up.


    "Yes. Father has always been interested in magical artefacts that allow even people with no magic potential to be able to use magic. The most potent are called the Tempus Machina. It''s a collection of seven artefacts that are so powerful Father has to sealed them away because of their danger to the world.


    This Anima Lantern is one of them. Aside from the ability to transfer soul between beings, it allows the user to use a few unique soul magic spells. However..."  Stella showed a reluctant expression.


    "The lantern requires souls to function. It must absorb souls of people before it can be used. The stronger the souls the more powerful the lantern can get."


    "What ? Then then that archduke has really killed several just to use this lantern?" Ikarus shouted in anger.


    "Not several. &lt;Soul Transfer&gt; is one of the most powerful abilities this thing has. But it cannot be used against someone that is too strong for the user. Butthere is another way: the user must compensate the difference in strength by absorbing more souls. Since king Charles is quite a capable man of level Imperatus and the lantern did work against Alastor even though it failed in the end, the Archduke must have killed hundreds at the very least!" Stella explained.


    "That bastard! Thanks God he was already executed!" Ikarus fumed.


    Tempus Machina. Era of machine. So there were still six left of these scattering in the world. Stella managed to take the Lantern without alarming anyone but I just got the feeling that there was more to this. Based on what Charles has told me, Veldor has been convincing the court to launch a crusade against Ragna to eradicate the demons. This was most likely what Terrick asked him to do. But why?


    "An invasion"


    "What? What are you talking about Alastor?" asked Ikarus.


    "They are planning an invasion against Ragna!" I said louder.


    "How do you know?" said Ikarus, surprised by what I just said.


    "The attacks on the villages. If the demons plan to invade Mara, they would have to pass through them.


    The problem is that so far there is no sign of the demon lord yet and the demons have been  inactive for a decade so no one cared about them. Especially now when there are a lot of tension between all countries. It will take too much resources to invade Ragna.


    However by arranging the attacks to look like demons and monster'' attacks, they are trying to pin the blame on the demons. These so called attacks would serve as an awakening call that the demon threat is still out there. This will give them the excuse to invade Ragna." I responded.


    "But why now? Didn''t the demon lord die only a decade ago? Usually it took at least 100 years for another demon lord to appear! There is no need for another crusade!" said Ikarus.


    "No...it''s precisely now that it must be done. The demon are weak after the death of the demon lord. Now it''s no better time to eradicate them once and for all. I believe that this plan of theirs has been going on for years. To even have someone of the highest influence in Ceadric''s court on their side...this is not your average organisation" I said.


    There was also the mysterious woman whom I met at Terrick''s residence. Was she in cahoot with them? It could be that she came to take care of the bishop since he screw up. No! She gave me the proof I needed to link Terrick to the Archduke so perhaps she belonged to a third party. And seeing the abhorrent state his corpse was in, there seemed to be more than just a common murder. If she only wanted to shut him up, there was no need to do it that way. It took too much time. It looked to me more like there was a personal motive behind.


    Too much unknowns, I did not like this one bit. I needed to get some fresh air. Perhaps a tour in the city would do me some goods.


    I decided to go alone. For the time being I asked Stella to hold onto the lantern. She and Ikarus would go through again all the documents in Terrick''s chamber. As for me, I was currently in the streets of Cedra. Though the palace has suffered some damages from the rebellion, the common folk of the capital seemed to be doing just fine. The market quarter was noisy as usual. I have been there a few times during my stay at Helios and it was always like this: prosperous and busy as ever.


    As I walked through different avenues, I stumbled across an impressive building.


    "So this is the Guild''s headquarter in Ceadric. Since I am already here, might as well check it!"


    I opened the door to enter a big hall. Inside there were fours different reception desks. Near them was a tall board showing every available quest on it. I was familiar with the system on how the Guild worked. Take a request down from the board and register it from a reception desk. However most requests had a minimum level of requirement for the adventurers and only those with the appropriate rank could do it. It was a rule put in place to minimize the casualties, especially for newbies to avoid dangerous quests like high level monster slaying. From lowest to highest rank, F E D C B A S. So a B rank quest could only be accepted by B rank adventurers or above.


    As I looked through the abundant amount of posters on the board, I saw a curious poster.


    "Request: Need demon blood for making medicine. Please bring it to the apothecary at the southern outskirts at Cedra. One hundred gold coins for each vial."


    So much for only a vial? And why demon blood? I have never heard of any medicine that required demon blood. And who would take a medicine made from demon blood? Everyone avoided demons like plagues and demons sure as hell wouldn''t take it.


    I took down the poster and brought it to the reception, placing it on the table.


    "Excuse me miss! Can I ask for some further information on this quest?" I asked her.


    "Oh you are so cute!" the woman patted on my head "But I am afraid this quest is a little to high level for you. You have to look for demon monsters lurking in the forest and they are usually quite dangerous, you know? What rank are you?"


    "I do not have a badge yet. Do I have to?" I faked innocence.


    "Of course you do dear! Normally you need to pass a small verification on your background first to make sure that you are eligible to do quest. Then a small test to determine your initial rank. As you do more quests, your rank will escalate." the plain lady said.


    "Oh... *hic hic*" I pretended to sob.


    "Oh oh don''t cry! Just for a you I will give you a badge ok? A F badge should do since you are small. F ranks normally do delivery stuff so there is no danger for you. Here how about start with this quest? You just have to deliver a pack of supplies to the orphanage in the south of Cedra. It''s right outside the southern gate."


    "Thanks pretty lady!" I smiled at her.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Not really what I wanted but I guessed this should do.


    "Be careful! It''s quite heavy!" said the lady.


    I took the large supplies bag with ease and off I went, leaving the reception lady and the adults around in shock. That apothecary should not be very far from the orphanage so after I finished this quest, I should visit there. Though I did not receive the quest, nothing would stop me to go there since I was not interested in the reward.


    To shorten the excursion, I jumped from roof to roof then tree to tree. It made the job so much easier. In just a matter of minutes, I was already outside. After a short walk, I arrived at the orphanage. Not a very impressive building, rather poorly built but I guessed it was good enough for these orphans to have something called home.


    I knocked on the door. A man in a white priest attire opened the door. Could the Church make a different uniform for once? They all looked exactly like each other except for their face and stature.


    "Hello! I am here to deliver the supplies you ask from the Guild." I said.


    "God bless you child! You must have come a long way! Please come in! I will make you a cup of tea!" the man bowed to me.


    The priest guided me to a large room with a lot of tables and seats. This should be where the children ate. As I took a sit and looked around, I spotted a few small heads poking out from the door looking at me curiously. While many looked human, some even had something like cat or fox ears. Could they be beastman?


    Then a few of them decided to come my way. They were around five or six years old.


    "Who are you?" one of the kids asked. She had a pair of black cat ears and a long black tail flinging around, showing her curiosity at me, someone whom she never met.


    "Don''t bother the big brother Shana! He is our guest! Look at all the food he brought us here! Call the others! We will have dinner shortly!" The priest then turned to me " I know we don''t have much but would you careto join us for dinner ...hum"


    "Alastor. Just call me Alastor. I am afraid I..." I wanted to refuse. This place made me feel a bit awkward. Perhaps because I sympathized with these orphans  since I was similar to them?


    But the kid earlier, the girl Shana, pinched on my cloth and did not let go when I stood up. Looking at her reminded a bit of Alice, except if it was her, she would forcibly drag me to her own rhythm.


    "Why not? I will take you on your offer." I patted on Shana''s head. She smiled at me with her eyes closed, her tail jiggling in excitement.


    Then the others kids started coming to me. There was at least about a dozen kids here: human, beastman and even a few elves. How did they end up here?


    "Most of these kids here used to be beggars in the city. Some were slaves who managed to escape. Others were abandoned by their own parents. But the Church welcomes everyone!" said the priest to me while the others kids were busy eating. Shana was still right beside me.


    The hall was filled with laughter and children talking to each other. A rather soothing atmosphere. We quickly finished dinner. The sun has already went down for a few hours so I needed to go back before Stella and Ikarus started to worry.


    "It''s late so I think I need to go now! Don''t want to make my family worry or anything!" I said to the priest.


    "Of course! Let me walk you to the door!" said the priest.


    As I stood up and walked to the door, the little cat girl called out.


    "Will you come back big bro?"


    "Of course I will!" I smiled at her.


    ** *


    Ikarus'' POV


    Alastor has been a bit odd these early days. He sneaked out without telling us where he went and only came back late at the evening. Even more, he seemed to be more cheerful. I wanted to ask what he was on lately but I supposed if it made him happy we could let it slide. He, or rather all of us, have been through a lot so a nice break shouldn''t any harm.


    While I did say that, I have been spending our days going through the documents at the bishop''s house. The room was seriously messed up by that woman. Not just the shelves but all the blood on the floor. She really did ransack the whole place good.


    Nonetheless, there wasn''t anything really worth mentioning. Most were about religious teachings of the Church. Such an hypocrite! Spouting words of Gods then planning betrayals, killing innocents lives.


    Yet there was one particular tome that caught my attention. I did not understand what was written in it but I felt a strange chill reading it.


    "Day 1


    We have gathered enough resources that we need. With this, the Orphans of Dark shall ascend.


    .....


    Day 20


    The test proves to be inconclusive. Subject 13 claimed to have heard voices in his head and something like water dropping before starting convulsing. Subject dies shortly a few hours after injection.


    .....


    Day 43


    Ten failures today. All subjects either died from the reaction or killed themselves to escape the pain.


    .....


    Day 157


    Another failure but we discovered a new type of reaction today. A few hours after injection, subject 47 began to mutate. We will call this reaction Metamorphosis. If only we could find what made this different from the previous subjects. Still this proves that we are one step closer to the Child of Dark. Unfortunately the subject was too hostile and attacked one of our staff so we had to put him down. At least his corpse might be useful for future experiments.


    .....


    Day 243


    The purity of the substance seems to have an effect on the subject. The more powerful the source and the more compatible it is to the subject, the better the chance to reach a better result. We need to switch to a more suitable source.


    .....


    Day 340


    Subject 100 showed great result today. She has already surpassed others with Metamorphosis. Perhaps we may discover a higher state. She just might be the Child of Dark.


    .....


    Day 489


    Maria was such a disappointment. Just another Orphan of Dark. She failed the final test miserably. I had Javis to put her back to her cell together with the others surviving failures. While she was not the end result we are looking for, she could still be useful for her talents.


    .....


    Day 501


    I have found another replacement, much more promising than subject 100. Perhaps this time it should work. No It must!


    .....


    Day 656


    The Child of Dark is ready for the ritual. Soon we will have God on our side, a living God in the flesh."


    That was the last entry. I tried to look for others tomes but nothing mentioned about what happened next. Just what was Terrick doing? It was so creepy everything that was written inside this journal.


    Orphan and Child of Dark. Those words just kept repeating itself. What exactly were they looking for? Who or what were the Orphans of Dark?

 Chapter 19: The Apothecary

    Alastor was on his way to visit Shana again. He has become fond of her. It was almost like having a little sister for the first time in his life. He was used to being led around by Alice but now he felt really like a big brother. From afar he could see Shana waving at him. The little girl showed a cheerful expression, smiled brightly while swinging her cat tail excitedly.


    "Alastor, you are late!'' said the running girl toward Alastor and hugged him.


    "Sorry Shana! I was a little busy this morning. But I brought you a gift!" Alastor took out a blue crystal like bracelet and gave it to the cat girl.


    "Wow it''s so beautiful! But isn''t it expensive?" asked the girl hesitantly. She clearly wanted it. However she was afraid that it would trouble the boy for giving her something so expensive. At least it should be since it was quite marvelous with an unique look on it. The craftsman who did it must be so proud of his product.


    Well of course he was since it was none other than Alastor who made it. He asked Stella to make a small crystal stone and Alastor would turn it into a bracelet. It still took the little demon lord the entire night since the crystal was extremely solid.


    "It''s hand made by me so there is no price to it! Don''t worry!" Alastor comforted the girl.


    The girl giggled looking at her present. Her eyes sparkled since it was the first time someone ever gave something to her. Not even her parents who abandoned her on the street. And here a boy slightly older than her whom she only met a few days ago, showed her kindness she has never seen before.


    A few tears dropped on her face but she held it back. She wanted to look pretty in front of Alastor. One could guess that these tears were simply tears of happiness. For someone who has never felt it, it was natural to cry. But there was another reason.


    "Why are you crying Shana?" the boy asked. "Did you not like it?"


    "No no! It''s beautiful. I love it! It''s just I was thinking about my friends." the girl sniffed.


    "What about your friends? Did something bad happen?"


    "I am just sad because a few of my friends were adopted by a couple a few days ago. Now I could not see them again. The priest said that they are now in a happier place so I am glad for them. But I feel a bit lonely without them. I want to see them again. Am I a bad girl for thinking like that?" the small girl was too young to distinguish the good and bad. But for a child to think about something like that. What a wonderful girl!


    "Of course not! It''s normal to feel that way! Just wait for a few days. Maybe they will send you some letters or perhaps even a gift!" Alastor tried to console Shana.


    An orphan who was adopted could be considered a fortunate one. Not many children had the chance to have a family again, especially after they have been abandoned. Alastor has thought about taking Shana with him. But he knew that the journey might be too arduous for a small girl like her. And who knew how she would react when she learnt that Alastor was a demon? The boy himself had a few personal experiences of losing someone close to him. He was afraid of letting another one in his life, only to let them die because of him. While it was not his fault, he was aware of the danger surrounding him. The whole world was against him after all.


    Just when Alastor was deep in his thoughts, the priest came out of the house.


    "Hello Alastor! I see that you have come to visit us again. Great I have some good news. Shana, I have found a family who can take you in! They will come tomorrow!" said the priest.


    Shana was an active girl. A good news like this should make her jump in excitement. But instead, she only slipped out a forced smile. Alastor could feel her hand clenching on his.


    He did not know what to do. He was supposed to be happy for her. The little girl finally had a family now. Something he could not provide to her. All he could do was to smile for her, reassure her that everything would be fine, even if he may never see her again. Perhaps he should. At the very least that was what he was thinking about.


    That evening, Alastor decided to stay later than usual since it might be the last day he would ever see Shana. Under the moon light, the two talked a lot, although Alastor avoided or changed things a little when they talked about their past. It was only until Shana felt asleep that Alastor could finally go home.


    But that was his last chance to see Shana. The next day, when Alastor came back, the girl was already gone. The priest told him that the couple has come and took Shana away from the early morning.


    Sadden by the news, the boy had no choice but to went back. He thought he had prepared himself enough for this. He thought he did. But saying goodbye was never easy. Perhaps when this was all over, he would search for her, rekindle their friendship once more. To do that, he must continue, finish the journey. He was so distraught by the news that Alastor did not notice someone was keeping an eye on him the whole time.


    "No no! I am too late!" Said the shadow


    .....


    .....


    .....


    Alastor decided to make a visit to the apothecary he has been wanting to go since one week ago. Since he took down the poster no one should have completed it already.


    From afar he could see small wooden building locating in the middle of the woods. The building seemed a bit decrepit. An apothecary normally was supposed to stock herbs and such for medical purposes. Therefore the building must be in top condition or at least had a warehouse somewhere else or the medicines could rot. Especially in wooden area where it tended to get quite humid. Also why an apothecary in the middle of the woods? Understandable if it was the countryside or somewhere far away but there was a big city right beside. It was too weird.


    But standing here wouldn''t do anything. Alastor knocked on the door


    White smoke came out the chimney above. Someone must be home. But what would he say? Perhaps nothing about the quest for now, just making small talks and see how it go.


    He knocked on the door. Alastor swore that the door almost broke from just a touch. Still there was no answer. He decided to go in. The inside of the house was even worse than outside. Spider webs tangled everywhere. There were some herbs and medicines placed on the shelves but they were the most basics ingredients for the common potion, could be found anywhere, even just taking a walk in the forest could get you something better than that. Alastor realized just how suspicious this store was.


    Then someone came out of the curtain behind the counter.


    "Oh sorry! I did not realise we have a client! I have just been sorting out the new patch of herbs. Bit busy since I am the only one here! But enough babbling from me. What can I do for you young lad?" said the dubious man.


    "My sister is sick so I am here to purchase some herbs for her. Do you have Twilight herb and some Cylia mushroom?" asked Alastor.


    "Oh...hum... Those....let me see if I have it!" the shady looked at the shelves, pretending to take out one basket of herb after another then put them back. He seemed a bit confused. Finally he took out a few leaves and showed to Alastor. "Should be this herb. Unfortunately I ran out of Cylia mushroom. If you want I can order them but it might take some days."


    "Hum... Isn''t that the Celcia herbs? The Twilight herb does look similar to Celcia but its color is a bit darker and the edge is more sharp." said Alastor holding the leaves.


    "Oh you are right! Sorry I was a bit tired. I am afraid we ran out of twilight herbs too. How about coming back tomorrow and I will see if the supplier has it." implored the man.


    "Ok. See you tomorrow then!" Alastor said as he left the store.


    ''This is no apothecary. There is no such thing as Celcia herb or Cylia mushroom. I just come up with some random names on place. And if he has twilight herbs, he would not be in such an establishment. It''s one the rarest herb in the entire world. One leaf of that thing could earn an entire mansion easily. No way he could have it.'' Alastor analyzed the encounter with the man inside the store in his head.


    But just before he went out, he saw something on the floor. Something shiny. He picked it up and looked at it in disbelief. In an instant, he appeared right before the man and held him on his neck on the counter.


    "How did this get here? TELL ME!" Alastor shouted angrily as he showed the scared man what he just picked up. A blue bracelet.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "What? What are you talking about?" the man''s voice trembled. How could a kid be so powerful?


    "TALK OR I WILL BREAK THIS NECK OF YOURs!"


    "Please! I don''t know anything! They just pay me to tend to this shop and pay if someone brings demon blood for some quest I don''t know! Please let me go! I really don''t know anything else!" pleaded the crying man.


    But no. In a fit of rage, Alastor held the man''s head and bashed into the table, smashing the table. Paying no attention to what he just did, he quickly left the store. The orphanage. He must go there. That priest must know something.


    He went as fast as he could. He just left there a moment earlier. That priest should still be there.


    But from afar, he could hear someone shouting. He hided behind a nearby tree and peeked at the scene. A white haired woman was pointing a sword at the priest.


    "Where are they? Tell me!" a woman yelled.


    "Who are you? How did you ...?" but the woman did not let him finish.


    "It''s me the one asking questions here. Tell me! Where did you transfer them to?"


    Alastor decided to show himself. He had no time to sneak around now. Plus he knew the woman. It was the same one who he saw at Terrick''s residence. The one who apparently killed the bishop.


    "Stop right there! I have some questions for him first!" shouted Alastor.


    The woman turned back and showed a surprised expression. She thought the boy was gone. But Alastor passed her without even looking at the woman. He stopped right in front of the priest.


    As he drew near, the priest realized Alastor was no common boy. The bloodlust he felt could not belong to just some kid.


    "Don''t come any closer!" the priest shouted.


    "I have no time for your babbling! <Absolute Authority>" Alastor touched the man''s forehead. Suddenly he collapsed down before standing up again but his eyes were lifeless. "Speak!"


    "The children are currently inside a facility to the south." the priest spoke in a monotone voice.


    "Why? What are you doing to them?" Alastor angrily said.


    "To bring a new age! One where God will descend from the heavens to Earth and stand beside humanity against the demon threat!"


    "I don''t care about your religious gibberish! Tell me exactly what you are doing to them!" Alastor lost his calm.


    "They are infusing demon blood into the children!" a voice said.


    Alastor forgot that there was also this mysterious woman beside him the entire time. Was she one of them too?


    "Before you jump to any conclusion, let me make this clear! I am not one of them. On the contrary, I belong to a certain group that opposes this organisation. To summarize, this man is a member of a circle who calls themselves Sanctus. They consist of very influential individuals across Astora and control everything from behind the scene. But that''s not the main concern here. Now they are kidnapping children and do experiments on them. If you want to save your friends then let me come with you! We don''t have much time left!" explained the woman.


    "Why? What will happen?" asked Alastor.


    A memory flashed through the woman''s mind. Something bad in the past.


    "Something very bad!"


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    I was now on my way to the place where Shana and the other children were being held captive. The woman I met from earlier was right in front of me. She called herself Maria and claimed to be on my side. I had no choice but to trust her. For now.


    We finally arrived at the designated place. It seemed to be a small keep but in no way it was abandoned. Above nothing seemed suspicious but the priest told us that the facility was actually underground. There was no time for stealthy.


    With a single fireball, I blew up the main gate of the keep. The guards, understandably realized that we were not simple guests, rang the bell and rushed toward us. The mages, hiding on the balcony on the second level, together with the archers threw arrows and spells at us.


    As I took care of the ones above, I saw that Maria was indeed skillful. She used a two swords stance and cut off one enemy after another like flies. It was as if she was dancing on the battlefield. I could hardly keep my eyes on her as she was moving like a shadow from one enemy to another. Now that I thought about it, she used a similar spell to get away when I arrived at Terrick''s mansion. Perhaps she had a darkness elemental affinity.


    Back the enemies, I absorbed all their spells with <Devour>, then converted it to my own mana. The mages could only make a horrified expression as none of their attacks worked.


    "Fire at the brat you idiot!" one of scumbags shouted to the archers. He was standing behind the lines of the coming swordsmen, right under the archers.


    So while his comrades were fighting down here, the boss holed up from behind. What a great leader! Time to test a new ability.


    I pointed towards the archers and used my ability: "<Asmodeus'' Dominion: Oppression>"


    Suddenly the archers started screaming in panic. Of course they did. I took away their sight. Or rather I forbid them to use their eyes. This was one of the abilities that originated from Asmodeus but I was the one who developed it. As Asmodeus'' main ability was about ''Control'', instead of just taking control of their bodies, I could possess only a part of it. It made it easier for me as controlling multiples persons at once could be quite straining to my mind, as if I was doing two different things with both of my hands.


    Some of the archers, losing their sight, decided to shoot arrows in all directions but it only hit their own comrades. Bunch of idiots!


    Still some of them managed to shoot in the right direction and the arrows were towards Maria. I raised my hand and cast a protective spell.


    "<Wind Shield>" A wind gale formed in around Maria, deflecting all the arrows back to where they came from, killing all the archers. It also blasted away the foot soldiers surrounding her, allowing her for a clear path to finish them in a single swing.


    Shortly after, no one was left alive except for the two of us.


    "I did not need your help earlier you know!" said Maria as she swung her blades to the sides, throwing off all the blood on them. "But thanks!"


    "I need you alive since I still have a lot of questions for you. But that can wait after we rescue Shana and the others. They must still be alive." I said to her. It was true. She knew a lot of things I did not know. Terrick and this whole situation we were in. I needed to interrogate her once I rescued Shana.


    And so we walked inside. ''Shana I am coming to save you now!''


    Little did I know at that moment, how fate could be so cruel sometimes.

 Chapter 20: Cruelty of Fate

    While searching inside the building, Maria stumbled across a strange wall. But this was nothing new for her. She quickly managed to find the odd brick and pushed it, revealing a passage behind. The two followed the long stairways to the underground.


    "What the..." Alastor uttered as he saw where he was.


    They were now inside a grand hall. The room was dark as there was no source of light from the sun down here, except for the numerous candlesticks being lit on. At the end of the hall lay an altar.


    At first Alastor found it weird because of its red color but then he realized it. Traces of blood were present on the altar. Based on the trail, something or something must have been left to bleed to death on it.


    Examining the altar, images of Shana bleeding on the altar came to Alastor''s mind. The mere thought of it terrified the boy.


    But when he looked at the woman beside him, she had an even grimmer expression. For she knew what kind of place this facility was. A living hell she wanted to let go, together with her dark past. The altar it reminded her of an unforgettable scene. And if she was correct, she knew what she would find next. Maria took a deep breath in, preparing herself. She thought she hardened herself enough after all these years, all the killings. Nonetheless it was not enough.


    "Are you okay?" asked Alastor.


    "Oh..yes... I am fine! Let us move on!" Maria shrugged.


    The two continued their progress, taking the door on the side. This place was huge. Room after room, Alastor found vials containing a red liquid in many of the chambers which seemed to be used as research room. But this many, just how many demons did they have to kill to have such a large quantity of it?


    Then Alastor heard a noise coming from the next room. The small voice of someone mumbling about something. He gave a silent gesture to Maria who has heard the voice as well. Together they carefully prepared their weapons, approached the door and kicked it down.


    In the corner of the room, a young boy was standing, moving his head forward and backward against the wall. He muttered so small Alastor could not understand what the boy was saying. He put his hand on the wall in front of the wall to stop him to hurt himself any further. As the poor boy saw someone else, he started screaming.


    "Please make it stop! Make it stop! I will do anything! I won''t be a bad kid anymore." pleaded the boy as he covered his ears. Then he started to convulse violently.


    Alastor and Maria tried to hold the boy down without hurting him but the boy seemed to be much stronger than they thought. Then it stopped. The boy stopped shaking. He started talking to Alastor.


    "They are calling for me. Can you hear it too, Alastor?"


    Alastor was shocked. He did not know the boy yet how did he know his name? He was not one of the kids at the orphanage so he could not have heard his name before.


    The strange boy raised his hand to the dark ceiling above him as if he wanted to reach for something but he collapsed. Just like that the boy died.


    "Just what the hell is going on in this place?" Alastor turned to Maria. "Tell me!"


    "More than ten years ago, a researcher discovered that the key of the demon power resides in their blood. He wanted to harness that power and used against the demon threat. And so he kidnapped countless children and injected demonic blood into them. This place is one of his testing ground, or at least people who shared his ideal.


    I learnt from the document I retrieved back from Terrick that there is one such facility right outside Cedra. Sanctus uses the cover of an orphanage to take the children in without gaining suspicion and a quest from the guild to gather demon blood in pretense for medicine in case they run out. Unfortunately it did not say where it''s located and I only found the orphanage this morning when I stumbled on you this morning.


    But now you understand. To those who live in comfort, who would care about some homeless kids disappearing or some demons turned up dead in the street? That''s the society we live in." explained Maria.


    Alastor grinned his teeth at the lifeless body of the boy. They dared use children for their selfish goal. Alastor swiped his hands to close the dead boy''s eyes. He stood up and walked to the next room but he was held back by the silver haired lady.


    "I just want you to know one thing Alastor: there is no helping them once the injection is made. Most will die shortly after. The ones who survive will suffer the constant pain for the rest of their life. It might be better if you...just end it quickly."


    "What? What are you suggesting?" exclaimed the boy.


    "You know what I am talking about. It''s for their own goods. Trust me! I know!" said the woman in a sad voice.


    "No you don''t! I won''t do it!" Alastor furiously fumed. "If you have any problem with that, leave!"


    With that, he just left her and continued by himself into the next room. Hall after hall, Alastor ran as fast as he could. Until he could something else. This seemed to be the lowest level. Behind this door where the constant sound of moaning came from, Shana must be somewhere inside. She had to.


    He pushed against the door, opened it, only to stumble on a frightening sight.


    This was a prison. On both side of the wall were cell after cell. Inside each were children. At least more than thirty of them were trapped in these cages. Their clothes were dirty. Their bones showed through the skin, a result of a long term malnourishment. A few lay lifeless motionless inside, waiting for death to come. And their screams.


    "Make it stop! I don''t want to hear it anymore! Please *hic hic*!"


    "ARGGGGG! Kill me please!"


    "I am scared mommy! Where are you mommy?"


    Others were just screaming in pain. Their voices echoing through the hallway. The agony, the despair, the fear. This place was truly hell on earth.


    ''This is....'' Alastor could not find the words to describe what he was seeing. But he was disrupted by a voice inside his head. A voice he did not hear for a long time.


    "Abominations!!!" said the voice in Alastor''s mind.


    "Magnus? Is that you?" asked Alastor out loud.


    "Alastor, listen to me! Kill all these accursed immediately! You must not let a single one alive!" shouted Magnus.


    "What? What are you saying?"


    "There is no time to explain. Do it now before it''s too late!"


    "NO! I will save them. Why do all of you just want to give up on them? These kids have already been abandoned by the world once. I will die before I let it happen again. I don''t care what you are planning. I am not your pawn!"


    "You misunderstand child! They are not trying to create a powerful army to deal with the demon here. They are creating a ..." but Alastor shut his mind, making the voice vanish. He refused to give up.


    Meanwhile in the Abyss, sensing the boy''s resolve, Magnus knew he could not persuade him any longer. ''Those damn humans! With this many vessels, She will surely notice! We could only hope that these children will die before that!'' thought Magnus.


    "Ikarus, I need you right now! Follow the chain!" Alastor thought inside his head. In fact he was sending a message to Ikarus thanks to their bond, allowing them to communicate wherever they were as long as both remained conscious.


    Alastor decided to leave the children inside the cells for now. He has killed all the bad guys so no one should be able to harm them any longer. But he must find Shana.


    "Shana, where is Shana?" Alastor ran toward the end of the hall. His mind was filled with dark thoughts of what might happened but he shrugged it all.


    Finally he found a cell at the end of the hallway. Inside was Shana. He called out her name but she remained inert. Alastor broke the cell open and ran to her side.


    "Shana! SHANA! Please wake up!" he called out to her.


    The little girl slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Alastor, she made a gentle smile, showing how relieved she was to see him after all the horrors they did to her.


    "Big..bro! You..are...here!"


    "Yes I am here! I am sorry for taking this long to come! I am sorry Shana!" the boy cried out, hugging her gently. "I will get you out of here. I promise!"


    He took the little girl on his arm, like carrying a princess. But as he turned to the exit, Maria was standing in the way. She looked at the girl on his hands. And the spot on Shana''s arm caught her attention.


    "What are you doing Maria? Help me getting the children out!" shouted Alastor.


    Maria showed some hesitation but complied in the end. The two needed to make several trips back and forth from the surface to the cell as many kids needed help to even stand up.


    "That''s the last of them!" said Alastor as he put the last child laying down on the surface. Ikarus and Stella should arrive any moment by now. The kids were severely ailing but they would live. At least things started to brighten a little bit. Or so the boy thought.


    At that instant, all they children started to scream loudly. This time it was different from earlier.


    "It already starts! I knew it was a mistake." said Maria.


    "What? What is happening?" asked Alastor. Then Shana too started shouting in pain. Her hands were covered her ears, her body shook violently.


    "It''s too late Alastor. She is already infected. If you don''t her to suffer anymore then put her out of here misery. If you can''t then I will!" affirmed Maria. The woman took out both her swords and slashed down toward Shana.


    "No I won''t let you!"


    The attack was stopped by Alastor as he pulled a stone sword from the ground below.


    "It won''t work!" said Maria as she put her strength into both swords, cutting Alastor'' stone blade, sending him a few steps back. "Just because you want it doesn''t mean you will get it. This world is not so kind to you or anyone else. Let me use this opportunity to teach you the cruelty of fate!"


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    Without a moment to waste, she charged at him.


    "<Ice Lance>" a spear made of ice appeared in Alastor''s hands. But it only gave him enough you to parry again. This strike this time was much more powerful as it staggered the boy. Usually the twin sword fighting style focused on speed to catch the opponent off guard as it was hard to follow two blades at once. However this style had a weakness: using one blade in each hand meaning you couldn''t use all of your strength in one arm so the blades could be easily parried.


    However it was not the case for Maria. Each swing was as hard as a hammer strike and as sharp as a curved blade. And the most annoying thing was how she was able to move that fast. Alastor could barely follow her. He needed to do something to slow her down.


    "<Belphegor''s Burden: Thousand Weights>" Alastor activated one of his abilities The control of gravity of surroundings objects.


    Suddenly Maria could feel a change in the air before succumbing to the pressure. She felt so heavy that she could not even move a finger.


    "It ends now!" shouted the boy at the crawling woman in front of him.


    "Not without me saying it!" in an instant, Maria used all of her strength to move her right arm and grabbed Alastor'' leg. "<Bloodsucker>"


    Alastor could see the hand which was once pale white now turned into complete black as night. But not just the hand that was weird. He felt strange as he realized his nose was bleeding. At that moment Maria stood up casually despite being under the effect of <Thousand Weights>.


    "How...how did you?" uttered Alastor as he breathed heavily. Something inside him was bleeding.


    "I can damage one of your organs, make it bleed internally with a single touch. That''s why they call me Bloody Mary. Everywhere I go, blood will spill as they said. Now stay there!"


    "Never! <Summoning elementals>" Alastor raised his hands.


    Five magical orbs rotated around Alastor as he stood up, still in pain.


    ''Another strange ability! I have to be careful!'' thought Maria before resuming her stance. But before she could react, she could feel the earth below her shaking.


    "I call upon the elements. Obey my command! Fire burns my enemies to ashes: Conflagration"


    Reacting on instinct, Maria jumped back a few foots to avoid the incoming danger. A column of fire bursted from the ground where she stood. Lucky for her she reacted in time to narrowly dodge it.


    "Water cleanses the sinners: Water Prison"


    Water appeared in mid air, rotated surrounding Maria and converged to her. The woman was now trapped inside a giant ball of water.


    "Lightning strikes down the wicked from the Heavens: Judgment Bolt"


    The sky darkened as black cloud filled the sky. Suddenly an enormous bolt of lightning struck the ball of water, electrocuting Maria. As the water orb vanished, she felt to the ground, still breathing. Still it was not over. She looked at Alastor.


    "Wind guides the lost to their path: Cyclone"


    Before Maria could even stand up, she was lifted by an air current and was taken inside by the sudden tornado. Using her blades to cut off all obstacles flying toward her, she tried to escape but to no avail.


    "Earth where all creations will one day return to: Forced Burial"


    The earth trembled as it split into two, creating a crack. The wind stopped and dropped Maria between the cracks before the ground closed again.


    Alastor has won. He leaned on the tree behind him, breathing heavily. He has never used so many abilities at once. It was risky but he did it. Too bad he had to kill her but Shana was his priority. He must protect her.


    Alastor stood up and walked toward the convulsing girl on the ground, together with the other children. He must do something to save them. But suddenly he felt the ground shaking again.


    "<Blood Geyser>"


    The ground bursted to the air as a red liquid stream gushed out. Blood. It was blood. The area now was soaked red as if it was raining blood.


    Alastor was surprised to see that Maria was still alive, walking from the geyser.


    "Don''t bury me so easily my dear!" she charged to Alastor, thrusting a sword to him. Could he defend in time?


    But he did not. The sword impaled the boy right to a tree, making unable to move.


    "I did ask you to stay down, remember? Don''t blame me for this!" said the woman. Alastor now had a closer look at her. All the injuries she sustained from earlier were now gone. She healed already? How did she?


    At that moment, Maria realized something odd. Even though she pierced the boy with her sword, there was no blood. He even remained calm, not showing the slightest of pain.


    "Yes and don''t blame me for this too! <Ooze body>" Alastor''s body changed to a transparent liquid, just like a slime''s body. The Slime Scion allowed him to change any body part into a slime.


    Since slime was immune to all physical attack as it could just regenerate itself, a high level slime was considered a nightmare for all warriors.


    This was an improvised plan to be able to attack Maria head one. While she was confused by the act, Alastor pulled out an ice blade and thrust it into her heart.


    "Aaaaarrrrggghhhh!" Maria screamed in pain as blood gushed out of her chest. "Your body...."


    "Yes. No matter how much you slash me with that sword, it won''t work. I want to keep you alive but I cannot let you harm Shana."


    "Ha...ha...ha....HAHAHAHAHA! We are so similar you and I!" Maria laughed out loud, despite her injuries. She slowly but firmly grabbed Alastor''s hand and pushed his blade into her further. But no matter how much blood she lost, she still remained conscious."Do you get it? You are not the only one with a freak body!"


    * * *


    Ikarus and Stella were traversing through the woods toward Alastor. At first the celestial was startled by the message she received inside her head. Alastor has told her about it before but he has never actually used it. Right now an invisible chain, only visible to her, was coming out of Ikarus and pointed toward the direction where Alastor was, leading her to the right path.


    "What an useful contraption!" thought Ikarus.


    But again why did Alastor not make a similar bond with Stella? Was it because the doll was not considered a living being and therefore a connection could not be established? Or was it because of something else? Ikarus pondered these questions in her head.


    Suddenly Stella halted and looked above. Not understanding why, Ikarus did the same thing, only to realize that someone was flying right above them. A tall man with bat wings, the devil Mephisto.


    "Where is Alastor?" asked the man.


    "Why are you here? You are not supposed to follow us until we get back." said the doll.


    "I have heard the situation from Alice. Listen to me! You are not to engage with the Children of Dark. Bring them back unharmed to the castle!" Mephisto affirmed.


    "Why? What are the Children of Dark? Why do you care about them?" those same words again. Ikarus remembered seeing them inside Terrick''s diary.


    "I have my own personal reasons. Let''s just say it''s an atonement for my sins. But it''s not important right now. I have prepared a portal not far from here. Once we secure them we will bring them back through the portal. Now bring me to him!"


    Without a moment to waste, Ikarus led the way. At that time, Mephisto reminisced about what happened a few hours back at the castle.


    ....


    ....


    "What? The Children of Dark? Are you sure?" shouted Mephisto.


    Together with the usual members of the demon royal guards and Alice, they were holding a meeting inside the court chamber.


    "Yes! Alastor told me that he is going to save them now. However judging from the situation, they might die before he could make it. But you know what I am talking about don''t you Mephisto?" Alice smiled at the tensed devil. He was being played by a little girl.


    Yet aside from Mephisto, the others were confused. They did not know what the two were talking about and theirs questions remained unanswered.


    "Amelia, can you make a portal to Cedra right now? No need for a big one! Only I will go. Then while I am gone, try to create another big enough for a large group at the same location."


    "I can. I don''t understand what is going on but perhaps at least one of us should accompany you." answered Amelia.


    "No need! This is something I have to deal with myself. Let''s just hope I will make it in time this time." with that Mephisto left the room to prepare for the departure.


    As he went through the hall, a flash of memories came back to him, making pondered. "Will I see you there, Maria?"

 Chapter 21: Blood Huntress Maria

    Alastor¡¯s POV


    ¡°Now the real fight begins!¡± proclaimed Maria.


    She took on five elemental spells and a direct hit in her heart. Yet she was still standing like nothing. Healing magic? No, there was no way for these kinds of injuries to heal that quick.


    She did say about I was not the only one with a freak body. Did that mean she had an immortal body? Mine only allowed me to evade physical attacks but I would still take full damage from magic and such. But hers was completely on a whole different level. Her body couldn''t be human. Was she one of the subjects who received demon blood too?


    ¡°May the world be covered by darkness: <Twilight Veil>¡± Maria raised her sword to the sky.


    A dark shroud enveloped the entire area, trapping both me and the woman inside. I tried to touch it but it repulsed me back. It seemed I could not get out easily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away! Show me what you are really capable of! <Sanguine Blade>¡± shouted Maria as she extended her sword to a side.


    Suddenly all of blood tainting the ground from the crimson geyser earlier started to float and converged to her, engulfing her sword.  That bloody sword was bad. I could feel it even from here.


    I manifested a few stones spears soaring around me. I should avoid coming near her as my melee and defensive capabilities were not as good as my range attack.


    Maria started swinging her swords from all sides. She did not even try to approach me. There was no need to. Instead her blood sword would do the job. It had massive range. Luckily I was able to crouch down in time, only letting it grazing me a bit. But when I looked behind me, seeing all the trees cut down like paper, I was glad to avoid it. Wouldn¡¯t want to be cut into two even in this body!


    I fired the spears at her. To my surprise, it did hit her. However it was because she didn¡¯t even try to dodge. She just took it head on. More blood gushed out of her wounds, pushing the spear out before her wounds closed again. How could her body produce this much blood? It was beyond my imagination. These kinds of attacks wouldn¡¯t work I guessed. I needed to do something else.


    For an instant I lost my focus and let one the blade hit me, cutting my left arm right off the bat. However I could easily heal since I was now in Slime mode. At least it should. But nothing happened. I lost my left arm and it didn¡¯t heal.


    ¡°I figured your body would work in a similar fashion to the slime. As expected from the lord of monsters. But my tainted blood is special. It can stop all healing effect just from being in contact with the target. You shouldn¡¯t rely on that body anymore if you want to live! Now come at me! Show me that you can kill me!¡± challenged Maria.


    ¡°What are you talking about? Why do you want me to kill you?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that the children you freed are beyond saving? If they are lucky they would in a few hours. If not they will spend the rest of their lives suffering the pain this accursed blood causes. To both demons and the prime races, we are abominations who are not meant to exist. And they will hunt us down till we die. For what reason do you want to extend our suffering?¡± Maria shouted in anger. Her eyes were filled with hatred and rage. She paused to take a deep breath before continuing.


    ¡°But I am not like the others. I can¡¯t even die because of this cursed body. Ever since that day. However when I learnt of the existence of the demon lords and their unique abilities, I thought perhaps they would have something. Something to free me from this curse.


    That¡¯s why I assisted you in your journey from the shadows. That¡¯s why I killed all those bandits at your village to make sure no one would find out about you, to give you time to grow. So that one day you will end my condemned existence.


    But enough talk! Show me that you can kill me! Or else you will be the one to die here!¡±


    Maria plunged her sword to the ground. Following her movement, the blood soaked in the ground. It now took on a reddish colour like rust.


    ¡°<Blight Field>¡±


    I immediately jumped up, dodging a red spike coming out of the ground. Then the silver haired woman took a stance and pointed the sword toward me.


    ¡°<Blood Torrent>¡±


    From her sword, a stream of blood surged toward me. I cast an instant barrier, blocking most of it. A few drops fell on my cloth, disintegrated it and making a few holes. So it could melt everything it touched. If I had not raised the barrier, I would be dead by now. But her attacks were not finished yet.


    Since earlier all of the blood related attacks came from her left sword. Now her right arm sword was engulfed in a dark purple aura. Was that darkness element?


    ¡°<Twilight Blade>¡±


    Maris swung her dark sword and created a dark wave toward me. Thankfully I could absorb it since it was just mana. But <Devour> would not work against that blood sword since it still counted as a physical attack. And I would not want to lose another arm just for the sake of testing.


    I have spent too long on the defensive. I should start attacking now. But how should I approach this? It didn¡¯t seem like I had a choice. I should use it now.


    A magical circle appeared in front of me. The outlet of the circle was written in an ancient language which was lost a long time ago, even long before Ceadric or any current country even existed. This came from a demon lord named Sullivan whom I met in the Abyss. His ability was not useful in combat as it allowed me to store things inside a special dimension and took it out whenever I wanted. It was similar to the pocket dimension that many adventurers used nowadays.  But there were a few major differences.


    First of all not everything could be put inside a dimensional pocket. You could not put something in that was too large for the pocket¡¯s mouth. So you couldn¡¯t put a caravan inside for example.  Also living beings were off limits.


    Secondly you had a limited space depending on the price of the pocket but at most you would only be able to fill the same quantity you would put inside an average size cabin.


    However these limits did not apply to Sullivan¡¯s <Infinite Dimension>. If I needed to store something, I just needed to adapt the size of the magic circle and bam! It would be gone. Secondly I could put a living being inside. I once captured a horned wolf and put it inside the circle for a week. When I freed it, it was still healthy so I deduced that time also flew differently inside that dimension.


    But back to my status, to prepare for a critical situation like this one, I stored something very special inside, or rather a few things.


    I put my hand inside and pulled out a black sword, as pure black as it could be. From a normal perspective it was hard to even think it was a sword as it was too dark to even figure out the details of the object.


    As I plunged the sword to the ground with the magic circle moved to my back and expanded greatly. It was impossible to look inside as the surface inside the runes outlet was something like a black liquid moving like the surface of the sea.


    ¡°Another one of your tricks? Show me how you will fight me with it!¡± Maria grinned.


    ¡°No I won¡¯t be fighting you!¡± as I said the liquid surface of the magic circle started vibrating violently as if something was trying to get out. ¡°They will!¡±


    From the magic circle, a hand reached out. It was cladded in black armor. Then another one and another followed it. Now ten identical knights in black armor were between me and Maria.


    ¡°Legion of the Abyss! Listen to my command: Destroy our enemy!¡± I roared as I pointed my sword toward Maria.


    The knights rushed to Maria with their greatswords. Even though she quickly dispatched her blood and dark swords, they managed to dodge them all skilfully. Of course they would since I created these guys in the image of the mysterious knight in the Abyss. Their armor looked slightly different as I did not remember all the details but they all wore similar attire. Some were equipped with shields a long sword while others had a lance or a great sword.


    I made them thanks to Devas¡¯ <Replica>. I just had to create a copy of myself, change their appearance and transfer the skills I wanted to them. Of course they were nowhere near as powerful as the original but in numbers they would get the jobs done.  After that, I stored the knights inside the magic circle and just needed to pull them out when I wanted. Still I tried to avoid using them in public as it could reveal my identity or at the very least made me suspicious. But in this case, Maria seemed to already be aware so there was no need to hold back.


    Perhaps she thought that if I died, the knights would to. Maria sent a few blood spears toward me, only to be blocked by three knights holding a great shield.


    During the time, the other knights surrounded Maria, keeping her inside their circle. She whirled her sword in a circular motion, blasting away one of the knights. From behind the knight with the spear pierced her, making her scream in pain. Her body may heal but the pain would still be there. From the front, two knights rushed and impaled her with their swords, restraining her movement even more. Two others from both sides cut off her arms. The last one standing rushed toward her and chopped off her head.


    With her head fell off, her body stopped moving and collapsed on her knees. It was regrettable but I would not take any chance. Too bad that I had so many questions for you Maria.


    I approached her corpse, now packed with wounds with the spear and swords still sticking to them. In a way I pitied her. She was used as an experiment and went mad. For someone who has suffered so much pain, this was the least I could do for her. But I would not give up Shana. She could still be saved. She had to.


    I picked up her decapitated head and posed it next to her body. I swiped my hands to close her eyes. I should return to Shana.


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    With a hand gesture, I made the knights vanishing in the shadows below. I stood up and turned away. As I walked, I realized something: the barrier was still here. Can¡¯t be!!!


    ¡°Too bad you failed!¡± a voice echoed from behind me.


    I looked back, only to see all the chopped up arms from earlier started melting into blood and flew back to her original position before taking on the form of an arm again. As the arms were now again attached, the body began to move again. It picked up the head and put it back on like putting a helmet. In an instant the scars healed as if they were never there.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough to kill me unfortunately!¡± said Maria calmly.


    In an instant she vanished and reappeared in front of me.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn!¡± using her hand Maria perforated my chest. How could I be so careless to cancel my slime mode? I could feel her hand around my beating heart. Would this be where I died?


    * * *


    Inside the Abyss


    The dark world was shaking heavily. Asmodeus and the other demons were stunned by what was happening to their world.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± yelled Asmodeus as she struggled to stand still because of the trembling earth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but it¡¯s bad. Something must have happened to Alastor.¡± Answered Belz.


    ¡°Damn it kid! You didn¡¯t even use my power yet. You can¡¯t die here!¡± roared the dragon Xenes.


    Above on the sky, a black orb with a red eye manifested itself.


    ¡°Magnus! Do something! Save the kid!¡± shouted Lucifer.


    ¡°Argghhh! That woman¡¯s blood is special. We can¡¯t interfere with it!¡± said Magnus.


    ¡°Then what are you good for? Do something!!!¡± fumed the woman elf.


    Suddenly the earth stopped shaking. Things calmed again.


    ¡°Did it stop?¡± asked Belphegor.


    The demons looked around, confused by what just happened. Did Alastor escape? Just how did this happen? However they were so absorbed in their thoughts they overlooked one thing. Except for the slime demon Devas.


    ¡°Hum guys! When was the last time you see the sun?¡± said the slime.


    ¡°What are you talking about Devas? Stop spouting nonsense¡­.WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?¡± screamed Lucifer as he spotted the huge thing in the far horizon. His shouts made everyone else look back, only to be stunned by what they saw.


    A gigantic sphere made its appearance from afar. It looked almost like a sunrise, except for the fact that this sun was crystal blue. Then the sun kept get rising until it reached its peak.


    ¡°RUN!¡± shouted Magnus to the demon lords below. They didn¡¯t understand why they should run away from it. Sure it was weird but it seemed harmless. That was what they thought until from the sun, from afar, a small blue beam shot down the dark world below, turning every to crystal and making even more crystal appearing. And it kept growing in size.


    All the shadows started flying away in the opposite direction of the crystal field. As it started to reach where Asmodeus and the other demon lords, Magnus appeared in front of them, creating a dark barrier, stopping the advance of the crystal field.


    Seeing that, the other demon lords joined force and raised their hands to send power toward the barrier. After struggling for a while, the crystal beam disappeared and so did the crystal invasion.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* Is everyone alright?¡± asked Beelzebub as he sat down on the ground and breathed heavily.


    ¡°Just what is that? This is the first time I have seen something like this.¡± Sullivan joined the fray. He was one the few demon lords who was originally a dwarf. For some reasons dwarf was the race with the least chance to turn into demon. Perhaps it was due to their natural magic resistance as they were rumoured to be descendants of the giants a long time ago. But whether that was a myth or not was another story.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± laughed out loud an old man with a staff.


    ¡°What is so funny, Nyx?¡± asked Asmodeus.


    ¡°So he did inherit something from her. I was wondering when it would show up.¡± Nyx grinned.


    ¡°Yes he did! But for it to be able to reform the Abyss to this extent¡­as expected of the Hero¡¯s bloodline.¡± Said the floating black orb.


    ¡°What you can¡¯t mean¡­.¡±


    ¡°Lakyus¡¯ bloodline has been awakened!¡±


    * * *


    Back in the real world, Maria has found herself in predicament. Just as she thought she had killed Alastor, the boy still lived and managed to push her away. But that was not what surprised her. It was her hand.


    Her entire hand has been frozen in crystal. Now many how she tried to use the blood to break it, it didn¡¯t work. And the boy¡¯s eyes. Normally both were red but now his left eye changed into a blue crystal colour.


    Even Alastor himself was amazed by what just happened to him. He thought he died when Maria reached his heart but then her hand was frozen in place and the wound on his chest quickly closed as if it was never there. It couldn¡¯t be because of the slime body. He also deactivated it. Then what could trigger this regeneration? And that crystal magic. He remembered from one of Noroeth¡¯s lessons that crystal magic was rare. While most masters of magic could cast crystal magic, only a few in the world could control it and his mother was one of them. Could this be her final gift to him? Whatever the case it saved him.


    The crystal on Maria¡¯s arm continued to spread to her body. Now she was rendered useless as crystal magic actually consumed all the mana it found on the target, making them unable to cast magic. And Maria¡¯s unusual body was no exception. This healing power came from the unconscious flow of mana inside her that continued to heal itself. But since now the mana source was depleted she could no longer heal or use her abilities anymore.


    At first the woman resisted, trying to get the crystal off. But then when she realized what it did, she gave in. Perhaps now she could finally die. She closed her eyes and expected the inevitable end. Yet it didn¡¯t come.


    She reopened her eyes, only to see that the crystal has receded and disappeared completely. Now in front of her stood the boy she tried to kill earlier.


    ¡°Why? WHY? Why don¡¯t you let me die? How long do you want to torture me any longer?¡± tears fell on her beautiful face as she shouted in anger. Why did he let her live? She just couldn¡¯t understand it.


    ¡°Do you really want to die like that? To die with that hatred inside you? To die before you could have justice?¡±


    ¡°For what? Justice won¡¯t bring me back all the years I suffered. Justice won¡¯t save all the people I lost. Only in death would I find peace! So give it to me!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alastor bent down and gave the woman a hug.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t know. My sister does this to me whenever I am sad. Seeing you like this, I just kind of think you need one!¡± smiled Alastor at the crying woman, only to be slapped in the face. But it was not an attack or anything like that. It was a normal reaction from a woman who was not used to physical contact with the opposite sex and wanted to hide her shyness and embarrassment.


    ¡°You¡­idiot!¡± Maria turned away to hide her red cheeks.


    ¡°Come with me Maria! I will show you the happiness you deserve.¡± Said Alastor. Sadly for the boy, he did not really understand what he just said. For him, it was simply because he wanted to learn about the information Maria got and because he pitied her for all the suffering she has endured, he wanted to make her happy.


    And of course the other party took the sentence in a whole different meaning.


    ¡°¡­..Alright! If you hurt me again I will kill you!¡±


    "I just chopped off your head. Before that burning, drowning, burying alive. What could possibly be worse than that?" Alastor jested.

 Chapter 22: Curse of Memories

    Alastor''s POV


    I thought this case would end well. I have gained another resourceful companion who could shed some light about this group called Sanctus. But when Maria lifted the barrier and we went back to the children, the transformation has already started.


    In front of me, the children began to change. Something dark spread across their entire body before completely engulfing everything. With her last ounce of sanity left, Shana looked at me and called out my name, before turning.


    ¡°Alas¡­tor¡­¡±


    In mere seconds, all the children I have saved earlier have assumed a new form: an unsightly beast. The creature was pure black with sharp tooth barring at me. They used their formerly human arms, now deformed, as their front legs, moving from side to side in an inhuman manner on four foot while still keeping me and Maria on sight, like a beast waiting for the time to jump at its pray. Their bones cracked as they moved. And their roar, so loud it could break a man¡¯s eardrums if they were near.


    ¡°Shana, please control yourself! It¡¯s me.¡± I shouted desperately at the beast in front of me.


    Suddenly it jumped at me but was kicked down by Maria.


    ¡°That¡¯s no longer the Shana you knew! Now it¡¯s just a monstrosity beyond saving. We need to kill it now, put her out of her misery. I am sorry, Alastor! I really do but now there is no other way.¡± Said Maria.


    Was there really no other way? All these demon lord powers, the ultimate crystal magic, were you telling me that despite all I got, I was powerless to do anything here? Was I supposed to standing here like an idiot watching another person close to me drift away again?


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡± a voice from above called out.


    It was Mephisto flying down with Ikarus and Stella right behind. How did he get here? The devil looked at the children now turned into hideous beasts. I could sense a mixture of anger and sadness from him.


    ¡°Not again¡­I am too late again!¡± he muttered. For a moment, I swore, when he saw Maria, his expression became strange all of the sudden. But at that time I did not pay too much attention about it.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Mephisto?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Alice told me everything so I rushed here as fast as I could with the antidote. But¡­¡± Mephisto lowered his head in disappointment. He blamed himself for it but everyone knew it was not his fault.


    He mentioned Alice telling him about this. How did she know? I didn¡¯t have time to explain to Ikarus what happened and Alice was already aware of this? Was that another effect of the chain?


    ¡°Antidote? You mean there is a cure for it?¡± I realised what he just said.


    ¡°Yes but it would only work if it was drank before the transformation. And I have only one dose, enough for one person only." Mephisto explained. He took out a small vial containing a red liquid.


    "How do you know? Did you test it?" I urged him.


    "Not yet but..." but I interrupted him and stole the vial from his hand. I rather died trying than do nothing to save Shana.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt but we have a bigger issue right in front of us now!¡± Maria reminded us that we were still surrounded by the creatures.


    At that moment all of them charged at us with an incredible speed. But an idea came to me. I opened a big  magic circle right in front of us.


    Thankfully most of them fell inside on first try, except for one. That was Shana. While they all looked more or less similar, I still kept her in my eyes since the very beginning. As she sprinted at me, I turned the earth under her foot into mud and pinned her down. I immediately rushed in and poured the vial in her mouth.


    She struggled but finally stopped before falling unconscious. And her body began to morph back but for some reasons only the upper body. The lower body was left intact, traces of the beast.


    "What did you just do?" asked Mephisto.


    "I don''t need to harm them if I could keep them contained inside a separate dimension. Not for long since despite being able to contain living beings, the dimension was not designed for that purpose and is actually very unstable. If the target resists, even a little bit, a crack could open allowing them to escape. Not to mention there are at least thirty of them here. We still have a few hours before they could break out of that space.


    I assume you come here using Amelia''s portal. Let''s just head back to the castle for now! At least there we have enough resource to contain them. From there we can find a way to bring them back." I explained.


    "I see. Then so be it. Let us hurry! The portal is just outside Cedra." Suddenly Mephisto stopped and turned toward a nearby bush. "But before that, how about you show yourself?" Mephisto shouted in nothingness.


    "It''s alright, Scarlet! We are together now!" as Maria called, a shadow appeared behind her before turning into a young human girl. I remembered seeing at Terrick''s mansion together with Maria. "This is Scarlet, a close friend of mine! If you don''t mind I would like to bring her with me to the castle."


    "Why? I thought we are enemies." demanded Ikarus. It was true that I did not inform her of Maria yet.


    "No need to worry Ikarus! Maria is..." but someone else interrupted me before I could finish.


    "She is fine, celestial. She can come with us! If anything I would trust her more than you. More importantly we should go now." dictated the devil.


    Leaving a bitter celestial following behind, we headed toward the portal. On our way, I asked Mephisto about the vial.


    "Mephisto, who gave you this antidote?"


    "What do you mean? Wasn''t it you who found the cure and asked Alice to make it so she can give it to me?" answered the man.


    * * *


    As everyone focused on the journey back to Ragna, no one paid attention to Mephisto who constantly stared at the two newest members of the party: Maria and Scarlet. While he did hear from Alice about Ikarus a few weeks ago, he should not have known about Maria and Scarlet. Yet for some reasons, his eyes showed something else.


    "Don''t you need to tell your friends about you leaving?" said Mephisto to Maria.


    "I will but it can wait. How do you know that I have other friends Mr. Mephisto?" retorted Maria.


    "Just a lucky guess. Since I see that Karla....." At that moment Mephisto realized he has made a big mistake, blundered by his own emotion. And that moment of blunder has not escape Maria¡¯s eyes.


    Hearing that name, Maria switched to a more serious tone. She looked at Mephisto, this time with a judgemental eye. She knew him from when back at Caine village where Mephisto and the others demons came to rescue Alastor. At that time she did not think much of him. But hearing that name from the devil, Maria began to think there was more to Mephisto than meets the eye.


    ¡°How did you know about Scarlet¡¯s real name? Who are you?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°¡­.Mephisto, a member of the four demon royal guards. I thought you already know about me.¡± Said the man in question. ¡°But here we are at the portal. Let¡¯s leave the chatting for later.¡±


    With that, Mephisto dived forward and passed through the portal, followed by Alastor and the others. As Maria walked to it, she pondered about the enigmatic Mephisto.


    * * *


    As soon that the group arrived at the castle, without losing time for reunion, Alastor freed the creatures from the pocket dimension inside a large dungeon cell, each one with a chain around its neck shackled to the wall. To make sure that nothing would get out of hands, Ikarus, Stella, Naberius and Amelia were stationed nearby in case they broke out. It was perhaps too overdone but Alastor would take no chance.


    While this was a rather crude method to treat the transformed children, Alastor did so thinking it would be only a temporary measure. The cure from earlier, while it did not fully recover Shana, could at least halt the transformation and partially reverted back their humanity. To do so, he needed more of these antidotes. And apparently Alice held the answer to the question.


    Right now the boy, accompanied by Maria and Scarlet, were heading toward Alice¡¯s chamber. Unfortunately, they met Azureus on the way, who told them that Alice has gone out to the spider¡¯s nest but she should be back in a short moment. For now all they could do was to wait.


    With utmost care, Alastor put Shana on a bed. She was still unconscious ever since she took that antidote. It must be because of the strain she had to put up with the metamorphosis.


    As he sat down next the the bed, Alastor watched over the sleeping girl.


    "So your sister is out huh? I didn''t even know you have one." said Maria.


    "She was with me during the fight between the celestials and the demons royal guards at the village. Didn''t you see her?" Alastor replied.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story."Let''s just say my eyes were fixated on you during the fight so I didn''t notice anyone else." Maria mischievously smiled. "So you learnt from her the thing you did to me huh? I am even more interesting to meet her now. What''s her name?"


    "Alice. You will get your wish soon enough." smiled back Alastor. "Hum Maria?"


    Alastor spotted a change in expression from Maria. A mixture of both bewilderment and fear, as if a bad memory came up. But she quickly regained her composure and smiled softly at him.


    ''Alice...Can''t be right?'' was what she was thinking. However she stopped her contemplation when she saw his missing arm. His breath was getting heavy too. It must be exhausting for him after fighting a monster like herself.


    ¡°You need to rest Alastor! No need to watch her, I can do it for you! I mean you lost one of your arms.¡± Maria pointed out, showing her concern for him.


    ¡°It will heal as soon as I get your blood out of my system. No need to worry about me! I won¡¯t let her out of my sight again! More importantly it seems like your friend wants to say something to me. Since earlier I have seen that she was eager to tell me something but still wavered about it.


    You said your name was Scarlet, correct? Why don¡¯t you share with us about what you want to say?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°You have quite the eye. Indeed I do have something to ask. But considering the current situation, I don¡¯t know if it is appropriate to¡­..¡± Scarlet reluctantly expressed her concern. It seemed Maria just realized what Scarlet wanted to say.


    ¡°We are doing nothing here so go ahead! I am listening!¡± affirmed the boy.


    ¡°Hum¡­.¡± But Scarlet was interrupted.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s not the time Scarlet! Leave it for later!¡± insisted Maria while showing a worried expression.


    ¡°Now you just make me even more curious. Speak!¡± the boy insisted with a smile. But behind his smile, Scarlet could feel the pressure he put on. He clearly wasn¡¯t in a good mood and hiding things from him might make him even ¡­.unstable


    ¡°All right I will be frank with you. In return I hope you will be honest with me as this will affect you much more than it would to me.¡± Explained Scarlet.


    ¡°I promise! Speak quickly! I am starting to lose my patience here!¡±


    ¡°Do you have trouble with your memories? Things like the feelings of forgetting something but can¡¯t seem to remember what it was? Even minor things. Anything at all?¡±


    ¡°Not that I am aware of. Why? What are you getting at?¡± the girl has certainly captured Alastor¡¯s attention. Asking about his memories? What could she possible talking about?


    ¡°I see. I suppose asking you would be pointless since the mark is too powerful. Then let me ask something else. Do you know of the Eye of Revelation? Or the name Veritas?¡± demanded the girl.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, Veritas is a famous clan of assassins who specialize in magic and curse. They used to work for the Emperor of Zagon but vanished about a century ago when the king of Ceadric at that time wiped them all out.


    As for the Eye of Revelation, I don¡¯t have a clue.¡± Answered Alastor. He remembered reading about Veritas from a book in the archives. An interesting fact but rather pointless at that time.


    ¡°You are right about Veritas. What you don¡¯t know is how they got their reputation. Let me show you something¡± Scarlet pushed her hair to a side, revealing her peculiar right eye. It had the figure of a star imprinted on it, constantly rotating from right to left in a circular motion. ¡°This is the reason why we, member of the Veritas family, are specialized in curse. The Eye of Revelation, passed down from generation to generation.


    In ancient times curse was a common alternative to assassination to deal with your enemies in a, how should I put this, discrete and indirect way. While most curses can be undone with the right equipment by any experienced mage, it was very hard to detect if someone was cursed, until it became to late.


    But thanks to this Eye which allows us to see all traces of magic and therefore curse and such, we were the best of them. Nonetheless I am not here to talk about my family. What I am saying is that when I first saw you, I can see that you were and still are under the effect of a curse: the Curse of Memories.¡±


    What Scarlet just said shocked Alastor to his very core. Someone has cast a curse on him and no one was even aware of it? But could he trust this woman? First time he talked to her and already she told him that he was cursed. Supposedly that what she said was correct, someone was able to bypass Magnus and all the demon lords combined and put a curse on him. Was this even possible?


    ¡°And that¡¯s not all. You are not the only one who was inflicted with the curse. Everyone inside the village you were in also showed sign of exposure. At least everyone we found.¡± Added Scarlet.


    ¡°Everyone at Caine? I thought they were all dead.¡±


    ¡°Yes but just because the body died doesn¡¯t mean the curse would be lifted. This way it would prevent someone using necromancy on the bodies to retrieve information as the souls themselves were still under the effect of the curse. But a curse that still binds its victim even in death is one of the most powerful kind I have ever seen.


    Unfortunately for that person since they didn¡¯t expect me and Maria to be there after you left. We wanted to erase all traces of you there but when I stumbled at this, I just couldn¡¯t ignore it. What or whoever did this really thought it through.¡±


    Everything was just too sudden. First Shana and now this? Just what was happening around this poor boy?


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you but do you have any proof of this? Surely you understand that all you just said is quite hard to swallow.¡± Alastor said. Before continuing their discussion in this matter, he at least needed proof that there was indeed a curse on him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any physical evidence nor can I show you my vision. Else it would be too easy. But it doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t prove it. In fact you already have the proof. You just can¡¯t see it yet!¡± explained Scarlet.


    ¡°Are you talking about the lost memories the curse caused?¡± Indeed if Alastor could retrieve these lost memories, it would mean that something or someone has removed it from him, curse or not.


    From her belt, Scarlet took out an unusual amulet. A triangular shape with an eye in the middle. From a glance, Alastor could tell its origin. The amulet had an insignia imprinted on the eye: the image of a cog, symbol of the Artificer. There was also one on the Anima Lantern he has taken from the Archduke. Could this be one of the Tempus Machina?


    ¡°From your expression, I can see that you know what this is. Yes this is one of the legendary artefacts made by the Artificer, a Tempus Machina: the Ara Amulet. It can be use as a protection charm against magic by cancelling all spells in the surrounding area of the wearer, including your own. But most importantly in our case, it can disrupt the mana flow used by the curse inside your body to sustain itself. In short works, it will nullify the Curse of Memories. Why don''t you try it?" Scarlet handed the amulet to the boy.


    The instant he put on the amulet, a sharp pain came in his head. The memories were coming back. It was as if he lived all those years he could remember again in a mere few seconds. All the emotions he felt, all the things he missed, Morgan, Gazel, it all came back to him now.


    Seeing Alastor almost collapsing on his own, Maria ran to his side to help him get up.


    "So did you remember anything?" asked Scarlet.


    " *heavy breathing* I don''t believe so. Everything was the same as before. Nothing...Wait no! ....Everything is the same...No No NOOOOO!" Alastor screamed, clunching his head in pain. He realized it now, what he missed, the thing he forgot.


    Immediately Alastor ran outside of the room. Seeing his strange behavior, Maria and Scarlet decided to catch up with him.


    "No No no! It can''t be... That''s not possible!" as he passed through the hallway, Alastor muttered to himself in disbelief. He did not want to believe what he just remembered. Something so small, so trivial yet with so crucial. How could he have overlooked this? So that was what the Curse did to him?


    But then he was stopped by Maria. She held his arm firmly, not letting the boy go until he told her what just got to him.


    At that moment, a figure approached from down the hall. A little girl with her fiery hair, a girl with a small stature, brimming with innocence with her smile. And yet a mere sight of her was enough to make a certain person tremble in fear.


    "YOU!" Maria shouted in anger. She drew her sword, directing it to the small girl. But her arm was shaking, even though she tried her hardest to keep it down. For whatever reason, Maria was intensively afraid of that girl. What could possibly make someone fearless like Maria, who embraced death heartfully, fear from a little girl?


    "What are you doing Maria?" normally if someone pointed a sword at his sister like that, Alastor would have either jumped to her side to protect her or massacred that person before they could harm the girl. Yet he remained still, only showed his surprise to Maria''s reaction. Did what he remember affect him that much?


    "Stay away from her, Alastor!" Maria moved between Alastor and Alice, still holding her swords ready.


    "Alastor, you said that only you and Alice escaped the tragedy at Caine and she has been staying with you for a very long time, correct? Now everything makes sense." Scarlet pointed a dagger at the small girl.


    "Alice you are the one who cast the Curse of Memories on Alastor!"


    "No it wasn''t Alice. It can''t be Alice!" Maria mumbled.


    "What are you saying Maria?"


    "Alice already died ten years ago. That thing is not Alice!"

 Chapter 23: Path of Chaos

    ¡°Alice already died ten years ago. That thing is not Alice!!!¡±


    What an outrageous thing! Maria¡¯s words echoed through the silent hall. Both Alastor and Scarlet couldn¡¯t hide their surprise hearing those words. And yet, each didn¡¯t raise any remark, as if a part of them already expected something, just not this.


    Finally the person in question spoke.


    ¡°Hum¡­brother, I think your guests are a bit rude don¡¯t you think? Coming to our house and saying such things. But what made me sad most is you brother.  You don¡¯t even defend me against those groundless accusations. Am I not your sister, Alastor?¡± said Alice. Strangely the usual cry baby didn¡¯t even faze.


    ¡°Yes you are my sister Alice. Always have been and always will be.¡± Alastor responded, making his sister give out a gentle smile. She walked toward him and gave him a big welcome home hug.


    ¡°Alastor, stay away! That¡¯s not¡­.¡± But Maria didn¡¯t even need to finish.


    ¡°Just tell me one thing Alice¡­¡± said Alastor while being embraced.


    ¡°Yes of course dear brother. Anything!¡± so did Alice.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you aged a bit for the last ten years?¡±


    At that moment Alice pushed the boy and took a few steps back. Suddenly she started crying hysterically.


    ¡°He knows *hic * he knows! What do I do?¡±  Alice sobbed as tears poured out of her eyes. All of the sudden her voice changed drastically to a mature womanly voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! Don¡¯t cry!¡±


    ¡°But you told me that if I let him know, he will leave me *hic hic *¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault my dear. How about letting me take over from here? I will sort it out for you!¡±


    ¡°..Okay!¡± After finishing talking to herself, Alice turned toward Alastor ¡°Please don¡¯t hate me!¡±


    Then she collapsed before standing up again. This time however she was completely different, behaving like an adult.


    ¡°Sorry about that! Now that Alice is sleeping, we can continue our nice conversation, won¡¯t you agree brother?


    And nice to meet you again, Maria! Did you like my present to you?¡± Alice made a joyful expression.


    ¡°You evil! You are the one who made me into this¡­ this monstrosity.¡± Raged Maria.


    ¡°What is she talking about lady Maria?¡± asked Scarlet. Even though Scarlet was one of the closest friend of Maria, she has never actually told Scarlet or anyone about the origin of her cursed body. They assumed that it was probably an effect of the demon blood infused in Maria.


    "I remember that day clearly as if it was yesterday. Ten years ago when we were still in that facility, Scarlet. The day of the ritual!"


    "You can''t possibly mean!!!" Scarlet shouted out.


    "Alastor, ten years ago we were just like those children you saw, subjects to their inhuman experiments with demon blood. And the man in charge of the facility we were in was Terrick.


    Despite being a clergyman of the Church of Light, Terrick belonged in an extremist group. Just like the brighter the candle, the bigger the shadow it cast, the Church has different factions inside itself. One in particular who called themselves Sanctus. Terrick believed that the power of the demon comes from their blood and that blood is sacred unlike their vessel which the Church considered unholy. With his experiments, he theorized that the demon blood could be used as a conduit to trace back to God. Which means that if a body created by God, a member of the Prime race, were to be compatible and possess the sacred blood inside them, it can be used as a vessel for God himself.


    This led to his mad experimentation on children as he believed children are still innocent, unlike their adult counterpart. After years of sacrifice with thousands of children dead by his hand, Terrick finally found what he has been looking for. A young elf girl with crimson fiery hair. On that fateful day, however, things went wrong.


    I, who managed to escape from my cell, thinking to escape, found myself at the ritual hall. And I saw it. As Terrick plunged a dagger to the girl''s heart, I saw something descending from the sky into the girl''s body. In a way Terrick succeeded his summoning. But it was not a God he called upon. But a fiendish being. With its new body, it massacred everyone around it. Only Terrick managed to escape.


    And it found me, hiding before a pillar. And it gave me... This this accursed body! That thing controlled Alice''s body, bending it to its will. It''s only trying to trick you Alastor! You must believe me!!!" pleaded Maria.


    "What a fascinating story you have Maria! But I would rather not have you calling me fiendish. The man named Terrick did get what he wanted. He wished for a God and I gave him one. What about you young lady? How did you know it was me who cast the curse on Alastor?" Alice talked in an arrogant tone.


    "The two of you have lived with each other for a longtime. From what I understand, everyone in that village is affected with the curse. Yet when I first see you earlier, you don''t have it. Therefore it makes you the most suspicious person." Scarlet explained as she showed her Eye.


    "Hum the Eye of Revelation is it? Such a troublesome thing. I thought that line was extinct but it seems I was wrong. And to answer your question, dear brother, as you have realized, my body can''t grow because of the ...let''s say accident that day. But living with someone like that would surely make them suspicious. So I cast the curse on everyone I stayed with for more than a year to make sure no one would notice this...condition of mine. It''s not like I took away their memories, I just made it so I am more forgettable, especially my body. But such a thing wouldn''t bother you right brother? I am always your sister after all." Alice smiled softly.


    "Was all those years just a trick? All the time we passed together...was it all a lie?" mumbled Alastor.


    "Of course not. That was actually Alice who did everything by herself. The poor girl only wanted a family, to compensate for what she lost. And you provided it to her. It must be weird to hear me saying this but trust me when I tell you that she loves you. As for me, I merely intervened when it''s necessary or when Alice asked me for it. Rest assured!" Alice implored.


    "Then all I need to do is to get rid of you to release Alice!" Alastor started charging his mana inside his body. For an entity who possessed others'' body, soul magic seemed like the perfect counter as it would directly attack the entity without damaging the owner''s body.


    "Now now! If you get rid of me, Alice will return to the original state before I found her: dead. So I suggest you calm down child!"


    "What are you exactly?" Alastor angrily shouted.


    "Why not ask your friend inside you? Actually, how about you come here to play, oh Great Soul Forger Magnus!" the little girl implored.


    "How do you... ARGHH!" suddenly Alastor felt a sharp pain in his head.


    ''Sorry kid! We will take over from here'' a voice echoed inside his mind. A black mist started coming from the boy'' shadow, englobing his body. His eyes changed their color to a dark purple one. A red stone came out of his forehead, as if a third eye has appeared.


    "How nice to see you again, old friend!" Alice giggled.


    "Lilith, Mother of Monsters and Bringer of Flesh! We meet again!" Magnus, now controlling Alastor''s body, spoke.


    "How wonderful for two of the Trinity to reunite like this! Let''s celebrate!" Alice joked.


    All of the sudden, the sky darkened. Not because of the clouds but the sun itself. A giant black has englobed the sun.


    "<Eclipse>. Today you die witch!"


    From the black sun above, hundred of projectiles fired toward the demon castle. Each hit was powerful enough to blast away a small keep. And it was raining of them. In a matter of seconds, the entire landscape surrounding the castle was reduced to nothingness. Strangely none did hit the castle, thanks to a magic circle floating above the castle, shielding it from harm.


    "Are you really gonna sacrifice everyone in this cycle just to kill me?" said Alice.


    "I will sink this entire continent to the ocean if it means killing you!"


    "What have I ever done to you? Aside from killing you a few times but we all did that once in a while right?"


    "You stole my FLAME. Then you gave it to Eden!!!" shouted Magnus.


    "And Eden did kill me for it. He tricked both of us. We have fought each other for millennia, even though we shared a common enemy. How about a truce? What do you say?" Alice extended her arm.


    "Don''t think that I don''t know what you are thinking. You just want the Key for yourself." but her offer was bluntly rejected.


    "So do you. But without me, the Key won''t be completed. But you obviously know that don''t you?"


    "......" Magnus could say anything. Deep inside, he knew Lilith was right. He needed her, no matter how much he refused to believe it.


    At that moment Alastor''s body returned to normal and the boy took control of his body once again. He was watching the whole time but just couldn''t do anything about it.


    "I take that as a yes! Perfect! So let''s...." but Lilith was interrupted.


    "I am still here!!!" the boy spoke in anger "I won''t let you use Alice''s body like you want. And you Magnus, you didn''t mention anything about how you can just take control of my body like that. You almost kill us all. Look around you! Don''t ever do that again or I swear whatever your plan is, I will destroy it!"


    ''Understood! Our apologies! We kinda lost ourselves'' said Magnus in Alastor''s mind.


    "I am sorry for my friend''s wild behavior. Here let me take care of it! <Chronoshift> " said Lilith as she raised her arm.


    All of the sudden, all the damages from Magnus'' attack started recovering. The trees and rocks returned to their initial position. In an instant it was as if his spell never actually happened.


    Alastor was left speechless by the one who possessed Alice. That woman could manipulate time itself? Who exactly was she? And how was she connected to Magnus?


    For the whole time Maria and Scarlet couldn''t even move from their spots nor could they utter a word. Maria has seen herself as a monster, an anomaly for a very long time. Yet today, for the first time, she admitted she was much more human than the two standing in front of her. Magic so powerful as if it was out of this world. Just who were these people?


    "Now that everything is repaired, shall me resume our chat? Let''s start with introduction. I am Lilith and I have been inhabiting inside Alice for more than ten years. A pleasure to make your acquaintance Alastor!" saluted Lilith using Alice''s body.


    "What or who are you exactly? Why Alice? What does she have anything to do with this?" asked Alastor.


    "Like the miss said, I was summoned through a blood ritual by one named Terrick more than ten years ago. As for why it was simply I could not manifest myself physically in the world because of a certain reason and so I need a body in which demon blood flows in order to possess it. But only one that was strong enough to contain me. And that''s how I met Alice. In a way I saved her life. Without me sustaining her essence, the poor girl would be long gone for now. So you can hate me all you want but spare the poor girl!" pleaded Lilith. It seemed the woman knew a bit of sympathy as well.


    "Alice is always be my sister and that won''t ever change. So you don''t have to worry about that. Still who are you exactly? And what''s your relation with Magnus?"


    "Such a curious boy aren''t you! I don''t mind answering your question but how about we settle our current problem first? What did you do with the vial I gave to Mephisto?" asked the girl.


    Alastor suddenly remembered what he was looking for. Shana and the others children still needed his help right now. And to do that, he needed this strange woman''s help.


    "So it did come from you. Unfortunately there were just too many children and they have already transformed into some kind of beast. I used a vial on one of them but she only reverted back partially. Can you help her? Please!!!" Alastor got on his knees, begging to the woman.


    Some said a man''s pride was everything a man got. But Alastor did not care for such a thing. If begging could save Shana''s life, he would do it a thousand times.


    "So she only took it after the transformation?....Such a pity!" Lilith gave out a long sigh. "You should probably go to her side, Alastor! Cherish this moment!"


    "Why? What are you talking about?"


    "...What the vial contains was my blood. It''s not a perfect cure but it could halt the transformation. But only if you ingest it before the metamorphosis. Based on what you just told me, I reckon the girl has at most a few hours left. Same for the rest of the children...."


    As if a bell tolled inside his head, Alastor''s mind seemingly shattered at that moment. Such an innocent little girl! She still had so much to live for. And now it was gone. For what? Because of some maniacs who killed in the name of their pathetic God? The child who was abandoned by the world...was it not enough? Did it have to kill her to finish her off?


    ''Such a world has no right to exist!'' a thought emerged inside the boy''s mind.


    Without uttering a single word, the boy walked back to Shana'' side. With Maria and Scarlet quietly following him behind, not a sound was made.


    "Was this necessary? Revealing yourself like that?" a voice asked. "You could just erase their memories all together again."


    "And how many times have I done that to so many people already? I am starting to get tired of it. And you? Thinking about revealing yourself yet?" Lilith turned toward a small shadow hiding behind a pillar. A roundish ball of slime.


    "When it''s time I guess. But I am not important. Just a simple drifter!" said the slime.


    "Carefree as ever, old friend! But anyway let us follow Alastor. I want to give him something he needs to survive in this world. Just don''t know if it is the right time..."


    "Now it''s the perfect time. That girl''s life is beyond saving. But at the very least her soul could still be salvaged. But again this is the first time this happens. Who knows what the future holds?"


    * * *


    Alastor''s POV


    "Shana, please stay with me!"


    I said to an unconscious Shana as I held her hand tightly. I never realized it before but her hand was so small, so frail that I was afraid that I would break her. I wanted to know her more, to understand her, to share my happiness, no matter how little it was with her.


    ''Beatrix, please!'' I was now in the Abyss. Sitting in front of me was a woman covered with only chains and a cape.


    ''She is going to die Alastor. The pain she will leave behind...it will scar you for life.''


    ''Then let it will edge my mind, make it bleed so she will forever stay in my memories.''


    ''...as you wish! <Chain of Bond> ! Although short, you and her have shared a deep bond together. Peer into her memories as will she into yours! Let''s there be secrets no longer between you two!''


    As I watched her memories, since the very first memory she had, how she got separated from her family, how she ended up meeting me, I asked myself how she would react if she saw mine. She would know that I was a demon, that I killed people. What would she say to me? Then my strains of thoughts were interrupted. Someone must be calling me in the real world. I should get back. I have seen enough already.


    "Alastor! Wake up!" a voice called out to me. At the same time, I felt someone patting my head. For some reason, it felt soothing. I could stay like this for hours.


    I opened my eyes, only to see Shana looking down at me, smiling. Why were my eyes so blurry? Some liquid fell on my cheeks.


    "Shana!" I screamed out.


    "I am here Alastor!" the girl hugged me tightly in her small chest.


    "Are you feeling alright? Does it hurt anywhere?" I didn''t know why I was asking these questions. She was going to die soon and what was I supposed to tell her?


    "I am okay. Just a bit surprised by the new legs I have" she pointed out the beastly legs. She made it sound to light but I could feel her heavy heart in her words. And her hands were shaking. She was afraid. Of course she would. Anyone would be terrified in her position. Yet she held it in. Perhaps to not to make me worry.


    "Shana....I....I don''t know what to say..."


    Seeing my expression, my fear shown on my face, she already understood what I was going to say.


    "I know Alastor. You may not believe me but in my dreams, I saw you. How you grew up, Morgan, Alice and everyone else. Strange isn''t it?"


    "But I am a..."


    "I know. But it doesn''t matter what you are. To me you are Alastor! And that''s enough."


    "But you..."


    "I know I will die soon."


    Those words. Why couldn''t she blame me for not coming to her sooner? Why was she not angry? Why did she smile at me like that? These feelings of guilt were eating me alive.


    "Is there anything I can do for you? Anything? Just say it! I will do it."


    I wanted to know. If there was something I could do for this girl, anything that might make her feel better, I would do it.


    "You know, I have always dreamt about riding a dragon! Soaring the sky on top of the most majestic creature in the world. Wouldn''t that be cool?"


    What? A dragon? Where would I find one in that short amount of time left? I panicked at the mere thought.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    "I am just joking! You being here is more than enough for me." the girl giggled.


    If only we could stay like this forever. But fate was cruel and time never stopped for anyone. Shana started coughing heavily, and blood has dripped out her mouth. We were out of time.


    "Alastor it''s time!" a voice called out to me from behind. It was Alice, or rather Lilith judging by her tone. "At this rate her soul will just end up in oblivion."


    Oblivion? Why? When someone died, their soul would return to the First Flame in order to be reincarnated again. Wasn''t that how it was supposed to work?


    "What do you mean?" I asked Lilith.


    "The demon blood inside her has cut her connection to the First Flame. That''s it because it considers her as tainted, defiled, not longer fit to be reincarnated. Her soul won''t return there. Instead it will be wandering in the void for all eternity."


    "What the hell do you mean? Hasn''t she have enough of this bullshit? Now you are gonna tell me that she can''t even rest in peace?"


    In a fit of anger, I trashed the table next to me, smashing it against the wall.


    "There is another way. A way to free her from that hell. However....its method is rather unorthodox."


    "Tell me!"


    "Devour her soul, Alastor! That way she will be sent to the Abyss, to where your soul is. You two will become one. You won''t be able to see her but she will still be there, watching you!"


    "NO! I won''t do it. Not only do you want me to kill her, now I have to eat her soul too? I....I refuse to do it."


    "Do I not get a say in this?" said Shana.


    "Of course you do!" I told her.


    "Then please eat me Alastor!"


    "Are you aware of what you are saying?"


    "Look at me Alastor! I am already dead. It doesn''t matter any more. But if it means that I can still stay with you then do it! Do it for me!"


    "Shana...I....this can''t be happening!"


    "Alastor...please....I"


    At that moment, Shana was clunching her heart. It really was time. With tears in my eyes, I held onto her hand.


    "Please...Alastor..remember me! Don''t forget about me!"


    "I won''t! I promise!" I sobbed.


    "Thank...you...for...everything!"


    I no longer felt any force from her. Her hand felt down on the bed and Shana gave out her last breath.


    "Shana?! SHANA?"


    But no matter how many times I called her name, she remained silent. I cursed the ones who made her life miserable. I cursed Sanctus. I cursed the world.


    "Drink this Alastor! It''s my blood. It will lead you down a new path, one which is neither Light nor Dark: the path of Chaos. Follow your instincts! Kill your enemies! Devour your loved ones! Eat and evolve!"


    * * *


    Ikarus and the others were waiting for Alastor''s return. They were standing in front of the dungeon holding the children who turned into beasts. They have been quiet for a while now, mostly due to exhaustion.


    As for Ikarus, she has been feeling unwell. Not physically but for some reason she felt pain in her heart. The despair, the hatred, the sadness. Where did all these emotions come from? It was so grueling to endure them. But Ikarus had a hunch about where they originated from. And the steps from afar confirmed her suspicion.


    A young boy was carrying a small body on his arm. The body belonged to an unfortunate girl who did not survive the transformation. And the boy, trying to keep a solemn expression, silently walked through the hall. Yet dignified he may seem, he carried a great hatred to the world.


    Nobody knew what to say to the boy. They didn''t even know why he brought her here in the first place. If the girl died, then did it mean that the antidote didn''t work? Then what would happen to the children?


    Walking into the cell, Alastor gently put the body on the ground with her head placing on his knees. The beasts, seeing someone entered, started growling.


    "Here you are Shana! I will send your friends first alright?" the boy spoke softly to the corpse.


    His skin darkened before taking on a pure black color. His body started to grow to twice his normal size. His hair became longer, keeping their white color. His face became so dark it was no longer possible to see the details. It was as if everything just vanished, leaving only a creepy mouth behind.


    Alastor has become a ghastly dark creature with elongated limbs and claws. The head had nothing but a mouth filled with sharp teeth. Some kind of dark mist was constantly emitted surrounding the creature, making its appearance even more frightening. The hair, moving on air like a long cape, only added to the ghostly side of the creature.


    Suddenly from his hands, black tentacles shot out and impaled all the creatures, killing them instantly. Then each started to pull back, dragging something out of the bodies. A tiny orb of light came out with each tentacle and flew into Alastor. The bodies quickly disintegrated into dust the moment their light disappeared. Now all that was left was Shana.


    The boy thought he could do it. He has done it well so far. Just one more left. But he couldn''t hold the tears back as they poured down from his absent eyes. But it was no tears that fell. It was blood, black blood.


    He raised his hand and plunged his sharp claws into Shana. Strangely it made no wound. Instead Alastor pulled out another orb of light. As he held it in his ghoulish hands, the boy spoke in an inhuman and malicious voice.


    "We will be together forever!"


    Then he opened his mouth and swallowed the orb as tears continued to flow down his face.


    "Goodbye Shana!" he wept.


    * * *


    "Where am I?" a little girl''s voice echoed inside the darkness. The place was covered by a black mist, making it harder to see the surroundings.


    As she looked around, she found herself in the middle of two lines of knights wearing black armor. Not a dozen, not hundreds but thousands of them lining up on both sides, making a path toward a giant gate. Each knight was holding a great sword pointing toward the ground, standing firmly like a statue.


    The little girl confused by her surroundings, decided to move forward, following the path created by the knights. As she passed by each line, the knight kneeled down before her, as if saluting her in a praying gesture.


    At the end of the path, the girl found herself in front of the giant gate from earlier. No matter how much she tried to push it, the door just wouldn''t budge an inch. Suddenly the door moved by itself and opened its large gate, revealing a large pillar of flame, a bonfire like a beacon in this darkness.


    Then she heard a clacking metallic sound from inside the door. The sound of armor rattling with something heavy being dragged on the ground. As the door fully opened, she saw a shape coming out of the darkness. A knight in an old armor holding a great sword moving toward her faster and faster.


    It was too scary for the little girl. She closed her eyes, hoping for her end to come. But alas nothing came. She reopened her eyes, only to see that the knight was already in front of her. She shivered in fear, thinking about what might happen.


    But the stranger did no such thing. Instead he led her in. The girl was now stepping inside this decrepit gate. She could finally see the whole source of light from earlier: the flame. For some foreign reason, it soothed her fear, calmed her and it was so warm.


    "Enter!" said the knight as he turned to the little girl outside the gate."Become one with the flame! To be consumed by it! Serve as its fuel!"


    "Will I be with Alastor if I go there? Will I be able to save him, to lift his burdens even for a little bit? I know he is sad and I don''t want to leave him alone." asked the girl.


    "What you will become is up to you. Whatever you create will be his and it will be the manifestation of your will. For life exists in many forms!"


    The girl strolled to the fiery flame, stopped only a few foot away. In her heart, she was ready. If she could help Alastor in whatever way she could provide then she would. For he was her family.


    "May your soul find peace in the Flame!" proclaimed the knight. He raised his sword high and plunged into the ground before kneeling down with both his hands holding the sword in a prayer gesture.


    The girl walked into the fire. But it didn''t hurt. Her body started to turn into tiny particles of light, embers but she felt no pain. A she peered into the flame, she saw the figure of a boy and ran to him, before completely disappear.


    Suddenly the fire burned intensively as it went up to the sky itself. Then from inside it, another flame appeared. This one however had a dark color just like a black flame, floated on air before splitting into three fragments and flew toward the sky.


    * * *


    The cell remained dead silent, aside from the sobbing of a young boy in the middle of the room. He just lost a member of his family. Although they were not related by blood nor did he know her for long, their bond was deeper than the ocean itself.


    The world took her away from him. The people who did that to her, the boy would make them pay for it. What was worst was that the world would continue on as always, as if nothing has happened.


    Alastor was no Saint. He was not a person of virtue nor he was a benevolent one. He did not care about other people''s lives so long as they didn''t bother him. But now he has lost someone dear to him.


    Though it may sound selfish, he would make it so the world would know his pain, her pain. He didn''t care anymore. He just wanted to go in a rampage killing everything. It didn''t matter who, he just wanted to kill.


    All those hatreds, those furies stacked up inside his mind. And it sparked a marvel. Unknown to him, for the first time in history, a new lifeform was born from the boy''s will, from the bond he shared with the girl.


    Not even the Gods knew what might happen. The boy who had inherited both Light and Dark, and now the blood of Chaos flew inside him. What could happen?


    Suddenly Alastor, now in a form of a grim creature, felt a sharp pain, as if something was piercing him from inside out. He clench his chest tightly. Something was coming out but no one could see anything.


    The beast shrieked loudly. His roar made the windows in the room break into pieces. The people, completely unaware of what was happening, could only cover their ears in confusion.


    All of the sudden, a black hole appeared on his chest and a dark hand reached out from the boy''s chest, making him scream in agony. A seemingly thin and frail long arm that sought something to hold on.


    But it did not stop there. Alastor started vomiting a black ooze leaking from his mouth. The liquid moved by itself as if it was alive.


    "Alastor!" Ikarus and Maria yelled at the boy who screamed in pain. But as they rushed to his side, an invisible force propelled them to the wall, stopping anyone from approaching the boy. The girls, unable to help him, could only watch the terrifying scene in front of them.


    "What is happening?" asked Ikarus.


    "Such a thing...I didn''t know something like this is possible. He is creating life itself!" Lilith, in Alice''s body, muttered in disbelief. Although not physically present, Alice could feel the boy''s agony from their connection. And it was not easy to endure it. The chain only transferred a portion of the pain and already she was overwhelmed by the pressure. Just what could keep him going on conscious?


    Then they appeared.


    From the hole on his chest, something crawled out, revealing a body twice the size of an adult. The figure wore a white cloak with some dark spots on it, as if it was tainted with darkness rather than its true color. It seemed like it had no face as it was completely covered by the cloak like an one piece. On his head lay a golden crown which covered its missing face with golden mesh. Its skins, shown only by its hands, was pale as snow and even though it looked frail, it could break a solid wall as easy as cutting butter.


    The second figure, formed by all the black sludge converging together, formed a womanly body wearing a light armor with dark blue cloth. It also wore a transparent purple veil which glided on air, adding to its ghostly yet divine appearance. Again it had no face, not because it was covered by anything. Rather nothing was inside the helmet, only darkness. With thin but long limbs, the figure was even taller than the last. If it stood up, the ceiling might not be enough for it. But instead, it moved on four legs like an animal as wherever it went, a black sludge dropped from its faceless head.


    Nonetheless there was a third one but no one seemed to notice it. Perhaps it was due to the former two who already threw the others into panic. Or simply because it had no physical form. A formless entity.


    Then together they turned toward Alastor and walked toward him.


    "Don''t take another step!" but they were stopped. A doll was standing between them and the boy, who was now half unconscious due to the pain he endured. It was a natural reaction. Seeing these strange looking entites coming out from the boy, everyone would assume that they were hostile.


    But they weren''t. Although they had no face, they made a worried expression toward their creator, their Father.


    "I am Kaiser, the True Monarch. Born of Shana''s desire, I am here to fulfill your promise." the figure with the crown spoke in a masculine tone.


    "I am Odium, Avatar of Spite. Born of hatred, I will kill those who dare harm my Father!" the womanly figure spoke.


    The third one however did not make a sound. Nonetheless it did speak, but directly into Alastor''s mind.


    ''I am Sinforma, the Abandoned One. For long the world has forsaken Mother, I will lead the forgotten and make them bid to your will!''


    Like every child would one day leave their nest, in order to help their creator, the children must now leave.


    Sinforma quietly disappeared into the sky without no one''s notice just like how it appeared in the first place.


    Odium descended into its own shadow and vanished into thin air.


    Kaiser, from his back, grew a pair of decrepit wings. It looked like tree branches spreading into wings. With a single flap, he flew out through one of the broken window and disappeared.


    * * *


    Sinforma was now heading toward a particular location, where those who were forgotten lay in rest. Places like that existed everywhere in this world but the largest would be the World''s Graveyard in the Theocracy''s territory, where many of the past heroes and such were buried.


    However such a place would be so well protected to ward off the monsters who dared trespass or those who had hidden motives. Surely the corpse of a hero of the past or a saint would be a treasure among necromancers.


    But how would a barrier stopped that which had no form?


    As the formless one overcame the barrier with ease, it stopped in the middle of the graveyard.


    "Forgotten ones, you who were abandoned by the world, you who were trapped in this place, I release you from your eternal slumber. Take my soul and arise! Make the world know that you still exist, that you are here, ALIVE!"


    All of the sudden, a black flame manifested itself on the sky above the graveyard. Then it split itself into thousands or even more tiny fragments, falling on the ground like a rain of falling stars. From the soil, the dead shall rise again. The heroes, the saints, the sinful. It didn''t matter who you were in life for all were equal in death.


    The March of the Fallen shall make the world awaken once more.


    * * *


    A shadow manifested itself in a forest. Although big, it managed to hide its presence by crawling near the ground. Sneaking through the guards like a mist, it was aiming for the Holy Fountain of the Elves. The fountain was said to be the source of the holy water of the entire kingdom as it was from here that every river in its territory converged and originated from.


    Needless to say what terrible things might happen if something were to happen to it. As the room containing the fountain remained clear of people, a black goo moved toward it like a serpent on the ground. Then it retook its original form: a giant figure wearing a veil.


    Odium stood up and spread her hand onto the fountain. She took her sword and cut herself. Her blood, black as the goo or perhaps it was the liquid itself, dropped into the fountain before completely dissolving into it. Strangely it did not change the water''s color. Perhaps it was because the quantity of the sludge was too small or Odium herself made it so no one would suspect a thing.


    "The world has gone far too long unpunished. The crime it committed, the sins it did, I will make it pay for its deeds.


    Take my blood! Let the corruption burn inside you! Feel the pain you inflicted to Father and Mother!"


    * * *


    As Kaiser soared through the sky, he muttered.


    "I am the True Monarch, the King of the world. I am above all but one. This world is mine and I shall make it submit under my rule.


    Rest assured Father! I will fulfill Mother''s wish. One day you two shall witness my action from your throne, watch me as I burns this world to ashes.


    One day, I promise, you will ride dragons. For only dragons are worthy to be the new God''s throne."

 Chapter 24: March of the Fallen

    Sinforma''s POV


    "Death is just the beginning.


    As we rest in the soil, the world continue to move forward without us. We, those who were abandoned, the forsaken ones, shall rise again to remind the world of our existence. Our legends may have been scattered, our legacies may have been passed on but as time went on, we were forgotten, relics of the past.


    Now we march onward, toward the capital of the living, to let them know that we are still here, no matter how they want to refuse us. For we are the Fallen. We are Sinforma."


    * * *


    The World''s Graveyard was always a place under constant surveillance from the Church. After all, it was where they buried their Heroes and their Saints along with all their followers including warriors and clergy. For centuries, the cemetery continued to expand as the dead continued to pile up. But that was not the problem. The main concern of the Church was that grave robbers or necromancer might desecrate the tombs of the dead for wicked purposes. This was why a large wall was built along the frontier of the graveyard to keep outsiders out.


    To protect the wall and what lay beyond it, the Church established the Grave Watchers, a military force whose job was to keep an eye on the wall and to punish trespassers. Four keeps, each in a corner of the cemetery, was supposed to watch their wall. But It made you wonder: who would watch their backs if the threat was actually from inside?


    On the northern wall facing the capital of the Theocracy of Light, Deus Lucem, next to the North-West keep, two guards were standing on the wall in the middle of the night. The wind, as it flew through the surrounding forests, made the only sound that could be heard in this night. Along with the torches on the wall, the consoling gentle moonlight was their only source of light.


    "Another quiet night heh?" one of the guard asked.


    "As usual. I really don''t know why they would spend so much money to keep this place running. When was the last time we see an intruder?"


    "Aye. But there are petty thieves who occasionally sneaked into this place. We just caught one a few days ago didn''t we? But when I see what he managed to take, I suppose it''s understandable. All these jewelry and such buried with some old skeletons. What a waste! Some of us don''t even have enough to feed our families and some dead dude is even richer than us. It''s not like it''s useful for them."


    "Careful of what you say mate. Don''t want to lose our jobs now. At least we got paid for doing absolutely nothing."


    The two men laughed out loud. The worst they saw was just some thieves who wanted a share of the offerings to the deceased. And the Church paid a decent amount to keep these keeps running.


    "HEY! Are you two slacking again?" an angry voice shouted at the two men.


    "Knight Captain!!!! Of course not sir! We are just talking about how dutiful you are!"


    But his lies did not work. Walking to the two, the captain smacked them both on the head. Even though they wore a helmet, it would still hurt.


    "Don''t lie to me you dimwits! We are tasked to watch over the wall and it''s our responsibility to do it. By God''s name if I see you two slacking off again,...." said the captain. It has been more than ten years since he took on the job to watch the wall. While it was a quiet life compared to his former life in the army, he still took it very seriously. Not for the money but because of his faith. He saw himself as the keeper of theses graves, to help the dead rest in peace without obstruction.


    "But no one is gonna do anything here captain! I swear if we just put scarecrows in our places, no one would even notice the differences." the lazy guard contended.


    "That''s a very good idea. Scarecrow doesn''t need to be paid right? And they don''t need to take a break either.  I might as well replace you two with them." the captain mocked.


    "Wait just a minute! Please ignore what this guy just said! We will resume our duty immediately!" pleaded the other guard.


    "You damn better do it seriously. We are the only thing that stand between those greedy bastards out there and this holy sanctuary. I will die before I let anything soiling it."


    What a powerful statement! The defenders of the wall, swore to put their lives to protect the final resting place of countless heroes, champions and saints. But the night has only just begun and their nightmare has yet to commence.


    "Captain, is there another funeral or something tonight?" asked one of the lookout.


    "No, not that I am aware of. Why do you ask?" answered the captain.


    "Do you see those light over there? Look like torches to me."


    "What??? Let me see!" the captain seized the spyglass held by the scout.


    Through the lenses he could clearly see some moving light but it was too dark to see what exactly was out there. But inside that darkness, he could some shiny red dots moving along the light. What could they be?


    "Weird! Why would anyone be buried in the middle of the night? Could it be a family visiting? But still it doesn''t explain why they go at this hour..." contemplated the captain. Indeed this was a strange occurrence.


    "Do you think it''s like those...ghosts? The will-o-wisp? I have read about them. Nasty little things that will burn you to death." the guard said.


    "Don''t be an idiot! Will-o-wisp only exists in unholy places as they are manifestation of the deads who were wronged. This is a sacred place. Every week a group of priests go around and purify the cemetery. It''s impossible for them to be here."


    "Then what is that?"


    "I don''t know. But I notice that they are moving toward us so they should pass one of our outpost! Bring me the parchment immediately! Tell the others to be ready just in case! I don''t like surprises."


    The guard rushed away. A moment later he returned with a scroll in his hand and handed it to the captain. The knight spread out the parchment and put his hand on the circle imprinted on the scroll.


    "This is Captain Balmore from the North-West keep! Pass me to the outpost Five!"


    The paper shined lightly before a voice spoke out.


    "This is outpost Five. What can I do for you captain?" a woman''s voice echoed from the scroll.


    "We have spotted some light moving toward your position. It''s probably some priests wandering around but can you confirm the identity of these people and bring them here?" asked the captain.


    "Of course sir!... Oh I can hear steps from outside. They must have been lost. Me and my boys will bring them right to you."


    * door knock sound from the scroll*


    "Yes please wait a minute! Somebody goes open the door!" the woman continued to speak.


    * door knock sound again*


    "I get it. Just wait for a second can you?"


    But the sound persisted. Angry the woman ran toward the door.


    "Can''t you just wait for ..... !?!?!?"


    The sound of door shutting rang from the scroll. Then nothing. Some whispers came through. It was the others guard at the outpost who didn''t understand. They just saw their boss vanishing at the door.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere."Officer? Can you hear me? What''s happening? Who are they?"


    Still nothing. Then suddenly.


    "HELP!!! They are attacking! Please we need reinforcement.....Wait what are you? Don''t come any closer!!! HE..."


    The screams of the guards could be heard loudly by the captain together with the two guards. But he couldn''t do anything. In fact he didn''t even grasp what was happening to his men. He had no idea what was coming for him.


    But shortly after, from the darkness afar, the captain could see it. It was just a few light before. Now they were thousands, or perhaps even millions, light coming toward the keep. What was even more creepy with the number of red dots moving with the light. As the cloud moved away, the moon revealed the horror that was hiding in the darkness.


    An army of undeads. The skeletons, some still had flesh on them, made the clacking sound of bone hitting against each other. The zombies, while slow, spread a foul stench as they passed by. Those transparent beings that seemed like they were floating, wraith. Evil spirits of the deads who could not pass on to their next lives.


    How could all the foul abominations be in this holy sanctuary?


    "Impossible....what the hell are those???" yelled one of the guards.


    The captain too was dismayed by the hellish scene in front of him. But years of war has bolstered his resolve, made him able to face opponents he couldn''t otherwise dare to look it. He quickly regained his calmness and gave out his orders.


    "Ring the bell immediately! Inform the others outposts! Request for reinforcement from the others keeps!"


    Archers, stay on the wall and cover us!


    Knights, you go with me to face them! Not a single one is to pass us. I will die before I let one of them reach the Capital!"


    The captain''s heroic words, together with the bell tolled, acted like an awakening call to all the guards. The men quickly got into position just as their captain ordered. But they were only a few hundreds. How could they win against this army of the damned?


    The captain was on his horse standing together with his troops down the wall. The first line of knights was equipped with great shield to protect their comrades. Needless to say it took incredible strength of a man to hold a shield taller than he was. The second line used lances to pierce those who dared approach the shields. The rest had sword and a hand shield as their basic equipment. The archers stayed on the wall, raising their bows and waited for their captain''s command.


    What a brave bunch! While they were greatly outnumbered, they could at least make a stand against normal undeads while waiting for reinforcement. Their hope has not been shattered, yet. But they forgot something. The place they were guarding wasn''t just your usual cemetery. The people buried here were not the same as the common folk. Nonetheless no one noticed it before it was too late.


    The undead army stopped simultaneously. Now Balmore understood what were those red dots. It was their eyes.


    One of them walked forward. It was an old man who wore a luxurious white robe with golden laces and a odd looking hat, a tall folding cap rising to a peak and sewn together with some golden jewelry. He held a long staff with a crown at the top of it. The staff itself must be twice his height and judging from the way he walked, the staff seemed to be a bit too heavy for the old man.


    But it was not his ridiculous look that shocked the captain but rather who the old man was.


    "No...it can''t be...you can''t be here!" the captain spoke in disbelief.


    "Who is he captain? Some kind of big shot?" asked one of the guards.


    "Saint Vyncis, pope of the Church of Light!!!" he muttered.


    "What? The pope? What is he doing here?"


    "Because he has been dead for more than thirty years you idiot. He is buried in this very cemetery." the captain looked at the old man painfully. Memories of the past came back to him. The days when he still served as the personal guard of Vyncis. The day when Vyncis died of illness. Balmore has tried to forget about the days but he could not abandon his master and his friend here after all these years. If he could not protect him in life then in death it shall be.


    But no matter how he deluded himself, Balmore could not expect to see his old acquaintance walking this world again.


    "Your Holiness...I was not able to protect you when you were alive. But I won''t let this destroying everything you have built. I will protect your honor, my old friend!"


    But as Balmore prepared to release his friend from this curse, the old undead raised his staff and pointed toward Balmore.


    Suddenly Balmore could feel a great pressure flying toward them. Something big and primal. From the sky, a great shadow dived toward the knights. A skeletal dragon.


    As he flew by, the dragon released a green toxic mist onto the knights. Anything that came into contact with it melt down in a matter of seconds. The knights screamed in agony as their flesh were consumed by the mist.


    Lucky for Balmore, as a Paladin, he immediately raised a shining light barrier to protect himself and a few of his troops. But the barrier did not help for long as it melt down a few seconds later. Still it was enough for Balmore and his surviving men to get out of the way.


    "Archers, fire! Aim at the dragon!"


    Balmore gave his command to the men on the wall. The archers released their arrows but none of the arrows worked. They did hit their target but what good arrows would do to something with only bones? The thing''s very existence was already a violation against nature itself.


    Yet things did not stop there. Something was shooting cannonballs at the wall, killing all the archers. As the captain traced back where to the shoot came from. A large beastman with still his flesh intact but with red eyes was holding a cannon on his arm.


    Then from behind, the captain realized that half of his remained troops lay dead on the ground with their neck cut open. But Balmore didn''t even hear a thing. The men didn''t scream either. If a single one of them saw their friend falling down dead, they would have yell out. But nothing. Did it mean that all of them died at the same thing? All of the sudden, Balmore caught something in the corner of his eyes. He quickly grasped it and finally saw what killed his man. A scythe linked to a chain which was moving at incredible speed. Using all his force, he pulled the chain, revealing its user. A slim elf woman with red eyes with very light clothing and a cloth covering half her face.


    Not just these two strange undead were present. A lot more was fighting the watchers as they cut down the knights with ease.


    Balmore recognized them. Rather anyone would recognize them. They were the heroes of the past, those who gave their lives to defeat the demon lords. Some died while others lived until the end of their lives. In the end they all ended up here.


    The captain could see that he wouldn''t get out of this place alive. How could he alone fight against all these legends of the past? He could barely hold off against one of them, not to mention there were hundreds of them out there. While they were already dead and probably their skills have faltered, it still made them dangerous opponents. But at the very least, Balmore must release his friend Vyncis from this.


    Undead was naturally weak against Light element. A sword imbued with light could kill an undead instantly. And Balmore had one in his hand. He charged toward the old undead. As he cut down one after another line of undead priest surrounding the pope, he could feel his strength leaving him. But he would not give up. For he made a promise that he would protect his friend, even in death.


    "Join us Balmore!" said Vyncis in a soft voice.


    "I won''t let you defile him any longer!" Balmore jumped as he held his sword high.


    ....


    ....


    ....


    Alas not everything could be achieved with strength and resolve alone. However now the captain should be pleased. From now on, he would be able to protect his friend, to be his shield as an undead paladin.

 Chapter 25: Game of Power

    It has been several days since the elf kingdom Malatas fell into disarray. Talks of a plague have thrown the people into fear. The worst of all it wasn¡¯t a normal disease. Rumors had it that those infected with the disease became violent and attacked indiscriminately everyone they saw. Their eyes also changed to a bright red colour. The symptoms were fever, headache, hearing voice even though nobody was there and vomiting a black substance.


    The king has offered a generous amount of treasure and promised the position of the court mage for anyone who could find the cure for this strange disease. If you wondered why the king didn¡¯t ask the royal mage already, it was because there wasn¡¯t one. The last court mage was the sage Theoron who valiantly perished at the hands of the demon lord more than ten years ago, or so the legend said.  The old sage was renowned for his wisdom. If he was here perhaps he could have a solution to save the kingdom. Alas the vacant seat he left was too much of a responsibility for anyone to take or even deserved to replace him. And so the position was left empty for years.


    Yet that person might not be very far. A young elf woman who spent the last couple decades of her life into researching magic could still be considered as an apprentice as elf usually lived for centuries. However in her case, she compensated her inexperience with her effort and enthusiasm. While being far from powerful like the great Theoron was, Astrea had a vast knowledge pool left behind from her master combined with her unusual curiosity for magical phenomenon. And like every mage at this moment, her goal was to find the cure for this strange epidemic.


    Astrea, wearing a dirty witch robe but with feathers almost crow like, unwashed for days and a cone hat, was going through books after books in her sanctuary, a small room filled with dust because of her neglect to clean up her own house. For days she looked at these books but so far there hasn¡¯t been record of any similar disease in the archive. Indeed such a malady would have been registered in history. Did that mean this was intentional and someone was behind all this?


    ¡°What am I missing? Perhaps I should change my approach. If it¡¯s a new disease then I won¡¯t find anything here.


    Any epidemic must have a source. If I can find the source and study it, I can at least find a way to limit its propagation then find a cure later.¡±


    The young witch took out a mass of documents. They were scrolls containing information gathered by the Adventurer Guild and the King made public to facilitate the research. The people were already in panic. Rather than keeping it as a secret, the King thought it might a better idea to share with everyone the knowledge they had so at least it would appear that they did something. Also who knew people with talents could be right out there but just didn¡¯t have the proper intelligence?


    Next Astrea took the map of the elf kingdom and decided to mark all the infected areas along with the date of discovery. With both the time and location, she could trace back to where the epidemic began. And she found it.


    The first case started right in the capital Galahad. A day later it spread to the surroundings areas but not all of them at the same time. In fact the closer the areas to the main river, the earlier the date of discovery. Could it be that something was in the water? It would make sense that if the water was contaminated then the disease could spread across the land in such a short time. But there were so much places to cover, where could the source be?


    At that moment an idea came up to the apprentice. First of all, the first victim discovered was in the capital. Secondly it travelled by the river to others part of the country. This could only mean one thing: the Sacred Fountain, the source where all rivers in Malatas originated from.


    There couldn¡¯t be another explanation. Immediately Astrea packed up her things and travelled to the assumed source of the epidemic. She couldn¡¯t hide her excitement as she ran across the town. Although she realized it was rude to take advantage of other people¡¯s suffering, it was her chance to become the next court mage for the royal family, a position which was unthinkable for someone as young and with a rather lesser background such as her.


    And so by herself she arrived at the Sacred Fountain. She did not want to invite others people nor did she tell anyone else because she feared they might steal her well-deserved reward. After all she did find it by herself. Why should she share her hard working result with anyone? It was something from her own personal experience that in face of greed, people could change a lot.


    But something was weird the moment she stepped into this place. The Sacred Fountain resided right outside the Capital and was surrounded by a forest protected by the Sentinels, warriors and beasts who dedicated themselves to protect the Fountain. Because it was one of the most important and holy places of the entire kingdom, to make sure that no one could use it for their personal motives, the Goddess of the Elves Elemyr has entrusted this task for a small group of her most loyal followers, the Sentinel Covenant.


    Yet so far Astrea has not encountered a single one of them. Normally they would have stopped her by now for trespassing their sanctuary. Something was amiss. The forest was so quiet to the point of being eerie. How come there were no sound of insects or critters? Where have they all gone?


    Despite all these anomalies, Astrea continued forward into the temple. Her mind was clouded by the glory ahead, making her blinded to her surroundings: someone was watching her, following her every step.


    Opening the stone door into the temple, the witch was stunned by the sight: the interior walls of the temple was covered by a black sludge, moving as if it was alive. Yet despite all this, the water remained pure, or so it seemed.


    ¡°Did this black thing cause the water the disease? Whatever the case I must report it to the regime. I could probably fix things with magic or potion but this seems more like a monster, a dangerous one.¡±


    However, as she slowly took a step back, she realized someone was behind her. Two knights in golden armours and a beast with a lion head and a goat head, a serpent for a tail and two wings. The beasts guarding this place were supposed to be majestic and divine creatures, how could such baneful thing be here? And the knights, they had red bright eyes shining even in darkness just like the infected.


    ¡°Look I know how it looks but I am here to investigate the source of the plague haunting Malatas on order of the king himself. And I think I found it. Look it¡¯s right¡­.What are you doing? Let me go!¡±


    Before the na?ve witch could even resist, the two knights have captured her and dragged her further in the temple. They were bringing her to the Fountain.


    Now in front of what she was searching for, the young witch could only fear what was happening to her. The Fountain was supposed to be crystal clear filled with holy water. Yet what was once a sky blue pool of water was now a filthy pool of sludge. If the Fountain was corrupted, how come the water outside remained its colour?


    ¡°So it purposely changed back the colour of the water to make it look normal? It is no normal monster if it has that kind of intelligence.¡± Astrea muttered to herself.


    Then suddenly they brought her even closer to the Fountain. At that moment Astrea understood what they were trying to do to her.


    ¡°No!!! No No NO!¡± but no matter how she struggled, she couldn¡¯t fight back.


    One of the knights grasped her head and drowned her into the Fountain. She tried to hold her breath as long as she could but it didn¡¯t work. The water surface vibrated heavily as the woman tried to resurface but the knight was too strong for her.


    By instinct the woman opened her mouth to grasp some air. However it was all it was waiting for. In an instant the black sludge entered her mouth, almost making her choke on it.


    The knights released the woman. There was no need for restraining her any longer. They accomplished what they wanted.


    Strangely the witch no longer tried to escape. She calmly stood up, looked around as if she has never seen this place through her eyes. She slowly fixed her cloth before realizing that she actually smelled a bit.


    ¡°Does this woman never take a bath? She has such nice figure too¡­.But then she died like the vermin she was. Ho ho ho! Now time to begin the next step. But first I should take a shower and clean up this place!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°What? You actually found the source of the plague?¡± shouted the king.


    The next morning, Astrea has already gone to the palace to report her discovery, with some small alterations to the truth.


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! From my investigation, the plague originated from the Sacred Fountain itself then spread across the country using the canals and rivers. The evidence can be easily seen if we use the map and the intelligence gathered by the Guild.


    Yesterday I have visited the Fountain and thanks to the Sentinel¡¯s cooperation, we have found the cause behind this plague.¡± Astrea took out from the bag she brought with her a moving black sludge. ¡°This is what caused the plague!¡± she held it high for everyone to see.


    The creature made a squishy and squirmy sound as it tried to find a way to escape Astrea¡¯ hands.


    ¡°What is that thing?¡± the king asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a slime but a mutated one. Somehow it managed to bypass all the guardians of the temple and found its way to the Fountain before making it its nest. This thing secretes a toxine which caused the symptoms like what you saw from the victims. While I think it was by chance this thing was in the Fountain, this creature unconsciously caused the plague just by being in the water source of our kingdom.¡± Proclaimed the witch.


    ¡°Poison? But you are holding by hands without using any protective equipment even though it¡¯s poisonous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I found the cure to this disease Your Majesty. Every poisonous monster has something to counter the poison itself and in this case using the gland of this creature, I have produced an antidote right here!¡±


    Astrea took out a small vial containing a purple substance. She handed it to a retainer to give it to the King. As he held the vial, the King was convinced that this was the cure. Why else would the woman be able to hold the slime like that? But most of all, he was desperate so right now if you had evidence he would believe everything you said. What a gullible man!


    ¡°My lords, I think we have found our court mage. Let the kingdom know that from today, Lady Astrea is our saviour and the next Minister of Magic.


    Astrea, in place of our people, I thank you for your contribution and name you Baroness Astrea of Malatas, Court Mage of Eregron and Minister of Magic.


    Does anyone object?¡±


    Why would anyone object in this situation? They found the cure and the plague could be considered dealt with. And now they gained a capable Court mage to serve the kingdom. Everyone inside the court hall agreed with that statement, all except one.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I think that¡¯s a little hasty to decide the next Court mage like that. Certainly young lady Astrea deserves a reward for helping us solving this case but I think she might be too inexperienced for such a heavy responsibility. I propose we make her a noble and considers our options.¡±


    It was the chancellor who spoke. True Astrea was too young to be even considered as a master of magic, not to mention a sage. What the chancellor said was perfectly reasonable. That was if he spoke it without hidden motives.


    In fact he was very angry toward Astrea. He had planned to have his daughter, the Priestess of Solana, the sun Faction of the Elves, to find the cure and so to even strengthen his position further in the court. In needed he could just appoint someone else for the position of court mage, someone he could control.


    It was that not necessary as the King has already favored Solana for years but the chancellor would take no chance. However now his plan was shattered and an outsider, an unknown factor has joined the game. If somehow this person was to be with the Priestess of Luna, the Moon faction, it could mean a total disaster for him. As a worried father, as an ambitious man but also a member of the Council of Ten of Sanctus, he must eliminate this possibility.


    ¡°Options? What options do we have chancellor Finor? She may be young but she found the cure when nobody else did. It already means that she is superior to them in that aspect. I don¡¯t need someone powerful like Theoron was. We have the army for that. Who could? But rather I need someone with wisdom, someone who could assist me in the affairs of our kingdom.


    This matter is not up to debate. I have made my mind.¡±


    With that the court was adjourned and the chancellor had no choice but to swallow his defeat.


    ¡®You think you can beat me at this game? Let me show you how a master of strategy plays your little game!¡¯ a voice spoke in the void.


    * * *


    The news quickly spread across the country along with the new antidote. The common folk hailed the name of their savior ¡°Lady Astrea¡± in the street to congratulate her new position. Now only did she save the kingdom but also she represented hope for the lowly. She who was of common birth, the low class, has surpassed all obstacles and became the next court mage.


    Now in her new position, the woman had everything a person could dream for. Richness, power, everything. Many has sought to meet this new member of the court, to ask for favors, to make acquaintance but most of all to determinate which side she was on. So far she seemed to be on very good terms with elder princess Elena and has been tutoring the young second prince Aldol. However both of these people were not related to any faction. Actually only first prince and heir to the throne Tanor was known for siding with Solana like his father but Astrea hasn¡¯t spoken with him much aside from a few formal greetings.


    To put things simple, the court of Malatas has always been a place of power struggle between two religious factions: Solana the Sun faction and Luna the Moon faction. Solana worshipped the Sun while Luna the Moon. Yet both represented the two aspects of the Goddess Elemyr. How could they not get along with each other? But it simplified things for the court mage. She would take advantage of this for her plan.


    Astrea remembered a conversation she heard when she was in a different form looking for intelligence.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Damn that woman! She played us all. I thought I can at least get her on our side but she rejected right in my face. She must have been in cahoots with that moon bitch.¡± Raged the chancellor


    ¡°Calm down father! We don¡¯t know that! So far she has not make any move against us. Perhaps she is still considering her options before taking sides. She is still young after all.¡± A woman spoke softly. It was the Sun Priestess Eris, daughter of the chancellor. A rather gentle looking woman, unlike her father, at least from appearance alone. In fact she was quite cunning, playing as a kind hearted woman to lure in her followers.


    ¡°Options? Even an idiot would know that we are the one in power here! In a few days when prince Tanor will be officially announced as the next heir and our position will be secured. The prince has long listened to my every word. More importantly I need to hasten the plan before reporting back to the council.¡± Said the chancellor.


    ¡°Are you talking about Sanctus? I am not sure if we should associate ourselves with those guys. What do we even gain from that anyway?¡±


    ¡°Shh. How many times have I told you to not speak of that name? You are still young, not seeing the whole picture here. We do not just aim for Malatas. We want to unite the world. But these idiot royalties will never be able to stay in peace. They only know of power and greed. That¡¯s why we as Sanctus must guide them to the righteous path.¡±


    ¡®So he belongs to Sanctus¡­Another one to add on my list! You will pay for what you have done to Mother!¡¯ a voice whispered.


    ¡­..


    ¡®Solana has all the political power in the court. At this rate it would not be long before the Moon faction perishes. And that¡¯s not what I want right now. Perhaps it¡¯s time to clean up the table!¡¯ thought Astrea.


    ¡°Astrea, are you alright?¡±


    The witch was so deep in thoughts she forgot that she was sitting with princess Elena. The princess has invited her here for a tea session.


    From an outsider¡¯s point of view, it just looked like two women making small chat. Since day one, Astrea has shown to be share a close friendship with the princess. Perhaps it was due to their age being young adults in this palace where the game of power struggle took place. They might only want to get away from that affair, seeking refuge and consolation together.


    Usually when someone approached a member of royalty, it was to ask them for favors, to be in their good grace. But the princess herself was not associated with any faction nor political power. This was due to her being a woman while the elf had a patriarchy system. The only case of a woman in power was when the King died without a son then the Queen would take over until the next heir was chosen. Or when the King only had girls for children then the elder princess would take his place.


    But that was not the case here. Not only did the King have two sons, he had already chosen in his mind his next heir.  This meant the princess was very far in the lines for the throne. This led to her pitiful life despite being part of the royalties. The people who showed her respect only gave her empty words because she was seen as the King¡¯s daughter or the sister of the future King, not Elena herself.


    Nonetheless Elena was not the weak woman everyone thought she was. They said a smile hided away the sadness and spite of a person. What would it be for someone who constantly smiled then?


    ¡°Are you thinking about our exchange the other day?¡± asked Elena.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry princess! I have sworn my allegiance to you and you alone. To make this plan work however I will need your assistance. But I want to make sure that you are prepared to do what must be done. This is not to be taken lightly¡­¡± said Astrea.


    ¡°Long have I been considered as a tool for political marriage, something to be given to when the time comes. I won¡¯t sit down idle any longer and watch my brother takes away what is mine. He is an ignorant fool who was just being used by the chancellor to gain more power. And my parents, a load of lies, taking me for an idiot. I despite the whole lot of them.¡±


    ¡°I sure hope you are up to your words princess. In that case I need you to hold onto this.¡± Astrea handed a small black vial to Elena.


    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°Just what you ask for princess. A drop will suffice to send ten men to their graves. When the time comes, you know what to do with it. I will assist you with everything I have.¡± Astrea made a bow toward the princess.


    * * *


    It was the King¡¯s birthday, just a few weeks after Astrea received her new position as the court mage and minister of magic. Many nobles and lords from across the country have come to celebrate the King but also it was the chance for some to see the court mage in person.


    Despite being young, Astrea has proven to be a very capable and resourceful woman for the short time since she became court mage. She has not only received affection from the royal family but also from the people. It was rare to have someone with those qualities.


    As soon as the party started, the music, the smiles on everyone¡¯s face, fake or not, could only add to the atmosphere of festivities. Yet it could be seen that only half of the people present really enjoyed it and there was a reason for that.


    ¡°Truly this day will be written down in history. Soon our prince will be crown and Solana will be forever in prosperity! Hahaha¡± One of the nobles laughed.


    ¡°Of course it would. Serve those moon elves bastards for opposing us!¡± said another fat noble.


    Poor members of Luna could only swallow their built up anger. They really couldn¡¯t do anything. If they tried to make a scene it would only humiliate them even further. Well all except one member of Luna, the priestess herself. It was strange for the leader of a losing party to be able to remain so pleased this evening, the day when her faction would probably lose their stance forever. Yet her smile and her constantly looking at Astrea seemed to indicate something else.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    The ceremony continued with the usual queuing of everyone competing to bring the best gift to the King. But that was not the main event of today. What everyone was waiting for, or at least half of the people here, was for the announcement from the King about his heir. For long Solana has rooted for the first prince Tanor to become King as it would assure Solana¡¯s future. The Luna faction however has not been able to gain favor from anyone of the royal family, could only watch as their hope vanish.


    Both of the Priestess were present as a tradition to give their blessings of the King. But everyone knew it was just a formality so no one even paid attention to them.


    Gift after gift, none so far has impressed the King. Certainly being the leader of a country, he has seen a lot of present ranging from unusual to luxurious. And now it was chancellor Finor¡¯s turn.


    ¡°Your Majesty, to search for this present, my men have traveled across the entire continent to look for it for years. I present to you, the bottle of Bacchus, containing the best wine in the world. Legend has said that it was a bottle that fell from heavens on earth. Therefore I think that alone can justify the value of this item. And I believe such thing is destined to a great King such as you.¡±


    Or so bla bla bla. His words were so sweet even candies could not compare.


    ¡°Hum. Really? Then I must taste it to know.¡± The King turned to his queen and his children sitting next to him. ¡°You should all have a taste. If it¡¯s truly a godly drink, I would rather share it with my family than drink it all alone. Remember my children! Family is the most important thing in life. It doesn¡¯t matter if you are a king or a commoner. At the end of the day everyone seeks a home where they can be their true self. Treat your family well!


    I can see that everyone is dying to stop listening to my blabbing. Let me delay you no further. Bring me this wine, Finor!¡±


    ¡°Father let me pour it for you and everyone!¡± the princess stood up and took the bottle from the hands of the chancellor. But no one suspected a thing. In their eyes, she was the image of a well behaved daughter. This was merely a gesture of a child who wanted to thank their parents for raising them. It must be right?


    Yet none would expect what would happen next nor how it would change Malatas forever.


    Just before taking the bottle, Elena has soaked her hands with a specific substance. As she touched each glass of wine, she made sure to coat the mouth of the glass with it without anyone noticing.


    ¡°Here is yours father!¡± the girl handed the cup to the king then the queen and her brothers.


    ¡°Dear, don¡¯t you think Aldol is a bit young to drink? He is only fifteen.¡± The Queen expressed her concern for her youngest child. He was the most timid of her children unlike his brother.


    ¡°Nonsense. I would say that fifteen is too late to even start drinking. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± the king laughed out loud toward the audience, making everyone laugh.


    ¡°Wow, this is truly delicious! Truly worthy of its title!¡± applauded the first prince Tanor.


    ¡°Are you alright dear?¡± the Queen spoke to Aldol. He didn¡¯t like it that much judging from his expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit bitter for my taste. If you don¡¯t mind, I will drink my own drink.¡± The young prince took out a bottle containing a red juice. ¡°Grape juice, always my favorite!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Look at him! Can¡¯t even drink properly!¡± The king joked at his son. ¡°But never mind that chancellor. He is just too young to know the value of wine. Truly a wonderful gift!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor your Majesty! Please enjoy!¡±


    The party continued with the gifting ceremony. People danced around with their hearts content. What a wonderful night!


    Now it was time for the main event. The King stood up from his throne and addressed everyone in the room.


    ¡°My friends, I thank you for gathering today to celebrate my birthday. I want to use this opportunity to address an important subject to you all. As you have probably known, I am more than three hundred years old now. My bones are screaming each time I go up these stairs.¡±


    The people laughed again. Why not? The king of Malatas has been known for being rather casual in terms of formality and such. Something who was benevolent and loved its people. Although he might be a bit susceptible to flattery.


    ¡°EHem. I have had a wonderful life, a beautiful wife and loving children. I don¡¯t think I can ask for more. But like every king there is a time to step down and entrust the kingdom to the next generation. And for me that time has come.


    Tonight I present to you, the next heir to the throne of Malatas, princ¡­¡­¡±


    Suddenly the King felt a sharp pain in his heart. He started sweating and coughed heavily.


    ¡°Your Majesty, are you all right?¡± asked the chancellor.


    ¡°I¡­am fine. I just need to¡­..ARGHHHH¡±


    The pain intensified. The Queen, seeing her husband in agony, quickly rushed to his side but not even halfway there she too felt a great strain in her heart. But despite being like that, she still tried to crawl toward her beloved husband and so did the king toward his queen. But fate was cruel. They both fell down, making their last breath as blood dripped out from their mouth.


    The people, horrified by what they just witnessed. The women screamed as some lords tried to get away fearing for their own lives. But it didn¡¯t just stop there.


    ¡°Father¡­Mother!!!¡± the to be crown prince Tanor turned blue as he coughed of blood. His eyes, filled with fear as he reached his hand toward his dead parents before falling down the stairs.


    ¡°Prince Tanor!!!!¡± screamed the chancellor Finor. But his scream was overshadowed by an even louder voice.


    ¡°Someone helps prince Aldol!¡±


    It was Astrea. The court mage held the young prince in her arms as he too seemed to be on the verge of death, writhing violently.


    Following his instinct, the chancellor looked at the last remaining member of the royal family: princess Elena. The girl seemed just fine, although a bit shocked by what just happened to her family. Finor was no fool. Immediately he made the connection of the princess¡¯ behavior when she took the bottle from his hand.


    ¡°Guards! Capture the princess! She is the one who poisoned his Majesty!¡± yelled Finor.


    But that didn¡¯t scare Elena a single bit. In term of power, the court mage and the chancellor were of the same rank, right below the royalties. Having Astrea on her side would put her in safety, or so the na?ve girl thought.


    The court mage remained silent. In fact she seemed to be more preoccupied with the dying prince on the floor than the princess herself.


    ¡°The chancellor is right. Capture her! She must still have the poison on her!¡± yelled Astrea angrily.


    Receiving orders from both of the now most influential person in the court, the royal guards immediately seized Elena. The poor girl, confused by Astrea¡¯s actions, realized that she had been deceived to be the scapegoat of this whole charade. But she would accept no such thing. If she went down, she would make sure to take down that witch with her.


    Yet nothing came out from her mouth. Not a single word of defense. In fact she couldn¡¯t even control her body. What was happening to her? A voice rang in her head.


    ¡°Kill him! Kill him!¡±


    She didn¡¯t even understand what was going on. Why would she follow this strange voice? But in the end she did anyway, without knowing why. Perhaps because of her shining red eyes. However everyone was so shocked to even notice this small yet crucial detail.


    Suddenly Elena, as if receiving an incredible boost in strength, managed to throw down the guards and rushed toward the one person responsible for her demise, the chancellor Finor. She quickly grasped the sword from one of the fallen guards and plunged it into the poor chancellor.


    The other guards tried to subdue the violent princess but they failed miserably as she slaughtered them all single handedly. And so she continued with the next person she saw: priestess of the Sun Eris.


    The girl fell down on her knees, cowering in fear from seeing her father being killed just like that. As the murderous woman raised her sword toward her, someone stood between them and in an instant slashed Elena¡¯s neck open. Someone whom no one would think to be willing to protect Eris: Cynthia the Luna priestess.


    Elena, released from her berserk as her eyes became normal again, regained her sanity in the brief moment left of her life. As she felt the warmth leaving her body, she looked toward the ceiling. Tears fell down on her face onto the pool of blood she created. But it was no tears of regret of what she had done. It was tears of pity for her own self, being a tool till the very end, unable to achieve what she always wanted. Not the throne, not the power but something so simple.


    ¡®I just want to be happy!¡¯ the girl thought as she drew her last breath.


    * * *


    ¡°What an outrageous thing! To think the princess Elena was capable of something like this!¡± shouted a fat man as he hit the table.


    Right now the council of nobles, regrouping the most influential lords of Malatas, was having a meeting about what would happen next to their Empire after such tragic event.


    ¡°Calm down milord! Elena is already dealt with. What is important now is to determinate what to do next. In a single night we have lost both the King and the crown prince. Who would lead us now? Even the chancellor has perished under the princess¡¯ hands.¡± An old elf explained.


    ¡°Well under normal circumstance, if there is no heir and the chancellor is not an option, then I suppose it would be the court mage to take control of the kingdom until the rightful heir is chosen.¡± Another man spoke.


    At that moment everyone looked at Astrea who was strangely silent since the beginning. They hoped that she would take control now, not for good reasons of course. Since she was young and not affiliated with any of the faction, if someone could invite her into his favor, it would be a great chance of promotion of even further. And mainly they thought she was young so it would be easier to manipulate. In any case who in their right mind would refuse such an offer?


    However her response was not what they expected.


    ¡°Milords, I thank you for your trust in me but in my opinion I am too inexperienced to be considered a candidate. Being the court mage chosen by his Majesty was already a great honor for a humble servant like me. Yet I was not able to save him. Everything is my fault!¡± Astrea suddenly cried, surprising everyone in the room.


    ¡°What are you talking about Lady Astrea? You have nothing to do with this.¡±


    ¡°I was supposed to be Elena¡¯s friend. I noticed her strange behavior lately, talking about how she would want to be crown instead of prince Tanor. But I disregarded that as merely jokes. If only I have paid more attention I could have prevented this tragedy from happening. If only I have been a better friend to her, she might not have to resort to this.


    Please milords! I can¡¯t live with this sin. You have to execute me for my crimes.¡±


    Such words could make anyone to cry for the poor woman. She must have tormented herself so much for this. Even the lords with hidden motives now felt ashamed of their own conduct, thinking for only themselves while right in front of them such a person existed. She must be a saint in her past life if she was not already one right now. Such were the thoughts of the council.


    ¡°Please Lady Astrea! Do not blame yourself for this. What the princess did have nothing to do with you. She shocked all of us. If what you said was right, then we too share the blame in this tragedy. Am I right milords?¡± an old man talked to the council. Everyone could only nod in agreement.


    ¡°See lady Astrea! You are not the only one with this burden. Instead of torturing yourself, we should together find a solution to this problem. That¡¯s what the King would have wanted.¡±


    ¡°You are right. I apologize for my shameful behavior. I couldn¡¯t hold it in me. About this problem I believe we have a much better candidate than myself.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who? Tell us quick!¡±


    ¡°The young prince Aldol!¡± said Astrea.


    ¡°But isn¡¯t he still in critical condition? I know it¡¯s rude toward his Majesty but I am afraid we need to prepare ourselves for the worst.¡±


    ¡°Milords!!! If we as the king¡¯s loyal servants could not put our trust into the prince, then how can we face the king when we see him? Please postpone this matter while we wait for the prince¡¯s recovery. Both lady Eris and lady Cynthia have spent the last few days praying to Elemyr. Now it¡¯s the time to put our faith in the royal bloodline.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well! If you say so lady Astrea. I think everyone here agrees with your opinion. Let¡¯s us wait for the prince¡¯s recovery. May the blessing of Elemyr guide him!¡±


    ¡°If you excuse me milords, I need to attend to the Prince¡¯s injuries.¡± Astrea stood up, bowed to the council and led her way out of the room.


    Now Astrea was in the room with the prince Aldol lying unconscious on his bed. If for some reasons he died tonight, then she would be the next leader of Malatas.


    ¡°You can wake up now. No one else is around!¡± said Astrea.


    ¡°How is everything Astrea?¡± the prince slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°Everything is according to plan. Tomorrow you will miraculously recover and be the next king of Malatas. Congratulations your Majesty!¡± the maiden bowed her head.


    ¡°Only thanks to you. I never thought that this day would come this soon. I was scared when you told me to drink the poisoned glass my sister prepared but no one would expect you to give me the antidote right after. I was right: grape juice is definitely my favorite.¡±


    ¡°You seem strangely calm after killing your whole family. I didn¡¯t know you were such a heartless man.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kill any of them mind you. It was all Elena. And she only did that because you tricked her. Still how did you make her kill Finor anyway?¡±


    ¡°Using what caused the plague in the first place. That thing makes a person violent and kills the first person they see. All I did was to increase the dose a little bit, giving her a boost in her power. And trick is a strong word milord. I merely gave her a chance at the crown. But with such naivety she would not last long. Trust is a dangerous thing.¡±


    ¡°So then I shouldn¡¯t trust you should i?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you milord.¡± Grinned the woman.


    * * *


    ¡°Malatas is now under my control!¡± a disembodied voice spoke in a dark place.


    ¡°Congratulations sister! But such a twisted way to do it. You could have just massacre them all in one go don¡¯t you?¡± another voice spoke. The formless Sinforma.


    ¡°I could but I prefer this. This kind of betrayal, father against son, brother against sister, it gives me a certain thrill, exhilaration. Pitiful creature all of them. Killing each other for a simple chair. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny?¡±


    ¡°In the end they all died didn¡¯t they? To me it¡¯s all the same. Death is after all the end of everything.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand Sinforma. This is art! But anyway how about you? Doing anything interesting these days?¡±


    ¡°Just the usual killing, recruiting and killing again. It¡¯s quite stressful to control this many at once you know.¡±


    ¡°Be careful of how you do things brother! You might attract their attention. We are not ready to take on the Six by ourselves yet. We are merely the vanguard!¡±


    ¡°Vanguard? Is this another plan of yours?¡±


    ¡°Just wait till you see it. I aim for the most powerful army in the world, no, in history."


    "Are you talking about them? The Dark Ones?"


    "Yes but they won''t listen to me and to release them, I need Father¡¯s help to achieve this. And he is not available right now!¡±


    ¡°Is he still wandering the Void? You should drag him out of there before he gets lost in that place! Among all of us you are the one with the strongest connection to him after all!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am the one he wants to see right now. As much as I hate it, the women around him might be able to do this better than I.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­.then what about Kaiser? What has he been up to?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.Kaiser is different from us two. Unlike we who are the manifestation of Mother¡¯s negative emotions, her spite and her loneliness, Kaiser is created from something very peculiar, the thing that helped Mother survive this long.¡±


    ¡°Courage. The enigmatic thing that helped Mother to keep going. Even in face of death, she embraced it with all her heart. Such thing I could not understand. Perhaps because I have never felt death. But Kaiser, he is relentlless and powerful enough to make his ideas into reality. He is like a straight arrow that doesn''t know when to stop. But he has a crucial weakness however." Odium continued.


    "Really? Kaiser has a weakness? What is that?"


    "He is an idiot!"

 Chapter 26: Birth of a new empire (part 1/2)

    The Oros continent was an ancient land to the west of Mara, inhabited by an enigmatic race: the dragons. Majestic creatures with the skin hard as stone, they were renowned as the world¡¯s most powerful race. Even among their kind, there was a great variety in size, shape and power. You can find dragons at the size of a mountain but also those pygmies which were even smaller than human. Some had a serpent like body while others with a colossal body adorned with two wings. Because of this, it was quite difficult to discern between some dragons and monsters and some unfortunate accidents happened when adventurers mistook dragons for monsters and decided to slay them.


    Of course adult dragons wouldn¡¯t go down easily but young ones were still vulnerable as their skin has not developed enough. Therefore, to protect its people, the dragon council which served as the government of the dragons, forbad any adventurer or everyone in general to enter Oros without permission.


    And yet here they were, a group of a hundred adventurers making a camp on the eastern coast of Oros.


    ¡°All right everyone! As you probably know, we are here to hunt down a certain dragon. I know it sounds scary and while most of us here are no match for a dragon, worry not my friends! For this time not only do we have a great number of adventurers ranging from rank B to A, we also have the honor to be accompanied by three S -rank. I present to you ladies and gentlemen: the Sword of Justice party.¡±


    From behind the orator, walked up three individuals. From the left a dwarf with a long brown beard holding a giant hammer on his shoulder, from the right a sorceress with a floating crystal orb and finally a swordsman in the middle. The three formed together an S-rank party named Sword of Justice, a rather ridiculous name but mostly because of the captain swordsman who always proclaimed himself as a hero.


    ¡°There they are, as glorious as ever. Mind you that there are no more than a twenty S-rank adventurer officially recognized in the world. They are seen as the epitome of power, the hope of the world against monsters and demons. And here we are, three of them are helping us in this mission. How more reassuring can it be? Please give a round of applause everyone!¡±


    The crowd joyfully cheered at the trio. At first many had doubt about this whole expedition. Dragon hunting was no easy task. The creatures were immortal, meaning they would live until someone actually killed them. There were of course exceptions but that usually was very rare. But then a member raised his concern.


    ¡°But what about the dragon council? Sure we may be able to kill this dragon but if this gets out and they come after us, we won¡¯t be alive for long¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a very good question mate. There is no need to worry about any kind of retaliation as this is a request from a member of the dragon council itself. Therefore no need to worry friend!¡±


    If you were wondering on why on earth would such a quest be accepted by the Guild, it wasn¡¯t. This was actually an illegal quest as dragons were considered as a Prime race, meaning this would be counted as assassination rather than monster extermination, therefore forbidden under the law of the Guild Master. However there were many kinds of adventurers and since the reward was unusually handsome, not everyone could turn a blind eye to it.


    ¡°All right! Let¡¯s do this guys! So which dragon are we hunting?¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­.dragon lord Celdora!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°The fuck man? I thought we are hunting some unknown dragon. Not only the guy is a hero, he is a freaking dragon lord for god¡¯ sake. We will be slaughtered.¡± Shouted an adventurer.


    ¡°Now now just wait a minute! I did say that we are hunting Celdora but I never said we are going to actually fight him. I value my own life as much as you value yours, gentlemen. I have a very simple solution to our problem.


    Celdora has a daughter who is barely ten. She hasn¡¯t developed her scales yet. Even an A rank probably could take her on. Do you see where I am going?¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh! But kidnapping a kid is a bit ¡­. I don¡¯t know¡­.wrong no?¡±


    ¡°Do you want the money or not?¡±


    ¡°I will sell my grandma for that kind of money!¡± another said.


    ¡°Well said! Although we don¡¯t really want your grandma.¡± The orator turned back to the crowd ¡°With luck you probably won¡¯t even need to lift a finger. She is just a kid. And if things go downhill, we still have the Sword of Justice by own side.


    Now can I have a cheer for our early victory?¡±


    The group raised their weapons together on air, hailing victory even when they just got here, unknown about the terror they would be facing on this continent, not just from Celdora but from someone else.


    * * *


    ¡°Hmmmm. I need a castle!¡±


    A figure was floating on the sky of Oros, looking down at its landscape. Aside from a tower at the center of the continent, Oros didn¡¯t have any city as dragons, primal they were, preferred to live in their natural habitat with nature. They lived in clans or small groups, usually with dragons of the same family. Of course there were those who chose to live alone without care for the rest of the world.


    As there were not as many dragons compared to the other races, they managed to divide the entire continent into many small territories to avoid conflict with each other. Often considered lawless, the only thing that a dragon feared was themselves, or rather the dragon council who dictated only a few but most crucial rules. Anyone who refused to abide to it would be eliminated. Such were the world of dragons.


    Back to our stranger who just realized something he missed completely. While he saw himself as a king, he had no subjects, no castle, not even a throne. Kaiser only thought of taming the dragons before arriving at this land but now that he thought about it, how should he proceed?


    It has been a few days but still no sign of a dragon, only a bunch of humans, dwarves and elves who came out of nowhere wandering in the forest. Luckily they did not detect his presence, although it was unsure if it was lucky for him or them.


    But then from afar, he spotted sever figures flying toward him. At first it appeared to be tiny dots. As they came closer and closer, their forms started to become clear: wyverns. Dragons who could not develop their scales, leaving them only a protective skin nowhere near powerful as a true dragon were called wyverns.


    Although not as much as a threat compared to a real dragon, these creatures could kill any unsuspected warrior in an instant thanks to their sharp claws and enormous body. And now a few dozens of these were coming at Kaiser.


    ¡°Wyverns. Hum, miserable creatures who fail to become a true dragon. I guess I would have to start with you first!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Hey, why do you think we are hunting Celdora? I mean he is still a hero after all. Shouldn¡¯t we like praise him for defeating the demon lord for us?¡± an adventurer asked the guy next to him.


    The group has separated themselves into small groups of a dozen people each to search for the daughter of Celdora. One such party has just spotted a little girl walking in this forest and was on their way to capture her.


    ¡°Beat me. Probably some kind of political play or something. The request did come from the dragon council after all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Celdora is the kind of guy who pissed off everyone he met. He doesn¡¯t care who you are or who you are affiliated with. He just does whatever he wants, which led to the fact that he has many enemies. I am not surprised if he pissed off a member of the dragon council. And being a troublesome hero makes it even worse.


    Hey why are you stopping?¡±


    ¡°Shhh. Up ahead!¡± the guy made a silent gesture and shut his friend¡¯s mouth with his hand covering it. He then pointed to the direction in front of them, toward a small girl with short emerald hair playing by herself near a waterfall. Poking from her hair were two small horns, still developing. And her eyes, green eyes with pupils like a snake. Though such features would not deny her cuteness.


    It seemed she was the one responsible for the piles of pebbles next to her. Holding one in her hand, the girl threw with all her force the small rock on the water surface, wishing it would make as many jumps as possible. But she always missed it, throwing the rock onto the other side of the small lake.


    The scene did seem typical of a normal clumsy girl throwing rocks, until the two actually saw what was on the other side of the lake. Just some trees standing as part of the forest. Yet something was strange about these trees: it was covered with holes.


    At that moment they realized that this was no normal girl. She actually managed to throw the pebble all the way across the lake and pierced the trees on the other side. She must have put too much force into her throw. However her actions suggested otherwise. The slow movement of her arm, the gentle motion of her hand meant that she wasn¡¯t even putting any strength into her hand. Imagine what would happen if she actually tried to throw a pebble toward someone. A bloody mess would be what was left.


    One adventurer was so scared he actually pissed himself seeing how a simple pebble actually made a hole in such a huge tree. They understood now that it was a mistake to underestimate the daughter of Celdora. But one of them remained his calm. An old soldier but also an A-rank adventurer who was seasoned after countless battlefields. A simple child wouldn¡¯t scare him at all. After all a child was still a child.


    ¡°All right listen to me! She may be strong but we have numbers and most importantly our wits. We can win this if you listen to me.


    Each of us has been given a special net, made from the silk of the arachnid, unbreakable even by dragon¡¯ standards. What¡¯s interesting is that the more the person trapped inside struggles, the tighter the net gets.


    We have six of us here. Make three pairs of two! Each pair will sneak up on her from each direction. Even if she spots us, her only option is jumping into the lake and that would slow her down.


    Use the net and it will do the rest! Just make sure not to hit your own people with it. Come on courage men! Or are you implying that six A-ranks can¡¯t even beat a little girl?¡± explained the old soldier. Thanks to his years of experience, he quickly devised a plan that could work in a short instant. Truly worthy of a veteran.


    The men, slightly provoked by his words, decided to follow the elder¡¯s words. What could go wrong? Didn¡¯t people always say to respect and follow the wise words of an elder? Certainly! However things never went as plan, especially when there were wyverns fighting a strange dude right above your head.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Come at me lowly creatures!¡± shouted Kaiser as he was surrounded by a horde of wyverns.


    Each watched carefully at the strange individual in front of them. Wearing a luxurious white robe and a crown but most unusual was his faceless feature, the stranger gave off an aura of incredible power, making the wyverns shaken in fear, hesitating if whether or not they should attack as it wouldn¡¯t end well if they did it.


    But Kaiser wouldn¡¯t lose time for such futile behavior. A king acted through his actions and that was what he would do. He clapped his hands together, making an air shockwave, pushing back the cloud. But it was not an attack, only a forecast of what was about to come.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Nonetheless, like mindless monsters they were, the wyverns saw that as a hostile action and decided to attack. Better to eliminate the target before it could do something. Yet it was too late.


    Kaiser raised one of his arm toward the sky. Black clouds started gathering above them, signaling the coming of a storm. And indeed a storm was coming.


    ¡°<Decree of Thunderlord>¡±


    Thunder started echo the sky as lightning struck Kaiser¡¯s hand. It was as if it was drawn toward him. Because of the continuous current of lightning, it looked almost like he was holding lightning in his hands.


    And then it hit. All the wyverns on sky were struck down by lightning. Some couldn¡¯t have time to scream as their flesh were instantly incinerated. And they fell.


    ¡­..


    The adventurers have already positioned themselves and waited for their captain¡¯s orders. Each has prepared their weapon. They intended to finish this in an instant, making the girl unable to strike back. The element of surprise was after all an art of war. But what if you encountered something even more surprising and disturbing than what you have prepared?


    Hearing the sound of thunder, an adventurer instinctively looked up to the sky and saw the black clouds gathering right above them. How could it be possible? The sky was clear just a few seconds ago. And it didn¡¯t end there. A storm was to be expected with rain, only this rain was a bit different.


    ¡°IT¡¯S RAINING DRAGONS!!!!!¡± the adventurer shouted, making everyone, including the girl looking at the sky.


    Indeed it was raining dragons, or rather wyverns. But such detail made little difference now. Their plan has been unfolded. The girl has seen them. They have lost their element of surprise.


    Spotting some strangers with weapons, even an idiot would understand what was happening. Ignoring the bizarre rain, following her father¡¯s words ¡°Be careful of strangers!¡±, the girl poked out two wings from her back and flew away. But no before she checked what was causing this curious phenomenon. As the girl flew high above the clouds, she finally saw the one responsible. And it applied to the stranger who spotted the girl looking at him.


    However he paid more attention to her wings and horns than the person itself. The two features of a dragon. Yet she had a human body. It could only mean one thing: a draconian. A crossbred between a dragon and another member of the prime race. If you wondered how it was possible physically, some dragons had the ability to transform into a human form, making things much easier. But of course these dragons were rare and crossbreeds were even rarer.


    Draconian used to much more in numbers, having a society building from peace between dragons and the others races. But such ideas were considered blasphemy by the dragon council and so they were wiped out from the pages of history, known nowadays only as legend and myth. If it was any normal dragon, it would have been executed along with its offspring. However Celdora was a dragon lord and a hero, therefore practically untouchable in term of power and he has already resigned from politics so the council left him alone. But that of course left some animosity between the two parties, along with the fact that Celdora would no longer be under the protection of the dragon council. Not that he really needed it though.


    And here stood a live draconian in the flesh in front of Kaiser. He must have her. But Kaiser followed a few number of rules set by himself. One of them was to never force anyone to serve him. If someone tried to hinder his plan, he would eliminate them without hesitation but as a monarch, he had to be an example for the people to be willing to serve. Without the respect of its people, there would be no king.


    ¡°Who are you mister?¡± the cute voice awoke Kaiser from his thoughts.


    ¡°Hum what?¡± he said.


    ¡°I ask who you are. What are you doing in my house?¡± asked the girl.


    ¡°What do you mean your house? I don¡¯t see any house on the sky.¡± Kaiser retorted.


    ¡°But this land belongs to papa. And he says that if I see anyone I should tell him.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­then why are you telling me this? Aren¡¯t you supposed to go tell your father?¡±


    ¡°But you save me from those guys earlier. So I won¡¯t tell on you.¡±


    ¡®Wait what? When did I save her again?¡¯ but he decided not to ask her. If she already felt indebted to him, it would just make things easier. So why not play along?


    ¡°Uhm yeah! You are right! I did save you from¡­.those guys. So that means that you own me a favor no?¡± Kaiser stuttered. He had no experience with kids, despite being one himself who was just recently born. Although his birth was a little strange and he saw himself as an adult, if not an old one.


    ¡°Mum said to repay my debts whatever it takes. What do you want mister?¡± asked the girl.


    ¡°Do you have a castle?¡± Priority number one: a place to live.


    ¡°Ohhh I have one! You want my castle, I will give it to you. Come with me!¡± the girl took Kaiser¡¯s hand and dragged him away. Although Kaiser had quite a big stature, about twice of a normal adult, he was towed quite easily. Of course it was because he didn¡¯t resist at all, just a bit surprised by the girl¡¯s enthusiasm.


    ¡­..


    ¡°So this is your castle¡­.¡±


    ¡°It is. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s beautiful! It has a dark ambiance of secrecy like the evil hideouts of a villainous sorcerer. And no one would suspect a thing.¡± Explained the girl proudly.


    ¡°Of course no one would since it¡¯s a cave!!! Why did I even trust you?¡±  Kaiser left out a long sigh.


    Indeed it was a cave but a very large one. This cave went into the side of a mountain and probably served as a dragon¡¯s home in the past. Kaiser guessed this because the entrance and the ceiling was unusually high and there were traces of someone living here, with the cave itself divided into multiples sections which could be considered as rooms. There were also several smaller passageways which led even further but it was roughly covered with either stones of leaves trees. Perhaps the owner didn¡¯t want any unexpected guests coming from those holes.


    ¡°Hey, you are being rude. It¡¯s my hideaway whenever I want to run away from home.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to run from home?¡±


    ¡°Papa and mama never let me go out and play. They say it¡¯s dangerous since I am different. Even the others kids refused to play with me. They threw rocks at me, saying mean things to me.¡± The girl sobbed.


    Inside Kaiser¡¯s mind, he understood. It reminded him of his Father Alastor who also suffered from this difference. The demons were different and because of that, they were slaughtered. Just how different were they exactly? Did it justify the dead of billions of demons throughout the course of history?


    But it was not like Kaiser didn¡¯t understand the thinking of normal men. They tended to fear the unknown, rejected what they didn¡¯t understand. That led to the fear of the unknown. And fear could cause disastrous consequences and desperate actions.


    ¡°Difference means individuality. Just because everyone is the same doesn¡¯t mean you have to follow the flow. Throughout history, men with talents were always those who were different. If everyone feared the enemy, how could victory be achieved?


    Take pride in your difference little one! For that would one day save your life!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The girl remained silent. Perhaps she was surprised to hear something like this from a complete stranger. Perhaps she felt a small comfort in his words. Or¡­


    ¡°What are you talking about mister? I don¡¯t understand¡­.¡± Or simply it was too much for a ten years old to understand.


    ¡° * sigh * I guess it¡¯s was too complex for a kid. Never mind! Forget what I just say!¡± Kaiser shrugged.


    ¡°But thank you! You just want to cheer me up right? Hi hi!¡± the girl smiled brightly. How quick she changed from sad to happy like that. A word rang inside Kaiser¡¯s head ¡°Youth!¡±.


    For an instant he almost cracked a smile, not physically because of his faceless feature. Now that he thought about it, this girl didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it. Perhaps she understood too well how it felt to be different, to be unique so she decided to ignore it all. So then the girl might not be that childish after all if she already understood that concept.


    ¡°Oh I have to go now! Or else daddy will just get mad again! I will come back tomorrow. See you later mister¡­.¡± The girl didn¡¯t finish her sentence. Instead she tilted her head, looking for an answer from the stranger himself.


    ¡°¡­Kaiser. You may call me Kaiser, the True Monarch!¡± the stranger presented himself proudly.


    ¡°Monarch? What is that?¡± asked the girl.


    ¡°Someone who rules over a certain territory. An example is your father who rules over this land. But in my case, one day, I will rule over the world little girl.¡± Explained Kaiser.


    ¡°So you are a king? Where is your kingdom or your people?¡± the girl asked further. While she seemed persistent, she did raise a point.


    ¡°I have none yet but there will be¡­soon!¡±


    ¡°Then how about me being your first subject? You can play as the king and me your secret agent.¡±


    ¡°Play¡­.Listen I am not playing around here¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh I know. I need to find you a chair don¡¯t I? You are a bit big but I will see what I can find.¡±


    Kaiser gave up. He really had trouble with kids. Especially those like her. This was the first time he actually spoke with someone ever since he left Alastor in Ragna. And so far it felt like she was the one leading the conversation at her own pace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to go now? Else your father is going to be angry.¡± Using her father as an excuse, he could finally get rid of this talking machine.


    ¡°Oh yeah you are right! Bye bye mister Kaiser!¡± and she was gone. Truly it was a refreshing experience for the True Monarch.


    ¡°Oh by the way, my name is Syralth. But you can call me Syra! Have a good day mister Kaiser!¡± the girl poked her head inside the cave before disappearing again.


    And so began a long friendship between two beings, completely different from the rest, which would shape the worlds for millennia: Syralth, the Emerald Sovereign and Kaiser, the Everlasting Monarch. However this would be a different story for another distant time.

 Chapter 27: Birth of a new empire (part 2/2)

    It has been several days since Kaiser decided to stay in this cave. At first he complained how it wasn¡¯t very worthy of being a king¡¯s palace but then he started to get used to it, most likely since he didn¡¯t want to let Syralth down. Then again it was not like the cave was a bad place to live in. It had a lot of space and only required some small adjustments to make it a nice lair.


    ¡°All right guys! Time to work!¡± Kaiser proclaimed at a group of knights in black armor.


    Indeed those were the same knights Alastor used during his fight with Maria. But Kaiser didn¡¯t really steal them or anything of the sort. Rather he created them himself. Perhaps it was an ability passed down to Kaiser when he was created, who knew. Though to be fair, a king did need an army and this one would do just fine.


    And the first job of this outstanding army was to refurbish this cave, making it into a fortress. While Syralth did say that the castle was his now, Kaiser made sure to ask the girl before redecorating her lair.


    Every day the little draconian came to watch over the works and even participated in the works herself. When she wasn¡¯t doing that, she pestered her supposed new king for stories of the outside world. Being raised as a sheltered kid, the girl didn¡¯t know much about things outside her home in Oros, not to mention what was happening in Mara nor the tension between demons and the rest of the world. But Kaiser didn¡¯t tell her about such things.


    He told her about wonders of the world, myths and legends he knew from Alastor¡¯s memories, the way old Gazel told bed story to young Alastor. Syra listened carefully to his every word, with occasionally some questions. There were even stories that Kaiser kind of made up by himself but being a sheltered child she was, the girl was gullible enough to believe everything he said.


    ¡°By the way Syra, are you serious when you say you want to be my subject?¡± Kaiser raised an interesting subject. The question has been in his mind for quite a while now. The fact that Syra was a draconian already valuable but then he thought maybe she was too young to join him. His path would surely be filled with dangers and such a little girl might not make it.


    ¡°Yes!!! It has been only a few days but you have already gathered an army and have a castle for yourself. And I really like it here. Lots of fun!¡± answered the girl cheerfully.


    ¡°Fun¡­there will be people coming after me and if you are my subject, they will come after you too. So I ask you again, Syralth, will you be my subject?¡± Kaiser stood up and switched to a more serious tone.


    ¡°Oh are we playing again? Yes!¡± so did Syra but her attitude suggested otherwise.


    ¡°Answer seriously please!¡±


    ¡°YES!¡±


    ¡°Very well! I, Kaiser, the True Monarch bequeath my mark upon thee. Starting from today you are one of us, a subject of Ragna. Swear that you will serve Father Alastor as his agent! Serve him as you will serve me, your one true King!¡±


    ¡°YEAH!¡±


    ¡°Not YEAH! Say that you will!¡± Kaiser corrected.


    ¡°You will!¡±


    ¡°No YOU will!¡± he pointed to Syra. ¡°Actually it¡¯s fine. I give up!¡±


    ¡°So am I your subject now?¡±


    ¡°Yes yes you are.¡± Kaiser gave a long sigh. He just couldn¡¯t keep up with her. ¡°It¡¯s late now. Go home before your father finds out!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Bye bye mister Kaiser!¡± and there she was gone.


    As much as he wanted to refuse it, Kaiser actually enjoyed the time with this small girl. It could be said that her presence kind of rubbed on him. ¡®So this is how having a child feels. Not that I envy it!¡¯ he thought.


    The peaceful time continued for a while. But the girl was so excited everything she went to see Kaiser that she didn¡¯t notice her stalkers. The adventurers have found her and followed her back to Celdora¡¯s lair.


    * * *


    ¡°Syralth, have you been sneaking out again?¡± a green haired woman asked her daughter.


    ¡°Hum..no. Why do you think so?¡± the girl fidgeted.


    ¡°Then why did I found some dirt on your dress? You have to lie better if you want to trick me lady!¡± the mother scolded. She was the wife of the great Celdora, a mage named Nina. Once an adventurer herself, the two found each other and fell in love at first sight.


    Though they encountered many hardship and disapprovals from many sides, they persevered to stay with each other in the name of love. How romantic!


    Her secret has been unfolded again. The girl was scared to be grounded, not being able to see Kaiser and his companies at the cave.


    ¡°..Will you tell papa?¡± she quietly asked, keeping her head down. She was waiting for a scold from her mother and probably some punishment from Celdora later. But the mother only patted her head and smiled back at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright dear. I won¡¯t tell him. But you have to promise to stay safe and within our land ok? The world outside is not kind like you think it is. People can be very¡­. judgmental.


    I am sorry for keeping you like this. I want you to be free. Believe me I do! But¡­¡± the mother couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. While she didn¡¯t cry out loud, a few drops has fallen on her cheeks. The guilt has been eating for keeping her daughter inside like a prisoner. But she had no choice. Celdora was not welcomed at Mara in any country and the only place left was his home in Oros. Did she make a mistake for bringing this child into this cruel world? No, she thought to herself. Syralth was no mistake. She was a gift, a testament of their love and she would do anything to protect her daughter.


    ¡°Did I do something bad mama? Why are you crying?¡± Syra asked worriedly, seeing that her mother was crying.


    ¡°No no my dear! It¡¯s just some dust in my eyes. I really have to clean up a bit. Haha!¡± the woman forced a smile to reassure her daughter.


    Suddenly the woman felt several presences outside the house. Who could they be? Celdora didn¡¯t inform her of any possible guest they might had. And he was not at home at this moment.


    By her instinct Nina sensed trouble ahead from these peoples. Better to be overly cautious than regretting it later. She told Syralth to stay inside and kept the door close while she went out to check.


    As she carefully walked toward the entrance, without warning the door blasted open, throwing her back against the wall.


    ¡°MOM!¡± the girl rushed to her unconscious mother¡¯ side.


    ¡°¡­Syra¡­run!¡± using her last ounce strength as her head was bleeding from the blast earlier, Nina ordered her daughter to run away.


    Then out of nowhere, a net was hurled onto Syra, trapping her inside. No matter how much she struggled, the net wouldn¡¯t tear itself and only tightened further.


    ¡°All right boys! Bring them outside!¡± a voice shouted as the adventurers quickly grabbed the captured Syra and Nina outside of the house. ¡°


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked an adventurer to the orator, representative of the person who proposed this expedition.


    ¡°Just looking for something. Watch them carefully! Wouldn¡¯t want to lose our hostages when Celdora gets back!¡± Then as he searched the house, throwing everything on the shelf to the ground and breaking it all one by one, he muttered to himself ¡°Now where have you hided it Celdora?¡±


    * * *


    Kaiser was sitting under a ray of sunlight, the only one that could reach the inside of this cave. It actually came from a hole in the ceiling that shined directly under the stone throne that Kaiser recently added. Sitting down on a huge throne with sunlight on his head, the golden crown he wore was even shinier than before, showing his authority in this place.


    Yet something was missing he thought. Ah yes because Syra wasn¡¯t here, or rather because she did come here but Kaiser wasn¡¯t here at that moment so she decided to go back to her home. Telling her stories on this chair has become so routine that Kaiser actually didn¡¯t know what to do now. But then he remarked something right next to his throne, a package with a letter from Syra.


    ¡°Hello Mr. Kaiser!


    I brought you to eat but you weren¡¯t here so I would just put it here for you. I have never seen you eat before so I don¡¯t know what you like. I made this by myself so I don¡¯t you if you like it or not. But there is a lot so you can share with your friends. Remember to tell me about it tomorrow!


    Bye bye! ?? ¡±


    What a sweet girl! Though Kaiser didn¡¯t really have to eat thanks to his outlandish body. But what harm could it be?


    Wondering what kind of thing did she make since the package was quite big and roughly covered by paper and some strings, Kaiser decided to open it. It was actually a basket full of rice balls. It seemed that she only put salt on it and nothing else. And their shape was funny: some were enormous while others were flat like paper. How did she even do this?


    Kaiser couldn¡¯t hold it looking at these ridiculous rice balls. He laughed out loud and his laugh echoed throughout the whole cave, making the knights wondering what their master was chuckling about. It was the first time they heard him laugh after all and it was hard to imagine someone without a face to laugh.


    ¡°Hum hum¡­ a bit salty!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Damn it! Where the hell is he hiding it?¡± the leader of the adventurer group has been searching for something inside Celdora¡¯s house. He already ravaged through everything but he still hasn¡¯t found what he was looking for. What would his master say if he failed this mission? Then he was disturbed by multiples shouts outside. It seemed the master of the house was back and from the look of it, he didn¡¯t seem very happy.


    ¡°You pieces of shits dared hurt my wife and my child? Say your last words before I turn you all son of bitches to ashes!¡±


    The great Celdora was finally here. Currently in his dragon form, he stood as imposing figure reaching the sky. An enormous body with a slender tail and neck that was covered in spikes. His two wings were so huge that they could wrap the sun itself. His claws, each at the size of an adult that could cut down tree as easy as cutting butter. And his scales, red as blood, served as an invincible armor against the attacks of these puny trespassers.


    ¡°Stop right there Celdora! If you move even an inch we will kill the kid together with this bitch!¡± the leader said as he put a knife near Syra¡¯s neck, holding her head. Her limbs were already tied up with these strange strings which neutralized completely all her strength.


    ¡°You dare threaten me? If you touch her, don¡¯t even think about leaving this place alive!¡± just his expiration from his nostrils has already heat up the air around him. Behind his razor-sharp teeth, everyone could see that he has prepared for a fire breath attack. With something at this size, it would set ablaze this entire valley in a single breath.


    The mercenary has just realized they might have awoken a sleeping terror. Compared to this colossal creature, they might as well be insects waiting to be crushed. The tension rose as fear began to eat them from inside. They sweat not just from the heat but also of what might happen to them. In fact they already knew that the only reason they were still standing here alive was thanks to his daughter.


    ¡°Sure you can kill us but are you prepared to lose your daughter and wife in the process? Or perhaps these two bitches are not really worth your time anymore? Not that I don¡¯t understand though. A cunt who loved a dragon and their freak hybrid. You have some weird taste here.¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU INSULT THEM! I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU!¡± raged Celdora. His eyes were filled with fury. He wouldn¡¯t let these people get away alive after what they did. But his family¡¯s life was on the line. Would he risk it all?


    Living as a dragon may seem envious at first. Having all these power for yourself and you could do whatever you wanted. But when you lived for centuries, things started to get dull. Things you might enjoy to do didn¡¯t seem that interesting anymore. Why? Because you were all alone.


    But Celdora found a place he could call home. A family: a loving wife and a beautiful daughter. He just wanted to spend the time he has left with his family, knowing that one day they would die before him. And now these people wanted to take it away from him? Him who was once known as the Crimson Terror of Oros?


    ¡°So what is going to be Celdora? Which life do you care more about? Us or her?¡±


    The dragon had no choice. Not his family. Smoke came out of his body as it shrank down to the size of a human with two black horns on his head. A tall stout man with red hair and two snake like amber eyes. But the man had a defeated expression.


    ¡°You win. Let them go!¡±


    The tide has turned. ¡®Who knew Celdora was such a na?ve man? This was the man behind tales to scare children, the man who killed the demon lord together with the other heroes and survived? What a joke¡¯ thought the bandits. If they killed Celdora here, they would be famous across the entire world.


    ¡°Not so fast. First give us the Crown Celdora!¡± said the boss. At that moment the seemingly defeated Celdora made a stunned expression.


    ¡°Where did you hear about it? It¡¯s impossible for you to know such thing!!¡± yelled Celdora.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I hear it from. Now give it or I may give this girl to some of our boys here. One word of warning: they don¡¯t like being gentle!¡±


    ¡°Dad¡­.I am scared!¡± sobbed Syra. She has never seen her father like this. Him unable to do anything? How could it be? Weren¡¯t he supposed to be the strongest person in this world?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright honey! Daddy is coming to get you now.¡± The dragon turned to the man holding his daughter, clenching his fist in anger. ¡°Fine! Take it!¡±


    Celdora took out a small pouch. A dimensional pocket. He put his hand inside, making all the adventurers nervous for a moment, and pulled out a certain metallic object. A not so impressive black crown but it had something special on it: the insignia of a gear.


    He threw the crown forward to be caught by one of the adventurer. The guy quickly brought it to their boss.


    ¡°Now that wasn¡¯t so hard was it? Unfortunately I can¡¯t let you live. I have received my order and that¡¯s what I am going to do. If you please, Sword of Justice!¡±


    Three individuals stepped forward: a dwarf, a human and an elf. The trio of Sword of Justice. Though how ironic for someone with that name to be doing this kind of thing.


    ¡°Do we really have to? I want to fight him when he is on full force, not begging for his daughter¡¯s life like a wimp.¡± Said the human male.


    ¡°You have already been paid so stick to your job!¡±


    ¡°¡­Promise me that you will let my family go unharmed!¡± pled Celdora. As long as they lived, Celdora wouldn¡¯t mind sacrificing himself.


    ¡°Yeah yeah! Go ahead! Do it now!¡± shouted the boss.


    ¡°All right fine. Sorry about this old man!¡± said the human as he raised his sword. Normally this kind of weapon wouldn¡¯t even harm a dragon but Celdora has already resigned his fate. If he resisted, his daughter might have to pay the consequence and that was definitely not his intention.


    ¡°NO Dad! Let my daddy go!¡± yelled Syralth as she struggled even harder, making it difficult to hold her.


    The bandit did his best to hold her down but his carelessness for underestimating a draconian almost cost him his arm as she bit heavily his strangling arm, making him shout in pain. Now he didn¡¯t care anymore. Not Celdora, not anyone would stop him from killing this kid. He slapped her in her face, making her fell down on the ground.


    ¡°You fucking brat! I will kill you!¡± the guy took out a sword and lifted it to the air. ¡°Die!¡±


    Suddenly a lightning strike fell down from the sky and hit the sword he was holding. In an instant the boss busted in fire and he screamed in pain before falling down. His charred body lied motionless, dead.


    Horrified, the adventurers had no idea what just happened. Then they noticed that dark clouds have gathered above them. How? It was so clear just a moment ago.


    Then they spotted a figure floating on the sky, slowly descending to the ground. A strange creature with black trees branches poking from his back, forming into two wings. Its body was tall, wearing a white robe and a golden crown which slid down into a golden mesh covering the faceless creature.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Even Celdora was stunned by the appearance of this new party. At first sight, it was clearly none of the Prime race. And its aura that emerged from his body, a creature of Dark: a demon. But something else felt different about it. The Dark represented a calming but chilling to the bone place while this thing also had a certain ¡­ chaotic feeling about it. What could a such creature like this be doing here?


    Kaiser looked down at the frail girl lying on the ground. He felt something emerging from inside him. Sadness? No. Anger? Could be. Wanting to kill someone? A lot.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I am fine. But please save my father!¡± pled Syra.


    ¡°You are my only subject. He isn¡¯t so I have no obligation to help him.¡± Kaiser coldly replied.


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°HOWEVER¡­Consider this as thanks for the rice balls!¡±


    On spur of moment, two greatswords materialized in Kaiser¡¯s hands. The right sword was coated in a flaming aura while the other one with darkness. He walked forward with both of his arms widen, exhibiting his weapons.


    At that moment everyone was sure of one thing: this creature was at least as powerful as Celdora, if not more. On its left, the grass enclosing it withered wherever it passed by, sucking out all of the life force from its surroundings. On its right side, the coiling sword has turned the ground into molten lava, incinerating everything on its path.


    ¡°What the hell are you?¡± shouted an adventurer.


    ¡°I was wandering looking for a dragon nest when I detect a large surge of mana coming from this place. But to think I stumble into something like this¡­.Do you what is a king, young one?¡± said Kaiser calmly.


    ¡°What is this guy talking about?¡± everyone was confused by the sudden question. This thing came out of nowhere and started babbling about king and such. How could they understand?


    ¡°A king is the shield of his people. You who dare raise your sword against my subject, prepare to meet your Maker!¡±


    In an instant Kaiser vanished into thin air before appearing again in front of one adventurer. He flung his sword into the poor soul and raised it like a skewer. Without even realizing what has happened to him, his body shriveled as his life was draining from him, leaving behind a dried corpse like a mummy.


    Seeing their friend being killed in such gruesome manner, the other adventurers charged forward. Some mages stayed behind and cast support spells like barriers and protections for their comrades.


    ¡°Insects!¡±


    With a single swing of the coiled sword, Kaiser created a vortex of fire ravaging the battlefield. Those unfortunate to be caught by it were flung into the air and trapped inside the whirlpool. But it wasn¡¯t just a simple tornado. It was a tornado on fire, burning everything it caught. Just standing near it could burn your lungs as the air itself was boiling.


    Those lucky who managed to dodge that attack and come closer to Kaiser received another welcome: stabbing the fiery sword into the ground, Kaiser created a large explosion, turning the entire place into lava. Yet he remained unharmed.


    The last hope of the adventurers was the three S-rank of the party ¡®Sword of Justice¡¯. Only they could defeat such monstrosity. But there wasn¡¯t just one beast. A shadow rose from behind. Its shackles were now gone. Whoever or whatever this thing was, it created enough chaos for Celdora to rush and grab both his daughter and wife.


    ¡°Syra, are you ok?¡± asked Celdora as he removed her restrains. The mother was still unconscious and lied on Celdora¡¯s back.


    ¡°I am fine father!¡± answered Syralth.


    ¡°Good. Then let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Celdora wasn¡¯t afraid of the puny men. But the safety of Syra and Nina came first. He took Syra¡¯s hand and dragged her away.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t leave him here alone! He saved me.¡± Syra pointed to Kaiser, refusing to go with her father.


    ¡°Honey that thing is a monster!¡± Celdora tried to reason with his daughter. He knew nothing of this thing. Despite the fact that he knew some demons were good people, he was still on edge after what happened.


    ¡°No!!! Mister Kaiser is a good guy! He tells me stories about the outside world, unlike you who just want to keep me here!¡± yelled the little girl.


    ¡°I¡­¡± the dragon didn¡¯t know what to say. He knew he was making a mistake when he tried to confine her at home. In a way he was an overly protective father who genuinely cared about his daughter. But her nature was a touchy subject, he thought he could protect her from the dangers outside as long she remained here. He had his fair share of troubles when he was outside so he knew. The world was not a kind place. But now even his home was not safe anymore. Clearly these attackers have been backed up by someone powerful. How else would they dare to infiltrate this place? If not for this stranger¡¯s intervention they might not be alive at this moment.


    ¡°Do you trust him Syralth?¡± asked the father.


    ¡°I do!¡± said the girl.


    ¡°Very well then. Take care of your mother! I will make sure none of these bastards reach you!¡± he put down Nina and carefully placed her head on the grass bed.


    Then he proceeded to charge into the ongoing battlefield, although at this moment it seemed more like a massacre.


    ¡°Need some help?¡± shouted Celdora as he changed to his dragon form and smashed a bandit to the ground.


    ¡°Hum as if I need your help to deal with these maggots!¡± Kaiser said arrogantly.


    ¡°You think you can take on those three S-rank by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Between a maggot and a high rank maggot, there isn¡¯t much of a difference!¡±


    ¡°HEY who are you calling maggot?¡± a voice shouted at Kaiser.


    It was the human S-rank. He has been listening to their conversation for a while now and it pissed him off when someone dared underestimate him, despite the fact that he was a S-rank.


    ¡°Maggots don¡¯t talk. They die! Now please die!¡±


    Kaiser created another firestorm targeting the human. The whirlpool engulfed the man whole as it burned everything else around him. For a moment it was thought that he died. But a S-rank was still a S-rank after all. He wouldn¡¯t go down that easily.


    As the storm dispersed, a figure emerged from it. Though his armor showed sign of severe burns, the person himself didn¡¯t seem too injured, a part from a few scratches.


    ¡°I seem to be mistaken. You are not a maggot. I promote you to cockroach.¡± said Kaiser.


    ¡°YOU DIPSHIT!¡± screamed the human as he charged hysterically toward Kaiser. ¡°<Almighty Charge>¡±


    Englobed in a luminous light, the human deflected everything in his path at incredible speed. But Kaiser only needed to move slightly to the side, dodging it completely.


    Unable to stop in time, he charged into the forest and made a clear path into.


    ¡°So he can only charge in one direction at a time. While it¡¯s easy to dodge, if I get hit by that, it will hurt a lot! I have to be care¡­.¡± But Kaiser was interrupted.


    A second person has joined the fray. The dwarf with his mighty hammer smashed down onto Kaiser. Using his two swords, he made a cross and defended against the attack. However it was so powerful that the ground underneath Kaiser made a crater.


    Suddenly Kaiser felt something moving under his foot. Using all his force, he pushed back the dwarf and jumped on air, evading the earth spike. The sorceress, staying well afar from the frontline, has planted many magical traps across the entire battlefield. One wrong step could be proven fatal.


    ¡®This just keeps getting more interesting!¡¯ thought Kaiser. It seemed that he underestimated S-rank adventurers.


    Seeing that Kaiser might be in trouble, Celdora decided to jump in. If he could take out the sorceress hiding behind, it would make the battle much easier for Kaiser as he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about traps and sudden spells. For now she was too busy dealing with Kaiser. He could take her in one shot from here.


    However as if he has sensed the dragon¡¯s intention, Kaiser threw the coiled sword right in front of him. This was his battle and he wouldn¡¯t let anyone interfere with it. The two men, without exchanging a single word, each understood the other. With that Celdora stepped back, leaving the battle to Kaiser. He still had another task: to protect Nina and Syra from the leftover adventurers.


    Kaiser, now surrounded by three sides, had nowhere else to go. If he jumped on air, he would be vulnerable to the witch¡¯s attack. Both the dwarf and the human have fixed their eyes on him. They were used to work together, therefore explained their perfect teamwork. Although it might seem cowardly to fight one with three persons, it wasn¡¯t stupid if it worked.


    Remaining calm even in the direst situation, Kaiser relaxed his stance, lowering his swords. Such odd behavior in the midst of a fierce battle! Did he give up, seeing that he had no chance to win against three S-ranks? Or so thought the Sword of Justice.


    ¡°Finally giving up? Now you understand not to underestimate us!¡± said the human.


    ¡°Hehehehe! Splendid! Truly wonderful! You are the first to force me to use this. You have done well against a tenth of my power. Now let¡¯s see how you will do against this! Come, my shadow!¡±


    Suddenly, the shadow cast by Kaiser started to stand up from the ground. Imitating his form, the shadow was black as nigh and held the same two swords as Kaiser himself.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s dance!¡±


    The shadow vanished again. The trio tried to look around to find it but they forgot that the real one was still there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me!¡±


    He swung his dark sword but the dwarf used his hammer¡¯s handle in time to deflect it. What he missed was the shadow that materialized behind him and stabbed him with its dark sword. The dwarf quickly turned into a mummy as all his blood and life essence was sucked by the sword.


    ¡°Agon!!! You will pay for what you have done!¡± screamed the sorceress, watching her friend¡¯s corpse collapsing. She cast multiple fireballs and stones spears toward Kaiser.


    But her attempt was futile. Kaiser plunged both his sword into the ground and gave his command.


    ¡°In the name of the True Monarch, I forbid the use of magic in this land!¡±


    An invisible dome covered the entire valley. All these spells the sorceress has cast instantly turned into dust. Without magic she was no more than a common woman. No matter how hard she tried, her magic didn¡¯t work. How could it be possible? It didn¡¯t matter as her end was already here. Without a word of warning, the shadow decapitated the woman and threw her head to the side.


    ¡°Jana!!! YOU MONSTER!¡± shouted the human as he recklessly swung his sword, only to be dodged easily by Kaiser. His mind was clouded with revenge. His sword and his attacks now seemed so slow. Like a child holding a sword for the first time.


    Kaiser caught his sword with one of his hand and smashed it into pieces. He then proceeded to lift the human by his neck.


    Unable to breath, the human desperately hit Kaiser with his fist in hope that he might drop him. Yet it was difficult to tell if his punches were too quick or simply because Kaiser was too strong but none of that even made the Monarch flinch a bit.


    ¡°Tell me your name human!¡± asked Kaiser as he continued to strangle the poor soul.


    Why did he ask him his name? Usually it was the killer who gave the name as a provocation. He obviously won the battle already. Why did he need to know this insignificant human¡¯s name? But when face to death, people often disillusioned themselves. They would do anything to survive. Perhaps by abiding to what he said, the human could live. Or so he thought in his last moment.


    ¡°Lu¡­kes¡± the human muttered.


    ¡°Agon, Jana, Lukes. I will remember your names. For forcing me to use a fifth of my power!¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­at?¡±


    Kaiser twisted his neck in a single motion.


    Three S-ranks have died today. Even if they were not the strongest of the Guild, they were clearly not weak. Yet they fell so easily. Though what they did was illegal, the Guild wouldn¡¯t forget so easily someone who could kill three of their top members.


    ¡°Mr. Kaiser¡­.?¡± A small voice called Kaiser.


    ¡°My apologies Syralth! I have made you saw some awful things.¡± Said Kaiser. He forgot that Syra was watching the whole time.


    ¡°It¡¯s.. alright! They were bad guys!¡± though she might have said it, Syralth was still a little shaken.


    The two remained silent, knowing not what to say to each other. And their silence was broken by the girl¡¯s father.


    ¡°Thank you for your help stranger! If you have not been here, things might have turned very wrong. Both me and my family own you our life.¡±


    ¡°I merely do this on my own volition and since Syra is my first subject, it¡¯s my responsibility to keep her safe.¡±


    ¡°Subject?¡± asked Celdora. He didn¡¯t hear anything about this. Was this some kind of play or game these two have been doing?


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story dad! I will tell you later!¡± explained Syra.


    ¡°You better do! But still you save me and I am pretty sure I am not your subject!¡± added the dragon.


    ¡°For that I have already receive compensation from Syra!¡± answered Kaiser.


    ¡°Really? What did she give you?¡±


    ¡°Rice balls¡±


    ¡°You see my life as equal to some rice balls¡­.¡±


    ¡°They were quite salty.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°HAHAHA! I like you! You have to stay and have a drink with me! It has been a long time since I have someone over!¡± laughed Celdora.


    It seemed Kaiser couldn¡¯t get his way out of this.


    ¡°Alright then!¡±


    All of the sudden Kaiser spotted an object on a pile of ash. It was the guy who took Syra hostage. He remembered hearing that he came to get this crown. What was so special about it? From outside, it just looked like a rusty crown. However it did resist the thunder strike from Kaiser without taking even a scratch. What was this thing made of?


    Most surprising at all, when Kaiser picked it up, a line of inscription emerged on the inside of the crown. And that specific line made Kaiser realize that this crown was much more significant than it looked.


    ¡°To my son Alastor: May you use the crown to shape the world to your will¡±

 Chapter 28 Side story - Legends and Myths (part I)

    At one time in history there used to be one single continent in the world of Astora. Before a certain catastrophe that caused the severance of the land and the separation of Oros and Ragna, in a now forgotten land far to the north lived a kind and wise woman.


    But the woman did not live a cheerful past. Being the beautiful she was, the local lord took an interest in her and asked her for marriage. It was the happiest day of her life. The daughter of a simple doctor in a small village, to receive the grace of such a noble and handsome person, what could she ask for more?


    Yet her happiest didn''t last for long. Even months after she moved to the lord mansion, there was no sign of a baby coming. When they invited a doctor to come over, the woman learnt a horrible truth: she could never have a child. And so she was shunned away by the rest of the family. Not even her beloved husband cared about her anymore. Watching him every day with another woman, she could not longer stand it. So the woman decided to leave the mansion and became a physician like her late father wanted her to be.


    Even so, she did not give up hope. At that time the village was hit by a plague. Though there was a cure found the healers, it was so expensive that the commoners could never purchase it. However the woman, using the local herbs, managed to produce an elixir that could cure the disease. The difference was she gave it for free without ever asking for a reward.


    Every day people gathered in front of her door, lines of lines, hearing this news of a free antidote. At first many doubted her. Why would someone even care about them in the first place? Wasn''t this the perfect opportunity to make money for herself? The villagers were so used to the kind of greedy doctors who only knew about money in their life so no one could understand her motive. But with time the woman gained the people''s trust. They couldn''t find a motive because there were none. The woman only wanted to dedicate her life to help people. She even tested every ingredient she made herself. Some was known for being poisonous yet she still did it just to prove that her medical skills were real.


    Though broken she may be, she would not give up on others. For she found happiness in them.


    Soon the news reached the ears of the local lord and the doctors. They despised the poor woman for ruining their chance of richness. Not just this plague, she gave out potions and even came to other people''s house to personally take care of the sick. Her reputation was equal to a Saint. And this sparked a dangerous idea: her authority has become even prominent than the lord and her actions have cut the doctors from their source of money. And so they devised a plan to get rid of her.


    One day the lord came the woman''s home. Shocking to see her former husband coming all the way here, the woman was so happy to even consider his hidden motive. He told her how much he was sorry for what he did and how he wanted to rekindle their relationship.


    The next day the lord invited the woman to the nearby forest. He said he wanted to propose to her once again, as a sign of a new beginning of their marriage. Yet it has been hours that they walked in this forest, how far did he intend to go? Still the woman was not suspicious at him at all. In her mind was filled was her imagination of his proposal. Would he get on his knees like he did when they first met? Or perhaps has he already prepared something special just for her inside this forest?


    Indeed he did prepare something special. Leading the woman to a cliff, he pointed at a blue flower at the edge. He told her that any couple who found that flower would find an everlasting love. And so the girl crawled her way to get it. She was used to getting in dangerous ground to gather herbs for her potions. But when she finally picked it, she was pushed down.


    How could she be so naive? It was his intention to kill her all along. And yet she was so blinded about it. With tears pouring on her face, the woman embraced her incoming death.


    Yet she did not die. Saved by a tree branch, the woman fell down a small cave. Her bones were broken, she could no longer move. No matter how she screamed, no one could hear her. Then she felt the presence of something. Now that she realized it, there was something else lying in the cave just in front of her.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.The motionless shadow lied still. It had eight long and thin legs with a big body and a large head: a giant arachnid. From the look of it, it appeared to be a queen carrying many eggs beside her. It seemed she too fell into this cave while carrying her children and died as a result. But her eggs still lived.


    Suddenly the bag of eggs broke and released hundreds of tiny spiders crawling all over the cave. Terrified, the woman did not resist however. She couldn''t move so there was no use of trying to escape. And a thought came to her. If her life could allow these creatures to live just for a little while longer, then perhaps it wouldn''t be such a bad thing after all.


    Closing her eyes, she prepared herself. One spider jumped on her and bit into her neck, injecting its poison into her. And a second one. And a third one. They wanted to kill their foe before eating it. But for some reason this creature didn''t resist. Even though the spiders have just been born, they knew how to hunt. Yet this woman let them do whatever they wanted. As savage and wild they may be, the spiders mysteriously stopped. There was still another corpse to eat first. Perhaps they wanted to keep the woman alive for a later meal?


    When the woman woke up, it has been several days since she was missing. She looked around, only to see the spiders curiously gathering up around her. Why didn''t they eat her yet? And why were they following her hand?


    It turned out that something else happened, something unexpected. For years of tasting herb and ingredient, the woman has amassed an impressive poison resistance as well as poison inside her body. Combined with the spider''s poison, it changed her body. The lower body of the woman has completely changed to that of a horrendous big pile of deformed flesh resembling that of a spider. Eight long legs covered in spines and thorns. Her upper body retained her former appearance with pale skin, almost looked like she was being devoured by the flesh underneath.


    Yet the woman was not afraid. She may have lost her body and became a gruesome monster but she gained something else. She now had thousands of children and this new body could allow her to breed even more. To her, this was not a curse but a blessing.


    And so the woman decided to stay far away from civilisation together with her new children. Using the cave as their nest, the spiders created a large underground tunnel, expanding their family even further. But whatever they did, the woman gave them a strict warning: never venture outside the cave. For she herself was a victim of the cruelty of the world, the woman knew that no one would allow abominations like her and her children to live.


    But like every child, their mother''s words were not taken seriously. One day a group of spider traveled outside the cave, never to return again. Frightened by what might have happened to them, the woman took her first step outside the cave for the first time since a long ago. Searching everywhere in the forest, she finally found them. Dead, killed by the soldiers of the lord during their patrol.


    Holding the morbid corpses of her children, the woman fell into despair. What did they do to deserve this? She only wanted a peaceful life away from the world. She gave them everything she had and now they wanted to take her children too?


    Consumed by her madness and hatred, the spider gave a loud but sorrowful shriek, echoing in the entire forest and reached the town. Without any warning, an earthquake took place as the villagers didn''t understand what was happening. As the ground collapsed and revealed several dark holes. From it countless number of spiders spawned as the town was ravaged by spiders.


    In a single night an entire population disappeared without leaving a trace. And soon, the kingdom of the north fell silent. No news came from it. Many messengers and even armies were sent to unveil the mystery but none has ever returned to tell the tale.


    Even until now, whenever travelers came close to the border of the old kingdom, they could hear the scratching down under the ground beneath them.


    - Tale of the Spider Queen- By Arshe the Wanderer

 Chapter 29: Gods descent

    Alastor¡¯s POV


    ¡°I feel empty.


    How long have I been here? Did I die? What is this place? How come everything is so dark?"


    .....


    "Does it even matter anyway? The world outside interests me none. It may burn or whatever it does. As if I care anymore."


    .....


    "I feel warm...Where does it come from? It''s somehow soothing. Yet very...ominous, as if it was filled with sorrow and ire. Who are you?" I spoke in the void.


    "Someone who doesn''t want to watch you suffer." a voice answered me despite I saw nothing around me, just nothingness.


    "Why?"


    "Because you are dear to me." I couldn''t recognize this voice. I was sure that I have never heard it before and at the same time it gave me a sense of nostalgia. How could it be possible?


    "What do you want?"


    "What I want is not important. The question is: what do you want, Alastor?"


    "I desire nothing. Every time I found someone I love, someone I thought could understand me, I lose them. What is the point of continuing?"


    "Don''t you want to avenger Shana? Don''t you want to punish those who took her away from you? Just as the way they took Morgan? To give your judgment to this accursed world?"


    "I have thought of that. Of course I wanted to. But this pain, the grief, how do I make them go away?"


    "You don''t. Instead use it as your fuel. Let the malice take over!" the voice spoke louder.


    "Go away!" I shouted.


    "Follow your instincts, Alastor!"


    "Just leave me alone!" I shouted even louder. I tried to cover my ears but I kept hearing the mysterious voice.


    "Destroy this world!!!"


    "STOP!!!"


    Suddenly a bright right illuminated the entire area, repulsing the darkness away. It became quiet again. The difference was now I was standing in a white room with nothing in sight for miles. Where was I again?


    "For someone who has Chaos, Dark and Light at the same time, you are pathetic!" and another voice came along. What was with all these people?


    "Who the hell are you?" I asked it.


    "Someone who loves to see you suffer. You can''t protect anyone, Alastor! Look at yourself! Having all these great powers and what did you accomplish so far? Nothing! And here I thought that Magnus'' chosen would be a threat to me!"


    "Wait a minute! You can''t be...." at that time I believed I knew who this person was. Someone who knew Magnus and had a strife with him. During that time when Alice, or rather Lilith spoke with Magnus, his name was mentioned.


    "Indeed! At least your brain still functions. I am Eden, creator of this world! Well actually it was all three of us who created Astora together: Magnus, Lilith and me.


    Lilith created the Body of all the races. Magnus forged the Soul. Finally I gave them life: Essence. But then I tricked Lilith into giving me the Flame Magnus used to create the Soul. Next I made sure that their presences were completely erased from the history''s pages and the world would only worship me. Perfect plan don''t you agree?" the voice arrogantly spoke.


    To be honest, I half expected something like this. Both Magnus and Lilith had tremendous power and they seemed to be very ancient. I wouldn''t doubt if they were some deities but to be the creators of Astora...that certainly was unexpected.


    "And you are telling me this because....?" Everything this guy said so far was odd. First he admitted being God and then directly being my enemy. Then he told the truth, or at least it seemed like it, behind the creation of the world. He even uncovered the fact that he was the bad guy behind everything. For what purpose? Or was he simply stupid?


    If he could make a better lie, he could have tried to gain me to his side, showing me his side of the story because frankly right now I didn''t know who to believe anymore. Alice was possessed by some blood god. Me by a dark creepy one who even took control of my body. So far Eden seemed to be the most honest god I have ever met. And apparently he was the bad guy.


    "If you want revenge, come and find me! That way I can make sure that both you and Magnus will disappear forever!


    But seeing how weak you are, my disciples will be more than enough!" Eden continued.


    "Disciples?" I asked.


    "The Six Gods ruling Astora. And no need to search for them. Because of your little pets'' recent actions, they will be coming after you soon enough!"


    Pets? Was he referring to the three enigmatic entities that came from me? I didn''t understand what they were exactly but they seemed to be on my side. What did they do to earn the attention of the Gods?


    "I have spoke long enough. Time to send you back to the real world! Go and hide somewhere like the coward you are!"


    All of the sudden, an invisible force pushed me back and I began to lose consciousness. But just before I woke up, I could hear something.


    "Come find me, Alastor! Hurry! My time is running out!"


    * * *


    Ever since the recent event that led to the death of more than thirty orphans, the demon lord''s castle has been in a grim mood. Not only did they see the horror these children have been subjected too, their soon-to-be-king Alastor has also been unconscious since. In addition, three mysterious entities, somehow spawned from Alastor, have escaped from the castle with their agenda still unknown. Some speculated the recent incidents involving the undeads the in the World''s Graveyard or the tragedy of Malatas Royal Family. Mostly because the timing was too perfect. In the end speculations stayed as speculations, nothing more.


    Inside the court room of the castle, Alice was currently behind bars, under heavy surveillance by the royal guards. While Maria and Scarlet could testify for her innocence concerning what happened to Alastor, they themselves believed that the entity possessing Alice was to be locked up until some light was shed on the matter.


    Lilith has told everyone what happened and claimed it was Alastor''s own decision to take her blood in order to gain the power of Chaos. However even she herself didn''t know what would happen as this would be the first time something like this has occurred. The fact that a lifeform could emerge from the boy as a result of the combination of Dark, Light and Chaos was simply too far-fetched. Lilith understood that. That was why she didn''t resist her arrest even though she could easily walk away. The only problem was when Alice retook control, the girl only cried and wanted to see her brother. As heartless as it may seem, everyone didn''t let her approach Alastor for days, waiting for the boy to wake up.


    During that time, Ikarus, Maria and Stella have used all their time tending to the lad. Especially Ikarus has not slept for days, watching Alastor closEly on his bed. Dark circles under her eyes, the unkept hair, the celestial clearly was deeply distressed by what happened. Not just the children but mostly about Alastor. Could she have somehow prevented this? If she challenged Alastor when he went out to the orphanage, perhaps she could have know about this earlier. Perhaps if their bond was deeper, she could find him much quicker and therefore saved Shana in time. But no matter how much she contemplated, the past still stayed as the past. It remained unchanged, no matter what you would try to do.


    "Ikarus, go have some sleep would you? You haven''t moved from that spot for three days now. What would Alastor say if he see you like this?" said Maria worriedly.


    For the last few days together, Ikarus and Maria have started to know each other a little bit. Most likely because they didn''t have anything to do while Alastor was still in coma. And more ever they shared the same worry.


    "I am fine." answered the celestial.


    "No you are not! Look at yourself! You will collapse at this rate!" retorted Maria.


    "Stella also has stayed here even longer than me. Why don''t you say that to her?"


    "I am a doll. I do not need to sleep nor do I eat. You however are different Mrs. Ikarus!" said Stella. She too has stayed by Alastor'' side since day one and refused to even leave him for a second.


    "Sometimes I wish I have a convenient body like you Stella!" Ikarus joked.


    "You don''t!" her answer was abrupt. The doll knew that despite some obvious advantages, there was some major drawbacks for having a body like hers. But for now she decided to keep it for herself.


    The conversation was cut quite sudden with both parties now remained silent, wondering what could be said, leaving the woman in black speechless as well.


    "Go Ikarus! Just take a short break! If he wakes up now the first thing he sees is a dirty celestial. Surely you don''t want that!" insisted Maria.


    "Then I will wait until he wakes up and tell me that! Why do I care about what he thinks about my look?" fumed the girl.


    "Do you now?"


    A fourth voice has spoken. It wasn''t either of the girls, not Stella. Then who?


    "To be honest, she is still beautiful you know!"


    "ALASTOR!!!" with a moment to lose, Ikarus couldn''t help herself but hug the boy tightly.


    "Time out..time out..hard...to....breath!!!" struggled Alastor as he tried to push Ikarus away as he gasped for breath. It has been days since his body even moved and being smaller than Ikarus, the boy had no chance of getting out of her grasp.


    "Sorry! I just...just glad you are awake!" realizing he was suffocating under her chest, Ikarus quickly released him.


    "Oh god, thought I was gone for a second!" sputtered Alastor.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it."We thought you are gone for a long time, not just a second. And what''s with this unfair treatment? First thing you say after lying for days in unconsciousness is complimenting another girl right in front of me." Maria angrily said.


    "Could it be that you are jealous? Surely not, right Maria?" teased the boy.


    "The hell I do! Freaking die!"


    * * *


    Alastor¡¯s POV


    Immediately after my awakening, I released Alice from her cell. Poor girl just kept crying and apologizing to me. I knew it wasn¡¯t her fault nor did I blame her for keeping Lilith as a secret. In her mind, she was still a small child trying her best to keep her family together without hurting anyone. I guessed Lilith¡¯s possession has not just halted her physical growth but her mentality as well.


    Right now I was sitting together with everyone. I decided it would be wise to share my secret as well: Magnus, the Abyss, the old demon lords. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was a wise course of action but I decided to do it anyway. I trusted these people. And of course I told them about my weird encounter with the one named Eden.


    ¡°So that¡¯s about the gist of it! Any question?¡± I asked. It seemed my story was a bit too sudden and frankly speaking quite unbelievable. Everyone was baffled just hearing this, except for Lilith who apparently knew it too well. The only thing that seemed to shock her was the fact that I met Eden, even though she has spent years trying to find him. As well as another person who was creeping up inside me. But in the end he decided to stay silent.


    ¡°So let me get this right: you have the souls of all the previous demon lords inside you as well as their abilities. Does that mean you have met your father Asgore as well?¡± asked Mephisto. The devil, as expected, didn¡¯t show any surprise, simply curiosity.


    ¡°No. For some reasons my father¡¯ soul is nowhere to be found inside the Abyss. Based on the nature of the Abyss which is actually a container of souls and what Amelia has told me, his souls was probably obliterated along with my mother¡¯s and the others at the castle that day. Well, except for Theoron who was outside the castle that day.¡± I explained.


    ¡°Furthermore, while I technically can have all the previous demon lords¡¯ power, there is a certain limit that prevents me from having too much at the same time. That¡¯s why I stop after making pacts with nine demons lords.¡± I added.


    ¡°A limit?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°That I don¡¯t know myself!¡± actually I knew for quite a while now. But despite what I just said about revealing secrets and such, I didn¡¯t think it was a good time to talk about this particular detail. Not now and I hoped never.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why Eden would appear before to you. It¡¯s just unreasonable. Why did he do that and why now? And he is not an idiot I tell you.¡± Said Lilith using Alice¡¯s body.


    ¡°Perhaps he is trying to provoke him! From what Alastor said, he seems to be an arrogant bastard!¡± said Maria.


    ¡°Then why reveal the whole thing? ¡­.all this just makes my head explode!!!¡± screamed Lilith.


    ¡°Anyway he said himself that the Six Gods are now aware of my presence and will come after me. My days of peace seem to be over soon!¡± I said.


    ¡°Let them come! We will use this opportunity to crush them all!¡± shouted Naberius.


    ¡°Are you an idiot? They are Gods for a reason. For all we know, they are even more powerful than a demon lord. And there are six of them!¡± claimed the witch Amelia.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why haven¡¯t they do anything against us? If they really are that powerful, they could have destroyed us long ago. Especially after the death of a demon lord. Think about it! We were weak, leaderless. Shouldn¡¯t that be the perfect chance to get rid of us once and for all?


    Yet they didn¡¯t do anything. I think there are more to this than just a simple war between demon and the world.¡± Mephisto expressed his concern.


    ¡°Just what is Eden planning?¡± sighed Lilith.


    ¡°All your concerns are justified but don¡¯t you think we should deal with the current problem first?¡± Ikarus intervened.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Mephisto.


    ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t forget what happened to Alastor when those two creatures appeared. For all we know, they could be the one who attacked him.¡± Explained Ikarus. The girl has been clinging on me ever since I woke up. She even sneaked up outside my chamber to make sure I was still there. It was just great, I had now two constant stalkers: a doll that watched me sleeping and a celestial that followed me everywhere I went.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think they mean any harm. Just before I lost consciousness, I remembered that they referred to me as ¡®Father¡¯. And with the bond I shared with Shana¡­.I think they are Shana¡¯ soul, or at least fragments of it.¡± I said.


    ¡°As farfetched as it may seem, it¡¯s possible. When you consume Shana¡¯ soul, the bond between you two must have sparked something. In addition the three elements behind the creation of life: Light, Dark and Chaos are once again united inside you must have given birth to these three creatures. I think they are technically your children, Alastor!¡± jested Alice with a grin.


    ¡°THREE? But I only saw two!¡± shouted Ikarus.


    ¡°Yes but there was a third one in the room as well. However unlike the other two, it was an incorporeal entity, almost like an elemental¡±


    ¡°Oh great! I am not even twelve and already three children.¡± I sighed.


    "Worry not Alastor! It must be a sign!" proclaimed Naberius proudly.


    ¡°Sign for what?¡± asked Ikarus.


    ¡°Whoever is going to marry him is going to have a LOT of children!¡±


    At that moment, realizing what it actually meant, Maria¡¯s cheeks were bright red. Her eyes avoided me after understand what Naberius just said.


    Ikarus shied away after finally grasping what everyone was laughing about. Oh how I enjoyed teasing these two!


    ¡°Ehem, Joke aside, are you doing alright, Alastor? After what happened I mean? I am sorry for lying to you and I won¡¯t mind if you hold a grudge but please don¡¯t take it out on Alice!¡± Liltih confessed.


    ¡°I have no intention of blaming Alice or you for what happened. Though I would appreciate that you could have told me about the orphans first!¡±


    ¡°That I have no excuse. I can sense when someone tries to use my blood like what that cult did but it wasn¡¯t very accurate.¡± Said Lilith.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the past now. No need to dwell on it any longer!¡± I said.


    The mood became heavy again. Just when I thought I could lighten the mood to avoid the awkwardness.


    ¡°Hey Alastor! Did you change your left eye or something? Why is it blue now?¡± asked Naberius.


    Ah yes I almost forgot about it. So much has happened, making me overlook this crucial detail.


    ¡°That I have no idea. It just kind of appeared like that during the fight with Maria. By the way, sorry for what I did, Maria! It was¡­.unforeseen that we went that far.¡± I turned to Maria.


    ¡°You were so forceful. Doing something like that¡­.It hurt you know!¡± sobbed Maria.


    ¡­..


    ¡°What the hell did you two do?¡± asked everyone at the same time, especially Ikarus who raised her eyebrows in confusion.


    ¡°Adult stuff!¡± I joked.


    ¡°WHAT???¡± everyone in the room shouted, looking at me with their jaws falling down the ground.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t joke about it like that. Don¡¯t worry guys! We didn¡¯t do what you are thinking. He only chopped my head off and I took one of his arm! See? Not a big deal!¡±


    ¡°WHAT????¡± and now they turned to Maria. In a way what she said was even creepier than they thought. I wasn¡¯t sure that it was the right thing to say Maria.


    ¡°Oh my Maria. What on earth do you mean? What are they thinking about?¡± I pressed my question, knowing already what she meant.


    ¡°I¡­Hum¡­¡± so funny. Her head was like a cherry now. I swore I could see smoke coming out of her head.


    How I wished these peaceful days would last. The days where I could just sit here with everyone without the need to worry about the rest of the world. But fate always seemed to catch up with me, sometimes in a ridiculous way.


    Suddenly, I had a strange feeling inside me. The feeling of danger! What was it? And it wasn¡¯t just me. Lilith also looked me with a worried expression. Could it be¡­?


    * * *


    It wasn¡¯t just Alastor and Liltih who sensed the incoming threat. Many others around the world have sensed that too.


    In Malatas¡¯ castle, Astrea, or rather Odium, was one of the first who felt it.


    ¡°Has you sensed it brother?¡±


    ¡°Rather than sense, I have seen it. A column of light has hit the territory of the Theocracy. They are coming for me!¡±


    ¡°Be careful brother! With the way you are right now I don¡¯t think you should confront a God yet!¡±


    ¡°I know. But I am afraid he won''t stay put either.¡±


    ¡°Avoid any confrontation with it for now! I will see what I can do!¡±


    ¡°What can you do sister?¡±


    ¡°When a child needs help, the first thing that comes to mind is to ask the parent.¡±

 Chapter 30: Encounter

    Alastor¡¯s POV


    That night I had a strange encounter with one of my so called Children.


    As I went to sleep, I found myself in an unknown land. Unlike the Abyss where it was constantly under a heavy black mist, this place was simply blackness, yet I could still see myself clearly even though there was no source of light around.


    As I strolled through this place, I couldn¡¯t see anything, not even the ground below me nor the sky above. It was as if I was floating in this place of nothingness. Unlike the calming atmosphere I felt with the Dark, this however gave me a creepy uneasiness. Was I dreaming until now? If so I was starting to question my own sanity.


    Suddenly I could see something beginning to take shape in front of me. It had a slim and tall figure wearing light armour with a purple veil attaching to the helmet. Judging from the chest armour piece, I guessed the figure was female.


    Its limbs were much longer for something at its size. The shape was humanoid but it moved swiftly but gently like an animal on four legs yet strangely graceful. And the most astonishing feature was its faceless helmet. Somehow it reminded me a bit of the Abyssal Knight, the one I saw near the large flame down in the depth of the Abyss.


    Immediately I recognized this creature. It was one of the three from that day, one of my children apparently. I believed her name was Odium. What was she doing here? Did she call me here?


    Slowly approaching me, the creature stopped a few foot away and kneeled down before me. Even when kneeling down, it was taller than me. Or was it because I was too small? Either way it was quite intimidating to face her. Had I not known about her before, I would have made my move by now.


    But pondering about these questions wouldn¡¯t help me achieve anything. It would be better to speak to her.


    ¡°Your name is Odium, if I remember correctly!¡± I said to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honour for you to remember my name, Father!¡± she said respectfully.


    ¡°What are you exactly? How come I am your Father?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°When you consumed Shana¡¯ soul, you also inherited her strongest desires. Pure emotions that were transferred and intensified by the bond you two shared with each other. Using the combination of the three original aspects of Life, these emotions took form and were given life. And that¡¯s our true form.¡± Odium explained her origin.


    Beings made of pure emotion? Was it even possible? If what she said was true then this might even be the creation of a completely new race, unknown to Astora. It made me wonder what we actually were. Could it be possible that demons as well as the other prime races were formed in the same way?


    But then I remembered that Odium said that she was the manifestation of Shana¡¯s spite that day. Suddenly memories of Shana came back to me. Her smile, her last moment before she¡­Could she have hated me too for my failure? If only I have realized it sooner, I could have saved her. Shana¡­.


    ¡°I may be her hatred but I knew that she loved you Father with all her heart. You can¡¯t put the blame on yourself. Both you and I know it. Mother knows it too. If you want to blame anyone, blame the world! For it was because of man¡¯s greed that led to her death.¡±


    ¡°Was it you who is responsible for the recent events concerning the rise of the undeads and the sudden, let¡¯s say accident, in the court of Malatas?¡± I asked Odium. It was too much of a coincidence that right after their appearance, these happened.


    ¡°For Malatas yes! Sinforma, our youngest is the one controlling the army of undeads and currently launching a siege on the capital of the Theocracy. As for our eldest Kaiser, last time I heard he was going to Oros but I haven¡¯t heard anything from him.¡± Odium reported.


    ¡°Such capable children I have. Though if I have to say, I think Sinforma is a bit hasty in his movement. Or was it intentional to gather as much as attention to him?¡±


    Indeed if anyone learnt the news about an army of undeads, all countries, not just the Church, would try to eliminate them as soon as possible. Compared to what happened in Malatas which would be considered a failed coup with only a few casulties, no one would bat an eye to think that these events were related.


    ¡°You are truly insightful, Father. My plan was for Sinforma and Kaiser as much attention as possible while I will do my preparation in Malatas.¡±


    ¡°What on earth are you doing in Malatas anyway? What kind of things that would need to much distraction?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I call it an experiment. As of our current situation, we don¡¯t have any force that can conquer the world that easily. It will be a very long shot even with the demon force. We need something more ¡­ efficient and practical. And that¡¯s also one of the reasons why I am here.


    First to present myself to you in place of the others. Secondly I have two requests to ask.¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­I suppose if you are my daughter then I must oblige to my dear child¡¯s request.¡± I joked ¡°What do you need?¡±


    So far Odium hasn¡¯t shown any hostility toward me. On the contrary she was rather polite and calm. The kind of people I liked the most but also dreaded the most. For those who managed to keep their calm while maintaining their courtesy all time usually were the most cunning and dangerous. Yet I only felt sincerity in her words and actions. A father¡¯s intuition perhaps? Either way I shouldn¡¯t let it get over my head. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to at least listen to what she wanted to say.


    ¡°I believe you are already aware of the first issue. Yesterday you must have felt its presence descending on earth somewhere in the territory of the Theocracy. And as you might have deduced, Father, one of the Six Gods has finally appeared.¡±


    So it really was a God I sensed, although not his location like she said. Nonetheless I shouldn¡¯t destroy her image of me so I probably should keep quiet about that. Still could this be what Eden was talking about? They were coming to me already?


    ¡°And that¡¯s my first request, Father. Please come to the Theocracy and meet up with Sinforma! The army is yours to command. And if the situation allows it, please defeat this God as the first step of our plan!¡±


    ¡°Defeating the Six is already part of my plan. My only concern is whether this plan of yours will continue to correlate with mine. Why not telling me what are you scheming?¡±


    ¡°The ultimate goal is still to conquer the world and to present it to you. However I am still trying to figure out the best way of doing it, in the most glamourous way. Therefore my plan is nothing concrete yet. Like I said, it¡¯s still only an experiment. And this is about my second request, if you don¡¯t mind Father!¡± Odium insinuated.


    ¡°Alright the first request of my daughter is to kill a God. What could possibly surprise me more? Go ahead!¡± I emphasized.


    ¡°The second is actually very simple. I would like you to give me access to the Abyss!¡± the woman implored.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very simple at all to me. And actually quite dangerous. For me! How do you even access the Abyss anyway?¡±


    ¡°My skill


    grants me the ability to cross any dimensional space as long as I have something linked to it. The Abyss, in every of its form, is a separate dimension in itself residing between the boundary of the living and the dead. And thanks to your bond with Shana, from which I inherited, I could find the way to go there. I am after all a part of her soul. All you need to do is to allow me to do that in your mind.¡± Odium explained.


    ¡°If you can go there already why do you need my permission?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The Abyss is after all a manifestation of your soul. If I am going to poke around in it, I would prefer to ask your permission first, as a token of my sincerity. I know you can¡¯t fully trust me yet Father. It¡¯s understandable.¡±


    ¡°But what do you plan on doing there?¡±


    ¡°The secret of Magnus, Father! I believe I could create a certain object that will be crucial for the final phase of my plan. If you could lend me your ears for a minute.¡±


    ¡­..


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears when I heard what she was telling me. Indeed that thing has been bothering for quite a while as I never found out what was the reason behind its existence aside from a simple indication of my lineage. But Odium¡¯s hypothesis did sound very convincing. If she really managed to create it, world conquest would be a simple matter.


    I also wouldn¡¯t need to worry whether she could betray me or not if things would be done this way. And so I made my decision.


    ¡°Very well! You have my permission! However do behave when you go there! I don¡¯t want you messing around with the other demon lords!¡± I instructed her.


    ¡°Understood! Then I shall go make my preparation immediately! But before that may I have a word of advice?¡± Odium asked me.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t trust anyone, Father! Not the demons or anyone you might consider friends!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Darkness lurks in the heart of all men. They would do everything to achieve what they want. The demons are only using you to win this war. Have you considered what would happen after you help them defeat the Prime Races and their Gods? They would just toss you aside like a used tool and the same thing would happen all over again. Only this time the demons will be the dominant race.


    The celestial Ikarus used to be your enemy. Who could say if all she did wasn¡¯t a part of an act?¡±


    ¡°No she isn¡¯t like that!!!¡± I shouted angrily.


    ¡°Maria initially wants to use you for her own goal. Perhaps now she realizes that you could be used for something more?¡±


    ¡°No stop!¡±


    ¡°Even your so called sister is a lie in the end. Who knows if Lilith and Magnus are actually working together to defeat Eden? To them you are just a mean to an end!¡±


    ¡°I said STOP!!!¡±


    Before I realized it, I already had my hand around Odium¡¯s neck. Holding it tightly, for a moment, I wanted to crush it. I refused to believe that any of them might be plotting something against me. To me it was certain.


    ¡°If my death could allow you to awaken to reality, please do not hesitate! I would be more than happy to be killed by you, Father! But please remember my words:


    One day someone you consider a friend, a part of your family, will stab you in the back. For that is the nature of men!


    I am not telling to stay away from them. But keep your guard up all time! Don¡¯t think them as a friend. Think them as tools! For when the time comes, you can always cast away your tools much easier!¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°SHUT UP! THEY ARE NOT LIKE YOU!¡±


    Suddenly I realized what I have just said. Odium might have been harsh with her words but in the end it was out of concern for me. And I¡­.


    ¡°You are right, Father! I am a deceiver. I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill a child in front of its mother. I wouldn¡¯t bat an eye when I stab a friend in the back. But whatever I do, I do it for you. For you are the only one I will never betray!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I have said too much. I will return when you need me, Father!¡±


    With that Odium disappeared, as quietly as when she first showed up, as if she was never there. As I opened my eyes again, I found myself back to reality, back to the real world. But I couldn¡¯t forget her words. Someone would betray me? That was impossible. I knew these people. They were my family. Yet why did Odium¡¯s words still echo inside my head?


    * * *


    Odium¡¯s POV


    So finally I was back in this place. It seemed the Abyss has suffered quite a few changes due to the influence of Light and Chaos.


    The place now was divided into three different sections.


    The first area, I recognized it easily. It was the dark place under a constant heavy black mist. The usual Abyss but now a bit more illuminated. Above its sky was a black sun with a red orb looking down which I supposed it was Magnus.


    The second area was an endless crystal field that extended to the horizon. Walking there was just like a maze as it was so easy to get lost because of all the reflections by the crystal. A giant blue sun, or at least it looked like a sun, was floating right above. This explained the sudden eye colour change of Father as the Hero¡¯s Light element finally revealed itself.


    Finally the last area, which was a total mess. A giant fiery ball of flame scorched the ground, turning it into lava. It was so hot as just being on the borders of that land could burn anything to crisp. Yet I saw some shadows flying around in that area. Did they use to live in a volcano or something? How could anyone like this? But I supposed living for centuries in a dark place was kind of boring compared to the new place. Truly this was a chaotic place.


    But enough sightseeing! I should focus on finding him first.


    The one thing I needed in this place for my experiment was unfortunately guarded by something rather troublesome. I was proud of my strength but I was not an idiot like Kaiser who just charged at everything. Perhaps I could ask for help from one of the locals. And I thought I found the perfect candidate for this job.


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    Everything was ready. By now he should realize that I was already here. After jumping off a huge cliff, I found myself in a valley with a giant door in front of me. The place I was born and also my goal.


    Suddenly I could hear the sound of clacking armour with the noise of something heavy being dragged on the ground. So he noticed me. I turned my back to the door, took out my daggers and prepared myself. This would be a tough fight.


    ¡°You¡­do not belong here!¡± said the figure as he raised his great sword above his shoulder, preparing for a stance.


    ¡°Greeting! I am Odium, Alastor¡¯s daughter! Would you let me pass this gate?¡± I asked jokingly, knowing already the answer I would get.


    All of the sudden he charged at me. ¡°I guess not then. Let¡¯s dance!¡±


    Dodging one of his swing, I could feel the force he put into that sword merely from the wind it caused. If I took a direct hit from that, it wouldn¡¯t be pretty.


    ¡°<Ethereal state>¡± my body became transparent. In this form, any kind of attack would simply pass right through me as if I were a ghost. However it also meant that I wouldn¡¯t be able to touch him either. But by switching between the two states continuously, I could launch an attack then switched back to dodge his.


    Actually this skill was not unique to me. Both Kaiser and Sinforma could also use it. In fact Sinforma himself was always in this state since he didn¡¯t have a body in the first place.


    With his sword passed right through me like hitting a mist, I immediately switched back and used my two daggers to plunge them in his back. I then twisted both daggers to make it as painful as possible since the blades were now inside him, cutting through his bones and flesh. As he turned back I switched again, evading his attack. So far so good.


    But something felt weird. I swore that my blades did pierce his armour. Yet I couldn¡¯t feel like I have stabbed anything beside the armour. It was as if it was hollow inside. And it wasn¡¯t just the only surprise I got.


    All of the sudden his sword turned transparent and sent me in the sky. How was it possible? I was in ethereal form, he shouldn¡¯t be able to touch me, not to mention to even send me flying. Did he use the same skill as I did for his weapon? That could be the only explanation. How else would the knight be capable of hitting me?


    Without letting take a moment of rest, the warrior dashed toward me and swung his sword at me. Using my two daggers I managed to block his sword but he pinned me to the gate. His strike was too heavy for me to take on. Just what was he?


    ¡°You are not a demon lord! Yet you are as powerful as one. And that skill¡­how can you use it? Just what are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± but he remained silent.


    Immediately I transformed my body into a black liquid, covering the ground of the entire area. He can¡¯t cut me if I was in this state. Or so I thought.


    The Abyssal Knight¡¯ sword busted in flame and hit the ground, creating a giant explosion. But that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. The fire he created from the explosion lingered and burned everything it touched and now the entire place was on fire. Not even I couldn¡¯t extinguish this fire.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* I see now. I know what you are!!!¡± I claimed, making the knight stop for a second. Although it was just a theory and I didn¡¯t have any concrete proof yet, the facts I have seen so far could only mean one thing: this guy was the same as me but he was incomplete.


    Nonetheless, the situation looked bad for me. I still had a couple more tricks but I didn¡¯t think it would work against him. Our difference in strength was too much. I really wasn¡¯t suited for combat like Kaiser. Time to call for reinforcement!


    ¡°NOW!¡±


    From above a roar growled loudly as a winged giant figure descended. The demon lord Xenes has come.


    ¡°Lord Xenes, please keep him busy!¡± I shouted at the dragon.


    ¡°No problem!¡± Xenes turned to the knight as right now the dragon was standing between him and me. ¡°I have heard much about you. Let¡¯s test how long you will last against me, strange knight!¡±


    Since both of them were busy fighting each other, I would use this time to take what I came for. I dashed toward the giant gate from earlier. Normally it wouldn¡¯t allow anyone except for Alastor and the knight to enter. But I already had something up my sleeves.


    As I touched the door, its gate slowly opened up to me. Just as I planned.


    ¡°How? How did you..?¡± shouted the knight in disbelief. He thought no one else was supposed to be able to enter his sanctuary. I didn¡¯t blame him though.


    The door functioned as a protective barrier against intruders. However there was a way to pass by it even if you were an outsider.


    When the Archduke tried to open it, it wouldn¡¯t even budge, yet for some reason Shana was able to come in by herself. Or rather the door opened itself for her. The difference was simply because Shana had Father¡¯s permission to enter his soul while the archduke did not. That was why I needed his permission to seek what I wanted beyond this door: the Flame.


    But of course I knew the Flame was Father¡¯s own soul and therefore under no circumstance it should be put in danger. The knight was probably here as a mean of protection in addition to the gate. But who put him here in the first place?


    Again I was taken by my own curiosity and forgot what I was here for. I wanted to be linked to the Flame. If I had a fraction of it, I could also be linked to the Abyss and to Magnus himself. Doing that would allow me to create that.


    As the door fully opened, I could finally see it: the Flame. Never have I seen something brighter than this. A lonely flame residing deep in this darkness. A Flame filled with power emanating from it. So this was Father¡¯ soul.


    With no time to waste, I slowly put my hand into the hand. This heat¡­it burned. But I must endure this pain. For my plan to succeed and for Father!


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    I felt as if I died. My insides were burning. My clothes were covered with ashes. It felt as if I have been reborn but burned alive just before. I truly hoped I never had to experience this ever again. I could barely walk straight anymore.


    Step by step one at a time, I moved my feet toward the door. Xenes and the knight were still fighting. I was right to call him after all. The others wouldn¡¯t probably be able to handle him like Xenes.


    ¡°Xenes! Get me out of here!¡± I shouted to the dragon. I must leave this place quickly.


    Rushing to my side, the dragon picked me up on his back and flew onward, leaving the knight down at the valley. He wouldn¡¯t pursue us up here. He couldn¡¯t risk someone else coming anywhere near his sacred flame again.


    ¡°Did you get it?¡± Xenes asked me.


    ¡°Yes,,,I have it now. With this I will be able to create it!¡±


    ¡°Then why do I feel like you are not very happy?¡± I was surprised by his question. I didn¡¯t expect Xenes to be perceptive at this kind of thing.


    I guessed I was still sensitive to what Father said earlier.


    ¡°Nothing much¡­just a small argument with my father. That¡¯s all!¡±

 Chapter 31: Exodus

    The Holy City of Caelum, also known as the Ivory City, was the capital of the Theocracy and served as the main base of operations of the entire religion. It was where all the pilgrims and clergies converged at this time of the year to celebrate the foundation of the Church.


    Yet this year, instead of the usual festivities, a grim atmosphere has engulfed the entire city. Instead of the mass parading the streets, the roads were filled with patrolling soldiers wearing shiny armors. News of an invasion has reached the capital and this wasn¡¯t just any army. An unholy horde of undead spawns was on their way to the capital and so far all attempts to stop it weren¡¯t successful.


    In addition, news of a plague from Malatas had made Caelum to close its gate and forbad anyone to come in. The Church feared that this plague might kill even more people and they could not tolerate any undead to take a single step inside their holy sanctuary. Or so they said.


    For each city destroyed, the horde gained both in numbers and strength. Not only that, disturbing rumors said that the army was actually being led by the late pope Vyncis along with a few Heroes of the past. How could such a thing be possible?


    For years the Church and its followers have buried their leaders, their loved ones in the World¡¯s Graveyard. And now their place of worship and prayer has become their nightmare. At these darkest moment, one question was in everyone¡¯s mind: ¡°Where is the Hero?¡±


    Meanwhile at the Grand Cathedral of Caelum, where all political power of the Church lied.


    ¡°I cannot consent to this. We have to act!¡± shouted a priest.


    The man was standing in the middle of a grand auditorium. Forming a circular crowd, the higher the person sat, the higher their rank. At the top an old man sat on a white throne made of stone. He held a similar staff to Vyncis and wore a golden garb, including a tall miter. That was because he was Gauwyn, the current pope of the Theocracy.


    Underneath were the other cardinals and bishops, all high ranking members of the Church. As for the reason behind this meeting, it was because of the man standing in the middle of the room. A young man, perhaps too young to be a bishop, yet here he stood in front of all members of the congregation. And he had the audacity to challenge his superiors.


    ¡°I believe we have already discussed this issue, Father Maxime! We are to defend the capital until reinforcement comes.¡± Said irritatingly a cardinal.


    ¡°But so far we have yet to receive any response. And even if our allies have received our letters, who knows when they will come? I ask of you, as a member of the Church to open the gate of Caelum and let the people in. In addition to send our army to rescue those that are still left out there!¡± pled Maxime.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if these people are afflicted with the plague. If we let the sick in and infect our army, it would be the end when the undead horde comes here!¡±


    ¡°And are we supposed to just let them die out there? What happen to all our preaching of saving others?¡± yelled Maxime.


    ¡°What you said is only an ideal, bishop! You have to face reality. The situation is dire. We cannot afford to divide our army at this moment! This is a test from God and we must endure it!¡±


    ¡°What kind of test would ask us to sacrifice the lives of innocents just to save our own?¡±


    ¡°Maxime, I understand your sentiment. We all do. But I ask for your patience here. Only a few days and our allies will surely come. Until then the gate must remain closed!¡±


    ¡°To you who is cowering in fear behind these walls, it might seem like a few days. But to the people out there, fighting for their lives, we are all the hope they got. It¡¯s precisely at this moment that we must show our faith through our actions, not with pretty words.¡± The young bishop preached.


    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± suddenly an elderly voice echoed inside the hall. Everyone stayed quiet, knowing the owner of the voice: pope Gauwyn. ¡°This matter is not up to debate, Father Maxime! The gate stays closed! In these times of needs, we need to pray for the people. The congregation is now adjourned! May the God watch over us!¡±


    The Pope has spoken. And his authority shall not be challenged. Even Maxime knew that. Despite his numerous calls, no one has heeded any attention to the bishop. To them, he was just a young one who didn¡¯t know how the world worked.


    Quietly everyone cleared the room, leaving only a defeated young man on his knees under the sunlight. He only wanted to help people. That was why he became a bishop in the first place. To spread the words of God, to save the innocents and to serve as the guide for the lost. Yet why did no one understand him?


    ¡®Is this what our religion has fallen to? Dear God, please show me a sign! Please guide me in this dark moment!¡¯


    * * *


    Alastor¡¯s POV


    ¡°I have decided that I will go to Caelum.¡±


    With my unexpected statement, everyone looked at me with strange eyes.


    ¡°Did I miss something? Why would you want to go there? I mean why now?¡± Ikarus bombarded me with questions.


    ¡°Just something I need to take care of. Let¡¯s say¡­ family matters!¡± I didn¡¯t want to tell them everything Odium told me yet. Have I decided to, I believed it would only make the matter worse. Especially for the girls since they have been sticking up to me like glue.


    ¡°All right! When do we depart?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s hard to say but ¡­ I will go there alone this time!¡± and here came the breaking news.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± both Ikarus and Maria yelled at me at the same time. I was sure this would happen. I could feel the stares of both of them, even from Stella on me.


    ¡°There is something I need to confirm. And by that I mean by myself. I wish that you will respect my decision so promise me that you won¡¯t follow me!¡± I looked the girls sternly.


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°Please! I will only leave for a few days. I will be back before you even miss me!¡± I implored.


    ¡°¡­.If you are that keen on leaving then we will oblige! But promise that you will come back safely!¡± said Ikarus with a sad expression.


    ¡°If you die I will find you and kill you myself!¡± Maria grumbled.


    ¡®That doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡¯ was what I wanted to say but I refrained from doing so. Best to go now before they changed their mind.


    Having said what I came for, I quickly went out of the room. But not before I secretly passed a small message to Alice, or rather Lilith, on my way out: ¡°Find your own way and meet me at the following location outside Caelum at midnight!¡±


    With that done, I headed to Amelia¡¯s chamber in order to ask for her portal. The thing really was convenient. I could go everywhere I have been in the past just in a matter of seconds. I needed to learn this magic when I could.


    .....


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡°So this is the Holy City of Caelum.¡±


    I was standing on the high walls of Caelum, looking down on the capital. It was a rather impressive architecture design if I must say. The city was built in a circular shape, divided in multiple layers of rings separating different districts with the Grand Cathedral at the center. Surrounding it was the pure white walls called the High Walls of Caelum that seemingly reached the sky.


    To religious devotees, these walls represented their purity. They who saw the world outside as a corrupted place while the only place that remained sacred and pure was behind these barriers. Some even dedicated their entire lives to stay within the city, never venturing outside.


    At least they got one thing right about the world. But were they so blind by their faith that they could not see that the same thing can be said about Caelum? To me it looked like a prison, especially with the stench of fear filling the air right now. I wondered if everyone inside the wall could see anything outside the wall. Or were they just like frogs sitting at the bottom of a well, ignorant of the world outside?


    ¡°Enjoying the breeze, Alastor?¡± a voice spoke to me.


    ¡°You have arrived Lilith. Here I was wondering if you would show up!¡± I said.


    ¡°You asked me to come here didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Yes I did but I wasn¡¯t sure how you would do that. Did you use a portal similar to Amelia¡¯s?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In a sense. I just use the Nexus like every proper citizen would.¡± Lilith grinned.


    The Nexus, also commonly known as the Gates, was an ancient artefact with unknown origin. There was a total of seven distributed across the world: one in Oros and seven in Mara. Each had the form of a stone archway and together they were interconnected. Much similar to the magical portal, all the Gates were interconnected, which meant that you could use the one in Oros to fast travel to Ceadric in a few seconds.


    In fact if you looked at the map, the location of each portal coincided with all the major cities:


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.?        the Golden City of Cedra of the Kingdom of Ceadric,


    ?        the Iron City of Eiseinheim of Zagon Empire


    ?        the Ivory City of Caelum of the Theocracy


    ?        Galahad, the Jewel of Malatas


    ?        Canaan, City of Firmament Spires.


    Apparently these Gates existed even before any of the nowadays countries were even born and civilization was formed around the Gates, which explained their convenient locations.


    There were actually two others. One was in the ruins of the old kingdom of the dwarves but was destroyed when the volcano exploded a few years ago. The other lied somewhere deep inside the forest to the east of Malatas where the beastman tribes resided.


    Except for Avant-Heim who was very restrictive in term of visitors and had no Gate, the others countries were fairly open as this made travel much easier in long distance. However much like the portal, it seemed that the Gate did not allow a large group to come at the same time. This was rather convenient as it would avoid the situation where a country could use the Gate to invade another one.


    Still there was many guards and mages keeping watch on the Gate at all time and you needed a certified document given by the royal family in order to use one. Because of these strict regulations, only a small group of privileged people could afford to use the Nexus while the rest would have to use the regular roads for travel.


    But still that didn¡¯t explain how Lilith came here. Yet she was here with me. It could only mean one thing.


    ¡°Nexus? Are you saying that there is a Gate in Ragna?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Of course there is! There used to be an old kingdom far to the North of Mara but one day the people of that kingdom vanished in thin air without a trace and with time the old ruins sank into the ground. However the Gate remains untouched even until today. The only problem is it also sank with the old capital but I have a friend who lives underground and found it a while ago. With just a little maintenance and it works like a charm!¡± Lilith grinned.


    ¡°Why do I feel like you know a bit too much about the Nexus? Repairing one in just a few hours? It took years for all the mages and researchers to figure out how it works.¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I created them in the first place so of course I know how they work, dummy!¡± the little girl confessed.


    ¡°What? You made them? For what purpose? I mean they are useful in every aspect but I find it hard to believe that you would just build them and leave them there for the Primes to use it.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! Did anyone teach you about the Exodus? It¡¯s not my fault if some bastard finds it and activates them again.¡± she scolded me.


    ¡°So you are the Old One behind the Great Exile?¡±


    Mephisto once told me about the tale of Exodus. An incredibly story about the exile of the demons that I found hard to swallow at first. However if what Lilith said was correct then it wasn¡¯t just a legend. But that story would be for another time. Right now we must find one of children, Sinforma.


    Together with Lilith, we followed the road to the south, toward the undead horde. On the way there, I have spotted numerous caravans trying to get in Caelum but judging from the state of the city and the barricades surrounding it, I doubted any of these people would manage to come in.


    In a way this was my fault for ruining these people¡¯s lives. I was the one who created Sinforma after all. And he only did this to adhere to my will. I might not want to admit it but I didn¡¯t care less about any of these people. Women, children, the old, the innocents, none of that mattered to me. For all I knew, they either stood in my path or would be used for my goal. One way or another, they would die. It was as simple as that.


    I wondered why though. Have I changed into a heartless person or was I like this since the beginning? Perhaps the death of Shana awoke something inside me, or took away something else.


    I didn¡¯t know about Maria but Ikarus wouldn¡¯t probably be happy with what I was about to do here. That was why I decided to leave everyone back at the castle. Lilith only came since I might need her help against this God but I wanted to confront him alone if possible. I couldn¡¯t rely on anyone to help me now. I didn¡¯t want to lose anyone else. I had enough of that already.


    But what would I do if this would make Ikarus leave me? Or Maria?


    ¡®Meaningless thing to worry about, Alastor!¡¯ a voice range in my head. This guy again.


    ¡®Don¡¯t go around speaking in my head like that, Magnus!¡¯ I spoke in my mind.


    ¡®It¡¯s for your own good! Instead of worrying about others, just do what you want to do! If they are truly on your sides, they will stay. If not then you have one less thing to worry about!¡¯


    ¡®Shut up! You know nothing about me, Magnus!¡¯ and here he was gone. Ever since he has possessed me, I haven¡¯t spoken to him yet. I just didn¡¯t want to. Like Odium said, this guy still hided a lot from me and he lived right inside my head.


    ¡­..


    I needed to calm down a bit. Everything just kind of pissed me of these days. That was not good. I better focused on finding this son of mine.


    ¡°Alastor! Up ahead!¡± Lilith called out to me.


    It seemed we finally found the horde. From afar I could see a trail of torches on the downside of the mountain numbering in thousands. Judging from the size of the mountain, the trail must be for miles. If we took in account the undeads who didn¡¯t hold torch, they must be at least ten thousands in numbers.


    The sounds they made, bones clattering with armors, the eerie moaning, their steps, echoed for miles away.


    In the frontline were undeads riding skeletal horses wearing protective mail. However the armor seemed to have seen better days because of all the rust and dirt. The horses couldn¡¯t be more terrifying. Red eyes and icy breath, they still had a part of their flesh here and there.


    Behind them were zombies with hollow eye holes wearing priest garb with various pattern and colours. They must be members of the Church and their body clearly looked like they have been taken care of much better than the rest as it wasn¡¯t broken or had any missing part. Pale skin with bones visible even through the skin, they formed a ring with an old undead in the middle holding a giant staff. That old man must be someone important in his past life.


    Right beside the clerics were a few others undeads that clearly were stronger than the rest. Perhaps they were heroes in the past.


    But what stroke me most was the dragon flying above the army. I didn¡¯t expect to see an undead dragon at this place. Its wings were as large as a building and it had nothing bones. How could it even fly at this state?


    Without hesitation I stepped onto the road, right on their path. Spotting me, the horde stopped their march all of the sudden. Then they divided into two sides, making a path for someone to come out. It was that old man undead I saw earlier with the clerics.


    ¡°I thank you for coming all this way, Father!¡± the old man bowed to me.


    ¡°Are you Sinforma? You seem older than I thought you are.¡± I said.


    ¡°We are all Sinforma!¡± shouted all the undead at once ¡°We await your command, Father!¡±


    ¡°Our first priority is to defeat the God that has recently appeared! Do you know where he or she is hiding?¡± I proclaimed.


    ¡°I have also spotted its presence a few days ago but since then there has been no action or whatsoever.¡±


    No action? There was an undead army marching right toward the capital and that God didn¡¯t do anything? Was it not here to deal with this problem? If not then why would it be here? Unless¡­


    ¡°Sinforma, you are not the target!¡± I declared.


    ¡°What do you mean, Alastor?¡± asked Lilith.


    ¡°Eden specifically said that the Gods are coming for me. However he never said that they knew where I am. I think that this God doesn¡¯t know my whereabouts.  But he thinks that I might be responsible for the rise of the undeads so he is waiting for me to show up. I am the target!¡± I explained.


    It would make sense that this God had no idea about my location. They were simply the first of the primes races who were given a lot of power. But they were not omnipotent like Eden.


    ¡°If this person is indeed waiting for me then I won¡¯t make him wait any longer. But not before I make a grand entrance: the world will see its Demon Lord.¡± I proclaimed.


    ¡°What are you planning, boy?¡± Lilith looked at me with strange eyes.


    ¡°Lilith, I will have to ask you to reenact Exodus once more. But this time we are not the one running away!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Alastor? I never thought you as the type of person capable of something like that! It won¡¯t be pretty at the end!¡± Lilith said with a worried expression.


    But I only smiled back at her. God or not, I would use them all. This would be the grand debut of my conquest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go everyone! We have a city to purge!¡±

 Chapter 32: Rise of the Demon Lord

    ¡°A long time ago, before Ragna was known as the demon and monster¡¯s continent, it was a primitive land void of people. The reason was because not only it was hard to cross the sea just to get to it, no one who ventured into that continent ever returned. Perhaps the thing that turned the Northern kingdom into ruins still lurked somewhere on that ground.


    At that time, the demons were scattered across the world, living in constant fear of being pursued and killed by the Primes. And mostly because they were not united. Any gathering of a large group of demons would be easily found and dealt quickly. Even the demon lord was not out of danger as it needed time to grow and there was no safe place for a demon.


    The Old One, Progenitor of the Demon race, pitied its children being slaughtered like cattle not for what they did, but for what they were. It gave its blood so that the monsters and demons could defend themselves. But now It understood that it wasn¡¯t enough. These Primes would never understand the concept of peace. It must help Its children once more.


    Wielding incredible power out of this world, the Old One made a plan: using a magical device, It transported all demons and sentient monsters to the land of Ragna. And with it came the creation of the demon nation in this northern continent.


    This event was later known as Exodus or the Great Exile.


    While no one actually remembered what the device was, some said it lied deep somewhere in the underground of Ragna, waiting to be awaken once more.¡±


    * * *


    The silent night in Caelum was disrupted by the sounds of the bell tolling. And everyone in the city knew what it implied. One toll meant the beginning of a festival and two for the death of the pope.


    But this time it wasn¡¯t one nor it was two they heard. It was three: their precious city was under attack. The undeads have come.


    ¡°Barricade the gates with everything we have! Not a single one of them is to step into our Holy City on my watch!¡± shouted the captain of the city guards.


    With haste the men gathered everything they could find: caravans, rocks, sand bags and stuffed them against the gate. Though in their mind this gate alone would be more than enough by itself and these additional barricades served only to calm their hearts. Made in black steel, the hardest and heaviest steel in the world, if not for the special mechanism installed just to move the gate, no one would ever be able to even budge or scratch it.


    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s done!¡± a soldier reported.


    ¡°Good! Archers and mages, rain fire upon these demon spawns! They can¡¯t reach us here! All we need to do is to keep them out until our reinforcement arrive!¡±


    Receiving their orders, hundreds of archers and mages gathered on the high wall and shot everything they got onto the undead horde below. With no way to reach them, the soldiers could safely attack from above without fear of retaliation.


    But they shall not have that satisfaction. Something blocked them. A luminous barrier was covering the horde, deflecting all projectiles. That was light magic. Someone was using holy magic to protect them. Who could it be? Well the answer was obvious: the undeads themselves. And the one responsible for this magic was none other than Vyncis, the last pope of the Church.


    Unlike the necromancy used to raise undead, what Sinforma did was to temporarily resurrect the bodies while suppressing their consciousness. This way Sinforma¡¯s undeads could retain their formal abilities, even capable of wielding light magic which was considered impossible for normal undead while still obeying faithfully to their master. However, controlling all of them of at once was incredibly challenging and arduous even for Sinforma himself, which was why these undeads could only use a part of their formal power but still far more powerful than the normal undeads.


    ¡°Captain, our magic and arrows don¡¯t work against them! What should we do?¡± another soldier panicked.


    ¡°Then throw rocks! Use the catapults or anything you idiot! Do whatever you need to keep them at bay!¡±


    ¡°CAPTAIN WATCH OUT!¡±


    Without warning a small portion of the wall was blasted away, throwing a few soldiers of the wall and fall to their death. Luckily for the captain, one of his soldiers has pushed him out of the way before he might end up either scattered in pieces or down at the wall.


    As he stood up and looked down at what has been shooting at him, he realized his mistake for even thinking this was any normal undead army.


    Instead of just hitting on the door like mindless creatures, the horde stood still under the magic barrier to avoid casualties. On their front line was a beastman holding a portable cannon that constantly shot cannonballs at the wall. At this rate the gate wouldn¡¯t matter anymore if the walls were gone. Not just him, surrounding the undead pope were a group of priests who appeared to be chanting something. Each holding a candle with both their arms, fireballs came flying in from the candle targeting the men and the walls itself.


    Suddenly a loud sound of explosion could be heard. Did they breach the wall already? No the wall was still intact, at least where the soldiers stood. Then where did it come from?


    Then they spotted a column of smoke rising from the western wall. It couldn¡¯t be the undeads. The scouts confirmed that they only came from the south, where the graveyard was. If then what was attacking that wall?


    Immediately they found their answer, coming out of the smoke: a skeletal dragon was spitting a green smoke, eroding everything it touched. And it didn¡¯t stop there. The smoke itself was inflammable and caused a series of explosion when the soldiers over there tried to light their arrows.


    ¡°A dragon? How come I didn¡¯t hear any report of a damn dragon?¡± screamed the captain.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming toward us!!!¡±


    ¡°Men, bring down that thing! Now!¡±


    Using everything they got, hundreds of arrows were hurled to the sky aiming at the incoming dragon. But the stupid soldiers should know that arrows didn¡¯t work well against undead since they were basically just bones. Fire would be a good idea but if they accidentally lighted one while that smoke was around them, it would be suicide.


    But the arrows didn¡¯t even reach the dragon. Out of nowhere, a strong gale has warded off all the projectiles and made them falling down, killing a few guards.


    With the dragon now right above them, the soldiers could see a figure riding it. Wearing what seemingly to be a black leather set with a black cape, the person bore an odd helmet that covered all of his face. How could he even see anything like that? And even that helmet looked strange with the spikes coming out of its back.


    ¡°You demon dares desecrate our holy city? Shoot him down!¡± shouted the captain.


    ¡°Nothing we do can harm him sire! We have to activate the barrier!¡± a soldier advised.


    ¡°Then fucking do it! Courage men! The Cathedral has already been informed! The heroes will be coming here to help us!¡±


    All of the sudden, columns of light rose to the sky from the outer walls, forming a dome of light shrouding the entire city within the walls.


    ¡°Take that demon! This is the ultimate defense of Caelum, capable of repelling all attacks and unholy creatures from entering the city: Deus Lucem! Do your worst! See if you can even hurt us!¡± the captain provoked. He no longer had the same fear as before. He didn¡¯t need to. He was confident that nothing could pass through this barrier.


    As the dragon rider touched the barrier, he was pushed back along with being electrocuted by the barrier. It seemed what the captain said was true.


    ¡°Impressive! But to sustain such a large scale spell like this, it will need a lot of people to do that. Hum¡­judging from the number of the columns I say about one hundred spell casters.¡±


    ¡®How did he guess it just from that information? No¡­even if he knows that, he can¡¯t do anything if he is outside. ¡® thought the captain.


    ¡°Humans never learn do they?¡± said the man in black.


    ¡°What? What do you intend to do?¡± screamed the captain.


    ¡°Me? Nothing! The seed of chaos has already been brought inside the capital by your own hands. All I need to do is to watch as your city burns!¡±


    * * *


    A small shadow was sprinting from roof to roof in the middle of the night. While the citizens of Caelum holed up in fear in their home, this little girl was outside by herself, roaming the street. But she wasn¡¯t just strolling without purpose; her destination was a certain place in the eastern part of the city, currently under guard.


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    ¡°Fours around the Gate, two more on the watch towers! Where is the mage in charge of activating the Gate?¡±  the girl mumbled as she observed the area around the Nexus.


    Every Gate in the world was always under heavy monitoring from that city¡¯s guards with at least one mage who would control the mana flux into the Gate in order for it to function. Even when the city was under attack, this place must be kept secured just in case of an incoming messenger from their allies or to keep outsiders out.


    Hiding in the shadow, the girl finally spotted the mage. The sorceress was talking with two of the guards. In order for her plan to work, the girl must stop the sorceress from interfering with the Gate. And by that she meant to kill her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we are here, keeping watch of this damn Gate! It¡¯s not like anyone would use it now! I want to fight those god damn undeads!¡± said a guard.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand your sentiment but we need to guard the Gate. Maybe a messenger will come to give news of our incoming allies!¡± the sorceress explained.


    ¡°One messenger isn¡¯t going to matter. Even if they are on their way right now, we are already under attack. It¡¯s not like an army is going to walk out of that fucking Gate!¡±


    ¡°Still it¡¯s our duty to remain here. Just suck it up! Now go back to your¡­.¡±


    All of the sudden, the mage fell down on the ground like a log. Not understanding what just happened, one of the guards crouched down and shook the woman on her shoulder to see if she was fine. Could it be because of the few drinks they shared from earlier? That was weird, usually she could drink half a barrel by herself without even flinching. Yet no matter how they tried to wake her up, she laid motionless.


    Suddenly a guard spotted a shadow walking toward them from a dark alley. Immediately everyone took their weapon.


    ¡°Who is there? Show yourself!¡± shouted the guard as he pointed his spear toward the shadow walking out.


    As the stranger came out of the shadows, the men relaxed their guard. It was just a little girl, a small cute elf with red hair like fire. Realizing their mistake, the guards quickly hided their weapon to avoid scaring the girl. One of them decided to approach her.


    ¡°Hello there little girl! What are you doing here? Are you lost?¡± asked the guard. He too had a young daughter so he knew how to deal with kids without scaring them. Or at least that was what he thought.


    However the girl didn¡¯t answer. Instead she just stared at the guard without uttering a single word.


    ¡°You are scaring her, Pete! Leave it to me! Do you want a candy, young miss?¡± another man interfered.


    ¡°Humans never learn do they?¡± the small girl spoke.


    ¡°What?¡± everyone was confused by what she just said. What was she talking about?


    ¡°They build these great walls and barriers to protect themselves. But have they ever considered that the enemy can come from inside too? You know, like those guys!¡± the young elf pointed to what was behind the guards.


    ¡®What is she pointing at? There was nothing there but ¡­. ¡®thought the guards.


    Then the guards could hear a skittering noise from behind. The cries of insects, a lot of them. As they turned their head back, they realized it was their last moment in this world.


    Now time for question. The Gate normally allowed a small number of people to travel through it one at a time. If the guards on the other side realized they were being invaded, the mage could simply shut down the Gate, stopping the invasion and trapped those who have passed it on the other side. But what if the creator of the Gate unlocked its full potential and there wasn¡¯t any mage around capable of shutting it down? What would happen if the other side of the Gate was linked to a terrible place?


    The answer was simple: Death.


    From the Gate, hundreds of giant spiders swarmed into the city. In an instant, the men who were supposed to keep an eye on it became food for the flocks of the insects. Each was at the size of an adult with a few much bigger than the rest. Within seconds, the streets in the area were filled with spiders, crawling everywhere from building to the sewers. And they left nothing untouched on their onslaught.


    Now all that was left was a small elf, surrounded by a swarm of spiders. Yet she was not afraid. Rather the spiders were afraid of her. They knew her relation to their Queen and most of all her power as they have once had a taste themselves.


    One spider, holding a staff made out of bones with a skull on top, approached and kneeled before the girl.


    ¡°As decreed from our Queen, we await your command, Lady Alice!¡± bowed the spider and spoke in an inhuman voice.


    ¡°Good! Your task is to find the one hundreds sorcerers who are maintaining this barrier! Once they are dealt with, attack the southern wall and open the gate for the undead horde!¡± commanded Lilith.


    ¡°Your wish is our command!¡± the spider stood up and looked toward his comrades now crowding the entire street. ¡°Brothers and sisters, the Queen has given us one simple task: crush this city to the ground! Leave none alive! Feast all you want! Tonight Caelum shall fall!¡±


    * * *


    Back at the southern gate, where the undead legion was attacking, the captain of the city guard was horrified by what he was seeing. One by one, the columns of light faded into nothingness. With each gone, the barrier became weaker and weaker. What the hell happened?


    ¡°Sire, we are under attack!¡± screamed one of the soldier.


    ¡°By what? The undeads are out there! It¡¯s impossible for them to enter the barrier!¡± raged the captain.


    ¡°Not the undeads sire!!! It¡¯s the spiders¡­..they are swarming the entire city, killing all the mages who are sustaining the barrier. And now they are all coming toward our location!¡±


    ¡°Spiders? How? HOW?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know sire. They just appear out of nowhere!¡±


    ¡°Do you see humans? How futile your efforts are?¡± a voice interfered their conversation.


    The barrier, now nothing more than a paper thin light wall, was the last thing that stood between them and a dragon. But so far they didn¡¯t see the extend of the man in black¡¯s power. But surely he was the one responsible for all these catastrophes: rising an undead army, controlling a spider¡¯s invasion and riding a dragon. The mere thought of someone capable of such a thing could only terrify them. Only one person would be capable of something like that: a demon lord.


    ¡°You are the demon lord!!!¡± shouted the men.


    ¡°Instead of answering your question, how about I show you what I am capable of! Seeing is believing after all.¡±


    The stranger said as he raised his arms toward the sky. Suddenly the atmosphere became so heavy that knocked out some soldiers.


    ¡°Impossible! This is impossible!¡±


    ¡°Now, know true despair! <Lucifer¡¯s Fury: Tempest>¡±


    From the sky, the dark clouds gathered and formed a huge cyclone that descended into the ground. Within seconds the entire district along with the southern wall was ravaged by the tornado. The wind was so strong that it could lift entire houses and throwing them at the wall, damaging it further.


    The scene could only be described as hell on earth. Soldiers flung into the air before falling again to the ground with their heads cracked open. The residents tried to escape their home were blasted away along with their house. Who knew where they would end up? Children who cried by the side of their parents¡¯ corpse as they didn¡¯t know what to do, awaited to be smashed by the flying debris of the storm. As blood dyed the streets of Caelum, the figure riding the dragon remained motionless.


    Looking down at the destruction he caused, Alastor trembled. But the shaking was not due to the fear not did he feel any kind of remorse. In fact he felt something else: a certain delight, a twisted desire to kill more and more. Face to this calamity, the boy gave a soft smile on his face as he thrilled on the carnage.


    At this moment, Caelum¡¯s fate seemed certain. The walls have been breached and the horde continued its march.

 Chapter 33: Hero

    Father Maxime¡¯s POV


    ¡°Spiders??? Where did they come from?¡± I screamed when I heard the news of a swarm of spiders occupying the city. Not only that, the southern gate has been destroyed by what seemed to be a sorcerer riding a skeletal dragon.


    ¡°Yes, Father! So far we have managed to keep the area around the Cathedral secured but we don¡¯t know how long it would last!¡± reported the messenger.


    ¡°What about the citizens? Has everyone been evacuated?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We are unable to reach those in the southern and eastern district because of the undeads and spiders. Everyone else has been evacuated to the shelters.¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t leave them to themselves like that. Send out our army to save them!¡± I ordered.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary!¡± a voice recalled me where I was, inside the hall of prayers together with the other deacons. ¡°We have summoned the heroes to come back and lend us their aid in this time of need. In a few moments now they will be walking out of those doors and cleanse our city of the foul abominations! Fear not! For God is our side!¡±


    ¡°But those are just heroes only in name. They are not chosen by the Gods. ¡°I retorted.


    ¡°Silence Maxime! Are you saying that the Holy Father¡¯s chosen are not worthy of being called Heroes?¡± one of the deacons shouted back at me. These old farts didn¡¯t care about the lives of the people out there. They only cared about themselves and their position by sucking up to the pope.


    ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I am saying! It has been years since the Gods have not given us a sign. Don¡¯t you think it was because they saw how we have become and forsaken us? We need to go out there and save the people, not holing up inside like cowards! We are better than this!¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH! Father Maxime, I will not tolerate any blasphemy inside our sacred halls. The army stays!!!¡± so the old man finally spoke.


    ¡°If none of you are willing, then I will go by myself!¡± with that, I turned my back to the pope and walked away. He and his corrupted idea would doom us all. I could not let this happen.


    These spiders couldn¡¯t come out of nowhere. The wall of Caelum even extended to the underground, they couldn¡¯t dig a tunnel into our city that easily without anyone noticing. The scout has reported that the spiders came from the eastern district. But the eastern gate was left untouched, at least before the spiders invaded. And there was nothing but the¡­.. IMPOSSIBLE! Could it be that they came through the Gate?


    That would be the only logical conclusion.  But the Gate was supposed to be closely under watch. Even if a few spiders somehow managed to pass through, it would alarm the guards. Also it was supposed to allow only ten to twenty persons to go through per hour. Yet we have seen that more than one thousands have passed through a just few minutes. How could this be?


    Anyway now it was not the time to find the cause. The Gate seemed to be my best bet so I should go there first. But what I could do by myself? I could probably handle a few spiders but not this many. Not to mention the undead horde and the mysterious sorcerer. Damn it, if only I had more strength!


    As I went to the exit, I spotted two persons sneaking in the corner. I knew them. They were cadets of the special class, the one in which the Church trained their children to become heroes, in hope that one day the Gods would choose someone from that class. Some of them were children who volunteered. You could imagine what an ¡®honor¡¯ it was for a family to have their kid participating. There were even cases where their own parents forced their child to participate. Others didn¡¯t have a choice. They were orphans the Church gathered from the streets. If they refused, where would they go?


    And all that was just the start. I knew the truth; the hardship these children have to endure. Staying locked up in a building for most of their lives, in fear that they might be ¡®corrupted¡¯ by the world outside.  The children, cut off from the world, only knew or heard about it through the eye of the Church where they saw themselves at the top, looking down on the rest. Every day being brainwashed by what their teachers told them, being told they would become heroes some day while they were raised like cattle. Only a few managed to succeed the program and were chosen as these so called heroes by the pope.  The others would continue and serve as substitutes in case of necessary.


    On many occasions have I tried to stop this program from continuing but like always my voice was ignored by the rest of the congregation. Just since when did our religion, our faith step so low, I wondered?


    The two I saw belonged to the second category: the ¡°failed heroes¡±. Yet they kept on clinging on that hope, that perhaps one day they would become a hero. While I didn¡¯t support this kind of teaching, I didn¡¯t have the courage to tell them the truth. For some it was the only thing that kept them going on. What would you do if the one thing you lived for was a lie? I couldn¡¯t. That was why I tried to change our organization, step by step, slowly but surely, in hope that one day these children would have something to live for, for me to have something to live for.


    ¡°Viviana and Lucas, what are you doing here? You are supposed to join the others in the shelter¡± I called out to the two, surprising them both.


    Realizing they have been spotted, they decided to walk up to me. Lucas was the son of one of the captains guarding the walls of the graveyard. So far I have heard none survived from their onslaught but the young man refused to believe it until he saw his father¡¯s corpse.  Quite na?ve and sometime hard headed, in truth the boy was a kind child at heart.


    His companion, Viviana, was an orphan at the church for years now and was Lucas¡¯s childhood friend. Caelum, despite proclaiming the equality of all races and such, was not a kind place for non-humans to live. While the discrimination was rather subtle, meaning no slaves were allowed here, the difference in treatment was rather obvious. And even with that, being a beastman like she was, she managed to find her way to follow her childhood friend in volunteering in participating in the special class. She was the kind of person who rarely talked about herself or her past but she would not hesitate to jump to your aid when you truly needed it.


    ¡°Father Maxime, we want to help the citizens. We are heroes, or at least going to become one. It¡¯s our duty to help the people!¡± said Lucas.


    ¡°Like the idiot said, I want to help, Father! Please let us go!¡± pled Viviana.


    ¡°This is different from the training you had! One mistake could cost your lives. My conscious can¡¯t let me ask you to do this.¡± I replied.


    I knew they were stronger than me thanks to the special training they had. But ¡­.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Father! We ourselves want to do this!¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well! But promise me that you will stick with me and not charging at dangers. The most important thing right now is shutting down the Gate in the eastern district and helping the remaining citizens to escape through the northern gate.¡±


    ¡°Yes Father!¡±


    As we traveled to the location of the Gate, I could see with my own eyes the horrors outside. The once beautiful white streets of our city now were dyed with a crimson colour as blood of the innocents were spilled. It used to be filled with laughter, the noise of merchants selling their products, the preaching of God¡¯s words by the deacons.


    And what was left now? Only death. Could this be our retribution? For the church¡¯s wrongdoing? Have we strayed that far from the righteous path?


    ¡°Father, stay down!¡± Viviana signaled me to crouch down.


    The area surrounding the Gate was crawling with spiders with many more continued to come out of the Gate. It seemed my theory was right. We would investigate how this happened in the first place but that could wait for later. Right now we needed to find a way to shut it down.


    Observing the area closely, one particular creature caught our interest: a large spider holding a skull staff standing near the Gate. The way it acted, giving instructions to the others, suggested it was the leader and also the one controlling the Gate.


    ¡°Lucas and Viviana, see that spider with a staff standing over there? I need you to take that staff away from that spider as quick as possible to stop the incoming spiders!¡± I said.


    Giving me their acknowledgment, the two proceeded with the plan.


    * * *


    ¡°Father, several large mana concentrations are coming toward us!¡± Sinforma spoke through the dragon.


    ¡°So they finally send someone decent enough. Perfect! I want to reevaluate myself a bit after the recent changes! Do not interfere Sinforma! Focus on the city!¡± Alastor gave his order. Upon acquiring Chaos, Alastor has been able to transform his body in a dark creature. Even what seemed to be his cloth right now was actually part of his skin, including the ¡®cape¡¯. In this form, his physical power was exponentially higher and he fought like a beast, ravaging the battlefield with incredible speed.


    ¡°Of course, Father!¡±


    Alastor jumped from the dragon and landed on the ground, creating a hole with it. And there he stood waiting for incoming heroes of the church.


    Without warning several arrows flew toward the dark beast. However he could see them coming very slowly as if time itself has slowed down. Gently took a step to the side and avoiding them all, these arrows could only hit his after image and pierced the ground behind.


    Using his beast eyes, he could spot enemies hiding in dark place. Seeing the archer hiding behind the chimney, Alastor swung his hand forward and extended meters away, catching the assassin right off the bat. Slowly retracting back midway, a warrior jumped down and tried to cut the long arm holding his friend. Yet the sharp blade could not cut it, not because the hand was hard but because it was so elastic that it rebounded the blade back.


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    ¡°Three¡­four¡­five¡­six! Are you supposed to imitate the group of the chosen heroes by the Gods? If so, it¡¯s pathetic!¡± Alastor arrogantly spoke.


    Knowing their tactic has failed and their number revealed, all six decided to show them self. One of them, who appeared to be the leader and held two swords in his hands, stepped forward and pointed one of his blades toward Alastor.


    ¡°Vile demon, we are the chosen of Gods! We inherit the will of the past heroes and therefore we will never lose to the likes of you!¡±


    ¡°Well said, captain!¡±


    ¡°Now show me how the five of you will do it then!¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°Five? We are six¡­.¡±


    Suddenly Alastor¡¯s arm enlarged and engulfed the archer he was helding. The sound of bones cracking as well as flesh being torn apart were the only thing the group could hear as their friend was being consumed. Finally the arm turned back to its original size, along with the archer¡¯s body has completely vanished.


    ¡°Not anymore you aren¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°You¡­YOU MONSTEEERRRR!¡± shouted the dual swordsman.


    ¡°Hahahaha! I will eat all of you alive!¡±


    The dark beast now no finally showed his true form. The head, with no eyes or nose had only a mouth full of sharp teeth. The fangs, sharp enough to pierce metal without effort. The body was pitch black that seemed to suck out the light of everything.


    In a single second, tentacles shot out of Alastor¡¯s body and impaled all the five heroes at the same time. But these didn¡¯t kill them immediately, merely incapacitating them as they have avoided all vital parts. It was Alastor¡¯s intention after all, as he preferred his meal ¡­. fresh.


    * * *


    ¡°VIVIANA, DODGE!¡± shouted Lucas.


    Hearing the warning, the girl has evaded the spitting web of the spiders. The two were having a hard time to approach the commanding arachnid as its minions were just too many. It seemed now would be a good time to use their trump card.


    ¡°I call upon the spirit of the sacred flame. Lend me your servant! I summon thee, Ilfrit!¡± chanted Viviana.


    Summoning magic. A special magic that passed only through certain ancient bloodlines who have made a pact with an elemental spirit. Abiding to the pact, the summoner would send their mana to the spirit and in return the spirit would aid them in combat.


    A ring of fire surrounded the girl as it stopped the spiders from taking any step further if they wanted to avoid getting burned. Above her head flew a living flame in the form of a beast with two horns. Its roar was so loud that it scared some spiders away. Then the ring rotated quickly before exploding and killing all the spiders in the area. This sudden attack was what they were aiming for.


    As the spiders were confused, Lucas quickly dashed through their lines and grabbed the staff.


    ¡°You little brat, let go!¡± screamed the spider as it was trying to shake off the boy.


    ¡°Eat this you creepy insect!¡±


    In a single motion, he swung the sword and cut off the spider¡¯s head to the side, making it body fall down to its knees. Green blood poured out of its headless neck like a geyser.


    ¡°Ah disgusting!¡± the young man shook his cloth, trying to take off all the blood. He took the staff off the hand of the dead insect and smashed it to pieces, making the Gate losing its light and shutting down. One spider didn¡¯t have enough time to pass through ended up being cut in half.


    Seeing their leader has fallen, the remaining spiders quickly fled in every direction, leaving the entire square empty again.


    ¡°Congratulations you two!¡± said Father Maxime as he came out of his hiding spot. The entire time he was amazed by the two¡¯s performance. He knew they were strong but not at this level. It was weird that they were not picked for being heroes candidates.


    ¡°Hahaha it was nothing! These insects merely have the size but not the brain. They are no match for me!¡± rejoiced Lucas.


    ¡°Said the idiot! If not for me, you would be eaten already!¡± scolded Viviana. And she was right. While Lucas was no weak man, he was too reckless for his own sake and for most of the time, it fell down to Viviana to bring her childhood friend back alive in one piece. ¡°But speaking of that, the spiders and the undeads at the same time seem too much of a coincidence. Who do you think is behind all of this and why?¡±


    ¡°That even the congregation has no theory for now. But I assume that everyone thinks it¡¯s the demons.¡± Said Maxime.


    ¡°It¡¯s always the demon¡¯s fault. We should have killed all of them when we have the chance¡± rumbled Lucas.


    ¡°Lucas, I understand your sentiment but we can¡¯t just put everything on the demons. And even if it is true, then we could only blame ourselves. We brought this on ourselves when we killed millions of their kind in our crusade. In history, there was only a few times when they were the one who attacked first. But that were exceptionally rare. Everything else was done by us.¡± Explained Maxime. He had a sorrowful expression on his face, making Lucas not wanting to retort back.


    Despite being a priest of the Church of Light, he held no animosity toward demons and has even helped some to escape their slavery lives.


    To him, this was just a cycle of hatred that no one even remembered how it started in the first place. Then why did he and everyone else have to continue to pay for it? Will it be an eternal conflict between the two sides? Perhaps it was enough. Perhaps it was now time to end the cycle of hatred, to cast their differences aside and join hands. Alas it was merely a thought in his mind at the time.


    ¡°Sorry I kind of space out there. Back to our subject, the spider¡¯s invasion might have been halted but there are still hundreds of them soaring the streets. Not to mention the undeads too. To speed things up, let¡¯s divide into three groups: each of us will take one direction and try to rescue as many as you can!


    But avoid all confrontation! Your mission is to rescue as many residents as possible, not slaying! The longer you take, the lower the time you have to save someone. Please keep that in mind! Once you are done, direct everyone to the northern gate and we will escape through there! Remember do not attempt to fight them by yourself!¡± instructed the priest.


    ¡°Yes Father!¡±


    Deciding each other¡¯s way, Lucas immediately headed toward the southern region. Despite being warned by Father Maxime, Lucas could not stop himself from charging at the undeads. However he still understood that it was his priority to save the people first. But if it wouldn¡¯t be his fault if some undeads were on his way.


    As soon as he walked through the southern district, he could see how bad it was compared the others. Buildings burned down as the fire spread from house to house. The streets were filled with corpses that started to come back alive. Some with their bodies relatively intact, others were trapped by rubbles and desperately tried to crawl out.


    In face of all these horrors, Lucas could only steel himself as he walked past through every single one of them while trying to remain undetected. Deep inside, a burning rage started to take over him.


    ¡°Whoever did this, I swear I will kill you!¡± the boy spoke out his resolution.


    Suddenly he saw a group of undeads approaching. These one were special. They wore the church garb and walked together as a group, unlike the others. At the center was an old man wearing the pope attire and a very long golden staff.


    An idea sparked inside Lucas¡¯ mind. He was in the mood of killing something and these undeads, while being different, didn¡¯t seem that difficult. The one in the middle was probably the boss and therefore should be the first target. He could do it in a single strike.


    Preparing himself in a valley, the boy¡¯s eyes fixed on Vyncis. Clenching his sword, he sprinted toward the group. They have just seen him. They couldn¡¯t have time to react. He could do this.


    But no. Something jumped down between him and flung the boy against the wall. Who was that? Who stopped him? Slowly standing up, he lifted his head to see the culprit. A headless figure in armor riding a skeletal horse: a dullahan. In his hand held a head that presumably belonged to the knight.


    As Lucas saw the face of the head, he was dismayed by the cruelty of truth in front of him.


    ¡°Father?¡±

 Chapter 34: Grief

    ¡°Father, I have detected a group of humans heading toward the north. It seems they are trying to escape through that way. Should I pursue them?¡±


    Alastor, in his beast form, was riding the skeletal dragon. After finishing off these so called heroes, he was waiting for the main character of tonight¡¯ spectacle to show up. Yet so far there wasn¡¯t any sign of the person. Could this be a trap? He wondered. A God should protect his people right? Then why hasn¡¯t he come yet? If that was the kind of game he wanted to play then Alastor would play along: he would kill more.


    ¡°No. Let the horde continue their invasion! Bring me to the northern gate! I will take care of this myself!¡±


    * * *


    Viviana was leading a group of citizens of Caelum towards the northern gate. So far the area has not been invaded yet so it was relatively easy to guide everyone through this route.


    Arriving at the gate, she recognized father Maxime holding a baby together with a dozen commoners.


    ¡°Father you made it!¡±


    ¡°Yeah but I didn¡¯t manage to save all of them. We encountered some undeads along the way and some men decided to stay behind to give us time to get away¡­¡± Maxime replied sadly.


    ¡°You can¡¯t blame yourself for this, Father! These people made it back thanks to you!¡± Viviana encouraged the bishop.


    ¡°Yes I know. Now it¡¯s not the time for mourning. Did you see Lucas?¡± The priest asked.


    ¡°No I haven¡¯t seen him. He went to the southern region so he might take a bit more time. I reckon he is fighting some undeads again. That idiot!¡±


    Before the priest could speak, the cries of the little girl he was holding has interrupted their conversation. Even when Maxime pat her on the back and tried to reassure her that she was safe, her cried would not stop. It was natural as she just witnessed her parents being killed right in front of her. Lucky for her, Maxime came just at the right time to bring her away.


    Alas Maxime had no experience with children so he did not know how to calm her down.


    Everyone was exhausted and the cries were not helping at this point. Not only that it could attract the attention of nearby undeads or spiders.


    ¡°Father let me help!¡± Viviana said as she took the baby in her hands.


    Strangely the moment she held him, the cries stopped. Was it due to the weird faces she was making to the baby? Or the hymn she was singing to her? Either way it worked.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Asked Maxime in awe.


    ¡°I used to do the same thing to my sister whenever she cried. Work every time! Hihi!¡±


    ¡°You have a sister?¡± Maxime has never heard about this. He thought she was alone when they found her on the streets. But then he noticed she spoke in past tense. Did it mean¡­..


    ¡°A young sister yes! But we got lost from each other a few years ago and I have never heard anything about her since¡­...I am sorry! This is awkward. We should focus on what is happening now first!¡± Trying to change the subject, Viviana forced a smile on her face.


    Realizing he should not press further, Maxime decided to stay quiet. Not it was not the time anyway. And so they continued marching forward.


    The gate was still intact, which was a good sign. Seeing the civilians coming, the soldiers took their own initiative to open it, allowing them to escape. They then proceeded to come down from the wall and helped Maxime and Viviana to lead them out.


    ¡°This way! Hurry!¡± shouted one of the guard.


    Taking a baby with her was certainly not a good idea so Viviana handed her to another woman. Although regrettable as she really loved children, this was for the baby¡¯ sake.


    ¡®This baby must survive¡¯ thought the girl in her head. Though many have died today, if such a young life could survive, it would be a great ease of burden for her.


    The path outside was clear. It was their chance to finally escape this nightmare. But alas things were never that easy. Like a certain someone once said, you would only know despair when you are just meters away from your goal before it was snatched away.


    From the sky, a giant figure descended and landed right on their path, shattering their hope.  It was the dragon rider and his undead dragon. With nightmarish appearance, their mere presence sent fear to the spines. How would they escape from such thing?


    Two of the guards shouted and charged forward. With luck they might be open a path for the others. But they sure have underestimated their opponent.


    With a single motion, the dragon swung his head and hurled both of soldiers into the walls, killing them instantly. Watching the cruel fate that would happen to them, a few soldiers fled inside, attempting to get away. But the dragon rider would not let his prey get away. From his body, tentacles lashed out. As they caught the soldiers, some were torn apart, some impaled to death while others strangled. In the end they all died.


    Now all that was left were the civilians.


    Father Maxime stood there, helpless as he saw those soldiers died like nothing. He thought he could save these people. Was he wrong to think that there was hope? How could something like this happen? Did God really abandon him?


    ¡°WHY? Why are you doing this?¡± Maxime screamed in anger.


    ¡°Because I can! Because I am a demon. Isn¡¯t that what you teach your kids these days? Demons are evil being who wanted to destroy the world. So now I am here to make sure that your so called teaching would not go to waste. I will make what you fear so much into reality.¡± the dragon rider coldly answered.


    ¡°Is this for revenge??? For what we have done to your kind?¡±


    ¡°Father, I am not such a grand person to speak about revenging my race. In truth I couldn¡¯t care less about that. I didn¡¯t even know I was a demon until recent year. Why would I care for someone I have never met before? I only care about my family and mine alone.


    I have a simple goal: to spread suffering upon the world!¡± Alastor proclaimed.


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I am a selfish person, Father! What people did to me, what they took from me. It won¡¯t be just them who will pay for that. I will make sure that the entire world has a taste of my pain.¡±


    ¡°Vengeance won¡¯t accomplish anything! I don¡¯t know what happened to you but you need to cast aside your hatred!¡±


    ¡°Cast aside my hatred? Do you think you can do that after what I have done here? Do you think these people can?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Maxime stayed silent. He too was unsure of himself. Did he have the courage to forgive this person even though he has killed probably thousands of people in a single night? Even though he said that, could he actually do it? ¡®Was I a hypocrite all along? Was I too na?ve to hold on such thoughts?¡¯


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t say anything? I know you couldn¡¯t. You only have those pretty words to defend yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Then let me prove it through my actions!¡±


    All of the sudden, Father Maxime stepped forward from the crowd and fell on his knees in front of Alastor. Could he be planning to beg for his life? Was that all he could do?


    ¡°Please take my life instead and let these people go! I beg of you!¡±


    ¡°NO, Father! ¡°shouted Viviana from the crowd. But Alastor didn¡¯t even look at her. He was shocked by this man before him.


    ¡°You would sacrifice your own life for these people? What make you think I can¡¯t kill all of you right now?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°My life may mean nothing to you. Worthless it may be; this is the only way I can prove to you that I am sincere with my words. This cycle of hatred must stop between us. We have both hurt each other too much. Things that have been done can never be recovered.


    But we can¡¯t let it go, we will never be able to move forward. You can¡¯t be shackled by the past forever. You may not believe me but I can see a future: one where we will all live in peace! If my life could somehow contribute to that future, even a tiny bit, if my life could wain your anger, then please take it!¡±


    For the first time in his life, Alastor met such a person. Someone who sought peace between the two sides, something unthinkable. Such madness! If someone else was talking those words, he or she would probably have ended up being marked of a traitor. Yet for a strange reason, Alastor could feel that this man meant every of his word. There was no shred of lies in what he said.


    ¡°You¡­if only there was more people like you¡­¡± spoke Alastor in a gentle voice, completely different from earlier.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.Suddenly, Alastor could feel a killing intent toward him. The beastman Viviana couldn¡¯t hear anything from their conversation, decided to rush in to help Father Maxime. She would not let him die in the hands of a demon.


    ¡°Get away from him!¡± slashed the girl toward Alastor.


    But Alastor only needed to use one hand to catch the sword before crushing it into dust. In an instant he punched the girl in her chest, sending her flying toward a tree on the side road. He then took out a dark sword and walked toward the girl.


    ¡°No please forgive her! She didn¡¯t¡­.¡± Maxime tried to run toward Vivana¡¯ side but was stopped by the dragon.


    That kind of attack would normally have knocked out a grown man. But thanks to her beastman¡¯s body, Viviana could barely retain her consciousness. The strike seemed to have broken a few of her bones. The excruciating pain she felt in her chest was telling her to lie down quietly. But she refused. If she was going to die, she would stare at death itself in the face to demonstrate her defiance, her unyielding will. Was that foolishness or courage? The boundary between the two was like the faces of a coin. So close yet so far.


    Alastor raised his sword. He has killed more than he could count tonight. One more would be nothing. He told himself as the sword fell down.


    But the girl was unharmed.


    The blade stopped itself right before it could cut Viviana in two. Something strange happened. Even Viviana herself didn¡¯t understand how she was still alive. She was supposed to be dead by now, yet she still stood here in this world. Just to make sure, she pinched herself to verify if this was a dream. No it was indeed reality.


    The blade in front of her was quivering. Why? Because the holder was trembling, not in fear but by something else. Just moment before Alastor could cut her down, the cloud hiding the moon has moved, revealing the shiny moonlight upon the girl¡¯s face. And it was that moment that stopped him in time.


    The demon in front of Viviana was behaving strangely. The girl could clearly see it on his face. Quietly he muttered a single word that no one heard except her. That one word shocked Viviana so much she tried to grab the demon but her wound did not allow her to do that. She could barely move anymore. The only thing she could do was watching him. Her fate was in his hands. He could kill her easily. So why? Why was he looking at her like that? Why was he¡­¡­


    ¡°....go¡­¡± The demon muttered softly.


    ¡°What?¡± The girl did hear what he said but it was completely unreal to her that he would say that.


    ¡°I said get out of my face!!! Before I change my mind!¡± The demon shouted angrily.


    Hearing that the priest immediately rushed and grabbed Viviana on his back before calling the others to come. Some couldn¡¯t believe it at first, thinking it was a trap by the demon. But what other choice did they have? Standing here?


    They still hesitated when passing by the dragon. Although quite intimidating it didn¡¯t do anything to them. It heard what its father said and even though it did not understand why, it did not dare to interrupt. Not now, not when it felt he would kill it if it asked him about that.


    With the dragon out of sight, the group finally escaped dangers. They did not understand why; it did not matter to them. They still got their lives after all.


    Now that the danger has passed, Maxime put her down on the ground and began to heal her using his magic. Though he was not a skillful mage, he was a top rank healer, could be considered as one of the best of the continent. Perhaps it was better for him to have this power instead as he disliked violence.


    ¡°I got you Viviana.¡± A green light shined from the girl¡¯s body as her wounds began to heal.


    ¡°He¡­.he¡­¡­¡± The girl mumbled in a half conscious state. Did the shock get to her head?


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Viviana! We are out of danger now! Look like he didn¡¯t follow us.¡± The bishop reassured the girl.


    ¡°He was crying¡­..¡± she whispered faintly. At this point, she seemed to be hallucinating.


    ¡°What?¡± couldn¡¯t believe his ears, Maxime spoke out loud.


    But her next words were even more mysterious.


    ¡°Why do you know her name? Why do you know Shana?¡±


    * * *


    The young girl Alice was looking for her dear brother. Last time she heard was him going to the northern gate to take care of some escapees. Surely something like that would take no more than a few minutes. But it has been an hour since there was no news from him. So she decided to go there herself.


    As she arrived at the said location, she found traces of an intense battle. The walls have multiples holes on it, on the verge of crumbling. Trees of the side road were cut off. Did Alastor fight someone here?


    Beyond the ruins she saw him, standing in static and gazing at the moon. He didn¡¯t fight anyone, these were only the result of his rampage. But what was he angry about?


    ¡°Brother?¡± Alice called out to him.


    ¡°¡­..Yes?¡± strangely his tone was rather normal.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I am fine! Why do you ask?¡± the boy answered.


    ¡°You feel ¡­.different!¡± Alice fidgeted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it Alice! Is there something else you want to say?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Hum Lilith told me that there is a very very big energy source coming from the south. It seems like the God you are looking for is here!¡±


    ¡°Is he now? Perfect! I am in the mood for killing someone! Tonight just keeps getting better and better! Let us go!¡±


    Together the two mounted on the dragon and flew toward the southern gate again.


    ¡°Father, our undead legion is being decimated. The enemy is very powerful! Please be careful!¡± the dragon spoke.


    ¡°I will! So what kind of weapon is he using?¡± the person he would be fighting was a God. By no means he should underestimate him. It would be better to have as much as info on the guy before they fought.


    ¡°Well actually he doesn¡¯t have any weapon¡­.¡±


    ¡°No weapon? Then how does he kill you?¡±


    ¡°He just kind of¡­. steps on us¡­¡± the dragon reluctantly replied.


    ¡°Step on? What do you ¡­¡­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡±


    Suddenly something flew toward them and hit the dragon. Because of the tremendous force that thing hit them with, half of the dragon¡¯s skeletal body broke and they crashed to the ground.


    * * *


    Alastor¡¯s POV


    ¡°Damn it! It hurt!¡± I grumbled as I tried to stand up from the dragon¡¯s corpse.


    Immediately I searched for Alice¡­.She was fine, right by me. But the same could not be said about Sinforma, or rather the dragon. I didn¡¯t know what hit us but it killed the dragon instantly, breaking him like squashing a fly¡­.


    At that moment a terrible thought came to my mind. Squash like a fly. I slowly turned my head back and finally realized the culprit of that attack.


    ¡°You got to be kidding me!!!¡±


    Alright I knew he was a God. I knew he was powerful. But no one told me that the guy was a damn freaking giant. He was even taller than the wall next to him!!! He wore a broken armor set with only the helmet intact. Through the holes in the armor I could see his skin which was almost stone like with even moss on it.


    ¡°Are you Alastor?¡± the giant spoke with a loud voice. I didn¡¯t think he was yelling but only speaking softly, in his own way. But his ¡®soft¡¯ voice was enough to echo in the entire valley


    ¡°What if I am?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then let us battle! Gnome, the Sleeping Moutain, God of the Dwarves, challenge you to a fight! Show me your power, demon lord!¡±

 Chapter 35: Gnome the Sleeping Mountain

    ¡°Father, please don¡¯t make me fight you!¡± shouted Lucas at the headless knight coming toward him.


    Even though he was clearly not himself anymore, Lucas was reluctant to draw his sword. In his mind, his nativity has led him to believe in some kind of miracle might make his father recognize him. Maybe his father was different from the others. Maybe the once proud captain Balmore would be able to resist this ¡­.curse. What a shallow mind! To think you were special proved that you were the same as others.


    Yet no matter how much he shouted, no matter how much he raged, it would not matter to the undead before him. He was dead. The boy¡¯s words would not reach him.


    With his back against the wall, the young man was now left with two choices: to draw his sword and fight back for his survival or to die like a dog begging for something he did not understand that it was impossible.


    And human¡¯s desire to survive was an incredible thing. When face to death, you were able to do anything.  At that moment your moral didn¡¯t apply anymore, your body moved faster than usual, you could lift something much heavier than you thought you could.


    So what did he choose you ask? Well life of course. In his mind, the image of his father was override by something else: the hatred, the urge to avenge him.


    As he pulled his bloody sword from the corpse of the one who used to be his respected father, the young man made a vow as tears flowed down and mixed with the blood on his face.


    ¡°I swear Father! I will find the one who did this to you and make sure that he dies in the most painful way!¡±


    * * *


    Alastor¡¯s POV


    ¡°RUN!¡±


    Taking Alice on my arms, I ran as fast as I could. No way in hell I was going to fight that thing with Alice around. I needed to at least bring her somewhere safe.


    ¡°Come back here, coward!¡± shouted the giant as he began to move his colossal legs and ran after us. Each step he took felt like an earthquake. And he was fast for something that size.


    ¡°If you stop following us then I will stop!¡± As if something like that would work.


    ¡°Ok!¡±


    Oh shit it did work! Was he really that dumb? Or was he confident that he could catch up with me even if I had a head start? For some reason seeing how quickly he was earlier, I had no doubt about that.


    ¡°If you promise not to touch this little girl or do anything that might harm her then I too will promise not to run away from the fight!¡± so far he seemed like the reasonable type. I might as well take my chance. Not to mention he was only one God and there was still five more. If I just ran away each time someday my luck would eventually run out. I might as well face it right here right now.


    ¡°Dealt!¡± the giant replied.


    With Alice out of the way, I would at least be at peace in mind and could focus on this battle. I handed her over to one of the undeads and instructed them to keep her far away from the battlefield. Judging from this guy¡¯s size, it would be huge so it was probably not a good idea to have her around.


    ¡°Alright let¡¯s start this!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    I knew nothing of this guy¡¯s power. Surely being a God would not just make you a freaking giant, he must have something up his sleeves aside from his incredible strength. I needed to take this slowly.


    Immediately I summoned five elemental orbs floating around me. These orbs shot out arcane missile imbued with their corresponding element. Perhaps he would be weak to one. But I was wrong, very wrong. His stone-skin made these missiles almost like mosquito bites. I bet that he didn¡¯t even feel them.


    I needed something stronger, might as well use that. And he already closed the gap between us in just a few steps. As he tried to stomp over me, I quickly dashed side by side, while still keeping my balance at best due to the tremors he caused.


    ¡°Annoying¡­..¡±


    Uh oh¡­.he was getting mad.


    The giant raised one of his legs high, but this time he didn¡¯t stomp immediately like earlier¡­..Oh shit!


    ¡°<Seismic Shock>¡±


    BOUM


    The moment his leg touched the ground below, it created a shockwave so powerful that broke the terrain and blew the whole ground up like a wave of dirt and dust. The mere wind generated by that attack knocked me against one of the giant rock laying underground that was immerged by the earthquake. But it did push me away quite a distance from him.


    ¡°Damn bastard! Eat this! <Tempest>!¡± If normal spells didn¡¯t work then how about ultimate one?


    I summoned a tornado from the sky. The last one ravaged and turned a third of the city to smithereens. Let¡¯s see how it worked against a giant.


    In an instant, the giant was engulfed whole by the tornado. I could not even see him anymore. Did it work?


    ¡°What the¡­?¡±


    As the tornado began to dissipate, the giant began to resurface, unharmed. All he did was covering his head with his arms and bended his knees to keep himself to the ground. Even my ultimate spell did not work against this guy.


    ¡°That was a nice breeze!¡± the giant mocked. Slowly standing up he ran toward me.


    The giant started swinging his hands trying to catch me but to me these were easy to evade, especially with my beast form in which all my senses have been heightened to their maximum potential, allowing me to perceive thing in slow motion.


    I managed to get on his back and tried to do some attack. But no matter what I did, magic or physical attack, I could not even make a scratch on his skin. What the hell was this made of? It looked like stone but so much harder.


    ¡°My skin is forged by Lord Eden himself. No magic would be able to break it! Try to use more force boy!¡±


    Magic resistance? So similar to the dragon but much more powerful. This could be annoying.


    His hands were trying to crush me like a fly. No matter how quick I was, I would not be able to stay like this forever. I needed to find a way to hurt him.


    But of course he would not just let me take my time and test what would work.


    Suddenly he stopped shaking and held his arms together. His entire body started to illuminate like a giant beacon. I could feel the flow of mana concentrating on the skin beneath me. Something was coming! My entire body, currently in beast form, was telling to get away as quick as possible. At this moment his body was already as bright as the sun.


    ¡°<Beacon of Celestia>¡±


    Magic missiles started flying out of his body and targeted me. No matter where I went, they just kept on coming and followed me. I even tried to redirect it back to the giant but he was immune to magic so he did not feel anything at all.


    The area surrounding him was completely destroyed: the entire forest was gone in an instant. I guessed no more hiding place.


    And I was careless, letting one of these missiles hit me. And it hurt like hell. Imagine what would happen if ten of them hit you.


    If only I had a body at his size, it would be much easier.


    ¡®A body like his¡­.I do have something like that don¡¯t I?¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®Sinforma I want you to do something!¡¯


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    And here they came. My little army of undeads. While not all of them were here, I would say at least half was present.


    ¡°Using an army? Go ahead! That makes no difference to me!¡± Said Gnome.


    ¡°Not at their size, no! But what about this? Come to me Sinforma!¡± I shouted.


    All the undeads surrounded me and pushed me up. As I went higher and higher, they stitched together to form a solid body. With their numbers, I could create an undead giant made of skeletons and zombies. To reinforce further, the spiders quickly used their special webs to increase our defense and the links.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    And here came my giant with me fusing with it on top of its head. Standing as tall as the God Giant, this new body of mine looked humanoid enough even though it was just a pile of corpses attached to each other.


    ¡°Huh do you think that trick would do you any good?¡± Grunted Gnome.


    ¡°We will see about that! Charge!¡±


    Gnome started by throwing his gigantic punch at me. However, using my own skeleton hand, I controlled my skeleton giant to evade slightly to the side and grabbed his arm, performing a throwing attack. Because my giant was made mostly out of skeletons, it was much lighter than Gnome and therefore more agile.


    Using his own force, I guided his body and threw him. His colossal body was flung into the air before falling again. And damn it was heavy.


    If my attack didn¡¯t work then let his own weight be his downfall. That must have hurt.


    Slowly standing up, he turned to me.


    ¡°Well done boy! That was the first time anyone has ever managed to lift me! How would you fare against this? <Beacon of Celestia>¡±


    He used that magic attack again.  It surprised me last time but not this time.


    ¡°<Black hole>¡±


    A black orb at the size of my body appeared in the hand of the undead giant. As it held it in front of his chest, all the incoming magic missiles convergent to its location and were absorbed and replenished my mana.


    Seeing his magic neutralized, the giant switched back to melee: he jumped high into the air and threw one of his kick. Using his own weight as an advantage, it would not be pretty if my undead was hit by that.


    ¡°Now Sinforma!¡± I shouted.


    Multiples of layers of light barriers enshrouded the undead giant. One of Sinforma¡¯s undeads, the pope Vyncis, had the ability to cast a light magic barrier. By supplying my own mana to him, he would be able cast more powerful barriers to protect my body.


    And we clashed. Smashing barriers one after another, Gnome was finally stopped with only a few layers left. Without letting him time for another attack, the undead giant quickly landed one of his arms against the God¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Take this you piece of shit! <Lucifer¡¯s Fury: Grand Cross>¡±


    A huge luminous explosion in the form of a cross exploded from my palm. In an instant the giant was blown away.


    Despite hitting at point black, that attack only managed to scratch his body only a little bit.


    ¡°Nice try young one! But that alone would never be able to hurt me!¡± He kneeled down on his knees and touched the ground. ¡°<Wrath of the forest>¡±


    Suddenly, tree vines came out of the ground where I stood and started to invade my undead giant. Being attached to it as if it was a part of myself, I felt weak all of the sudden. Those vines¡­.they were sucking out my mana. The more mana they absorbed the more they grew, restraining the undead giant¡¯s movement. I couldn¡¯t move an inch.


    ¡°Now you die!¡± Gnome made a battle cry as he sprinted toward me. I could not dodge this attack!!!


    * * *


    ¡°How???¡±


    ¡°I am not done that quickly¡±


    The giant¡¯s fist has indeed landed its attack but it didn¡¯t hurt Alastor nor did it destroy the undead. In fact the entire undead body was covered by a layer of transparent blue material: crystal. In magic the brighter the blue light emitted by the crystal, the more condense mana was subjected to in order to form those stones, and of course the more powerful that crystal was. In this case, the color was the brightest, like a giant glacier.


    Even the vines that invaded the giant undead were turned into crystal, making beautiful lines of crystal trees.


    Realizing that his fist did not harm the boy one bit, Gnome quickly stepped back in awe. It was the first time someone took a direct punch from him and did not end up as a pulp. But he wasn¡¯t upset nor dismayed, it has been so long since he felt this excited: he has finally met a worthy opponent, one that was not even a god.


    ¡°Finally you show your true power! Good! GOOD!! I wasn¡¯t wrong after all! Come young one! Show me your spirit!¡± Gnome proclaimed excitedly.


    As for Alastor, he finally had the chance to use the crystal magic that he inherited from his mother after all these years. Though it was much more exhausting than normal magic, he succeeded.


    Without taking a moment to rest, now that he was freed from those vines, he charged forward. The fight has turned into a brawl between two giants: one made of stone and the other crystal.


    Each strike was like a tremor, vibrating the air of the entire area. If one managed to make a blow then the other would retaliate back immediately. The feud lasted for hours.


    It wasn¡¯t a quiet night for Caelum. Their city was attacked by undeads and spiders. And out of nowhere a giant showed up. Then a second one, with an even weirder appearance than the first and they clashed. The sound of their fights, the exchange of their fists resounded in the entire area. Yet no one knew what these colossal warriors were nor what their goal was. And none dared to approach them or to peek at their battle, in fear of becoming an accidental casualty. In addition, the undead threat was still ongoing.


    ¡°HAHAHA! How long have I waited for this? Someone who is capable of exchanging blows with me!¡± Gnome laughed loudly as he threw a fist.


    ¡°Then how about we end it now? The sun is rising already!¡± Alastor responded. In truth he was getting tired. Maintaining a large crystal armor at this scale for this long has drained most of his power. He needed to finish this in one single blow if he intended to win.


    ¡°You are right! All thing must come to an end someday!¡± Gnome¡¯s tone suddenly changed. It was serious yet sad. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this with the next blow!¡±


    ¡°Fine with me!¡± Alastor answered.


    Standing still among the ruins they caused, as the first ray of sunlight began to shine upon the city of Caelum, the two stared at each other. The next move would be the last one. Both had kept their trump card for this moment. The question was which one of them would attack first.


    And it was Alastor.


    From his giant skeletal arm, a huge luminous sword bearing the color azure manifested itself. Yet it wasn¡¯t made of crystal. Something transparent like a mist was emitting from that sword. He raised it highly with both his arms and slashed down.


    Alastor might have the advantage of speed but Gnome didn¡¯t acquire the name ¡°Sleeping Mountain¡± for out of nothing. Seeing the sword, the giant knew the danger it posed. His body changed to a golden color of sunlight, the ultimate defense, capable of reflecting all kind of magic and physical attack. Never in history has anyone managed to break through it. Just like a mountain that stood in the landscape.


    But even mountain succumbed to the passage of time. However, in this case, time wasn¡¯t his downfall. There was one thing that could surpass even the ultimate shield: soul magic. And Alastor¡¯ sword was in fact the one legendary sword using soul magic that the hero Lakyus once held: Excalibur, Sword of Destiny.


    And one person already knew the result of what would happen the moment the sword was drawn.


    ¡®To think I would be undone by the sword I forged¡­.what an irony!¡¯


    The moment Excalibur touched Gnome¡¯ skin, it destroyed everything it touched, such was the power of the weapon capable of changing fate itself.


    The blade cut through the giant with ease and with it, Gnome, God of the Dwarves, fell.


    His giant body began to fall apart, crumbling into dust.


    ¡°You were right, Fate! He is ¡­.the true Heir! Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!¡± and those were the last words of the God Gnome before his body faded away.


    But he left something behind: a bright orb of light floated in the air where Gnome once stood. Suddenly it flew toward the last remaining person of the battle: Alastor.


    ¡°Argg!¡± sinking into the boy¡¯s body, the orb pierced through the barrier of dimension and arrived at a dark place, a place created as a manifestation of the boy¡¯s soul.


    There it flew into the depths of the Abyss until it reached a giant gate before dissipating into it. With its disappearance, the gate illuminated as a new circle emerged on the door¡¯s cipher, together with one word inside the circle: DWARF.


    ¡°One down¡­five more to go¡­.¡±

 Chapter 36: Conquest

    Alastor¡¯s POV


    What the hell was that? I could feel something flying into me. What did that Giant do to me? Could it be some kind of trap that activated when he died? But I didn¡¯t feel anything in particular. Aside from this incredible fatigue due to all the mana I used during the battle.


    I was breathing heavily. My entire body felt sore. My legs were trembling so much I could not even stand properly. I never knew that crystal magic was this consuming. To think that Stella was able to wield it without a single sign of exhaustion¡­but then again perhaps it was because she was a doll.


    I needed to find Alice. At the moment it was the only thing in my mind. Where was Sinforma? Did the undead giant crumble? How come no one was around?


    I tried to take a step forward but my eyes were becoming blurry. Damn it the pain¡­.it hurt!!!!


    No I could not fall unconscious now! I needed to find her.


    ¡°Ali¡­ce¡­A..li¡± I tried to shout but I could barely open my mouth.


    Without paying attention, I tripped on a rock and fell down on the ground. My body felt so heavy. I pushed up against the ground to stand up but past midway I fell again. I could not feel my legs anymore. If I could not stand then I would crawl.


    Slowly, one hand forward, then the other one, it didn¡¯t feel like I have advanced that much.


    Then I saw¡­a shadow running toward me from afar. The sun was so bright I could barely see¡­.


    ¡°Alastor? Wake up! Wake up!¡± the person was shaking my body.


    That voice¡­I recognized it. It was Alice. So she was safe after all. I was glad.


    Ah ¡­my mind¡­. started to turn blank. I felt¡­.sleepy. Was I hallucinating? Who were these other shadows behind Alice?


    ¡°NO let him go! Let my brother go!¡± Alice? Was that you? Who were there? Let her go!


    ¡°Bring him back to our camp! Take the girl too!¡±


    I was being lifted away. Then¡­this agitation¡­was I only a horse? But I wasn¡¯t bluntly put on the horse. Someone carried me very carefully on the way. Even on the horse I was on that person¡¯s hands. I felt¡­.warm and safe. Why? Who were you?


    No..No I must not¡­I must¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    How long have I drifted out? What was this place? This softness under me, was I on a bed? It was quite comfortable.


    Suddenly I heard footsteps. Someone was coming in. I should probably fake being still unconscious for now. Just to be safe.


    ¡°Go to bed, Alice! It¡¯s late now!¡± a female voice spoke to Alice? I didn¡¯t recognize the voice. Who was that? Was that person the one who brought me here? She said ¡®late¡¯. Was it night already? Has I been unconscious for the whole day?


    ¡°But I want to stay!¡± that was Alice. So she was still safe. Perhaps this person wasn¡¯t a bad one. A survivor of Caelum who found us perhaps? What happened to Sinforma and the undeads?


    ¡°I promise to call you when he wakes up! Now go to sleep!¡± the voice changed from a gentle then stern voice. Almost reminded me of Morgan whenever she told Alice to go to bed. When was the last time I even thought of her? Looking back at that now, it has been so long¡­.so many things have happened.


    ¡°..Ok!¡± wow she managed to make Alice go to sleep that easily. I could hear her footsteps walking away. The sound of curtain being pushed away¡­were we in a tent? I did remember talks about bringing back to their camp. So there were others than just this one woman. I probably should be careful with what I did here. In my current state it would be better to avoid any unnecessary conflict.


    I didn¡¯t hear anything anymore. I tried to use <Mana sense> to detect the presence of someone inside the room but there was none.


    Was she that scary? Her voice didn¡¯t tell me much and I did not dare to open my eyes to see her face. But now that she was gone I could maybe take just a little peek, at least to know where I was.


    I slowly opened my eyes.


    ¡°Hum already awake are you?¡±


    What lied in front of my sight was a beautiful woman with tied up golden hair. I could see nothing but her face. Why? Because she has put her face right in front of mine, staring at me with her green eyes. We were so close now that our noses have touched.


    What was she doing? She removed the cold towel from my forehead. She kept getting closer and closer.


    ¡°You seem ¡­hot! Your cheeks are so red. Do you have a cold?¡±


    No! That was me sweating because you were too close. Then she pushed her face even further and touched my forehead with hers.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like you have a cold! At least that¡¯s good news!¡±


    Finally, she distanced herself from me. That was so ¡­unnerving. The woman took the towel from earlier and bathed it in a basin of water next to the bed.


    Watching her standing next to me and washing the towel, I could finally take a good look at her. My guess was that she was in her thirties and human, judging from her features. I realized that her cloth was odd, not in a weird way but it was just an uniform, I thought, I have never seen before. Her garment was a mixture of blue cloth and light armor that cover her shoulders and legs. The lower part of the attire was a dress with some iron plates attached to it. The dress itself had a golden line that trailed the extremities of the dress. From here I could see two iron gauntlets placed on the table on the other side of the tent. She must have removed them previously.


    Not just her garb seemed luxurious but also the tent I was in even had an expensive looking chair with some elegant ornaments being displayed in the room. Who was this woman? Could she be some kind of noble? Her garment suggested she was a warrior or something similar. But as I pondered these questions in my head, she started talking to me.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Hum thank you for saving me and my sister, kind lady!¡± let¡¯s take out the ¡®kid play¡¯ again.


    So far they had nothing to suspect me to have anything to do with what happened at Caelum. I was in beast form and only reverted back after the fight. Unless they had someone who saw me at that moment, but so far taking the account the treatment I had, I would bet that no one saw what happened between me and the giant.


    ¡°You have such good manners!¡± she patted me on the head. I knew this role would work. ¡°So what happens with the giant, Alastor?¡±


    Oh shit it didn¡¯t! How did she know my name? Perhaps Alice told her my name since she did tell her hers? Time to switch to ¡®the ignorant kid¡¯.


    ¡°W¡­what? What giant? Me and my sister just run as fast as we could from the undeads until I tripped and fell unconscious¡­¡± technically I wasn¡¯t lying. I did trip and I did run. The truth was always relative for each person after all.


    ¡°I see! My report says that there were two giants fighting each other right outside the southern gate. In fact at the location you were in. But when we actually got there both of them were gone, together with the landscape outside Caelum. And you didn¡¯t see any of them?¡± the woman started to interrogate me. The fact that she still kept a smile on her face creeped me out even more.


    ¡°I¡­.I didn¡¯t see anything! I swear! * hic hic*¡± when the ¡®idiot play¡¯ didn¡¯t work, time for the final play ¡®crying baby¡¯.


    ¡°There there it¡¯s alright! I am sorry for asking you these questions when you haven¡¯t even recovered yet. It must have been traumatizing for you!¡± she decided to hug me this time, patting me on my back.


    Aha ¡®crying baby¡¯ never failed. It was actually quite comforting. Her skin was so smooth and soft, even better than Ikarus¡¯s.


    As she embraced me tighly, perhaps to reassure me, I sensed a sweet aroma from her. It was ¡­refreshing and sweet. It was strangely familiar¡­ I felt like I recognized this smell but where?


    Ah I remembered: in the courtyard of the demon lord¡¯s castle, there was a small part of the garden that was planted with only one kind of flower. It had white petals and only bloomed during the spring season. That flower smelled exactly like this. Theoron once told me about its name. If I was correct, it was¡­¡­


    But then suddenly she put both her hands on my cheeks and looked at my eyes intensively. Her face showed a slight sorrowful expression but I knew she was hiding it through the smile she was making. And then she put her face close to mine again and whispered softly to my ear.


    ¡°You have your mother¡¯s eyes!¡±


    Immediately I pushed her away from her grips on my shoulders were so strong. I intended to cast a fireball in her face but she caught my arm. I could feel my mana¡­.disappearing from my body. How? How did she do that? If only I wasn¡¯t so weakened after the fight with Gnome.


    ¡°Shhh! It¡¯s night time now! Go to sleep!¡±


    And that was the last thing I remembered before I passed out.


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    I woke up again. I still felt heavy and tired but it was much better compared to yesterday.


    My memories started to come back to me. That woman, what did she do to me?


    ¡°Good morning, Alastor! You are an early bird aren¡¯t you?¡± a female voice spoke to me.


    I opened my eyes and looked to the side, only to see it was the cryptic lady sitting next to the bed, crossing her legs as she observed me thoroughly. Did she watch me the whole night I passed out?


    ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°My¡­you don¡¯t know who I am?¡±  she smiled at me.


    ¡°If I know I wouldn¡¯t have asked didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°My name is not important right now. I promise I will tell you later. But to be honest I expect more of the future demon lord!¡±


    She knew! She freaking knew who I was! Now that I recalled, she mentioned my mother yesterday. So did it mean she also knew about my lineage and my parents? Has she been observing me? I needed to get out of here! I needed to find Alice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Alice is in good hands! Deep in slumber!¡± was she threatening me?


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean? What did you do to Alice?¡± I shouted at her.


    ¡°I mean she is still sleeping you idiot! The sun hasn¡¯t even rise yet so be quiet!¡± the woman smacked me in the head. ¡°And if I want to kill you I would have done it long ago. So lie down!¡±


    Why was I doing what she told me to do? Was I afraid of her? Fear indeed but it wasn¡¯t that kind of fear. I could not understand myself.


    ¡°¡­What do you want?¡± if I could find out what her goal was, I might be able to do something about this predicament. Or just burst my way out of here and take Alice with me. Unlike yesterday I was almost fully recovered. And even if she used that weird thing I could just stay out of her reach.


    But I decided to stay for a little longer. She was the first one I met outside that actually knew about my parents. Perhaps I could gather more information from her.


    ¡°What I want is not relevant. The question is what do you want? I am sure you must have your reasons for attacking Caelum, being a demon lord and all but what do you get from that? Was this simply because you hate the world so much that you want to destroy everything? Tell me, I am curious!¡± she said.


    ¡°How did you know that I was responsible for Caelum?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I just take wild guess and you just admitted it.¡± The woman grinned.


    ¡°Hum¡­ I don¡¯t like you!¡± I told her off.


    ¡°Well I do like you so tell me!¡± that smile again. A scheming woman she was.


    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t know!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? So you kill thousands of people, destroyed half of a city, for a reason you don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little irresponsible?¡± she asserted.


    ¡°Are you lecturing me? What do you even know about me to have the right to do that?¡± I grunted.


    ¡°I know nothing about you! It¡¯s true! But that¡¯s why I am asking am I?¡± she replied.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± I yelled at her.


    ¡°Listen to what an adult tells you!¡± she raised her voice.


    ¡°OLD HAG!¡±


    *slap*


    She slapped me in my face. This woman hit me again.


    ¡°You¡­¡± but I could not use my powers. She sealed my mana again. What was it?


    ¡°Where are your manners? Apologize when you did something bad! Who do they even teach kids these days?¡± she started to scold me.


    ¡°Not to you!¡± I grumbled.


    *slap*


    Damn it she slapped me again!


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± I screamed.


    ¡°I will beat the crap out of you until you apologize! Say ¡®I am sorry¡¯!¡±


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.¡°NEVER!¡±


    *slap*


    ¡­..


    ¡°I am sorry!¡±


    My cheeks were becoming swollen as hell. I could not even feel anything on my face anymore. It hurt!!! How many times did she hit me?


    ¡°See? That wasn¡¯t so difficult was it? Though you could try to sound sincerer next time. I guess this would have to do for now.¡± She smiled mischievously. This woman was dangerous. I had to get away from her.


    ¡°What did you do to me? How come I can¡¯t use magic?¡±


    ¡°Soul magic! The soul in itself is mana. If you can control the soul then you can control the mana flow inside you. At high ranks you can even control the mana flow inside your opponents!¡± she explained. ¡°And you can also do this!¡±


    She touched my swollen cheeks with her palm. In an instant, they started to heal and turned back to normal. I was sure that was no healing magic, not that I was aware of. Just who was this woman?


    ¡°You claim to be an adult and yet you beat a kid like me?¡±


    ¡°You are not a normal child like the others aren¡¯t you? But frankly speaking if it was another child, I would still beat the crap out of him. Manners make proper adults!¡±


    ¡°You are evil!!! You still treat me like one! That¡¯s exactly what you are doing now!¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the compliment! As abnormal it is, you are still a child. So I will treat you like one!¡±


    I raised my hand trying to hit her but she managed to hold me down with ease. If only I had magic¡­.


    ¡°You are really a naughty one! I wonder who did you take from? Lakyus or Asgore? ¡­..Nah probably Asgore! Lakyus isn¡¯t like this!¡± the woman spoke as she restrained my arm.


    ¡°What..How do you know them? Who are you? Tell me!!!¡± I cried out.


    ¡°Where is the ¡®please¡¯? I thought I told you to keep your manners!¡± she pressed my head against the bed.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    All of the sudden a voice came from outside, interrupting our squabble.


    ¡°Milady, is everything alright? I hear shouting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I am just changing the kid¡¯s bandages. He can¡¯t hold the pain that well you see! Hahaha!¡± she covered my mouth to silence me. I tried to writhe as hard as I could to escape her grasp.


    ¡°Our Lady shouldn¡¯t bother with such task. Please let me do it!¡± the person outside tried to move the curtain to the side to enter. But he was stopped before taking even a step inside.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come! If you let anyone in I will have your head!!!¡± she sternly ordered the person outside. So perhaps she was the one in charge here.


    ¡°My apologies, milady! I will return to my post immediately!¡± and he was gone. Damn coward! There was a child murdering woman right here!!!


    ¡°Alright, sorry for the interruption! Where were we?¡± she removed her hand from my mouth.


    ¡°Get off me!¡±


    ¡°Not before you say please!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Please!¡± I muttered quietly.


    ¡°What¡¯s that again? I didn¡¯t hear it clearly.¡±


    ¡°PLEASE!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a good boy! Have a candy!¡± the woman handed me a box filled with sweets.


    ¡°Just who are you? What do you want from me? Surely you didn¡¯t do all this just to torture a kid like me. Or are you that kind of person?¡± I clamored.


    ¡°I want a lot of things, Alastor. But that doesn¡¯t mean I can get it, at least not that easily. The same can be said for you.¡± She then changed a tone and looked at me with sad eyes. ¡°Your parents may have been murdered. You may have lost the ones you love. But you can¡¯t continue like this.


    I won¡¯t say that I understand your feelings and your losses nor I will pretend to. We all have a unique experience of our life. Some may enjoy one thing, others may not. Losing one close to you is not the same from one to another. I am not that pretentious to claim that I know how you feel.


    And I am not judging nor am I accusing you for what happened. The result of last night was the accumulation of many events that led you to do that. And the destruction of Caelum would arrive sooner or later. You are simply the catalyst.


    Look, I am not telling you to stop killing people or seek peace or any of that bullshits. However at least find a reason before you do anything! Make sure you are the one who takes the decision to do it and it will be worth it!¡± she gave her speech.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Have you ever thought of conquering the world? Being a demon lord, you must have at least once thought about it! And now after what you did to Caelum, that was your first step! If the world is in your hands, you can shape it to your will.


    The current world is a mess. The common people are weak and their leaders are corrupted. Most claim that the common threat is the demon. But I say we are our own threat, our worst nightmare. We kill ourselves much more than demons and monster kill us. Our pointless wars and conflicts with each other have made the world this way. Either you follow the crowd and join them or you will be shunned by the rest. Some decide to stay ignorant, to keep their neutrality as they say but in the end does that matter? They won¡¯t do anything anyway.


    Which is why I will create a final war: one that would stop this madness and create a new order together with a new world.


    And I want you to join me, Alastor! Join me in my conquest!¡±


    This woman was crazy! I knew she was dangerous. At this point I was not sure who was the demon lord anymore.


    ¡°You ask me to join you and yet you won¡¯t tell me even your name. How can I trust you?¡±


    ¡°Trust is a difficult thing to gain. Words alone are not enough. I will show you what I mean shortly. Come with me!¡±


    Indicating to follow her, I went outside of the tent. The camp was much bigger than I thought. There were at hundreds of others smaller tents around here. And the soldiers, wearing a blue uniform with light armor in a similar fashion to the woman I met.


    But most important of all, everywhere I went, people bowed to her. I knew she was someone important but not like this.


    The woman approached a female knight who was shouting at a group of soldiers.


    ¡°Cartrina, how is the situation in Caelum?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°All of the undeads and spiders have been neutralized by our troop milady. To make sure that there were none left, we have stationed three hundred soldiers patrolling the city for now!¡± reported the knight lady. Something about her was odd. She looked human but her smell¡­.it was like¡­.NO! That can¡¯t be¡­.A demon?


    What was a demon doing here working for a human? She didn¡¯t seem like a slave. Now that I paid more attention, I could sense multiple demons the area. They were among the soldiers!


    ¡°Well done! Prepare my horse! We are moving out!¡± said the noble woman.


    ¡°Of course milady! And what about this kid?¡± asked Catrina.


    ¡°He will share my horse with me!¡±


    Oh no! I did not want to. I wanted to stay away from her as far as I could.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just give me one? Look how many you have!¡± I complained.


    ¡°Do you want to ride a donkey? Because that¡¯s what you are going to get!¡±


    ¡°Cheapskate! But alright a donkey is fine!¡± I answered. Yes whatever was fine.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t show disrespect to our Lady! Don¡¯t you know who she is? She is¡­.¡±


    But the noble woman covered Catrina¡¯s mouth before she could speak. Damn it! Who the hell was she?


    ¡°Shhh! Each thing has its time! Now let¡¯s move out!¡±


    ¡­..


    Seeing that Alice hasn¡¯t woken up yet, I decided to leave her at the camp. Right now I was on the mysterious woman¡¯s horse onward to Caelum. In case you asked why, they didn¡¯t have a donkey. My answer didn¡¯t even matter actually. She already decided that I would be going with her on her horse. How did I get into this mess?


    So far she was the worst woman I have ever met¡­.Actually none of the women I have met in my entire life were normal. Ikarus kidnapped and took Alice hostage but well it wasn¡¯t her fault. Maria kind of chopped my arm off but it regrew later so it was fine¡­I guessed. Alice was actually possessed by a creepy ancient god. Stella¡­.well Stella was okay but she needed to stop stalking me.


    As we rode our way to the city square where the Great Cathedral lied, I could see the difference in the level of destruction of the southern part compared to here. The Cathedral was barely scratched, mostly because most of its soldiers were stationed here. So they abandoned their own citizens to save their skins, these egocentric geezers. I should have attacked the place first.


    ¡°So that¡¯s the Blue Phalanx! Look at how impressive they are! Just a few hundred soldiers were able to wipe out thousands of undeads! Not to mention the spiders too!¡±


    What? So these people in blue were the ones who defeated Sinforma and his legion? Where was he anyway? And the name Blue Phalanx I have never heard about them. Where did they come from? One of the allies of the Church? But then didn¡¯t they come a little too late? If the Church has sent messenger to request help, they should have arrived a long time ago, not when Caelum was almost destroyed.


    Then from the Cathedral, a group of priests came out contemptuously like they were the saviors of the city and walked toward us.


    ¡°In the name of our Holy Father, I, pope Gauwyn, thank you for lending us your assistance. You truly show your valiancy and¡­..¡±


    But something unexpected happened. I noticed that she did not descend from her horse even in the presence of the pope and the leaders of the Theocracy. It didn¡¯t matter who you were. You were in front of one of the most powerful and influential leaders of the world. You either kneeled or at least greeted them even if you were of the same rank. Her action could only mean one thing.


    The woman raised her hand and moved it forward. Immediately, the priests were surrounded by her soldiers with their swords pointing at them.


    Unable to comprehend what was going on, the old pope shouted angrily at us.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this? You dare point your swords in this holy land? At us?¡±


    ¡°Seize them!¡± the noble woman commanded. ¡°If they resist, kill!¡±


    A few old men were no match for the strong knights. They were quickly captured and brought away. The citizens, even when seeing that their leaders were caught by a complete stranger, did not even lift a hand to protest. They were maybe confused. Could this be a testament of the church¡¯s downfall? Or were they too scared for their lives? After all they were the survivors of a horrible assault, why risk their lives again?


    ¡°Alastor, now I will prove to you what I mean earlier! Watch me!¡±


    After saying that to me, the woman stepped up to address the gathering crowd, confused by what just happened. She finally stopped at the center of the square. Her blue cloak with white fur around the neck floated with the wind on her back. And then she voiced.


    ¡°People of Caelum, long have the Church deceived you with its preaching and prayers. Look at what they did while you fought for your lives! Where were they when the undeads came knocking at your doors? Where were they when you needed them the most?


    They are cowards who find comfort behind these walls without knowing the sufferings all of your common folk have to endure all these time.


    And not just the church. The whole world is corrupted. Just how many children have to watch their parents die in front of them? How many were starved to death while the nobles profited from your corpses?


    But now that world is over! Today I declare the Church¡¯s abolishment and the integration of its territory into mine!


    Today, Morrigan Magnolia, Empress of Zagon Empire, declare war upon the rest of the world!


    Know that you don¡¯t have to follow me if you don¡¯t agree with my ideals! But be my witnesses as I ascend to the heavens and bring down a new order upon this world!¡±


    The hailing of soldiers filled the square. Their Empress has spoken and they shall follow her words to the very end.


    Leaving her spot, Morrigan walked toward me and extended her hand. I was speechless. I was simply baffled by what this woman just did.


    ¡°Join me, Alastor! Together as a family, we will bring down this world!¡±


    ¡°You are insane!¡±


    ¡°People often tell me that. If you are not convinced by my ideals, then how a deal: you will help me with my conquest and in return I will teach you all about soul magic. I will also throw in something special for you!¡±


    Something special? Why did I feel the chill when she said ¡®special¡¯? Bad feeling BAD FEELING!


    ¡°I will give you the right to inherit the throne of Zagon! Be my son, Alastor!¡±

 Chapter 37: Confession and turmoils

    The demon lord''s castle was among the first to receive the news from Caelum and since then it has been in an uproar. For everyone knew who went there a few days ago. The sound of a loud voice together with decorations being shattered resounded in the castle.


    ¡°Calm down Ikarus!¡± Maria caught a flying vase of flowers.


    ¡°He went on killing thousands of people and you tell me to calm down?¡± and another decoration flew on the air. This time it was a chair.


    ¡°I am sure he has his reasons!¡± Maria quickly dodged the chair.


    ¡°What reason pushed him to destroy a city?¡± the celestial shouted.


    ¡°We don¡¯t even know for certain if it was him. For all we know, it was the undead legion who did that.¡± Maria conveyed. What she spoke was the truth, at least from their point of view. All they knew was Alastor went to Caelum and a few days later, the city was almost obliterated. There were also talks of giants but that wasn¡¯t their main concern.


    ¡°Of course it was him. Why would he go there in the first place? You know he has been¡­.different ever since that girl died! Alastor, you idiot! What have you done?¡± Ikarus may seem to have overreacted compared to the others in the room but that was because she was the only one with no relation with demons aside from Alastor.


    ¡°Well I call for a celebration!¡± Amelia joined the conversation.


    ¡°Celebration for what?¡± asked Noroeth.


    ¡°We just got ourselves an official demon lord. It would be weird for Alastor to not become one after this!¡± Amelia explained, sipping her cup of tea.


    ¡°Ohohoho! Nice! I will gather everyone!¡± Azureus jumped up and down continuously.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with all of you? We are not talking about one or two people here. It¡¯s thousands. Now how are we supposed to have peace between all races?¡± the celestial mumbled.


    But instead of an answer, everyone looked at her with weird eyes before they suddenly busted out in laughter.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Nice one Ikarus! I didn¡¯t know you have a talent for humour!¡± the beastman laughed out loud.


    ¡°Great! We found our comedian for the party!¡± clamored the slime.


    ¡°I am NOT JOKING!¡± screamed Ikarus, making everyone silent. This time the atmosphere in the room turned somber. Having stayed silent since the beginning, Mephisto stood up and walked up to Ikarus.


    ¡°Then we have a problem, celestial! If peace is what you are seeking then you are in the wrong place my dear!¡± he gave a stern look at Ikarus.


    His tall figure combined with his imposing aura could strike fear into the heart of anyone and Ikarus was no exception. But still the celestial managed to find whatever was left of her courage to throw back at him.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you turn him into a demon lord! Just how many have been sacrificed already because of this endless war?¡±


    ¡°You ask the right question, celestial! How many demons were killed because of you? Remember that the Primes were the one who dealt the first strike! Do you think we are going to sit around and take it? Do you think we will just forgive each other, shake our hands and happily forever after? This isn¡¯t some fairy tales where everything would just magically solve itself in the end!


    To all of you primes, the only peace you will know is when all of you are dead.¡±


    ¡°Hold on just a minute, Mephisto! That¡¯s a little too excessive don¡¯t you think? Why are we arguing about this? Let¡¯s just wait for Alastor to come back and then we can discuss and talk calmly¡­.¡± Maria tried her best to keep the peace but it didn¡¯t work. Mephisto had a problem with Ikarus right since the beginning when he first heard about it but he chose to remain silent as he didn¡¯t want to displease the boy. But now he was not around and Ikarus was spouting, to his view, some dangerous idea. The celestial Ikarus also had her reasons. If she could convince Alastor to abandon the idea of becoming the next demon lord, it would at the very least avoid the war in a large scale as the demons would not have a leader. But her intentions were still, if possible, to gain a truce between the two sides and most importantly to keep Alastor out of the conflict.


    ¡°NO I will not stay here to let all of you corrupting him! I will not!!!¡± the celestial cried out.


    ¡°Then leave!¡± a voice stroke everyone in surprise. It wasn¡¯t Mephisto. Even he would not want to send Ikarus away. Alastor would not want such a thing and this might get out of hands. Everyone turned their head toward the girl in white who was the origin of the voice.


    ¡°What¡­what did you say Stella?¡± Ikarus could not believe her ears. She personally thought they were friends after all this time together. Then why? Perhaps she heard it wrong?


    ¡°I said leave, miss Ikarus! Together with everyone in this room, I am a servant of Alastor. I live to abide to his will. If he wants to destroy the world then I shall comply without a word. But you, since the very beginning has tried to deviate him from the path he chose. You want him to follow what you might believe is the correct path.


    That ¡®correct path¡¯ of yours is just a delusion you gave to him and yourself. Tell me! You don¡¯t really care about the demons don¡¯t you? You just want to keep the conflict at bay, to keep Alastor away from it. That sentiment may seem out of concern at first but in the end it was just a selfish desire.


    We all serve Alastor. We are here to assist him in realizing what he wants, not instilling our will into his. If you can¡¯t agree with that then I suggest you to leave miss Ikarus!¡± the doll coldly said. It was the first time she talked that long to someone else and it wasn¡¯t pretty, especially for Ikarus who was shocked by her every word.


    ¡°You¡­all of you just want to get rid of me so no one else will be able to help Alastor!¡±


    ¡°Wait Ikarus¡­ that¡¯s not¡­.¡± Maria tried to calm her down but it was too late. The shot has been fired and with it the avalanche.


    ¡°If you want to put it that way so you can feel better about yourself then go ahead!¡± Stella continued.


    ¡°STELLA! You are not helping!¡± Maria shouted at the doll.


    ¡°I merely point out the fact!¡±


    Ikarus finally realized it, that apart from her, everyone inside this very room had a grudge against the entire world. After all they were all demons,


    To the demons, the recent news of Caelum¡¯s downfall was nothing but a long awaited retribution that finally came to the humans. And the one behind it was no other than Alastor. Whether he was directly responsible or not, it didn¡¯t matter. All they needed to know that their leader was there and the enemies received exactly what they deserved.


    The time has come to announce a new king of Ragna.


    The celestial knew that no matter what she said, it would not change their mind. Her final hope was to talk to Alastor in person. At least he would listen to her right?


    Ikarus went out of the room and furiously slammed the door, almost breaking it. Heading toward the castle¡¯s entrance, a pair of transparent wings manifested on her back and Ikarus took flight.


    ¡°Ikarus wait!¡± Maria shouted as she ran toward the door entrance of the castle. Unknown to her and everyone else, a figure has been heading toward the demon lord''s castle after arriving in Ragna. And now that person was standing right outside.


    Maria opened the door and bumped into the stranger.


    ¡°Pardon me but do you know if Alastor is back?¡± asked the stranger.


    But Maria did not even take a good look at him. She was desperate to catch up to Ikarus. However she could not fly so she needed to run. To her it was perhaps just a servant asking about their lord.


    ¡°Hell if I know! Tell me when he is back!¡± and then she sprinted away, leaving the stranger in awe.


    The visitor wore a very old style of clothing: a white tunic that leaves one side of his chest open held together by golden pins. The body, with the appearance of a child, looked human with a unique feature: a pair of small feather white wings coming out of his short golden hair.


    ¡°What a predicament! I thought he would come back here after killing Gnome! Where am I supposed to find him now?¡± the stranger contemplated ¡°Maybe I should pay a visit at home to check on my children! I am a good father after all. My love for them knows no bound. But it has been so long since I was there I don¡¯t know where that island is supposed to be anymore.


    Ah yes the first woman who came out is a celestial! Perhaps she can tell me where Avant-Heim is right now!¡±


    The stranger grinned. From his back, eight wings poked out and with a single flap he flew on the sky with incredible speed.


    For a celestial, the number of pairs of wings showed their power rank. Two wings for common celestials, four for elite guards, six for heralds and high overseers. But eight were rare. In fact only one person in history had eight wings: Merkabah, God of Celestials.


    History has recorded multiples times when one of the Six Gods descended from heavens, usually to lend them their aid in an imminent catastrophe. And it was the mortals who gave Gods their title, like ¡°Sleeping Mountain¡± for Gnome. However one God didn¡¯t have a title given to him by mortals: Merkabah himself for he has never descended from heavens before, except when he was first created by Eden and when he built the flying island Avant-Heim for his descendants.


    It wasn¡¯t because he hated to be on earth with the mortals. On the contrary he loved his children so much that he wanted to stay here instead of the Heavens. Yet his duty given to him by Eden, in hope that he might never had to use it, made him unable to stay on earth. For when Merkabah appeared in front of mortals, it was to signal the end of the world.


    * * *


    Alastor¡¯s POV


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.¡°Nope! Never!¡±


    ¡°Come on! What is the harm? It¡¯s just a word!¡±


    ¡°I have never consented to this! And I never will! Stop trying to make me call you ¡®mama¡¯! You are my aunt for God¡¯s sake!¡±


    I was currently in a dispute with Morrigan on the subject of my lineage back at the camp.


    Apparently she was my aunt as she was the younger sister of my mother Lakyus who shared the same father but with different mothers. Noroeth, or Theoron, once told me about her. While he did not know her personally, he has heard rumors in Zagon court that the queen, Morrigan¡¯s mother, was responsible for the death of Lakyus¡¯ mother out of jealously and in fear that Morrigan might lose her right to the throne.


    The question was: was Morrigan involved in my mother¡¯s murder? Indeed if Lakyus returned to Zagon, no doubt she would be crown as Empress so Morrigan had all the reasons in the world to kill her. Supposedly she had a way to kill Lakyus despite her being a true Hero, there was my father and many more in the castle. Even until now I had no way to explain what could possible kill my parents.


    And now that woman has come to me and asked me to be her son. Why would she, to be honest? Technically speaking I was an heir to Zagon throne already as I was kin of Lakyus.  So perhaps I might be a danger to her throne. Was that why she asked me to be her son? To be able to keep me close? Keeping me from doing anything that might endanger her reign?


    ¡°Tell me something!¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Go ahead! Ask whatever you want!¡± she said.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? I still can¡¯t find any reason to trust you nor do I understand your motives.¡± I said.


    ¡°You mean how I might be doing this to keep a leash on you so later I could use you to expand my influence? Or how I might be behind the death of your parents and everyone else ten years ago and all this is just a charade?¡± Morrigan gushed out my thoughts.


    ¡°You sure jump straight to the problems. Indeed! So tell me! Why should I trust you?¡±


    ¡°The best thing to do is you don¡¯t. If you never trust anyone you would not have to fear about being betrayed right? But then again, a life without being to trust anybody is an arduous one and quite frankly rather depressing?


    You know, living in the world of politics, deception and backstabbing are part of every day¡¯s life. You have to be able to keep your wits, your sanity while fending off the scumbags who are after your life. Those who are not able to keep up will be eliminated. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡± She took a deep breath before continuing.


    ¡°Lakyus¡¯ mother was one such case. It was not a surprise though. How do you expect one who was raised as a commoner since birth to be able to stand up against the queen herself? While the woman wanted nothing, the moment she bore the king¡¯s child, her fate was sealed.¡±


    ¡°So you are saying that¡­.¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes my mother killed that poor woman. But it wasn¡¯t just out of jealousy. No it was more than that. Because of me an innocent woman died. Because of me, her child, my sister, found herself isolated in this den of deception and was locked up in that accursed tower for years.


    So yes I am the reason for the sufferings your mother had to endure for all those years.¡± Morrigan confessed.


    ¡°¡­Was you aware of what your mother was doing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Partly! I knew she was tormenting that woman all those years. But I was too na?ve at that time to think that she would actually kill her. But why does that matter? I can be recreating a whole story to make me seems like an innocent bystander who knew nothing of her mother¡¯s actions. You never know.¡± Morrigan forced a smile on her face. She wanted to keep her calm but I could see through it.


    ¡°I will give you the benefit of doubt. Let¡¯s just say you were indeed blameless for what happened to my grandmother! So what? Is what you are doing right now, adopting me, some kind of redemption? Some kind of atonement for your sins? Is that what you are telling me?¡± I told her.


    ¡°Atonement? You think too highly of me. The reason I want you for my heir is simple.


    As for why, I need an heir as soon as possible. You see, because of a certain incident, I am unable to have a child. And the noble faction in Zagon is always looking for excuses to remove me from the throne. They consider my ideals ¡®dangerous¡¯. So they decide to make me do the one thing I can¡¯t: to pick an heir in case something happens to me. If I am unable to provide one I will be dethroned and some scumbag will take my place. And that I won¡¯t allow it.¡± Morrigan spoke frankly.


    ¡°So you want to use me to prolong your reign. Then why me specifically? Why not just take a pawn that is easier to control? You may have surprised me with your trick yesterday but that won¡¯t happen again.¡± She caught me off guard yesterday but now that I knew how it worked, I could counter it.


    ¡°You are a powerful individual. Sooner or later you will be among those, if not the only person, who will decide the fate of the world. But the problem lies with your lineage. Except for a very few number of people, no one knows about your existence or the relationship between Asgore and Lakyus. Can you imagine the chaos that would follow if the people finds out that the demon lord and the Hero had a child?¡± Morrigan explained.


    ¡°If that information is so furtive, how come you knew about it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°One of the people who actually was there told me. After Lakyus¡¯ death and your disappearance from the demon lord¡¯s castle, before each of the remaining heroes went back to their home, one of them dropped by Zagon to inform. However at that time the king has become sick so the person told me instead!¡±


    ¡°What? Who?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°The rogue Arshe¡±


    Why would Arshe tell Morrigan about such a thing? It didn¡¯t make sense. I had to go back to Ragna and talked to Noroeth about this. Perhaps he could shed some light on Arshe¡¯s actions. He knew him after all. And I needed to bring Alice back anyway, now that I was finished with Caelum. Fortunately, Amelia has given me a charm that allowed me to go back to the castle when I needed to.


    Just before I left, I told Morrigan about my departure. Interestingly she did not stop me and only told me to think about her offer. I still could not understand that woman. I didn¡¯t know if she was sincere or all this was just a trick to get me on her side. I still had a lot to think about.


    At time like this, I wanted to lie down on Ikarus¡¯ laps. It helped me to think clearer. However I was worried about what I should tell her about all this¡­.why were things so much complicated? *sigh*


    * * *


    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE IS GONE?¡± the angry shout of a boy roared in the hall of the demon castle.


    ¡°She is angry about the whole thing you did at Caelum. But when we tried to reason with her, it kind of rubbed her in the wrong way so¡­..¡± Naberius explained.


    ¡°As I have told you, the celestial¡¯s agenda does not correspond to ours. We don¡¯t need her here anyway!¡± Mephisto added.


    ¡°You may not need her but I do!¡± Alastor fumed.


    ¡°Be reasonable, Alastor! You can¡¯t let one person preventing you from your destiny. You are born to become the next demon lord and as long as Ikarus is around she won¡¯t stop until she changes you!¡± Amelia intervened.


    ¡°I will decide what I will become. Not fate and certainly not you!¡± Alastor walked away.


    ¡°I have enough of this childish talk. You have to be aware that life does not turn like the way you want it to. At one point of your life, you need to realize your duties to your kind! What would your father say if he sees you right now?¡± Mephisto said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bring him in this conversation! I have never known him anyway. Why should I care for what a dead person might think?¡±


    ¡°You¡­Fine! If you won¡¯t listen to the voice of reason then we will do it by force! When the master has lost his way, it¡¯s the duty of the servants to open his eyes, to guide him to the righteous path!


    We, the Four royal guards, won¡¯t let you leave this place until you realize your error!¡± Mephisto drew his claws.


    ¡°Eh¡­.nope! It¡¯s three now! Count me out!¡± A voice broke the rising tension. And of course it was the slime Azureus.


    ¡°What the hell are you saying, Azureus? Now it¡¯s not the time to be joking!¡± Mephisto raged.


    ¡°Hey I just don¡¯t feel like beating a kid together with three other adults! You can fire me later if you want!¡± Azureus said.


    ¡°Damn it! You¡­.Fine! Amelia, Naberius, let¡¯s go!¡±


    With the three royal guards charging toward Alastor, Azureus turned his back to them and bounced to the back of the room before jumping on Maria¡¯s arms, who has stayed silent since the beginning.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°What? You want me to fight him too?¡± the slime said.


    ¡°No of course not. But wasn¡¯t you supposed to be one of them?¡±


    ¡°And I am still one of them. But this fight is pointless.¡± The slime spoke as he relaxed himself on her arms.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Maria inquired.


    ¡°Simply put I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

 Chapter 38: Fathers love

    Alastor was now surrounded by the three demon royal guards. He had no time for this, he had to find Ikarus. However even if he could get away easily, he has decided not to. It was time for these people to know who was the one in charge here.


    The first one was Naberius. As hot head as he was, the beastman started with a plunging attack with his giant axe from above. However his attack was not effective. In fact the axe did hit Alastor but it passed right through him as if it didn¡¯t hit anything. Cutting through his body, it broke the ground below and with it Alastor vanished into thin air.


    In truth it was nothing but an afterimage created by Alastor as he sidestepped so quickly it was impossible to perceive with normal eyes. Immediately the beastman tried to pull back his axe for a second attack but for some reason his axe felt unusually heavy, making him unable to even budge it.


    The boy has put one of his foot on the axe¡¯s blade to block it but how could Naberius, the strongest man in the demon army in term of strength, was unable to lift a boy?


    ¡°<Belphegor¡¯s Burden: Thousands Weights>¡±


    With a mere touch, Alastor has changed the weight of the axe, increasing it to ten times heavier. He also had modified his own to make him as light as a feather in order to increase his agility.


    In a single second, he seemingly teleported from his location and appeared right under Naberius¡¯ arms. He put his hand on his chest.


    ¡°<Grand Cross>¡±


    A cross of light exploded in the vicinity and blasted the beastman against the wall. Compared to the one Alastor used against Gnome, this one only used a tenth of its original power as it was not his intention to kill. However, it was more than enough to cause severe injuries.


    One of the trio has fallen. Now Alastor has found his second target: the witch Amelia. Without warning he fired a series of combination of elemental small bullets toward her. These attacks were not for offensive purpose but only to draw out what Amelia¡¯s abilities actually were since Alastor has never actually fought with her nor was he very knowledgeable about her.


    ¡°<Skeleton Wall>¡± From Amelia¡¯s shadow, two giant skeleton¡¯s hands enclosed her and protected her from the projectiles. As the boy dashed toward her, the devil Mephisto joined the fight and launched furiously an assault with his nimble claws.


    Skillfully dodging all of them, Alastor¡¯s body changed into a black creature with only a mouth on his clouded face.


    But his appearance which would normally sent shiver to his enemies did not make Mephisto even budge. The devil has seen more terrors than one hundreds men combined in his lifetime. This kind of intimidation would not make him back down.


    ¡°<Unseen Dissection>¡±


    Moving purely on instint, Alastor quickly back stepped. Three scars have appeared on his chest. If he has not moved in time, he would have been cut opened.


    ¡°Not over yet! <Danse Macabre>!¡±


    Multiples large blood red claws emerged from the ground and dived toward the boy. Just evading would not be enough. And it seemed to be an endless wave of these as each time Alastor destroyed one, another would take its place. Not only that, when Alastor was slightly scratched by those claws, the blood from the wounds converged toward the devil.


    The blood flowed according Mephisto¡¯s command and turned into crimson darts that targeted the boy. And each hit would generate more blood for him and so creating more darts.


    But Alastor would not take it lightly. And his retaliation was swift.


    ¡°<Oppression: Sight>


    A strange feeling took over the devil before he realized that he could not see anything anymore. Alastor has taken away his sight using Asmodeus¡¯ special ability. And without being able to see the boy, Mephisto would not be able to target him.


    ¡°You think you can defeat me just by taking away my eyes? It¡¯s not that easy boy!¡± he shouted.


    All the blood gathered surrounding him and turning into a whirlpool of red liquid. The red darts were actually inside the flow and would lacerating everything that came into contact with it. If he could not see him then he just needed to make sure that he could defense against attacks from all directions. And that was his mistake.


    Alastor didn¡¯t aim for him. In fact, the loss of sight has made Mephisto into taking a more defensive stance and let the boy an opportunity to reduce the number of contestants: Amelia.


    Seeing that the black creature was coming for her, Amelia summoned a battalion of skeletons. She knew they alone would not be a match for him. Yet these special undeads would continue to rise again as long as she was around. In addition, she was constantly shooting black orbs of darkness from afar to support her troops.


    As the boy was charging through the undead horde to get to her location, Amelia raised her arms to her neck as if she was holding something. A giant scythe manifested itself in her frail arms.


    ¡°<Life Siphon>¡±


    ¡®That thing is dangerous!¡¯ was what his body was telling him. Instead of defending against it he should dodge. And luckily he did. That weapon Amelia held was a soul weapon, much similar to his Excalibur which could pierce all defenses. The skeletons that were cut by the scythe had their essences drained from them and turned into dust, healing Amelia in return.


    That was a special combo. The undeads would just spawn again and again while Amelia could always heal back. The only way out of this was to finish all in one attack.


    ¡°Perhaps now it¡¯s the time for some new tricks I learnt from Gnome!¡± Alastor said as he clapped his hands together and concentrated his mana. Apparently the thing that entered him was his soul according to Lilith. Of course he didn¡¯t find Gnome inside the Abyss but theoretically he should be able to perform his skills. By focusing all the mana inside him and unleashed them all at the same time. ¡°<Beacon of Celestia>¡±


    Alastor¡¯s body illuminated brightly moments before he launched a streak of light missiles that destroyed all undeads instantly. However would light magic be effective against the witch Amelia?


    Yes it would. It completely destroyed her barriers and wrecked her body. That was because her body was undead.


    ¡°How¡­do you know?¡± Amelia panted, her body broken.


    ¡°I have never seen you eat anything for a year. That alone has raised some suspicion. And that tea you are always drinking. I found it weird the time I asked for a cup but you would not give me. It wasn¡¯t tea was it? It was actually a special potion that preserves corpse, your corpse. No wonder why they call you the Immortal Witch, one that would never die! That¡¯s because you have already died years ago.¡± Alastor explained.


    The last one left standing was Mephisto. He has finally regained his vision back, only to see that Amelia has fallen. He has underestimated the boy.


    ¡°Step aside Mephisto!¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°I will not! You are the only hope we demons have! I can¡¯t let anyone ruin our chance of survival! Not anyone! Not you!¡± Mephisto raged.


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to decide my future!¡±


    Baring his claws at the boy, the devil accelerated, cracking the floor under his foot, and lunged toward the boy in an instant. He has put everything in this attack and no way he would back down now.


    Something has impaled him from behind. Who did that? Alastor was right in front of him the whole time. He was sure of it. Looking down in his now opened belly, he recognized the weapon that did this to him. It was his own claws.


    When Mephisto moved his hand forward, he didn¡¯t touch the boy. Instead his hand passed right through a magic circle that has appeared moment before he reached Alastor. A second circle was on his back the whole time and through it his claws came out and pierced himself. Lucky for him, the second circle was intentionally placed to avoid vital organs as it was intended by Alastor. While it was not life threatening thanks to the devil¡¯s body, he needed immediate medical attention.


    ¡°Maria, can you take care of them?¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Yes¡­of course!¡± baffled by the one side fight, Maria only came back to herself when the boy called her name. ¡°But are you going right now?¡±


    ¡°I need to find Ikarus. It¡¯s just a gut feeling but something tells me that she is not safe right now!¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t just any random instinct. Their bond acted like a link between the two. If something happened to one then the other would feel it. And right now Alastor was feeling a deep uneasiness inside him.


    Indeed trouble was coming. The sound of a bell echoed across the entire continent of Ragna. Just what kind of bell would be able to produce such a loud sound?


    What followed next was even more terrifying.


    Rushing to outside, Alastor could see something breaking through the clouds and slowly descending from the sky. A giant floating island has appeared above the skies of Ragna. And those winged figures coming out of it¡­.they were celestials.


    Did they finally decide to invade Ragna? Was it because Alastor killed one of the Gods and destroyed Caelum? No they should not have been able to assemble their army in such a short time. How did they even know about it anyway? The only person who apparently knew about the truth behind what happened at Caelum was Morrigan. Did she inform them? Then what about what she said to him? It didn¡¯t make sense.


    Then Alastor realized something was odd with these celestials. They did not bring any weapon and wore only normal clothing, not used for battle. Surely they could not be that unprepared. However the most bizarre thing about them was their expression. Their faces were written with looks of fear and despair, as if they were running from something.


    They were not here to invade. They were trying to escape from that island.


    * * *


    A few hours before


    Ikarus was currently running as fast as she could. Not to find Alastor but to escape from her pursuer.


    Right after losing sight of the demon lord¡¯s castle, she met a strange child with golden hair. The problem was he had eight wings on his back, an undeniable proof of his identity known especially by all celestials as to them he was their revered Holy Father. But he was also known as the God of Celestials and therefore an enemy of Alastor. If he was here, then he must be after the boy. And Ikarus would not allow that. She would not let anyone harm him, not even her God.


    ¡°You are Merkabah!¡± Ikarus said as she looked tense. She was in the presence of a God. It was natural to feel intimidated by his presence despite his appearance.


    ¡°And you are ¡­.actually I don¡¯t know your name. Would you tell me yours, child?¡± the child spoke softly. His expression was peaceful, yet what was this alarming sensation she felt from him?


    ¡°Ikarus. Ikarus Salem¡­what are you doing here, Holy Father?¡± asked Ikarus. He must have just gotten here. He shouldn¡¯t have known that Ikarus was associated with Alastor yet.


    ¡°I am here for a personal business in search of someone. Before that I am thinking of paying a visit to my children back in Avant-Heim. But as you know the island is constantly teleporting from one place to another¡­if only¡­¡± Merkabah stopped, implying to suggest something.


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    ¡°I can bring you there!¡± Ikarus volunteered herself. She knew it was dangerous for her to come back home. Especially now that she has been with the one they were hunting for. However this could lead him away from Alastor, at least for a while.


    ¡°How kind of you! But don¡¯t you need to see Alastor first?¡± her plan has failed. The Celestial God was already aware of her involvement with the demon lord. She must run.


    You may run but in the end could someone escape from a God?


    And now he has caught up with her.


    ¡°Why are you running child? Did you do something bad?¡± he was already right behind her. She did not even have time to look back.


    Ikarus realized that she could not get away from him. The only option left was to fight, no matter how futile it may seem. She turned back and drew her spear, pointing it at Merkabah and held it firmly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared! I am a kind father. I won¡¯t punish you for that. In fact, you can help me with something, my child! But for now¡­.¡± The God celestial closed his eyes and started hymning. The song was so peaceful almost like a lullaby.


    ¡°What¡­.What are you¡­.?¡± Ikarus¡¯ mind turned blank as her consciousness began to fade away. Her eyes became empty, as if her souls was lost.


    ¡°Tell me where Avant-Heim is right now!¡±


    ¡°Of course Father!¡±


    * * *


    Ikarus¡¯ POV


    What have I been doing? Why could I not refuse him? Why couldn¡¯t I control my own body earlier? I guided him to where Avant-Heim was supposed to be. And now we were floating right in front of it.


    ¡°Finally we are home! Avant-Heim! As beautiful as I remembered! This scenery, this nostalgia almost brings me to tears.¡± Said Merkabah. He really was on the verge of tears. He seemed so gentle and caring yet I had a really bad feeling about him.


    ¡°Why are you bringing me back here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t a father enjoy a moment of peace with his family? An outcast you may be, you are still one of my children. Worry not, I won¡¯t let them do anything to you!¡± said the child in front of me.


    ¡°Then tell me, dear father! This eternal conflict between the Primes and the demons has brought nothing but pain for both sides. In the short amount of time I stayed with them, I have seen that they were just like us. We are all children of Eden, why do you we need to fight each other?


    We claimed that they did horrible things. But we were the one who started the war. We are the one who have pushed them to resort to desperate actions. Anh this will never end if we just let things continue the way it is right now.


    So tell me! Why do we have to fight the demons? What does the high and mighty Eden have against the demons?¡± I proclaimed.


    ¡°To understand the true nature of the demons, you must understand the special existence of the demon lords. Do you know the true story behind their creation?¡±


    I shook my head. Alastor has told me about the story behind the demon¡¯s creation from Lilith. However not the demon lords. All stories had two sides and I wanted to know the version from the Gods.


    ¡°At the very beginning, when Astora was just created, still void of life, there were three Gods: Eden the Life Giver, Lilith the Bringer of Flesh and Magnus the Soul Forger. Together they created the Six Primes Races.


    One day, the God Eden tricked Lilith into stealing the Soul Flame of Magnus. However, when Lilith actually gave it to him, Eden killed Lilith and took away her Immortal Heart. With both relics possessing endless power, Eden disappeared together with us the Six Gods from the world.


    But a primordial God don¡¯t just simply die. Despite having lost her physical body, Lilith still existed. She wanted to recreate a body of her own so she could take revenge against lord Eden. And so she created the demonic race in hope that one day one of them would grow to be a compatible vessel for her soul.


    What she did not expect was that Magnus also held a deep grudge against both her and Eden. Using the power of the Abyss, a realm only known to him, he created a superior being that which later took over the body of a demon in order to become what you now known as the demon lord. In addition, each dead demon lord would pass over a portion of his power onto the next generation and with Magnus¡¯ guidance, one day one of them would become powerful enough to face Eden.


    And we are looking for that person. As for why¡­.I can¡¯t tell you.


    To answer your question, basically the demon is a tragic race, created out of hatred of their creators. Thousands of years of sacrifice just so we can find one person. When we finally find one, the cycle will resume and this will happen all over again and again. Such is our fate, our curse.


    At some point in your life, someone must have told you that there are things in this world you can¡¯t control. Well that also applies to Gods.¡± In the entire time, Merkabah did not look at Ikarus in the eyes, not once. His voice was filled with sadness and regret.


    ¡°Then does that mean everything is Eden¡¯s fault? Then why do you still continue to serve him???¡± I shouted.


    ¡°My dear, have you ever loved someone so much you are willing to do anything for them?¡± Merkabah said.


    The moment he asked me that question, I immediately thought of Alastor. I did not realize it myself. I always thought that what I did was simply to repay him for the kindness he showed to me. Could it be that I ¡­.


    ¡°Judging from your expression and how you were at that place, I would say yes. Then I ask you this: are you able to hurt the ones you love in order to save them?¡±


    What did he mean by that? Why would you hurt somebody you loved? I..I could never hurt Alastor¡­


    Seeing the expression on my face, Merkabah simply smiled.


    ¡°Anyway we have talked long enough. Let¡¯s go greet our family!¡±


    There were still so many things unanswered. Why would Eden do that? What was the goal of the Six Gods? Why did they seek this ¡®special¡¯ demon lord? Merkabah still hided a lot from me. The way he spoke was so cryptic. I guessed I needed to stick with him longer in order to find out.


    Entering through the archway of Avant-Heim, we were directly surrounded by the celestial guards. But they did not even pay attention to me. Their God was here, walking on the same ground as them.


    ¡°Our Holy Father, you have finally returned to us!¡± one of the guards quickly kneeled before his God.


    ¡°Yes I have! Please tell everyone to gather! I have an important announcement to make.¡± Merkabah said to the guard.


    ¡°Of course, Revered Father! But what about this one?¡± the guard looked at me with disgust.


    ¡°What about her?¡±


    ¡°She has been declared exiled for her crimes, never to return to Avant-Heim again.¡±


    ¡°She is with me so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I said it¡¯s fine!¡± the god insisted.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Holy Father! Please forgive my intrusion! I will inform the council of heralds of your arrival right away!¡± with that the guard flew away as fast as he could.


    How a god could get away with anything. He didn¡¯t seem like a bad person but he was still Alastor¡¯s enemy. I didn¡¯t know why he brought me here or what he intended to do with the celestials so I must be careful.


    Moments later, we found ourselves at the central plaza. A rostrum has been erected for the God of Celestials for his announcement. While the contents of that speech were still unclear, all the celestials have gathered, filling the entire level. Well almost as it was not big enough to have everyone standing there.


    It has been thousands of years ever since the God Merkabah departed from the world of mortals to serve lord Eden in the high heavens. However, what exactly was Heavens? He himself told me that Eden and the Six Gods went somewhere after taking both of the relics of Magnus and Lilith. But where? And for what purpose?


    What surprised me was Merkabah. The longer I stayed with him, the more I could not see him as someone evil. While waiting in the plaza for everyone to come, he passed through the ranks to talk with as many people as he could. He asked about their families, shake their hands, even hugging them. He held the kids on his hands and cuddled them. It was weird to see someone with such a childish appearance to be that revered. But for some reasons I felt what he was doing was genuine, not just to keep up appearance or anything like that. Yet his smiles¡­.was it despair I felt each other I saw it?


    Anyway here came the heralds and of course Mikael was with them. It seemed he was already informed about my ¡®special circumstance¡¯ so he could only scrutinize me but could not do anything. Right now someone else much more important than me was here after all.


    ¡°My children, I could not find any word to describe my joy to be standing here with you! For far too long, our family has been separated. But now that time is over. We will be united once more.


    To go in the subject of my arrival today. The reason I am here is simple: I want to make an apology.¡± The God of Celestials proclaimed.


    An apology? Just what was this about?


    ¡°We Gods have failed in our duties. The tasks that were entrusted to us, the hope we carry¡­.everything is lost. And now our children will be the one who pay for the consequence of our failure.¡±


    What was he talking about? Failure? In what?


    ¡°But worry not! For I am here, my children. I will die before I let anyone of them be defiled. I will not!!!¡± Merkabah changed his tone. His voice just now was so filled with anger but also regret. His hands started shaking.


    Suddenly tears poured out of his eyes. Everyone was surprised. Why did their God weep? Muttering and murmurs started to come from the crowd.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Holy Father?¡±


    ¡°Did we do something to upset him?¡±


    The crowd grew more and more rowdy. They have no idea what was going on, or what would happen next. Neither did the heralds or the overseer. And not me.


    ¡°My children¡­.know that I love you with all my heart¡­. So please¡­.die!¡±

 Chapter 39: Insanity

    ¡°Forgive me my children! Let us fall into the pit of madness together! <Aria of Insanity>¡±


    The God Merkabah started singing. The lyrics were spoken in an ancient but forgotten language. Was this the tongue of the Gods when the world was first created? Who knew?


    Since ancient times, music has always been an important part of life. We celebrated our festivities with parades playing different instruments. The bards told their wonderful stories in the form of ballades. The chorus at the church during our mass and many others things.


    Understand the lyrics were not necessary. Music overpassed the barrier of languages and conveyed the emotions of the musician to his audience. Then how would the audience react when the musician has fallen in madness? The man has seen things that cannot be unseen. The cruel reality he must face yet he could not share it with anyone.


    ¡°What are you doing? You¡­.ARghhh!¡±


    The song Merkabah sang echoed inside the mind of everyone around him. In an instant, his emotions invaded their bodies, overcame them with grief and despair. It turned them insane.


    The crowd surrounding the God started screaming in terror. Those who were too far behind did not hear the song, remained horrified by what they were witnessing.


    The celestials were killing each other. The guards who had their weapons were the first to impale people with their swords and spears. Those who did not have any weapon used their hands to gouge the eyes of the people next to them. Two best friends who were once inseparable now strangled each other to death. The father crushed the head of his child onto the ground. In an instant, the plaza was covered blood and corpses. The stench of death filled the air as more and more gave their final breath.


    Those who were lucky enough started to run away. Some took flight to escape were shot down by archers. Avant-Heim has been taken by madness.


    ¡°STOP!¡± shouted Ikarus.


    Along the heralds, Ikarus was one of the few who was still able to retain their sanity, but not for long. Using her last ounce of consciousness, she slowly walked up to Merkabah who has now stopped his song. But it was already too late. More than half the population of Avant-Heim was already lying on the ground.


    ¡°You¡­.Why did you do this????¡± screamed Ikarus in tears. Despite what they did to her, Ikarus has never thought of revenge. She did not hate them, not even once. A part of her still saw herself as one of them. But now they were all dead. The death of all those people, her family, everyone, for what? No matter how she tried hard to think about it, she could not find any reason for him to kill them.


    ¡°I told you. I won¡¯t let them defile your bodies and souls. You may find this cruel but I am doing this for all of you! Besides, isn¡¯t it much more preferable to be killed by one of your own rather than the wretches out there?¡± Merkabah said.


    ¡°You are insane! I will kill you!¡± yelled the girl.


    ¡°Be calm my child! I still need you to deal with Alastor after this!¡± Merkabah lifted his arm toward Ikarus. However, something stopped him, making him jumping back.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want with the girl but even if you are our God, your actions here are intolerable!¡±  it was Mikael. Together with the heralds, he stepped in front of Ikarus and stopped Merkabah from taking her.


    Ikarus did not expect this. She thought Mikael resented her so much for letting Alastor escape. Then why would he protect her?


    ¡°You will raise your swords against your Father?¡± said the God of Celestials.


    ¡°You dare think yourself of our Father after what you have done? Tell me, why?¡± said the herald Uriel.


    ¡°Even if you know, you won¡¯t be able to do a thing about it. So stay in your blessed ignorance!¡±


    While Merkabah was busy with the other heralds, Mikael has crouched down and whispered to Ikarus.


    ¡°When I give you the signal, run as fast as you can!¡±


    ¡°What? Why would you do that for me?¡± asked Ikarus.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I am doing this for you. Between you and me, I have a better chance to stall him here. I want you to go to my chamber in the eastern tower. There is a hidden passage behind the shelf. You will find a person inside. Protect her with your life and get out of here!¡± explained Mikael.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no time to argue! Do it as my final request!¡± insisted the herald.


    ¡°¡­Alright! I promise I will protect this person!¡± vowed the girl.


    Mikael nodded. Strengthening his resolution, he stood up and faced his God. He might has lost an arm but that did mean he would not put up a fight. He already knew his fate, what awaited him forward. But his life was not important, as long as that person could get out of here.


    ¡°Merkabah, in name of the council of heralds, I, herald Mikael, will carry out your judgment!¡± proclaimed Mikael.


    The heralds, understanding their leader, stood in front of Ikarus and drew their weapons.


    ¡°Now go Ikarus!¡± Mikael shouted.


    Realizing their intention, Merkabah immediately dashed toward the running Ikarus. However Mikael also knew that he was aiming for her and stopped him in his path.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Didn¡¯t you exile her because you hated her? Why are you protecting her now?¡± asked the God.


    ¡°Someone like you will never understand!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    Ikarus was flying as fast as she could. On her way she has seen many other celestials trying to escape by flying down from Avant-Heim. If they flew all the way down here, there could only one place for them to go to: Ragna. Coincidentally when Ikarus led Merkabah here, the island followed a rotational schedule and was right above Ragna at this time of the year. Now that she thought back then, if she didn¡¯t bring him back here, could this be prevented? Was she to blame for the tragedy that just happened. No, he was a God. Sooner or later he would have found the way back to this place anyway.


    She could have used this opportunity to escape from Avant-Heim and seek aid from Alastor. But she made a promise to Mikael. If he put his life on the life to make sure that she escaped, then she too must risk hers to uphold her promise.


    Following Mikael¡¯s instructions, Ikarus arrived at the tower where Mikael resided. It was her first time coming here. In fact, no one has been here for the last ten years. For an unknown reason, Mikael has forbid all entries to this tower without his permission. But it was rumored that he himself frequently visited the tower when no one was around.


    He mentioned about someone being kept in this tower. Who could that person be? Could she be the reason why Mikael forbad anyone to enter this place? Because he put her there? Did it mean that she was living in this place, or rather imprisoned here for more than ten years?


    Finally inside the chamber, Ikarus looked at the shelf to find out how to reveal the hidden passage. The shelf was filled with collections of books about Gods and their teachings. One of the book, volume II of the book of Revelation, was in the wrong position. It was upside down. Someone so meticulous and careful like Mikael would never so such a mistake. Just seeing how the others books were carefully placed were proof of that statement. So Ikarus decided to pull that book out.


    That was the trigger of the mechanism. The shelf detached from the wall and revealed a passage forward. The hall leading inside was dark and lit only by candles. Mikael must have been here recently to lit them.


    Another chamber was inside. The room was decoratively simple. A large bed, a table and a shelf. A pot of flowers was placed on the table, blooming under the sunlight that came in through a large window. A few books lied on the floor. They were¡­.fairy tales books for children. Why would such a thing be here? This was a hidden area that lied on top of the tower.


    Slowly walking inside, Ikarus saw a woman sitting on the bed staring at nothingness: a woman with long golden hair. Her appearance was someone in her thirties but that must not be her real age. She seemed to be a celestial as she had wing on her back, however one of them was missing. Observing her back Ikarus found that she was not born this way; one of her wing was forcefully cut off, much similar to Ikarus.


    The strangest thing was even though Ikarus was right in front of her, the woman did not seem to notice her presence. Ikarus waved her hand right in front of her face but she did not see her. Her eye¡¯s color was pale. Could it be that she was blind? And when Ikarus shouted as loud as she could, she did not even react. Only when touching her, she turned her head around, perhaps to look for the one that touched her.


    ¡°Who¡­is there? Mikael? Is that you?¡± the woman spoke softly. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone, please! Touch me!¡±


    Ikarus did not know how to communicate with this person. She was apparently both deaf and blind. As the woman waved her hands around to look for someone and finally caught Ikarus¡¯ arm. She held it tightly and put her face on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm! Stay with me!¡± said the woman. Her behavior wasn¡¯t normal. Just what kind of things happened to her?


    But Ikarus did not have time for this. She must get her out of here. Pulling her hand, the two ran outside.


    ¡°Are you letting me go out, Mikael? But you say that outside is dangerous!¡± said the woman. She still did not realize that it was Ikarus. Her reactions were weird, sometimes talking to herself. Could it be she was crazy?


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    But it was lucky that she did not struggle. If she did, Ikarus would have a hard time to lead her out of this place. However, the moment they went outside the tower, something fell on the ground in front of them. A herald who was heavily injured, Mikael.


    As he tried to stand up, he saw the two girls.


    ¡°What are you standing like that for? Run!¡±


    But it was too late. Merkabah has already arrived.


    ¡°I found you!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°What is going on?¡± shouted Maria in panic.


    ¡°That island is going to fall on Ragna at this rate. We have to stop it!¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°But how can we stop something that big?¡± Maria said.


    Alastor had two options. He could risk everything and tried to destroy that island. Thanks to the bond he had, he could sense Ikarus¡¯ presence on it. If he did that then Ikarus would die. However if he chose to go save her, he would not have enough time to destroy it. What could he do? He could not make that choice. But he would not have to.


    ¡°Leave that to us!¡±


    The boy turned around, only to see Alice and Azureus standing at the entrance of the castle.


    ¡°You go find Ikarus! We can give you one hour to take her out of there!¡± said Lilith.


    ¡°Very well! I am counting on you!¡± with that Alastor flew toward Avant-Heim.


    ¡°Well I kind of said that but how do we stop it?¡± the slime spoke.


    ¡°<Chronoshift>¡± Lilith chanted her spell.


    As soon as she finished her incantation, a magic circle in the shape of a clock englobed the entire floating island. As if time itself has frozen, Avant-Heim stopped moving and now stayed hanging on the sky like a time bomb waiting to explode.


    ¡°This¡­This is more tiring than I thought¡­ *heavy breathing*¡± Lilith gasped for breath.


    ¡°Aie aie starting to feel old already?¡± Azureus joked.


    ¡°Shut up!¡±


    * * *


    Alastor¡¯s POV


    ¡°So this was Avant-Heim, home of Ikarus. But what happened here?¡± I spoke out loud as I walked through the streets of Avant-Heim.


    There were bodies everywhere. And these wounds, the positions they were in¡­did they kill each other? Why? Just what was going on? Ikarus, please be safe!


    I stumbled across a tower on my way. There was signs of a great battle, and just recently. A bloody body laid his back against the wall. I recognized that person: Mikael.


    I slowly approached the body. So you too died, you bastard? You took Morgan from me you piece of shit. I didn¡¯t know what happened here but perhaps you deserved this.


    But I was wrong. He was still alive, although I did not know for how much longer. He started to haltingly raise his head and looked at me. It seemed he did remember me judging from his bloody face.


    ¡°Demon¡­.why¡­are you here? *cough* ?¡± he coughed blood, a lot. I didn¡¯t think he had much time left. ¡°Do you want to avenge your so called mother Morgan? Is that why you are here? Even when she killed your real parents?¡±


    ¡°Why do you insist that it was Morgan who killed them? For all we know it could be Ingrid, one of your celestials.¡± I explained.


    Among those who were present in the tragedy that happened at the demon lord¡¯s castle more than ten years ago, only Morgan and Ingrid survived. Why did he think it was Morgan and not Ingrid? I have thought about the possibility that Morgan killed them but it just did not make any sense. She was nowhere powerful enough to injure a hero, not to mention a demon lord and a hero together with anyone at the castle at that time.


    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s not her¡­When I found Ingrid on Ragna, I saw a woman carrying a baby running away. It was Morgan¡­and you I suppose. But I was too preoccupied with Ingrid at that time¡­so I let them go. Ingrid¡­can¡¯t be the killer¡­..She is¡­a victim. Morgan is the only one who could have done that.¡±


    ¡°Victim? What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ingrid¡­.I am sorry¡­If only your brother was a better man you would not be chosen as hero¡­.I am sorry, Ingrid! Forgive me!¡±


    No he was starting to lose it. ¡°Stay with me, damn it! I am not finished yet!¡±


    ¡°Protect her¡­.please¡­in my place!¡±


    He..was gone. I swiped my hands to close his eyes. I used to hate him, to despise him for what he did to Morgan. But now I felt only pity for the man.


    I needed to find Ikarus, Whoever did this was able to wipe out all the celestials. I could not underestimate this person.


    I finally arrive at some kind of plaza. This place was filled with bodies, much worst comparing to the rest of the city. Could it be that everything started from here? Then I heard the sound of comic coming from the center of the plaza. A harp I presumed, judging from the tone.


    From here I could spot a celestial sitting in the middle of these piles of bodies. He was playing a golden harp, as if nothing around mattered to him. Could he be the one responsible for this?


    Suddenly the music stopped and the celestial stood up and turned back to me.


    ¡°Welcome demon lord, to my humble home!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I am Merkabah, God of Celestials!¡± he presented himself.


    ¡°God of Celestials? Did you do this to your own people? Why?¡±


    ¡°This is my way of showing my love to them. The world is ending, Alastor! But I will not sit around and let it kill my children. I will do it myself. That way I can protect their dignity!¡± Merkabah proclaimed.


    ¡°Are you insane? What kind of logic is that?¡± I shouted.


    ¡°I do not expect you to understand me, Alastor! Now we both know what you are here for!¡±


    Two balls of light appeared. Each of them contained one celestial. And I recognized one of them.


    ¡°IKARUS!¡±


    She was still fine. However she was trapped inside that ball. She tried to hit it from the inside but it didn¡¯t budge at all.


    ¡°The girl loves you so much she didn¡¯t hesitate to endanger herself, even opposing me so she could lead me away. But what about you? Like every father I worry about my own daughter. I wouldn¡¯t like to have her heart broken. So let¡¯s make this deal: if you win against me, I will let both of them go. Consider the second one a bonus!¡± Merkabah said.


    ¡°Why do I have to listen to you?¡±


    Without caring about what he said, I rushed to Ikarus. But no matter what I did, these balls were indestructible. I even tried to use <Devour> thinking it would absorb the magic but that too didn¡¯t work.


    ¡°You can¡¯t destroy them, Alastor, as long as I am alive!¡±


    ¡°That makes thing easier. I wanted to kill you anyway!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°Very well! Let the concert begin!¡±

 Chapter 40: Merkabah the Trumpeter

    ¡°First the audience!¡±


    Merkabah clapped his hands twice. All of the sudden, the lifeless corpses of celestials started to twitch as one after another stood up and turned toward Alastor. Yet their movements were slow and very mechanical, somewhat clumsy. Their feet did not touch the ground; they actually floated slightly above it.


    ¡°Die!¡± Alastor materialized the ultimate soul weapon Excalibur and swung it and cut through the bodies of these risens. If these were undeads, the sword would obliterate their souls and destroyed whatever magic that was controlling them. However even when they have fallen, these celestials would rise again.


    ¡°Secondly the ensemble: <Chorus of Celestia>¡±


    A bright light blinded Alastor. When he opened his eyes, there were four Merkabah sitting behind the celestial crowd, each with a different musical instrument.


    ¡°<Beacon of Celestia>¡± Alastor¡¯s body illuminated as light magical missiles fell upon the mass. In an instant all the celestials were burned to crisp by the heat of these sunlight beams. Now nothing but the ashes remained. Yet not a single one has touched the ensemble. Some kind of barrier was surrounding them, accompanying by the sound of a hand bell.


    ¡°The bell calls upon the protection from the wicked <Campana of Aegis>¡± One of the five Merkabah was rattling a smell bell in his hand. It seemed that bell was the cause behind the barrier as it emitted a vibration in the air that surrounded the five.


    ¡°<Melody for the Departed>¡± This time, a flute player.


    The remains of the dead celestials began to reform their bodies. In a few seconds every single one of them was already back on their feet.


    ¡°<Fortissimo>¡± The third Merkabah using a harp played a score, making all his minions turned berserk jumped after one another at Alastor.


    ¡°<Corona>¡± Alastor cast a ring of fire around him. While it could handle these undeads easily as everything touching it would turn to ash, they would just come back again. But light magic didn¡¯t work against it. Not even soul magic could. It was as if these were just bodies being controlled. But how?


    Using his Mana sense, Alastor could see the flow of mana inside all things in his vision. These celestials did not have any mana inside them. However small cords of mana could be seen attaching to different parts of their bodies. And the other one of all these cords were linked to the fourth one who did not hold anything.


    No wonder why their movements were so clumsy. They were literally marionettes controlled by Merkabah through these strings. That also explained why Excalibur did not work against them. It was not the corpse that should be hit but the strings.


    Jumping back, Alastor entered the sword drawing stance and launched a soul shockwave that cut through every single mana cord in one hit. Free of Merkabah¡¯s control, all the celestials fell down and slowly turned into light particles before completely disappear.


    Without letting him a chance to retaliate, the boy chained with a second attack, this time aiming at the four remaining Merkabah. The most problematic would be the bell as it seemed to be able to deflect magical attacks. However what would it hold against magic combined with physical?


    ¡°Time to end this game! <Black Hole>¡±


    This spell, however, had some modification from the previous version. First of all, the hole now appeared on his chest, constantly emitting a vacuum force that would absorb everything inside it. Even if the object in question was larger than the hole itself as the black twist would twist and crush it before finally consuming it. Secondly, to make sure that some targets who managed to resist the sucking force would not be able to escape, from inside the hole, black tendrils shot out and pierced through the barrier, capturing them before finally pulling them back into the hole. However one managed to dodge it, the original.


    Some clones tried to cast some spells but Alastor found a way to cancel it. He noticed that before any spell, they needed to play a portion of their music instrument as part of the chant. Music was essentially vibration that travelled through the air. If he could suck in all the air at the same time, not even sound could escape, therefore cancelling their spells.


    Powerless before this attack, all the clones ended up being dragged into him before turning into nothingness.


    However, something was odd. Alastor expected a bit more from a God. Compared to the giant Gnome, his power was not even half of his. He just did not feel that kind of overwhelming presence from him. Was this guy really a God?


    But again the boy did not want to underestimate his opponent. If there was anything he learnt, that was carelessness and arrogance usually led to defeat. It was possible that he had some kind of trump cards up his sleeves and just like Alastor, it could be that he was still testing the extent of his opponent¡¯s power.


    ¡°Amazing! You destroyed all of my clones so easily!¡± Merkabah said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you show what your real power is? You can¡¯t be telling me that this is all you have?¡± Alastor questioned.


    ¡°Of course not but that was all I could do for now¡­.I am not like I used to be anymore. But matter! You have proven yourself to be capable of handling the opening! Now I will show you the finale!¡± Merkabah proclaimed.


    What was he trying to do? Why did he stop all of the sudden?


    ¡°I love music. In the past, whenever lord Eden comes back to Celestia, I would play a parade for him. Gnome always falls asleep quickly as soon as he hears my lullaby. Elemyr loves it when I sing for her by ourselves. Amon and Baldo never admitted it but in the end they never say no to me. Those peaceful days of mine¡­.now merely a long distant memory.


    But no matter how much I love playing all kind of instruments, there was one thing that I never touched. I tell myself days after days, hoping to never use it. Yet a part of me was curious, the desire to play it. This forbidden craving for it, how long have I tried to suppress it¡­ But now, does it matter anymore? It¡¯s already over anyway.¡±


    Suddenly from his hand, a bright light shined as something began to manifest itself. A trumpet!


    ¡°I am the maestro and the world is my chorus! Bear my witness as I shall play this requiem to you! Behold the final performance of Merkabah!¡±


    Merkabah blew the first trumpet.


    A cold wind swirled across Alastor¡¯ shoulder. Was it because he was on the sky? No, it was windy sure but not that cold. Then the temperature started to drop down increasingly, following with a cracking sound as if something was freezing. The sounds came from below. Curious as also being careful to avoid any unsuspected attacks from behind, Alastor decided to take a glance down. Fortunately, he was right on the edge of the arena and the sky was clear, giving him a perfect vision.


    The entire ocean has frozen, or at least the surface. But from here, he could see no end to the ice. It was as if all the oceans in the entire world has frozen.


    ¡°The Age of Ice shall return, freezing all oceans. That was the first verse.¡± Merkabah spoke as he prepared for a second blow. ¡°And here comes the second verse¡±


    The second trumpet was blown.


    * * *


    Ivory City of Caelum


    The sound of a trumpet echoed across the entire world. No matter who you were, no matter where you were, high above the sky or deep in the underground, all livings creatures shall hear this trumpet.


    From the sky, a rain of fire hailed upon the world. Just now the entire surface of the world seas has been covered with ice. Ships sailing became stuck without warning because of this bizarre event. And that was not even the end. No, only the beginning. The frozen sea was now under siege by a heavy rain of fireballs exploding and melting the ice.


    In Caelum, the already ruined city saw the wrath of gods for the first time. Each fireball touching the ground resulted in a small explosion and spread the fire to its surroundings. In just a few seconds, the city was on fire.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we must get out of this place!¡± shouted the female knight Catrina.


    ¡°It won¡¯t matter where we run. Don¡¯t you see that this thing covers the entire area? Gather the troops immediately! We will go activate the barrier using our Blue Phalanx!¡± ordered Morrigan.


    ¡°But the southern wall has already been destroyed. How would we do it?¡±


    ¡°Form a circle around the city and we will all cast <Sanctuary> at the same time. The wall may have been destroyed but the mana flow and formation is still there. You will concentrate all the mana back to my position at the Cathedral where I will create a new barrier!¡± explained Morrigan.


    ¡°Yes your Majesty! I will be on my way!¡± Catrina ran away to inform the troops as fast as she could.


    Alone sitting on the chair that only the pope once sat, Morrigan thought about Alastor. The moment he went away, this happened. She was right about how he would participate in events that would shape the world.


    ¡®Please be safe, Alastor!¡¯


    * * *


    Back at Avant-Heim, Alastor was fending off against the rain of fire.


    ¡°<Legion of the Abyss: Tortoise formation>¡±


    A magic portal opened and let out a few dozen black knights holding greatshields. They quickly rushed toward their master¡¯ side and formed a square with their shield, covering every inch. And they waited for the rain of fire to finally subside before breaking formation.


    ¡°From heavens, a rain of fire shall burn the world of its trees and grass. That was the second verse. Though the power I used was only half of what it used to be so the effect might not be as I expected. What do you think of it?¡± asked Merkabah.


    Alastor sensed that it wasn¡¯t just at Avant-Heim or Ragna that was affected by that spell. The entire world was under that spell. Hopefully everyone back at the castle was ok. That place was secure and there was still Azureus and Maria together with Lilith. They should be fine on their own. But to make sure, Alastor needed to find a way to deal with that trumpet before another came in.


    ¡°Third verse: The judgment of the gods shall strike down the sinners.¡±


    The third trumpet was blown.


    * * *


    Continent of Oros


    ¡°Syralth, go in the cave now!¡± a kingly figure shouted.


    ¡°But what about you?¡± the little girl said.


    Something very wrong was happening. First the ocean turned frozen then a rain of fire hailed down from the sky. And now a storm of lightning that continuously struck down lightning bolt.


    Immediately when the rain of fire started, Kaiser has moved the young draconian back to his castle. To him dodging these fireballs would be an easy task. Lightning however was a different story. With its light speed, evading one could be possible but this many at the same time, it was difficult. He could take on himself a few strikes but with a child in his care, he could not risk to be hit even a single time.


    Now that he has moved her back to the cave and ordered his soldiers to keep the girl safe, Kaiser was now standing above the cave. With this kind of constant lightning, the cave would not be sure to hold much more. He must drag the storm away or find a new target for it.


    And he shall be the new target. Flying above in the middle of the storm, Kaiser planned to absorb all the lightning so none could it what was below. He must protect Syralth, his one and only subject. It was his duty after all.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.¡°Come at me! ARGHHHHH!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°<Lightning Rod>¡± A staff materialized from Alastor¡¯s hand. He pointed it to the sky and attracted all lightning toward the staff. Lightning arc splintered from the spear after absorbing so much energy and there was one target right in front of him to redirect all that energy to. ¡°Take this!¡±


    A small beam of pure energy discharged toward Merkabah. The heat it emitted could melt everything it touched, stone or flesh.  And it moved with the speed of light. At this distance, no one could dodge that attack.


    In a flash the beam pierced through Merkabah¡¯s right shoulder, leaving a bleeding hole. But it wasn¡¯t because he could not dodge that attack. He simply didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Argghhh¡­ * heavy breathing * There is no need for me to dodge that. I can¡¯t stop now anyway¡­ Fourth verse: The breeze from heavens shall cleanse the world of filth¡±


    * * *


    Galahad, Jewel of Malatas


    The people of Galahad, capital of Malatas, were rushing toward the castle. Among all the buildings in the entire city, the castle had the sturdiest structure and was therefore the best bet they had. But could it withstand the inferno? First a rain of fire fell then a storm shot down lightning, ransacking the city. And now the omen of a new incoming disaster as the clouds swirled around in a circular motion.


    ¡°The people is hitting at the door at the castle, milord! We need to let them in.¡± said a minister.


    ¡°But even if we do that, there is no way we can defend against that if this continues! A solution must be decided.¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    As all the nobles were panicking, facing this catastrophe, the new king of Malatas Aldol called his court mage to come closer.


    ¡°Hum¡­what do you think I should do?¡± asked Aldol.


    ¡°What do you want to do, your Majesty?¡± said Astrea.


    ¡°Watching them die would be nice but then again that would raise some problems no?¡± Aldol grinned when he heard the desperate of the people shouting outside. He was enjoying this. ¡°Look at them! Bunch of animals! I guess I have to be the saviour!¡±


    ¡°Most wise your Majesty! Now would be the perfect time for a small test of your new body!¡± Odium, disguised as the court mage, spoke. Ever since returning from the Abyss, she has been barricading herself in her personal laboratory, performing experiments. This period coincided with a series of missing persons in Malatas numbering in hundreds. What happened to those people, only one would know.


    And finally she did it. Her experiment succeeded. She managed to create what she wanted and the fact that king Aldol stood here was the testament of her success. After all he volunteered to be the first test subject.


    Ever since he was a child, Aldol has been abnormal. He would kill small animals without any coherent reason. One time he hung up all the cats and dogs in the palace as he gutted them one by one. When he was confronted by his parents, the boy simply smiled at them without a word to defend himself.


    His mind was filled with strange questions, on the border of deviancy. And he had unusual tastes. Tastes that no moral persons could ever understand. Even when planning the death of his entire family, he did not feel a single shred of regret nor did he feel sad about it. In fact, he didn¡¯t even hate the rest of his family like his sister. What he wanted was simple: to prove that he was alive, to prove his existence. And he found the answer to his question: by taking away the lives of others, he could affirm his own, that he was breathing right here right now while the other was not. Even if history passed him down as a tyrant, a murderer, that would be fine. At least that way he would be remembered.


    Now what would happen when such a mind encountered someone like Odium? The master of schemes met the psychopathic mass murderer prince. Something sparked within them the moment they saw each other. Deep inside, they knew that the other was the same as them. If they both wanted the same thing, why not support one another? Together, what would they be able to accomplish? Whatever it was, Malatas surely would have to suffer for it.


    ¡°Very well then!¡± said Aldol.


    Ignoring the lords, Aldol walked of the palace. In front of him, millions of people were begging at the entrance of the castle behind the closed bars and the lines of guards trying to keep everyone in line. The city was on fire, buildings were crumbling. The wind became even more furious by every second. Not even the ancient trees of the forest surrounding Galahad would be able to withstand against such a force.


    Now a giant column of tornado began to form on the sky and descended upon Malatas. Their citadel has already suffered so much destruction. One more would mean the end.


    In front of all these chaos and carnage, Aldol smiled. ¡®What a beautiful scenery! Too bad it has to end now. How regrettable!¡¯ thought Aldol.


    Raising both his arms above his heads, Aldol shouted.


    ¡°<Annihilation>¡±


    From his hands, a mystical beam rose to the sky and dispersed the tornado in an instant. The impact was so powerful that it left a gap void of clouds in the sky.


    ¡°So this is the power of a demon lord. How interesting!¡±


    * * *


    Merkabah seemed to get worse from the injuries. His chest heaved heavily rapidly with heavy panting. Even when more blood was coming out of his wound as he blew the trumpet, he did not stop to heal or do anything to cure the wound. Has he gone completely insane that he could not distinguish anything anymore?


    His body was now inside a tornado imbued with lightning, keeping Alastor out of reach. The wind was so powerful it blasted away a few levels of Avant-Heim.


    ¡°Excalibur!¡± With his soul weapon in his hand, Excalibur transformed into a translucent spear, emitting an incredible aura. Focusing all his force into his hand, Alastor threw it into the tornado. The aura surrounded the spear repulsed the raging gale and lightning, making a clear path toward its center where Merkabah resided.


    With the flash of an eye, the spear perforated his stomach. With that much force put into the spear, Merkabah¡¯s body was being pushed into buildings after building before finally being stuck on a wall. Yet he still lived, despite all the blood he was dripping.


    ¡°Huff¡­..hufff¡­¡­.Fifth verse: The foundations of the land shall collapse, awakening its wrath.¡±


    The fifth trumpet was blown.


    * * *


    Cedra, the Golden City of Ceadric


    Back in Ceadric, the capital Cedra, the Golden City, was under an unimaginable earthquake. Cracks opened on the streets, swallowing down a whole district.


    King Charles has only recently been crown and already he must face much more troubles than any of his predecessor. First was the treason of the archduke. His execution also meant the lost of one of the main pillars of the court. Then there was the news of the fall of Caelum and the declaration of war from Empress Morrigan. When he sent messengers to contact with the kingdom of the elves to ask for their help and advice, none ever returned and the new king did not seem to have taken any action facing these outrageous events. Not to mention that his ascension to the crown was also suspicious given the circumstances behind the death of every member of his family. However no proof was given and all charges were claimed to be responsible by the dead princess.


    And now his palace seemed to be under some kind of attacks. Thankfully he has summoned the help from the Academy Helios and its headmaster in order to deal with the current situation.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have come!¡± Ganon, headmaster of Helios, bowed to the king. Though Helios was neutral to all foreign influences, Ganon himself has known Charles for years and was certain of his characters for a king. So while he claimed to be biased, he sometimes accepted requests from the royal family of Ceadric as part of strengthening their relationship.


    But now was not the time for formalities.


    ¡°Master Ganon, do you have any idea of what is going on?¡± asked Charles.


    ¡°I do not have any concrete proof and I am afraid what I am saying will be considered¡­..blasphemy.¡± the headmaster hesitated. The moment he has seen all the signs, it reminded me of a certain book, one about the old tales of the Gods. In it, a certain passage mentioned something similar to this but its significance, the fact that it was happening right now, could change the entire foundation of the world. Which was why Ganon was reluctant to speak frankly.


    ¡°I invited you here because I hold your words in the highest esteem. So please share with us!¡± said the king.


    ¡°Your Majesty, all these events are following exactly like it was described in the Book of Revelation rumoured to be written by God himself. The Day of Judgment is upon us and God is the one behind these attacks.¡± Explained Ganon.


    ¡°What? God is attacking us? Why?¡± questioned Charles.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but if I am correct then these were not just the end. These catastrophes we have seen are only a prelude to the two final one. And when the last trumpet sound, it will¡­..¡±


    Before he could finish, a powerful tremor shook the entire palace, almost making him falling on his knees if not for his staff. Fractures came out of the walls of the hall all the way up to the ceiling. The glass windows shattered into pieces as everything was coming down.


    ¡°We need to get out of here! Come quick your Majesty!¡± Ganon cast a sphere barrier around him as he led the people of the court outside. King Charles, accompanied by his guards, held the hand of his queen Lindzie as they escaped the crumbling palace.


    And it was a nick of time. As soon as Ganon and the others managed to get out, the palace of Ceadric collapsed the ground. The once magnificent golden palace was now nothing but a pile of rubbles and dust.


    Trouble did not end there. The sky darkened as everything faded into darkness. But it wasn¡¯t because of the clouds. No the sky was clear after the storm earlier. This dramatic change could only be explained through the power of a god. Yet why did the Gods forsake their people?


    The sun seemed to be swallowed up by a creeping shadow. The old headmaster¡¯s expression became pale as everything became pitch black.


    ¡°The sixth verse of Revelation: The light shall leave this world as the sun and the moon vanish from the sky¡±


    * * *


    Back at Avant-Heim, since the island was actually floating thanks to Lilith¡¯s power, it was not affected by the series of earthquake around the world.


    However Alastor now found himself in a pitch dark place. Even when he placed his hand right in front of his face, he could see nothing. Not the radiant sunlight nor the soothing moonlight. Even the stars were gone. The whole world was in complete darkness.


    ¡°Alastor, we finally arrive at the grand finale. This will be the seventh and the last. It won¡¯t matter where you run. This will be the end of the world. So please¡­..enjoy!


    When the last light leaves this world, when everything fades into nothingness, mankind shall recognize their frailty, the sins they committed as their souls will once again be one with the Flame. The gate of Heavens will now open!¡±


    The final trumpet was blown.

 Chapter 41: Fallen God

    The seventh and final trumpet has sounded. From the darkness, a ray of light illuminated the entire world. It was the only thing people could see in this obscurity.


    The tolls of bells echoed throughout the entire world. It was as if they were ringing to celebrate this grand occasion, to announce the coming of a new age.


    ¡°The Grand Gate of Celestia shall open and reveals the High Heavens to the realm of mortals. All will kneel before His glory. For God the Almighty will welcome his children back into His kingdom. The deads will be judged and the livings will be purified.¡± The God of Celestials proclaimed in a glorious speech. He was bathed in a radiant sunlight that shined upon the whole of Avant-Heim.


    From the luminous cloud that appeared above the city, a gigantic golden door came out of it. Its heavy door slowly opened, revealing an intense dazzling radiance, like a sun that shined upon this pitch black world.


    ¡°The Light of Creation will now cleanse the world of all impurities. Chant in the name of the Lord, revere his Exalted and feel the long awaited jubilation as you will now return to Him once more!¡±


    <Absolution>


    Alastor could feel the enormous concentration of mana from the door. Something huge was coming out of that door, a huge column of light. If it hit the earth, it would destroy not just Ragna but the entire world.


    ¡°Stop! If that thing comes down, you too will be dead. Do you want to kill yourself too?¡± shouted Alastor.


    ¡°ha¡­.ha¡­..I already die the moment I use this trumpet. It feeds on my life force to activate all the sevens trumpets of Revelation. And the last one has exhausted whatever that was left in this decrepit body.


    There is no need for me after that. When the world comes to an end, not even Gods will remain. Only Lord Eden and he shall recreate a new world¡­.But I wonder if it would happen this time¡­.


    You can¡¯t run away from it. What will you do, Alastor?¡± said Merkabah.


    And then the light came down.


    The boy tried to cast a magic circle, the same he used against Mephisto to deflect the light into the sky. However it pierced through it easily. It was expected as the energy was too powerful to be contained in such thing.


    If Alastor let it touch the ground, it would mean the end of everything. He did not care for the rest of the world but he did care for his family, his loved ones. And so there was only one thing to do: he shall confront it.


    Standing his ground in the middle of the plaza where the ray was shooting down, he raised his hand above his head.


    ¡°<Devour>¡±


    He tried to absorb that beam. It was basically a magical attack so it should work. However with this much concentration, he wasn¡¯t sure that he would be able to absorb everything. The column of light struck down and was being sucked into his hands. Now it was a battle of endurance between the two: would Alastor be able to hold his ground and absorb all of it or would the light prevail and destroy the world?


    Trapped inside Merkabah¡¯s barrier, Ikarus could sense that it was weakening greatly. It was because most of his life force was already consumed and the barrier was linked to it. Now was her chance. Using her spear, Ikarus destroyed the barrier and rushed toward her beloved Alastor. The boy was doing as best he could to stop the column of light. However his body was not able to absorb everything and the excess of energy was leaking out into the ground of Avant-Heim. The entire island was crumbling into pieces. But he could not run away. He must remain here to stop it. If only there was something else to redirect all that energy into.


    ¡°Alastor, use my body!¡± Ikarus embraced the struggling boy from behind. If one container was not enough to store all that energy then perhaps two would do the job.


    As soon as she touched him, Ikarus could feel the enormous flow of mana entering her. It was so painful and nauseating. Yet he took it all on himself. But she refused to let go. If this was to be their last moment together then she would rather die with him.


    * * *


    Back down on Ragna, Lilith was doing her best to sustain the spell to keep Avant-Heim from falling down. However the island was now breaking apart and debris were beginning to drop onto the demon continent.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold it anymore¡­.¡± Lilith puffed.


    ¡°You have to! Alastor is still on that island and we are right under it!¡± said Azureus. Together with Maria and the demon army, they were keeping all debris from touching the small girl behind them.


    ¡°Easier said than done¡­.But that¡¯s not all you should worry about. When that thing breaks, I won¡¯t be able to stop all the pieces from crashing down onto us.¡± Said Lilith.


    ¡°¡­..Alright! Maria, defend her at all cost! I will go find help!¡± Azureus said to the woman in black.


    ¡°You crazy? How am I supposed to do that? Where are you going anyway?¡± shouted Maria at the slime.


    ¡°To take our secret weapons!¡± answered the slime.


    Azureus rushed back into the demon lord¡¯s castle. In the hallway where Alastor fought the other demon royal guards, three bodies were lying on the ground and taken care of by a few servants, recovering from their injuries. Although the wounds have been patched, they were all too injured to go out to help.


    ¡°Azureus, what are you doing here? How is the situation outside?¡± Mephisto asked. He has been briefed by the servants of what was happening outside previously. It was him who has mobilized the demon army to protect Lilith and to capture all the celestials who have landed in Ragna. Running away or not, the devil would not let his enemies entering his territory that easily.


    ¡°Mephisto, Amelia, Naberius, I need your help!¡± said the slime.


    ¡°We told you. If we can we would have done it already. But because of these injuries we could barely move.¡± Said Amelia as a healer was trying to reattach her broken limbs.


    ¡°No not that. I need your authorization to activate the Destroyers!¡±


    ¡°WHAT? Are you out of your mind? The Destroyers are our final resort and the last line of defence of this castle. Hell, we can¡¯t even control them properly. Do you remember last time it took all four of us and the lives of a hundred men just to stop one of them?¡± Naberius fumed.


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that?  But they are the only one who can help us at this dire moment. At this rate Ragna will be history when that thing comes down. This is the last option.¡± Azureus tried to convince the demons.


    ¡°¡­..He is right. If we don¡¯t do something, then we won¡¯t have anything left to defend anymore. Very well, let¡¯s go then!¡± Mephisto stood up clumsily with the help of a servant. Deep down, he was still unsure of this decision.


    The four were now standing in front of a metallic contraption in the dungeon underground of the castle. The metal, despite having been here for hundreds of years, showed no sign of moss or erosion. It was stainless. It had the shape of a circular piece of metal which seemingly could split into two in the middle and acted like an entrance. Above it, a glass orb with a red dot that looked like an eye was scanning through everything that was in front of the contraption.


    Mephisto stepped forward and spoke to the contraption.


    ¡°We invoke the spirit of Tartarus to answer our call!¡±


    ¡°SCANNING¡­..Vocal recognized¡­..Welcome lord Mephisto! What can I do for you?¡± the voice seemed to come from the orb attached to the wall above the contraption. Strangest thing was the tone. It was female and very mechanical without any emotion.


    ¡®I hope I won¡¯t regret this¡­¡¯ thought Mephisto. ¡°We want to activate the Destroyers¡±


    ¡°Authorisations from all four royal guards are required for this order. Please say the password!¡± the disembodied voice spoke.


    Raising all their hands toward the mechanism, the fours demon spoke loudly.


    ¡°TEMPUS MACHINA¡±


    ¡°¡­..Password confirmed¡­..Protocol Destroyer has been activated! Please step back from the door!¡±


    The contraption began to make a rotation before splitting in two, revealing a deep complex underground structure. Sounds of heavy footsteps marching were coming from it. The Destroyers were coming.


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it¡°LILITH WATCH OUT!¡± shouted Maria. One large rock has slipped through her defence and was coming right at Lilith. The little girl watched the coming stone as she was unable to defend herself.


    Suddenly a red beam was fired above Lilith¡¯s head and cut the stone into two parts, saving her just in time. The two turned their head back at the direction the beam came from, only to see a squadron of large armoured metallic constructs with strange weaponry and features. They were not living beings. That was for sure. Instead they looked closer to the golems but in a more humanoid form instead of the usual bulky one.


    ¡°Orders received: Destroy all incoming wreckage! Protect the target at all cost!¡± a mechanical voice spoke.


    * * *


    The column of light has begun to fade. Together with Ikarus, all its mana has been absorbed into Alastor¡¯s hands. The sky became clear again. The gigantic door on the sky has closed. However it didn¡¯t disappear along with the light and instead remained hovering above Ragna.


    Opening her eyes, Ikarus saw that they have prevailed and the world did not end. Both her and Alastor were still safe.


    ¡°Ikarus, you can let go now!¡± said the boy. He was exhausted both physically and mentally due to the powerful flow of mana inside him. It was manageable but still quite a heavy burden on his body.


    But the girl did not let go. She even clenched on him tighter in her arms. She was afraid. She wasn¡¯t sure if this was reality. She wanted to confirm it with all of her senses. His smell, his touch, everything. She laid her head on his back. It felt real and soothing.


    Alastor did not say anything nor did he push her away. He too almost thought he has lost her. But in the end, what was Ikarus to Alastor? Why did he want to protect her or even need her? She was certainly a powerful addition to his team but not an obligation. He was not even related to her so she was not a part of his family. Yet he felt like one. Could this be love? Alastor didn¡¯t know. He was perhaps too young to think about such things or simply wasn¡¯t interested.


    ¡°Look at how lovely you two are together¡­. *cough*¡±


    The duo was completely taken by the atmosphere and forgot that they still had a God in front of them, a dying one.


    Merkabah, having taken the spear out, was dragging his feet toward the two, holding the spear in one of his hand. Half of his body was paralyzed, the blood dripped with every step he took. He was already a dead man from the look of it.


    Seeing his enemy, Alastor quickly stood up and prepared to resume battle. But something unexpected happened. Merkabah threw the spear on the ground in front of the boy and sat down on his knees.


    ¡°Finish the job will you?¡± he said.


    ¡°¡­.Why did you do all these?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°I am merely doing what¡¯s best for my family¡­that¡¯s the same for you isn¡¯t it? To endanger yourself to save her¡­¡± Merkabah answered.


    ¡°But why? Why kill them if they are your family?¡±


    ¡°Ignorant fool¡­you know nothing¡­.this world is already dead. I am only here to make it as painless as possible for all of you. And now¡­.you just take away that chance¡­. *heavy breathing¡±


    Merkabah coughed out a lot of blood. His time was drawing near.


    ¡°Mark my words, demon lord: if you truly cherish the lives of your loved ones, if you truly want to preserve whatever good is left within them then you will take that sword and kill them while you still can!¡± Merkabah said.


    ¡°WHAT? What are you talking about? What do the Gods¡­what does Eden want with me? Tell me!!!!¡± screamed Alastor.


    ¡°¡­To save¡­is¡­.to kill!¡± those were the final words of the God of Celestials.


    Merkabah¡¯s body started to illuminate as he slowly turned into light particles like fireflies before slowly disintegrating away.


    Drawing his last breath, the God of Celestials could only think about one last person.


    ¡®I am sorry, Fate! It seems that I can¡¯t play any music to you anymore. I am so sorry for not being able to soothe your pain, my child!¡¯


    A light orb remained where Merkabah¡¯s body once was. In an instant, it entered Alastor and found itself in front of a gate in the middle of a dark place before fusing with it. A light englobed the structure and a second circle appeared on it with the word: CELESTIAL.


    ¡°Two down¡­¡­Four more to go¡± the Abyssal Knight spoke as he watched the light fading away from the gate.


    Back at the world outside, the second barrier that Merkabah has cast finally broke and released a celestial. The girl, seemingly unaware of her surroundings or even what happened, could only sit there staring in nothingness.


    The ground shook heavily as Avant-Heim was crumbling down. Lilith could no longer sustain the island and Merkabah has already destroyed the mechanism that kept it floating. Buildings were collapsing. The once beautiful citadel was now breaking apart.


    ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Wait we need to bring that woman with us!¡± said Ikarus as she showed Alastor the woman Mikael entrusted to her. ¡°I made a promise!¡±


    ¡°Alright then! Let¡¯s go!¡± Alastor took the strange woman¡¯s arm and cast a barrier and flew away with Ikarus.


    * * *


    From below, it looked like Avant-Heim has reached the end of its journey. The entire island has now broken apart and started to fall down as Lilith¡¯ spell began to fade.


    ¡°Heavy weaponry authorised! Fire at will!¡± a metallic construct emitted a mechanical voice. From its hand, red beams were firing at the falling rubbles and destroyed everything on its path. With larger debris, the Destroyer shot out some kind projectile that exploded upon impact, shattering it into pieces that could be obliterated by the beams.


    In a short time most of the debris has been destroyed. Fortunately, the largest pieces plunged into the ocean without touching Ragna so the demon continent did not suffer any major damages from it.


    That day, the entire world of Astora almost perished. While no one knew exactly what happened or who caused it, the world was not the same as before.


    Ceadric has lost its capital. The city was completely ravaged by the earthquake. However the royal family, including the king, survived the events and was now rebuilding its organisation.


    Caelum, thanks to the effort of Empress Morrigan, was mostly intact despite the destruction from the undead invasion. Yet it was said that the pope Gauwyn was nowhere to be found after this tragedy.


    Zagon¡¯s capital remained, mostly thanks to their resistant structure. However many villages and small towns have been ravaged by the terrible events, leaving thousands of citizens homeless and starving. Meanwhile, their Empress was leading a conquest elsewhere. This led to a wave of discontentment against the crown and the start of a rebellion.


    Malatas was the most fortunate country out of all. It did not suffer any major damage thanks to the powerful magic but unknown origin of the king Aldol. In the streets, the people hailed his name as their saviour. Some even claimed he was the next Hero sent by Gods. Yet they did not know the shadow that was lurking in their own kingdom.


    The beastmans tribes lost a third of its population, mostly the smaller tribes. The remaining tribes have regrouped and were considering reuniting their nation to face the upcoming chaos.


    The dwarves, being scattered around the world since years ago, shared the same fate with the city they were in.


    Oros, the land of dragons, lost a tenth of its land. It was not the worst news the council of dragons has received. Rumours of a new self-proclaimed king in Oros have been propagated. It was said that this man has tamed so many dragons, enough to make an army and now was marching toward the City of Firmament Spires. The smoke of war has been lit in this ancient continent.


    Finally the celestials, most unfortunate of all races. After what could only be described as a massacre, the celestials have lost most of its population with only a few thousands remained. The survivors were captured by the demon army. Talks of a new demon king started to spread around.


    The onslaught of Merkabah finally came to an end. However it sparked the beginning of a series of events that would change Astora forever.

 Chapter 42: Secret of the demon lords

    The court mage of Malatas was strolling by herself in the palace in the middle of the night. It has been a few days since the series of mysterious events that plunged the world into chaos took place without any answer. However Astrea was not worried one bit about how it happened in the first place. She was already aware that it was the God of Celestials who was responsible and now he was dead so there was no need for worrying anymore. She knew because she kept a close eye on her dear father, like his shadow she was aware of everything he did.


    On her side, things were proceeding quite smoothly. Both the king Aldol and the priestess of the moon Cynthia were on her side, although each has their own reason for doing so. But it did not matter, for Odium would use them for her own goal. To her, that was how the world worked.


    She could the presence of someone following her. She recognized this person. It was her brother after all.


    ¡°Sinforma¡­I did not expect to see you here! Where have you been all these time?¡± asked Odium. Ever since what happened at Caelum, she has lost contact with him. Now suddenly he returned to her without warning. His behaviour was odd.


    ¡°I have been among the deads for quite a while. Speaking to them, sharing our emotions together¡­.It changed me, sister!¡±


    What Sinforma said was weird to Odium. Just what was he doing?


    ¡°What are you babbling about?¡± said the girl to nothingness.


    ¡°I come to bid farewell!¡± spoke the formless body.


    ¡°Farewell? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I have found a new purpose, a new calling. And I shall follow it.¡± Said Sinforma.


    ¡°What about Father? You are going to just abandon him? Have YOU forgotten about him?¡± raged Odium.


    ¡°¡­I am sorry but they too need me¡­¡±


    ¡°Who? Who needs you more than father?¡±


    ¡°The millions of lives that were lost. They wander aimlessly. And they need a leader, someone who will guide them.


    I am sorry, sister! But I have to do this!¡±


    ¡°¡­..Traitor¡­you are just like everybody else. Get out of my sight! NOW!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Once again Odium found herself alone in the night. She did not expect this. Not her own brother. In her mind, she was trying to figure about what could make Sinforma behave that way. Together with Kaiser, they were born with a single purpose: to serve their father. How could something change one of their own that way? In the end, her own family betrayed her expectation.


    No¡­she still had her Father. If she could succeed what she was doing here, then he would be proud of her. With that she found her resolve again. Her brother may have been a disappointment but she would not, not to Alastor. For he was all she had.


    Arriving at her destination, Astrea knocked on the door.


    ¡°Who is this?¡± a voice asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just me, your Majesty!¡± she replied.


    ¡°You may enter!¡±


    Opening the door, Astrea immediately shut it. She could not allow anyone to see what was happening the king¡¯s chamber. Aldol was currently sitting on a young woman¡¯s body lying on the bed with a bloody knife on his hand. Blood was dripping out of her open throat, dyeing the bed sheet with a crimson stain.


    ¡°Can you stop doing that? This is the fifth time this week already! If you want to kill someone, just take one from outside the castle! It¡¯s a pain to get rid of the body each time and every servant disappeared will raise even more suspicion.¡± Astrea sighed.


    ¡°What? I made sure that I have her consent in this. When I asked her to come to my chamber, she agreed instantly. Look at how happy she is!¡± Aldol made a smile on the dead elf¡¯s face. The body was still warm. The woman just drew her last breath a few minutes ago, without even understanding why she died. Well there wasn¡¯t anything to understand. Aldol wanted someone to kill and she was unlucky to be nearby. He did not have anything against her. He didn¡¯t even know her and even after he killed her, the young king still didn¡¯t know the name of the person he just killed. To him this was simply a game, a small stress relief after a long day of court.


    ¡°¡­I will have to ask Cynthia to take care of this again. Or can I use her corpse for something down at the lab¡­.? Hum hum¡± Astrea thought to herself ¡°Never mind that, how do you feel? Anything strange after the transposition? Weird visions? Feeling weak? Headache? Anything at all?¡± the mage bombarded the king with questions. She still did not fully understand the effect of that surgery on a normal person, one that has not been ¡­correctly chosen.


    Aldol touched his chest with his hand. A black crystal was embedded in it, the result of Odium¡¯s experiment. All demon lords in the past until today shared one similar feature: they all had a black crystal planted on their chests. A unique characteristic that no demon nor primes had it. So what was its purpose? Surely not just a physical trait to distinguish demon lord from normal demons.


    The God Magnus was known as the one who created the soul of every living being in this world. It was safe to assume that he was also the one who made these crystals and planted them on the one he would choose as the demon lord. Or it could be that the process was random, not controlled by Magnus directly and the one chosen would have a crystal manifested itself on their chest. Whatever the case, this crystal was the key behind the mystery of the demon lord.


    The Abyss was a place where all souls of past demon lords converged. It acted as a container to sustain the existence of the demon lord¡¯ souls. In theory, it was not a place for the living. So how did the current demon lord could make contact with the others? Odium theorized that it was thanks to this crystal. It served as a direct connection as a way of communication with the Abyss, a bridge that linked the realm of reality and the Abyss, between the living and the dead. No living being was meant to cross over into that place, which explained why not even Alastor or Odium could stay there for long. But going there without a mean to get back would also mean certain death. The forceful awakening upon staying in the Abyss was probably a mechanism installed by Magnus to make sure that no demon lord could die there by mistake.


    The question was how to establish a link to the Abyss, essentially how to create that crystal. Well Odium thought since it was a realm of the death, although reserved for specified people like demon lords, it would react to something similar: a massive number of deaths at the same time. With the help from Aldol, Odium would kidnap people from across the realm and turned them into sacrifices. It was unsure how many she killed before she finally succeeded in creating one but the one implanted in Aldol required a sacrifice of a thousand lives. Of course they didn¡¯t just take elves, not all in one location anyway. Ten over here, a dozen over there with some additional beastmans that lived close to the borders, etc. Essentially people that no one would miss. Not to mention the ones that were used to test the implantation. So far only two survived: one of them was Aldol. The other one¡­.was special. That was not to say that Aldol wasn¡¯t.


    But Odium was not that satisfied with her recent success. The crystal she created was only a prototype, barely able to contain the power of one demon lord. Alastor has made at least nine pacts with nine different demon lords and that did not seem to be the limit yet. The reason Alastor did not make any more pact was unknown but that could be left for later. Perhaps more sacrifice was needed, much more than a thousand. However, Odium did not do that for Aldol in fear that he would not be able to handle that much power and therefore might die as a result.


    Just wait a minute¡­Odium was worried that Aldol might die because of her experiment. Such a weird thing you might think. The one who poisoned the entire royal family along with their kingdom. The one who killed so many just for a test. That same person was actually worrying about someone else other than her father. Perhaps because they shared the same mind, the same ideal: that everyone else was basically crap or tool to them. A strange kind of friendship? Comradery? Respect? Or love of the twisted kind? Who knew?


    ¡°You are going to see Cynthia? I thought you came to speak to me.¡± Said Aldol.


    ¡°Ah yes¡­my apologies. I completely forgot about it¡­ *sigh* ¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Aldol stopped cleaning his knife. To him, Astrea was someone meticulous, scheming and logical. It was unlike her to seem so neglectful and forgetful like that.


    ¡°No¡­nothing. Let¡¯s just focus on the main matter.¡± The girl changed the subject. She did not want to think about her brother right now.


    ¡°¡­.If you say so. I am listening!¡± the young king knew something was amiss but knowing Astrea¡¯s personality, she would not say a word unless she was the one who took on the initiative. So Aldol decided to let it slide.


    ¡°I need more ingredients more the next phase of my experiment, if you know what I mean.¡± The mage said.


    ¡°I see. How much would be enough? A thousand like last time? Five thousands?¡±


    ¡°A little more than that¡­How about a one hundred thousands?¡± Astrea grinned.


    ¡°And what are you going to do with that many?¡± the king asked. He knew what Astrea was implying when speaking about ingredients. He has visited her lab a few times. Strangely, despite the gory atmosphere the place had, Aldol was not even slightly creeped out. On the contrary, the young king loved to watch her work. The sounds they made, the blood that dripped from their corpses, it was like an orchestra to his ears.


    Aldol could only have this opportunity to satisfy his insatiable urges ever since Astrea took power. Plus she was an interesting individual from his point of view. He was curious of her motivations. Unlike him, she wasn¡¯t to type to kill just because she could. She killed when it would benefit her in some way. And she was always so secretive, never talk about her past even once. A complete mystery to Aldol and that was what made her so interesting. What reason could push such a woman to do things so evil no words could describe?


    ¡°Something quite stimulating. Ha ha! I can assure that you will have plenty of occasions to play.¡± Astrea said.


    ¡°Hum I would appreciate if you just tell me what you are planning. But this is fine by me. I trust you will prepare much more interesting games for me. So how do you suggest we accomplish that number?¡± asked Aldol.


    ¡°I suppose taking all that from Malatas would raise some questions. How about a war with the beastmans? If one or two battalions disappear, we can always blame the enemies. And if a village of the enemies is gone, no one would complain right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we need an excuse for that? As much as I would like to go to war, the council won¡¯t let us go that easily. I may be king but that decision can¡¯t be passed if the majority of the council won¡¯t agree with me.¡± The elf king explained.


    ¡°That can be easily taken care of. I just need your word for it so I can proceed.¡±


    ¡°You really think of everything don¡¯t you? Sometimes I wonder why do you even need me? Why not just kill me or make me a puppet or something similar? Won¡¯t it be much easier to control the court?¡± Aldol confessed.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Do you really want to know?¡±


    ¡°Actually yes! I am curious!¡± smiled Aldol.


    ¡°I would have if you were boring like your sister. But you are not like the rest. An odd one with a deviant mind and you don¡¯t bother to hide behind lies. That¡¯s something I appreciate.¡±


    ¡°I will take that as a compliment then. Hehe!¡±


    * * *


    In the underground of Ragna, two giant spiders were currently digging a tunnel. The one forward made the hole and the one behind pushed the dirt back to create a path.


    The Queen has given an order to expand the underground tunnel to the whole of Ragna, instead of just the southern border. The purpose was to have a large underground network that connected to everywhere in the demon continent, allowing fast intelligence delivery as well as sending troops for surprise attacks as well as reinforcement.


    However they had a problem. As one of them was continuing to dig, he stumbled upon something.


    ¡°Hey, why did you stop?¡± Seeing that his brother has not moved, the spider behind asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t continue. There is some kind of rock or wall ahead.¡± The spider answered.


    ¡°Wall? Did we arrive at the demon lord¡¯s castle already? Wow we are fast.¡±


    ¡°Nah can¡¯t be. We have only started two days ago. Technically the castle should still be a few hundreds miles of us. And we are at fifty miles in the underground. Who the hell would build a wall here?¡±


    ¡°Try spitting some acid on it. That should do the job.¡±


    ¡°I tried but it didn¡¯t work. The acid didn¡¯t even react to it. And this thing is hard as hell. Almost broke my arm trying to hit it.¡±


    ¡°Step back. Let me try this!¡±


    The spider stepped forward and knocked on the strange wall. The wall itself was stainless and the surface was so smooth and silvery it could serve as a mirror if there was any light down here.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? You think just knocking on it and asking it gently it would just magically open for us?¡±


    ¡°Shut up idiot! This thing is hollow inside. I can hear some echo when I knock on it. But damn it is hard. Let¡¯s just go around it!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°How far have we been going?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Three days perhaps?¡±


    ¡°Fucking hell. How big is this thing?¡±


    * * *


    Inside a cave in Oros, the dragon lord Celdora and Kaiser were having a conversation. Little Syralth was currently training outside but it was an excuse for Kaiser to have a serious talk with the girl¡¯s father.


    ¡°I see that you have been busy with the¡­.how do I say this¡­recruitments.¡± Said Celdora as he looked at the dragons gathering outside the cave. There was a least a hundred of them, all tamed by Kaiser.


    The taming itself was not anything special. They fought and the loser had to abide to the will of the winner. It has been long since anyone dared challenge the dragons in a combat of strength so many were curious when they learnt of this new self-proclaimed king. They sought out the one who has been seeking them until they stumbled on this cave. Of course some were not happy about the result and tried to retaliate back, only to be killed by Kaiser¡¯s legion. Among the rest, some stayed in fear of being killed, some simply by curiosity. Who was this person who came out of nowhere, who seemed to be close to dragon lord Celdora and who was able to dispel that storm they saw a few days ago.


    ¡°It¡¯s tiring but something necessary.¡± Kaiser responded. ¡°But that¡¯s not why I ask you to come here. I want to talk to you about this.¡± Kaiser put a metallic crown on the table. An old looking crown that didn¡¯t seem so special, even unimpressive in certain extents. But somehow it emitted a powerful aura, a dreadful one.


    ¡°I thought I lost that thing when those humans came. So you were the one who took it.¡± Celdora changed his tone to a more serious one. ¡°Are you also one of them? Those who seek this crown? Why?¡±


    ¡°I want to ask you the same thing. What is this crown and why does it mention Alastor on it?¡± said Kaiser.


    ¡°Alastor? How do you know that name?¡± Celdora abruptly stood up, almost shoving off the table.


    ¡°He is my father. And his name was written right on this crown.¡± Kaiser held the crown and showed the line that appeared on it.


    ¡°To my son Alastor: May you use the crown to shape the world to your will¡±


    ¡°How? It wasn¡¯t there when I took it. And what do you mean by Alastor being your father? That¡¯s impossible. He is just a kid.¡± Celdora said in disbelief. He has held onto this object for ten years and he was sure that there was no such inscription on it.


    ¡°That¡¯s not important. I won¡¯t ask you to believe me but I am really his son and what I am doing is all for him. Now tell me about this! You own me that much!¡± Kaiser raised his voice.


    ¡°¡­.Fine. I will let you have the benefit of doubt and assume that you are telling me the truth. And you did save my family so I believe that you are not a bad person. Very well I will tell you about the crown. If you are his son you must have known a bit about the events at the demon lord¡¯s castle, the day when his parents died.¡±


    ¡°Yes I do know something about it but the truth was never really uncovered was it?¡± Kaiser questioned.


    ¡°Yeah unfortunately we did not find a clue about the killer nor how they even died. Among the deads, two people were missing: Morgan, one of the maid sent by the Church to serve us and Ingrid. We all knew Ingrid was a gentle woman so we suspected Morgan at first but in the end we could not find any way for her to be able to kill both Asgore and Lakyus, not to mention the rest of the people at the castle including Izago and Theoron¡­.¡±


    ¡°That I already knew. What I want is information on this crown and why is my father¡¯s name on it?¡± Kaiser pressed the issue.


    ¡°A few days after what happened, me and Arshe received a letter from the Artificer to come meet him at his home. It was quite a surprise as we have never met the man before, just hearing legends about him, how he lived for centuries creating strange artefacts. At that time, the Artificer was an ally of the demons and resided in the north at Ragna.


    Yet when we got there, the old man was on his dying bed, being taken care of by a doll in the form of a young girl in white. He seemed to have gone senile, even hallucinating. When we asked him why he wanted to meet us, he just stared at us and cried while repeating the phrase: ¡®I am sorry!¡¯


    His expression was filled with regret, as if he did something terribly wrong and there was nothing he could do to fix it. He was in so much pain, both physically and mentally, to the point it made him delirious.


    Despite no matter how we tried to talk to him, he didn¡¯t give us any answer. Both Arshe and me had no experience in healing magic so we went back to the demons to bring a healer. However when we actually got back, he was already dead. The doll was next to him, motionless as if her life ended with her master.


    Mephisto decided to bring the doll back to the vault as she could be valuable and organized a funeral for the old master. As for me and Arshe, we wanted to know the reason why he called us and why he said something like that so we searched his archives and found two things: a crown and a sceptre. Without knowing what to do with it and at the time they were the only things that seemed valuable, we made a decision to take them with us: me the crown and Arshe the sceptre.


    Over the years, I tried to figure out what was the purpose of this crown. If it was something made by the Artificer, then it can¡¯t be just any normal object. I eventually gave up and put it away.


    To think that it has something to do with that boy Alastor¡­.¡±


    ¡°So you know nothing about it too¡­.Perhaps I should give this to my father. Maybe he will know what to do with it. The crown did react to me as I am created by Alastor so it could have mistaken me for him. It¡¯s possible that this crown is specially made to be used only by him.¡± Kaiser explained.


    ¡°Could be. Take it! I don¡¯t have any use for it anyway.¡± Celdora gave the crown to Kaiser.


    ¡°I thank you for your generosity. I am sure that this will be put into good use. Still to think that someone was capable of killing both Asgore and Lakyus¡­.it¡¯s just unimaginable¡±


    ¡°To be honest I have one suspect. The problem is I don¡¯t know the identity of this person.¡± the dragon lord said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Before me and Arshe go on our expedition with the demon royal guards, the day that Alastor was born, I saw Theoron outside the castle, which was weird since he was the most excited about the baby. When I asked him why, he told me that Asgore was expecting a visitor and has asked the sage to take that person in when they arrived.


    Yet we went come back, that visitor was nowhere to be found. It¡¯s possible that that person was the one who committed the murders. If only Theoron was still alive¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.but he is¡­.¡±

 Chapter 43: Aftermath

    Alastor was exhausted. He beat the second God, although the world had a little taste of what its end could be like. Chaos was everywhere. Every country was now in an uproar. They claimed that all these disasters were caused by the presence of a new demon lord and therefore all the tragedies, the destructions were blamed on him. Though not many even knew who this demon lord was, which was fortunate.


    After coming back to the demon lord¡¯s castle, the boy only wanted to go bed, to snuggle into the warm sheets and forgot about everything else. It was a bit awkward with Mephisto and the others at first but they followed his instructions in the end. Hopefully they learnt their lessons. With Azureus now taking in charge of the demon army, Alastor has dispatched them to seek and capture every celestial roaming in Ragna, not to imprison them but just to keep them in check in case they did something stupid. He did not want to antagonize them too much for now since it was Ikarus¡¯ people.


    The new weaponry that Mephisto used also raised some concerns. Alastor was not aware of their presence and he wondered what else did the demons keep secret from him? But he would take care of that tomorrow, just not now. For now he just wanted to rest.


    Alastor was not exhausted physically. His health was perfectly fine. But the questions, the mysteries, they just kept coming. Even the Gods were acting strange. If they really wanted to kill him, why did they not come together instead of facing him alone one by one? What did Merkabah mean with his last words?


    ¡°To save is to kill!¡±


    He felt like as if this was all part of a game and Alastor was just a pawn, being guided all the way from one purpose to another. Nothing made sense to him. Who killed his parents? What was Eden¡¯s goal? So many questions yet no answers.


    Lying on the bed on his side, he faced the window as the boy contemplated about his problems. Then he heard the sound of the door of his chamber opening with someone walking inside. Slowly the person mounted on his bed and laid next to him, putting their hands around him tightly. Immediately he recognized her smell.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be that bold.¡± Said Alastor as he turned back to look at her.


    ¡°No don¡¯t. Don¡¯t turn back. Just¡­let me stay like this!¡± Ikarus kept Alastor from turning to her.


    ¡°¡­.ok¡± muttered the boy.


    The two did not say a word the entire time. Alastor was confused. He did not understand Ikarus¡¯ reason of doing this. He wanted to ask but at the same time he wanted to oblige to her, for leaving her in the dark, for letting her go through that ordeal with Merkabah.


    In the end it was her who broke the silence.


    ¡°Do you remember when you saved me and brought me back to your house? The time when you decided to create the bond that chains us together.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± The boy replied.


    ¡°I was a broken girl at that time. I felt I was on a cliff that was on the brink of collapsing¡­.Why? Why did you bring me back? Why did you¡­mend me?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the boy did not say a word.


    ¡°Was it out of pity? Seeing an used tool being cast out by her own family¡­¡±


    ¡°NO! Stop talking like that about yourself!¡± The boy shouted loudly.


    ¡°¡­I am sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault!¡±


    ¡°Then tell me! Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­at that time I just couldn¡¯t leave you there like that. I couldn¡¯t¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Ikarus remained silent.


    ¡°I am sorry for not giving you a better answer.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I was just being stupid for asking you that. What¡¯s important is here and now.¡± The celestial let out a small chuckle as she buried her face in his back, embracing him even more tighter.


    ¡°¡­ok that¡¯s starting to hurt¡­¡± Alastor muttered.


    ¡°I am not letting you go¡­Hi hi!¡± she smiled. ¡°Say, I will say something now so not a word ok?¡±


    ¡°Ok¡±


    ¡°I love you¡± Ikarus spoke softly and quickly buried her face in his back to hide again.


    ¡°¡­..hu¡±


    ¡°Not a word. I don¡¯t want you to answer me or anything. Just let me stay like this!¡±


    ¡­...


    ¡°Will you become a demon lord, Alastor?¡± the girl asked.


    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t! Yet I am not sure what I would do if you decide to become one¡­it hurts when I think about it. But I want you to know that you must be the one who make that decision, not me or anybody else. Don¡¯t let anyone use you for their goal! Take fate into your own hands! And whatever decision you take, no matter the consequences, I will respect it!¡± Ikarus spoke in a sad tone.


    Alastor finally turned his body around. Ikarus¡¯ face was now right in front of his chest. Slowly he snuggled her and gave her a kiss on her forehead, making the girl blush and try to hide her face with her hands.


    ¡°Thank you for speaking your mind with me! I¡­.I promise that I won¡¯t let anyone deciding my fate. I swear.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can we stay like this until morning?¡±


    ¡°Of course we can! You are getting bolder and bolder, Ikarus!¡±


    * * *


    Back to the lonely two spiders who seemed now even more lost than ever.


    ¡°Holy shit dude, how many days have it been?¡±


    ¡°Three weeks¡­.still digging¡­..I miss the outside man¡­. *heavy breathing* But at least we got away from that wall. I think I will go crazy if that thing continues.¡±


    ¡°What do you think it is? It went for hundreds miles. And that metal was special, something I have never seen before. Could it be some kind of ancient dungeon that sunk into the underground? I have never heard of anything like that in Ragna.¡±


    ¡°Dungeon or not, it¡¯s over. Now we can continue our work before we¡­¡­¡±


    *CLINK (metallic sound)*


    ¡°You got to be kidding me. Another one of those walls?¡±


    ¡°¡­..HELP ME! LET ME OUT OF HERE!¡±


    ¡°Calm down dude! Maybe instead of going around it, why not go under it?¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°God damn. How deep are we now?¡±


    ¡°Since we changed our direction and decided to go deeper¡­ around fifty miles I guess.¡±


    ¡°Just how big is this thing? It just keeps going down and down.¡±


    ¡°Shhhh¡­.be quiet! Do you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Hear what?¡±


    ¡°That sound. It comes from inside the wall.¡±


    The spider carefully approached the wall.


    ¡°¡­.You are right. There is some weird sound inside. Like metal hitting each other. A hammering sound and something rolling¡­Some kinky shit is going on behind this wall, I tell you.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°I see that everyone is here already so let us begin!¡± announced Alastor, sitting together with Ikarus on his left side, Maria on his right side, Stella standing behind him, the four demon royal guards on the other side of the table and finally Alice sitting on the couch easting a cake.


    ¡°As you have known, the events that happened recently were still shocking to all of us. But now it¡¯s not the time to stand around like an idiot and ignore what just happen. It¡¯s not also the time to keep secret from each other.


    I admit that what happened at Caelum was by me and perhaps I should have consulted with everyone first. However, the fact remains that you also haven¡¯t been entirely honest with me. These strange weaponry, the Destroyers as you call them, are the most powerful weapon the demon army currently has and I have no idea about their existence. Secondly I will not tolerate anyone into forcing me to become your demon lord. That¡¯s not to say that I won¡¯t become one but according to our agreement, Mephisto, I still have quite a bit of time left so I would appreciate if you can respect my decision.¡± Alastor gave his speech.


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. I apologize for me and my colleagues¡¯ behaviors. I swear we won¡¯t interfere with your decision again.¡± Mephisto said.


    ¡°Good! Now that¡¯s a good start if I ever know one. So how about you tell me what these Destroyers are and what is that door in the underground of the castle?¡±


    ¡°The Destroyers are constructs that were built by the Artificer during his alliance with us. For years he supplied us with mechanical soldiers and in return we will provide him everything he needed for his research. Even this castle was an old testament between the Artificer and the first demon lord after the Exodus.


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    However the Destroyers are quite unstable and these I think are only the old prototype. The Artificer was actually supposed to provide us a new model with a way to control these machines better but in the end he died before he could accomplish that. Over the years we have had a few accidents with them so their uses are strictly forbidden and can only be called upon as a last resort.


    The door in the underground leads to a place called Tartarus. It¡¯s basically an underground fortress that serve as our location to train our troops as well as hiding them from the curious eyes of the outside. That¡¯s how we manage to remain hidden for so long. From above the castle is hidden by a barrier and they will not search that thoroughly because there is no large settlement of demon anywhere, aside from a few clans of demons that are not part of our army. Needless to say, that place was also built by the Artificer with the help of his mechanical soldiers that never need rest or food.¡± Mephisto explained.


    ¡°Interesting! I always thought the demon army is just a gathering of a few hundred soldiers hiding somewhere in Ragna. To think they have been here all this time right under me. You have to show it to me latter.


    Alright on to the next issue. Azureus, how are we doing with the celestials?¡±


    ¡°So far we have captured 3549. As you all can probably imagine, they are not very happy being in our custody. Some have attempted to flee but it¡¯s easily manageable. Not many among the rest are fighters. I believe a few more is still out there but it won¡¯t be more than four thousand.¡± Azureus reported.


    Hearing it, Ikarus clenched her hand. It was shaking when she heard the distraught news. Her own people was on the brink of extinction because of their God¡¯s madness. Even his reason for doing so was unclear until today. She could not help but feeling sad and angry at not just him but also at herself for leading him there.


    Then Alastor took her trembling hand and held it tightly to reassure her. This didn¡¯t make someone very happy.


    ¡°Ehem¡­.so what about that celestial you brought, Ikarus? Who is she exactly?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°I actually don¡¯t know her name but Mikael seems to know her.¡± Answered Ikarus.


    ¡°Ingrid¡­her name is Ingrid.¡± The door opened as a skeletal figure walked in. It was Noroeth.


    ¡°Ingrid the White, the missing hero?¡± asked Alastor. Ingrid was also one of the only two survivors of the tragedy at the demon lord¡¯s castle, together with Morgan. But now that Morgan was dead, Ingrid was the only person that could help them shed some light on this mystery.


    ¡°Yes. The only survivor from that tragedy ten years ago, if you don¡¯t take me in account.¡± The lich answered. ¡°And perhaps the only one who knew what really happened. But¡­.¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you can get anything from her. Whatever caused her injuries has also made her very mentally unstable. Together with Amelia and the healers of the castle, we have tried to restore her wounds and psyche but no matter what we did, nothing would heal. All of her Mana Stream has been cut off.¡± Noroeth explained.


    ¡°Mana stream? What is that?¡± Maria asked.


    The witch Amelia decided to explain. ¡°Mana stream is the flow of mana that travels across a person¡¯s entire body. Imagine it like your vein that circulates the blood in your body but in this case it¡¯s mana. Without a mana stream, mana could not reside within the body and the person will never be able to use spells.


    That¡¯s not the worst. Healing magic actually relies on the mana stream in order to heal somebody. Pouring your own mana into the body of an injured person, guiding it through the mana stream to reach the wound, that¡¯s the basic of healing magic. However, in Ingrid¡¯s case, we could only use superficial healing with herbs and potions because her mana stream has been cut off.¡±


    ¡°Cutting off the mana stream? Is it even possible?¡± Ikarus said in disbelief.


    ¡°It is, with soul magic.¡± Alice said as she put a piece of cake in her mouth. ¡°Among all the technics used by soul magic sorcerers, there is one that could be used to stop the flow the mana, therefore temporarily incapacitate a mage. I believe you have a firsthand experience with that, right Alastor?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­indeed it was an unpleasant experience.¡± Alastor thought of Morrigan. With a simple touch, the Zagon Empress was able to neutralize his attacks. Though he was weakened at that time, that still put Morrigan in a dangerous light. Did she have anything to do with this?


    ¡°That same technic, if used by an extremely talented mage, could remove the mana stream permanently instead of just a short time. However, that kind of skill is not something you can easily find in the world. I am not even sure if anyone could use it in this world at the moment.¡± Lilith teased. ¡°Have you tried checking her soul?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to as there was nothing we could do for her body. Unfortunately I don¡¯t have much experience with the living and might damage her soul if not careful.¡± Answered the witch.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We have the best doctor here that knows everything about the soul already. Am I right to say that, Soul Forger Magnus?¡±


    Everyone turned to Alastor. They knew that this entity Magnus was residing inside the boy¡¯s body and was the one behind the creation of the demon lords based on what Lilith has told them. However they have yet to meet him once.


    ¡°Is this true, Magnus?¡± Alastor talked to himself.


    ¡°¡­. Technically¡­yes¡± Magnus spoke through the boy¡¯s body.


    ¡°Can you do something for her? I will let you use only my hands as I want to watch this.¡±


    ¡°I will see what I can do¡­¡±


    ¡­..


    The group decided to check on the celestial Ingrid who has been resting in her own room. To avoid frightening her, only Alastor would come in. The girl was sitting on her bed, staring at the window. Perhaps she felt the warm sunlight coming in from that direction. The boy carefully walked up to her slowly.


    ¡°Hello¡­..ah no¡­¡± he forgot that she could not hear him. Even when he was next to her, Ingrid did not react. Her broken wing reminded him a bit of when he just found Ikarus. He had a sad expression just by looking at it.


    ¡°Who could have done this to you¡­.¡± Alastor spoke to himself. ¡°Do your thing, Magnus! Be gentle with her!¡±


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    A dim blue light wrapped Alastor¡¯s hands as they became translucent. Magnus moved both hands forward and touched the girl¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Open up to me¡±


    A crack fissured on Ingrid¡¯s chest like a hole. It was even possible to look inside although it was very dark. With the crack opened up bigger and bigger, Magnus put his hands inside.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Searching for her soul. Be quiet! Let me concentrate! ¡­..Ah here it is. Hum¡­This is bad.¡±


    ¡­..


    As everyone was anxiously waiting outside for the result, the door opened with Alastor walking out.


    ¡°So how was it?¡± Ikarus asked.


    ¡°Her soul has been badly damaged. I can confirm that these injuries were indeed caused by a soul magic user, and a very powerful one. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do for her psyche and senses. She will remain a handicapped for the rest of her life.¡± Magnus said.


    ¡°Too bad¡­.to think that a hero could fall in this state¡­¡± Lilith spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just take care of her for now! Maybe we can find something that might help us but sitting here thinking about won¡¯t help.¡± Alastor conveyed.


    ¡°You are right. There is nothing we can do about it for now anyway. If possible I would like to move on to the next matter.¡± Mephisto insisted. ¡°About that thing on the sky.¡±


    Ah yes. The God of Celestials Merkabah may have died but he left something: the giant gate that still hovered on the sky of Ragna. That object almost destroyed the entire world and now seeing that it was still there rendered the group even more nervous. It might have been closed for now but what if it opened up again?


    ¡°I have investigated the gate myself yesterday. I tried to open it but it just would not budge. I don¡¯t think physical strength is enough, it needs perhaps some kind of key or something.¡± Alastor said his mind.


    ¡°I am not sure I want to open it. Why would you?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Before he died, I heard Merkabah calling it the gate of Celestia. From what I can gather, Celestia seems to be the name of the heavens where the Gods resided. I figure if we could find a way to open it, we can seek the answers from the Gods themselves. Also I don¡¯t like to just wait for them to come. With that door open I could go find them myself. At least then we will have more options.


    For now just keep a close eye on that gate! Just in case another one passes through.¡± The boy spoke.


    ¡°¡­I am afraid they already have¡­.¡± The beastman Naberius uttered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Before the gate closes itself, I saw two light coming out of it with incredible speeds. One was heading toward the direction of Oros while the other one toward Mara, though I am not sure where it was going to exactly.¡± Naberius confessed.


    ¡°It must be two of the Six. So this time they sent out two at once. But still why not coming for me directly? Just what are they planning this time?¡±


    ¡°Do you think like Merkabah they could be going back to their own people?¡± said Ikarus hesitantly. Memories of the massacre in Avant-Heim was coming back to her. She couldn¡¯t forget those images: the bloody streets, the bodies piling up on each other, the collapse of the island.


    ¡°Could be. Though we know that it¡¯s not a good sign¡­.¡±

 Chapter 44: Penance and discovery

    ¡°Things are not looking good for us, your Majesty!¡± knight captain Catrina said as she was kneeling in front of her Empress. A letter has just come from the capital addressing Morrigan. Needless to say, the contents were all but bad news.


    ¡°I know. Those nobles, taking advantage of the fact that I was not in the country and the recent destruction, are all conspiring against me. They spread the false rumors on how I have abandoned the people to go on this ¡®ludicrous¡¯ conquest. They even defied my orders and stopped Minister Sinclair from sending out supplies for the mass. Bunch of greedy fat pigs!  It¡¯s so funny that I forget to laugh.¡± Morrigan sipped her wine.


    ¡°Then we must head back to Zagon and put them back in line. With you back in charge, the people won¡¯t have anything to complain about.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy. They will just press on how I do not have an heir and will force me to abandon the throne or to marry some douchebag and make him the king. Either way is not very pleasant.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not your fault! They poisoned you so that you can¡¯t have a child! It was already fortunate that you survive that.¡± Catrina raged. She remembered the day when Morrigan collapsed, coughing blood during a banquet. With her master on the ground groaning in pain, the knight could see the eyes of those aristocrats staring at her, hoping she would die. In the end the Empress survived but not without a cost. The doctor told her that while the poison did not kill her, it damaged her internal organs and made her unable to have a child.


    But that did not make Morrigan falter. She simply accepted that fact so easily to the point of being suspicious, as if she knew it would happen sooner or later but didn¡¯t do anything about it. The culprit was never officially found but she already had an idea on who did it, just not any proof.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If I don¡¯t name an heir within the next week, they will force me to. And if I resist, a civil war might break out, just as they want it. And if I try to delay any further by not coming back to Zagon, the people will revolt. What a mess I am in! If only Alastor has accepted my proposal¡­¡± Morrigan sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you are so obsessed with the boy. Can¡¯t you just take someone else in his place?¡± Catrina asked.


    ¡°No it has to be him. He is the rightful heir after me. It¡¯s either him or nobody else!¡±


    ¡°Please forgive my imprudence, your Majesty, but why him? Why do you risk everything you have built just to have him?¡± Catrina could not understand the motivation behind Morrigan¡¯s decision. She has spent years trying to reform the court, to keep her power and now she was prepared to risk everything for that boy? The knight was aware of their relationship and the fact that he was Lakyus¡¯ son but still, to do so much for the child of another, to that extent¡­.


    ¡°¡­Penance¡­.to make amends for what I took from his mother¡­¡± Morrigan mourned.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°When Lakyus first came to the palace, I was very happy. I have always dreamt about having a sister, someone I could talk with, someone I could confide with, someone who is not constantly scheming for me or against me. We used to spend the entire day in the garden, picking out the most beautiful magnolia.


    Lakyus was not the gloomy child everyone thought she was. Despite having been brought up in a small cottage constantly worrying about food, she held a determent and unyielding soul, the purest I have ever seen. She was the kind of person who spoke her mind without regard to ranks. The servants are so natural around her, unlike their fake smile when they were with me. In a way I envied her. I was curious about this strange girl.


    Then one day during one of my adventure to uncover her secret, she found me. At first I was reluctant but we eventually became friends¡­.and sisters. Her smile was the only thing that kept me going in that place of conspiracy and treachery.


    I remembered on my twelve birthday, which was a few months after Lakyus moved to the castle. Like usual I received plenty of gifts, from luxurious jewelry to the finest cloth of the kingdom. But I knew they were just there to gain my favor and in respect of the queen. However, when it was Lakyus¡¯ turn, she brought me a wreath out of magnolia. It was so clumsily made the thing looked like it was about to fall apart. Yet it was the thing that brought me to tears. I was so happy at that time. It was like yesterday. Her smile with her unkempt hair and her cloth with soil on it. But it was also the last time Lakyus ever smiled.


    A few days later, her mother died suddenly without any clear reason. Lakyus¡¯ power was discovered and the king locked her away in a tower. My mother murdered Lakyus¡¯ mother. When I learnt of that terrible truth from her, I was so angry, not just at the old miserable wench but also at myself for not noticing her intention. Just as she was guilty for the murder, I too shared the blame for being ignorant. I was the reason that my mother did so many terrible things to them.


    On numerous occasions I pled father to let her out but the fool was too obsessed with power to even see his own daughter as a human being anymore. To him she was a weapon, a tool to be used. I could no fathom the hardship and the cruel experiments my sister had to endure all that time. Sometimes I sneaked out of the palace to go see her. I would climb that tower wall just to get to her window but not once she answered me. I could only watch as she went deeper and deeper into despair.


    When she finally was able to go out, it was to kill the demon lord. I objected to the idea but no one would listen to me. So I asked the hero Arshe, who was an acquaintance of mine at the time to keep me informed of the situation.


    You would not believe how I reacted when Arshe sent me a letter, telling me that Lakyus was pregnant and would soon become a mother. It lifted a part of my burden, knowing that she finally found happiness. The demon lord had no intention to go to war. Everything was going to be okay.


    But life is cruel. Just as we humans who live in this world. Someone killed both of them and their baby missing.


    The day Arshe told me what happened, I swore an oath: that I would find the child and would do anything to give him back what he deserved: the throne, the power¡­.a family.


    So you see, it can¡¯t be anyone but Alastor.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your Majesty, are you sure you want to tell me this? Are you not afraid I might be a traitor?¡± Catrina asked.


    ¡°We have been together for years now. I know what kind of person you are. And you are a demon. Surely you would not do anything that might harm your future king?¡±


    ¡°I may be a demon but my allegiance lies with you, your Majesty, as well as all of us here!¡±


    ¡°Thank you! It¡¯s hard to find good help these days!¡± Morrigan chuckled.


    * * *


    ¡°Look at this place! It¡¯s huge!!! To think something like this was right under my feet all these time¡­Incredible!¡± Alastor exclaimed.


    Alastor was currently standing inside a huge underground room facility that lied beyond the metallic door from where the Destroyers previously came from. The ceiling was so high, along with the glittering gems and fluorescent moss that made it look just like a beautiful night sky filled with stars. An entire city could fit here without any problem and indeed it already looked like one.


    From barracks to training grounds, lines after lines of demon troops were doing their daily exercise. At first the army could seem a bit unorganized, probably due to the fact that the demons themselves were quite diverse in form and origins. Some looked just like a normal human being or an elf while others were sentient monsters capable of speech and emotions.


    One such example was what seemed to be a hydra, monsters closely related to dragon with eight heads and renowned for their limitless regeneration ability. This same monster with ferocious temper in the wild was now letting a small chucking down a barrel of booze together with a group of mixed races: human, elf, dwarf, beastman. They were all once a prime, each never thought that this day would come where people of so many different races, even monsters would sit down and drink together. Could this be what peace would look like? That image stuck on Alastor¡¯s mind.


    He continued his tour in what seemed to be an underground cavern.


    ¡°After king Asgore¡¯s death, we have decided to move the entire army to this underground facility called Tartarus. But to be frankly I am not sure what to think about it. I mean sure it¡¯s huge and very useful to us but in the end it¡¯s just a very big cave. Even if he wanted this place to be used to store his army, I expect something more from the legendary Artificer. Again I did not speak with him that much. Aside from a few exchanges, for most of the time, the Artificer would only talk with lord Asgore and each time only they are allowed to be in this cave by themselves.


    That¡¯s what I think until I find this.¡± Mephisto led Alastor to the far end of the cave where no one was around. They stopped before a strange structure that poked out from the ground. A metallic pillar with black wires made in rubber connected to the ground. It had a cylinder shape and an entrance on the side.


    Entering inside, the wall was pure white with a few strange looking shape sockets that went inside the wall. However these sockets were covered by a glass wall that prevented anything to be put inside.


    ¡°We stumble across this strange ¡­device after lord Asgore passed away. It is made in a special material similar to the door at the entrance. Indestructible steel. But I can¡¯t find any purpose it might have been used for. It could be one of the failed prototype the Artificer has created and just tossed it here. But I can¡¯t see how this could be a weapon.¡± Mephisto sighed.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°These sockets¡­.they look like something can be put there¡­.some kind of key perhaps?¡± Alastor examined the strange holes on the wall.


    ¡°That I don¡¯t know. If those are keys then what weird shape they are. And there are four of them¡­.¡±


    ¡°Whatever they are, they might be useful so keep an eye for something that looks like that.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Will do. Though I swear I have never seen anything that looks like that. Anyway I will have to check on the armory after this so if you want to come with me¡­¡± Mephisto spoke.


    ¡°Ah no it¡¯s fine. You just go do your thing. I will stay here for a little bit.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°If you say so. Well you know your way out so please call if you need me!¡±


    With that Mephisto walked out of the pillar and flew away.


    ¡°Hum¡­Mephisto is right. These are weird looking shape keys¡­but somehow I feel like I have this one before, the weirdest one out of all of them.¡± Alastor was looking an odd socket that had something close to a cylinder shape. A thin half circular thing was connected to two sides of this cylinder, almost looked like the handle of a bucket or something similar.


    ¡°Yeah I definitely saw something like this but can¡¯t figure out what¡­.Hell this looks just like that¡­¡­¡­lantern¡­..OH SHIT! THE LANTERN!¡± Alastor finally remembered what this odd looking socket reminded him of, the Anima lantern he recovered from the Archduke of Ceadric.


    Thankfully he always brought it together with him right inside his magical dimension. But how would he put it inside this socket? Breaking might seemed like a reckless thing to do. If it triggered some kind of trap or self-destruction sequence that would definitely be not good.


    He decided to take a closer look around the room to see if there was something he could use to open these glass walls. There wasn¡¯t much inside the room to be inspected actually. Aside from a small glass orb that looked similar to the one above the entry gate.


    Alastor decided to knock on the thing to see if something would come out. Suddenly a beeping noise rang along with a green light scanning his body.


    ¡°SCANNING¡­.Personnel not found in database¡­Please identify yourself!¡± a womanly voice spoke in a monotonous tone.


    ¡°What is this thing? Is someone actually inside this? A fairy perhaps? Or a spirit?¡± Alastor asked himself as he continued to knock on the glass orb.


    ¡°You have five seconds to identify yourself!¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡±


    Suddenly a metal plate slide in and blocked the entrance of the pillar. Alastor was now trapped inside without a way out.


    ¡°Five¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh oh not good!¡±


    ¡°Four¡­.¡±


    Alastor tried to kick down the wall but it didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Three¡­..Preparing Purge Protocol¡­..Two¡±


    ¡°Wait wait!¡±


    ¡°One¡­.. Commencing Purge¡±


    ¡°I AM ALASTOR¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.Purge cancelled¡­..The data for Alastor has yet to be updated. A verification process is required.¡±


    Without warning, a metal snake-like thing with a sharp needle at its head slashed out and took a small amount of blood of Alastor from his hand.


    ¡°Ouch¡­you devil!¡± It actually didn¡¯t hurt that much, at least nothing compared to what he has been through. However he just didn¡¯t like the fact that this thing, whatever it was, did even give him a warning up ahead. If the boy didn¡¯t want to discover the truth behind this contraption, he would have gone all out and destroy this place.


    ¡°¡­Analyzing sample¡­.Confirmed a parent relationship with demon lord Asgore! Welcome to Tartarus, lord Alastor!¡±


    ¡°You freaking damn machine! What are you?¡±


    ¡°I am not allowed to disclose this information until the door of Tartarus has been opened.¡±


    ¡°Door to Tartarus? Are we not in Tartarus yet? Isn¡¯t Tartarus that cave?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Negative. Tartarus is further in the underground and further access requires the four keys you see in this room.¡±


    So whatever Tartarus was, it lied even deeper than Alastor thought it was. That was to be expected from one like the Artificer. Surely a name like Tartarus would not be given to a cave. It must be something incredible useful or powerful to be so well hidden.


    ¡°What is Tartarus exactly?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°I am not allowed to disclose that information. Further access requires the four keys¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright I have the keys, a few on them at least. Open that glass wall thing!¡± Alastor said.


    The glass wall was finally lifted. The boy hurriedly inserted the lantern into the socket. It was a perfect fit. Immediately the glass walls closed down than the lantern was transferred down to the underground.


    ¡°Hey where did you bring it to?¡¯ the boy shouted.


    ¡°In order to protect the key, I have transferred it to a safe location. Please insert the other three keys!¡± the voice answered.


    Alastor took out the Ara Amulet he received from Scarlet and Maria. There was indeed another socket for it and just like the lantern, the amulet was gone the moment he put it in.


    ¡°Second key acquired. Please insert the last two remaining keys!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have those!¡±


    ¡°Then find them and we shall speak again. Also please do not forget to bring the Heart and the Proof of Command! They are vital to Tartarus!¡±


    ¡°What is the Heart? I don¡¯t suppose it¡¯s a real heart is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not allowed to disclose that information.¡±


    ¡°Fuck you!!! How am I supposed to find it if I don¡¯t even know what it looks like? I guess you will say the same thing for that Proof?¡± Alastor angrily said.


    ¡°Actually I can! That information is not classified.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Tell me!¡± the boy pressed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a crown!¡±

 Chapter 45: What lurks below

    ¡°Mother, we have returned!¡± two spiders who, from the look at it, seemed to have gone through quite an ordeal just to get back to the den of their mother, the Spider Queen Archna.


    ¡°Where have you been? I did ask you to expand the cave but not that far, just directly to the demon lord¡¯s castle. It shouldn¡¯t have taken that long.¡± The Spider Queen proclaimed.


    ¡°We encountered some troubles along the way¡­.¡±


    ¡°Trouble? Did someone attack you?¡± Archna, despite being a cruel monster, was a caring mother to her children. And she had a history of not forgiving anyone who attacked her children. Things usually went downhill when someone did that.


    ¡°No¡­no one attacked us. It¡¯s just that there is something buried deep in the underground of Ragna, some kind of wall, that we can¡¯t seem to find a way to pass through to get to the demon lord¡¯s castle.¡±


    ¡°Is it a rock or a dungeon? There used to be a kingdom above but it sank into the underground a long time ago. Could it be its remains? Why didn¡¯t you go around it?¡±


    ¡°We tried but that thing spawns for hundreds of miles across the entire continent and at least a hundred miles deep. Also it was made in a special material that even our poison could not melt it.¡±


    ¡°A special material that our poison doesn¡¯t work on¡­ That¡¯s not possible. Even holy mithril and sacred orichaclum would at least be slightly eroded by our poison. Nothing in this world could resist against it. Unless...Was its surface smooth and looks a bit silvery? Like almost a mirror?¡± Archna jumped of her chair.


    ¡°Actually it was. How do you know it, Mother?¡± one of the spiders said.


    ¡®No it can¡¯t be¡­. I have to make sure.¡¯ Thought Archna. ¡°Bring me to where you find this strange wall.¡±


    ¡­..


    Archna arrived at the first location where her two children first found the bizarre wall in the underground. It was rare for her to go outside the nest. She would never leave most of her children alone there. What could push the Spider Queen to step out of her cave for the first time over a century?


    Although it was dark, the spider¡¯s eyes could see through the obscurity and examined the wall. It was true that normal poison from these young spiders could not do a thing against this strange material. She tried to scratch it with her claws and still nothing. But she still had an ace up her sleeves. The special poison that resided in the Spider Queen¡¯s body was said to be able to melt all, even the hardest and sturdiest metal in the world. How would that fare against this wall?


    Seeing their mother spitting on the wall but remained motionless, the young spider decided to approach and ask her. But before he could say, he saw that the wall was still intact just like before.


    ¡°So it did not work after all. Even Mother¡¯s poison¡­.¡±


    ¡°No it did¡­ Watch again closely this time!¡± Archna spitted out a second wave of poison. The spider watched closely as the surface of the wall began to melt away. But something strange happened. The hole the poison made¡­.was closing before disappearing as if it was never there. That wall was regenerating itself.


    ¡°What the¡­? How could it be possible? Just what is that?¡±


    ¡°Akroma¡­.Also called Living Metal. A unique ore that has the capacity to repair itself no matter how much damaged it was. This accursed thing was right here all along¡­¡± Archna clenched her fist in anger. ¡°You said that this structure is made in the same material that expands for miles down here, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mother! We even heard noises coming from the inside at some point. And the wall is not just a straight line. There are passages where it changes direction, makes a strange turn.¡±


    ¡°Alright gather your brothers. Conceal the tunnel as quick as you can and add your web to fortify the area surrounding this wall. We must contain it. I am sorry for putting this on you, my child, but this is urgent.¡± Archna conveyed.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Mother! We would do anything for you! But what is this Living Metal exactly? Why do you sound so afraid of it?¡±


    ¡°¡­There was once a mad man who used this very metal to take revenge on the world. Eventually he was stopped but not before millions of lives were lost. I didn¡¯t care about the lives of the outside but he was killing indiscriminately, even our own. By myself I was unable to do anything but that was until I met a human. Together we managed to stop him from his madness but ¡­not without a great cost. That was the first and the last time I allied with a human.


    This thing is not allowed to exist, my child! The most terrible thing about Living Metal is not just because of its regeneration capacity but also because its ability to invade and corrupt all things it touches. Fortunately, the metal could only be controlled by a certain method that only that man knows and he is dead.¡± Archna explained. ¡°I will need to go consult with Lady Lilith about this. She would know what to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, mother! But how come I have never heard of him before?¡±


    ¡°This happened a very long time ago, long before Ragna was even a separate continent, before Ceadric or Zagon even existed. It is natural that you would not now.¡±


    ¡°I am curious! Who is this man you spoke off? When you spoke of him, your voice was both angry¡­and sad.¡±


    ¡°He has lived for so long so no one even remembers his real name. But he was commonly known as the Artificer.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°WHAT? You found Akroma in the underground? Are you sure?¡± shouted Lilith.


    ¡°Yes! According to my children, there is an entire structure made of living metal that expands across the entire continent. I have personally check its authenticity. There is no mistake that that thing is indeed made of this ore. I have told my children to barricade and refill the tunnels for now. In addition, the metal doesn¡¯t seem to be active yet so we are safe, for now. Although I don¡¯t know how this would last¡­.¡± Archna reported.


    Immediately after the discovery, the Spider Queen has traveled to the demon lord¡¯s castle in order to address the matter with the Demon Goddess. Needless to say, Lilith was horrified. The memory of that metal has haunted even the Gods.


    ¡°God damn it! How come all these things from the past keep showing up? If we take in account Merkabah, this is the third time the world almost ends. And now this accursed metal is coming back!!!¡± the small elf lost it. Not many things could make a God tremble in fear but if there was one, it was Akroma.


    ¡°What should we do now, milady? We can¡¯t destroy it nor can we contain it. In the meanwhile, it is sleeping but if it awakens¡­.¡±


    ¡°No. Living metal only follows the orders of the Artificer, no one else. If we can find a way to control it like he did, then that would serve as a solution. I will go to his archives and search for clues. There must be something there.¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°Should I go with you?¡± the Spider Queen asked.


    ¡°No need! You keep an eye on that thing. I guess I will take Noroeth with me. He spends years drowning in books. Now it¡¯s time to put him to work!¡±


    ¡°If you say so, milady! Also do we need to inform Alastor of this? He is still the demon lord after all! And judging from all his accomplishments, he might have something to aid us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still unknown whether Alastor will become the demon lord. To be honest, I don¡¯t really care. As long as he helps me getting to Eden, I will play along. And he is not in the castle now anyway.¡±


    ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    ¡°To see that Zagon Empress¡±


    * * *


    The Whispering Woods was located in the eastern part of Malatas, outside its borders. It was where most of the clans and tribes of the beastmans race resided. But not just them, this great forest covering the entire southern region of Mara also inhabited many spirits.


    What were spirits exactly? Essentially they were mana that was given life. While they were all classified as spirits, it could be said that each spirit was a unique being and even their origins were unclear to this day. One such example were the Elementals: spirit made of pure mana of one of the element in magic. To the beastmans, they were worshipped as deities.


    Among all kinds of spirits, one stood out: the Reborn. Formerly a monster, a prime, a demon, these livings beings still had their souls lingering after death but were never able to continue in the cycle of reincarnation. Drifting in nature, they absorbed the mana of the surroundings and became spirit. And these were not random souls but very powerful individuals in their former life. Yearning for the living and former life, the Reborn sought out people capable of communicating with them and made a pact: that they would assist the summoner when called upon. In exchange, the summoner would give them mana and allowed to continue their existence among the living.


    A group of refugees was currently traversing the forest. They have escaped from the undead scourge in Caelum thanks to the efforts of Father Maxime and two youths. And they were one of the lucky groups who were unharmed by the recent destruction by Merkabah. God knew how they accomplished such a feat.


    But now the group was facing a problem. Food was running out and they were lost. When escaping the cities, not many was able to bring much supplies and at least not for this many people. For the last several days they have been going by with the fruits and thanks to some lucky catches and hunts but that could not be a stable source of nourishment when most have never hunted in their entire life.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Right now, waiting for Lucas and Viviana to come back from the hunt, Maxime was checking on the folks.


    ¡°Thank you, Father!¡± a woman expressed her gratitude. Her child had caught a high fever. The journey so far was too harsh for a small child. Thankfully Maxime had found some local herbs using his medical experience and gave the boy a potion. But that was only a temporary measure. He knew they could not continue like this.


    As he went to check on the next patient, Maxime heard some kind of argument. Quickly rushing to the scene, he saw a man holding the hands of a small kid.


    ¡°Hey hey! Stop that! What are you doing?¡± Maxime pushed the man away from the kid.


    ¡°Father Maxime, you come at the right time! I caught these two trying to steal from our supplies.¡± He spoke loudly.


    ¡°Steal? Did you do that?¡± the bishop asked the child but he didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let them get away with this. All of us have been hungry, not just them.¡±


    ¡°Alright alright! Let me take care of this! Everyone please disband now! There is nothing to see here!¡±


    With the people gone, Maxime crouched down to the small kid. He was thin and unhealthy, clearly has gone by with a few meals missing. Maxime made sure that the food was distributed evenly among everyone so how come this kid didn¡¯t have anything to eat? Was that why he has to resort to steal?


    ¡°Why did you steal, child?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the kid tried to avert his gaze.


    ¡°I promise I am not angry. If you don¡¯t I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.My sister¡­.she is sick¡­¡± the kid muttered. ¡°I need to bring her food or else she will..she will¡­ *hic hic*¡±


    ¡°Can you bring me to her? I will cure her.¡± Maxime reassured the child.


    ¡°¡­Okay¡­this way¡±


    The kid led the bishop to a small tent on the far side of the camp. A small girl, who seemed to be barely five years old, was lying on a torn rug , cowering due to the cold. Her breath was slow and hushed, as if it would stop any moment now. She was so thin to the point her bones were showing through her skin.


    Maxime was a great healer, there was no doubt about that. But there was a limit to everything he could do and healing magi was useless in this case. She needed food and proper medical care and some berries in the wild would not do the job.


    The father took out a piece of bread he got for his ration today. He himself has not eaten anything but water for three straight days. Instead he gave his own portion to the ones he thought who really needed it. Not all heroes needed to defeat a demon lord and it could be said that Father Maxime was a true saint who cared about the people without any regard to race or origin. A na?ve sentiment perhaps in this cruel world? But what would a man be if he abandoned his emotions, who cared nothing for others?


    ¡°Take this and share with your sister! Make sure that you eat too! What would your sister say if she sees you now?¡± Maxime said.


    ¡°I will. Thank you Father!¡±


    Going out of the tent, Maxime looked back at the brother who only took a tiny piece for himself and gave the big one to his sickly sister. The boy could have just eaten the whole piece by himself. He was obviously hungry. Yet he chose to share with his sister. He felt a strange warm feeling watching the scene.


    Maxime knew that the Church was corrupted and not just that, there were bad people everything and the world was not a kind place. But there were also people like this boy, people who cared about others. He could not abandon all hope for mankind. For if there was no hope, there would be no future.


    It seemed that Viviana and Lucas were back. Maxime was glad that both were safe, although the two have been gloomy since the events at Caelum. It seemed that the demon who attacked Caelum knew Viviana¡¯ sister. According to her, the two looked very similar to each other and that explained why he mistook her for Shana at first. For Lucas, he was forced to put his own father down. Even though he knew that he was already dead and what he did was releasing him, it could not have been easy.


    The two youths now shared the same goal: to find this demon.


    ¡°Have you been able to find anything?¡± asked Maxime.


    ¡°I am sorry, Father. We didn¡¯t catch anything¡­..¡± Viviana had a disappointed look.


    ¡°No don¡¯t blame yourself! I am just glad that you two are okay. Though to be honest I don¡¯t know if we could last any longer. Everyone is tired and food is running out. At this rate¡­.¡±


    ¡°If not for that demon, we would never be in this situation! I will kill him!!!¡± Lucas fumed.


    ¡°Go ahead and shout idiot! See if that would help anything! Beside you are not allowed to kill him before I got some answers!¡± Vivana scolded the youth.


    ¡°Now now don¡¯t fight!¡±


    Suddenly a sound roared that interrupted their conversation: a howl. Something was moving in the bush and from the sounds coming from all directions, it wasn¡¯t just one.


    ¡°A wolf howl? In the middle of the day?¡± Shit¡­Father Maxime please get back!¡±


    The refugees started to panic. A pack of a dozen horned wolves has surrounded the entire camp. With just two people capable of fighting, they would not be able to defend themselves. They could not get away.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Viviana took out her weapon.


    ¡°Do you even need to ask? Kill them of course!¡± Lucas said.


    ¡°Are you stupid? If we attack then who will defend the rest? Use your head for once!¡±


    ¡°Then what do you propose???¡±


    How would they get out of this situation?


    ¡°HALT! Step down!¡± a voice echoed.


    Obeying the voice, the wolves slowly drew back. A figure walked out from the dense trees. He had a lot of brown fur on his body with two teeth sticking out from his lower jaw. Wearing the skin of what was once a beast adorned with plates which did not seem to be made from metal but scales, the figure examined the group.


    ¡°A bunch of humans ¡­.and a beastman. Who are you to dare trespassing our clan¡¯s territory?¡± the stranger spoke.


    ¡°We are refugees from Caelum. I am sorry for entering your land without asking for permission but we want no trouble. If you could spare just a little food for my people we would be forever in your debt. If not please just let us go and we will be on our way!¡± Maxime pled to the beastman.


    ¡°How do I know if you are lying or not? You could be spies working for the damned elves.¡±


    ¡°No we are not! I don¡¯t know what is between you and the elves but I swear that we are not related to them¡±¡±


    ¡°Hum like any spy would admit they are one! And even if you are telling me the truth, we can¡¯t spare you any food right now! War is coming! The safest way is to kill you all!¡±


    ¡°Try if you can!¡± Viviana summoned a fire elemental. The grass caught on fire and scared the wolves.


    Seeing the spirit, the beastman was left in awe. ¡®A spirit shaman? And she is also a beastman¡­..This is interesting!¡¯


    ¡°Wait wait! I change my mind! I can give you food but you have to come back with me and talk to our chief. If things go well, we will even give you temporary shelters until you find a new home. Not a bad deal, is it?¡± the beastman proposed.


    ¡°Father, what should we do? I just can¡¯t believe that he is willing to change his mind that quick. Just a minute ago he wanted to kill us.¡± Said Lucas.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t have a choice. Our people can¡¯t survive by ourselves much longer. He is our only option! We just have to risk it!¡± Maxime said.


    After a short discussion with everyone, it was decided that they would follow this stranger. What could they do? Food was running out and Maxime could not handle all the injured and sick by himself.


    ¡°All right, we will follow you!¡± Maxime said to the beastman.


    ¡°Good decision! I will guide you to back to our tribe. The wolves will protect us on the way. By the way, the name is Garrick.¡±

 Chapter 46: Findings and decisions

    ¡°How are our troops, Malick?¡± a king sat on a throne made out of stone asked his general.


    ¡°All prepared milord! Half of Oros is already under your rule. More and more dragons are coming to your side every day. The council of dragon has been nothing but a thorn in their eyes since its creation so it¡¯s obvious than when someone like you, who demonstrated strength that even surpassed dragons came along and promised them freedom, they will naturally follow.¡± A knight in white armour said to his king.


    Kaiser has been busy with the dragon recruitment, especially ever since he recruited Malick, a white dragon with incredible power.  It was also Malick who has advised Kaiser instead of talking about ruling over the dragons; he should say that he was here to free them from the dragon council¡¯s tyranny. And it was a perfect strategy that aimed at the core of every dragon. They were a race that valued individuality, strength and most importantly freedom. To not be bound by anyone¡¯s rules, that was the adage of the dragon. To some extent, they could be seen as egoist who only cared about themselves. Taking advantage of this natural instinct, Kaiser has assembled an army of a thousand dragons in just a few days, a testament of discontent of the race against their council.


    ¡°Somehow I feel like I am tricking them¡­Not something a king should do to his people.¡± Kaiser admitted his uncertainty about this strategy.


    ¡°While what you are saying is correct, a king should not limit himself to moral means. Sometimes a king must commit acts that would make him like a villain in order to protect his people. Just look at yourself! When those humans wanted to harm miss Syralth, you kill them without any hesitation. To their family, what you did was an atrocity. But to others like Celdora, it was justifiable.


    Morality is defined by people and people are not perfect creatures. Therefor the norms of morality itself are relative to each and every one of us.


    The end justifies the means. In our case, you will get your army of dragons to aid your father. Although you must release them afterward. If the dragons want a king, they will elect it themselves. A king that takes his throne by force usually doesn¡¯t last long.¡± Malick said.


    ¡°Then why are you helping me, Malick? I find it weird you are willing to aid me even though you knew my true intentions.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me! I judge you as a great individual, one who is destined to be a monarch. Perhaps one day you will rule over the dragons for real. Who knows? Just not now.


    As for aiding you, I have my own reasons. Let¡¯s just say that I too share the desire to free the dragons.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Find anything yet?¡± a small girl spoke.


    ¡°Give it time! You can¡¯t skim through a book like that. It will damage them. These are treasures left to us. Who knows what wisdom and knowledge it holds?¡± a skeletal figure held an old grimoire gently.


    ¡°You damn bookworm! I ask you to come with because I think you are the wisest in that castle. Now I am starting to regret it.¡± Lilith said with disappointment.


    ¡°Thanks for the compliment but I will take my time. You don¡¯t even tell me why you brought me here and just want me to look for clues about a god-know-what rock called Akroma. How the hell am I supposed to know what I am searching for?¡±


    ¡°Even God knows nothing about that thing! Just keep searching! I don¡¯t want to spend more time in this creepy place.¡± The Goddess complained as she resumed to reading the book she had. To her this was all just some strange words putting together as she understood nothing.


    The two were currently inside the manor of the Artificer, located in the North of Ragna. This place has been secretly guarded by the demons ever since the old man died ten years ago. Although it has been searched thoroughly, it was unclear whether secrets still lied somewhere inside this ancient manor. It belonged to the man who has created so many strange contraptions after all. It would not be a surprise if something else was hidden here, unknown to the world outside after all those years.


    ¡°Well I will bring this pile of books to another room. At least there won¡¯t be anyone disturbing me.¡± Noroeth stacked five books he took from the shelves and walked out of the room. But as he went outside, he was suddenly struck with a headache.


    ¡°Damn it¡­these are starting to become frequent¡­I didn¡¯t know that undeads could be sick¡±


    Indeed undeads were immune to sickness and all diseases so it could not be possible that Noroeth was afflicted with one. However if then what caused his headaches that became more and more periodic these last few days? In addition he felt like he was hallucinating, seeing the image of the time he spent at the demon lord¡¯s castle before he died.


    A strange yet familiar conversation rang in his head. However there were parts of the dialogue he could not hear clearly and even the scenes seemed to jump from one to another.


    ¡°How I can trust you?¡±


    ¡°Well you just have to find out. But I can say this to you with confidence: I love her!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°I hope we could achieve peace together¡±


    ¡°It will be difficult! Too much blood has been spilled.¡±


    ¡°Are you giving up?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You two have shown me that peace is possible. And I want to create that future for your coming son.¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°I want you to name our son.¡±


    ¡°Wait what? Me? You sure about that? An old sage like myself tends to give weird name you know?¡±


    ¡°You are like a father to her. It¡¯s natural that you will have the honor.¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­.well how about Alastor?¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Theoron, I have invited a special guest to come for Alastor¡¯s birthday. Can I ask you to take him in?¡±


    ¡°Why not ask one of your servants? You want me to miss my grandson¡¯s birthday???¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic! He will probably come in any moment now, I think. He is an important guest so I would like you to come greet him. I think you two will have a lot to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Really? Who is that?¡±


    ¡°He is ¡­¡­.. ¡±


    The images have stopped. Theoron found himself back in the hall of the manor again. Still shrivelled by the memories, he dropped the pile of books he was holding.


    ¡°Something wrong, Noroeth?¡± hearing the noise outside, Lilith called out to check.


    ¡°No¡­nothing. Yes nothing! Just trip on a crack. That¡¯s all.¡± The skeleton replied. He quickly crouched down to pick up the books.


    ¡°You had me worried for a second. Pay attention will you!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha I will¡± Noroeth faked his laugh.


    He remembered now. The lost memory that was hidden away. Perhaps it was due to the trauma caused by his death that made him lose a part of his memories just before he died. But now he got the name. The name of the person that visited the castle the day Alastor was born. The day his parents died.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­.¡± Noroeth muttered.


    He started to feel disorientated. He pushed his hand on the wall to stand up. The headache was coming back. The visitor¡­ How come he could not remember his face? No he did remember seeing someone coming from afar. But there wasn¡¯t just one visitor¡­.there were two he saw.


    Continuing walking the hallway while pushing his hand on the wall, Noroeth suddenly felt his hand being dragged into something. By accident he has found a hidden wall  that opened up upon pushing on it at the right place. However behind the wall was a staircase leading down and Noroeth felt down to it.


    BAM BAM BAM


    ¡°Damn it hurts. Poor my old bones!¡± Noroeth slowly stood up. ¡°Where am I¡­¡­. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH¡±


    ¡°WHAT? What are you screaming for?¡± this time, hearing a much louder noise with a scream, Lilith rushed to the hall and saw the opening wall. She stepped down the stair and saw Noroeth standing motionless. What happened to him? But now she understood why he was screaming when she saw what was inside the room. ¡°What the¡­..Stella?¡±


    * * *


    Alastor¡¯s POV


    So I still needed two others keys to enter Tartarus. Judging from what the other two were, I must find two Tempus Machinas. One of them looked like some kind of long staff or sceptre. The other I had no idea. I thought there were seven Tempus Machinas in total. How come the door only required four? Could it be that there were more doors after the first one? But where would I find these artefacts? So far it was by pure chance I stumbled on them. Should I count on my luck, wishing that they would eventually come to me or should I actively search for them?


    Either way I decided to back to Mara. If I recalled, the organisation that Maria told me about, Sanctus I believed their name was, was the one who previously possessed the two artefacts I found. Perhaps they were collecting them as well. Then I should pay them a visit. I still didn¡¯t forget that they were the one who did all those experiments and caused Shana¡¯s death¡­I would make them pay for that.


    ¡°Alastor? You listening?¡± a voice brought be back to where I was.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    I was in the Grand Cathedral of Caelum together with Morrigan and her knight Catrina. If you wondered why I was here, it was because I wanted to go to Zagon and what better way to go there with the Empress. From what I have gathered so far, I did not think Morrigan could be the one who killed my parents. First of all, indeed she was a talented soul mage but not nearly enough to be a big threat to be able to kill everyone at the castle. Secondly I learnt from Theoron that before even Lakyus departed from Zagon, she was out of the line to inherit the throne by the decision of the king. Even if she succeeded in killing the demon lord, came back as a hero, she would only have a few years, if not months to live. Morrigan had no need to kill her if she wanted to keep the throne for herself. That would be too risky to take on both the demon lord and the Hero at the same time.


    There was also a third reason why I thought that Morrigan was not the culprit. My disappearance after the murder. Everyone was so absorbed in finding who killed my parents and forgot about the fact that I was also taken away. If someone murdered the entire castle, why let me live? Would I not become a threat to them? Not just me, Ingrid and Morgan also survived. Basing on what happened to Ingrid, it could be fair to assume that whoever killed my parents did that to Ingrid but for she managed to get away along with Morgan. So why not pursue the both of them? For someone who killed both the demon lord and the Hero, that would be an easy task? Why let Ingrid being found and taken away by Mikael?


    What I believed happened was that someone killed everyone at the castle and for some reasons, perhaps they were injured or something, did not pursue the fleeing Ingrid and Morgan carrying me. Yet if it was the case then why did Morgan stay silent for the last ten years? During that time she could easily find a way back to Ragna to contact the others if she was indeed innocent. And when Mikael confronted her, she clearly had a feeling of remorse and sadness. This meant two possibilities: either she was an accomplice but changed her mind midway and decided to save me. Or she knew the culprit and that person was actually among our allies, keeping her from contacting the demons.


    Either way I could not find any clue that could link back Morrigan. And even if my deduction was wrong, by being close to her I had more chance to find something rather than avoiding her.


    ¡°Sorry! Just thinking about something. You are saying?¡±


    ¡°I am asking you to become the heir to Zagon throne.¡± Said Morrigan.


    ¡°Hum..seems like a hassle¡­¡± I teased.


    ¡°You dare..¡± the knight intervened. Despite being a demon, she seemed to be quite loyal to Morrigan. How come a demon ended up in servitude of an Empress?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Catrina! I won¡¯t force you if that¡¯s your answer, Alastor! Then tell me! If you are not here for that then what are you here for?¡± the Empress asserted.


    ¡°Well I didn¡¯t say I won¡¯t either. It¡¯s just asking me to be king of a country I have never seen before is a bit difficult. So to give you a proper answer, I am thinking about going to Zagon. Just taking a tour if you don¡¯t mind.¡± I said.


    ¡°You think this is a game? Your Majesty has asked you that kindly and yet you¡­.¡±


    ¡°Catrina, be silent!¡± Morrigan affirmed.


    ¡°My apologies. I have stepped out of line!¡±


    ¡°So you want to go to Zagon?¡± Morrigan asked me. ¡°Alright we will go back to Zagon then. I also have some unfinished business to go there.¡±


    ¡°So I heard. With the rebellion and everything. Can¡¯t be easy.¡±


    ¡°You are well informed. The country just turned to shit after what happened. Did you have anything to do with that?¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­a bit¡­slightly¡­mostly¡­.¡±


    ¡°Things are not that easy with you either huh? Can¡¯t say I envy that.¡±


    ¡°You are not going to ask me about it?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to?¡±


    ¡°Nah it¡¯s a pain to explain. Just know that I kind of save the world.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°What kind of demon lord saves the world? Not that I am complaining.¡±


    ¡°Never said I was one either.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you? Who are you fighting for?¡±


    ¡°My family¡±


    * * *


    The group of refugees leading by Maxime has finally arrived at a settlement that lied in a hidden valley inside the Whispering Forest. The beastman Garrick has kept his promise and gave them shelters along with food for the people. The villagers, all beastmans of different features, were hesitant at first but greeted them warmly afterward. For some it was their first time seeing a human so they could not hide their curiosity.


    But the question Maxime had was what would be the price for this? Surely Garrick¡¯s change of mind was not out of kindness, even the kind bishop knew that.


    Garrick has guided Maxime along with Viviana and Lucas to a large hut in the village. He asked them to wait outside while he would inform his chieftain. After a while he came out.


    ¡°Alright only the girl and the priest can come out. The boy will stay outside!¡± Garrick said.


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Lucas clamoured.


    ¡°That¡¯s what the boss said. If you are not happy with this then you are free to leave, along with the rest of your people!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Lucas, please wait outside!¡± Maxime said to the boy.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Lucas!¡±


    ¡°Fine! But if they do something to you, shout as loud as you can! I will be right here!¡±


    With that Maxime and Viviana walked into the hut together with Garrick.


    Inside, a large beastman sat on a red carpet on the ground. He had a very muscular body with dark skin and claws but his head had many fur that formed a mane around his neck like a lion. Indeed, you could tell from a glance that this man was of the Lion tribe, one of the leadings tribes of the beastman races.


    The beastmans used to live in specific clans divided by their origin. So Lion tribesmen would only live with other Lion beastmans but that was a long time ago. Nowadays, all the clan members were mixed up and the pure blood line has faded with time, leaving all beastmans usually very similar to humans but with a bit of fur and retained only a few features like ears and tails. This meant that someone like this beastman was very rare. Actually even someone like Garrick was rare. Compared to Viviana who looked just like a human with cat ears and tail, these two must have descended from pure breed, making more powerful in term on strength.


    ¡°Chief Zen, I have brought the priest and the girl. Here is Father Maxime and Viviana of the Cat tribe.¡± Garrick presented the two.


    ¡°I am Zen, chieftain of this clan. No need for formality! Here in the Quin clan, we value only strength. Words are filled with lies and reserved for the weak! Therefore I will be honest with you the best I can. And I expect you will do the same.


    So who are you exactly and what are you doing here?¡± asked Zen.


    ¡°My name is Maxime. I am a bishop from Caelum and this is Viviana, one of the hero apprentices for the Church¡­¡± Maxime was stopped before he could continue.


    ¡°Wait wait. A beastman working for the Church? Is this a joke?¡± Zen questioned. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any pride, girl?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Viviana raised her voice.


    ¡°The Church rejects our belief in spirits, constantly trying to convert our tribesmen into their religion. And when we refuse, they treat us like demons, pillaging our villages without any warning, saying we are heretics. Are you not aware of this?¡±


    ¡°What? Is this true?¡± Viviana turned to Maxime for answers but the bishop could only lower his head without able to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°Hah, tricking one of your own so you could control them. We know that the Church is trying to convert simply because we are more powerful than they are. In my eyes, you humans are even worse than demons. And you dare claiming being the voice of Gods and all. What a joke!¡± the chieftain said.


    ¡°Wait you are wrong! Father Maxime is not like that!¡± Viviana proclaimed.


    ¡°I admit that the Church has done despicable things in the past. There is no way around it and I can¡¯t express how deeply sorry I am. But I implore you: the people with me has nothing to do with this. The fault lies with us the members of the Church. So if you can overlook this¡­¡± Maxime pled.


    ¡°Words¡­in the ends that¡¯s all you have, pretty words. But like I said, we value strength and actions here and I would not dirty my hands with the blood of women and children. So here is my proposal: starting for today, you will work for us. The elves have declared war against the beastmans and soon their army will march through this great forest.


    As you know, we are divided with no leader. If an enemy like the elves attacks a settlement like this one at a time, we won¡¯t be able to do anything. That¡¯s why currently all clans are unifying to find a new leader. The problem is how to pick one. We can¡¯t let all the leaders just beating each other to death until one remains. That would reduce our force too much. So it was decided that each clan will send a member of that clan to fight in a tournament and the leader of the winner will become the king of the tribesmen.


    Garrick has told me that you are a spirit shaman. That¡¯s something very rare. If someone like you could make a pact with a great spirit then victory is certain. Do you get what I am saying here?¡± Zen explained.


    ¡°That is¡­.¡± Before Maxime could protest, the girl next to him has already spoken.


    ¡°I agree. In return you will make sure that our group is well fed and sheltered.¡±


    ¡°Wait Viviana. That¡¯s a little rash don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°I have my own reasons for this, Father. Making a pact with a great spirit is a chance in a lifetime. I know that I am weak after what happened in Caelum. If this can get me stronger, it will help get closer to that demon.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha well said girl. That kind of thinking is the way of the beastman. Very well! I welcome you to the Quin clan!¡±

 Discussion (NOT A CHAPTER)

    We are now half way through the first book of Tales of Astora: Legacy. I would like to thank everyone for your support for the last couple of months and all the comments and reviews that helped me polish this first fiction of mine.


    I make this thread to address all negative (and also positive if there is ::) ) things that you have seen in this novel. Please say what you would like me to fix, improve or simply just keep the same here as I have drawn out the story for the first book but the one for the second one is still under development so this can help me to prepare in advance. Issues like grammar should be more careful, pacing faster or slower, etc.


    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Also I would like to listen to your theories about various subjects like who is the culprit behind the massacre 10 years ago? What is the deal of the Artificer with the demon? etc etc. One of the finest joys of being a humble author like I am is to see the reaction of my readers after each even. So if you have anything to share please go ahead!


    Thanks again :)

 Chapter 47: A new family

    Somewhere in a dark room, ten chairs sat around a round table with ten candles in front of each. However only six were lit, as well as only six persons were sitting behind them.


    ¡°Taking account on what happened to Avant-Heim and there has been no answer from him, I believe our celestial member is dead, along with thousands on that island.¡± A shadowy person said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the issue! What we need to do now is to deal with that bitch Morrigan! She took my city right in front of me!¡± one of the six shouted in anger. A man with a tall hat, the pope Gauwyn, was a member of Sanctus. In fact, he was the leader and founder of this illusory organization.


    ¡°Holy Father, please calm down! We will find a way but now there are more pressing issues than the Empress¡­.¡±


    ¡°You tell me to calm down? How dare you? If only you did your job and killed her before she could begin this foolish conquest of hers, I wouldn¡¯t be in this state! And now you have the guts to tell me to calm down?¡± Gauwyn raged.


    ¡°But we already lost four of our main members. Terrick is dead and we don¡¯t even know who did it. Chancellor Finor is murdered by that elven princess in such a suspicious manner. We lost contact with the one sent to Oros along with the hundred adventurers who came with him. And now even the celestial is presumed to be dead. I can¡¯t help but think someone is intentionally interfering with our plan.¡± Another shadow said.


    ¡°Do you think that the rumors are true? That there is a new demon lord? If it is the case then it would make sense that the demons would target us members of Sanctus since we are the only ones who can stop him or her.¡± Such na?ve thinking. These persons here, if not driven by greed, thought themselves as the guardians of the world against the demons. In most case, those types were the craziest ones as they truly believed that they were doing the right thing. And sometimes the right thing could have a whole different meaning, depending on how nuts they were.


    ¡°¡­..¡± the sixth shadow stayed silent.


    ¡°Yes that must be it. That bitch Morrigan must be in cahoots with the demon lord. Her conquest would make perfect sense considering the timing. Taking over the holy capital, the only force to defend the world from evil, she must have aimed for me the whole time. We must get rid of her right away!¡± the pope spoke madly.


    ¡°From what I heard, she is currently on her way back to Eisenheim. This is due to the pressure from the nobles and the rebellion, which I have planned ahead of course. She is unable to have an heir and even if she chooses someone from outside, we can always make pretense to get rid of that person. Either way she has no choice but to forfeit the throne. And if she resists, that will give us a legitimate reason to kill her.¡±


    ¡°This is your last chance, Svelt! You know what will happen if you fail me a second time.¡± Gauwyn threatened before vanishing from the room.


    ¡°He just keeps getting worse ever since that Empress took over his palace. Now I am starting to regret getting him out of there. What about you? You have been silent since the beginning.¡± A shadow man turned to the sixth one who has been quiet since the beginning of their conversation.


    ¡°¡­Nothing. We will just have to wait and see!¡±


    * * *


    The Iron City of Eisenheim was the capital of Zagon, the youngest country compared to all others and there was a reason for that. A long time ago when Ceadric was the only human country, a revolution took place gathering all the slaves under Ceadric to rebel. After a hundred years civil war, Ceadric had no choice but to abandon the southern territory which later became Zagon. Therefore to the old nobles families of Ceadric, Zagon was often referred as the countries of slaves as it was created from the hands of the rebel slaves. For this very same reason, the first emperor of Zagon declared that no slavery would ever be allowed his country ever again. However just because it was a free country didn¡¯t mean there were no problems. Like its neighbors, Zagon had a fair share of issues, especially now.


    ¡°So¡­.¡± Alastor uttered in awe.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Why am I with you again?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°You want me to guide you to Zagon, no? That¡¯s exactly what I am doing.¡± The Zagon Empress said.


    ¡°I get that but why are we in the same horse again? Why can¡¯t I get one for myself?¡±


    ¡°If you are to be my son then you should start to act like one. Coming in the city together with you on a horse would make things more believable when I announce you as my heir.¡± Morrigan explained.


    ¡°Now that is still under discussion. I would like to see things there for myself before I take my decision.¡±


    ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t hurt if we start practice right now doesn¡¯t it? Just indulge me!¡± Morrigan smiled.


    ¡°You are starting to remind me of Ikarus and Stella. Women¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ikarus and Stella? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They are both part of my family. Stella is a doll who has helped me and assisted me in everything since the demons took me in. Ikarus is a celestial. We used to be enemies but now¡­.¡±


    ¡°But now what? Things go further?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­yeah¡­perhaps¡­maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°Sounds like I should meet this Ikarus. Just for a small check.¡±


    ¡°What are you? My mom?¡±


    ¡°Maybe soon enough. By the way we have arrived at our destination!¡± Morrigan pointed forward.


    A black wall made of steel stood on their path. Two triangular blue flags with the emblem of a white flower drifted on the high wall.


    ¡°Welcome to the Iron City of Eisenheim!¡±


    Passing through the wall, the road went down to a valley. From there, Alastor could see the infamous black city. Made out of pure black steel found in the mines unique to Zagon and renowned for being one of the most resistant steel in the world, Eisenheim was like an invincible fortress. Thanks to this steel that was mixed in the construction of the city, there has been no severe damage from the recent catastrophes.


    Yet something seemed to be going on.


    ¡°There seems to be some commotion ahead.¡± Alastor noticed some shouting and a crowd gathering at the entrance of the city.


    ¡°¡­I expected something like this¡­¡± The Empress sighed.


    ¡°We demand food to be given to the people¡± a farmer shouted at the guards who were stopping them to enter through the gate.


    ¡°I am telling that¡¯s not going to happen. Rations are low and by orders of the Empress there will be no distribution for now.¡± The guard answered.


    ¡°But we are starving. Does the Empress not care for her people?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I knew the Empress since she was a kid. She is not the kind of person who would abandon her people like this.¡±


    ¡°As I have said before, this is the orders from the Empress herself. Now move out or you will have a piece of this spear!¡± the guard insisted.


    Suddenly an arrow passed right by his head, making him almost piss himself in bewilderment. Turning back to see the one responsible, the crowd saw the army of blue knights and in the lead of them was their Empress.


    ¡°Your Majesty has returned!¡± the people quickly fell on their knees to greet Morrigan.


    ¡°Yes I am back! What¡¯s this about the orders of keeping the people out?¡± Morrigan turned to the guard earlier. The poor guy was now trembling in fear. With the smell of piss coming from his crotch, Alastor could only feel pity for the guy. There could not be anyone more pathetic than this person right here.


    ¡°I¡­.I¡­.¡± and now he could not even speak properly.


    ¡°Open the gate! Take out the rations from our stocks and distribute to everyone who need it! NOW!¡± Morrigan gave her order. But before the other guard could sneak away, she put a sword on his neck. ¡°Not you!¡±


    With the gate opened, the people rushed in and followed the guards to receive their portion of foods. But not without kneeling and thanking their Empress. It seemed that not everyone belonged to the rebellion after all.


    With everyone out of the way, Morrigan could now finally turn her attention to the guard who has been frozen since earlier.


    ¡°Now who gave you that order?¡±


    ¡°Please forgive Your Highness! I¡­.I¡­.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡­Please ¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Very well! You won¡¯t have to say anything! Let¡¯s do this the quick way!¡±


    All of the sudden, Morrigan grabbed the guard¡¯s head. His eyes started become white and he fell on his knees as his body was convulsing.


    ¡°The flesh may lie but the soul doesn¡¯t. <Soul Reader>¡±


    Morrigan¡¯s hand took on a blue light. Her eyes reflected a series of images, the memories of the guard: his life, his parents, how he ended up in this job, his family and most importantly who told him to spread the rumors about Morrigan abandoning her people. It was because of these peoples like him that started the insurrection. But Morrigan already had an idea about who was behind this. The nobles of course and she just needed to confirm this.


    After a few seconds, she released her hand; the guard fell like a rag to the ground, dead.


    ¡°Wow what did you do to him?¡± asked Alastor in amazement.


    ¡°Memories reside in the soul of everyone and unlike its host, soul doesn¡¯t lie. I just need to scan through his memories to find out the one giving the order¡­..Minister Svelt¡­Just as I thought¡± Morrigan spoke with an infuriated tone. It seemed she had some history with this Svelt in the past.


    ¡°You have to teach me that spell!¡± Alastor was curious about <Soul Reader>. It was a very useful sorcery, specialized in interrogation and intelligence gathering. Unfortunately, you could only use it against people weaker than yourself.


    ¡°In time. I will need to take care of a few things first! Catrina can you bring Alastor to the inner palace? I will go to the court right away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Wait I want to take a tour first!¡±


    ¡°Fine. Go with him Catrina!¡±


    With that said Morrigan left her knight and Alastor by themselves and went toward the palace with her phalanx.


    ¡°And there she goes.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be kinder with her? Her Highness has been through a lot.¡± the knight Catrina said.


    ¡°So did anyone around here including me and you.¡±


    ¡°But she is not just anyone!!! She is the only one left in your family.¡±


    ¡°My family is who I choose to be with. Blood relationship is of no importance¡­.¡±


    ¡°YOU¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­but I will try to be nice. She did treat me well after all. I am selfish but not an ungrateful bastard.¡± Alastor confessed. Actually the boy has started to open up to Morrigan, especially after their journey back to Zagon. Even being with the demons, Alastor had the feeling of being used just because they wanted him to become their demon lord. Compared to that, being here felt much more relaxed. He has even considered seriously becoming her adopted son, just so he could have more time here.


    Alastor has also learnt of Morrigan¡¯s incident from Catrina that caused her to be infertile. While he could not fully understand the sadness and grief of a woman who could never experience the joy of being a mother, he sympathized with her.  Perhaps what he was doing, what he wanted was to provide comfort to the last member of his family.


    ¡°Can you guide me back to the palace? Where Morrigan is going.¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Why? I thought you wanted to have a tour around the city.¡±


    ¡°I changed my mind. Maybe later. Right now I have a mother to adopt.¡±


    * * *


    Back at the castle, Morrigan was walking to the court hall. The moment she entered the palace, she was notified that all the nobles have been assembled and waiting for her, as if they all knew she was coming back, anticipating her arrival and perhaps her downfall. Just before entering the room, she was greeted by her confidant in this den of lies.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you have returned!¡± minister Sinclair bowed to Morrigan. Having a big heart just like his plumb body, Sinclair was one of the last people still faithful to Morrigan.


    ¡°Are they already here?¡± she said.


    ¡°Svelt has eyes everywhere in the city. The moment you pass through the gate he is already informed about it. Plus, he has the ears of the council and I am afraid that this time he won¡¯t let you get away with the same excuse as last time¡­.¡± Sinclair reluctantly said. ¡°I can¡¯t have any word to excuse my failure, my Queen! If only I¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sinclair! None of this is your fault. If there is anyone to blame, it¡¯s me for let you down.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°I am glad to have such a loyal retainer¡±


    Morrigan opened the door of the court hall. Inside more than thirty nobles representing their regions have all gathered here, standing on two sides of the hall, giving a clear way on a blue carpet toward the iron throne. The throne was a relic made from an old Emperor of Zagon who has taken the armors and weapons of his fallen enemies and melt them in order to forge this throne.


    As Morrigan was just a few steps away from the throne, a handsome man in his forties walked from the lines of nobles and bowed his head to Morrigan. Yet you could not feel the same sincerity he had compared to Catrina or Sinclair.


    ¡°Your faithful servant, Minister Svelt, greets your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Long time no see, Minister Svelt! I see that you have been taking care of the palace while I am gone.¡± Morrigan spoke with a fake smile on her face.


    ¡°Your words are too kind, your Highness! We have all heard your achievement at Caelum. How you catch a group of harmless priests and a city without anyone capable of even defending themselves. Very¡­.diplomatic!¡± Svelt grinned.


    ¡°I can also ask you all the same. Even when the people outside are starving to death as we speak, you can still keep that pretty face of yours without losing a gram. Sometimes I feel like I lose as a woman compared to such¡­womanliness you have.¡± Morrigan retorted.


    For a moment, Svelt just wanted to kill the woman right in front of him. For years he had to bow before her. At first he thought he could seduce her thanks to his charm but just like right now, Morrigan always found a way to embarrass him in front of everyone.


    ¡°¡­.As much as I want to continue our pleasant chat, I believe that you know why we are all here, your Highness!¡±


    ¡°You tell me. You are the one who came here first.¡±


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t forget the promise you made in the court a few months ago: either you will marry someone here and name that person as king or you have to find an heir. The council has been very patient with you, giving you three months to think about it but so far we have seen neither of those options becoming reality.


    So I ask that your Majesty, while you still have your dignity, forfeit your throne. Me and the council will take over temporarily until a rightful heir is chosen.¡± Svelt showed his true color.


    ¡°And I suppose that ¡®rightful heir¡¯ is you?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the will of the council. Please don¡¯t change the subject your Highness! Either you give up your throne now or we will make you do it!¡±


    The royal guards brought out their weapons. Though even with their numbers, they were no match for one like Morrigan. However if Morrigan resisted, that would mean they now had a valid reason to kill her and things might even end up with a civil war. With all the people suffering outside, a civil war would only contribute to the doom of this country. What choice did she have?


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    BAM


    Suddenly something pushed the door with so much force its slammed against the wall. A small figure walked inside.


    ¡°HELLO EVERYONE! I am looking for my mother. Did any of you gentlemen see her?¡±

 Chapter 48: Pact

    ¡°Who the hell are you? How dare you enter the palace without permission? Guards!¡±


    ¡°You dare attack your future king?¡± Alastor shouted with an imposing voice, stunning all the guards.


    Svelt who had no idea who this kid was, being a coward he was, instinctively kneeled down in fear. Then he asked himself why did he do that? To bow to this brat without even knowing him. Realizing that the others were looking at him strangely, he immediately stood up and tried to avert the attention to this new stranger.


    ¡°How dare you claim to be king?¡±


    ¡°I am the Empress¡¯ son so of course I am the heir you dimwit! ¡­.Ah here you are mother. I have been looking for you!¡± Alastor ran clumsily to Morrigan and hugged her tightly in front of the whole court. No one understood the scene. Even Morrigan herself was left with no words and froze for a bit before Alastor whispered. ¡°Play along!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­Ah¡­.I am sorry my son! You were sleeping so mommy didn¡¯t want to wake you up.¡± Morrigan quickly regained her composure. Years of exposing herself to the lies around her has turn her into a professional actress, capable of improvising in any kind of situation.


    ¡°What? Who is this kid?¡±


    ¡°Mommy, why is this guy so angry? I have said it two times already and still he doesn¡¯t get it and keeps shouting at me.¡±


    ¡°You will have to forgive him! Minister Svelt is at that time of the month¡­Actually he was always like this. Legends said he has been on period for thirty years straight till this day.¡±


    The court could not hold their laugh while listening to the ridiculous conversation. Especially minister Sinclair who was rolling on the floor giggling hysterically. As for the person in question, minister Svelt¡¯s head has started to become red swollen like a tomato, so much it seemed he was about to blow at any moment.


    ¡°STOP LAUGHING! Empress Morrigan, what does he mean by that?¡±


    ¡°Aie aie¡­do I have to spell it out for you? I have chosen this boy as my next heir. Just as you want it.¡± Morrigan proclaimed.


    ¡°Hi! Looking forward to be your supreme leader!¡± Alastor waved his hands at the crowd of nobles.


    ¡°But..but this is¡­outrageous. We know nothing about this boy. How can we let him be our king just like that? How do we know if he is qualified? I demand a test to be done at the utmost urgency.¡± Svelt spoke to the crowd. While what he said sounded reasonable and convincing, the man had no idea what he has just gotten himself into.


    ¡°You dare question my judgment, Svelt?¡± Morrigan scolded.


    ¡°No mother! He is right! If the ministers have doubt about my qualification, then I must prove it to them. There must be no uncertainty among the people, especially when it concerns the heir to a royal family with a long history like Magnolia.¡± Alastor said. His words shocked the aristocrats in the room. It was simply too mature for a kid at his age.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want then go ahead.¡± Morrigan sighed.


    ¡°Alright! What will be the test, Minister Svelt?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°I commemorate your confidence, boy! Unfortunately, we have not expected this situation so right now I can¡¯t give you any test. I will need two days to discuss with the council so an appropriate test would be given.¡± Everyone knew that Svelt would not even ask the council but rather would spend those two days crafting some impossible test for the poor boy. For most of them, this boy¡¯s fate was already sealed.


    ¡°I have no problem with that. Take all the time you want.¡±


    ¡°The court is now adjourned for the day. The Empress is tired from her journey.¡± Sinclair said to all the court.


    As Svelt was leaving, Alastor approached him.


    ¡°I must apologize for my previous behavior, milord! In no way do I intend to dishonor you in front of everyone like that. But words have been said that could not be pulled back so I would like to make a peace offering, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Alastor humbly apologized for his behavior.


    ¡®So this kid knows who is actually running things around here. He he if he actually goes to my side then things would be even better.¡¯ Thought the idiot Svelt who actually believed what Alastor just said.


    ¡°I am not that much of a small man to hold a grudge for something that trivial. But if you are indeed sincere then it would be impolite to refuse your present.¡± Svelt tried to keep his calm. In his mind he was over excited by someone who seemed to respect or at least see him as a superior.


    ¡°Here is it. From where I come from, we have a special medicine that I believe is the perfect thing for you.¡±


    ¡°Really? What is the medicine for?¡±


    ¡°For women on period¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME? How dare you ???¡±


    ¡°Oh God no! In no way I want to fuck with you. That¡¯s just¡­just disgusting. I don¡¯t swing that way, no matter how feminine you are! And you admit it yourself, milord! You are no small man. To be honest I don¡¯t think the man part is really that impressive, both physically and mentally. In fact it¡¯s so mythical I am questioning its very existence.


    Now if you excuse me, I have to bring my mother back to her chamber!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Ha ha ha! Did you see his face when I said he was on period? Oh my god that was golden!¡± Morrigan laughed loudly.


    ¡°Indeed it was amazing. But who is this boy, your Majesty?¡± asked Sinclair. Together with Catrina, the four were having a conversation in a chamber of the inner palace.


    ¡°Just like I have said before, this is Alastor and apparently he is my heir. Please don¡¯t worry, minister Sinclair! Alastor has my utmost trust and will be a worthy ally!¡± Morrigan reassured the minister.


    ¡°If your Highness say so then I will also put my trust in him. But the danger has not passed yet. Svelt is a dangerous man. He would not let this go, especially after such humiliation. I am afraid he will tamper with the test for the boy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certain. Do you think you are up to it, Alastor?¡± asked Morrigan.


    ¡°Well we just have to wait and see right? But I promise that I won¡¯t let Svelt get away after what he has done.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Well said, master Alastor! Now if you excuse me, I will let your Majesty rest. It has been a long day!¡± Sinclair left.


    ¡°Catrina, would you leave us alone please?¡± the empress told her knight. At first she hesitated a bit but when she understood her master¡¯s intention, she quietly left the room, leaving only Alastor and Morrigan inside.


    ¡°Come!¡± Morrigan signaled the boy to come sit on her laps. Strangely he did, without complaining like the previous times. Embracing his small body and resting her head on his, the empress asked.


    ¡°¡­Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°No reason. I just feel like it.¡±


    ¡°Ok then.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t ask further? That¡¯s new.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force you to. I already have what I want.¡±


    ¡°Really? What is that?¡±


    ¡°You as my son. You won''t believe how happy I am when I hear you call me ''mommy'' "Morrigan kissed Alastor on his head. "I don¡¯t have any experience of being a mother but I will do my best. So you can have a family, a place to call home.¡±


    ¡°¡­..ok..mom¡±


    ¡°Are you crying?¡±


    ¡°No¡­dust got into my eyes. I hate dust!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°What the¡­Stella?¡±


    Back at the room where Noroeth accidently found himself into, Lilith could not hide her bewilderment. Inside this secret chamber were at least a dozen of bodies of dolls that looked just like Stella. All of them had the same face, the same hair. However, their bodies were either not complete or broken. Unlike the real Stella, these dolls did not have any skin aside from their head. Some were hanging on the ceiling, others sitting on the ground or a chair.


    The fact that the head was identical meant that it was the first thing that was created. Whoever did this wanted to make sure that these dolls must have the same exact face. On the glass cabinet in the corner of this dark room, there were heads of Stella arranging tidily on the shelf, all with their eyes closed.


    ¡°What is this creepy place?¡± the sage uttered. Despite being an undead, he could feel a sense of dread and a great despair residing in this room. It sent shiver to his frail bones. Were these the emotions that stacked up years after years of a mad man? His obsession to create the perfect doll.


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    ¡°I knew he was a fucked up man but this¡­.¡± Lilith said. She was surprised but unlike the lich, a part of her expected something like this. She herself was so familiar with the story behind this infatuation of the Artificer to the point one might wonder if she actually had a role in it.


    Aside from the creepy dolls with their opened eyes looking like they were alive and would jump at them at any moment, Lilith noticed a table at the end of the room with a single piece of paper on it. This paper was embedded into a piece of glass, perhaps to preserve it. The text on it was written in an old language and Lilith recognized this. It was the language used by the first demons before the Exodus. Not just demons but any prime race also used this but this was thought to be lost forever. Time has erased everything. So how come such an ancient text would be here?


    Lilith could feel a very powerful magic residing in this yellow piece of paper. Whatever it was, this thing was important. Yet it has been so long that even the Goddess has forgot about this language. But at least there was a few words she still remembered.


    ¡°¡­.Pact¡­..Demon¡­..Guardian¡­..till the end of time¡­¡­crown¡± in addition from these words that Lilith knew in the old text, she spotted a signature at the end of the paper that dismayed her. ¡°Primos, First of the Demon Lords¡±


    * * *


    Somewhere in the Whispering Forest


    ¡°So where is this Great Spirit you spoke of?¡± Viviana asked the beastman Garrick who was leading the way.


    ¡°At the center of the Whispering Forest, there is a great archtree. Legends said that this is the first tree planted by the God Eden when he created the world. It was also from this very tree that life began. Because it has been living for so long, spending thousands of years absorbing mana, the Great Tree became a sentient being called Yggdrasil.¡± Garrick explained.


    ¡°You spoke of the Primordial God Eden. I thought in your culture you don¡¯t believe in him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your culture too, little cat! Just because we believe in something else doesn¡¯t mean we reject other races¡¯ religion. When Eden created us, he never said anything about worshipping him. And even if he did, who cares? People are free to believe in what they want. As long as it provides them comfort.


    Us beastmans only believe in things we see. And we have seen spirits but never have we seen any of your Gods. So no I don¡¯t believe in Eden but at least I don¡¯t kill people for believing in him. That¡¯s what humans do.¡±


    ¡°Does it mean that you don¡¯t believe in Baldo, the God of Beastman either? Your own race?¡±


    ¡°Baldo is a legend among us. Sure I believe that he existed but he was just a very powerful man, that¡¯s all. Legends often get exaggerated as time goes by.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­Can you tell me more about Yggdrasil?¡±


    ¡°Over the years, many have attempted to make a pact with Yggdrasil but so far none has succeeded. To be honest I am not convinced that you will succeed either but we never know. At the very least I can use this to ascertain your level. If you fail then we can just find another spirit. That¡¯s if you survive of course.¡± Garrick said.


    ¡°¡­I am prepared!¡±


    ¡°Ha ha ha good girl! Now you look more like one of us than those wimpy humans. I will increase the speed here. Try to keep up!¡± Garrick quickly dashed through the forest, jumping from one tree to another in an instant.


    Possessing her cat eyes and reflex, Viviana could easily track him down. With only two people, the journey didn¡¯t last that long.


    After two days with very little stops on the way, Garrick and Viviana have finally found the Great Archtree of Yggdrasil. Inside the dense area filled with vegetation lied a large empty field with nothing but grass. A great tree stood majestically under the brimming sunlight. The trunk of the tree was pure white, a tribute for having lived for thousands of years. The area was bathed in an aura of serenity and tranquility. The birds calmly rested on the tree¡¯s branches. A couple of deers was sipping from a puddle. Life has clearly flourished in this place, separated from the rest of the world. Just when was the last time someone was here?


    For a moment, Viviana lost herself in this place. She felt calm and peaceful just by being here. Her worries from the outside world vanished in an instant. Not just that, Viviana could sense the massive mana concentrating on the tree. Its roots have traversed the entire land and continuously sending back the mana it found to where it originated from.


    ¡°Go in! I will wait for you outside!¡± Garrick spoke, wakening the girl.


    ¡°What? You won¡¯t go with me?¡±


    ¡°This place is sacred. Only one person would be allowed an audience with Yggdrasil at a time. And just in case you die, someone has to go back and inform the rest no?¡±


    ¡°Do you have to say that? Now I am even more nervous!¡±


    Suddenly a strong wind passed through the dense vegetation toward the Great Tree. The animals, sensing the change in the atmosphere, fled the place.


    ¡°It knows we are here. Well good luck, kid! I am out of here!¡±


    Now by herself, that cat girl slowly and carefully walked up to the white tree. A voice rang in her head as she was in front of it.


    ¡°Who dare trespass this holy land?¡± a dignified and pompous voice echoed in Viviana¡¯s mind. She could not distinguish whether it was a man or a woman. Instead the voice seemed to be a mixture of an old man, a woman and a child¡¯s voices.


    ¡°My name is Viviana. I come here to seek audience with the Great Spirit Yggdrasil¡± the girl spoke in a respectful manner.


    ¡°For what purpose do you seek me, child?¡±


    ¡°I want to make a pact with you. Only you can help me in my quest.¡±


    ¡°So have many before you. They all said the same thing. And so will I. No!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen what happened? The world is in peril. War is coming and the demons are attacking mercilessly. The Hero is no one to be found. You must help us!¡± Viviana implored.


    ¡°You misunderstand me, child. As much as I want to help you in your quest, I too have been given a task to stay in this place.¡±


    ¡°What? What could you accomplish by being here?¡±


    ¡°To fulfill the prophecy¡±


    ¡°What prophecy?¡±


    ¡°The child of Destiny will shatter the order of the universe. Wielding the Sword of Fate and accompanied by the Dark Lord, the child will relieve the eternal curse and free the world from the Absolute One.¡±


    ¡°Child of Destiny? Dark Lord? Absolute One? I have never heard anything about this prophecy.¡± Viviana retorted.


    ¡°This is a prophecy given to me by the Goddess Fate herself before she left for Celestia along with the other Gods. She entrusted me with the task of assisting the child when I meet him or her. And so I stayed here for thousands of years, waiting for the day the chosen child would come.¡± Yggdrasil spoke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are talking about nor do I believe in this ridiculous prophecy. But if you are just going to sit there, there won¡¯t be a world left to save.¡± Viviana shouted.


    ¡°Do not underestimate the will to live of the people of Astora! What happened recently was nothing compare to the first two calamities ages ago. At that time, many also came to me saying the same thing. I refused them and look around: we are still standing. Therefore I will stay! Leave, child!¡±


    No matter what Viviana said, Yggdrasil retained his initial position: turn down her plead. It seemed that Yggdrasil only cared about the prophecy and the task that Fate entrusted to her. If so, perhaps Viviana could slightly alter the words.


    ¡°The Goddess Fate has told you to meet this child of Prophecy but she never said you would meet that person here, right? Have you ever thought that Fate actually wanted you to go out there and find this person?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡®Did that fool the spirit¡¯ thought the cat girl. She didn¡¯t really know any way else to convince the tree. And it would be ludicrous for a spirit with thousands years of experience to fall in such a trick. It seemed she failed.


    ¡°YOU ARE RIGHT! How could I miss this? That explains why I have never met them! I am supposed to find that person!¡±


    Well shit she actually tricked the Great Spirit Yggdrasil.


    ¡°But how am I supposed to go out there? If only there is a way¡­.¡±


    ¡°Make a pact with me! I will help you find this person and in return you will help me in my quest!¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­.a reasonable request. Very well, the Great Spirit Yggdrasil will make a pact with you! Take this!¡±


    From the great tree, a white branch fell off to the ground and transformed into a wooden white staff.


    ¡°If you keep this with you, I will be able to observe and come to you at anytime and anywhere whenever you need me! Do not forget our promise!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t! Thank you, Yggdrasil!¡± Viviana shouted with excitement. The first step, making a pact with a Great Spirit, was a success. Now time for her to go to a tournament.

 Chapter 49: Eve

    The elf king was currently inside a hidden dungeon of the Galahad castle. His court mage has recently had a few intriguing discoveries and has invited him to her lab for a small demonstration. Hearing this news made Aldol beaming with excitement. The young king has always been a fan of Astrea, or rather Odium¡¯s works. It wasn¡¯t just because many of these experiments helped improve their military power but also because the nature of these experiments, which was not for the faint of heart.


    He has seen many of the subjects and each time their sufferings gave him a twisted sense of pleasure. To Aldol, the kingdom of Malatas was his playground and everyone was his toys. But now the toys were used and things started to become boring again. He needed new toys, with new environment.


    Walking down the dark alley leading to the secret dungeon, Aldol could hear the moaning of the prisoners. But unlike a normal prison, the prisoners were not asking to be free. Instead, they were begging to be killed, to be free from their torment. In one cell on his right, a heinous creature with half of the body being a lump of rosy flesh and the other half still retaining his original form: an elf. A part of his face was melting into the bump of flesh with only the left side remaining unharmed. His words were almost intangibles due to the swelling on his neck, making it difficult to even breathe.


    ¡°Ki¡­Ki..llll¡­..mmmm¡­.eeee!¡± the sad soul tried to form words with half of his mouth.


    ¡°Oh poor creature! So you failed to become something more and ended up with this ugly appearance. Perhaps I should grant you mercy¡­.if you beg for it.¡± Aldol grinned.


    The poor creature repeatedly bowed his head until he kept hitting the ground. Blood spurted out of his flesh but he didn¡¯t stop. He just wanted this to end. This kind of pain was nothing compare to what he has endured so far.


    ¡°My my how diligent! Come here and I will give you what you want!¡±


    Hearing this voice that seemed like the voice of an angel who has come to free him from this nightmare, the creature moved clumsily toward the cell¡¯s door. Because of this lump of flesh attached to his body, he could not walk properly and must crawl on the cold and stone hard ground. Crawling even faster, the creature tried to move his head through the bar of the cells but it was too big to pass through. Aldol¡¯s hand touched the visage of the creature playfully with just a finger, as if to ease the pain of this poor soul.


    But when the beast looked up to Aldol with his only eye, the last thing he saw was a knife coming toward it. A dagger plunged into his socket as he shrieked in pain.


    ¡°Ha ha ha you stupid beast! You really think I will let you die that easily? Stay there and agonize for my amusement! Hahahaha!¡± Aldol laughed maniacally. If that was a normal person, the dagger would have been enough to finish him. However, the instinct to live, especially coming from a beast, was a frightening thing. Despite the wound and the blood it has lost, the beast still lived and moaned in pain, begging to be released from this world.


    Many other cells were similar, filled with monstrosities no words could describe. Their moaning sufferings were like an orchestra, gentle music to the king¡¯s ears. Yet there was one totally different from the others.


    The cell that caught Aldol¡¯s attention was a special one. Instead of metal bars, glass walls were covered in all directions like a tank, crafted by the best craftsmen in the kingdom. Often used to display a treasure of the royal family or a powerful artefact, at least that was what one would think of when seeing this kind of decoration. However not even their creators, in their wildest imaginations, would realize that they were now being used for such atrocities. Filled with a murky water, Aldol came closer to the glass and pinched his eyes to see what was inside.


    Suddenly something hit again the glass, a pale hand with three fingers. However, the fingers were webbed together like a palmate, a distinct indication of an aquatic creature. And it finally showed itself. A pale red haired woman with an astonishing beauty few could resist. Her pupils were slit like snakes, dangerous but enchanting at the same time. Yet even with such beauty, something about the girl was odd. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she did not shy away despite being naked and in front of a man. Or perhaps because her lower half was the tail of a fish adorned with brimming scales she could attract the attention of her preys even in the darkest water. Webbed spikes poked out from her back, allowing her to travel in water at sound speed. But what good was it for when she was trapped inside this small tank?


    The woman looked at Aldol with cold eyes. The experiment has completely erased her previous memories and even now she did not understand why she was here. But she envied him, being able to roam freely outside while for her, the only world she knew was inside this tank.


    The young king of the elves stared at the creature in front of him. Her monstrous appearance overall would shun away any sane man, even with that face. But what Aldol saw was no monster. Through his twisted eyes, he saw a blooming flower, one that was more refined and graceful than any woman he has seen. All of the sudden, he felt a certain urge inside him. Was it like before? Was it like when he spotted a cute girl in the street, the only thing he wanted was to kill her, to make her scream in pain? No it wasn¡¯t like that. It was something else. But what? His heart was beating rapidly to the point he was feeling nauseous. What could be this strange feeling he has never experienced before?


    ¡°Do you like her?¡± a voice interrupted him. From the shadows, the court mage Astrea made her entrance, surprised the young king. Seeing Astrea, the woman quickly swam and hided in a corner of the room behind the murky water.


    ¡°What is she?¡± asked Aldol.


    ¡°One of the unexpected results I had from my experiments. I call her ¡®mermaid¡¯. Currently I am trying to combine different races together with monsters and she is one of the few who survived. I suppose this is the creation of a new race. Perhaps this is how God feels when he first created the Primes. A feeling of superiority, knowing that those you created would always be below you. But I wonder how would a God react to see that their creations have surpassed them? He he!¡±


    ¡°Mermaid¡­it has a nice touch to it but not very personal¡­¡± Aldol muttered.


    ¡°To me she is only a combination of flesh and mana. If you want to give her a name, then go ahead! I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°The first of her race¡­.then I will call you Eve, the first mermaid!¡±


    The woman, hearing what Aldol just said, slowly drew nearer to the glass wall. But she didn¡¯t do anything nor did she show any reaction to her new name. Could she even understand what Aldol just said or has the transformation turned her mind to that of a beast?


    ¡°Do you think she like it?¡± Aldol said as he observed the mermaid¡¯s every move.


    ¡°How do I know? Come! I have something else to show you!¡±


    Aldol reluctantly followed Astrea to the deepest level of the dungeon. Usually he would be excited about going there but for the first time he wanted to remain, watching Eve in her tank.


    Deep in the dungeon, Aldol walked into a chamber which looked just like used for torture. Chains were hanging on the cell. Blood splattered on the ground, some still warm and wet. In the middle of the room, an unconscious soldier of Galahad was laying on a table, chained on his limbs to it.


    ¡°So what will you show me today?¡± Aldol asked.


    ¡°Our next war with the beastmans will not be just a hunt for ingredients, I want it to be a test field for some of the things I created down here. To ascertain our victory, I decide now would be a good time to use this.¡±


    Astrea took a black liquid and poured it into the mouth of the soldier. At that moment he began to wake up. Finding himself chained, the soldier had no idea what would happen to him.


    ¡°Wh¡­.where am I? Your Majesty? Why are you here? Someone tell me what is going on?¡± the soldier struggled hardly to no avail.


    Suddenly he began to convulse heavily. Black liquid poured out of his mouth, his nose, his ears and even his eyes. Then his body started changing. His muscles inflated abruptly, breaking his armor and showing blood vessels clearly on his arms and legs. His size also doubled and with just a swing, he freed himself from the chains.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± Aldol uttered.


    ¡°Not only his strength has increased exponentially, he also obeyed to our very words even if we order him to kill himself. The perfect soldier! And this is only one type. I have also others with different types of transformations depending on the situation required.¡± Astrea proudly said.


    ¡°So we are ready then?¡±


    ¡°Indeed we are!¡±


    ¡°Good! I am feeling a bit weird now. I need something to distract myself. A war should be enough.¡± Aldol realized that he has been feeling strange ever since his encounter with Eve. On his way down here, he has seen plenty of others people being tortured, subjected to cruel experimentation. Yet how come he did not feel the same pleasure as before? How?


    ¡°Oh my¡­.don¡¯t tell me that you have feeling for that mermaid? You fell in love with her!!!¡± Astrea spoke playfully. What she did not expect was Aldol¡¯s reaction to her statement.


    ¡°SHUT UP! Don¡¯t you ever¡­EVER talk to me about love!¡± Aldol put his hands on Astrea¡¯s neck and pulled her up against the wall, strangling her.


    After a short struggle, Aldol regained his senses and released Astrea. The court mage fell to her knees and gasped for breath.


    ¡° *cough* *cough* If you understand that¡­then good! Know that both of us will never find love. That¡¯s what we signed up for when we decided to do this!¡±


    ¡°I know¡­.I¡­sorry about that Astrea! I didn¡¯t know what took over me¡± Aldol rushed to her side and helped her get up.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. No need to feel sorry about that! We don¡¯t have time for such useless sentiment. A war is waiting for us!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°To all the lords who have gathered here, today we will test whether this young man has the strength and the wisdom to become the next heir of the Zagon throne. Two tests, all prepared by the council and the judge of those tests will be minister Svelt! Everyone please give a round of applaud to lord Svelt¡± said the announcer.


    Svelt walked up to the stage in a pompous manner as if he owned the place. As a matter of fact, he did. Even the announcer was already bought with his pocket before this event. Everyone knew that Svelt has probably arranged things so the boy would never pass his tests. Some already showed a bored expression, knowing already the result of this futile event. What was the point of staying there when you already knew what would happen? But did they?


    ¡°Ehem. As the judge of this fair exam, I wish the best of luck to the candidate. We will now begin the first test: the Trial of Wisdom. This will take place inside the Maze of the Lost.¡±


    Just mentioning the name of the place where the trial would take place shocked everyone. The Maze of the Lost was a dungeon outside of Eisenheim. It was originally built as a prison by the first emperor of Zagon. But rather than a prison, it served as an entertainment game to watch the people thrown inside get lost and starved to death. However, that was just the specialty of this maze. The main problem that adventurers encountered was that this maze constantly changed itself and did not follow any specific pattern so for years no one has managed to find the way out once inside.


    ¡°This is a bit cruel, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Poor child!¡±


    ¡°Well here I thought at least he would pass one.¡±


    ¡°You own me one hundred golds coins now¡±


    ¡°Wait just a minute! We haven¡¯t seen the result yet!¡±


    The crowd began to murmur loudly in front of this difficult challenge which an eleven years old boy must face.


    ¡°The candidate will have a day to find the exit. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°I am¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Very well! I will now teleport you to the dungeon. May the odds be with you!¡± Alastor could see Svelt¡¯ smirk before a bright light engulfed him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, shouldn¡¯t you stop this? He is just a boy. He will die at this rate!¡± minister Sinclair began to sweat for the poor boy.


    ¡°You underestimate too much. He is my son! I know him! He will be able to pass it!¡± though Morrigan might seem indifferent in her words, she was actually quite nervous inside. She knew what Alastor was capable of and he has passed challenges much more difficult than this but being a mother, you couldn¡¯t help but worry about your child.


    ¡°Before this test, I have given the candidate a crystal orb that would follow him and show us his movements through this orb in my hand. Using this will allow you to monitor his every action, assuring the fairness of the trial.¡± Svelt proclaimed.


    He even spoke of fairness while everyone here knew what he was up to. Now they could only hope that the boy would have a painless and quick death.


    .....


    Alastor now found himself inside a stone labyrinth with walls as high as the ceiling, making it impossible to climb over. Immediately the boy could spot two tiny holes on two sides. If he had taken just one step over, two lances would have poked out and skewered him like a brochette. And this was just the first of many other traps hidden in this maze.


    On the ground were remains of the unfortunate visitors before him, now all was left was some bones. Were they adventurers who thought that some treasure was hidden in this place but ended up lost without ever find the way out? Or were they prisoners who were forced to go here? Either way they were all dead and Alastor had no intention of joining them. Because this was a maze, Alator decided to mark the ground where he was with a cross to orientate himself before traversing through the labyrinth.


    But there was a problem. It has been an hour since Alastor has walked through this maze. At first he thought of just sticking by one side of the wall and following it would guide him eventually to the exit. However, he just found himself at the place where he began again, for the second time. He also noticed a wall that wasn¡¯t supposed to be there as it was obstructing the path he took earlier.


    ¡°So the walls can actually move by themselves¡­conventional means won¡¯t work at this rate¡­¡± the boy muttered.


    Alastor decided to sit down and thought about the whole trial. This was a trial of Wisdom, so it wanted to test the wits of the candidate in face of this nearly impossible challenge. Also Svelt was the one who prepared it so it might be entirely possible that he found the mechanism that controlled the maze and has tweaked it so there would not be an exit.


    If he wanted to get out of here, he must make an exit.


    ¡°Hope that this won¡¯t get me disqualified.¡±


    ¡­..


    The court observed Alastor through the giant crystal ball in the room. It has been a while since he was just sitting there without doing anything. He must have realized that his efforts were futile and has given up, waiting for the end of the day to come. Who could blame him? The dungeon has never been conquered before even by the greatest of warriors and mages. In the end they all gave up. How could anyone expect a child to do the impossible thing?


    ¡®So you have given up! Too bad I was wishing that he would die to a trap inside the maze but now he is just sitting there. But no matter I will win at the end of the day. It wouldn¡¯t be late to take revenge when I take over the court. Ha ha ha!¡¯ Svelt thought inside his pathetic mind. He could not hide his creepy smile watching that his victory was near.


    ¡°Hey, something is happening!¡± a minister shouted when he spotted a few rubbles rolling on the ground toward Alastor.


    ¡°What is he doing with those stones?¡±


    Through the crystal ball, everyone was stunned by what was happening to Alastor. More and more dirt and soil was converging to his location and encompassed his body until it formed a stone hard boulder. When it finally reached its peak, the boulder was already at the size of the corridor of the maze. It started moving forward and backward until it stopped at the end of a long corridor.


    At that time a few smart people finally grasped what he was trying to do.


    ¡°He can¡¯t be¡­..¡±


    ¡°ROLL TO WIN¡± a voice shouted from the boulder.


    Accelerating and taking up speed, the boulder smashed one wall after another, leaving nothing in its path. The walls of this labyrinth were not just made out of normal stones. Black steel, the same material that helped Eisenheim survived the calamity caused by Merkabah, was mixed in to make sure that none could ever hope to destroy them. This was what the zagonian craftsmen and nobles were most proud of, their national treasure. At least that was the case before they saw their prized possession being grinned to dust by a kid in the form of a boulder casually passing through the hardest donjon in the entire country.


    In just under one minute, after Alastor smashed the final wall, the Maze of the Lost was cleared for the first time in history.


    ¡°He did it!¡±


    ¡°Well that escalates quickly!¡±


    ¡°HAHA! YOU OWN ME ONE HUNDRED COINS NOW!¡±


    ¡°This is¡­.This is preposterous! That¡¯s cheating! He is disqualified.¡± Svelt raged.


    ¡°How is that cheating?¡± Morrigan stood up against the minister. ¡°You challenge him to clear the Maze and he did it just like you ask. Sure his method was unconventional but a ruler must know to adapt himself to the situation. That¡¯s what wisdom is all about. Just because there is a wall doesn¡¯t mean you are not allowed to pass it.


    Alastor has demonstrated the quality of a king: to not be bound by the common rules and to be able to find solution even when facing the impossible. The end justifies the means. What matters is that he succeeded.¡±


    Minister Sinclair clapped his hands vigorously. Seeing him like that everyone else started doing the same. This put Svelt in a very bad situation. Morrigan has convinced all the nobles with her speech. If he went against that and decided that Alastor was to be disqualified, that would put him in a bad position.


    He had no choice but to swallow his defeat for now.


    ¡®You piece of shit!!! I underestimated you thinking you are just a kid. That won¡¯t happen again in the next challenge! Just wait and see!¡¯

 Chapter 50: Challenges

    In the eastern part of the Whispering Forest lied a colosseum. It was said that Baldo, God of the Beastmans, also known as the God of War, has built this place for anyone who wanted to challenge him. After Baldo left however, the arena was used to host an annual fighting contest between all the beast tribes. All the brawls must adhere to the rule which dictated that anyone who killed his opponent would be disqualified and exiled from his tribe. This helped keep the fight to a friendly level without anyone die for the last thirty years.


    There was no political power at stake. The tournament¡¯s only purpose was to give all the tribes a reason to reunite once a year. If they had a conflict with each other, it would be solved in the arena. The winner would of course be hailed as the Champion and would be recorded in the Hall of Fame, just like Baldo who was the first and undefeated Champion.


    But now things have changed. Never has the tournament held so much importance. The clan leader of the Champion would become the king of the beastmans, something that was not common for the race.


    Just a few moments after opening its gate, the stadium has already been filled with the audience. Some came to support their champion of their respective clans. Others, mostly didn¡¯t belong to one of the four main clans, came to see their future king. Sitting high above the audience were the leaders of the four main clans who have gathered here along with their best warriors.


    ¡°It has been more than ten years since we chose our last Champion Arshe¡­and now here we are again.¡± chief San of the Kom clan spoke.


    ¡°You heard anything from him recently?¡± asked chief Loo of the Rin clan.


    ¡°Nah, last time I spoke to him was ten years ago before he left without any reason. He would not even tell me about his journey to the demon continent either¡­That damn son of mine!¡± San sighed.


    ¡°If he is here I don¡¯t think we would need to organize this tournament in this first place¡± said chief Gon of the Wen clan.


    ¡°Haha I am not so sure about that!¡± the final chief, clan leader Zen of the Quin laughed.


    ¡°Oho did you find some hidden talent recently? Like a cat?¡± Loo grinned.


    ¡°I am surprised you have already heard of her. Can¡¯t underestimate the intelligence force of the rat clan.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, we rats may be smaller than you but none could beat us in the art of running.¡±


    ¡°Not so sure I would be proud about that. You can¡¯t run forever!¡± said Gon.


    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s not begin to fight even before our champions. I just want everyone to remember that it doesn¡¯t matter who will win or lose today. What matters is that after this we will all unite under one banner to deal with the incoming invasion. So I ask that you leave aside your personal conflicts for now until the threat is over.¡± Being the eldest of all clan¡¯s leaders, chief San tried to keep the peace.


    ¡°Agreed¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Welcome ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming here today for this special occasion. This tournament is not like any others. For the chief of the winning clan will become the next King of the beastmans and will lead us to our victory against those bastards elves.¡± The announcer spoke loudly from the arena.


    But let me delay no longer what we have all been waiting to see. Here come the champions! Please give them a round of applauses!¡±


    The announcer shouted excitedly as he pointed toward the opening gate of the colosseum. Four individuals revealed themselves as the sunlight brightened their faces.


    ¡°From the left, we have tigress Sara from the Kom Clan. Don¡¯t let her slim figure fool you! This woman would shred you to pieces. Even the hero Arshe who was her fianc¨¦ could not handle her and ran away from home, never to return again. So¡­.AIE AIE AIE!¡± Sara held the announcer¡¯s head and pressed it with her palm before releasing him. How could such thin arm hold such strength?


    ¡°You talk too much!!!¡± Sara fumed. It seemed she did not appreciate Arshe¡¯s disappearance and all the baseless rumors that came with it.


    ¡°Oh spirit! I thought my head is gonna explode¡­.Ehem let us continue! Next is candidate Ponpon from the Loo clan. Look at those bear muscles! One slap of that and I will be a goner. Funny how he comes from the rat clan!


    Then we have Enti from the Wen clan: a pure blood descendant of the Lycanthropes! We don¡¯t see much of them these days but let¡¯s not forget that this man is a descendant of Baldo, the God of War. I think just that much shows how much potential he has.


    Finally, we have a new face who has only recently joined her clan: the cat girl Viviana from the Quin clan. Raised and adopted by the humans, she is one of rare summoners who could use the power of the spirits. Not only that, she has a much better temper compared to the tigress Sara. If only I was twenty years younger¡­.


    With these promising contestants, the tournament this year is sure to be interesting. Champions know that your fights today will be recorded in history. Glory awaits you all and may the Spirits guide you!¡±


    A woman with rabbit ears walked to the center of the arena next to the announcer. In her hands was a box containing four pieces of paper with each of the candidate¡¯s name on it. The announcer poked his hand into it and pulled out two pieces of paper at once.


    ¡°The first match is¡­.VIVIANA VERSUS PONPON! Please step forward!¡±


    From the audience¡¯s point of view, this seemed like an unfair match. The difference in size between the two contestants were simply too much. Viviana, at most, was about the same size as Ponpon¡¯s arm. How would she fare against such a beast?


    Walking up to the arena, Viviana took out her white staff from Yggdrasil. She has decided to leave her weapon with Ilfrit as she wanted to test out the Great Spirit¡¯s power. Unfortunately, she did not have any occasion to test its power as immediately upon her return, Zen dragged her to the colosseum immediately.


    In the world of Astora, when a spirit made a pact with a summoner, it would give a token of proof to its master as a testament of their pact. It could be anything, ranging from a weapon to a simple accessory. In addition, it was very rare for a summoner to have more than one spirit. The reason was simple: spirits didn¡¯t always get along. If two spirits went into conflict with each other, their link to their summoner could be affected and in some case resulted in tragedy. Plus, possessing multiples spirits was like handling many types of weapons at once but much more difficult. The summoner must be in synergy and understood their spirit perfectly to use their power properly.


    In Viviana¡¯s case, Ilfrit and Yggdrasil didn¡¯t seem to mind each other but just to be sure, Viviana decided to only use Yggdrasil in this tournament. While this may seem like a risky move as she has only recently acquired him, she should not have any problem. Yggdrasil was the Great Spirit of the Whispering Forest and therefore should be much more capable of handling this kind of competition without even using his full potential.


    The white staff looked actually closer to a tree branch in an ¡®Y¡¯ shape with two green leaves on the head. At first glance it didn¡¯t seem that impressive nor intimidating for a weapon. Pointing it toward an opponent three times her size was even more ridiculous.


    ¡°Let us have a fair fight!¡± said Viviana to her foe.


    ¡°Ponpon big! Ponpon smashes!¡± Without waiting for the announcer, the bear beastman charged toward Viviana. But she gracefully dodged by jumping back.


    Ponpon¡¯s fist was so powerful it created a small crater in the arena. Imagine what would happen if that hit a girl like Viviana.


    ¡°He is strong but too slow! Let¡¯s do this! I summon thee Yggdrasil!¡± the catgirl raised her staff.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Nothing happened.


    ¡°Yggdrasil? Where are you? Answer me!¡±


    ¡°What? I am right here!¡± a disembodied spoke. It appeared to be very near the girl but she could not see him at all.


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°Are you blind? You are holding me!¡±


    ¡°....You are the staff???¡±


    ¡°Euh of course I am. What? You expect me to just grow my tree out of nowhere? Think of the environment! Why do you think I give this to you in the first place?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because you made a pact with me?¡±


    ¡°A temporary pact! Not a true pact! I only give you a part of my body so I could travel outside. I told you: I will only make a pact with the Child of Destiny and you are not that person.


    But a pact is a pact, temporary or not! I will lend you my assistance!¡±


    To the audience, the cat girl Viviana was doing something very strange. She was apparently talking to herself, or worse talking to the tree branch she was holding. The people from the first row tried their hardest to listen to her but they could only hear her voice and not noticed the voice of the Great Spirit.


    ¡°Is that girl crazy? Talking to herself like that¡­.¡±


    ¡°Is this some kind of special tactic of the Quin?¡±


    ¡°Whatever! Just do it!¡± Viviana shouted.


    ¡°<Wrath of the Forest>¡±


    Vines grew out of the ground and caught Ponpon, immobilizing him.


    ¡°Pon?¡± the bear had no idea what was happening. If he saw the spirit perhaps he would understand but no spirit was to be seen.


    ¡°Haha! This is the technic taught to me by Lord Gnome himself! None could escape this¡­.¡±


    ¡°PONPON! Flame ON!¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.In an instant, the armor Ponpon wore set on fire, burning away the vines. Now free from the restrains, the bear beastman jumped on the air before sending a fiery kick.


    ¡°<Wall of thorns>¡±


    The ground trembled before a wide wall of thorny plants rose from it, blocking Ponpon¡¯s kick and at the same time damaging him for touching it. If not for his thick armor, the thorns would already have shredded his flesh like paper.


    ¡°ARGHH! Hurt Ponpon!¡± screamed the bear beastman. He was known for being the strongest and sturdiest of his clan. Even taking on a full strike from a sledgehammer would not even hurt him. How could these tiny thorns cause him that much pain?


    Not just that, he has now been surrounded by a wall of thorns in every direction. The bear was too confused to even notice that several buds on these thorns were beginning to bloom into a bright red flower, releasing a yellow spore. And with nowhere else to go, the spores filled the air in which Ponpon was trapped in.


    ¡°<Aromatherapy>¡±


    Smelling this sweet aroma, Ponpon started to feel dizzy. His instinct told him to get away from it. He tried desperately to get out by punching the wall of thorns continuously. Even though his hands were bleeding from it, he still continued. But as time went by, each strike got weaker and weaker until he finally collapsed.


    ¡°The winner is ¡­.VIVIANA from QUIN! CONGRATULATIONS!¡±


    A loud round of applause came from the audience, hailing her name. The fight was simply too one sided. At first they had some doubts with her weird actions but now everything was clear. If there was anyone who could be a champion, it would be her. The other candidates could not measure up to her. Or could they?


    ¡°Someone, please bring this bear out. The next battle will take place immediately! Contestants Sara and Enti, please step forward!


    One the count of three! One¡­.two¡­..THREE!!!


    ¡­..And it¡¯s over! Victory goes to Enti!¡±


    The battle was over in a single second. For those who did not pay attention or were simply to slow to notice, all they saw was the moment the announcer said ¡®THREE¡¯, Sara fell to her knees, lying motionless on the ground. But through the eyes of veterans like the clan leaders, that single second was all it took. Enti has moved in light speed and threw a punch in Sara¡¯s stomach, knocking her unconscious before returning to his original position.


    ¡°It seems our next opponent won¡¯t be a pushover like the last one¡­¡± Viviana muttered.


    ¡°Be careful! I could sense the echo of the ancient bloodline in him! He really is a descendant of Lord Baldo.¡± Yggdrasil spoke.


    * * *


    ¡°The second and final challenge will be a test of strength. The candidate must pass through this forest filled with monsters.


    Unfortunately, the crystal I used for observation has broken down so we won¡¯t be able to observe your performance this time! To uphold the fairness of the exam, I have arranged soldiers surrounding this area so no one will be able to help the candidate or lend him any kind of assistance.


    Now do you have any question?¡±


    Once again Alastor felt like this whole area was a trap. The pretext of the broken down crystal would only allow him to interfere with the test without any witness.


    ¡®Such an obvious scheme¡­I hope it will be at least more challenging than last time¡¯ Alastor thought to himself.


    Stepping inside the forest, Alastor could smell a faint sense of blood. It didn¡¯t appear that the beasts or whatever was in this forest were very tamed like Svelt said. But what would one expect from the discourse of such a wimp?


    The smell became more and more compelling as Alastor dived further into the woods. It was stalking him, watching his every move like a hunter shadowing his prey.


    ¡®Aside from that, I also detect multiple mana concentrations in the area. They seem to be humans¡­.Assassins¡­.Should I use my full power here to end the beast quickly? But that would give away my identity or at least raise some suspicion. Oh well I just need to make sure none of the witnesses get out of here.¡¯


    Alastor surprised his pursuers by starting to run at incredible speed. Could it be that he realized that they were here and tried to run away? If that was the case, then this boy deserved to be applauded for spotting the best assassins in the country. But he wasn¡¯t running away at all like they thought he would. The boy was running toward the other party: the beast that was released in this forest.


    Like accepting the challenge from the boy, the beast decided to abandon its hiding place and jumped out to him. It was a basilisk, king of the serpents. Taking on the form of a giant cobra but with four legs, the basilisk was known for being one of the most dangerous and difficult monsters even for S-rank adventurers. Its saliva and glands on its skins were so poisonous it could melt down even stones. Their breath, so foul, wilted all the grass and trees around them. But the most menacing weapon it got was its stare. The basilisk had the ability to paralyze its enemies if they looked at its eyes. One mere glance was more than enough to terrify its foes frozen, leaving them completely vulnerable to be devoured.


    Seeing the creature, Alastor recognized it instantly and made sure to avoid its stare at all time. The basilisk released a mauve mist that decomposed everything it touched. Alastor reacted by casting a wind gale that surrounded his body to push away the mist and at the same time left it behind to stop the coming pursuers. This way he would have a small amount of time to deal with the beast tranquilly.


    He could go for the kill right now but he had a much better idea. It has been a while since he used it so he might as well test whether it would work on powerful beast like a basilisk. Dodging skillfully its attack while avoiding eye contact, Alastor jumped on the basilisk¡¯s head and pressed his hand on it.


    ¡°<Absolute Authority>¡±


    The beast let out a thundering shriek before calming down. It was now under the control of Alastor.


    ¡°Come, my minion! Let us slaughter the remaining insects!¡±


    ¡­..


    The assassins, wearing black robes and hoods, were sent by Svelt to take care of Alastor quietly and to make it look like an accident. They didn¡¯t think much of this job. It was so common to send assassins when the throne of a kingdom was involved. In face of so much power, it could change a man. Brothers turning on each other, faction against faction, those were common in the line of their works. All they cared about was the money.


    At first when they received the ¡®request¡¯, they did not understand why it would take ten men, the best of their organization, to take care of one kid. Each of them was at least a A-rank adventurer in their past. Surely one would be more than enough. But now they started to realize how wrong it was to underestimate him. His movements definitely did not belong to an eleven years old. Not even a veteran assassin could move like that. And his unusual powers¡­.how did he kill five of them in just under one minute? And he looked like he did not even try. And most importantly, how did he tame that basilisk? That creature was known for being impossible to tame. Svelt has most likely tranquilized it and brought it here instead of controlling it. So how did he do that?


    Now all that was left were the five assassins. Their leader was a S-rank in the past and they still had their trump card. As a precaution, their client has given a strange artefact and told them to use it if things went wrong. This situation seemed to be just right to use it.


    ¡°You four take care of that basilisk, I will take care of the brat!¡± said the leader of the assassins.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    ¡°You sure you want to face me alone, old man?¡± Alastor smirked.


    ¡°Having them around won¡¯t change anything. I know what you are capable of. Though I did underestimate you initially and that cost me five of my best men. Well, it means more share for me! I never trusted them in the first place. He he he!¡±


    ¡°A nice way of thinking! That¡¯s something I can agree on¡­.at least that would be the case if I hadn¡¯t met Ikarus or Morrigan. Unlike you, I wanted to put my trust in others. It helps me living through this miserable life in this world. It gave me a reason to keep going.¡±


    ¡°Morrigan? You mean that cunning vixen of an empress? Aside from you, she was one of the few who managed to survive our assassination attempt. But I heard that she did lost something precious from that incident.¡± The leader of the assassins disclosed.


    ¡°!!! So you are the one who poisoned her? The one who made her¡­.like that?¡± Alastor¡¯s expression changed to a grim one. He wasn¡¯t very happy to hear that.


    ¡°Sure did! You are also after the throne no? How about a deal? I will forget my contract with Svelt and will even help you take care of that bitch in a manner no one would suspect a thing. In return for a ¡­.reasonable price and a few small favors, nothing much. But that would be nothing compared to what you will have when you become Emperor of Zagon. Not a bad deal isn¡¯t it? What do you say?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t seem like a bad deal. However, we have a problem¡­.¡±


    ¡°And what is this problem?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t really want to let you live for another day!¡±


    In an instant, Alastor teleported himself to the assassin¡¯s leader so fast he could not even react in time. With all the rages pending up inside him upon hearing this guy was responsible for Morrigan¡¯s pain, his new mother¡¯s pain, Alastor put all his force into his punch and threw it at the guy¡¯s chest. And it connected. However, something was odd. Not only the assassin did not seem to have received any damage, Alastor could feel that his hand was actually broken from the punch. Realizing that he was in a bad position, Alastor immediately jumped back to keep a distance and tried to figure out what just happened.


    ¡°You truly are impressive for someone your age, surrounded with mysteries. But it doesn¡¯t matter to me. Not as long as I am still wearing this.¡±


    The assassin threw away his black cloak, revealing what he was wearing underneath: a metallic mail with some kind of engine and cogs attached to it. In the chest¡¯s area was a hole through which an electrical current was running by. An easily visible insignia was imprinted on the mail: the image of a gear.


    ¡°That symbol¡­Now I have one more reason to kill you!¡±

 Chapter 51: Conclusions

    ¡°Hey Kaiser, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Lord Celdora? I didn¡¯t expect to see you here.¡± Kaiser was surprised. He was currently gathering the last of his army before marching toward Canaan, the City of Firmament Spires.


    Canaan could be said to be one of the strangest wonders in the world, along with Avant-Heim. It consisted of a cluster of ten gigantic towers reaching up to the sky of Oros through many levels of cloud, each as large as a few miles in diameter. No one really remembered how these towers appeared in the first place. Some said it was the result of hundreds of years of construction by the first dragons. Yet there was no trace or records of such thing happening. Others said the Gods themselves gave it to the dragons. Alas no one really knew what exactly took place and no one really cared about it. Right now they had other things on their plates to worry about: Kaiser.


    While Celdora has decided to not participate in this war between Kaiser and the dragon council, he still dropped by times from times, mostly to check what his daughter has been up to. The poor old dragon dad seemed to have lost his position to Kaiser as she always went here to play and even learn how to fight from Kaiser and Malick even though her father was a both a dragon lord and a hero. All those dreams he had imagined when Syralth was first born, how he would teach her how to use her power, to tell her stories of the world outside¡­.they were all gone¡­


    ¡°Eh¡­nothing! Just¡­hanging around!¡±


    ¡°Really? I noticed that you have been coming by a lot more. Especially whenever Syralth comes here¡­Could it be¡­?¡± Kaiser found out his intention.


    Dragon lord Celdora started to panic. If words got out that he was actually stalking his daughter he would lose all the respects he built after all those years, especially from his wife.


    ¡°You want to be one of my subjects too?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ehm¡­not really¡­I mean¡­I am still deciding so before I take my decision I just want to¡­you know, see how things go around here¡­.Things like that!¡±


    ¡°I see! Then go ahead! Feel free to visit anytime! Ha ha ha!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­sure!¡±


    ¡°So how have you been these days?¡± asked Kaiser.


    ¡°Actually very good! You know I have had these headaches for the past ten years but ever since the last few days, I feel strangely vigorous! No more headaches and those weird dreams!¡± Celdora laughed, satisfied.


    ¡°Weird dreams?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! I just kept hearing a weird voice in my dream without really knowing what it was saying or who said it. But never mind that! I didn¡¯t come here to talk about my health. How about you show me around with your new army now in place?¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­sure!¡±


    Kaiser was shocked when he heard about Celdora¡¯s past condition. It just may happen that he too was afflicted with the same thing which started coincidentally when the dragon lord was cured. The timing was just too perfect. It was ever since he took that crown from Celdora.


    * * *


    ¡°The final match will be between the clans Quin and Wen! The two contestants, Viviana and Enti, please step forward onto the arena!¡±


    The big game was finally here. The leader of the winning clan would become the next Beast King and would lead the people against the invasion of Malatas. After the fight with Ponpon, Viviana was confident that Yggdrasil was her best chance to not just secure a place for Maxime and his people but also to come closer to the demon she saw at Caelum. He definitely knew something about her sister as he confused Viviana with Shana. The two looked very similar, black hair with two pointy cat ears and a black tail but Viviana¡¯s body was a bit more mature.


    However, she should not ignore the opponent right in front of her. Seeing how he defeated Sara in just a second, it would be too arrogant to think that she has won, even with the Yggdrasil¡¯s help. From first glance and what Enti has demonstrated in his last fight, his key abilities depended on his light speed attack which surprised any foe. To counter that you either had to be able to follow his movements or being able to defend an attack from all directions at the same time.


    ¡°BEGIN!¡±


    Immediately Enti started with the same attack he used to knock out Sara: seemingly teleporting to Viviana¡¯s location, he threw the first strike. Even with her cat eyes, Viviana had trouble to fully follow him and even if she could, her reflexes were not good enough. With a single uppercut, Enti blasted the girl onto the air. With that kind of force he put in his punch, it would knock out everyone by now.


    But not Viviana, or at least not in her current state.


    ¡°<Venus trap>¡± she shouted.


    From below the ground Enti was standing on, a huge green plant with a crimson mouth opened up and trapped Enti inside. The werewolf didn¡¯t understand how Viviana was still conscious after taking a direct hit from him. But that was because he failed to notice one thing has changed in the girl¡¯s appearance: she had a red flower on her head. That flower, which seemed like an accessory, was actually a parasitic plant that Yggdrasil has planted on Viviana. The flower absorbed her mana to sustain its growth and in return it infused a substance into her body, allowing her to ignore the feeling of pain temporarily. Of course she still suffered damage but thanks to this flower, her regenerative ability has increased a lot.


    ¡°This is¡­.!!!!¡± Enti could feel the danger coming from inside the Venus trap. A viscous liquid was released in the plant¡¯s mouth as it began to engulf him. It was sticking to him, making him unable to move freely to escape. Not just that, his legs were being frozen as the liquid began to solidify. In just under one minute of futile struggle, Enti was immobilized in a transparent statue.


    The goal was not to kill him but to take away his movement so Viviana dispelled the plant, leaving Enti frozen in place. But it was too soon. The announcer didn¡¯t proclaim her victory yet and Enti sure didn¡¯t give up.


    The transparent liquid began to crack as Enti has freed himself from it. The battle wasn¡¯t over yet. Enti has now learnt that it was wrong of him to underestimate this girl. It would seem he would have to use his weapon instead of just his fist.


    The lycanthrope took out a spear and entered a stance where he pointed it at Viviana. A lightning arc sparked from the spear.


    ¡°<Lightning Lunge>¡±


    Enti charged forward with incredible speed. Several walls of plants rose from the ground to stop him but he pierced through them easily and continued toward the girl. But Viviana would not take it lightly. Holding her staff with her hands, she stomped it on the ground.


    ¡°<Gaia¡¯s Wraith>¡±


    The moment the staff touched the ground, it generated a tremor which shattered the terrain, throwing off the soil in all direction. Having lost his sod, Enti leaped to the sky. A lightning strike hit his spear as he dived downward. Unfortunately, that was just what Viviana has intended all along. Enti may have the advantage of speed and reflex but if he didn¡¯t have any footing he could not accelerate to that kind of speed. In addition, he could not dodge while on air, which allowed her to accurately strike him down.


    ¡°<Sunlight beam>¡±


    A column of light descended from the sky and blasted the werewolf from behind, bringing him down to the ground creating a large crater.


    The audience was watching intensively the crater as the smoke began to fade away. Would Enti stand up for another round or would he stay down and accept his defeat?


    And he stood up, pressing his burned body on his spear. It seemed that last attack really wrecked him good, making him unable to stand up properly.


    ¡°It¡­¡¯s not over¡­yet! I..can ¡­still¡­fight!¡± Enti gasped for air.


    The result was already decided. Yet looking at the unyielding will of the contestant, the announcer was hesitating to proclaim the winner. But then.


    ¡°The match is over! Victory goes to the Quin clan!¡± chief Gon of clan Wen shouted. ¡°Enti, you have done well but there is no need to risk your life here!¡±


    ¡°I...yield!¡± the werewolf fell to his knees, accepting the fact that he lost. All his training, has it been for naught? He felt so ashamed for staining his family¡¯s honor, claiming to be Baldo¡¯s descendants, the undefeated Champion and yet he has lost so miserably. What good would it be to continue this shameful life?


    Suddenly, someone extended their hand to him.


    ¡°You have fought well. Do not feel ashamed for losing! It¡¯s only when you lose that you realize you need to be stronger. I know this myself.¡± It was Viviana. While she was just a hero apprentice, Viviana has always been proud of her abilities. But after what happened at Caelum, never has she felt so feeble, so helpless as she watched the people she knew and loved being slaughtered in such a gruesome way. She understood that feeling and seeing Enti right now reminded her of that time.


    A part of her felt a little unsatisfying. She used a Great Spirit and that wasn¡¯t even through a proper pact to defeat the men and women who only used their own strength through your sweat and blood.


    ¡°¡­.For what do you fight for?¡± asked Enti.


    ¡°For peace. For the people I love and care about. For the world!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­But I have dishonored my family. My life is forfeited. So do what you want with it! ¡°Enti threw his spear to Viviana. ¡°My life is now yours! Cut it down or let me serve you, the decision is yours!¡± Enti bowed to the girl.


    ¡°How can you throw away your life that easily? This is just a stupid contest. What we need to do is to unite against the threat of the elves.¡±


    ¡°The weak obeys the strong. That¡¯s how I have been raised and that''s the way I intend to follow for the rest of my life."


    ¡°You¡­.Fine! We need as much as warriors anyway!¡±


    ¡°Very well! I, Enti of the Wen, swear to protect you until my last breath!¡±


    * * *


    Back to Alastor, the situation didn¡¯t look very merry for the boy. He swore that his strike did connect but instead of the assassin, he was the one being hurt. The wound could be easily healed but until he figured out how to deal with this guy, he must remain careful.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.¡°<Shadow Blade>¡±


    Pulling out a sharp sword from his own shadow, the assassin dashed to Alastor. But his blade was easily caught between Alastor¡¯s fingers.


    ¡°Your attacks are so pathetic it hurts. The question is how to hurt you.¡± Alastor said, staring at the armor suit the assassin wore. The object had the image of a gear on it so it must have been created by the Artificer: it was one of the seven legendary Tempus Machina.


    To test out its abilities, Alastor decided to strike again. This time, however, he put much less force into his fist and the result was as he expected. It barely hurt him at all. So what this meant was this suit could convert the force and energy of the attacks it received and send it back to the attacker. The more powerful the attack, the deadlier the revenge would be.


    So it reflected physical attacks, what about magic? Alastor summoned the five elemental orbs and shot a series of elementals bullets toward the assassin. Immediately, they were all sucked into the empty socket on his chest. The assassin raised his hand and fired back all Alastor¡¯s bullets.


    ¡°<Devour>¡±


    Absorbing back his attack, Alastor was thinking about several possible strategies. That armor could not possibly absorb everything. It was still a machine and its construction, design, material must have imposed some kind of limit. If he could cast a very powerful spell and tried to overload it but that would certainly break the armor, in which case it wasn¡¯t Alastor¡¯s intention. He recognized its shape: that thing was one of the four keys required to enter Tartarus. He needed to find a way to take it off the assassin without damaging it. If only there was a way to inflict damage to this guy without using magic or physical attack.


    Actually Alastor still had something up his sleeves. The power of a demon lord he received a long time ago but didn¡¯t know how to properly use it, or rather he really didn¡¯t want to use it. The price of using that ability was quite painful. This assassin would have to pay a lot later for forcing Alastor to use it.


    When we spoke of magic, what first came to mind to most people was elemental magic, essentially used for offensive attack. Aside from that there was healing magic and soul magic including necromancy. However, what most people also forgot was that there were also other schools that barely belonged to the category of magic.


    Spirit summoning actually belonged to the school of Oath magic, also known as Pact magic. In some case, Oath magic was also referred as World magic as the effect it had could affect the entire world. Basically an Oath was made between two or multiples parties with each making a promise to the other. As long as the promises were kept, both would receive power that could even defy the very fundamental laws of the universe. In the case of Spirit summoning, the Spirit could never part or betray the summoner as long as the summoner followed their pact. Even mind controlling magic would not work against spirits once they made a pact, no matter how powerful it was. But aside from spirit summoning, Oath magic was still a big mystery to any researcher.


    Another school of magic would be Curse. Curses were extremely popular in the past as it was practically impossible to defend against it nor it would be easy to know that you have been cursed. Even better, Curse actually didn¡¯t use mana at all but rather life essence of the user. This allowed it to bypass any mana detection or absorption method that would normally nullify magic.


    And among all the demon lords with whom Alastor has made a pact with, one was specialized in curse: Beatrix, the woman of chains and the one who managed all Alastor¡¯s bonds. The bond itself could be viewed as a link which deepened their connection but also a curse. And the bond was just one of the many curses Beatrix wielded.


    ¡°<Chain of Agony>¡± Alastor shouted.


    Two black holes opened on the assassin and Alastor¡¯s chests simultaneously. A chain slashed out from Alastor and entered the assassin through the hole. Unlike the white chain Alastor had with Ikarus, this one seemed rusty with a red color. But it wasn¡¯t rust that turned it red.


    With the assassin still confusing on what was happening to him, Alastor touched the ground and pulled out a small stone dagger.


    ¡°You think that tiny thing could hurt me? Try if you can, brat!¡± the assassin arrogantly smiled.


    ¡°No, not you, but me!¡±


    Alastor took the dagger and plunged it into his thigh. Blood spilled out from the wound as he fell down to the ground.


    ¡°ARGHHH¡± but it wasn¡¯t Alastor who screamed. The moment Alastor stabbed himself, the assassin could feel an intense pain in his leg, as if someone has stabbed him. His leg was bleeding. How could it be possible? Just what has hit him to cause such a wound without him noticing?


    ¡°This is for what you did to Morrigan!¡± Alastor stabbed himself again in his other leg.


    ¡°ARGHHHH! YOU BASTARD!¡± taken by rage, the assassin threw two daggers at Alastor¡¯ shouder. But that would only make things worse. Not just his legs, the assassin could not feel his arms. And the excruciating pain, he was powerless to even do a thing.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* Oh but it¡¯s not over yet! I will make you wish you were never born!¡± Alastor was supposed to be paralyzed like the assassin as their wounds were the same. However, the body of a demon lord and a human were like sky and earth. Alastor could regenerate his body with the slime abilities as much as he wanted. The only thing he has to endured was the pain of being stabbed. Unfortunately for the assassin, only pain was transferred through the chain, not any kind of healing.


    As the assassin continued to scream in pain and cursed Alastor, the boy continuously stabbed himself, each time a different location.


    ¡°This is for all the troubles you made me go through! *Stab*¡±


    After a moment, things were silent. The assassin lied motionless on the ground, dead and Alastor, feeling so much pain his body was beginning to be numb, was technically fine. With his wounds completely healed like before except for the blood soaked cloth filled with stab holes, Alastor walked up to the corpse and took the armor from the dead assassin.


    The chain has been dispelled and disappeared. For some reasons, he still didn¡¯t feel satisfied enough. He could have just stopped when the assassin lost consciousness. But this guy hurt Morrigan, and that was a death sentence he brought on himself.


    ¡°Ah shit, should have let him alive for interrogation on that fucking Svelt! What about the other four?¡±


    Searching for the other assassins who went in the other direction with the basilisk. He wondered what happened to them.


    And here they were. Three of them had their bodies torn apart or half melting from the poisonous smoke. The last one was being held to the ground under the basilisk¡¯s feet, shrieking in fear.


    ¡°Oh good boy¡­..ah I mean girl! You actually keep one alive for me! Come, people are waiting!¡±


    ¡­..


    It has been a few hours since Alastor went into the woods and there was no sign of him anywhere. While others were beginning to question whether something misfortunate has happened to the boy, Svelt was smirking in the corner. He has hired the best assassins and even put a S-rank monster in that wood. There was no way Alastor could have survived.


    SLAM


    ¡°HOWDY!¡±


    It was Alastor¡¯s voice. So he did succeed after all. Those who supported the boy after seeing his performance at the first challenge were relieved, especially Sinclair. Needless to say, Morrigan was more than happy to see her son coming back. But he wasn¡¯t alone. The moment the door opened, people shouted in fear and ran for their lives.


    A giant snake-like creature with four foots walked into the palace. How come the guards didn¡¯t stop him?


    ¡°Alastor???¡± unlike the others, the Zagon Empress saw a small figure riding majestically on the creature¡¯s head. His cloth was soaked with blood and almost shred to pieces. It seemed like he has gone through quite an ordeal.


    She rushed to his side without a care for the big basilisk. Seeing his mother running toward him, Alastor jumped down from the beast and received a big hug from her.


    ¡°Are you alright? How come you have so much blood on you? Call the healers! NOW!¡± Morrigan shouted as she checked the boy¡¯s body for injuries.


    ¡°I am fine, mom! It¡¯s not my blood!¡± he turned to the nobles hiding behind the throne. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! I have tamed this creature. He¡­I mean she is completely harmless¡­.unless you try to do something to me like a certain someone in this very room.¡± Alastor proclaimed.


    The basilisk started sniffing around one person to another. One minister was so scared when it approached that he pissed himself right off the bat. The others tried to back down slowly to every corner of the room. Fortunately for them, the basilisk wasn¡¯t interested in some old bones or fat. It stopped in front of one person: minister Svelt. It remembered this scent, the one who captured it and put it behind bars before releasing it into those woods.


    ¡°He, gentlemen, is the one who wanted me dead.¡± Alastor pointed at the terrified minister.


    ¡°Wh¡­What are you talking about? I don¡¯t know what you mean¡­..Please someone get this thing off me!¡± Svelt cowered in fear.


    ¡°I have the proof right in front of you, minister Svelt.¡±


    ¡°You mean this creature? How can it be the proof?¡±


    ¡°No, not her! Do it, Nori!¡± Alastor called his pet.


    The basilisk Nori opened its giant mouth and spitted out a person covered in slimy saliva. Alastor walked to that person and kicked him.


    ¡°So tell me! Was minister Svelt the one who hired you bunch of assassins to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Yes yes yes! So please let me go! Don¡¯t put me in there!!!!¡±


    ¡°This¡­this can¡¯t be!¡± Svelt shrieked. He decided to run to the door. What a foolish man!


    ¡°Guards! Capture him!¡± Morrigan shouted.


    ¡°Nori!¡±


    The basilisk swung its tail on the floor and tripped the idiot minister, making him smashing his pretty face against a pillar, breaking his nose. As he rolled his pain trying to keep the blood from coming out his bleeding nose, he saw what could only be described as the most insidious smile on the face of a small boy.


    ¡°So many things to do, so many things to discuss, minister Svelt! But first, let me loosen your tongue just a little bit!¡±

 Chapter 52: Torment

    ¡°Primos the First Demon Lord?¡± Noroeth said in disbelief. ¡°That was thousands of years ago. How come his name is mentioned in this parchment?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I have a bad feeling about this. This paper has existed for a very long time yet the power emanating from it is still so strong. It looks like some kind of¡­pact? If this paper is here, then does it mean that there was some kind of pacts between Primos and the Artificier?


    Anyway let¡¯s look around for more hidden chambers! This manor is not as simple as I think it is. There must be something else here.¡± Lilith said.


    The two decided to separate themselves with Lilith going to the second level, where the workshop of the old Artificer lied. Instead of just going through books like before, she decided to search every corner for hidden buttons and contraption. Being the one who has created so many weird machines, she should have expected him to have one or two secrets chambers in his house. And there it was. Under the table of his working place, a red button was sticking upside down on the edge. It would have been so easy to miss it as there were no window in this room so let the light in.


    Upon pushing on it, the shelves on the side moved slightly to the right and revealed a hidden compartment. Inside Lilith found another stack of books but unlike the others which the subject was about machinery and golems, these were about magic and not just any magic: Oath magic. These ancient texts dated since the time the Six Gods and Eden were still in this world. So it was entirely possible that the author of these books wrote it after an audience with a God who could have very well taught them about it.


    ¡°Lilith!!! You have to come down here quick!¡± the voice of the old skeleton called the Goddess to abandon these books where she found them. She would not understand them right now anyway. Perhaps after this she would bring them back to the castle for translation and studies.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± asked Lilith.


    ¡°That scroll we found¡­..there wasn¡¯t just one of them. Come with me!¡±


    Noroeth guided the girl through another hidden stair like the one he found earlier. However, the room it was leading too was much, much bigger than the other one.


    ¡°Oh my god!¡±


    Inside this huge underground room were hundreds of long sets of cabinets containing what seemed to be hundreds thousands of scrolls like the one they found in the chamber with the creepy dolls. Along the shelves were names of the ones who signed it. Just taking a quick glance and Lilith recognized a few. They were all names of the past demon lords: Nyx, Belphegor, Beatrix, Sullivan and many more.


    ¡°Oath magic¡­so this is what all this is about. Primos was just the first one¡­He actually made an Oath with every single demon lord he could find and when the last one died, he would renew the Oath with the next generation. But for what purpose would you need all the demon lords?¡± Lilith contemplated. She was confused by the Artificer¡¯s actions. A man surrounded with mysteries, he once tried to destroy the world but then gave up after a certain event. Then he allied himself with the demons and has been helping them ever since. But there were many plot holes and enigmas in these stories.


    The first one was if the demons had access to the weaponry from the Artificer, conquering the world even with their numbers would not be such a difficult task. So then why has never a demon lord made a conquest outside of Ragna but instead only stayed in their continent? Surely there must be at least a few who hated the world so much they wanted to destroy everything. So why didn¡¯t they do it?


    The second point was about these pacts the Artificer has made with the demon lords. Oath magic could defy the logic of the universe, bending the laws of nature. That kind of power was not only difficult to obtain but also extremely dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. Yet there clearly wasn¡¯t just one pact here but hundreds of thousands of them. All these efforts¡­for what?


    The final mystery was what she feared the most. Akroma was the weapon the Artificer used during the Second Calamity, resulting in the destruction of half the world¡¯s population. After the Artificer disappeared from the scene, so did Akroma. And now she actually found it laying in the underground of Ragna, dormant. What could this possibly mean? Whatever it was, nothing good would happen from it.


    ¡°Noroeth, we will search one final round around the house and depart back to the castle! I have some questions for the demons.¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°Actually there is something I think you should know¡­¡± the lich muttered. He decided that it would be for the best to tell Lilith of his lost memories¡­and of that person.


    ¡­..


    ¡°So on Alastor¡¯s birthday, aside from you guys, there is actually one more visitor, right? That put this person very suspicious. Who is he?¡±


    ¡°It was ¡­.the Artificer. He was supposed to come to discuss something with Asgore and I swore that just before I lost consciousness from the light at the castle, I saw him coming toward me from afar.¡± Noroeth said.


    That name again. It seemed all the mysteries kept swirling around this enigmatic character. Just what was his role in all these? Could he be the one who killed Alastor¡¯s parents? Why? So thought Lilith.


    ¡°And before you say anything, I believe that the Artificer was not the culprit.¡±


    ¡°What? Why do you say that? If you think about it, he is the most suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Indeed he was but remember that in my memories, the light came from the castle after I saw the old man. The path to the castle was a fairly open route so you can see a person walking down even miles away. In this case, the Artificer was still at least a couple of hundreds meters from me when that light hit the castle from inside. This meant that by the time the Artificer came, the culprit was already inside the castle.¡± The lich explained his reasoning.


    ¡°Hum¡­what you said does make sense. But can we trust your memories right now? You said that you lost a bit when you died no?¡± asked Lilith.


    ¡°I did but they all came back now. This time I swear that was everything. The Artificer was not the culprit. And there is something else: aside from the Artificer there was a second person accompanying him¡­.¡±


    ¡°Who? ¡­.You mean¡­.¡± Lilith looked at the lich with grand open eyes. She just realized what he was implicating.


    ¡°That doll was also there with him.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Tan tan tan tan! How do you feel, Mr. Svelt?¡± the joyful voice of a young voice echoed in a dark cell.


    ¡°Fumph you! Releash me ngow, you frea!¡±


    ¡°Oh I am sorry! I forgot to remove this gag in your mouth! Now much better! You were saying?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you! Release me now, you freak!¡± Svelt raged. He was tied up to a chair and with his weak muscles which could not even lift a boy, he had no way of getting out of here by himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s not really the right attitude to have in a situation like this, don¡¯t you think?¡± Alastor playfully said


    ¡°You have no idea who you are dealing with. If you don¡¯t release me right now, they will grind this place to the ground!¡± the minister fumed.


    ¡°Are you talking about your little friends at Sanctus? Soon to die like a certain Terrick?¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know¡­¡±


    ¡°I know a lot of things about you bunch of twats. How you used those orphans for your petty experiments. How you manipulated several countries for your own ambitions. How you are looking for all the Tempus Machina? Does that name ring a bell?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Svelt was left speechless. Who was this kid to even know about Sanctus? Not even the best spies could even discover them so how come all their operations were known by this little brat?


    ¡°You know, I actually think that if I am your position, I would probably do the same thing. Hiding behind in the shadows, controlling kings and queens like puppets to your will. If that¡¯s the case, normally we would have worked together. But do you know why I did not? Do you know why you are sitting in that chair and not me?¡± Alastor smiled shrewdly.


    ¡°Wh¡­Why?¡± Svelt uttered.


    ¡°Because you touched my family!¡± Alastor transformed his hands into beast mode. With its powerful grip, he smashed Svelt to the ground. ¡°YOU! KILLED! SHANA! YOU! HURT! MORRIGAN! YOU! PIECE! OF! SHIT!¡±


    With each word was equivalent to a punch to Svelt¡¯s face. Blood splattered on his beastly hands as Svelt was swelling from the wounds, his tooth broken, his nose still broken.


    ¡°Pleashhh *sobbing*! I will say everything! Just let me go!¡± the minister began to cry like a baby. He has never been hit like this, even by his parents. The pain was just too much for a frail guy like him.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* If you tell me everything, I promise I will let go out of this place without touching you or harming you¡±


    Hearing it, Svelt immediately began to spill everything. He told Alastor about Sanctus¡¯ leader, pope Gauwyn, how the organization was created to deal with the demon threat. He also told him about several bases of operations Sanctus was using across the world. But these information was not what Alastor was looking for. He wanted to know the location of their headquarter together with the names of the remaining main members. But aside from pope Gauwyn and another member who actually had a seat in the dragon council, Svelt knew nothing of the other four. He didn¡¯t even know about the Tempus Machina aside from the one that was given to him: the Arma suit.


    ¡°Please! That¡¯s all I know. I swear I speak nothing but the truth!¡± Svelt begged for mercy.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°I know you are! You told me the same thing yesterday!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I guess you don¡¯t remember it but this is the second time we have this conversation. The difference was I took control of your mind yesterday and made you spill the truth by your own volition already. Today is just to test whether you have the guts to lie to my face. And you pass! Congratulations! The door is open. Go ahead! I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Alastor showed Svelt the opened door behind him.


    Could this be a trap? But that wouldn¡¯t make any sense. Alastor had no need to let him go. He could just torture him to make him spill out any information. And if he was speaking the truth then Svelt has already told him everything he knew. So why let him go? Svelt thought hard about it. But he dared not stay for a second longer. What if this was a chance that God has given him? He must flee before Alastor changed his mind.


    Still in doubt, he walked clumsily toward the door in a slow manner. He poked his head outside to watch out for traps. But there was no one there.  He looked back in the cell and saw that Alastor was smiling at him, signaling him to go and pointing him to the exit. Without taking any chance, Svelt ran with all his might. This area seemed to be in the underground and had many cells, all empty. So he was retained in a prison. The ceiling was quite high for such a facility, and so dark he could barely see anything.


    After running for a while in the dark corridor, Svelt could see ray of light coming from one of the doors at the end of the corridor. It must be the exit. He ran as fast as he could toward the light. Just a few more steps and this nightmare would be over. Just a few more steps left. To make sure that he was not being pursued, Svelt looked back. No one. So Alastor really kept his words.


    Grabbing the door¡¯s handle, he opened it. The warm sunlight, the sensation of the passing wind on his face, this was freedom. Finally he was freed¡­..Or not.


    Suddenly he felt something grabbing on his leg, something slimy. He looked down, only to see a pinkish tongue clinging on his limb. Then it pulled him back into the dark below. Svelt tried his best to stay outside. He grabbed the door but it cracked easily. He used his nails on the ground but these fingers which have never done any hard work in their lives broke effortlessly. And so he was swallowed by darkness again.


    ¡­..


    ¡°People clings onto hope, no matter how disillusioned it is. This is especially true when they are facing death. I offer you just a brief chance of respite, to see how you struggle to live all because of that tiny hope. And then I take it away the moment just before you finally escaped. For only when all hope is extinguished, people will know true despair.


    I did say that I won¡¯t touch you but I never said anything about her! Nori, do try to eat one piece at a time and chew carefully! I don¡¯t want you to have a tummy ache from eating this pile of shit.


    Let him watch as his body is being eaten limb by limb. Savor any last bit of agony!


    Goodbye Svelt!¡±


    * * *


    Kaiser was currently sitting alone in a chamber of his cave. In front of him was the crown he got from Celdora. This crown was found at the mansion of the Artificer after his sudden death, along with another artefact which was given to the hero Arshe. What concerned Kaiser was what Celdora told him the other day about his symptoms during the time he had this crown. And now Kaiser was expressing those very same symptoms. Was it just a coincide or was this crown the cause?


    The more Kaiser looked at the crown, the stranger he felt. He was alone in the room, yet he felt like he was hearing tiny whispers around me. The tone was so small he could not distinguish what the words were. As he stared at the crown intensively, he was under the impression that he was the one being watched. He slowly moved his hand toward the crown. Something inside him was urging him to do it, something he didn¡¯t even know himself. The whispers were getting louder and louder the closer he was to it, until he heard one word.


    ¡°Come¡±


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    ¡°Lord Kaiser, are you there?¡±


    That call brought Kaiser back to himself. Just what has he been doing? This crown, he didn¡¯t know what it was nor what its purpose was but he knew one thing: it was dangerous to keep it around him.


    ¡°Lord Kaiser?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes I am coming!¡± Kaiser rushed to the door. It was one of his soldiers. Apparently the dragons wanted to talk to him about something. Something like that shouldn¡¯t take very long so Kaiser decided to leave immediately without locking the door. He wanted to get some air anyway after that strange experience. Also no one would ever dare to enter his room without his permission so there was no need to come back and lock it. Well no one would, except for one. And this oversight would cost Kaiser dearly.


    A moment later.


    KNOCK


    ¡°Mister Kaiser, are you there?¡± the voice of a young girl spoke.


    With no one answering, Syralth decided to enter. She stumbled on a few occasion upon a sleeping Kaiser so she was used to the fact that he would not answer his door and just came in by herself. But there was no one inside. Perhaps she just missed him. Maybe he was somewhere else.


    As Syralth was closing the door, she heard something strange coming from inside the room. Could it be a rat or a critter who got lost in this place? The young draconian decided to enter the room again to check for the source of the sound. But no matter how much she searched, she couldn¡¯t find anything. Then she spotted something unusual sitting on the table: the crown.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t daddy use to have one of these? Why is there one here? I¡­¡­I¡­¡­¡± Syralth¡¯s head began to hurt. She felt a bit dizzy and¡­empty. What was she doing? She didn¡¯t even know anymore. The little girl swiped her eyes to wake up but the pain in her head persisted. Then she heard a creeping inhuman voice in her mind, speaking in a slow and insidious tone.


    ¡°Come to me!¡±


    Syralth felt like she no longer had control of her body anymore. She started taking a step toward the crown, and another step. Slowly but surely, Syralth was now right in front of the crown.


    ¡°Touch me!¡±


    Syralth held the crown with both of her hands. Her eyes were empty, soulless. Her pupils began to change color, from emerald to a blue crystal one.


    ¡°Bring me¡­to him!¡±


    ¡°To who?¡± Syralth spoke in a monotone voice.


    ¡°Bring me¡­to¡­ Alastor!¡±


    ¡°I¡­.I¡­.don¡¯t know.¡± Being half dragon, Syralth still retained the gift of her father: being naturally resistant to magic. But she was still far too young to resist something at this scale. However, it didn¡¯t mean she was helpless. A part of her consciousness was still there and it was screaming at her to let that thing go.


    ¡°BRING ME TO ALASTOR!¡±


    ¡°AAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW¡± the girl screamed in fear.


    ¡­..


    Hearing screams coming from the chamber of the lord, three persons rushed immediately to the room. The first one was Celdora. He could recognize the scream of his daughter even miles away. The second one following him was Kaiser upon hearing shout from his very room. He also was familiar with the voice. There was no other kid in this place aside from her. And since something else, something dangerous was also left in the room, Kaiser could only blame his own negligence for letting something happen to her.


    Opening the door, the two saw Syralth holding onto the crown with one hand onto air. She looked like she was trying to run from it but her hand just wouldn¡¯t let go. In an instant, the dragon lord dashed to her location and tried to take the crown away but the moment he touched it, an invisible force pushed him away against the wall. Kaiser followed by trying to grab Syralth but something was preventing him from going any further.


    And the third person has come. Seeing the situation, Malick took out a small needle.


    ¡°<Sacred Arts: Expel>¡± Infusing the needle with mana he threw it at the crown, separating it from the girl and pinched it on the wall.


    He then threw five wooden pikes surrounding the crown and created a shining magic circle in the form of a pentagram.


    ¡°<Star Formation: Purification> Evil spirit, be gone!!!¡±


    A bright light engulfed the crown before an agonizing scream could be heard. The crown became normal again. Now all that was left was a crying girl lying in Kaiser¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Syra, are you okay, darkling? What happened?¡± Celdora asked worriedly.


    ¡°It¡­it was so dark and cold¡­.Her voice was so scary¡­Don¡¯t let her take me away, please! * hic hic  (crying sound) * ¡° the small draconian cried out loud.

 Chapter 53: Battle of the Carrion Valley

    ¡°Just what the hell happened???¡± a draconic voice roared through the entire cave.


    ¡°The crown, it took control over miss Syralth when she touched it. Lucky that we got to her in time. Who knows what would happen if¡­..¡± Malick spoke.


    After putting Syralth to bed in the next room under heavy guard, the trio Celdora, Kaiser and Malick were trying to figure out what just happened to the young miss.


    ¡°But how could a crown be capable of such a thing? It has been in my possession for the last ten years and no such thing happened.¡±


    ¡°The crown by itself, no. However, someone has put a curse on it. In addition, you as a dragon lord is very resistant to magic while miss Syralth is still young and only a draconian, which explains why it could affect her much easier. Also, it¡¯s possible that the trigger has been activated.¡± Malick analyzed.


    ¡°Trigger?¡± Kaiser said.


    ¡°A curse doesn¡¯t need to initiate the moment it has been cast. In many cases, curses remain dormant for weeks, years or for the entire lifetime with the bearer not even aware of it. However, the most important factor is called the trigger. Most curses follow a rule which will only activate after a distinct event.  For example, a curse can activate if the cursed person tries to use their mana for spells or if that person performs a very specific action.


    My guess is that something recently happened that activated the curse on the crown. It could have been anyone of us but miss Syralth, being the least resistant and untrained in countering mind control technic, was unfortunate to stumble across it during one of its awakening moment.¡± Malick explained. ¡°But you should be at ease now. I have removed the curse from the crown so nothing like this will happen again.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that, I will not let that crown be anywhere near my daughter again. This fucking shit!¡± Celdora smacked the table. It wasn¡¯t like he wanted to hit it anyway. After what happened to his daughter, he tried to destroy that crown, to no avail. No matter what he did, no matter how powerful his attack was, it did nothing to the crown.


    ¡°This is due to my negligence. If only I have been more careful with this, Syra would not have to go through that experience. I have no words that could ease your anger, lord Celdora!¡± Kaiser bowed the dragon lord. For the most part, he was angry with himself. If he locked the door that day, none of this would have happened. While there was no consequence this time, it was by pure luck that Malick was nearby that day. What would happen if he wasn¡¯t? Anyway, this was an important lesson for the True Monarch.


    ¡°I share a part of the blame too, Kaiser. I had it with me for the last ten years without even noticing something like this. On so many occasions I have let this thing be so close to Syra and Nina¡­ Why the hell did I take this accursed object that day???¡±


    ¡°¡­I think this curse was designed for you, Celdora.¡± Kaiser spoke.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Think about it! You found the crown at the mansion of the Artificer. You said that you came there because you received a letter from him. Yet when you actually got there, the Artificer was already on the brink of dead and went completely mental. That doesn¡¯t seem like someone who could write you a letter inviting you to his home for no reason, especially in his state.


    I think it was a trap to lure you and the hero Arshe into taking these cursed objects in order to control you.¡± Kaiser explained his theory.


    ¡°A trap? By whom?¡±


    ¡°Given the timing, there could only be one person: the one who committed the massacre at the demon lord¡¯s castle ten years ago. Killing Asgore and Lakyus was just the first step. This person was also aiming for the rest of the heroes.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°You said that Arshe has taken the scepter. Unlike you he is not a dragon. If that scepter was somehow also a cursed object, it would take over him after a certain amount of time.¡±


    ¡°By the Gods¡­but if this person is aiming for me, why hasn¡¯t he or she done it yet? If they were capable of killing both Asgore and Lakyus, the rest of the heroes would be an easy task, even with the demons on their sides. Why did they not wait for us and just kill us back then ten years ago?¡± Celdora asked. What he said was correct. If someone truly was capable of killing everyone at the demon lord¡¯s castle, then even with Mephisto and the entire demon army, Celdora would have lost easily. And if they also aimed to Celdora and Arshe, they could just wait for their return instead of making this elaborate plan with curses objects.


    ¡°Perhaps it is not that they didn¡¯t, but more like they couldn¡¯t.¡± Kaiser thought.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible that the fight with Lakyus and Asgore ended up with them being heavily injured, incapable of taking on you guys after. Therefore, they needed another plan to deal with you. Or something unexpected happened, something they did not expect.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like someone who was not supposed to be there was actually there.¡±


    * * *


    The last time a Beast King was elected was ten years ago when the demon lord made himself apparent to the world. At that time, the Champion was Arshe and his father, chief San of the Kom clan, was elected as the Beast King. But his reign was short lived as the demon lord Asgore defeated almost a year after. With the demon threat subdued, the tribes separated from each other and returned to their land. Now history was repeating itself. With Zen became the Beast King, all the tribes were once again united to solve the elf crisis.


    The first clash took place in the western border of the Whispering Forest, where the army of Malatas has first invaded. Leading the army of the beastmans was of course the Champion Viviana. After a profound speech of encouragement of the Beast King, the horn of battle has been blown. War has begun.


    ¡°Release the beasts!¡± shouted the commander of the Beast battalion who was Garrick. For long, the beastmans have been friends with the monsters residing in the Whispering Forest. They even tamed them for ride and battle and in many case a life companion. Just now, Garrick has unleashed a horde of Storm wolves onto the enemies. These wolves were much stronger than their wild relatives, having been through special training capable of large onslaught in the battlefield.


    ¡°Archers! Fire at will!¡± the commander of the elves shouted.


    A line of elves archers came forward and released their bows all at the same time, creating a rain of arrows. A few wolves, hit by the arrows, fell down while the rest bravely charged toward the elves with any hesitation. Crossing the arrow field, they lunged on the archers fiercely, creating chaos among the rank of the elves.


    With the archers down, the beastmans warriors, with their axes and swords, rushed on, roaring their battle cries. The smell on blood filled the air. The clash between swords echoed in the battlefield. War may emanate from many reasons. Sometimes it was for expansion, other times for power struggle. Whatever the reason might be, war could be resumed in a single term: survival.


    Someone who has never stepped onto a raging battlefield would never understand. Behind the scenes, each could have their own reason for going to war: to protect their country, to honor their king, to save their families or simply to kill. But when you were in the middle of this carnage, the only thing that kept you alive was the will to survive. Your ideas didn¡¯t matter here. Whatever pushed you to go to war actually didn¡¯t matter at all. Here at the place where only death could be found, you fought for yourself, to save your own skin.


    Garrick charged through the enemy ranks like a storm, each swing of his sword took down an enemy. All his senses were heightened, his will to live, unquestionable.


    Then he spotted the enemy commander. He too was chopping down the enemies like butter without a care. ¡®He will be a magnificent foe¡¯ thought Garrick. As if realizing his intention, the elf commander started to walk to Garrick.


    It was a strange scene. While the battle was taking place around them, it seemed like all they could see was each other, as if time has slow down for them.


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    ¡°ARRRRRRR!¡± roared Garrick as he sprinted toward the elf.


    Their swords clashed. Sparks of fire emitted from the friction. When two veterans were exchanging blows, the best thing to do was to stay out of their way. As they moved across the war zone, so did those surrounding them fall one after another. But they didn¡¯t care. Right now there was only one foe they needed to kill and he was in front of them.


    In this heated exchange, one wrong move would mean the difference between life and death. And the elf has misjudged his opponent. Garrick has been tricking him into thinking that he was using his full speed and that was his downfall. In an instant, the beastman accelerated his stepping and impaled the elf with his sword.


    ¡°That¡­was¡­a nice fight!¡± the elf commander spoke softly with the sword in his chest.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t too bad yourself. It¡¯s a pity we are enemies.¡± The two may have been foes but he followed the warrior code of honor. War put them against each other. If only things were different, they might have even been friends. And as the code has dictated, Garrick would put him out of his misery.


    ¡°A¡­.A¡­..ARGHHHHH¡± The elf suddenly vomited a black substance. His body began to change. His bones grew much larger, even poking out of his body through his skin. His skull was deformed, growing into an elongated shape one. The elf screamed in pain as his body became larger and larger. Now he has completely turned into a monstrosity with only bones and flesh. Two long bones stuck out from his protracted arms, sharp like two spears.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Garrick uttered shockingly.


    The monster let out a high pitched scream, interrupting everyone around it from continuing the battle. Even the elves were left in awe when they saw the monster. Neither sides knew where this thing came from or to which side it belonged to. Suddenly the others elves started to feel strange. They held their neck to gasp for breath but a black sludge came out of their bodies, drowning them. And then they began to transform into hideous deformities that started to kill everyone around them without discrimination, even the elves who didn¡¯t transform ended up being killed by their own former allies.


    Within the first few hours, the casualties on both sides have amounted to ten thousand with very disproportionate losses. Eight thousands beastmans were dead or missing in action with only two thousand confirmed deaths for the elves. These two thousands were only accounting the elves who didn¡¯t turn into monsters as it was unknown how many of these atrocities were actually out there, roaming the forest.


    So many lives were lost in such a short time. The ground was soaked with blood of both sides. Bodies, numbered in thousands, lied in piles. It was a feast for the crows and other scavengers. It didn''t matter who you were. Once you died, you became food for these animals all the same.


    After every battle, each army would send a special squad to retrieve the bodies of the fallen so they may be buried back in their homeland. Under the code of war, no one was supposed to attack these units with a triangular white flags. However, this time, there was no such unit coming from the elves to take back the corpses. It was quite strange as the elves were the race who revered their deads the most. This led to thousands of corpses laying around in this bloody valley, making this battle later known as Battle of the Carrion Valley.


    But those were only numbers found in the actually fields. Scouts said that many smaller tribes who didn¡¯t have time to evacuate simply disappear without a trace. The villages were burned to the ground but there were no corpses to be found. It was as if they simply vanished into thin air.


    Right now, Zen and the other three clan leaders were having a session to discuss their next plans. It appeared as clear as day that they were the losing side. Aside from the battlefield where Viviana successfully triumphed, all other frontiers were lost because of these monsters. Reports and witnesses suggested that they belonged indeed to the elves faction but would kill indiscriminately everything around them.


    ¡°Just what the hell are those things? It took fifty of our men to kill one of them and God knows how many are out there.¡± Chief Gon fumed.


    ¡°They seem to be some kind of super soldiers created by the court mage of Malatas. My birds told me that ever since she took power, strange things started to happen inside the palace. This must be one of that witch¡¯s inventions.¡± Chief Loo reported. In order to investigate the army of Malatas, he has sent the best of his spies to the capital but only one returned, and with grave news. Whoever this Astrea was, she had the ears of the king and controlled the entire palace. Loo suspected that her ascension to power with her miraculous elixir to cure the plague was just too suspicious as the timing was perfect.


    ¡°Not only that, currently, aside from the known casualties, more than five thousands civilians and soldiers were unaccounted for. We have organized search parties but so far none has shown up yet.¡± Chief San said.


    ¡°Do you think the elves did it?¡± asked Sen.


    ¡°There is a high chance. But if it was them then this makes the situation even worse. Our armies are losing. Bizarre monsters are roaming and people are disappearing like air. This doesn¡¯t look good for us¡­.¡±


    The room fell silent. By themselves, the beastmans had no chance of winning this war, not with their current state. They needed something else: a third party who would be willing to help them. However, everyone knew that at the moment, every country had their own problem and it would be a miracle for anyone to give them a hand.


    ¡°We need to get Zagon in joining us.¡± Zen proclaimed.


    ¡°What? Zagon? It¡¯s true that we have never had any history with them but they have no reason nor incentive to help us.¡± Said Loo.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have much choice. Ceadric has lost the capital. Caelum has fallen. The celestials are almost extinct. Dragons¡­.when was the last time they did anything? Our only option left is to ally ourselves with Zagon.¡± Explained Zen.


    ¡°But what can we give them in return? Unless we have something they want, they wouldn¡¯t help us for no reason.¡±


    ¡°We give them Malatas.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Last time I heard, the Zagon Empress is launching a world conquest to unify all nations under her rule. By giving them Malatas once victory is achieved, we can propose an alliance not just to win this war but to secure an alliance with her in the future.


    We can no longer afford to just sit on our asses, ignoring the world outside. There will be times that we need to take a decision to pick a side and one of that times is now!¡± the Beast King conveyed.


    ¡°This¡­.¡±


    What Zen said made perfect sense to them. The only problem was their pride. The beastmans had never made an official alliance with anyone, except for when a demon lord appeared. They didn¡¯t want to be dragged into the struggle of power between the other nations. They took pride in the fact that they were not putting themselves below personal and material gain. But now it seemed that that thinking was outdated. No longer could they have that luxury anymore.


    ¡°I agree with Lord Zen!¡± said San ¡°War is coming and the conflict between us and the elves is just the start of a much bigger turmoil. We need to see the greater picture here.¡±


    ¡°Chief San¡­.if you also think like that¡­then I too will follow lord Zen¡¯s decision¡± Loo spoke.


    ¡°As much as I wanted to refuse this¡­.we don¡¯t have a choice. The decision is yours, Lord Zen!¡± Gon admitted.


    ¡°Thank you for putting your trust in me! I believe this is our best option right now. But no matter what will happen, our people is united and will persevere through this.¡± Claimed the Beast King.


    ¡°But who should we send to Zagon for negotiation? It can¡¯t be anybody.¡±


    ¡°I think I know just the right persons for this job.¡± Said Zen.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°A cat, a priest and a brat.¡±

 Chapter 54: Alliance

    ¡°Holy Father, please calm down!¡±


    ¡°USELESS IDIOTS! THE LOT OF YOU!¡± an angry old man was screaming at four shadowy persons inside a dark room. It appeared that Svelt has failed in securing the control of the Zagon throne. Most importantly, Morrigan was still alive and well. In addition, a complete outsider was chosen as the next heir to the throne so even if something happened to the Empress, it wouldn¡¯t be their turn to take over Zagon. All that planning for years, turned to dust in an instant. No wonder why its founder would be so mad.


    ¡°But sir, that wasn¡¯t our fault. It was Svelt who has failed you.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! And what have you accomplished then? Tell me. We have lost control of not just all our foreign agents but also our facilities have been mysteriously destroyed one by one without us having the slight idea of the culprit. All my plan to get rid of the demons once and for all has been ruined by your incompetence.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°Did I give you permission to speak? SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡±


    ¡°¡­.So loud¡­¡± a tired voice spoke.


    ¡°What? Do you have something to say too? Like these idiots?¡± Gauwyn turned to the shadow sitting at the corner of the table. ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you gave us those artefacts means that you get the privilege of watching from the sideline! So far they didn¡¯t do a damn thing.¡± Gauwyn raged.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you didn¡¯t use them the right way. So don¡¯t blame me when you lost them! But never mind that, we still have one more.¡± The shadow took out a long scepter and placed it on the table in front of him for everyone to see.


    ¡°So now you are willing to give us that too? I thought you said you would never part away with it.¡± Gaunwyn sneered.


    ¡°I did. This means that it¡¯s about time for me to go on the stage.¡±


    ¡°Really? I know that you are not like the rest of these idiots here and you are strong. They used to call you a hero after all. So do you have a plan?¡± the pope asked.


    ¡°Of course I do. Hehehe!¡± the shadow stood up and walked toward Gauwyn.


    ¡°If you have a plan then do share with us!¡±


    ¡°That¡­I can¡¯t¡± the shadow replied.


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you are not part of that plan, Holy Father!¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­.¡± In a flash, the shadow swung his hand so fast no one could even see what he did.


    Something fell off to the ground next to a shadow. The room was too dark to see what it was so the man had to crouch down to pick it up to see what it was.


    It was Gauwyn¡¯s head. Stunned by the bloody head of the old pope, the man shrieked in fear and dropped the head. But before he could regain his senses, the shadow who killed Gauwyn spoke.


    ¡°All right, gentlemen, there will be some changes around here so I expect you know who to report to starting from now. Did I make myself clear?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Ye¡­.Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sound so skeptical! You have me, Arshe the hero and Champion on your side after all! Hahahaha!¡±


    * * *


    A celestial was walking toward the castle of Eisenheim. She has received a message from Alastor asking her to come but without saying why. But that didn¡¯t bother her at all. She got to see her beloved Alastor after all. The only problem she had was how to get into the palace. Why did he even want to meet her in the palace anyway? Either way she was told to come to the entrance and someone would pick her up. That was weird. Ikarus didn¡¯t know that Alastor would know anyone outside the people at the demon lord¡¯s castle without her knowing.


    Coming toward the gate, Ikarus could see a fat noble walking left and right who seemed to be expecting someone. Could he be the person she was looking for? There was only one way to find out.


    ¡°Hum¡­excuse me¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Could it be you are miss Ikarus?¡± the obese man asked.


    ¡°Ah yes it¡¯s me. But how do you know who I am?¡± asked the celestial.


    ¡°Great! I have been waiting for you. I am minister Sinclair. Alastor has told me about you. He said that just look for the most beautiful woman I could find and that would be Ikarus.¡±


    ¡°Oh! He said that?¡± That sentence alone made the girl blush so much she needed to cover her face to hide her embarrassment.


    ¡°Please, follow me! I will guide you to Alastor¡±


    Passing through the beautiful halls of the castle, Ikarus pondered how did Alastor manage to get into a place like this? The man who took her in also seemed to be someone quite important judging from his attire and the way the guards bowed to him.


    They stopped in front of a door in the inner palace adorned with golden edge. Sinclair knocked on the door.


    ¡°Your Majesty, prince Alastor, I have brought miss Ikarus as you instructed.¡±


    ¡®Majesty? Prince?¡¯ Ikarus shouted in her mind. She didn¡¯t believe in her ears. Could it be that she heard wrong perhaps? How come Alastor was a prince of Zagon?


    ¡°You may enter!¡±


    Sinclair opened the door and signaled Ikarus to come inside while he would stay outside. Still confused by all this, the celestial slowly poked her head into the room to see who was inside.


    ¡°Open wide¡­A A A¡±


    ¡°AAA *gulp* ehhh¡­it¡¯s too sweet¡±


    ¡°Sorry hon! I still need a lot of practice but this is good for my first try don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright hihi! ¡­oh Ikarus, there you are! You¡­..!!!!¡±


    ¡°Alastor¡­..you¡­.you CHEATER!!!!¡±


    ¡°Wait wait I can explain!¡±


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    ¡­..


    To summarize what happened next, here was a short description:


    Ikarus used her special skill <Throwing chair when pissed off> against Alastor. It missed.


    Alastor skillfully evade the chair and countered with <Reason>. It wasn¡¯t very effective.


    Ikarus used <Throwing chair> again. It missed. Ikarus entered <Rage mode>.


    Alastor continued using <Reason>. But it didn¡¯t work.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°STOP!¡± a dignified voice interrupted the couple. ¡°This is my house so sit down!!!¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡± Ikarus wanted to retort.


    ¡°SIT! DOWN!¡± Morrigan shouted.


    ¡°Do as she says, Ikarus! She is scary when she is angry!¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°You are telling me to listen to her? Who is this woman???¡± Ikarus spoke in a raging voice.


    ¡°My mother¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­He he he¡­.Uhmmmm¡­.you have a¡­very nice chair, mother!¡± Ikarus carefully put the chair back to its place, smiling awkwardly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember giving you the permission to call me ¡®mother¡¯, miss Ikarus!¡± Morrigan took a sip of her cup of tea.


    ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s all calm down! Everything is just a misunderstanding so there is no need to continue this stupid fight!¡± Alastor tried to keep the peace. ¡°Take a sit, Ikarus! I guess you are still confused by everything so let me explain to you!¡±


    Alastor told Ikarus about his adventure at Zagon and how he became the heir to Zagon throne. Hearing this decision, Ikarus was very happy. This meant that Alastor now had another path to follow instead of becoming the demon lord. They could have a normal life, or so she thought.


    ¡°As Alastor said, I am not his birth mother but to me, he is my son so everything that concerns him concerns me too. Like a certain celestial.¡±


    ¡°PLEASE LET ME MARRY YOUR SON!¡± Ikarus was nervous under the pressure. The aura of a mother in law was indeed to powerful for someone like her. Her mind could think straight anymore so she blurted out the first thing that came up.


    Surprised by the sudden confession, Alastor spurted out the tea he was drinking. The boy was aware of Ikarus¡¯ feelings but this was just unexpected. This was too soon for someone his age.


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    ¡°Your Majesty, there is an urgent matter that needs to be attended to.¡± It was the voice of minister Sinclair. The tone suggested something serious.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Morgan asked.


    ¡°There are four messengers from the beastmen who has come here to seek an audience with you. They didn¡¯t tell why but it seems urgent. My guess would be about the recent war between the beastmen and Malatas.¡±


    ¡°What? There is a war going on right now?¡± Alastor was shocked. Not because of the war news but because it concerned Malatas. So much has happened since then, making him forget completely about his three roaming children out there. Sinforma has completely disappeared after the events at Caelum. The elder son appeared to be somewhere in Oros and the daughter in Malatas. He has only spoken once with her but he knew that that girl wasn¡¯t someone who would stay out in this kind of event. It might be possible that she was the one who incited it in the first place.


    The question was what would he do if that happened? If Morrigan allied herself with the beastmen then that would put him against Odium. Either way he needed to investigate this.


    ¡°Alright I will be there shortly. Alastor, can you stay¡­..¡±


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    ¡°Can I go with you please?¡± Alastor begged.


    ¡°Why would you want to go meet the messengers?¡± asked Morrigan.


    ¡°If I am going to be king then the very least I should do is to participate in events like this no? It would be ¡­.practical knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­you are right. Then let us hurry then!¡±


    * * *


    The four messengers sent by Zen were now waiting in the court hall for an audience with the Zagon Empress. To make sure that their journey would not take too much time, Zen has authorized them to use the Gate to teleport to the one in Eisenheim.


    The reason he sent Viviana and Maxime were because Viviana currently was recognized as their Champion and therefore an equivalent of the hero of the beastmen. Her being here would serve as a display of power as to remind Zagon to not underestimate the beastmen into thinking that they were too weak to fend by themselves.


    Maxime, despite being unpopular in the Grand Cathedral, actually gained quite a reputation among the rest of the human countries. For someone who was known for seeking peace between all nations, Maxime would prove that the beastmen had everything intention to stay at peace with Zagon.


    Lucas and Enti actually didn¡¯t have any reason to be here. They only served as bodyguards and Zen knew that the two would go after Maxime and Viviana anyway so he might as well let them.


    A fat man entered the room through the side door and walked next to the empty throne. Fixing his cloth and voice, he proclaimed.


    ¡°Empress Morrigan, First of her name, will now enter. All, kneel!¡±


    Morrigan, wearing her usual blue attire but with an additional white fur cape around her neck, ambled regally to her throne. Seeing what could be described as the most beautiful woman in his life, young Lucas slightly blushed and forgot that he was in the presence of a monarch before quickly kneeling to her like the others.


    A small boy followed Morrigan from behind. Unlike the Empress, his posture seemed a bit too casual to be a noble or even a servant. But it was that same attitude that perplexed Maxime. Someone who was allowed to be that mellow in front of an Empress must be someone very important or at the very least very close to the Empress herself. As Morrigan sat down on the grand throne, the boy nonchalantly squatted on the carpet and leaned on the throne beside the Empress. Yet she didn¡¯t say anything or was even surprised by his action. Maxime pondered who this boy could be.


    ¡°Please stand up! I can¡¯t remember the last time a beastman walked through these tiles. Not to mention two humans accompanying them. What an unusual group of messengers if I must say!


    So what are you here for, messengers?¡± asked Morrigan. She always knew what they were here for but formalities and etiquettes required her to be as ambiguous as possible when dealing with messengers from other countries.


    ¡°My name is Viviana, a hero apprentice at Caelum and Champion of the beastmen. This is Father Maxime, a bishop of the Church and these two are my companions Lucas and Enti. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, your Highness.


    I am not familiar with the formality of the court so please forgive my imprudence! We are here to propose an alliance with Zagon. Specifically, we would like to ask for your help against the invasion from Malatas. In return, once the threat has been dealt with, we would give you Malatas as a token of our goodwill and continuing alliance.¡±


    What an outrageous thing to say for such a young woman! Offering the enemy¡¯s country to another in order to secure an alliance. Even though it wasn¡¯t her idea but still, being able to speak that direct to the Empress of Zagon could be considered as a great feat in itself.


    However, it wasn¡¯t what she said that shocked Alastor but her face. He knew that face, he knew it too well. The same face as Shana, perhaps a bit more mature but there was no mistake about it. She was the woman he saw that day at Caelum. There was also that priest with her. Last time they seemed to be members of the Church. So why were these two now associated with the beastmen?


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too soon to think about taking over Malatas when you could barely defend against them? Since you are being honest with me, I will do the same. As you know, I am currently aiming to conquer all lands and unify them all under one banner. This is my vision, my dream.


    So tell me: why should I help you? I could very well wait until one of you falls and just takes on the winner myself. That way I can get both of your lands under my rule. Things are much simpler that way.


    SO I ask you again: why should I help you?¡±


    Shocked by Morrigan¡¯s statement, the party of messenger found themselves lost for words. Malatas was their only bargain chip in this deal. Theoretically it would have worked. The problem was the other party who was Morrigan, someone who has already targeted both Malatas and the Whispering Forest. Among all country leaders, she was a wild card who didn¡¯t follow any side but hers and she had no intention of playing along with anyone. The fact that she took advantage of Caelum¡¯s situation for herself proved that. So what could you give to someone like that?


    In this dead silence, a young voice spoke softly but enough for the messengers to hear.


    ¡°Mother, if I may have a word¡­¡± Alastor whispered to Morrigan. ¡°I think we should consider this offer.¡±


    Knowing her son like reading an open book, Morrigan knew something was up the moment she saw Alastor¡¯s change in expression when he saw the messengers. From that information and from the fact that Maxime was a clergy in Caelum who was supposed to be at the Grand Cathedral at the time, Morrigan deduced that Alastor must have met them before during his ¡®visit¡¯ at the Holy City.


    ¡°Care to elaborate, my son?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say things are a bit complicated then it was supposed to be¡­.I may or may not have something to do with what is happening in Malatas¡­..¡± Alastor confessed.


    ¡°Even if you did, I don¡¯t really see a problem with that. It makes my job easier.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­I feel kind of guilty¡­.or not. But the important thing is I need to check something at Malatas and perhaps we can do this the ¡®right¡¯ way. Securing a solid alliance in times like this is important. If you don¡¯t have to antagonize them, then don¡¯t! This way if something happens in the future, at least we have somewhere else to turn to. Let¡¯s call this a favor! And don¡¯t worry mother! I will make sure that you will have Malatas by the end of this war!¡± Alastor explained his reasoning.


    ¡°Does it mean that you will be leaving soon? You barely just got here¡­¡± Morrigan was slightly sad about his departure.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, mother! I will be back before you even know it.¡±


    ¡°¡­.very well! But at least stay tonight! In my room!¡±


    ¡­..


    It has been a while since the strange boy was whispering something to the Empress. They talked in low tone so Viviana and the others couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying. However, the fact that he sometimes looked down at her made Viviana quite uncomfortable.


    It seemed they finally finished talking. Morrigan turned to Viviana and smiled. ¡®Uh oh¡­I don¡¯t think I am going to like this¡­.¡¯ Thought the girl.


    ¡°I initially have no intention of helping you but be grateful to my son for it was he who convinced me to lend you our army.


    So I officially accept our alliance. But with one condition.¡±


    Here it came, the thing that made Viviana shiver.


    ¡°He is to come with you to Malatas.¡±


    ¡°What? He is just a kid. This isn¡¯t a game or a joke. You are sending him to die there.¡± Shouted Lucas. Being someone in his twenties, Lucas saw a young boy like Alastor as only a hindrance to their quest. He could not afford to watch some rich kid while fighting in the war zone.


    ¡°Oh I assure you that he is more capable of handling himself. In fact, I can say with confidence that none of you here are a match for him.¡± Morrigan spoke proudly.


    ¡°Care for a try?¡± Alastor stepped down the set of stairs from the throne. He smirked at the messengers who were clenching their fist in anger, thinking this was some kind of joke from Morrigan. ¡°Or are you too afraid to take on a kid like me?¡±


    ¡°YOU BRAT!¡± Lucas couldn¡¯t hold his anger back any longer. He did this so that his people could have a place to live. He has lost everything including his father and he was supposed to be some kind of babysitter? Never.


    ¡°Wait don¡¯t!¡± Maxime tried to stop Lucas. If he attacked the son of the Empress now, it would make the situation even worse.


    But all those worries were for naught. The moment Lucas drew his sword, even if he had no intention of hurting the boy but only scaring him, Alastor caught the blade with two fingers and stopped it from going anywhere. No matter how hard Lucas tried to pull the sword back, it wouldn¡¯t budge at all. How could such a kid possess so much strength?


    ¡°I know you are not good but this is¡­.pathetic. Hero apprentice? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± Snapping his fingers, Alastor broke the blade and threw Lucas back a few meters away.


    Seeing her companion suffering such humiliation, Viviana intended to go forward but Enti was faster than her. In just a second, he was also behind Alastor and raised his hand for a strike.


    ¡°<Thousand Weights>¡±


    An invisible force crushed Enti flat to the floor, making a crater and immobilizing him completely. With only her left, Viviana decided to use Yggdrasil.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this, Yggdrasil!¡±


    ¡°¡­..Nope!¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Don¡¯t just abandon me like this at this crucial moment!¡±


    ¡°Two reasons my dear. First is even with my help, you will still get your ass kicked. Second is even more simple, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°My instinct is telling me to not fight this boy¡­.That¡¯s all I can say. Sorry but you are only your own in this fight!¡± With that said, Yggdrasil no longer answered Viviana no matter how much she called.


    ¡°Are you done talking with your stick? We don¡¯t have all day here.¡±


    ¡°I¡­.I forfeit!¡± Viviana surrendered. She had no other weapon aside from Yggdrasil at the moment and Alastor clearly seemed to in a league of his own, especially after taking down both Lucas and Enti that easily.


    ¡°Your Highness, I apologize for Lucas and Enti. They are still young, unaware of many things. Please forgive them!¡± Maxime quickly bowed to Morrigan. Even if no harm has been done to the boy, the fact remained that they, the messengers, attacked the prince right in front of the Empress in their own palace. Normally it would mean capital punishment at the very least.


    ¡°You sure have guts to attack my son in my own home. But it¡¯s alright. On the contrarily, it¡¯s quite entertaining to watch. Take this as a lesson the next time you want to negotiate with us! Go rest for the day and tomorrow Alastor will join you in your journey back.¡±


    ¡°¡­yes your Highness!¡± Viviana and Maxime, after paying their respect to Morrigan, carried the unconscious Lucas and Enti back to their inn for healing.


    ¡°Come, my son! I still need a lot to speak with miss Ikarus about you.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t fight! That just put me in an awkward position. Don¡¯t fall into the stereotype of the eternal conflict between the mother and daughter in law.¡±

 Chapter 55: Ultimate Weapons

    The next morning, Alastor, joined by Ikarus, departed from Eisenheim to the Whispering Forest together with Viviana and her companions. Since they were traveling in small group, using the Gate was the quickest way to get back. As for the army Morrigan has promised, they would need a day or two to prepare themselves before joining them later on the battlefield.


    While none of the messenger¡¯s party really wanted to bring Alastor with them, mostly because of yesterday¡¯s humiliation he put them through, they could not deny the fact that this strange boy was much more powerful than they were and would prove to be a valuable ally. In addition, Viviana didn¡¯t really have any choice in the matter. It was either escorting him or losing Zagon¡¯s alliance, something she could not afford to lose at this moment.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t feel relaxed at all around him. Just who was he, exactly? She overheard people talking at the tavern during her stay at the Iron City that Alastor actually wasn¡¯t Morrigan¡¯s real son but has only been adopted recently. So where was he before that? Who was he before becoming the heir of Zagon? For someone who held that much power, it was difficult to believe that someone like that would remain unnoticed after all those years and suddenly ended up as the heir to the throne of an influential country like Zagon. What bothered Viviana even more was Yggdrasil¡¯s action. Sure, Alastor was strong but Yggdrasil didn¡¯t even try to fight him. Was there that much of a difference in strength between them or was there another hidden reason that the spirit refused to mention?


    As she pondered these questions while staring at her white staff, a voice called her back to reality.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a peculiar staff you got there.¡± Alastor said as he observed the staff. Not only it was emitting a compelling aura, Alastor could sense something else residing within, a soul.


    ¡°Oh¡­it isn¡¯t that special. But I am sure that it¡¯s nothing compared to someone like you.¡± Viviana tried to stay polite. If they were accompanying together for a while, it would be better to stay in his good side.


    ¡®Euh just because I didn¡¯t fight him doesn¡¯t mean I am inferior. If you have to blame anyone, blame yourself for not being able to control your people! You started the fight first after all.¡¯ Yggdrasil said.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± the cat girl shouted, forgetting that no one else but her could hear the spirit.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry, I was just¡­talking to myself. That¡¯s something I usually do¡­to calm myself.¡±


    ¡°Really now? If I didn¡¯t know you better, I would think that you have gone crazy, talking to a staff like that. But again, it would be cool if that staff is alive and can talk, am I right?¡±


    For a moment, Viviana was stunned, fearing that the boy has seen through her lies. ¡®He couldn¡¯t¡­right?¡¯ she thought.


    Everything that had a soul was considered a living being. That alone made Alastor interested in this object. Could it be that Stella also had a soul like this cane? If that was the case, then it would explain why she felt so¡­real.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the reason why Alastor decided to go with Viviana. He was curious about her resemblance with Shana, certainly, but most importantly, he wanted to know what was actually happening in Malatas and whether Odium had something to do with this. There was also the issue with her experiment. He wanted to check where she was regarding that matter. If Odium succeeded in creating what she told him about, then Alastor must retrieve ¡®that¡¯ at all cost and as soon as possible. That thing could not be allowed to fall in anyone else¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Mrs. Viviana, can you tell a bit about the current state of the war? I am afraid our intelligence didn¡¯t come from the front lines like yourselves so it would be better to hear the details from you.¡± Ikarus broke the silence.


    ¡°Currently the elves army has invaded a quarter of our territory in the western and southern part of the Whispering Forest. They number about fifty thousand while we are only thirty. But that isn¡¯t the main problem. The main issue is that the elves are using some kind of unknown monsters among their army.¡± Viviana explained.


    ¡°Unknown monsters?¡±


    ¡°From what our front liners have reported, these monsters were actually elves who have gone through a bizarre transformation and turned into strange beasts with exceptional power. Moreover, these monsters attack indiscriminately without distinguishing friend and foe. Judging from the reaction of their comrades and of the few prisoners we caught, we believe that not even the soldiers are aware of this fact and that they are being used by their own king for some purpose.


    What is even more bizarre is that there have been many reports of mass disappearance among all of our smaller tribes and even an entire battalion.  Last time I heard, the total of missing persons has amounted to fifty thousand¡­¡± Viviana clutched her fist as she reported the state of war. While she hasn¡¯t been raised among her own kind, it still affected her, not knowing what happened to them or if they were even alive, which many believed not.


    People suddenly transforming into horrendous raving beasts¡­.that sure seemed familiar to Alastor. The memories began to resurface in his mind, the ones he thought were long gone. Odium claimed to be the Avatar of Spite. What greater revenge against the world than using the very same thing that took Shana away?


    ¡°Hum¡­.¡± Alastor mumbled.


    ¡°Something wrong, Alastor?¡± Ikarus saw his change in expression and asked.


    ¡°No¡­nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it! Just me thinking about¡­.stuff!¡± he forced a smile on his face.


    ¡°Are you sure? You can talk to me if you want, you know.¡± the girl has spent long enough time to see through his fake smile. And usually when Alastor did that, it meant something serious was going on.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ik¡­¡±


    ¡°So what is the deal between you two anyway?¡± the voice of a person who didn¡¯t know how to read the mood interrupted their conversation.


    ¡°Lucas, don¡¯t be rude!¡± Father Maxime said to the youth.


    ¡°What? I am just curious. So miss Ikarus, are you his bodyguard or something like that?¡± When Alastor came this morning at the tavern, instead of him alone, he also brought a beautiful girl. Needless to say, it changed Lucas¡¯ opinion completely.


    ¡°She is my¡­..¡±


    ¡°His wife¡±


    ¡°¡­.yes¡­ wife¡­Though I didn¡¯t know that myself¡± Alastor muttered, his opinion totally ignored.


    ¡°WHAT? You are already married? To HIM?¡± Lucas shouted in disbelief.


    ¡°Marriage is just a ceremony. To me, I am already his so that¡¯s enough.¡±  Ikarus spoke.


    ¡°This¡­this¡­¡± Lucas¡¯ hope was destroyed in a second. How could life be this unfair? Some kid half his age was already married to such a beautiful woman while he has spent more than twenty years alone.


    ¡°Do not despair, Lucas!¡± Enti pat on his shoulder ¡°Woman is often attracted to stronger man. You just need to get stronger. I am sure that in thirty years¡­.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait that long!!!¡±


    ¡°Patience is the key to victory. You need more discipline, Lucas!¡± Enti said seriously.


    ¡°What about you? You are barely older than me so don¡¯t talk like you know everything!¡±


    ¡°I have two wives and four kids already. My life is complete.¡± Enti replied.


    ¡°What the¡­.? Fine at least I still have Father Maxime on my side. Right, Father? ¡­..Father?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, Lucas. I am already a man before I devoted my life to the Church¡­¡±


    ¡°What the actual fuck? Am I the only one single around here?¡± Lucas enraged.


    ¡°Well there is still¡­.¡± Maxime looked to the cat girl who has been silent since earlier. Her cheeks were bright red and hot after hearing this outrageous statement. Surprisingly, Viviana was a novice in the matter of love.


    ¡°¡­..I guess I will accept my fate and be forever alone¡­.¡±


    * * *


    Inside a dark world with three suns, one black, one blue and one red floating on the sky, the old demon lords were sitting around doing nothing. It has been quite a while since Alastor last visited them and they were starting to get bored. Things were dull in the Abyss. The landscape may have changed a bit but there wasn¡¯t anything else to do aside.


    ¡°This is so boring!¡± Lucifer grumbled.


    ¡°You have said that for the last thousand years already. Though I do admit that you are right. Where is Alastor? Did he forget about us here?¡± Asmodeus said.


    ¡°Destiny is leading Alastor in his life mission. The wheel of fate has been turned. The cards have started to reveal themselves. The echo of the ancient past is calling¡­¡± Nyx mumbled.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What are you babbling about, old man? Why can¡¯t you speak normally for once?¡± Lucifer fretted.


    ¡°Wait, Lucifer! Don¡¯t interrupt him! He is having one of those prophetic dreams again.¡± Asmodeus said.


    In his former life, Nyx was known for being the wisest man in the world at the time, not just because of his vast pool of limitless knowledge but also because he was a prophet. This power, unique to Nyx, existed even before he became a demon lord. It allowed him to have a peek through the barrier of time and space, into the future itself. However, Nyx himself could not control this power, making these dreams appearing randomly and often very cryptic.


    ¡°What do you see, Nyx?¡± asked Asmodeus.


    ¡°They are finding their way to go back to the boy, as it was dictated by the Fallen One...And once they find him, everything will be over.¡±


    ¡°What? Who are they? What do you mean everything will be over?¡± the elf shouted.


    ¡°Tempus Machina will be whole once more. A new age will begin¡­Sitting on his iron throne, he will watch the world burn to ashes.


    AAHH¡­*heavy breathing* what¡­what was I doing?¡±


    ¡°You tell me. What you just said, what does it mean???¡± Asmodeus demanded furiously.


    ¡°Yes..I would like to know about that too.¡± A disembodied voice spoke. It was Magnus with his usual appearance as a black orb with a brimming red eye. ¡°Tempus Machina? I know that name. What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°¡­All I can tell you is that there are forces that could make even a God like yourself seems like a child playing with magic.¡± Nyx hesitantly said.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? If you won¡¯t say then I will force you to¡­¡­.what? Why can¡¯t I read your mind?¡± Magnus was stunned. As the creator of the demon lords, he had access to not all their powers but also their minds and spirits. This meant that none of them could lie to him. Yet something prevented him from reading Nyx¡¯s mind.  ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I did nothing. Like I said, you are not as powerful as you thought you are. The Gods may have created the world and the laws of nature but there are things that could bend even the very nature of this world.


    Let me ask you a question: do you know what lies in the underground of Ragna?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the Soul Forger couldn¡¯t say anything. The reason was simple: he didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°There is the answer to your question. Have you ever thought why no one told you about that?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I see now. It¡¯s not that you don¡¯t want to say it but you can¡¯t. You made an Oath with the Artificer and it prevented you from disclosing any information about it, even me from reading you mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°And not just you. He made that same Oath with all the demon lords he could find to make sure that no one would know that secret.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°It seems like my guess is right. No matter! The Artificer is dead so no one could make that Oath with Alastor anymore. The boy will find uncover that secret for me.¡±


    All of the sudden, a large winged creature landed right next to them, making the ground tremble.


    ¡°Hey, what is everyone doing here?¡± the dragon Xenes said joyfully.


    ¡°We are having a very serious conversation here be quiet! Actually what have you even been doing lately? You disappeared for a while and now came back like nothing.¡± Asmodeus grunted.


    ¡°Something very, very interesting! The best show in history is coming and I assure you that we will have the best seats. Hahahaha!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Something about you is very strange...What did you do to me, Eve?¡± the elf king said.


    Aldol has been sitting in front of Eve¡¯s tank for three hours straight. He has tried to talk to her many times but she has never answered him even once. Yet all she did was staring at him back front behind the glass wall. Was she perhaps interested in him? Maybe not. After all, the only world she knew was inside this prison and Aldol was the only thing she could see.


    ¡°Tell me, Eve! What did you do to me?¡± Aldol continued to speak but no answer came from Eve. Her silence started to piss him off. ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? ANSWER ME, EVE!¡± he punched the glass wall, making a small crack.


    Fortunately it was only on the outside so no water was leaked from the tank. What was strange was that his sudden anger didn¡¯t faze the mermaid one bit. Even when he tried to hit her through the glass, Eve just stood there, doing nothing. Her gaze was like needles, pointing at Aldol.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! Stop it!¡± Aldol started to sweat heavily. His breathing was getting shorter. He felt suffocating. One of his hands began to quiver violently. Using the other hand, Aldol tried to stop the shaking by grabbing it and hit it against the wall behind him.


    BAM BAM BAM


    Each hit seemed to break his bones even further. The pain was excruciating, yet it didn¡¯t stop Aldol from continuing slamming his crippled hand again and again. It finally reached a point where one of his bones was poking out from his arm. Instead of screaming in pain, Aldol was laughing hysterically. What he wanted was pain, whether it was inflicted to someone else or himself. To this delirious king, pain ascertained his existence that he was here and now. By hurting himself, he proved that he was alive. By hurting others, he affirmed his own value. For what was the purpose of living if not to suffer?


    Thanks to the experiment Odium did on his body, the wounds were already healing as if they were never there. But it didn¡¯t change the fact that Aldol was heading into the pit of madness. In his deviant mind, the king was stuck, lying at the bottom of this darkness. He looked at the sky above. What did he see? A light so bright he could not peer into it directly. But as his eyes began to get accustomed to the brightness, he saw the silhouette of a woman, a red haired mermaid. A silent goddess was watching over him. She was his light, his salvation.


    He crawled toward the tank and put his head against the glass wall, staring at the mermaid.


    ¡°You are mine, my Eve. Mine alone! So stay with me, please! Till the very end!¡± something wet fell on his face. Tears? Was he crying? Aldol couldn¡¯t remember the last time he cried. Not even in his earliest memory. Not even when he killed his entire family. So why did he cry now?


    Aldol leaned his back again the glass wall and dozed off. It was natural. The elf was mentally exhausted. So many different emotions have run through him in such a short time. He slept in that position for an hour before a loud laugh awoke him.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA! I DID IT! I DID IT!¡±


    That voice¡­it was Astrea. It came from below, from her lab. Curious of what she was laughing about, Aldol decided to take a look.


    Coming down at the lab, passing through a very large bloody chamber, the place where he gave her the one hundred thousand ingredients she asked, Aldol found a grinning Astrea. She has never shown this much emotion before and her expression even scared Aldol a bit.


    ¡°What happens?¡± asked Aldol.


    ¡°The experiment is a success. The price of a hundred thousand sacrifices¡­.it was long but finally, I did it! Behold!¡±


    Astrea pointed toward the centre of her lab. Inside a large blood magic circle, ten strange objects with the same shape, identical to each other¡­the things that Odium has promised Alastor.


    ¡°These are¡­..¡±


    ¡°The future, Aldol! It¡¯s the future! Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°Are you going to use them for the war?¡±


    ¡°No. That would be a waste. I will be saving these for another time. As for the war, I have prepared something else! These will be enough.¡±


    Astrea brought out a tiny black crystal gem on her hand and showed it to Aldol.


    ¡°What are we going to do with this?¡±


    ¡°The beastmen have recently acquired their Champion. We may be winning the war but that isn¡¯t enough. I want to crush their spirit, their hope. What else could be better than kill the Champion?¡±

 Chapter 56: Sin of the Father

    A few hours after upon arriving at the Whispering Forest using the Gate, the group has finally reached the main camp of the army beastmen, currently serving as their temporary headquarter during this entire campaign. Everyone back at the camp has anxiously been waiting for news from the messenger¡¯s party for days now. Truthfully, things haven¡¯t been looking good for them. During Viviana¡¯s absence, the beastmen have been fighting a losing war with them presently focusing only on defense. That wouldn¡¯t normally be the case if they were against normal enemies but those monsters were an entire different story. It would take thirty strong men just to take one down and even in that case, the losses would be considerable for their side.


    And then there was the issue of refugees. Ever since the series of mass disappearance started, all the smaller tribes, helpless on their own and unable to fight, have been trying to migrate to the military camps seeking sanctuary. By all means, Zen could not turn them away but by taking them in, it caused a shortage of supplies to sustain the army. With their empty stomach and low morale combined with the fact that they had no way to deal with the monsters, it seemed that the beastmen were at the end of the rope.


    The group entered the camp, passing through many tents filled with injured soldiers. The medics rushed from left to right, dark circle under their eyes. It has been days since they couldn¡¯t take a moment of rest as the number of wounded just kept stacking up.


    ¡°The Champion has returned.¡± An old woman uttered upon spotting Viviana.


    Hearing that, others raised their heads and stared at her as they walked toward the center at the camp. The eyes of many followed wherever they went. Why did they come back alone? Where was the army from Zagon? Where was the reinforcement? Did the negotiation fail? And who were those two strangers?


    ¡°Lord Zen, we have returned¡±


    ¡°Ah Viviana. Just the person I want to meet. So how was the negotiation? Did it work?¡± Upon hearing about his Champion¡¯s return, Zen¡¯s dejected face brightened.


    ¡°In a way, the negotiation has been a success. Empress Morrigan has promised us her troops and they are currently on their way here. I will give you a detailed report later but now may I present to you: prince Alastor, heir to the Zagon throne and his ¡­.wife Ikarus.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, gentlemen! As the representative of Zagon in this alliance, I look forward for our cooperation.¡± The boy put his hand on his chest and bowed to Zen.


    ¡°What is this? Sending a kid to represent an entire country? Are they underestimating us just because we are in a difficult situation?¡± Zen fumed. Sending an army or not, this kind of act may seem like Zagon was undermining the entire alliance, seeing it as nothing important or even mocking it. At least, that was how Zen saw it.


    And his reaction was understandable. Thankfully, Viviana immediately tried to explain that Alastor was in no means just a simple kid. She told Zen how the boy singlehandedly beat both Lucas and Enti with ease. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to say that she too might have lost against him. Zen sent them to demonstrate their power to Zagon, to show them that the beastmen were not to be trifled with. Yet, they were crushed like bugs by an eleven years old child. That kind of news would be unnecessary, demotivating to the already low morale and would only destabilize the hard-earned alliance right now. Maybe she would tell Zen about it but later, when things were calm.


    ¡°I see. If you are indeed like Viviana said, then your help would be greatly appreciated. As much as I want to give you a better welcome, the situation requires our immediate attention so if you don¡¯t mind, I would like us to go straight to business.¡± Zen stated.


    ¡°Of course! I have no intention of idling around anyway. Please show me where these strange creatures are!¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t be hasty! You may be stronger than Enti and Lucas but that doesn¡¯t mean you can take on these beasts by yourself! Not only are they incredibly powerful, these mindless creatures are brutal. In addition, there is the matter of their poison which makes us unable to even approach them.¡± Zen tried to convince the boy, thinking it would be suicide to go confront those creatures without a plan.


    ¡°Poison? I haven¡¯t heard any of these. What kind of poison?¡± Viviana baffled.


    ¡°That is because they have only started to use it recently, after you went to Zagon.¡± Chief Loo joined the conversation. ¡°And it isn¡¯t just any poison but the mythical Black Mist: Miasma.¡±


    ¡°Miasma?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Miasma¡¯s origin and nature are obscure to say the very least. In our research, we found that it has made its appearance several times in history, each time leaving behind only desolated lands and death. According to the old records, miasma comes from an unknown world, one that is not destined for the living, unlike Astora. Before creating the Primes when Astora was young and devoid of life, miasma existed everywhere. But then the Gods banished miasma to another realm and sealed it away to make sure that it would never reach this world ever again.


    No one knows how it found its way back into our world right now but we know that miasma is different from all poison.


    Unlike any other poison, you only need to be in its vicinity for it to affect you. We have tried many ways that would normally counter all type of poison: from mask, antidote to magic but none of them worked against it. This mist has the ability to suck both our life essence and mana, making it incredibly dangerous.


    Yet for some reasons, the monsters out there are completely unharmed by the mist. What is even weirder is that wherever they go, the mist would follow them, making their attack even more destructive as we have no way to counter it but to run.¡± Loo explained.


    If what Loo said was accurate, then this thing was truly terrifying. You didn¡¯t need to breathe it in for it to kill you. And the ability to absorb life and mana¡­something like that would prove to be deadly even for Alastor. If anyone else heard about it, they would do anything to stay as far away as possible from it. But Alastor wasn¡¯t just anyone. Curiosity has taken hold of him.


    ¡°Can you bring me to one of the infected site? I need to investigate this mist in order to find a way to counteract it.¡± Alastor¡¯s response shocked everyone around him.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said? If you go, there you will die. Just being near it would kill anyone so how do you expect to come close to it?¡±


    ¡°Well you sure as hell wouldn¡¯t solve anything if you stay here. Either you guide me there or I will find the way myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡­.fine! But don¡¯t blame me if you die out there!¡±


    ¡­..


    Alastor has managed to convince chief Loo to lead him and Ikarus to one of the sites infected with miasma. From the high ground, on the overhang of a hill, the boy looked down at the once beautiful valley which used to serve as the settlement for a colony of more than a thousand persons. It was once filled with a field of beaming flowers and grass, green trees that had last for centuries.


    Now the soil has begrimed into a dark color. The trees and vegetation have lost their color, decaying and turned to dust just from a gentle breeze. The foul stench of decomposing corpses came from those who didn¡¯t escape in time. Their eyes were still open wide, all with a horrified expression on their face. They weren¡¯t killed by the monsters. The mist killed them. At the entrance of the settlement, the body of a beast woman lied trapped under the debris of a house. Next to her was the corpse of a child holding on to his mother¡¯s hands. It seemed that he was trying to get her out of the debris but ended up being killed by the mist.


    ¡°Oh god, this is terrible!¡± Ikarus uttered, shocked by the horrific site in front of her.


    While Alastor often claimed that he didn¡¯t care for anyone outside his family and wouldn¡¯t lift a finger for anything that didn¡¯t concern him, he was no monster. True, he could be rather merciless and even brutal with his way but as long as you didn¡¯t do anything to him, everything would be fine. Yet even he was disturbed by this scenery. What was even worse was the thought that he might be responsible for this, for letting Odium roaming freely outside his control. He knew she was cruel and ruthless in her method. He could tell just from their brief meeting but he didn¡¯t expect her to go this far.


    Alas, hatred could be considered the strongest emotion. And when a person only knew of hatred, they lost their humanity, everything that once defined them as people. Even the gentlest of heart could turn in the darkest being and most people could not escape from that fate, to fall in the pit of despair. But for Odium, a being who was born of pure hatred, her concept of morality has been twisted by Alastor¡¯s own ideas at the time. Was it possible that Odium¡¯s existence was foreshadowing Alastor¡¯s future? That Alastor could become someone like her? A portion of her hatred came from him after all. And that thought made Alastor dread about his own existence.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.He has ignored his duty as a father for far too long. Late it may be, now was the time to start resuming it before something even worse could happen. What he created, he must end it, one way or another.


    Alastor started to come closer to the valley. He needed to solve this.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t come any closer or it will affect you!¡± Loo shouted.


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡± Ikarus called out to the boy. She was prepared to go with him.


    ¡°STAY THERE!¡± the boy shouted back. ¡°I will be back shortly.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ikarus. This thing can¡¯t harm me.¡±


    And that was the last thing he said before disappearing into the dark mist, leaving Ikarus and Loo dismayed above the valley.


    Something has been bothering him ever since he was up there with the others. This place of carnage, of death¡­why did it seem so familiar to him? The smell of the air, aside from the decomposing corpses, had a distinguishing flavour, something Alastor knew about, from somewhere far far away yet very close. A cold and dark world, yet strangely calming.


    ¡°I was wondering why I felt like home at this place even though I have never been here. Now I am sure of it. The miasma, this dark mist, is the same as the mist inside the Abyss.¡±


    The fact that the mist didn¡¯t harm Alastor was the proof he needed. Being a demon lord, he was able to traverse through the Abyss without being harmed by it for several hours. He has always wondered what exactly made the Abyss so dangerous. The answer was this mist. It killed all living beings except for demon lords, making it the perfect defence against intruders.


    Loo said that according to the legends, miasma was banished and sealed away by the Gods inside a different realm. Could that realm be the Abyss? If the story was true, then Magnus wasn¡¯t the one who created the Abyss. Then what was his connection to that world and how did he end up there? More and more mysteries just kept coming.


    However, the question right now was how did it get here? The Abyss and Astora were supposed to be separated from each other with no means of traveling in between. And that wasn¡¯t the only thing weird in this place. In fact, much outlandish things were happening around Alastor.


    In addition to his discovery, Alastor noticed something else: his vision of the surrounding area was getting distorted, as if space was warping itself. From time to time, little tiny black rifts opened up and quickly vanished as silently as when they first came to be, taking everything they touched with them. Sometimes, faint silhouettes of people walking around appeared and disappeared like illusions, almost ghost like. Alastor tried to touch one of them but his hand passed right through. It was like they were there but at the same time they weren¡¯t. In additions, some of these shadows, their shapes, seemed¡­familiar. The most bizarre thing was when he tried to get to the other end of the valley; he ended up finding himself at the very entrance where he entered, even though he swore that he was walking in a straight line.


    ¡°What the hell is going on around here?¡±


    As Alastor walked around and pondered these questions, he heard a cracking noise under his feet. He has stepped on something. Raising his feet to check what it was, he found a few tiny pieces of some kind of black crystal shard sticking on the back of his shoe. Unfortunately, it was already completely shattered to pieces so it was impossible to determinate what the object once was. But that dark glass reminded Alastor of the black gem on his chest. They had the same colour and felt like the same material. Of course the once he stepped on must have been much smaller considering the number and size of the pieces.


    Suddenly a thought came through his mind. His conversation with Odium, what she told her about her plan¡­it all became clear now.


    ¡°The gem serves as a connection that traces back to the Abyss. That much I am sure. But what would happen if one was broken¡­.Like an opened door, the Abyss will be released!!! This entire place is becoming one with the Abyss.


    If that is the case, then things are far worse than I thought it would be. This entire war..no this entire land is just one enormous sacrificial ritual. The more deads there are, the weaker the barrier between the two worlds. Odium is trying to open a door to the Abyss and unleashing miasma upon the world.¡±


    That was why Odium wanted to have Alastor¡¯s permission to access the Abyss. So that she could mimic those gems. And these tiny shards were just the first step. She has also told him about something else, the thing he had to retrieve from her at all cost. In any case, Odium must be stopped.


    ¡°This stupid daughter of mine¡­Damn it! I am no better for letting her do what she wants. I guess I have to go all out then.


    Time to use those guys again!¡±


    * * *


    DING DING DING


    The sound of the bell tolled throughout the entire encampment. It came from the watchtower where one of the scouts was stationed. From there, he has spotted the enemies. A black mist was seen rising from afar together with trees falling one after another: the monsters were here.


    ¡°All troops, prepare for battle! Women and children, fall back to northern area! Those who can fight, take up your arms and join me! We won¡¯t go down without a fight!¡± Zen roared. The beastmen could no longer afford to run away. This place was their last stronghold. If they lost it, the war would be over. Zen had made up his mind. Even if he died here, he could at least buy some time for the civilians to escape. Taking out his greatsword, he marched to the entrance of the camp. Garrick silently followed his chief from behind.


    But others were already there before him. The three clan leaders Loo, San and Gon together with Viviana, Lucas and the three contestants of the tournament have formed a line before him.


    ¡°Surely you didn¡¯t think that we will let you facing them alone?¡± Loo said.


    ¡°Take the words right out of my mouth, chief Loo. We have known each other for a long time. It would be an honour to fight by your side for the last time.¡± Said San.


    ¡°Huh, I have no intention to die here so you better do the same. We can¡¯t let the King die a few weeks after his coronation.¡± Gon asserted.


    ¡°But what about you Viviana, Lucas? Your people have already been evacuated. You no longer have any obligation to stay in this place anymore.¡± Zen spoke.


    ¡°Perhaps but if you think I can turn a blind eye to this and run away for my life then you are greatly mistaken, Beast King! We may be apprentice heroes but heroes nonetheless. And that¡¯s our final decision!¡± Viviana proclaimed.


    ¡°You guys¡­you have my deepest thanks! We may have not been born on the same day but we will die on the same day. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Somehow that doesn¡¯t sound that encouraging at all¡­..¡± Lucas whispered.


    ¡°It¡¯s a beastman custom. It means he respects you as an individual and an honour to die by your side!¡± Enti smiled.


    ¡°Still¡­.¡±


    ¡°By the way, where is Alastor? Didn¡¯t he go with you to investigate the poison mist?¡± asked Zen.


    ¡°Hum about that¡­.¡± Loo uttered. However, he was interrupted by the shout of a soldier.


    ¡°Here they come!¡±

 Chapter 57: Millennium Regiment

    ¡°Remember everyone! Don¡¯t come close to the mist or it will kill you!¡± Loo shouted.


    ¡°Then how do we kill those things?¡±


    ¡°Like this!¡±


    Chief Loo took out his weapon: a chain with a weight at one end and a scythe at the other. He swayed the weight while holding on the chains before launching it at the arm of one of the monsters. With the chain restricting its movement, the rat beastman pulled the monster from the cloud toward him. Grabbing the scythe, Loo jumped up and plunged it into the beast¡¯s eyes, making it shrieking in pain. With its curved blade, he pulled the scythe out and lacerated its head. Holding its decapitated head, he jumped down from its body and turned back to the group.


    ¡°That¡¯s about the gist of it. Just lure them out of the smoke and then fight it normally. Any question?¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s amazing!¡± Lucas shouted excitedly. The monster that would normally take thirty men to deal with fell so easily to the smallest beastman he ever saw.


    ¡°Hohoho, size doesn¡¯t mean everything as long as you have the right technique.¡± The rat beastman proudly said.


    ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t try to trick the young ones. That monster is the smallest out of all of them out there. Look at the one over there! I will take it on! AAAAARRRR!¡± chief Gon screamed his battle cry and ran toward a giant beast.


    ¡°Hey Gon wait!...Damn it old geezer just want to show off his strength. Chief Loo, please go after him! The rest of you, stay in group of two or three! Make sure to stay clear of the mist! As long as the evacuation is still on, we can¡¯t let any of them get into the camp. Good luck!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Oh dear, look at those hopeful eyes! Such determination, such courage! I wonder what could they possibly thinking right now? Do they really think that they would get out of this place alive?¡±


    ¡°That just makes thing much more interesting. It would be boring if the prey doesn¡¯t resist. Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°I can understand that. Let¡¯s play a game, shall we? Whoever kills the Champion first gets to kill the rest. What do you say, Aldol?¡±


    ¡°Game on!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°<Stalagmite>¡±


    Viviana cast a row of sharp stones surging from the ground and impaled a monster. Despite being critically wounded, the beast was still simmering and charged toward the girl in four legs. Because of the transformation, the once noble elf has lost all his sense of pain. Now all that remained in its mind was the desire to kill, to feast.


    Enti, with his light speed, blocked the charge, holding on the beast¡¯s head with his bare hands and standing his ground. Using that momentum, Lucas jumped on the beast back from behind and plunged his sword into its head. But the beast wasn¡¯t dead yet. Summoning Yggdrasil, Viviana raised tree vines from the ground and bind it.


    ¡°Everyone get away! <Sun Beam>¡±


    Hearing it, Lucas and Enti immediately jumped back to avoid the bursting beam of light coming from the sky, burning the monster to crisp.


    ¡° *heavy breathing*is everyone alright?¡± Viviana gasped for breath. Throwing a series of spells way above her actual level was exhausting her body to its limit. But that wouldn¡¯t stop the girl from continuing. She must persevere. Everyone was counting on her after all.


    ¡°Viviana, I am warning you: if you continue to use my power like this you won¡¯t last long. You are not the one destined for holding this kind of power.¡± Yggdrasil might sound harsh but he spoke the truth. Viviana was not the Child of Destiny and this power would destroy her at this rate.


    ¡°No I can still fight. I must!¡±


    ¡°You idiot¡­¡­..!!!! DODGE!¡±


    If not for Enti who has pushed her out of the way thanks to his fast reflex, Viviana would have been pierced by that purple glare. However there was a price for that.


    ¡°ENTI!¡± the girl shouted.


    For saving her, Enti has taken the beam in his right arm but it wasn¡¯t just a simple energy blast. His flesh was disintegrating in the area around the wound and it continued to expand. Left with only one option, Enti quickly used his claws and cut off his own right arm. Needless to say, it was very agonizing and the pain almost made him faint immediately. Blood gushed out from the wound as the lacerated arm fell off. Standing up, Viviana rushed to Enti¡¯ side.


    ¡°Please, Yggdrasil! Heal him!¡± she cried out.


    ¡°¡­Alright. Just calm down! Leave it to me!¡± A green light englobed Enti¡¯ shoulder where he cut his arm off. It was a miracle that he was still conscious, despite all the blood he lost.


    ¡°¡­.ru¡­n¡± Enti uttered.


    CLAP CLAP CLAP (hands clapping sound)


    Turning their head to the source of the clapping sound, Viviana saw an elf wearing a black garb and a golden crown walking out from the black mist. Unlike them who had to stay clear of the miasma, this person didn¡¯t seem to be harmed by it at all.


    ¡°Clever! You cut your own hands before it invaded your entire body. I have seen many who took too long to decide and died because of their indecision. But you on the other hand, in that short amount of time and without any hesitation, cut off your own arm and survived thanks to that. Truly remarkable! Though I wonder how long you will last.¡± The young man said.


    ¡°Who are you???¡± Viviana raged.


    ¡°Hear my name and bow to me, peasants! I am Aldol, King of Malatas and your new God. Those who are my subjects will die. Those who resist will die. Everyone will die before me! Hahahaha!¡± Aldol proclaimed madly. ¡°So now, die!¡±


    Dark energy started to focus in Aldol¡¯s hands as he pointed it toward Viviana.


    ¡°<Annihilation>¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Boss, are you alright?¡± Garrick reached out his hand to Zen who has just been thrown off by one of the monsters.


    Together, the two have managed to lure a dozen monsters away from the camp. However nearly half a mile from there, they encountered another wave of beasts coming toward them. Being encircled with no way to get out as the mist has engulfed the area, it seemed that their time has come.


    ¡°I am fine! Garrick, listen to me! I will draw their attention to me and you will use that moment to get away. We still need a leader after this and you are the person I trust the most.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do, boss! If I abandon you here, how am I supposed to face my sister? She would kill me for leaving her husband to die.¡± Garrick affirmed. ¡°Compared to her wrath, these monsters are nothing.¡±


    ¡°Haha how did I get such a faithful brother-in-law? Very well! Let¡¯s do this! ARRRRRR!¡±


    ¡°AAAARRRRRRRR¡±


    All of the sudden, Zen could hear the roaring of multiples monsters from afar. Unlike the usual savage clamors, these sounded more like the final cries just before death. From afar, he could see something jumping at one of the monsters from the background inside that black mist. And another from the left. And another from the right. They moved so quickly, finishing these beasts in just a few seconds, leaving the Beast King baffled in awe. Who or what were they? And how could they survive in that mist?


    The monsters, realizing that they were being attacked from behind, began to head back into the black mist. As the smoke continued to spread, the beasts, one after another, faded away as if they were being swallowed by miasma, leaving only a shrieking scream before felling silent. Where were they now? The noises they usually made were creepy enough but this silence was even more eerie.


    Then, without warning, one of the monsters, spurted out from the mist, its body covered with wounds. It seemed to be trying to escape from something. The moment it got out, the first thing it saw was the confused Zen who didn¡¯t catch on what was going on. The beast set its sight on him and rushed forward, baring its sharp claws so quickly that Garrick or Zen couldn¡¯t react in time.


    Suddenly four sets of chains lashed out from the black mist, each ensnaring one of the monster¡¯s limbs and stopping it in its track just before it could reach Zen. Despite its berserk rampage trying to get away, all its movement has been sealed by the chains, making it unable to even lift a finger.


    From the dark mist, five shadows took shape and revealed themselves. Black knights wearing stygian armor from head to toe with four of them holding on the four chains binding the beast spread out and surrounded it. The fifth one held an obsidian greatsword on his back and pulled it out of its scabbard. Zen tried to see through the thin gaps on the armor on their faces to see who they were but he couldn¡¯t see anything, only darkness as if they were hollow. The thin armor and their slim figures suggested that their method of combat was based on agility rather than a heavy armor to defend themselves. In fact, it served more of a decorative uniform than for actual protection.


    ¡°Together we move as one¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Crossing the field of darkness¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­In honor of our lord and brothers, we fight¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Death, we do not fear¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­For we are the Legion of the Abyss¡±


    With a single motion, the beast was beheaded and fell to its knees. Still shocked by the display, Zen was left speechless. He was amazed by these warriors. ¡®Just who were they?¡¯ he wondered. Reinforcement from Zagon? It couldn¡¯t be. The zagonian knights wore blue armor and despite their popularity, they couldn¡¯t compare to these stygian knights. It was just another whole different level.


    ¡°Who¡­Who are you?¡± Garrick stepped in front of Zen and prepared his weapon.


    ¡°We are the swords of Alastor. Wherever he goes, we follow. Whoever points their weapon toward him, we kill. The ones he loves, we protect. For we are the Legion of the Abyss!


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.In other words, we are here to help.¡± Said the knight.


    ¡°Alastor sent you? I appreciate the help but with just the five of you, I am afraid that it¡¯s not good enough.¡±


    ¡°Fear not for we are many!¡± The knight turned his back to Zen and raised his sword high. ¡°Behold, the Millennium Regiment!¡±


    The sounds of footsteps echoed throughout the forest. And it wasn¡¯t coming from one or two but hundreds marching toward them. Yet each footstep resounded so loudly as if the entire group was marching as one, their rhythm uniform to each other.


    The Millennium Regiment was the result of Alastor¡¯s fascination with the Abyssal Knight¡¯ style of combat and him spending days of meditation in the Abyss because he had to create them one by one personally. Each of them wore a set of chain surrounding their belt and a greatsword on their back in the image of that strange knight. Consisted of an army of a thousand stygian warriors, it served as one of the main battalions of the Legion of the Abyss. It made you wonder what would happen if the entire Legion was deployed? Or perhaps it would be more appropriate to ask what could force Alastor to use the entire Legion?


    * * *


    ¡°<Annihilation>¡± Aldol fired a dark beam toward Viviana.


    ¡°<Devour>¡± but someone else stopped it in its track. In an instant, the beam was sucked into his hand and vanished.


    ¡°What? Who¡­Who are you?¡± Aldol shouted angrily. His attack, one that was capable of destroying a tornado or even an entire valley if he willed it, was cancelled by the kid in front of him. How could it be possible?


    ¡°What a strange thing you have there! Care to tell me how you got it?¡± the boy asked haughtily.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The thing on your chest, idiot. Did you get it from Odium?¡±


    ¡°What? Who is Odium?¡± Aldol seemed confused. Unfortunately, he only knew the court mage by her given name and not her true identity. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about but I will make you regret for opposing me! <Anni¡­..¡±


    ¡°Step down, Aldol!¡± a loud voice roared.


    A woman wearing a crow-like robe slowly descended from the sky in front of Aldol. She wore a witch pointy hat and a staff, the signature weapon of a sorcerer. Upon seeing her, Alastor knew who she was. Her appearance may change but he could recognize her instantly. She was, after all, his daughter.


    ¡°What are you saying, Astrea? Let me¡­¡±


    ¡°I SAID STEP DOWN!¡± the sorceress raised her voice. Her expression was a mixture of confusion and anger. Certainly she was not happy that someone interfered with her plan. But moreover, that person was Alastor, the one and only person she cared about. She did all these for him in his name. That was all this was about since the beginning. Then why was he standing in her way now? Perhaps he was trying to gain the enemy¡¯s trust for another higher purpose, for a plan she could not yet fathom? That could be it. No¡­it must be. Or else, what was the point of all this?


    She wanted to call him ¡®father¡¯ but she was aware that others were still there so for now she must make it so they didn¡¯t know each other.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Astrea.


    As if understanding her intention, the boy answered. ¡°I am Alastor, prince and heir to the throne of Zagon. And I am here to stop you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.How about taking this elsewhere? This place is hardly open enough for the both of us.¡± Trying to remain calm, Astrea proposed.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. Ikarus, please take care of the brat!¡± yelled Alastor.


    ¡°Roger!¡± Ikarus, having observed the situation from above, flew down with her translucent wings and took out her spear.


    ¡°Be careful! Do not underestimate him! There is no need to risk yourself. You just need to buy some time before the Legion comes here.¡± Alastor whispered to Ikarus. He was aware that Aldol had a demon lord¡¯s power but it seemed that he didn¡¯t fully master it so Ikarus could still win with the power given to her by the chain of bond. He then turned back to Astrea. ¡°Lead the way!¡±


    The two flew a few miles away from the battlefield before landing in a desolated open area. Finally, they could speak without holding back.


    ¡°It has been a long time, Odium! I see that you have been¡­busy¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°..Father, if I may ask¡­Why are you siding with them? Isn¡¯t it our goal to make the world pay for what they did?¡± Odium uttered.


    ¡°I am not siding with anyone. And don¡¯t include me in this goal of yours. I have never consented to any of these.¡±


    ¡°Consent? Have you forgotten how you felt when they took Mother away? Or have you forgotten about Shana as well?¡±


    ¡°Do not bring Shana into this! This is about you and the consequences of your¡­.no, of OUR actions. Don¡¯t misunderstand me! This is also my fault for misleading you when I asked you to create that. Had I known that it would lead you to do this, I would have never given you my permission.


    You have to understand that not everyone is the same. There are evil but there are also good in this world.¡±


    ¡°Are you listening to yourself right now? YOU CREATED ME. I am born from your hatred!!! YOU WANTED THIS.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t deny the fact that there was a time I too shared your opinion. But I have changed. I have met different people and from that I know there is still hope left in this world. That¡¯s why I have decided that I will change the world. For a better future!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Odium, let me help you! What you did, we can¡¯t change it but we can still change the future. So join me, my daughter! Together we can figure out a way.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Odium, please! I¡­.¡±


    ¡°So in the end, you too betrayed me. Just like the rest¡­.¡±


    ¡°Odium, that¡¯s not¡­¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! I don¡¯t want to listen to your hypocrisy anymore. You or anyone else! From now on, I will do everything for me and myself only. I won¡¯t be bound to you no longer!¡±


    A dark portal opened behind Odium. Her mind was filled with rage and spite, not just for the world but also toward her creator. Did you know what it felt like? To be betrayed by the one you worshipped, the one you loved? To experience absolute solitude? To have lost our purpose? Such were the numerous emotions Odium was feeling right now.


    ¡°Odium, wait!¡± Alastor ran toward her.


    All of the sudden, a surge of power emerged from the clouds above them and a luminous ray of sunlight struck down toward Odium.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Alastor rushed to his daughter and pushed her into the portal.


    ¡°AW!!!¡± Surprised by his action, Odium tried to call out to him but the moment her body was thrown inside, the door closed itself and disappeared. Why did he do that? Didn¡¯t he want to kill her too? Then why¡­


    Unfortunately for Alastor, he didn¡¯t have enough time to use <Devour> and took on the full power of the sun beam on himself. The heat emitting from the ray pierced his body and set it on fire as he fell down to the ground, motionless.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Stop playing around! I know something like this isn¡¯t enough to kill you! Your soul has been carved into that crystal. As long as it exists, you will never die.¡± A womanly voice spoke.


    The crystal on his chest began to shine as the wounds were healing and reformed the body it once was.


    ¡°And how did you know that? Even I didn¡¯t know about it until recently.¡± Alastor, still regenerating, looked above him.


    It was still daytime and very sunny so it was normal to still see the sun. However, what Alastor saw was two suns instead of one, shining brazenly in the sky. Only, one of them wasn¡¯t a sun at all. It was a person that was radiating so much light to the point even the real sun seemed to be less brilliant than her. With long golden hair and two pointy ears, she wore a white robe way passing her legs.


    ¡°¡­Why did you save her? Isn¡¯t the reason you seek her is to finish what you started?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°And why does that concern you? I didn¡¯t know that you are the type to eavesdrop other people¡¯s family matter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no longer a matter just between you two the moment she created those atrocities and that crystal. The Abyss must never reach this world or it will be the end of all life.¡±


    ¡°Nice words, coming from the friend of that murderous bastard!¡± Alastor said sarcastically.


    ¡°¡­..He used to be the gentlest of soul I have ever known. But he too fell into despair upon realizing the dreadful truth. I tried to save him but¡­.¡±


    ¡°What truth? What exactly are you trying to do? Why are all of you seeking me for?¡±


    ¡°¡­.We will continue this later. Now, since you clearly are not capable of handling your pet, I will do that job for you.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡­¡±


    As the false sun began to fade, the woman spoke in an angelic voice.


    ¡°I will be waiting for you at the castle of Galahad! Before I go, let me present myself: I am Elemyr of Radiant Sun, Goddess of the Elves!¡±

 Chapter 58: Curtain Call

    While Alastor was ¡®dealing¡¯ with Astrea, Ikarus was fighting against the ruler of Malatas,  the elf king Aldol. While Aldol had received the power of a demon lord, he has never had any training in combat in his life, leaving him rather clumsy in his fighting style and inexperienced.


    ¡°<Annihilation>¡± The young man shot a disintegrating ray of dark energy toward the celestial. Using her translucent wings, Ikarus gracefully evaded the laser and dived toward Aldol.


    ¡°<Flame of Purification>¡± white flames spiralled around Ikarus before throwing itself onto the air and exploded into a rain of fire covering the entire area. The particular thing about the white flame was that it only damaged those Ikarus deemed as evil, in other words, her enemies. In addition, the flame healed her allies in the surrounding area, making it particularly effective when fighting group against group.


    ¡°<Astral Shield>¡± As the fire reached up to Aldol, a dark barrier adorned with myriad of light dots of different intensity which looked like stars in a night sky englobed his body and protected him from the fire. The problem was if it was a normal fire attack, the shield would be more than enough. However in this case, the white fire, as if it was alive, began to move toward Aldol and engulfed the shield like it was devouring it.


    All types of barriers were only good for protection against one or two attacks. But if the attacks were continuously inflicting damages, eventually the shield would crumble, leaving the user completely vulnerable. And since Aldol wasn¡¯t taught any of that, he has let the white fire blocking all his ways out. With the barrier beginning to crack and some fire has managed to sneak into it, Aldol was being burned from inside his own barrier. If he cancelled the barrier to get away, he would be burned to death by the rest of the fire. Yet if he stayed here, he would still be burned to death anyway.


    ¡°<Worm hole>¡±


    ¡­..


    Ikarus couldn¡¯t see Aldol in those fires. The barrier has vanished yet where was his body? He couldn¡¯t have turned to ashes that quick. Without any other way, she decided to approach where the barrier was. There was nothing, nothing inside that. Where was he?


    ¡°YOU BITCH¡± A hand appeared from behind Ikarus and punched her, throwing her off to the side. The rest of Aldol began to manifest itself as he walked toward her. His ability <Worm Hole> allowed him to slip into the cracks of dimensions and manifested himself back in another location. It worked in a similar way to Alastor¡¯s dimensional magic circle; only, Aldol could actually saw what was happening in the real world even when he was in a crack.


    The punch was quite straight forward but powerful enough to make Ikarus groaning in pain. But she didn¡¯t give up yet. The gem on Ikarus¡¯ spear now switched to a sapphire colour and allowed her to follow with a completely different type of attack. ¡°<Absolute Zero>¡±


    In an instant, giant blocks of ice appeared out of thin air and fell onto where Aldol was. She made sure that he was definitely crushed this time. He didn¡¯t have enough time to use that weird spell he did like before. That she was sure. Now Ikarus could only hope that was enough to beat him.


    The mountains of ice began to crack and crumbled. Aldol was still alive, injured but alive. And he was very angry.


    ¡°You¡­you hurt me. I swear I will kill you in the most painful way you could imagine.¡± Aldol raged. ¡°But I will have my fun first! <Gravity Crush>¡±


    A tremendous force fell down onto Ikarus, smashing her against the ground. She felt so heavy that she couldn¡¯t even lift a finger even though she was trying her best to move away.


    ¡°Again! <Gravity Crush>¡±


    Blood began to leak from her mouth. It seemed that the last attack has damaged the celestial internally.


    ¡°Again! <Gravity Crush>¡±


    The crater was even deeper and bigger now. Ikarus could barely hold her consciousness anymore. And her wounds were getting more and more opened. At this rate, if she would not die by the heavy weight then she would die from blood loss.


    ¡°And now, I will crush each of your bones, one at a time. For hurting me, I will let you have a taste of what hell is like. And when I finally have my fun, I will kill you in front of that brat who dared oppose me. It makes me wonder what he would do: crying out your name as I smash his skull? Begging for the sweet release of death for the both of you? Hahahahaha!¡±


    ¡°You..piece¡­of¡­shit¡­.Just¡­.you¡­.wait! ¡­Alastor¡­.will¡­.never¡­lose¡­to the likes of you.¡± Ikarus uttered with all her strength. It was a wonder how she could even move her mouth under that pressure.


    ¡°Your persisting attitude is annoying¡­..I changed my mind. I will kill you now and toy with your corpse in front of him. So now DIE!¡±


    ¡®Alastor¡¯ Ikarus thought about her beloved. The fear she was feeling¡­.was it fear for her own life? No¡­it was fear for being separated from him? What would it be like when you were dead? Were you still conscious or would you fade away into nothingness? If the answer was the later, then perhaps it was for the best. For she could not handle being conscious of the fact she would never see Alastor ever again. Closing her eyes, Ikarus prepared herself for the inevitable.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Hohoho, we can¡¯t have that, can we?¡±


    ¡­..


    Nothing happened. Ikarus re-opened her eyes. She was still alive. What was even more surprising was that she no longer felt the pressure on her anymore. Raising her head to confirm it, she looked at Aldol. The elf king had a dismayed expression. He himself could not understand what was happening.


    ¡°My..my powers¡­.it¡¯s gone. Why can¡¯t I use it? Why?¡± Aldol muttered.


    Suddenly the sky brightened as a surge of power appeared on the sky in the direction where Alastor and Astrea went to. A short moment later, a dark portal opened with the court mage walking out of it.


    ¡°We are retreating, Aldol!¡±


    ¡°Astrea¡­.I can¡¯t use my power anymore¡­.¡±


    ¡°We will take care of that later. Now we have to go!¡± Astrea grasped onto the confused Aldol and dragged him to the portal.


    ¡°Wait! Where is Alastor? What have you done to him?¡± Ikarus shouted as loud as she could but her wounds didn¡¯t allow her to do so. ¡°WAIT!¡±


    * * *


    A moment later, back at castle of Galahad


    The palace has been void of people ever since Aldol took power. They feared for their own lives as one after another disappeared into this man-devouring castle, never to be heard again. So the moment Astrea and Aldol set out to the Whispering Forest, those who were left decided to flee from the castle. Even in the night, Galahad, the city who was renowned to be as bright as day at night time thanks to a magic system that distributed mana throughout the capital and lighting up thousands of crystal orbs, was now plunged into darkness. But it was not like everyone has left. Many people were still there, hiding in their homes but they had to turn off the light, to avoid being ¡®spirited away¡¯ by the kidnappers who lurked in the streets at night.


    Yet there were still some noises coming from inside the palace. The owners have finally returned from war and judging from the sound, it didn¡¯t end well.


    ¡°DAMN IT ALL!¡± Astrea shouted as she overthrew the candle stand in front of her. ¡°My plan! My research! All that for what? For what * hic hic*?¡± A strange liquid fell on her cheeks. Tears? Tears coming from the Avatar of Spite? How could this be? She wondered. Just where did she do wrong for things to become like this? Betrayed by her father, the only person she cared about. Everything she had done was for him, at least in her point of view, so why did he do that? And now one of the six Gods has shown themselves to hunt her down. Even from here, she could feel their presence coming closer and closer to the capital. At this rate, Elemyr would arrive in just a few minutes.


    Odium could try to run but where would she go? And most importantly why did she need to run anyway? She has dedicated her entire short life in this place so that one day, she could receive love, love from her creator. The moment he said he was proud of her, that she was his daughter. That day would never come. Odium understood that. She no longer had any reason to continue this miserable life. If death was coming for her, then she would welcome it. But not before she made her mark on the world.


    ¡°Astrea¡­.¡± The elf king watched her in awe. Aldol has never seen the sorceress being so¡­.emotional like this before. The fearful court mage who held the entire kingdom under her palm was now crying like a little girl who has just been refuted by her father. Aldol didn¡¯t know what happened between Alastor and Astrea but clearly the two had some kind of history together. At least that was what he thought.


    The elf king, all alone without his people, was powerless to do anything anymore. For some reasons he lost his power. And without his army, his demon lord¡¯s power, what would he be? A hollow deviant shell who only knew how to kill people weaker than him. Was this how he would be remembered? Not as the villainous tyrant he thought he would be but a weakling who couldn¡¯t do anything by himself? That thought terrified him deeply.


    No¡­he still had something else: Eve the mermaid. She was still down in the dungeon, waiting for him. Surely she would accept him for who he was. He treated her so well didn¡¯t he? He didn¡¯t hurt her. He didn¡¯t kill her. He fed her every day. Yes! She must have loved him. That must be it.


    Deep in his thought, Aldol didn¡¯t realize that he was so disillusioned by that thought that perhaps the truth about him was quite different. He didn¡¯t need love. No he wanted something else. Control, that was what this was all about. To have someone obey him unconditionally. And what would be better than a mermaid who knew nothing of the world outside but him? That way, she could never leave him.


    Suddenly, sound of footsteps echoed in the court hall. Despite the fact there was no light here, something was illuminating in this darkness. The Goddess Elemyr has come for Odium.


    ¡°What do we have here? Two ugly creatures who have lost their way and ended up being swallowed by their own darkness? Such a fitting end for miserable beasts like yourselves.¡± The godly figure spoke. ¡°When I first came into this world, I was shocked. I could feel the corruption taken hold of my children and it took me a while to figure out its source: their very own leaders. And all because of that sludge.¡± She pointed toward Astrea. ¡°But you too shared the blame, my child, for letting it controlling you. The sins you committed, nothing could ever undo what you have done. Therefore, in the name of Celestia, I give you my verdict: death!¡±


    Light energy focused inside Elemyr as she manifested a luminous orb in front of her and shot it at Aldol. Helpless and powerless, Aldol could only watch as it flew toward his. This warm light, reflecting in his eyes, would be his death.


    ¡°<Eye of Magnus>¡±


    Odium took out a black crystal gem at the size of her hand, much bigger than the ones used in the war. A red light brimmed from it and released a darkness that consumed the light orb from Elemyr.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­You dare use it in lord Eden¡¯s world ???¡± shouted Elemyr in anger the moment her eyes laid on the crystal the sorceress held on her hands.


    ¡°Aldol¡­.this is goodbye!¡± A black portal opened behind Aldol as Odium grabbed the elf and threw him inside before it closed again. ¡°Find a purpose and live!¡±


    With only the two inside this silent deadly hall, Astrea¡¯s body began to melt into a black sludge and reshaped into her original form: a slim and tall figure wearing light armour with a purple veil attaching to the helmet. Raising the gem high as if she was praying to it, Odium spoke.


    ¡°Do you know the true nature of the soul? The God Magnus once created a magnificent flame that allowed him to forge the souls of every living being. Together with Eden and Lilith, they created the Primes and later the Demons appeared. But every living being would one day die. The flesh, in the end, is just a physical container for the soul and the life essence only serves as the link between the two. Time could degrade anything, the flesh and the essence but not the soul.


    And so I thought: what if we could preserve the soul and later recreate the body, not just any body but the perfect one. One that could withstand the onslaught of time. Essence would be a simple matter. We take it from other beings and refill our own. And then together, the perfect being will be created.


    ¡­..


    Do you know who do I intend to create first? ¡­..Of course you don¡¯t. You Gods never care about any of us anyway and why would you care about lesser beings than yourselves?


    The answer is simple: I want to resurrect my mother Shana.¡±


    ¡°What? Resurrection?¡± Elemyr uttered.


    ¡°When mother died, father was so sad. He wanted to destroy the world. And I too shared that same desire. After all, I was born from a part of him. But would he be happy simply with the world destroyed? I don¡¯t know the answer myself but there was one thing I am sure: Shana will bring him happiness.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    But we, his children, were created from the fragments of Shana¡¯ soul. Without us, her soul would never be completed. And so I waited here, continued to find a way to create the perfect body until when the time comes, I would kill my siblings and myself so mother could live once more.


    Alas, dreams will remain distant fantasy. Look at me now! In front of the mighty Elemyr, I have no hope of winning¡­..¡±


    Suddenly, Elemyre could feel the atmosphere in the air changing. A dreadful feeling took over her as the crystal began to shine.


    ¡°¡­But if I am going to die, I will make sure that the world will go down with me, including you.¡±


    The crystal shined even brighter. This amethyst aurora it was emitting glared across the whole room, making the palace illuminating like a beacon in the middle of the night.


    ¡°Stop! The miasma isn¡¯t just going to poison the entire land. It¡¯s going to break the fabrics of time and space. The Veil will be broken!!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Odium remained silent.


    ¡°Even if you can survive in the Abyss, this much concentrated miasma will kill you instantly.¡± Shouted Elemyr.


    ¡°Why do you think I didn¡¯t cross that portal earlier? Life¡­is no longer something I care about, as much as everything else. My father has rejected me. I have nothing to live for anymore.¡±


    The crystal¡¯s light has reached its peak. The outside shell of the gem began to crack as an enormous amount of energy seemed to be concentrated inside it, just waiting to be released.


    ¡°STOP!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, cruel world!¡±


    BOUM


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    This event was later written down as the First Blight. On that day, the world was scarred forever. That day, the name Malatas was erased from the world.


    * * *


    A moment earlier, inside the dungeon under the castle of Galahad


    Aldol has found himself in the undergrounds again. Last thing he remembered was that Odium was trying to save him by pushing him into her portal. Why did she do that? He wondered. Should he go back to save her? How? He didn¡¯t have any power anyway. He would be just a burden.


    Standing up, Aldol saw Eve, staring at him for a while by now from beyond the glass wall. Just the usual thing she did. At that moment, Aldol thought perhaps this was why Astrea sent him here, for him to go have a life somewhere else, somewhere with Eve. He has lost everything else so why stay here at all? Maybe he just needed to stay low for a while and one day his power would come back to him. And while waiting for that time to come, Eve would be there to comfort him. ¡®That must be it¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Eve, I will get you out of there right now!¡± Aldol pushed the lever that controlled the water level inside the tank and released all the water. With all the water gone, the glass wall could be opened. And before he took Eve on his arms, he made sure to wrap a wet blanket around her to keep her damp.


    The mermaid, during this entire time, remained still. She let Aldol do what he wanted and didn¡¯t struggle or anything. Even when he looked at her naked body, she didn¡¯t shy away. The whole time, her eyes were set on the young king¡¯s face, just like the scene from a fairy tale Aldol once read where a prince rescued a princess and they lived happily ever after. This must be the same situation, thought Aldol.


    With Eve firmly in his arms, Aldol decided to go up. However, he could see some kind of black smoke coming in through the gap under the door at the end of the corridor. Miasma¡­how did it get here? Based on what happened at the woods, he probably could go through it but not Eve. Unlike him, she didn¡¯t have a gem implanted in her so she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive in that thing.


    With no other choice, Aldol decided to bear her even deeper in the underground. He remembered that there was a magic circle that Astrea has prepared beforehand in case of emergency. That magic circle could only be used once and would teleport him to outside. The only problem was she didn¡¯t tell him where it would teleport him exactly, only saying that it would be somewhere she considered home.


    Rushing down through levels of stairs, Aldol finally arrived at Astrea¡¯s lab. The magic circle was right at the further end. He must hurry as the mist was already right behind him. But what about those? The objects that Astrea spent all those sacrifices to create. They were still here. He wanted to take them with him but unfortunately, the situation didn¡¯t allow it. It was either them or Eve. And since Aldol didn¡¯t know how to use them anyway, he decided to leave them there and perhaps come back later. If this place would to be drown with miasma, no one would be able to take them anyway. Walking into the magic circle, the ring began to shine as his body and Eve¡¯s faded away.


    ¡­..


    Opening his eyes, Aldol was stunned. Right now, in front of him, was a large body of water. An ocean perhaps? Or a sea? Also, one thing was strange. From the horizon of the sea, he could see land, not land as an island but more like a whole continent. And there was only one sea in the entire world where you could see something like this: the sea between Ragna and Ceadric.


    Did the magic circle teleport him that far? But why here? And where was he exactly? Ragna or Ceadric? Well he could ask those questions later. Now, he must let Eve into the water before she dried up. Hopefully she would do well in salt water.


    Walking across a bed of sands, he thought about what he would do next. Should he stay here or move on to another location? Wherever it was, it must be nearby a water source for Eve to stay in. And if possible he would prefer something closed in so Eve might not get ¡®lost¡¯.


    Already a few minutes after letting her out, this man has already thought about keeping her in another cage. The only difference would be the size and perhaps the scenery around it. Could this be considered love? Perhaps, if you looked at it from a certain point of view.


    But as he gently put her down into the water, Eve was still looking at him even though he has let go of her. She didn¡¯t try to run away or anything like that. Aldol knew he was right. She loved him, unconditionally. If not, why would she stay still in his arms like this when she could just swim away?


    As the moonlight shined upon her smooth pale skin, Aldol was mesmerised by her allure. Has Eve ever looked so beautiful? He knew that she was already beautiful since the moment they met but now she was even more, like a goddess. He wouldn¡¯t mind spending the rest of his life with her. In fact, that was what he was planning to do. He began to imagine what would his future be like? The day he got his power back, he would conquer the rest of the world and bring it to his knees. With a goddess by his side, all men would be jealous of him. He would have everything a man could ever dream of: a beautiful woman, power, everything.


    ¡­..


    ¡°This is getting boring¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Who is there? Show yourself!¡± Aldol shouted. He looked around to find the source of the voice but there was nothing around him, no one but Eve. Could it be her? No¡­the voice was male and very grave¡­.not human¡­.more like some kind of creature.


    ¡°I am so disappointed in you. I guess every actor has to, one day, end his careers.¡±


    A thought resounded in Aldol¡¯s mind. He knew this voice. This was the same as the one who spoke during the battle with that celestial.


    ¡°You¡­You are the one that takes away my power!!!!¡± Aldol raged. He still searched around for anyone but still nothing.


    ¡°Well we can¡¯t let you kill Ikarus like that. She is someone¡­.important to our dear Alastor after all. She can¡¯t die now¡­.not yet anyway¡±


    ¡°Who are you???¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s up with young people these days? You don¡¯t even know the name of the one who gave you that power? Such insolence!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Guess I have no choice then. Allow me to present myself: I am Xenes, the Astral Tarragon! And if you are not an idiot, you should know that I am a demon lord and that power you have been using so carelessly belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°Demon lord??? Just what is you planning? Why did you take my power away? If only I had it, I could have saved Astrea!¡± Aldol shouted.


    ¡°You two have achieved the roles that were given to you. Now, the show must go on and I am afraid to tell you that we are letting you go. You are just not¡­interesting anymore. But worry not! I have found another candidate to replace you.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? Who?¡±


    ¡°Did you forget? There is another survivor from that experiment aside from you. And I am not talking about the weird thing you are holding in your hand.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­..You chose that bitch instead of me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, kid! I like you! At first anyway. But then your popularity has¡­dropped off and after a careful discussion with the others, we have decided that you are no longer necessary to our plan. So¡­.yeah¡­ if you don¡¯t mind, you can kill yourself right now! Or we will do it for you!¡±


    ¡°To hell with you! I am sick of being your pawn. I will decide my own future from now on. Don¡¯t drag me into your plan anymore!¡±


    ¡°WoW! For a moment, you sounded just like Alastor for a second. GOOD! That¡¯s what I was talking about. This¡­independence from the others. The thrill. The suspense. Romance. That¡¯s what the audience wants. Unfortunately, it¡¯s already too late for you and Odium. It¡¯s time you leave the stage and let the main characters do their performance.


    This is goodbye, young Aldol! It was fun while it lasted!¡±


    The moment the voice vanished, Aldol felt a sudden pain in his chest. From the black gem, a black substance spread out and invaded his body. It was killing him. Blood was coming out of his mouth as he tried to get away from the water. If he fell right now, he would drown. But something else was holding him from getting to the land.


    ¡°Eve???Wh¡­.what are you doing? Let me go! Or I will¡­¡­ * vomiting blood*¡±


    The mermaid remained silent. Her two hand were grabbing on his legs tightly. How could she be so strong?


    ¡°Eve¡­le..eet goooo!!!!¡± Aldol struggled hardly but he fell instead, submerging in the water. As he tried to get up, something was holding his head down, making unable to breathe. He tried to scream as bubbles violently gushed out his mouth.


    It ended pretty quickly after that. A lifeless body was floating on the surface on water under the pale moonlight before it was dragging down to the bottom of the sea.


    ¡­..


    Rumours had it that years from now, fishermen or sailors who travelled the sear around Ragna, would spot a half-fish half-man creature swimming along with their boats. But if you ever heard about its legend, there was something else you should know: never look at its eyes or else you would be dragged into madness as it would bring you down to the bottom of the sea, just like the many men it did before you.

 Chapter 59: Conclave

    Author''s note: My sincerest apologies for disappearing in the last few days. I have been struggling to finish these chapters because of my work and fever accompanied with headache. To compensate, I am posting two chapters today with probably (depend on how things go) a third one tonight. If you like it, please leave a comment/rating as this will motivate me greatly. :)


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    Inside the dark realm of the Abyss


    An unusual event was taking place. All the demon lords who have shared their power with the current host of Soul Forger Magnus were now having a gathering and have formed a circle in the middle of this obscure world. Three suns, one red, one blue, one black, hanged above in the background, creating a strange aurora of different colours expanding across the horizon. Unlike the other shadows who just had a phantom appearance of a black shape, these particular nine individuals could still be seen in their usual attire and forms just like in their former life, all while gleaming a faint incandescent aura.


    The aim of this conclave was to make a rundown of the recent events and to discuss their next course of actions. For long, the departed demon lords have been considered as nothing more than a means to power, a relic of the past. Once the mightiest at their time, now they were nothing but ember of their flame. But every one of them was getting tired of this dull life. They needed stimulation, something else. That was the case until recently, Xenes had come to them with a preposterous proposal.


    ¡°¡­..And that¡¯s about the quintessence of it. What do you think?¡± after a long speech explaining his plan, Xenes turned toward his audience, the eight demon lords: Asmodeus, Beelzebub, Belphegor, Devas, Nyx, Beatrix, Sullivan and Lucifer. Needless to say, different reactions from each of them were expected. Some were confused. Some were excited while others remained quiet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­.Did you tell Alastor about it?¡± Beelzebub raised his opinion. This plan Xenes was proposing, it was something Belz has never once thought about before. This long distant dream, if it became reality, then that would change everything. The problem was this would imply a certain ¡­.loss from the boy he was rather fond of.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t really done anything so far so I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary, yet. Though all the preparations are ready and all we need is a ¡®Yes¡¯. Eventually I will tell him, but I believe now it¡¯s not the appropriate time.¡± Xenes replied.


    ¡°Why not now?¡± asked Devas.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be happy about the fact that this has led to Odium¡¯s demise. Well it was her plan and I merely lent a hand but in the end, we didn¡¯t tell him much so he might not like that.¡±


    ¡°You are playing a dangerous game, dragon! If Alastor found out that you used his daughter for this¡­.¡± Said Belphegor.


    ¡°He will do what? Kill me? I am already dead! And even if I am alive, do you think he can beat me? Actually, let¡¯s compare Alastor to everyone around here, see who is stronger!¡± proposed Xenes.


    ¡°If we go with pure power without taking in account strategy and items, I would say that Alastor is the fourth strongest among us ten.¡± Devas expressed.


    ¡°Fourth? To me, he would be third. Who is the third one then?¡± asked the dragon.


    ¡°Well¡­Beatrix.¡± The slime turned to the hooded woman who sat in a corner. Discerning that she was being stared at, the chained woman glared back at him. Even though her face wasn¡¯t clearly shown because of the hood, she sent a certain chill to his inexistence spine.


    ¡°¡­.Beatrix doesn¡¯t count. No offense to the lady of course!¡± Xenes quickly apologized to the witch before continuing speaking. ¡°But that ability is just cheating. It just completely ignores strength, magic, defence and bam you die. Thankfully, Alastor didn¡¯t inherit that.¡±


    ¡°Alastor didn¡¯t receive all of our power you know. He only has what Magnus gave to us after we became demon lord. What we obtained on our own are still here. Some are good; some can be pretty useless, at least for a certain person¡­¡± Lucifer muttered.


    ¡°Personally, I am not sure about the third position either. What determines the victor of a fight doesn¡¯t just rely on power and mana alone. Some of us here like Beatrix is very low in term of destructive potential but in return has unique abilities that surpass even the most powerful individual in history, if we don¡¯t take in account the Gods of course, since their power are pretty unknown, especially Fate.¡± Analysed Nyx.


    And the conversation started to turn animated, becoming a debate about how strong Alastor would be compared to them. Some claimed to be equal or stronger than Alastor. Others stayed humble, either to hide their cards or just weren¡¯t interested in the debate. But one thing was strange. Not a single one was claiming to be the strongest. Even the prideful Lucifer would at most claim to be second but not the first. The dragons, reputed for their arrogance and in particularly Xenes, didn¡¯t even attempt to say so. For that position already belonged to someone else and their authority was unquestionable.


    ¡°¡­.We are straying from the main subject here¡­.¡± Asmodeus spoke with her eyes closed as if she was contemplating about something. Knowing her, she was probably thinking about how to deal with the matter concerning Alastor. Should she follow the plan Xenes has proposed and stayed silent? Or should she tell him the truth? Either way, things weren¡¯t going to end well for everyone. But for a long time, she has seen herself as his sister, a part of his family even though the boy has never admitted it himself. And family didn¡¯t lie to each other nor should they hide anything.


    Have you ever wondered why every time Alastor needed something from the demon lords, like when he needed to find powerful ones to make a pact with them, he would come to see Asmodeus? The answer to that question was quite straightforward. She seemed to know everyone and always got the job done. And the other shadows actually listened to her. This bunch of hundreds of the most powerful individuals of their time listened to the voice of this elf demon. It was like just now when she said that, everyone shut their mouth immediately. Even in this conclave, she appeared to be the one taking the decision instead of Xenes or anyone else. This posed some questions about her true nature.


    Alas, back to Asmodeus, she has made her mind. ¡°We will tell him the next time he comes here!¡±


    ¡°I am not so sure that¡¯s a good idea¡­.¡± The dragon uttered.


    ¡°This decision is not up to you, Xenes!¡± Asmodeus retorted.


    ¡°Come on now! The aim of this conclave is for everyone to voice their opinion. Let¡¯s try to be civilized here!¡± Xenes pressed.


    ¡°Does it mean that there is someone who doesn¡¯t agree with me? Please raise your hands those who think I am wrong!¡±


    ¡­..


    No one said a word.


    ¡°See? Problem solved! The conclave is now adjourned. Please go back to do ¡­..whatever you have been doing for the last few centuries!¡±


    With it, the meeting came to an end and the demon lords disbanded, each going their way. The only two left sitting at their places were the sage Nyx and the dragon Xenes. Although things didn¡¯t go the way he wanted for this gathering, Xenes didn¡¯t seem one bit disappointed. On the contrary, he still had his smug face. It was understandable: his toys have been prepared and a new show with new characters would be here to entertain him.


    ¡°But still, your plan was a reckless one, Xenes. To be honest, I still think Alastor is still too unfledged for his own good and I don¡¯t mean it as an insult to him, but more like an advice. It¡¯s perfectly understandable. At his age, we barely discovered our power while he is already in the peak of his power, and that peak just keeps growing.


    The boy is the result of thousands of years of generations of demon lords, bearing the three primordial elements. Considering how life has been for him, I can confirm with certainty that his mind is very unstable, due to the magic flux inside him. His power simply grew too fast for the mind to keep up and these strains will keep stacking up one on another. All they need is one catalyst, the final straw and it will be out of control. What you are doing is igniting that catalyst.¡± Nyx dictated.


    ¡°And that¡¯s the beauty of it. Power accompanies madness. To reach a higher level we all have to risk something of our own. Such is the path of knowledge! Surely you understand that at least, old man?¡±


    ¡°Even if it requires everything we once cherished?¡±


    ¡°We all have faced hardship in our lives, have sacrificed many things to be what we are now. Alastor is not the only one who suffers in this world, everyone does. What I am doing is merely opening a new path, one that he might have ignored.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you say the same thing when you slaughtered your entire family? Your entire clan?¡±


    ¡°¡­..They are ignorant fools who could not grasp the concept of the universe. They saw me as a heretic, trying to converge me to their teaching. In return, I offered them a chance, to be part of the cosmos and to watch me unveil the secrets of this world. In the end, even after all those years of me trying to teach them, none could ever hope to understand the very basics.


    Here, can you hear their voices? How these idiots beg to be released?¡±


    A fissure opened on the fabled skin of Xenes, revealing a galaxy-like dimension. Looking into it felt like the hole was dragging you to it through an invisible force. The sound of moaning, lament and cries was leaking out from this crack. These intangible whispers could not convey their words but their tone was more than enough to show their despair, their desire to get out of there.


    ¡°This is¡­.Just how many did you kill?¡± Nyx questioned.


    ¡°Kill? Not a single one. In fact, I have never killed anyone when I was alive. I only¡­.threw them here so they could travel with me, witness me as I climbed my path of seeking knowledge. But things can be boring for these poor souls, getting stuck here for such a long time so every now and then, I want to spice things up a little bit for the ¡®audience¡¯.¡± Xenes laughed out loud. ¡°Either way, we have a new actress and I am looking forward for her performance. Hehehehe!¡±


    * * *


    Western part of the Whispering Forest, Refugee Camp of the Beastmen


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    The next day after the onslaught, things returned to be quiet again. Under Alastor¡¯s command, the Millennium Regiment has located and killed all the beasts in the area around the camp, halting the invasion from Malatas completely. Even now, they were being sent to patrol the entire forest to make sure that all the monsters had and would be purged.


    Ikarus, despite being heavily injured from the fight, didn¡¯t suffer any severe trauma or permanent damage and her wounds were quickly healed thanks to her own magic. She still needed some rest but aside from that, everything was fine for her. The important thing was that the boy was by her side all these time.


    ¡°How are you feeling, Ikarus?¡± asked Alastor as he used his Mana sense to detect any anomaly in the girl¡¯s mana flow. That way, he could be sure that she wouldn¡¯t suffer any long term damage.


    ¡°It still stings a little bit but I will be fine. Don¡¯t worry!¡± she smiled at him.


    ¡°How do you expect me to not worry? You were on the verge of death when I found you¡­I shouldn¡¯t have left like that¡­.I am sorry, Ikarus! This is my fault!¡± He uttered.


    ¡°You could never have guessed he would too that strong. This whole thing was set up by the elf king. The monsters, the war¡­.none of this has anything to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­it does.¡±


    Alastor decided it was time to tell Ikarus about Odium. The whole time, she stayed quiet, listened to him without uttering a word. To be frank, for long, Alastor has turned a blind eye to his children, thinking he had nothing to do with them because of the little interaction they had with each other. It was his selfish thinking that caused this. Even at Caelum, Alastor could have stopped the meaningless slaughter but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he joined Sinforma simply for no apparent reason.


    Alastor didn¡¯t even understand why sometimes he had these impulses to kill without reason. He could even hear a voice inside his mind, urging him to do things he would never do in his right mind. Now that he mentioned it, it was the same voice that spoke to him right before his encounter with Eden in his dream. Was it just a part of him? Or something more? The thing was that voice was female so if it was his, it would be pretty weird.


    ¡°I am thinking to go to Galahad by myself. I have started this whole mess and I intend to deal with it. Even more, Elemyr has appeared and she is going after Odium. I can¡¯t let that happen, for her to die because of me.¡± He said.


    ¡°I have said this before. If that¡¯s what your heart is telling you, then follow it! As long as you think it¡¯s the best. Don¡¯t worry about me! Look at me!¡± Ikarus tried to stand up and to look healthy but Alastor could see her legs trembling on the floor. As she slowly sat down and lied on the bed, she continued. ¡°I just need a day of rest and I will join you as soon as I can. So go ahead!¡±


    ¡°You just focus on resting here. No need to rush things like that or your wounds will open again. I will let a few knights stationed right outside in case you need anything. I am fine as long as you are, my angel!¡± Alastor crouched down and kissed her on her forehead.


    The moment he walked out of her tent, Viviana was already waiting for him outside. It seemed that the army from Zagon has come and their commander was currently talking with Zen to discuss their strategy. While the monster threat has been dealt with, there was still a large army of elves out there and the beastmen were in no shape to fight them at the moment. The arrival of reinforcement from Zagon would definitely be a great help.


    The cat girl led Alastor to another camp, this one situated near the borders between the Forest and Malatas. Even if they were in a bad shape right now, Zen couldn¡¯t let this opportunity to go away. With the monsters gone, the elves had lost their main weapons and would be left defenceless. It was imperative that Zen launched a final assault and finished this war once and for all before any more of those monsters could be created.


    Walking into a large tent, Alastor was met with the four clan leaders and a person wearing armour with a blue cape.


    ¡°Prince Alastor, I am commander Luvik sent by her Majesty to assist you in this war. Our force is ready to march toward Malatas and only waits for your order.¡± The commanded bowed to Alastor.


    ¡°That¡¯s reassuring to hear. But I am afraid I have some personal business that needs my immediate attention so I will leave you to it.¡± He said.


    ¡°Personal business? We are at war here. I am pretty sure that¡¯s more urgent than¡­.¡± Zen spoke before he was interrupted by an alarming shout from outside the tent.


    ¡°Let me through! I bring pressing news from the borders.¡± The soldier said to the two guards outside the tent.


    ¡°Let him in! What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Zen.


    ¡°Sir, our patrol has caught a small group of elves trying to cross the border. When we questioned them, they said they would like to speak to you.¡± The soldier reported.


    ¡°Speak to me? About what?¡±


    ¡°They wouldn¡¯t tell me exactly but they did say that it¡¯s about how to stop the war.¡±


    ¡°Stop the war? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°She only said that she is among the leaders of Malatas and would only speak to you only. At first we thought it was a trap so before coming here, we made sure that the perimeter is clear of enemies.¡±


    ¡°This woman you spoke off, what does she look like? Is she wearing anything odd in particular?¡± chief Loo asked.


    ¡°She looks just like any elf to me but her headpiece did strike me as odd. It¡¯s a circlet with a crescent moon shape attached to it.¡±


    Everyone in the room didn¡¯t understand why Loo asked that question. Why did it matter what the woman was wearing? But as Loo listened to the description of the woman from the solder, he rubbed his beard in deep thoughts, suggesting that this info might not be so trivial after all.


    ¡°Lord Zen, from the description, I believe that this woman is Eris, the Priestess of the Sun faction of Malatas and you should speak to her. She might be just what we need.¡± The rat beastman suggested.


    ¡°What do you mean, chief Loo? Do share with us.¡± Said Zen.


    ¡°Based on what I have seen, how this war was so sudden and how the ones we captured have no idea that there are monsters hidden in their ranks, I would say that this whole thing was orchestrated by the elf king himself. For what purpose or what does he have against us, I don¡¯t know but perhaps this war wasn¡¯t decided from a consensus. The fact that the Solana priestess is here could mean that the court is divided with one faction wanting to go to war while the other not. If we play this carefully and right, we could avert further losses for both sides.¡± Loo explained. ¡°We need to speak with them immediately.¡±


    ¡°Talk? After what they have done? Are you out of your mind?¡± shouted Gon.


    ¡°As I have said, it¡¯s possible that not all of them agree to this. What do you propose? Just kill all the elves? We also need to look after the future, not to be blind by our hatred.¡± Loo retorted.


    ¡°Stop! No need for fighting over this.¡± Zen calmed the two chiefs down. He then turned to Alastor. ¡°The deal is that we will give Malatas to Zagon after the war so it¡¯s their call to do whatever they want with the elves. As a representative of Zagon, what do you think, Alastor?¡±


    ¡°I share master Loo¡¯s opinion in this. But we also need to take precaution in case this is some kind of elaborated trap. I say we go there and meet with this lady Eris.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Alright, the man has spoken. Then let us hurry! Commander Luvik, please bring your entire army with us! We will finish this once and for all.¡± Zen said.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Thank you for being on my side, earlier!¡± said Loo as he rode his horse along Alastor¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I merely speak out my thoughts. This war can¡¯t last any longer.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°I hope that too. But the path to seek peace is an arduous one, which not many can take.¡±


    ¡°I too agree with that. By the way, earlier something you said about Eris has caught my attention. You said that Eris is the priestess of the sun but she wears a moon circlet instead. Why is that?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°I suppose you don¡¯t know about their history then. In the past, when the priestesses didn¡¯t have that much political like nowadays, they used to spend days confining themselves inside the prayer room with only the two together. And because they couldn¡¯t go outside in these times, the priestess of the sun would wear the headpiece in the image of the moon and the priestess of the moon would wear a sun headpiece so that when they look at each other, they could still venerate their respective teaching. What¡¯s even more interesting is that the two priestesses were often called the Twin Sisters as only chosen twins by the Goddess Elemyr would be allowed to be her priestesses. However, that practice was abolished a century ago when they couldn¡¯t find any twin and had to choose two girls of the same age instead.¡± Loo explained the story behind the priestesses.


    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. So they used to be sisters, people of the same family but now it became two opposite factions fighting for power? That¡¯s quite a twist.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°Ehem, now it¡¯s not the time for exchanging culture and history. Here we are at the borders.¡±

 Chapter 60: Elemyr of Radiant Sun

    Alastor¡¯s POV


    ¡°I heard you want to talk to me. Here I am!¡± Zen, riding on his horse, shouted at the three representatives of the elven group who have been brought out from their cells.


    ¡°My name is Eris, priestess of Solana. I represent the voice of the people of Malatas¡­at least those who are still alive.¡± Going down her horse, the priestess prostrated herself in front of everyone.¡± I ask for your compassion, to lend us your help in this dire moment.¡±


    ¡°Help? You invaded us for no reason and now when we win, you come here and ask us for your help? Have you no shame, woman?¡± the Beast King preached.


    ¡°The war was forced upon us by the mad king Aldol and the court mage Astrea. We have tried to stop him but anyone who spoke against him was silenced quickly. Please believe me when I say that we don¡¯t want this war!


    I can beg for all day but none of that could undone what has happened. The people gathered here are those who were lucky enough to escape during Aldol¡¯s absence at the capital and some join us along the way. I can assure you that none of us means any harm toward you.¡± Eris pled.


    ¡°Am I hearing it right? You are among the leaders of your country. It¡¯s your fault that you let that piece of shit taking over. Not only were we the ones who had to pay for the consequences of your actions, now you have the guts to ask us for help? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± Zen grunted.


    ¡°Please, we have nowhere else to go! Our land has been engulfed by a strange mist that kills anyone who approaches it. We elves no longer have a home to go back to.¡± The Solana priestess sobbed.


    Black mist? They must be referring to miasma. But if what they were saying was true, then how did it happen in the first place? I needed to find out more.


    ¡°Where does it come from?¡± I asked Eris.


    ¡°The smoke came from the direction of the capital. However, when we left yesterday, there wasn¡¯t anything like that. From what our soldiers said, there was some kind of explosion at the palace that released this black cloud which quickly spread to everywhere in an instant. Even now, it continues to spread across the entire land as we speak.


    This is only the representative group that escorts me. However, we have made a large camp not far from here and most of our people should be there, waiting for new from us.¡±


    ¡°Are you the person in charge? Where is the priestess of the moon?¡± asked Loo.


    ¡°I lost contact with her since yesterday after she insisted to stay to get the one left behind out of there. But since then we haven¡¯t heard anything from her. I am afraid that she couldn¡¯t get out of there in time¡­.


    I beg of you! Please help us!¡± the elf woman bowed her head to the floor. Her words seemed to be sincere. Seeing her like this made me a little unconformable.


    She said that miasma was coming from the capital. That was where Elemyr was heading to. Odium must also be there. I could only hope I got there in time.


    ¡°Chief Zen, I need to go for a little while so I will leave the rest to you. Commander Luvik, please send your army to find this elven camp! Take care of them for now until I come back!¡± I instructed.


    ¡°Wait!!! Where are you going now?¡± Zen shouted trying to stop me from walking out. ¡°WAIT!!!¡±


    ¡­..


    Things were worse than I thought it would be. I was only half way to the capital and already I have encountered miasma. If we supposed that it spread evenly in a circular area, then by now the mist would have covered half of Malatas. For something like this to happen at this kind of scale, it could only mean one thing: Odium has used one of those things she told me about, a demon lord¡¯s core.


    As I quickly sprinted through the mist, I stumbled upon several groups who didn¡¯t manage to get out in time and were devoured by it. I could only hope they had a quick death without any suffering. I also spotted several monsters created by Odium on the way but decided to ignore them anyway. Now was not the time to fight them. I needed to get to Galahad as quick as possible. Using beast mode and heightened speed, I transformed into a four legs dark creature that quickly crossed the dense decaying forest, getting to the capital in no time.


    As I came closer to the Jewel of Malatas, I could feel the change in the atmosphere. The miasma was getting thicker and denser. In the city, the air was so foul I could hardly breathe here. So it did originate from the capital like Eris suggested. Even now the cloud was still moving onward, expanding the infected zone. Judging from the flow and the constant flow of miasma pouring out from the castle, that was where it began.


    That priestess said that the other one was left behind. I was afraid that with this thing everywhere, that woman might already be gone a long time ago. Was it foolishness for staying behind to save others? Or was it courage I wondered?


    But even in this desolated place, I could feel the presence of two individuals in that castle. Elemyr? What was even odder was that they had exactly the same mana flow. Using Mana Sense, I could feel the presence of someone thanks to their mana. But in this case, it was like having two copies of the same person. How could it be possible? Even if two persons were at the same level, their mana flow couldn¡¯t never be the same as it was practically unique to each individual. So how come I could feel two of the same mana flow in the castle? And more importantly, if one of them was Elemyr then who was the other? Could it be Odium? But how¡­.


    Staying here asking these questions would not help me achieve anything. I must press on. With my determination confirmed, I continued on my path to the castle through the lifeless streets of Galahad.


    I found myself in front of a crystal gate, a large set of stairs situated further in, heading above to what seemed to be the castle. What awaited me beyond these stairs? I asked myself. I opened the door. All of the suddenly, a violent gale pushed out of the door, almost blowing me away. I knew it. Whatever released the miasma must be right behind this door.


    Walking into the hall, I could sense that the two mana presences were very close now. If not because of this fog, the vision would be much clearer. Still, I could see some kind of light source laying further into this large hallway. This dim warm light, still shining when surrounded by darkness, what was it?


    ¡°Wel¡­.come, demon lord¡­.to my kingdom¡­.*cough cough*. Though I am¡­afraid that¡­it¡¯s not the same¡­as it used to be¡­¡±


    ¡°Elemyr¡­you¡­¡±


    What I found stunned me. The Goddess of the Elves, Elemyr of Radiant Sun, was now cowering inside a luminous barrier next to what seemed to be a body. It wore thin armor with a purple veil attached to the helmet. Its elongated limbs reminded me of Mephisto but the size of the entire body was twice as big. She lied motionless on the ground with shards of a black crystal in her hands.


    ¡°Odium¡­..Did you kill her?¡± I spoke in a monotonous tone as I approached the body.


    ¡°She did it to herself when she shattered that crystal¡­.*heavy breathing* even though I warned her that she would die. But she didn¡¯t care.¡± Elemyr gasped.


    I was too late. For a moment, my mind became blank. She was brought into this world because of me. She died because of me. If only I have paid more attention to her, if only I wasn¡¯t so ignorant, things might have been different. She did all these for me and what did I do for her? Nothing, nothing but repulsion.


    ¡°Alastor, listen to me! The miasma is not meant to be in Astora or anywhere else. Its mere presence will break the barrier between worlds¡­¡±


    I denied her very reason of existence. I might as well have killed her with my own hands, my own daughter, my¡­family.


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Why?¡± I muttered. ¡°Why do you keep going after me?  I already killed two of you and so far I haven¡¯t been given any answer. What does Eden want with me???¡± I shouted.


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t say.¡± But as expected, she would not talk so easily.


    ¡°Then I will make you talk!¡±


    Elemyr seemed to be proficient in light magic. That would make her vulnerable to dark element and very resistant against other elements. However, it seemed that she was confined in that barrier due to the miasma, which greatly restricted her movement. You could call me a cheater but I wouldn¡¯t turn down a chance to interrogate a God, not after everything that happened.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.¡°<Dark Sphere>¡±


    A black orb manifested in my hands, a mass made out of pure dark element, and threw itself at the Goddess. Just before it reached her, the orb was hit by a light arrow and vanished. Elemyr has taken out a great golden bow and a silver string attached to it. As she drew it, another light arrow appeared out of nowhere in her hands, pointing at me.


    ¡°Alastor, we can fight all you want but not here! The miasma must be dealt with before¡­.¡± She said in a pleading voice. But it didn¡¯t interest me.


    ¡°Get rid of it so you can move around more freely? I don¡¯t think so.¡± I spoke.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You are right! I don¡¯t. Because none of you would tell me about your intention. So tell me!!!¡± I shouted loudly. My voice echoed in this darkness. Dozens of black orbs appeared around me as I aimed at Elemyr.


    The moment I shot them at her, the Goddess released her bow and fired the arrow. But I underestimated her. This one wasn¡¯t like the last one at all. After destroying one of the orb, it changed its path and targeted another in light speed and in just under one second, it has destroyed all my Dark Spheres.


    But it seemed that one shot caused her to almost faint. Trapping inside her barrier, Elemyr was breathing heavily. Her hands were trembling, unable to keep the bow straight. This was probably due to her staying inside the miasma for so long. Goddess or not, every living being without Magnus¡¯ protection would end up be swallowed by the miasma. And she was no exception. She claimed to be the Goddess of Radiant Sun and where was she now? Surrounded by darkness, unable to do anything. To be frank, it was rather disappointing to see a once powerful Goddess has fallen in such a state.


    This time, much more black orbs were floating in the air, all aiming at her. With this many, even if most of them would be destroyed by her arrow, which seemed improbable with her current state, it would at least damage her barrier and let the miasma coming in. Unless she gave me what I wanted, I would torture her until she spilled it all out, or until she broke. ¡°Final chance, Elemyr! Tell me!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t! I will not let Fate¡¯ sacrifice going to waste because of you!¡±


    ¡°Then die!¡± I released the orbs.


    Suddenly, a shadow came out of the barrier and stood in front of her. Wielding two shadowy blades, she skillfully waved it around and wiped out all attacks coming for the Goddess. But it wasn¡¯t this person¡¯ skill that shocked me. It was her appearance. The shadow looked exactly like Elemyr, but with dark hair and garb, the opposite of the Goddess. Her beaming golden eyes, shining brightly compared to the rest of her body, were the only thing she shared that were the same with Elemyr¡¯s.


    Remembering the first time I met Elemyr back at the forest where she claimed to be Elemyr of Radiant Sun and the story behind the two priestesses by Loo, it struck me.


    ¡°Now I get it! It all makes sense now. I was wondering why Elemyr, Goddess of the Elves, represented both the aspect of the sun and the moon while when I met you, you only said that you represented the Sun. The two priestesses of Solana and Luna, why did they have to be twins? That¡¯s a weird custom if you ask me but it has been so long that even the elves didn¡¯t remember why they did it.


    So this is the reason why. There are actually two Elemyr, one with the aspect with the sun while the other with the moon. And seeing how you two looked exactly the same in term of appearance, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you are twins. That¡¯s why the ancient elves only picked out twins to be candidates for the priestesses. Because they wanted to mimicked the image of their two Goddesses!¡± I explained.


    ¡°¡­.Clever! I thought no one would remember that nowadays. But it seems that I was wrong. Let me make this formal: I am Luna Elemyr of Dark Moon and this is my twin sister, Solana Elemyr of Radiant Sun!


    Demon lord, you may be able to kill us but I will not tolerate you to torture my sister any longer.¡± Said the shadow.


    This was unexpected. To think that there were two Goddesses for the same position. And contrary to Solana, this woman was of the dark element. Her image kind of gave that of already. But that presented a problem. Miasma was basically darkness in its purest form. If she was a God of darkness, that would explain why she could step out of the barrier, unlike her sister. But then why?


    ¡°If you could go out of the barrier, why didn¡¯t you help your sister to get out of this place?¡± I asked.


    ¡°As much as I wanted to, she insisted to stay her, waiting for you. We may not be able to reseal this much miasma on our own but with your help, we could at least mend the Veil that was broken in this place.¡± Luna spoke.


    ¡°The Veil? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°The Veil is the barrier that separates this world from the others. I can¡¯t tell you why or how it was created but at the very least, I can say this. There is a reason for why it exists and if it¡¯s broken, it¡¯s the duty of anyone in Astora, demon, gods, or anyone else, to repair it.¡±


    ¡°Why? What would happen if the Veil is broken?¡±


    ¡°Worlds will overlap and a bridge will be created. But that¡¯s not the worst of them. The worst thing that could happen is¡­..¡±


    Suddenly, a loud noise disrupted our conversation. The room began to shake heavily. I could hear the sound of something hitting on the wall but everywhere I looked, I could see no such thing. And then I realized, it wasn¡¯t a wall at all.


    A crack opened in the middle of nowhere, as if the air itself was being torn apart. Something was trying to break through that crack. With a final tremor and space being shattered like glass, the thing finally showed itself.


    A giant floating sphere passed through that hole and scanned through the hall curiously with its gigantic eye. It looked just like an eyeball with spike on its back. And it wasn¡¯t alone. A large humanoid creature was also trying to cross the hole but its body was too large to enter through it. Both enigmatic creatures had only white and black stripes that constantly moved like a wave from one end to another.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± I uttered, dismayed by what I was seeing.


    ¡°An Augur and a Harvester? They are already here!!!¡± I could hear Luna speaking in disbelief as she watched these two mysterious creatures.


    All of the sudden, the eye turned toward me.


    ¡°Alastor, watch out! Don¡¯t look into it!¡± Solana shouted at me with all her feeble strength.


    For an instant, my carelessness got ahead of me. The moment I looked into that creature¡¯s eye, I was left paralyzed. As the eye came closer to me, keeping its sight on me, I could hear these whispering sound on the background. It became louder and louder, driving me insane.


    ¡°DIE!!!¡± Unexpectedly, Luna threw herself at it from behind and plunged both her swords into it. If it had a mouth, it would scream in pain but since the only thing this thing had was an eye, the creature died in silence, with its eye opened greatly because of the surprise attack. As its body fell down, the creature vanished into a luminous dust, leaving no trace behind.


    ¡°Why did you save me? I thought we were enemies.¡± The moment my body was released from the eye¡¯ stare, I asked her.


    ¡°¡­..¡± she didn¡¯t give me an answer, only averting her eyes away from with a painful expression. What did it mean?


    ¡°AAAAAAAA¡±


    The scream came from behind Luna. Realizing what it meant, the moon goddess quickly turned back. The giant creature which couldn¡¯t come out of the rift, its arm has passed through. Reaching toward Solana¡¯s barrier, it melted into a black and white liquid mixture and engulfed the Goddess of the Sun inside it.


    ¡°SISTER!!!¡± Luna screamed as she ran toward her sister.


    However, seemingly driven by an endless hunger, devouring a Goddess wasn¡¯t enough for it. Reaching its second arm through the crack, its fingers transformed into tentacles, catching both me and Luna off guard. Then it pulled us back to it, beyond the dimensional crack as the rift closed itself.


    ¡°DAMN IT!¡±


    ¡­..

 Chapter 61: A strange new world

    Author''s note: Like the title said, we have something completely new here. I am still wondering whether I should make a short arc or a longer one with this idea so tell me what you guys think about this :)


    #########################################################################################################


    Location: ??? Time: ???


    Inside an underground facility, a person was sitting in front of a series of flashing glass screens. Even though nothing was behind this wall nor it was magic, the screens showed many different things. Some were sceneries of what seemed to be a futuristic city with people in strange clothing, metallic machines that could move by themselves without any horse and there were people inside them. Other screens showed undulating graphs which went up and down without really knowing what it was. Even the room itself contained bizarre items. On the table was a small rectangular object which somehow was able to produce a song. The image of an apple being half bitten was on the back of this object. Furthermore, in front of these glass screens was a black gadget adorned with many small buttons, each either had a letter or some kind of symbol. There was even a very long button with nothing imprinted on it in the bottom of this gadget. What could this long space button do?


    The only door of this room opened and a person, holding two transparent elastic cups containing a brownish liquid, entered.


    ¡°Apologies for making you waiting, sir! I didn¡¯t expect the queue to be that long.¡± The woman who just entered handed over one of the cups to the man sitting on the chair.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. At this time of the day, everyone just rushes into Starbucks like bees¡­..wait a minute¡­.this is a frappuccino caramel coffee! I thought I asked you for an iced latte?¡± the man said angrily. Having short white hair, the hair on the sides and back was tapered down to the hairline. The hair on top was clipped from the vertex toward the front. A large scar trailed down from his forehead across his left eye down to his chin. This injury seemed to have left the man blind on one side with his pupil fully discolored. Wearing a grey uniform, the man gave off the air of a military veteran who has seen more deaths than he could count. And indeed, he did.


    ¡°But it¡¯s practically the same thing. It¡¯s cold coffee.¡± The woman said.


    ¡°IT¡¯S NOT THE SAME!!!¡±


    ¡°Hiiiiii, do you want me to go buy another one?¡± the woman shrieked.


    ¡°¡­No need! It¡¯s already time for your shift!¡± he grunted.


    ¡°But it has been calm for weeks now. Nothing will happen just because I am not here for fifteen minutes.¡± She persisted.


    ¡°You idiot! The security of our city, even the world, relies on our hands. Just because you are a rookie doesn¡¯t mean that you are allowed to make such a basic mistake. We never know what will happen¡­.¡±


    ¡°WARNING WARNING! Anomaly detected in district E! Target¡¯s power: 5000 units! Danger Level: S! Requesting intervention immediately! WARNING WARNING!¡± a mechanical voice spoke with the sound of siren perpetuating in the background, accompanied with a red beacon rotating on the wall.


    Immediately, the man pressed on a red button on the desk and spoke to a black object.


    ¡°This is admiral Kennedy from sector 2. We have detected an anomaly in district E. Requesting sentries and special agents to go on site! The threat level is S. Please advise caution! I repeat: the threat level is S. Emergency evacuation of the population in the affected area is to be done as soon as possible!¡±


    ¡°An S level danger? How? We haven¡¯t got one at that kind of level for years!¡± the woman uttered in disbelief.


    After giving the announcement to the machine, the man turned to the dismayed woman. ¡°Agent Fiora, you stay here! In case of any further anomalies or change, report back to me!¡± he took his long coat and headed to the door.


    ¡°Where are you going sir?¡±


    ¡°To protect my city!¡±


    * * *


    Meanwhile on the ground, just a few moments ago


    Two men, one black skin and the other white, wearing a blue uniform and a hat with star adorner to it, were patrolling in the peaceful streets of district E inside a metal machine colored in blue and white with a red and blue lamps on top of the vehicle.


    ¡°Things are so boring these days! Where have all the criminals gone?¡± the black man said as he chocked down a donut with one hand while the other held onto some kind of wheel. This wheel seemed to be controlling the direction of this metal machine they were in as each time he turned it, the thing changed its direction.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that! It¡¯s good that we are out of job! I mean if we police are busy, then that means the city is turning to shit, which is definitely not the case here and not something I would want! And we still have our salary, by doing absolutely nothing. Seems good to me.¡± The white man said.


    ¡°But I joined the force to catch the bad guys, man. Like really bad guys, not some small fries drug dealers and burglars.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Then you came to the wrong place, man. Our city has been peaceful for years. Nothing is going to happen¡­.¡±


    All of the sudden, a loud siren echoed throughout the entire district E with an alarming message, one that hasn¡¯t been heard for long.


    ¡°Attention, please! Attention, please! There has been an emergency reported in the area. Please proceed to the closest exit of the district and follow the instructions of the law reinforcements unit! This is not a drill! I repeat¡­..¡± an automatic voice came from a metal horn attached to a pole spoke loudly.


    ¡°What the hell¡­..?¡± the white man uttered.


    ¡°Did you hear that? Finally, some action! Let¡¯s go!¡± the machine accelerated as he drove through the confused populace.


    ¡°Wait a minute, we don¡¯t know what is happening. Shouldn¡¯t it be more advisable to contact HQ first?¡±


    ¡°Screw the HQ! I Ain¡¯t nobody has time for that shit.¡±


    ¡­..


    Arriving at the scene, the two police officers walked out of their moving machine and started to look around for clues. The streets were decorated with stone tiles, two lightly elevated parts on both side of the streets while what seemed to be the road in between was very smooth and of a dark color. The once lively streets of the district E were now void of people. They must have evacuated the moment the emergency message was broadcasted. Yet, how could they do so quickly? These must have been done by the authority responsible of the city but their reaction to the crisis appeared to be so swift, to the borderlines of being suspicious. Even the message was very general without pr¨¦cising what kind of threat they were facing. Was it intentional? So that they could avoid a panic among the populace? Could it be that they were acclimated with this kind of situation? Either way, our two police officers didn¡¯t heed to the warning even though they have been warned by a private broadcast directly to their vehicle to avoid coming inside the quarantine zone. Just what was happening?


    ¡°So¡­where is it? Or rather, what are we looking for here?¡± asked the black man.


    ¡°Now you ask me? You drove us all the way here without even know what we are looking for¡­¡± grunted the white man.


    ¡°I am telling you: something big is going on here. Ever since I have taken this job, there are a few times I heard that kind of message being broadcasted but each time the chief forbad me to go investigate. Something is definitely suspicious, probably some kind of cover up. But what exactly? Hum hum¡­my investigator¡¯s antenna is tinkling.¡±


    ¡°Investigation¡¯s antenna? What the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like my sixth sense. Hum hum¡­.yeah definitely something is fishy here. I could smell it from here¡­..the smell of criminal, something evil is lurking around.¡± The black guy began to sniff everywhere.


    ¡°For Christ¡¯ sake, now it¡¯s not the time for joke¡­¡± suddenly the white man spotted something floating in the middle of the street. It looked like some kind of hole in the middle of nowhere. ¡°Hey what is that?¡±


    And then it appeared. A giant humanoid creature with a monochromatic skin moving like a wave torn the hole apart and walked out of it. With its entire body free, it gave out a thundering roar that broke all the glasses around instantly.


    ¡°MONSTER!!!!¡± the white man shot.


    ¡°SHOOT IT!¡± the black man took out a strange weapon from his belt and pointed it at the beast. By pressing on the weapon with his index finger, several small bullets shot out of the weapon but it didn¡¯t do anything to the monster, aside from being absorbed into its melting flesh. ¡°My gun didn¡¯t do anything to it.¡±


    The white man quickly ran back to his vehicle and took out this time a much larger weapon sharing a similar contraption with the small one. ¡°Say hello to my little friend, Mr.Shotgunny!¡±


    BAM BAM BAM


    Compared to the ¡®gun¡¯ the black man was holding, this weapon ¡®Shotgunny¡¯ was much more powerful as each shot fired a stream of small bullets that would shred everything. Certainly against anyone, it would be fatal to receive such a shot. However just like the other one, it was completely useless.


    ¡°Our guns don¡¯t work against it at all¡­.¡± The white man uttered.


    ¡°Should we run?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can outrun him¡­..¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Mark, I will distract it so run when I give the signal.¡± Said the black man.


    ¡°What? Are you crazy, Scott? You will get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°We have been friends for a long time. All those years you helped me, I will repay it with my life¡± Scott spoke majestically like a hero.


    ¡°But we only met a couple of months ago¡­.¡± But Mark¡¯s remark was ignored.


    ¡°Tell my family that I love them!¡±


    ¡°You are not even married!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, Mark! Just let me say these cool lines before I die!¡±


    This almost seemingly ¡®heartwarming¡¯ scene was disrupted as a ball of flame was fired at the monster, making it shrieking in anger. That didn¡¯t do much damage to it but it surely as hell pissed him of.


    The two police officers didn¡¯t even understand where the fireball came from. That was before three persons wearing grey long coat jumped down and landed before them. It appeared that they jumped from a building a hundred foot high. Yet their landing was as smooth as a feather as moment before they reached the ground, their speed slowed down and let them jumped off easily without any harm.


    ¡°This is agent Jora calling HQ. We have located the anomaly in district E. However, there are two noncombatant police officers also present at the scene. Please advise course of action!.......Yes I understand! My apologies but you will have to sleep now!¡±


    Without warning, the small woman Jora snapped her fingers and the two cops fell to the ground instantly, as if they have fallen unconscious. She then raised her hands and an invisible force lifted the two and transported them to outside of the district. Whatever she did, it wasn¡¯t magic as there was no mana involving here. So what kind of power was that?


    ¡°You are getting soft, Jora! Should have left them to die there.¡± The tall man in grey cloak, wearing dark sunglasses, spoke.


    ¡°¡­..¡± but the woman didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not forget the guy right in front of us!¡± said the big muscular man, also wearing a grey cloak that seemed too tight for him.


    ¡°Be careful! S-rank Monochromes are the strongest rank ever recorded. Last time one appeared, it has ravaged an entire city together with one of our main HQs. It must be stopped!¡± Jora, having long white hair that reached past her shoulder, said in a vengeful tone.


    ¡°No worry! That¡¯s what we Greymen are here for! Isn¡¯t that right, Edmur?¡± the large man said to the tall one.


    ¡°Very well then! Jora, Pat, let¡¯s get this party started¡±


    * * *


    Back to the underground room filled the glass screens, Fiora was nervous and dissatisfied with herself. This would be her first time to ever participate in a mission involving an anomaly, yet what was she doing? Cramping herself inside this forsaken dark room. She wanted to go out there and fought those creatures. Else how could she ever hope to leave behind her rookie status? But going out there would mean defying Kennedy¡¯s orders and that could mean losing her job.


    As the girl wondered about whether she should go out there or not, a second series of alarm appeared on the screen.


    ¡°WARNING WARNING! A new anomaly has been detected in district C. Target¡¯s power¡­..measuring¡­..measuring¡­..Threat Level: ¡­¡­.unknown. CRITICAL ERROR. The system cannot measure the target¡¯s power!¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean you can¡¯t?¡± shouted Fiora at the screen.


    ¡°The measuring system was based on doctor Vincent¡¯ empiric scale, proposed in 2043 and has been used in all our current database since then without ever encountering an error. However, the target¡¯s power this time has exceeded the unthinkable level that we thought unreachable. Therefore, the system cannot give an exact answer.¡± The mechanical voice responded in a monotonous tone.


    ¡°Then give me an estimate!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over nine thousand.¡±


    ¡°What? How could this be possible? We have never recorded anything beyond the limit of nine thousand. I must inform Kennedy.¡± Fiora spoke to herself.


    ¡°¡­..Why doesn¡¯t the phone work? Now out of all time!!!¡± The girl shouted, throwing the gadget to the wall and broke it for good.


    The only available agents were already sent to deal with the creature at district E and Kennedy was also on his way there. She could try to call the HQ for reinforcement but that machine didn¡¯t work apparently so she was by herself. She must go to district C.


    Running out of the room, Fiora walked into a small containment that transported her directly to the overground. Storming out of the building, she entered a metal vehicle like the one the two officers were driving but hers was a pure black one and the interior seemed much fancier. Taking her hands on the wheel, her vehicle retracted its outside four wheels and floated above the ground before taking flight toward district C.


    * * *


    Beyond the rift, a moment ago


    ¡°Let me go, you piece of shit!¡±


    Alastor was currently inside an unknown space. He appeared to be in some kind of tunnel, moving at incredible speed together with the beast and the two Goddesses. The tunnel was of a monochrome color just like the beast and at the end of it, there was a bright light. The boy decided to transform into beast mode and used his sharp claws to cut off the tentacles binding him. At the same time, Luna has also used her blades to free herself. However, she was in an unstable state. Her sister, Solana, has just been devoured by the beast and was now incorporated into its body.


    Right now, the two, despite being freed from its tentacles, were still hanging onto the beast¡¯s body as they knew nothing what could happen if they fell out. Especially now that they were in an unknown location and this beast could be their only ticket to get out of here.


    Because the creature was still in the phase of incorporating Solana into its body, it had very few ways to defend itself against these two intruders. Once they got out of this tunnel into another space with it, it knew that they would not let it go that easily. And so there was only one option left for it to survive.


    As if realizing their intention, the creature began to rotate and shook its body violently. The outer shell transformed into a slippery liquid that made both Alastor and Luna unable to hold onto it any longer. And off they went outside the tunnel.


    * * *


    Blinded earlier by the light of the tunnel, Alastor finally was able to open his eyes. He was lying down a solid surface, some kind of rock but the surface was much smoother for a rock. And there were screams around him. As he tried to stand up by pushing his hand on something metal beside him, there was a siren sound going off from it. He has activated some kind of alarm system from the vehicle simply by putting too much force into it. That was because he was still in beast mode.


    But alas, that alarm was the least of his problems.


    Alastor stood in dismay, unable to grasp his surroundings. The landscape around him looked like some kind of city and he was in the middle of a street but they looked so outlandish. There were buildings with only glass wall as tall as the sky. Metallic things that ran around and emitted a beep sound just before they entered contact with each other. There were even people inside who appeared to be controlling these metallic vehicles. The people, all shocked as they looked at him for some reasons, were wearing strange clothes that Alastor has never seen before.


    ¡°Where the hell am I?¡±


    Suddenly a voice from behind shouted at him.


    ¡°FREEZE! Put your hands on the back of your head or I will shoot!¡± a man that wore a uniform like Mark and Scott was holding the weapon called ¡®gun¡¯ and pointing it at Alastor.


    ¡°Hum¡­¡­¡± But before Alastor could say a word, the police officer has pulled his trigger.


    ¡°Ouch¡­..the hell is this shit? Kind of hurt but not that big of a deal¡­..¡± the bullet has entered Alastor¡¯ dark beastly skin but cannot went any further. This flesh wound was already healing and pushed the bullet out of his body. Alastor crouched down and picked the tiny bullet up and analyzed it. ¡°What an interesting weapon! If I was a normal person, I would have probably died.¡±


    ¡°Mon¡­Monster!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAA¡± the police officer, too scared by what he has seen, threw away his weapon and ran as fast as he could. And with him, everyone around began to panic and started running away too.


    ¡°Is this how people greets each other at this place? Shooting them with this weird weapon and running around, screaming like an idiot? What an interesting culture!¡± Alastor muttered in an inhuman voice as he observed the gun left by the police officer.


    ¡°Drop your weapon, monster!¡±


    This time, it was a woman¡¯s voice. But unlike the cop, she was wearing a long grey coat that covered all her body. With long brown hair trailing on one side, the girl wasn¡¯t holding anything in her hand and yet she still seemed to be confident facing a monster holding a gun.

 Chapter 62: Esper

    Fiora, the new rookie Greyman, was now facing the strongest monster ever recorded in the history of their agency. With a power level exceeding the maximum limit of nine thousands, far beyond the capability of any scaling system, it would seem foolish of her to go confront it alone without any help from her comrades. Even though it was unsure they would be of any help. A five thousand power unit would be categorized as an S-rank monster, with the potential damage skyrocketing up to the destruction of a city and would require a minimum of at least five veterans Greymen. The problem was the organisation didn¡¯t have many Greymen in the first place.


    Greymen were individuals who had developed psychic power through a natural or in some case, artificial mutation of their DNA, turning them into Espers. However, they were incredibly rare with the proportion of finding one in ten millions. Furthermore, not every Esper could control their power properly and could become consumed by it. In that case, their mind would not be able to handle the overload of information coming to their brain and would die as a result. Usually, only one out of five Espers would survive this process, further decreasing their number.


    As part of this small minority, Fiora herself was an Esper and was chosen as a Greyman. But there was a reason why she has stayed as an ¡®office worker¡¯ for the last three years, being confined to do odd jobs by Kennedy. Her ability simply wasn¡¯t very battle-orientated, or rather, it has not yet developed into one yet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± the woman shouted at Alastor.


    ¡°And what if I do?¡± the monster said in a ghastly voice.


    ¡°What? A talking monster? What are you?¡± Fiora has just realized something. Unlike the usual creatures she has seen, this one didn¡¯t have a monochrome skin like the others. Instead, it was a pure dark skin with some parts that looked like stone while others like some kind of black smoke emitting from it. This creature was not a Monochrome, or at least not like any type that has been observed.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you say who? Is courtesy not a thing in this place? If you want to ask for someone else¡¯s name, then the first thing to do is to give them yours.¡± At this point, Alastor has realized that he wasn¡¯t in the same world as Astora. Else how would he explain the strange landscape around him? He remembered that the two Goddesses have said something about how miasma could break the barrier between worlds. That would mean that he was now currently in another world, completely separate from Astora in term of time and space, a parallel universe. ¡®What a situation I found myself into!¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Name? You are a monster. How come you have a name? Don¡¯t try to deceive me! That won¡¯t work, not against me.¡±


    ¡°Monster? Me? ¡­..oh right I am in beast mode. That¡¯s why you think I am one. Then how about this form? Does this suit you better?¡± Alastor changed back to his human form, a small white haired kid with a crimson eye and an azure one for the other.


    ¡°A kid? ¡­.No! I still don¡¯t trust you. You could try to mimic our appearance just so you can lower my guard.¡±


    ¡°You seriously have some trust issues here, do you? But I suppose I would do the same in your place. Then how can I prove that I have no intention of harming you or anyone here?¡± asked Alastor. If this was a new world, then it would be advisable to not incite any unnecessary conflict the moment he got here. Until he gathered more information about this world, he should stay on their good side. And if he could convince one to be his guide, that may help him in his quest and even find the way to go back to his own world.


    ¡°Let me touch you!¡± said Fiora.


    ¡°¡­..Do you like touching kids, lady? I mean I don¡¯t mind but I already have someone so¡­..¡± Alastor enunciated.


    ¡°What? Nooo! I want to check the authenticity when you say that you don¡¯t mean us any harm. I admit that you are different from the monsters I have seen but I still need to take precaution.¡± Fiora affirmed. It was her first time seeing something that came out of the rift and could actually talk. That alone has made her curious about Alastor¡¯s identity but she needed to confirm that he wasn¡¯t deceiving her. And she had the ability just for that.


    ¡°All right then¡­.here!¡± Alastor extended his hand to Fiora.


    Slowly coming closer to him, she took off her gloves and gently grasped his hand. ¡°<Mind Scan>¡±. Fiora¡¯s talent was Telepathy, the ability to read the mind of the people around her. Just by a simply touch, she could determinate if the person was lying and even looking through their memory. Of course her full potential has yet to be discovered yet but for now, mind reading was one of the few things she could do. But scanning Alastor¡¯s memories right now could take too much time and without the proper restriction, the person might go berserk on her so Fiora only wanted to confirm the fact that he was telling her the truth.


    ¡°¡­Ok, you seem to be telling the truth. I will trust you¡­.for now. My name is Fiora, a Greyman. A pleasure to meet you!¡± Fiora presented herself.


    ¡®A mind reading ability without using mana? Interesting!¡¯ he thought. ¡°I am Alastor, Devourer of Gods, Prince of Zagon and perhaps Demon Lord, though I am not very sure about that.¡± The boy presented himself.


    ¡°What? Demon Lord? Devourer of Gods?¡± Fiora was confused by the terms. Was the boy trying to make a joke? But her instinct and her power was telling her that he wasn¡¯t lying. Still she had no idea of what he was talking about.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pay much attention to it! You ask me to be honest so I am. In return, I would ask you to be the same to be.¡± Alastor casually said.


    ¡°So what are you doing here, Alastor?¡± asked Fiora.


    ¡°Beat me. I am dragged into this world by a monster and the next thing I know, I am already here. What is this place?¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°You are currently in district C of Europia, the largest city of Europe. You said that you were dragged into this world by a monster. Does that mean you come from another world?¡±


    ¡°Probably since I don¡¯t recognize anything around here. You have all these weird machines running around and even this thing that shoots people, which don¡¯t exist in my world.¡± He explained.


    ¡°I see. Either way, you should come with me. I can¡¯t let you wander around like this.¡± The woman directed.


    ¡°Hold on a minute! We might be cool and all but I still need to find this monster so I can get back to my world.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°What does this monster look like?¡±


    ¡°A large humanoid creature coloured in black and white.¡±


    ¡°Then I know just where to find one! Come with me and I will lead you to it! I promise I will help you getting home but for now, please follow me!¡±


    ¡°I hope you are not lying to me. I don¡¯t like being lied to.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°Believe me, I am not that much of an idiot to trick you at this point!¡± Based on the data which the machine has provided, Fiora knew that Alastor was not just a simple kid. And judging from his transformation earlier, he wasn¡¯t even human, at the very least not a normal one. He also claimed to have come from another world, an outrageous allegation which she would not believe if she has not seen it first-hand that he came from the rift. Either way, this boy was an unknown factor and Fiora must keep him around her for further investigation.


    * * *


    Jora lifted her thin arms and directed all the surroundings metallic vehicles diving into the monster. Her talent was Telekinesis, the ability to move objects with just her mind. Upon contact with the monster, they blew up and created a series of explosion engulfing the whole thing. However, as the smoke parted away, it revealed that the monster was practically unharmed. How could it be? Did she miss? Or perhaps the monster¡¯s defensive capabilities were just too strong? Neither of those. Simply because it did hit but the behemoth could regenerate much quicker than the actual damages done to it, making it seemingly invincible.


    But throwing things wasn¡¯t the only thing she could do. No, telekinesis was much more than that. To move an object was a very vague statement. To move an object, telekinesis Esper must be able to control the particles of that object and induced the force into those particles to create the movement. The more particles the person could control, the more precise and complex movement the object could do but that demanded more skills and a perfect manoeuvre. But what if a telekinesis user could push half the particles into one direction while the other half into the opposite? That object would be either crushed or torn apart by its very specks because of the opposed forces.


    Focusing her sight onto the beast¡¯s arm, Jora clasped her hands together. At the same time, the limb was compressed by the invisible force of her mind before she separated her hands away, tearing it from the monster.


    But Jora wasn¡¯t the only person doing the work. Edmur, the tall man in grey cloak, fixed his sunglasses and all of the sudden, his hands were set on fire. Pyrokinesis, the ability to control fire, was his talent. The fire didn¡¯t just come out of nowhere. It was the result of the friction of floating particles in the air that created a spark before resulting in a chain reaction. This ability also turned his body to an ember-like state with burning hot vein on his skin and made him immune to all kind of fire damage.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°<Combustion>¡±


    Fire busted out from inside the creature¡¯s body as it panicked and tried to subjugate the fire, to no avail. Without letting it get a moment of rest, Edmur fired a constant blazing beam of pure heat energy at the creature, piercing it together with a few buildings behind it.


    ¡°Now, Pat!¡± Edmur shouted.


    A flash passed by Edmur with imperceptible speed and slammed against one of the beast¡¯s legs. The impact was so sudden and weighty, causing the giant as tall as a three story-house to plummet to the ground.


    Acceleration, the talent that allowed oneself to move at light speed from one point to another, belonged to Pat, the large man in a suit that seemed almost too tight for him, with his muscles showing through his cloak on the verge of bursting out. By being able to control his speed at will, combined with his body mass, Pat became an unstoppable force. The faster he went, the more powerful the impact. However, manipulating this power was very difficult. Knowing that all body exerting a force would receive an equivalent force, under normal circumstances, Pat would be dead by such an impact. That led us to his second ability, Body Strengthening. Only a few Espers were able to wield multiple talents at once and Pat was among them. It gave him a temporary boost in his strength and hardened his muscles beyond the human limits, to the point it would negate the side effects from the counter-force he received from Acceleration, creating a wonderful synergy.


    With such a trio and the monster eating dirt, the fight seemed to be over.


    ¡°¡­Persistent freak¡­¡± Jora muttered as she watched the monstrosity beginning to stand one, his leg completely healed. But the amputated arm she cut off earlier didn¡¯t. All of the sudden, a shiver went through her spines as she realized that the hand which fell off was gone. And her realization came too late. A shadow appeared above her. It was the hand of the monster. While the three were distracted by the main body, the hand has relocated itself on a roof using its fingers to move around, waiting for the chance to jump on an unsuspected victim.


    If there was one thing a Greyman always carried around with them when they were on a mission, it was a way to kill themselves. Being the front liners who had to deal with the threat of the Monochromes, they were aware of the danger and the fate that awaited them if they were to fail. The Monochrome had the ability to consume its victim and assimilated their body into them. This granted these abnormalities the power of their preys, allowing them to constantly evolving into even more dangerous threats. And that was not even the worst thing. The victims, during this time, would still be conscious, unable to do anything but watching the beast killing their comrades using their own power as they were being devoured alive. But the Monochromes, for some reasons, would never touch a dead body. That was why if a Greyman ever found themselves in such a situation, they would commit suicide to avoid that fate.


    Jora was no exception. For the last five years ever since she was on the field, she would always carry around a small needle containing a potent toxin capable of killing her or anyone in just a second. Everything was ready. Keeping it in her wrist at all time, all she needed to do was to press on it to release the substance into her body. No pain, no suffering, one second and it would be all over. Yet, now facing death itself, Jora was hesitating. The fear of death has taken over her. Why was that?


    For someone to take this kind of job, you would expect them to always be ready for death. That was what they were facing everyday: death. But it was human nature to cling onto hope, no matter how delusional it may seem. Perhaps they were different. Perhaps that terrible fate they heard so much about would not happen to them. Perhaps it was all a lie and they could still find a way out of this. Such were the thoughts of Jora at this moment, and many others before her. In case you wondered what happened to those who thought that, they ended up in the belly of the beast.


    But that didn¡¯t happen to Jora. A second earlier, she was flying next to a nearby building where she was ambushed by that hand. However, the next second she opened her eyes, Jora found herself on the ground, in front of a man in a grey military uniform.


    ¡°Wh¡­What?¡± Jora uttered, confused by what happened.


    ¡°That was close. I barely make it in time.¡± The man said. Despite his large scar on his face, he gave off a gentle smile at the crouching woman who was paralyzed by fear, unable to stand up.


    ¡°Kennedy? What are you doing here?¡± Edmur, turning himself into fire, flew himself and landed next to Jora. He didn¡¯t expect to see the admiral here at all. Last time he heard, Kennedy was forced to retire from the field by the higher ups and ended up with an office job.


    ¡°This old timer isn¡¯t done just yet. Or do you really expect me to sit in a hole watching my students to jump into danger like the idiots they are?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Old man¡­you haven¡¯t changed a bit.¡± Pat said.


    ¡°And you, on the other hand, have grown so much. But let¡¯s not let this touching reunion makes us forget about the uninvited guest over there. Can you stand, Jora?¡± Kennedy extended his hand to her.


    ¡°Yes¡­teacher!¡± finally regained her composure, Jora grabbed his arm and stood up, facing the monster.


    * * *


    ¡°What does this button do? *pressed*¡±


    ¡°Good morning, brothers and sisters! God has truly blessed us with another beautiful day. Before we begin our daily sermon, let me remind you that all donations can be made by calling this number 08-XXXX-XXXX. You can donate any number you like but remember: the more you give, the more God will reward you. For the tops donors, you will also receive in addition a bottle of holy water exclusive to our church. Hallelujah! pressed* ¡±


    ¡°Today is the release of ¡®Star Wars XX: Mickey strikes back!¡¯. This is the latest episode of the franchise and according to IGN, this is going the movie of the year. A direct sequel that fans have been waiting for two years after the last episode ended with a major cliff hanger where Mickey has turned to the dark side as a result of his best friend Donald¡¯s betrayal, and became Darth Mousy. What will he do now that he has become a Sith? Will he take control of the Death Star and use it to take revenge against Donald and the council of Disney? Or will he ally himself with the rogue Sith, Darth Goofy? Available at your local cinema right now! *pressed* ¡°


    ¡°Wow, this is like a crystal ball but with much more interesting things to watch.  And the flatness makes it much easier for the eyes. Why hasn¡¯t anyone back home thought of this?¡± Alastor said with excitement, pointing at the flat screen in the car.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a television. There are more like a thousand channels that allow you to watch practically everything around the world nowadays. They also have the 3D-screen thing but that¡¯s too expensive for me.¡± Said Fiora.


    ¡°I have no idea of what you are talking about but it sounds amazing.¡±


    ¡°So what is your world like?¡± asked Fiora. After their short exchange earlier, she believed that Alastor came from a world that was not very advanced in term of technology. Some sort of medieval world was what she had in mind.


    ¡°¡­A cruel world with Gods and demons killing each other, where the strong dominates the weak. That¡¯s about the gist of it.¡± Alastor spoke in a detached voice.


    Realizing that perhaps she shouldn¡¯t push further based on his voice, Fiora tried to change the subject but instead she hit another landmine. ¡°What about family?¡±


    Alastor watched the world outside through the glass window with distant eyes, as if he was not really there. His mind overflew with his memories of Astora. For most of them, he wanted to forget, to stash them up into the depths of his consciousness, never to be seen again. That was not to say that his life was full of unhappy memories. His childhood, although uneventful, was peaceful and tranquil. At that time, he didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. He could just keep on living day by day. But it all ended with Morgan¡¯s death. Fortunately, now he had Ikarus, Morrigan and Alice as his family and other people he was close too like Maria. But what if he never met them? What would he end up as if they never entered his life?


    Sometimes he just wanted to leave everything behind and went live with them somewhere cut off from the rest of the world. He just wanted to be left alone with his family. Was that something too much to ask? Yet troubles kept finding a way to come to him. And that attitude of uncaring has led Odium to her demise. The price for this lesson cost him a daughter, a harsh price, and unlike anything else, he couldn¡¯t just let it fade away or else it would be meaningless. Alastor didn¡¯t do anything for her when she was alive. But her death would forever stay in his mind. He must change, even if he must force himself to.


    ¡°Alastor..?¡±


    ¡°Ah..sorry. I kind of lost myself there. You were saying?¡±


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it!¡±

 Chapter 63: Traveller

    Teleportation was the ability to move from one location to another. At least, that was the definition commonly known for the word. In Astora, teleportation was often used to refer to portal devices and spells like the Gate or the portal created by Amelia. However, strictly speaking, it was an abuse of the term as these devices only created a small crack in space, allowing oneself to shorten the distance between two locations.


    All objects, no matter how small or big, no matter what shape or material it was made of, had a mass and mass could not disappear into nothingness. Rather they could only transform into another state, which in some case were invisible to the naked eyes, leading it to be believed as ¡®disappear¡¯.


    Teleportation was the same. It could not just make something disappear and make it appear elsewhere just like that. So scientifically speaking, did teleportation exist? If not, was it even possible? The answer might lie in the hands of the man named Kennedy. His talent, ¡®Teleportation¡¯ as he called it, however was very different from the commonly known form of teleportation. Instead of focusing on just the object he wanted to teleport, Kennedy must also perceive its destination, meaning he must have it in his sight. Then he could do the ¡®teleportation¡¯: by having two objects of the same mass, Kennedy could switch their location. Just like when before Jora was caught by the hand of the monster, the man was able to exchange her with a block of bricks, saving her from certain death.


    But Kennedy didn¡¯t just rely on his power to do the work. He also used a sniping rifle combined with knife for closing assault. Possessing a military veteran background, he was also a master in close combat and strategic warfare, making him an extremely valuable ally to have among the Greymen.


    ¡°Twelve o¡¯clock incoming!¡± shouted Kennedy.


    Immediately, the group jumped to the side, evading a flying truck diving toward them. It has been half an hour since they tried to deal with the Monochrome but the problem still lied in its regeneration capability. Burning, crushing, smashing, cutting, none of those worked. And they were all exhausted. Using their power for that long has imposed a great burden on their brain. Further use could prove critical and even endangered their lives.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* We can¡¯t kill it.¡± Pat gulped.


    ¡°We must retreat, old man!¡± said Edmur.


    ¡°We can¡¯t. We are the only ones capable of stopping it. If we let it go, not just this district but the entire city will be obliterated.¡±


    At that moment, a beep came from the speaking device of Jora.


    ¡°Captain Jora, why is the creature not exterminated yet?¡± a voice asked.


    ¡°The creature has an extremely potent regeneration, making all our weapons useless against him. We need another solution.¡± Jora reported.


    ¡°¡­.Very well then. Retreat back to the outside the district! You have fifteen minutes!¡±


    ¡°What? But then what about the Monochrome? It won¡¯t just sit there and wait for us to come back.¡±


    ¡°No one is coming back for it.  We have decided to nuke the entire district E.¡± the voice announced.


    ¡°Nuke it? What about the radioactive agent? Are you trying to destroy the entire city?¡± Jora shouted.


    ¡°We have set an energy barrier capable of containing all radioactive agents as well as the blast in the district. That won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°But what about the people?¡±


    ¡°According to our report, 85% of the population has been evacuated.¡±


    ¡°And the other 15%? Are you going to just abandon them?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sacrifice must be made for the greater good.¡±


    ¡°You are out of your mind.¡± Jora shouted in anger.


    ¡°I have already informed you of the air strike. Whether you follow your orders or not depends on how much you value your life. I have nothing more to say.


    The countdown starts¡­.now! *beep beep beep*¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Jora smashed the speaker with her hand.


    ¡°What should we do?¡± said Pat.


    ¡°I guess we really don¡¯t have a choice¡­.¡±


    ¡°No! We can still do it. If we kill the monster before the countdown¡¯s end, they would no longer have any reason to nuke this place.¡± Jora spoke loudly.


    ¡°But how do we kill it? That¡¯s what we have been trying to do but nothing works.¡± Pat expressed.


    ¡°Old man, what do you think?¡± asked Edmur.


    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t really¡­.¡±


    BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP


    A loud annoying sound came from afar as the four turned their head to the source: a black flying vehicle driving at full speed, only available for the Greymen. Did the HQ send another Greyman to aid them? But Kennedy thought aside from these four including him, no one else was in the city at the time¡­. Actually there was another.


    Just before it passed the group, two shadows jumped out of the car and landed on the ground. As for the car itself, it continued its path and charged into the monster before exploding in pieces, not that it would do any good but at least it would temporarily disable the creature for a short time.


    ¡°Fiora? I told you to stay at the headquarter!¡± shouted Kennedy.


    ¡°I come to bring help.¡± Fiora said.


    ¡°Help? Who? You?¡±


    ¡°Me and him!¡± she pointed to the small boy by her side. The group turned their attention to this strange boy who was staring at the monster. Why wasn¡¯t he afraid? Anyone would panic by now if they laid eyes on such a monstrosity. Yet he remained calm, too calm for someone his age. The boy didn¡¯t even look at them, as if out of disinterest.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why did you bring a civilian and a kid at that, here out of all places?¡± Jora shouted.


    ¡°But he isn¡¯t just a normal kid. He came from the rift just like the monster. I saw it with my own eyes. The computer also said that his power level is over nine thousand, much more than the maximum limit the system could measure.¡± Fiora explained.


    ¡°Have you ever thought that perhaps that was because it was broken? Use your fucking head!¡± yelled Edmur.


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°We need to bring him out of here. This place is going to get nuked.¡± Pat joined the fray.


    ¡°What?¡± Fiora uttered.


    ¡°No time to explain.¡± Jora put her hand on the boy¡¯ shoulder and crouched down to his level. Perhaps he simply was too afraid and frozen in place because Fiora brought him here without reason. She must calm him down and bring him to safety. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid! We will bring you back to your family.¡±


    ¡°¡­.It¡¯s not him¡­¡± the boy uttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Fiora, this is not the monster I told you about. Mine has four horns of his head. This one only has two and smaller than the other one. It¡¯s not him!¡± the boy spoke loudly.


    ¡°Fiora, what is he talking about?¡± Edmur asked.


    ¡°He was dragged into this world by a monochrome and now he is searching for that one so he could go back to his world. His appearance took place right after this one so I thought maybe this monster was the one he is looking for¡­.But it seems like it¡¯s not.¡± Fiora tried to convince the others that Alastor did come from the rift but no one seemed to believe her.


    ¡°And you believe what he says just like that? He is a kid. He could be imagining the whole thing.¡±


    ¡°No. I already checked with my Telepathy. He is telling the truth.¡±


    ¡° *ROARRRRR*¡± the monster has recovered from the blast and was now moving toward them.


    ¡°Can we leave this for later? Because we have a monster AND a nuke coming out way right now.¡± Edmur spoke loudly.


    ¡° *ROARRRR*¡± the Monochrome shrieked even louder as it began to run toward them.


    ¡°We need to move. NOW!!!!¡± shouted Kennedy.


    ¡°COME NOW, BOY!¡± shouted Jora. She could not drag him away from his position at all. Even though she tried all her strength, he wouldn¡¯t even budge.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Loud¡­.too loud¡± the boy glared at the monster charging toward him. ¡°Annoying little shit! <Black Hole>¡±


    A black orb manifested itself into Alastor¡¯s hand and moved slowly forward until it touched the monster and expanded into a black hole before absorbing the whole thing alive into it. In just a few seconds, nothing was left of the monster.


    ¡°All right, now that things are quieter, you were saying?¡± the boy smiled at them.


    * * *


    Alastor was now standing in front of a tall building reaching up to the sky. The outer wall seemed to be made out of only glass, reflecting the beaming sunlight to its surroundings. The front gate had a large fountain shooting water at a rhythmic pace. An array of pole with each holding a different flag was erected between the fountain and the entrance of the building.


    Just a moment earlier, Alastor was greeted with a flying machine, much bigger than Fiora¡¯s vehicle. A group of men in black walked out with the last one coming out who seemed to be the leader. He had short, lightly spiky black hair and wore a blue neck tie outside his white shirt and black suit. One look at the guy and you would know that he was the uptight kind and probably the smug type.


    ¡°Is this the boy you spoke of?¡± the man spoke to Fiora.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Judging from her attitude, Alastor came to realize that this person was her boss or something similar.


    ¡°I see. Seize him!¡± he ordered the two men behind him. Immediately, Alastor¡¯s hands were put inside a strange futuristic metal box. A stripe of red light trailed across the box, suggesting it was in lock mode.


    ¡°Wait! What are you doing?¡± Fiora, confused by the actions of her supervisor, rushed to Alastor¡¯ side but was stopped by his bodyguards.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Thank you for your work, agent Fiora! We will take care of it from here! Let¡¯s go, people!¡±


    With the boy in their custody, the men in black retreated back to their vehicle and took flight. Meanwhile, Fiora could only stand and watch as Alastor was brought away.


    ¡°I promised him that I would bring him home¡­.¡± She uttered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t beat yourself over this! There is nothing we can do about it.¡± Kennedy tried to console her.


    ¡°But he saved us. He saved District E. And what do we do to thank him? Throw him in a cell?¡± Fiora shouted.


    ¡°The Admins already got hold of him and they have a higher authority than us.¡± Said Edmur.


    ¡°And we are just going to let they do whatever the fuck they want?¡± the girl spoke furiously.


    ¡°¡­She is right. We can¡¯t let they trample on us like this. We are Greymen.¡± Pat said.


    ¡°But what do you propose we do? Storming in their headquarters gun blazing?¡± Edmur proposed sarcastically.


    ¡°No! There is a much better way.¡± Jora said softly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We go see the one person with an even higher authority than the Admins.¡±


    ¡°¡­.You mean???¡±


    ¡°Doctor Vincent!¡±


    ¡­..


    Back to Alastor, the boy has been strangely obedient, unlike his usual self. He simply followed what these men in black were telling him to. At the moment, he found himself in the middle of a large wholly white room. Nothing else was there except for the white chair he was sitting on. At one end of the room, Alastor could see a black rectangular glass wall that prevented him from seeing through, at least with the naked eyes. He also noticed that the people in this world didn¡¯t have mana in their body so the only way to perceive their presences was to use his five senses.


    On the other side of the glass, the man in black from earlier was standing together with two other men wearing a long white coat up to their feet. All of them were observing the boy curiously with fascination.


    ¡°So you are saying that this boy was the one who killed an S-rank Monochrome? Without even breaking a sweat?¡± said one of the men in white.


    ¡°Our video surveillance has confirmed that. From what I have seen, he can create a black hole out of nowhere and control it to his will. I am sure you know what that means.¡± The man in black said.


    ¡°By science!!! He could be the most powerful Esper alive. No¡­in history!!! How come we have never found him before?¡±


    ¡°That I don¡¯t know. Perhaps he has only recently awoken to his power. But if that is the case, then he is even more than that.¡±


    ¡°Truly. To be able to control that kind of ability at such a young age¡­.is simply unthinkable.¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡± a young voice came from the speaker. It appeared that Alastor was finally tired of waiting.


    A short moment later, a door showed itself below the black window where the scientists have been watching from. With the door opened, a figure walked out, wearing a formal suit, and approached Alastor.


    ¡°Greetings! My name is Steven, head of the Admins. I apologize for the ¡®harsh¡¯ treatment you have been going through to get here but protocols are protocols. There is no way around it.¡±


    ¡°Hello! I am Alastor. It¡¯s not a pleasure to meet you! So what happens now?¡± the boy said in an innocent voice.


    Ignoring what Alastor just said, the man continued ¡°¡­¡­.You will stay here, helping us researching the way to counter these terrible monsters coming from the Rift. In return, we will provide you with anything you need. Toys, money, food, you won¡¯t ever have to worry about any of those things for the rest of your life. That¡¯s not a bad deal isn¡¯t it?¡± Steven said.


    ¡°What exactly am I doing here again?¡±


    ¡°Help us fighting evil, of course! You will be just like a superhero like in the movies. But before that, we need to do some tests to make sure that you won¡¯t be hurt out there.¡± Steven, still thinking that Alastor was just a normal boy and therefore susceptible to presents, hero obsession and toys, tried to tempt him. But that kind of thing was too obvious for someone like Alastor.


    ¡°So basically a lab rat. No can do. I already have plans so if you can let me go, I would appreciate it. Fiora has promised me that she would help me go home.¡±


    Suddenly, Steven changed his tone and put his face right up close to Alastor¡¯s ¡°Listen here you little brat! I tried to be nice with you because you are a valuable asset but don¡¯t think for a second that I wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to you! You might have all those powers but these handcuffs are specially made to cancel all Esper power. With it attached to it, you are nothing more than a punk from the street. So behave!¡±


    ¡° *sigh* Why do things always have to be so difficult?¡± Alastor muttered. ¡°Listen here, dickhead! I have also tried to be nice for once because you seem to be Fiora¡¯s boss and since she was nice to me, I would rather not get her in trouble. But my patience is running out. I saved your goddamn city so at the very least, give me something to eat before you fuck me over like you just did! By the way, I would rather fuck somebody instead of being fucked so you can take your toys and shove it up your ass.¡± Alastor fumed. He stood up from his chair, making Steven falling back and tripped to the ground ¡°Oh and these cuffs *clang* TADA POUF it¡¯s gone!!!¡±


    ¡°What? How? Security!!!!¡± Steven, sweating in fear that the beast has been unchained, shouted out loud to the window as he walked back in reverse with his hands to the door. If someone like this boy went on a rampage, it would be the end of everything. As regrettable as it may seem, he must be purged. But despite his shouting, no one answered nor did the alarm system go off. ¡°Why? Are you just letting him kill me here? I am your boss!!!¡±


    ¡°We might just let him do that.¡± A voice spoke gravelly.


    From the door Steven entered through earlier, two figures walked in, or rather one walked in while the other rolled in. An old man sitting on a wheelchair which seemed to be able to move by itself entered the room with a woman by his side. Upon seeing her, Alastor recognized her immediately. It was Fiora. But who was that old man who looked like he has already stepped one feet into the grave? He had a fringe of grey hair around the balding of his head. His age was shown clearly through his wizened face and thin body, mostly bones and skins. Wearing a white coat and a metal monocle attached to a side of his head which hided more functions than just a simple eyewear, he held another metal staff between his hands, which was weird as if he had a wheelchair, why would he need a staff?


    ¡°Dr. Vincent! What are you doing here?¡± uttered Steven.


    ¡°To teach you little rascals the difference between a bacteria and a giant. Because that¡¯s what is happening here. But I already saw how your tiny little brain couldn¡¯t process that information even though you have seen the evidence with your own eyes. Such a disappointment for the head of the Admin department.


    Now get out of my sight! Can¡¯t waste anytime to interact with some half-witted like you!¡± the old man spoke with annoyance. That alone was enough to show who was the real boss around here. Without any other choice but to swallow his exasperation, Steven silently left the room.


    ¡°And you boy, sit down! I have a few questions for you!¡± the old man turned to Alastor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really see the change in attitude here.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°Alastor, please! Doctor Vincent is here to help you. He might not be kind with his words but I can assure you of his intentions.¡± Fiora tried to convince Alastor to be more patient.


    ¡°¡­Alright! I will bite. As long as you help me getting home.¡± Alastor dropped himself on the chair.


    ¡°Fiora told me that you came from the Rift. Is this correct?¡± the old man asked.


    ¡°Yes. I was dragged into the rift by a ¡­¡¯Monochrome¡¯ as you called it in your world.¡± The boy answered.


    ¡°Another world¡­.So you are a Traveller then.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a Traveller?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Someone who is able to cross the barrier between worlds. We call them ¡®Travellers¡¯. This makes you the Third Traveller ever to be recorded in our world.¡±


    ¡°The third? Does that mean there were others before me?¡± Alastor jumped from his chair, surprised by the news.


    ¡°Yes. Although don¡¯t put too much hope in yet. We don¡¯t know if they even come from the same world as yours yet. Which leads me to the next question. What is the name of your planet? Or your world I mean.¡± Vincent asked.


    ¡°We call our world Astora.¡±


    ¡°Astora¡­..Then one final question. I want you to be as honest and as precise as possible. Can you do that?¡± the doctor insisted.


    ¡°Ok. Ask your question?¡±


    ¡°¡­..Does the name Marcus ring a bell? Marcus William!¡± the old man asked the question.


    ¡°¡­..Nah. I have never heard of that name before. Why? Is that someone you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, an acquaintance. But since you don¡¯t know, it¡¯s not important. Now, since you are hungry, I assume a meal is to be in order. Come to my house! We will discuss on how to find a way for you to go home.¡±


    ¡°Wow you are much nicer than the other guy. Alright! I will take you on your offer. I hope you prepared a lot because I am starving.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Eat all you like! Join us, Fiora! It has been a while since you didn¡¯t come home.¡± The old man turned to the woman by his side. ¡°You know ever since she joined the Greymen, she hasn¡¯t come visit me once. Even though she used to spend the whole day in my study, begging me to tell her stories.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t speak of me like that! I am a grown up now! I can take care of myself!¡± Fiora blushed.


    ¡°Alright alright! Let¡¯s not make the boy wait any further!¡±


    As the three walked toward the door, a thought came to the doctor¡¯s mind. A memory of the past.


    ¡°Oh my how could I forget it? Marcus has another alias.¡± The old man hit his fragile head with both his frail hands.


    ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Alastor, I must ask you again. Do you know or have you ever heard of someone called ¡®The Artificer¡¯?¡±

 Chapter 64: Marcus William

    ¡°Welcome to my mansion, Traveller!¡±


    Standing in front of a huge gate, Alastor was struck with awe. Not far outside the city of Europia, a giant white square building stood majestically in the middle of a green field. A yellow soil path led from the road right to it. The exterior looked very simple: it was basically a cube with only one entrance which was a heavy metallic door that had no handle. Next to it were a small glass panel and a speaker poking out of the wall.


    The old man moved toward the strange panel and put his hand on the class. A green horizontal light bar appeared on the screen before going up and down as if scanning his hand. After a few seconds, a voice came out of the speaker.


    ¡°Welcome back, doctor Vincent!¡± the voice was female but spoke in a monotonous tone.


    ¡°Ein, can you prepare a meal for us? And clean up the living room please! I have a lot to discuss with this young man right here.¡± The doctor said.


    ¡°Of course, doctor Vincent! It will be done right away! Please come in! And welcome back too, lady Fiora!¡±


    The metallic door that seemingly immovable just a moment ago slid up to the wall, revealing the entrance to the building.


    ¡°Old man, as much as I want to eat, I am more curious about what you said earlier.¡± Alastor spoke anxiously. Even in Astora, the Artificer was not something commonly known by the public. To most people, he was a legend, a myth from centuries ago. Yet, how was it possible that the people of this world knew about him? And from the look of doctor Vincent when he spoke of him, it seemed more than just a simple acquaintance.


    ¡°Be patient, my boy! Everything has its time. But you can¡¯t do anything with an empty stomach. Let us eat first! Then we can continue our conversation. Come in!¡± the old man signalled the boy and Fiora to enter.


    The actual inside of the building was completely the opposite of the simple design of its exterior. Small buds of light were planted inside the wall that lighted up whenever someone walked close by. The walls were neither made out of stones or glass but a dark blue metal with a green light trailing everywhere like a blood vessel. Strange machinery with a clear instruction ¡®DO NOT TOUCH¡¯ were everywhere.


    Containing more than thirty rooms, Vincent was actually the only person living here. At least the only real person anyway. Aside from him, the rests were all consisted of humanoid machines with different shapes and functionalities. Some were for housing purpose like cleaning and cooking while others were clearly for security as they were armed. Vincent referred to them as ¡®Robots¡¯ and these were the ones he created for his personal use. A genius couldn¡¯t waste any time to clean his house if he could use that time to create something extraordinary for mankind.


    But there were something shocking about these security robots that Alastor has noticed. They looked exactly like the Destroyers found in the basement of the demon lord¡¯s castle. There might be some minor differences in term of colour and the exact shape but they definitely were related. However, Mephisto said that the Destroyers were created by the Artificer himself. What if the Artificer, being a Traveller and having the ability to cross dimensions, actually brought these robots back to Astora for some purposes? His other creations, while having a trace of magic in it, shared some kind of similarity with the design of some objects Alastor saw inside Vincent¡¯s mansion. For example, the armor Alastor took from the assassin in Zagon, one of the Tempus Machina,d was actually displayed right in a room here. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence that two things from two separate worlds looked exactly the same. That would explain how the Artificer could create those strange artefacts without anyone being able to replicate or even understand how they worked. He himself was inspired by what he found in this world and decided to create a version of his own.


    ¡°Well shit! Suddenly I lost all respect for the guy. I thought he was an incredible inventor but this is just a rip-off of everything here.¡± Alastor muttered.


    ¡°Are you talking about Marcus?¡± Vincent asked.


    ¡°You are goddamn right. Back in my home, he created a lot of things, making us think that he was an awesome guy and all. But now that I am here, I can see that it¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°You are half right and wrong. True, he was inspired by what I have created but many in my world couldn¡¯t even understand my works. Yet he was able to. To me, that¡¯s a talent.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you are right. But still, that means he didn¡¯t really create anything. Just imitating you.¡±


    ¡°I am not so sure about that¡­.¡± The old man uttered as he lowered his head, as if reminiscing something.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°¡­.Let¡¯s eat first! I will tell you everything I know about Marcus later. Just know that every genius has his fair share of madness and Marcus¡­..Marcus has a lot of it, to the point where he was consumed by it.¡±


    That sentence echoed in Alastor¡¯s mind. Madness, the thing that lurked in every man¡¯s head, constantly waiting for a chance for the person to slip up before it took hold of him. Once your mind was taken, there was no way out, at least not by yourself. Just who was Marcus really? Why was he mentioned everywhere? And what was his role in this? What happened to him?


    After a luxurious meal, probably the best meal Alastor has ever eaten, Vincent led Fiora and Alastor to a room that was different from the rest of the mansion. While everything in this house was made to look very futuristic, this one particular room was very antiquated. The insides were made out of old woods. A table, a small bed, a closet with some books and that was about everything inside this room. Compared to the rest of the mansion, this room looked really out of place like it was not supposed to be here at all. And there was one odder thing about this room. Black ashen trails were all over it, as if there was a fire here.


    ¡°What is this place, old man?¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°This is the room Marcus, or the Artificer as you called him where you are from, used to live in when he was in this world.¡± Vincent answered.


    ¡°He lived here? Why? What is your relationship with Marcus?¡±


    ¡°A student. A teacher. A friend. Someone I trusted¡­.and someone who betrayed me! That¡¯s who Marcus is.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It all began thirty years ago, shortly after I created the organisation of Greymen. Upon detecting an anomaly outside the city, I rushed to the marked location with my team. At the time, the threat of the Monochromes wasn¡¯t recognized by the government yet so we were on our own. We considered it our duty to protect this world, our world. But when I was there, the only thing I found was a young man lying unconscious where the rift was. His name was¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Marcus the Artificer.¡± Alastor uttered.


    ¡°Exactly! That was the second case ever recorded of a Traveller in our history. We were all shocked at that time. We just didn¡¯t know what to do with him. When he saw us, saw that he has found himself in another world, do you know what he did?¡± Vincent asked a rhetoric question. ¡°He laughed, maniacally, like a mad man while shouting ¡®I DID IT! I DID IT!¡¯.


    It was only after questioning him we found that he didn¡¯t end up here by coincidence. Your Artificer actually tried to break through the dimensional crack to get to another world, something not even I thought possible. And he did.¡±


    ¡°It was voluntary? But what for?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°¡­Marcus was a genius, the most intelligent individual I have ever met and the one person I respected the most. Only after a few months of staying here, he was able to understand all my works, all the technologies that didn¡¯t even exist in his world. That was when I decided to take him in as my pupil to help me in my research. But unlike me, his motivation didn¡¯t come from the passion of science but out of love.


    One of the subjects Marcus was most interested in was bioengineering; the field of science that uses technology for medical purposes such as body part replacement. As you probably already know, your world Astora isn¡¯t very advanced in term of technology. Instead you rely on your mana stream and mana pool, in short magic, for almost everything. But for people with low affinity for magic or someone who was born with a deficiency like Marcus who lacked a mana stream, they would spend the rest of their lives in the shadows, envying the others while contemplating on their own weakness. Surely you understand that.¡±


    Indeed Alastor understood. Before he received the demon lords¡¯ power, he was nothing. Just a simple country boy who lived in the middle of nowhere. What if he was never chosen as the demon lord by Magnus? What would happen then?


    Vincent took a gulp of his glass of water before resuming. ¡°Marcus found the golems and was inspired by them. Instead of magic, he would use technology to compensate for his own lacking. But when he found out that even his own technology could not save the ones he loved, Marcus set out to find a cure somewhere else, a place not of his world.


    And that¡¯s how he ended up here.


    Upon hearing his story, I was moved. My wife died shortly after my son was born and even my son died before me so I knew the pain of losing someone close to you. Thus, I decided to teach him our technology and helped him in his search for the cure.


    Apparently, his wife was affected with a disease that caused her internal organs to break down one by one. Not even magic was of any help as the woman was like Marcus, lacking a mana stream. Perhaps that was how they found each other, being repulsed by the rest of the world. I can¡¯t really say. From what we found, the best way was to replace her infected body parts with artificial ones. That was how we do it in our world, replacing body part with machines.


    But at the time, she was too weak for an operation that big. Furthermore, there was a problem with maintenance as those machines need to be checked quite often and he didn¡¯t want her to spend the rest of her life confined in a lab. As time passed by, we moved closer and closer to the end of our ropes. Things started to look desperate. That was until Marcus found his solution to the problem: nanotechnology.


    To put it simply, nanomachines are tiny molecular robots, so small you can¡¯t even see them with the naked eyes. But what is amazing about their feature is their ability to replicate themselves and to imitate any kind of material. Because they are the same size as particles that make up everything in this world, they can become anything: from rock to flesh. If you can control those particles, you control everything. In our case, it¡¯s basically the missing link between machines and flesh.


    If instead of removing the failed body parts, we are to inject nanomachines into her, the robots could repair her from the inside and with time replacing the infected parts until she is completely cured.


    And she did. Using Marcus¡¯ own nanomachines, his wife has made a miraculous recovery in just under a week. When he told me that, I could see the relief in his eyes. Not only did he save his wife, what he did could be considered as the ultimate cure for all diseases. Can you imagine that? Not one world but two worlds, free of all plagues and diseases. They could even take over the body part replacement procedure with a much higher efficiency.¡± Up until now, Vincent has been speaking with such a happy expression, full of hope. Perhaps it was out of passion for such a discovery. Or simply he was happy for his colleague. But then his tone changed.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°At least, that was what it was intended. If only that incident didn¡¯t happen¡­.¡±


    ¡°What incident, grandpa?¡± asked Fiora abruptly who was glad to hear such a touching story until now.


    ¡°Marcus made a mistake¡­or rather he was blind by his own success that he forgot to take in account something crucial in his world¡­.


    After his wife was cured, Marcus made public his research and results to the people of Astora. He wanted to share this discovery which could change the world to a better place. At least that was what he thought. But the reaction was not as he expected. For people who have never known about true science, his research was considered heresy. That was what happened in our world too and I suppose in any other world. History has shown that we fear the unknown and when driven by fear, people do stupid things.¡± Vincent stopped right there. He tried to say the next words but it was difficult. Memories of that day came back to him. The terrible past he tried to forget.


    ¡°They killed the poor woman and crucified her right in front of him!¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Alastor and Fiora jumped from their seats and shouted in disbelief.


    ¡°How could they¡­.?¡± Fiora uttered.


    ¡°That day marked the fall into madness of Marcus¡­.and the beginning of a series of tragedies that followed. Upon returning to this very room, he burned all his researches and took away our prototype of the nanomachines. At that point, he was already consumed by his own hatred. Thus, Marcus unleashed his creations onto Astora. Everything they touched, they destroyed. Everything they devoured, they used it to create more of their own. Death followed them wherever they went. Seeing that this was part of my responsibility, I tried to convince him, to bring him back to reasons but it was too late. That was how I ended up in this wheelchair.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡±


    ¡°But if you didn¡¯t stop him, who did?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°By myself, I couldn¡¯t do anything. It was then that I forged an unlikely alliance with those who were determined to stop him: a spider, a young girl and a dragon. It was weird to see such a combination but we all shared the same desire and that was what brought us together.


    But the power of the nanomachines surpassed even my imagination. It was impossible to stop it even with the four of us combined. That was until the girl decided to sacrifice herself so her father could be brought back to reason.¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute! That girl was his daughter? But then¡­..¡± Alastor uttered loudly.


    ¡°To give us a chance of winning, she took the full strike from Marcus. That instant, that single second, was what allowed us to win the fight. Or rather, it brought Marcus back to his sanity¡­ with a great cost.


    When he finally realized his error, his hand has already been stained with the blood of his own daughter. But even before she died, she wanted us to forgive him, to let him live and atone for his mistakes.


    Though with great reluctance and as a gesture of respect for the girl who saved the world, we decided to let him live. But for me, Marcus was already dead inside. He lost everything, his family, his goal. Nothing else mattered to him anymore.


    But his creations remained and without the proper protection, this tragedy will one day unfold again. So together with Marcus, we sealed the nanomachines in the underground of the continent Ragna in hope that it will never be used again.¡±


    ¡°To think such a thing happened in the past¡­but I have some questions, old man. First, from the look of it, this event happened in a very distant past. How come you are still alive? Actually even the Artificer only died ten years ago in my world so how come he survived all those times?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Time is a relative notion. It all depends on how you measure it and what you compare it to. Basically, times in Astora and our worlds are separated from each other. Just because one year has passed in your world doesn¡¯t mean one year or even one second has passed in ours. But as long as you have a stable bridge between the two, then you yourself become the connection, making time flow in this world just like other. It¡¯s a bit complicated to explain. Just understand that times can¡¯t be compared between worlds! The fact that you end up thirty years later in our world while my last visit was centuries ago proved that.


    As for Marcus, during his rampage, a part of the nanomachines has been fused into his body and therefore allowed him to live for a very long time as they will continue to regenerate as long as they exist.¡± Vincent explained.


    ¡°Alright! I kind of understand that. But then that leads to my second question. You talk about a bridge that links the two worlds. Even when you told us the story, you spoke as if you were there yourself. Does that mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I was in Astora thirty years ago in my time. And yes, there is a way for you to come back to your world.¡±


    ¡°Finally, that¡¯s what I am talking about.¡± Alastor rejoiced.


    ¡°But don¡¯t get your hope up boy! That thing has been broken for years and I have spent the last thirty years to fix it to no avail. It was by pure chance that I found my way back before it broke down.¡±


    ¡°Still it means that there is a way. As long as there is a way, I still have a chance to go back to my world.¡±


    ¡°True! But like I said, don¡¯t get your hope up! It might take years for me to fix it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Euhhh please don¡¯t! I can¡¯t wait for years to come back. But I have to admit, you are much more awesome than you look, considering the fact you saved my world.¡±


    ¡°Alastor!¡± Fiora said.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Fiora.¡± The old turned back to the boy. ¡°To be frank, I didn¡¯t do anything much. Without that spider woman and the dragon who did most of the fighting, me and the girl wouldn¡¯t last long.¡±


    ¡°Spider woman? ¡­.. Do you know her name per chance?¡± the term ¡®spider woman¡¯ reminded Alastor of a friend of Lilith.


    ¡°She never really told me her real name but she called herself the Spider Queen. What? Do you know her?¡± asked Vincent.


    ¡°¡­.I believe I do. We are not friends or anything but rest assured that she is still alive and well, maybe too well. But I wonder how come she never told me about this.¡± Alastor asked himself.


    ¡°That¡¯s because she can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Before I returned to my world, the dragon wanted to make sure that the existence of another world is to be kept a secret. So he erased the memories of everyone who knew about him and me. Why him too I don¡¯t know. But that explains why the Spider Queen can only have some recollection of those events and the only person she remembered would be Marcus¡¯ daughter. At the beginning, the dragon wanted to erase my memories too but in the end, he didn¡¯t. I realized that he had his own reasons for doing so, not because he wanted to but because he had to. So I decided to keep this secret to myself until today.¡± Vincent explained.


    ¡°A dragon capable of erasing memories? I have never heard of such thing. But again it¡¯s not like I know any dragon personally.¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, his name was Malick. Being a pure white dragon, he is quite easy to recognize.¡± The doctor said.


    ¡°Malick? Hum¡­nope, doesn¡¯t ring a bell at all! But I am more interested in this daughter of the Artificer. She must have been an incredible and strong girl to be able to sacrifice herself for the ones that killed her mother.¡± Alastor uttered. In his mind, he was conflicted. He understood why Marcus wanted to destroy the world. That madness that the Artificer felt when his wife was killed, Alastor had a taste of that when Shana and Morgan died. And to be honest, he wasn¡¯t sure that he would be able to resist that urge if it happened again. What would he do if something happened to Ikarus? To Morrigan? To Alice? The mere thoughts of such circumstances terrified him greatly.


    ¡°On the contrary, she was a frail girl just like her mother. So frail that her hair was whitened because of it.¡±


    Suddenly it struck Alastor. A white hair girl who was connected to the Artificer.


    ¡°What is her name???¡± Alastor shouted at the old man.


    ¡°Calm down, Alastor! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Fiora said.


    ¡°I am fine. Just tell me her name! Please!¡±


    ¡°You mean Marcus¡¯ daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course I am. So tell me!¡±


    ¡°Instead of giving you her name, I will give you this.¡± The old man moved his wheelchair to the closet and reached out to an album containing all the photos he has ever taken. But unlike the ones he took in this world, those contained the photos of Astora. Flipping through a few pages, he stopped at one and took out a coloured photo before giving it to Alastor. ¡°I took this one after his wife recovered from her illness as a testament of our achievement. Now that I look at it again, it seems almost like yesterday.¡± The old man spoke softly.


    On Alastor¡¯s hand, the photo featured four persons. Two men standing in the background who would probably be a younger version of both Marcus and Vincent. A woman sat on a bed who seemed to be Marcus¡¯ wife. Lastly, a young girl sat on a chair next to the woman in foreground, looking straight at the camera: a pale girl with short white hair wearing white dress.


    ¡°This¡­this can¡¯t be¡­¡±


    ¡°The girl¡¯s name is Stella. Stella William!¡±

 Chapter 65: Calm before the storm

    Holding a picture in his hand, lying on a soft bed, Alastor exhaled a long sigh. His mind was overflown with information. The things he didn¡¯t know, the things he thought he knew, were actually very different from what he expected.


    Earlier this day, Vincent has shown him a large spherical structure inside his mansion, able to support two to three people inside it. It was the machine the doctor and the Artificer have built together as a mean of travel between Astora and this world. Of course, in order to keep this as a secret between them, Vincent hasn¡¯t told anyone beside from Alastor and Fiora. He was afraid that this invention might fall in the wrong hands or be used for an evil purpose, a lesson he learnt from Marcus. After all, most of the evil in this world or any other was done by people with good intentions. And so the sphere has stayed in his basement for the last thirty years, unnoticed.


    The problem was that the machine was quite heavily damaged and therefore unusable, which meant that Alastor would not be able to go back to Astora any time soon.  And even if that machine worked, which it didn¡¯t, Vincent has warned him that without an ¡®anchor¡¯, something that was connected Alastor¡¯s timeline just before he was dragged into the rift, he could very well come back to an Astora thousand years in the future or in the past. That was a big risk and something the boy would rather avoid.


    In addition, there was the revelation about Marcus¡¯ daughter. According to Vincent, Stella died a very long time ago. If so, then who was the Stella Alastor knew? Was she just a replication of his original daughter as part of his own atonement? He couldn¡¯t let her go so he decided to recreate a machine in the form of his daughter to ease his pain? Perhaps. But that would not matter to Alastor. To him, Stella was still Stella, whoever or whatever she was in the past. Either way, he must have a talk with her upon his return. That was it if he could go back.


    And so Alastor slipped away into his dreams, into a dark world he hasn¡¯t visited for a while.


    ¡­..


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡± a figure jumped at him from behind the moment he opened his eyes. The feeling of something soft touched his back allowed him to recognize the identity of the person immediately.


    ¡°Asmodeus! It has been a while!¡±  he said.


    ¡°Sure did. How have you been these days? Magnus told me that you ended up in a strange place after fighting that Goddess Elemyr.¡±


    ¡°Magnus told you? Really, the guy still can¡¯t give up his stalking instinct¡­How are everyone these days?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°¡­.About that¡­. I need to talk to you about something. But I ask that you remain calm!¡± Asmodeus spoke hesitantly.


    ¡°What is this about?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your daughter, Odium¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Alastor, I know that Xenes was stupid for doing so without telling you but it¡¯s not entirely his fault either that Odium died. It was her plan and she did that to herself so¡­.¡± Asmodeus claimed.


    ¡°¡­..Now I understand what Odium told me when we first met. How that one of my own will betray my trust. *sigh* ¡° Alastor sighed in disappointment.


    ¡°Alastor, I¡­.I am sorry!¡± Asmodeus uttered in an apologetic voice. Her eyes were almost on the verge of tears.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not your fault, Asmodeus. You can¡¯t control everything by yourself and you are still the person I trust the most among all the demon lords. Don¡¯t take what I just said too seriously! And beside what kind of big sister would cry in front of her brother?¡± Alastor put his hand on her back and patted it, trying to console the elf.


    ¡°¡­You rascal!¡± Asmodeus poked the boy¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°I think I will go to sleep now. It has been a long day for me!¡± Alastor yawned. Before he knew it, it has already been an hour since he was here, lying on Asmodeus¡¯ laps.


    ¡°Alright. Just remember to drop by sometimes ok?¡± the elf smiled gently at him as she looked down at his small face.


    ¡°I will. Take care!¡± with it, Alastor¡¯s body faded away, leaving Asmodeus behind by herself.


    ¡­..


    ¡°He takes that better than I thought he would.¡± A large figure landed in front of Asmodeus and spoke. ¡°Odium must not be that important for him then.¡±


    ¡°Are you blind or just incredibly stupid? He is clearly affected by her death but instead of blaming you, he is blaming himself. They might not have spent a lot of time together but in the end, she was still his daughter and all she did was for him.¡±  Asmodeus grunted.


    ¡°Meaningless sentiment! If he wants to become a demon lord then he should abandon all unnecessary manners of feelings. He has the potential to become the greatest of us. The ultimate weapons are basically handed to him just like that. Yet he is still bound to his own consciousness. If only he was just an empty shell, that would be much better.¡± The dragon Xenes lamented.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean? Are you implying that you will do something to him? Because if you are, I won¡¯t mind get rid of your foul mouth right now. Don¡¯t forget who you are talking to, dragon!¡±


    ¡°My, my, what a change in attitude! I can already see how great of an actress you are. Such a gentle sister figure in front of him! Yet behind that facade lies an ugly truth! Don¡¯t misunderstand me! Personally, I think that¡¯s great. But it makes me wonder what Alastor would do when he finds out what you really are.¡± Xenes grinned.


    ¡°You really want to test me?¡± An ominous aura emanated from Asmodeus. All of the sudden, a tremor originated from her location, shaking the entire Abyss, even wakening the dark sun from above as he looked down to see what was happening.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Of course I am not that much of an idiot to challenge you, Asmodeus of Calamity. If you are serious, not even a God could stop you.¡± Xenes laughed out loud. Despite facing such a terrible from the elf, the dragon felt no fear. For he has forsaken all his emotions a long time ago. ¡°If memories served well, that Goddess tried and ended up being killed by you. That was probably the most hilarious thing I have ever learnt about.¡±


    ¡°And still you don¡¯t seem to learn enough yet. Let me imprint this lesson in your fucking skull!¡±


    ¡°STOP! That¡¯s enough!¡± a grave voice shouted from above. Magnus has finally decided to get involved. ¡°You must not fight among yourself right now! What would happen if one of you was to perish? Alastor will not be able to use your power anymore. And that¡¯s not part of the plan.¡±


    ¡°Alastor still didn¡¯t find a Dragon Scion and so far he has been perfectly fine without it. That means Xenes is not necessary to the plan.¡± Asmodeus fumed.


    ¡°And you? How many times did he even use your power? It only worked on those puny grunts but in most fights, your power is useless.¡± Xenes retorted. ¡°Just wait till he finds the Scion and all the powers he had before will be nothing compared to it.¡±


    ¡°Xenes, back off!¡± Magnus raised his voice.


    ¡°What? You are taking her side now? Do you fear her that much? The Great Magnus fears one of his own creations? You are just¡­..¡±


    ¡°BE GONE!¡±


    With a single shout, Xenes abruptly disappeared into the darkness.


    ¡°He is lucky that you teleported him away.¡± Asmodeus grunted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cause any trouble now, Asmodeus! You are still our ace in this war! The moment Alastor uses it, it will be your turn to finish the job.¡± Magnus said.


    ¡°I will do what the boy wants, not what you want.¡± The elf turned back and walked away.


    ¡°Asmodeus, why are you so obsessed with Alastor? Is this because¡­.¡±


    ¡°Not a word!¡± the elf woman shouted in anger. ¡°Not.A.Word!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Fine! But take this as an advice¡­for your own sake: Alastor is not and can¡¯t ever be a replacement for your brother!¡± Magnus said before vanishing into thin air.


    Asmodeus once again found herself all alone in this darkness. Perhaps that was for the best.


    ¡°I only need him. Him and him only!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Did you sleep well last night?¡± asked Fiora.


    ¡°The bed is very comfortable, so fluffy and soft. I dozed up the moment I lied on it.¡± Alastor sipped a black drink from his cup. ¡°EUHHH! What is this? It¡¯s so bitter.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s coffee. We drink it to wake ourselves up in the morning, or at any other time in the day whenever we need to. If it¡¯s too bitter for you then put it some sugar.¡± Fiora handed over a pot containing a bunch of small white cubes.


    Helping himself to one of them, Alastor licked a cube to have a taste. ¡°This is¡­sugar. How did you make it into a cube like this?¡±


    ¡°If you are surprised by just that, you will be amazed to know that there are a whole lot more interesting things out there. But that¡¯s not to say your world doesn¡¯t interest me either. You know, in our world, magic and dragons exist only in stories and games so I kind of envy grandpa for being able to go to your world like that.¡± Fiora confessed.


    ¡°Say¡­why don¡¯t you live with the old man? He is your grandpa, is he not? From the look of it, it¡¯s not like he has any money or housing problems either so why do you stay in this tiny room?¡± Alastor asked.


    After their conversation yesterday, Vincent has invited both of them to stay at his home for the time being until they figured out a way for Alastor to go back to his home. However, Fiora has politely refused his invitation for some reasons. Curious about her situation, the boy has decided to follow the young woman back to her home and stayed there.


    ¡°¡­..¡± but the girl didn¡¯t answer. She had a painful expression on her face, one that made Alastor regretting for asking that question. Why did he do that? Such rudeness on his part to poke around other people¡¯s business, Alastor thought. Taken by the guilt, he grabbed the coffee cup and almost drank it before realizing that he hasn¡¯t put any sugar in yet. Things were even more awkward now.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°I am sorry! I shouldn¡¯t have been too nosy¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah no, it¡¯s alright. I am just afraid that my reasons are nothing that special so it might disappoint you¡­¡± she muttered softly. ¡°My parents and I used to live there with grandpa. Just like him, both of them were researchers, working on a way to get rid of the threat of the Monochromes of our world. Even though they were so busy with their work, they still did their best to spend time with me. But¡­¡± Fiora clenched her fists; her hands were trembling from the memories of that day. ¡°But it all ended after a freak accident happened in their lab and cost them their lives. After that, I just couldn¡¯t stay in that house any longer. I just wanted to forget everything and live on. So after I discovered my power and became a Greyman, I moved out to this apartment.


    I know it¡¯s not fair for grandpa but I am afraid that if I stayed there any longer, I would go insane. The memories of my parents, everything that belonged to them, are still haunting that place. Even yesterday when we were there, I still couldn¡¯t get over it. Pathetic, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Still you did come back. It takes a lot of courage to do that. That alone makes you incredible. Don¡¯t try to forget the past! Your memories make you who you are today!  I don¡¯t have any right to say this but cherish your family while you still can! Sometimes you might take them for granted and before you know it, they are already gone¡­.And when it happens, it will haunt you for the rest of your life! ¡­.Don¡¯t end up like me¡­.¡± Alastor lamented.


    ¡°¡­Do you want to talk about it?¡± asked Fiora. She could feel a deep pain hidden behind his words. Was it because of her telepathy? Or was it because he had such a sombre expression?


    ¡°It¡¯s a very long story¡±


    ¡°We have the whole day, don¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°You have endured that much for someone your age¡­*hic hic*. I feel like my pain is nothing to yours.¡± Fiora sobbed, her eyes reddened from all the tears that poured out. The girl was the kind of person who was easily affected by drama and Alastor¡¯s life was full of it.


    Alastor was sitting with her arms around his neck as the two were facing the window, looking at the dim moonlight outside. It was in the middle of the story that she moved to his side, insisting that they stayed in this position. And he had no reason to refuse. The boy has always liked to sit between an older woman¡¯s arms or lie on their laps. Perhaps that was due to the fact that Alastor had a certain maternity complex, wanting to be a spoiled child with his mother. That much was certain.


    ¡°We all experience our lives and losses differently. It¡¯s not the number of deaths around us that determined our pain. I never knew my real parents so their deaths didn¡¯t affect me that much. And my daughter¡­.Look at me! I can¡¯t even cry for her. Guess I am starting to get used to it by now¡­¡± Alastor faked a smile.


    ¡°Why are you lying to yourself? Your tears may not come out but that doesn¡¯t mean you didn¡¯t care for her.¡± The girl retorted.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t. Not ever once I have thought about seeing her or even helping her. Only when it was too late I realized that I was wrong. But why does it matter anymore? She died because of me. That¡¯s all that matters.¡± Alastor spoke angrily.


    ¡°Then be a man and make amends for that! Don¡¯t just sit there and lament about what you could have done! Think about the future ahead! You may not forget about the past but don¡¯t be bound by it!¡± she said loudly.


    ¡°You are one to talk. You are still haunted by your parents¡¯ memories.¡±


    ¡°Well that makes the two of us then!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± The couple stayed silent in this reticent night. The pale moonlight shined into the lightless room, revealing two people¡¯s true feelings. They knew they were wrong. They knew that the other only said that out of kindness, because they cared about them. So why couldn¡¯t they just admit that? Perhaps they already knew the answer and this awkward silence was the sign of their acceptance.


    ¡°Have you ever thought of staying here instead of going back?¡± Firoa broke the silence.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°To leave behind everything and start a new life here. I am sure grandpa can help you settle in quite easily. You can stay here if you want. With m¡­..¡±


    ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that.¡± Alastor spoke firmly.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ you are right. It was stupid of me to say that. Ha..ha..ha!¡± the girl put on a clumsy smile and scratched her head. ¡°So what will you do in the time being?¡±


    ¡°Staying here¡­I guess. Unless you don¡¯t want me to.¡±


    ¡°You are always welcome here, you know!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Why do I feel like there are something else you are implying in that sentence?¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°It¡¯s just your imagination. Go to sleep now!¡± she grinned.


    ¡°I will if you let me go!¡± Fiora¡¯s arms were still around his neck and it didn¡¯t seem like they were going anywhere soon.


    ¡°Just sleep like this! Tomorrow I will bring you back to grandpa and discuss on how to get you back home!¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright then. Good night!¡±


    ¡°Night!¡±


    * * *


    Inside the monitoring room in the underground of the Greymen¡¯s HQ, the veteran Kennedy was sitting in front of a bunch of flashy screens. It was supposed to be Fiora¡¯s job but he volunteered to replace her temporarily. To be honest, he would prefer to keep the girl as far away as possible from any Greyman¡¯s duty. As an old friend of her late parents, he has watched her for her entire life as a guardian, a god-father. He wanted to keep her safe from all the dangers this job could unfold. But the young woman was just too stubborn to realize his intention. Or perhaps she did but simply refused to be protected any longer, just like how every child would one day leave their nest to make their own.


    ¡°What a day it was! A Traveller out of all things¡­¡± he muttered as he put his hands on the back of his head in a relaxing position on his bending chair.


    The door behind him opened and a long white haired woman walked in.


    ¡°You are by yourself, teacher? Where is Fiora?¡± asked Jora.


    ¡°She won¡¯t be around when the Traveller is still here.¡± Kennedy replied. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that she is our ambassador for the time being. Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°That girl¡­neglecting her duties like that!¡± Jora grunted.


    ¡°I am not complaining. It suits me perfectly fine.¡± The man said.


    ¡°You are spoiling her too much.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Are you jealous?¡± Kennedy joked.


    ¡°Wh..at? No!! Of course not! I mean¡­.No! Just no!¡± the woman panicked.


    ¡°I am just joking. Still, it¡¯s better if she uses this opportunity to have a normal life. I tried to keep her inside this boring office, hoping that she would quit. But that girl is just too stubborn.¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as a normal life once you are an Esper!¡± Jora dictated.


    ¡°That¡¯s a sad thing to say, Jora! We may not be normal but that doesn¡¯t stop us from searching for our own happiness, for a place to call home.¡±


    ¡°You mean a family? We face death every day. Have you ever thought what would happen to them if you die? Family is not something a Greyman should speak of or even think of.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am not saying that you are wrong. True, death awaits us at every corner. And even if the Monochromes don¡¯t exist, the government would never let us go freely. Still, I wish that one day, we may be freed from that fate. Surely you too want to have a family some day? With the one you love. Has any lucky guy caught your eyes yet? Someone like Edmur isn¡¯t so bad.¡± Kennedy laughed.


    ¡°Edmur? He is just a kid. I prefer someone ¡­.older. More mature¡­.¡± Jora fidgeted.


    ¡°I see. Hope that you will find that person soon.¡± The man gulped down his cup of coffee.


    ¡°Teacher, I¡­.¡±


    Suddenly the red beacon glittered as an alarm appeared on one of the screen, accompanied by an emergency message.


    ¡°WARNING WARNING! Anomaly detected in district A! Power level: Four thousand!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Kennedy shouted, jumping from his chair. The Monochrome was always an imminent threat but they usually came one by one with a fairly distant time in between. One just came through yesterday so how come the second one was already here? Yet his surprise didn¡¯t end there.


    ¡°WARNING WARNING! A second anomaly has been detected in district B! Power level: Five thousand!¡± the message appeared on a second screen.


    ¡°WARNING WARNING! Anomalies detected in district C, D, E, F, G, H! Multiples hostiles have been spotted crossing the rift. Power levels measuring from five thousand to eight thousand.¡± Red warnings appeared on the other screens as well.


    ¡°This is not possible. How come there are so many of them at the same time?¡± Jora uttered in disbelief.


    But then a final warning came on the biggest screen that covered the entire city.


    ¡°WARNING WARNING! Two anomalies detected in district Z! Power level¡­. measuring¡­.measuring. Maximum limit reached! Critical Error! Critical Error! Evacuate the entire city immediately!¡±

 Chapter 66: Crisis

    ¡°Grandpa, what is happening?¡± Fiora slammed the door opened with Alastor following right behind.


    Inside the mansion of doctor Vincent, the Greymen had already gathered around the table where he sat behind. Upon receiving the emergency call, everyone has rushed here to determine what their course of action would be. Unlike anything previously, this time could be considered as a full scale invasion from the Monochromes. This has never happened before. So what changed?


    They could not afford to just rush to the scene only to get killed. Furthermore, even with the full team who has just come back from their missions, it wasn¡¯t enough to take on all of them at the same time.


    ¡°How is it that so many Monochromes have gathered here? This has never happened.¡± A Greyman uttered in disbelief.


    ¡°We can figure that out later. What¡¯s more important now is how to deal with them. We don¡¯t have enough personnel to face this kind of frontal attack, even with the government¡¯s help.¡± Kennedy said.


    ¡°With just the Greymen and the government¡¯s defence force, we can¡¯t. But¡­.¡± Vincent raised his head and looked at the only young boy in the room. ¡°Alastor, will you help us? In return, I promise you that I will dedicate everything I have to help you getting back to your world.¡±


    ¡°Doctor, I know that he is more than capable of handling one of them. But this time, they number in a dozens and are scattered all around the city. He can¡¯t be everywhere at the same time!¡± Edmur argued. ¡°Furthermore, there are two of them out there which are much more powerful than the usual ones. For all we know, they can be as strong as Alastor.¡±


    ¡°One¡± a young voice said.


    ¡°What?¡± Edmur turned to the source of the voice. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®one¡¯?¡±


    ¡°You only need to worry about one of the two. The second one, I think, will buy us some time for you to take care of the rest.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± asked Jora.


    ¡°Because I can feel her presence from here. One is a Goddess from our world while the other was her sister. However, last time I saw her, she was consumed by the monster that dragged me here. I think that this second source of power is the monster I am looking for.¡±


    ¡°A Goddess? So she is on our side right?¡± asked Pat.


    ¡°Not really! After dealing with the monster which ate her sister, she will probably try to kill me too.¡±


    ¡°What kind of God would do that?¡± Edmur questioned.


    ¡°The bad kind. I don¡¯t know about your God or if you even have one, but the Gods in Astora are pretty weird by my standard. The last one I met committed genocide against his entire race for no apparent reason at all!¡±


    ¡°Still that leaves the smaller ones. How do we kill them with just the few of us?¡± one Greyman raised the question.


    ¡°Do they all have regeneration capacity like the one I killed?¡± Alastor turned to Kennedy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. At least, not at the same level. I have fought the Monochromes for years now and that was the first time I ever saw one with that kind of self-healing ability. I believe that the one you killed is a special Monochrome with that ability.¡± The veteran answered.


    ¡°I see¡­how many Greymen do we have? And I mean everyone available.¡± Alastor inquired.


    ¡°Thirty¡­..thirty one!¡± Kennedy looked at Fiora.


    ¡°How many Monochromes are we talking about?¡±


    ¡°Excluding the two we just talked about, about fifteen. Just so you know, two Greymen can¡¯t defeat an S-rank Monochrome by themselves.¡±


    What a dilemma! Using large area effect spells, Alastor could take care of the small monsters easily. However, it would mean destroying the city along with it so that option was rejected immediately. After all, if he ever wanted to return home, Alastor would need the help of these people.


    The alternative was to use the Legion to compensate the lack of number. However, he couldn¡¯t contact the Millennium Regiment for some reasons. Perhaps because they were still in Astora, haunting for Odium¡¯s beasts so his call couldn¡¯t reach them. They were after all separated in two different worlds.


    That left him only the option to call on the others battalions of the Legion still residing in his dimension pocket which always accompanied him. The problem was, unlike the Millennium Regiment who was the front line of his army, the others squads didn¡¯t have the same number as their compatriots. In addition, their handling was much more situational and many would require a solid defensive position for the maximum efficiency.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to defeat them. Just buy time and distract it!¡± the boy affirmed.


    Confusion was in everyone¡¯s mind. How would they be able to win with just distraction? What were they buying time for? And the most important question was: could they trust the boy? If they failed, it would not be just their lives but the lives of everyone in the city as well. A risky gamble, that was what this was. But a gamble they could not afford to lose. To entrust everything to a boy whom many of the people gathered here have never even met was something preposterous. Sure, they saw the record of his fight so maybe he had the power but what about his intention? Doctor Vincent may have trusted him for some reasons but not the rest. Except for one.


    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± Fiora stepped up.


    ¡°Divide into groups of two! For each group, I will send out a third member. Your task is to lead that person assigned to your group to the monster and buy her some time, all while protecting her at all cost.¡± Alastor explained.


    ¡°A third member? From where?¡± asked Jora.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain and I believe you too don¡¯t have time to listen to me while the city is being ravaged. All I ask is for you all to put your trust in me and do exactly as I instructed! Else by the morning, there won¡¯t be a place left to protect.¡±


    ¡°Very well! We will do as you say!¡± said the doctor.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand some of you have doubts in your minds. That¡¯s perfectly reasonable. But the boy is our only hope to survive this night. If you have any better ideas, please say it or else we are just wasting our time here while our precious metropolis is on fire!¡± Vincent proclaimed.


    ¡°¡­..¡± Even with the doctor, their caretaker seemed to trust the boy. Still, doubt resounded in everyone¡¯s mind as they looked at each other in confusion. It was always easier to doubt than to trust after all. But then, a young woman stepped up and spoke to the crowd.


    ¡°While we have only known each other for a few days, I can assure you that Alastor is of no harm to our society and our peace. Believe me, I know! He may look small but he can fight like a colossus. So I ask that you put your faith in him, as I did.¡± Fiora spoke. With her Psychokinesis, no one would be able to lie to her. So having her words were surely able to sway the crowd to, perhaps not trust, but at least not doubt the boy.


    ¡°All right we will do as you instructed!¡± said the Greymen.


    ¡°Perfect! Please wait here for five minutes then gather at outside the mansion! I will go call on the last members of your teams.¡±


    With that said, the boy quickly walked out of the room to the entrance of Vincent¡¯s house. With an unpleasant expression on his face, he cast a large magic circle on the ground. Similar to the Millennium Regiment which was based on the Abyssal Knight, the group he was about to call upon was also based on a certain person from the Abyss, a demon lord. Among all the companies, this group was perhaps the strangest and¡­the most unfortunate among the Ten Divisions of the Legion. Because they were basically clones of that demon lord but a much weaker version, sometimes it was possible that these clones possessed abilities that not even Alastor could use. But as a person, to have interacted with them meant they once had a connection, no matter how faint it might be. Even if they were clones, deprived of all emotions or personalities, it pained Alastor to do what he was about to do.


    ¡°Come, my daughters! Come and serve me, as it is the purpose for which you were created for!¡±


    Dark smog oozed out from the portal like an overflown viscous sea of mud, surging around the boy. Black human arms surfaced and rose toward him, as if they were trying to reach out to him. And from it, fifteen figures aroused from this darkness. Wearing black tattered cloaks and hoods which showed only their bottom half of their faces, these individuals appeared female based on the crimson glowing lips and their pale smooth skin. The most striking appeal would be their bindings: their whole body was covered by chains in such a way that no one could understand how they were able to even move with that kind of restriction.


    Together, the women slowly bowed to their knees to their creator.


    ¡°My Oracles, heed my call! Your task is simple: to take the lives out of the monsters in this city! Accompany these people. Treat them like you treat your brethren as they will do their best to protect you! As for you¡­.you will know what to do.¡± Alastor uttered softly.


    Without a single word, the Oracles acknowledged the command of their creator with a simple bow. At the same time, the group of Greymen, divided in pair, came out of the mansion. Upon seeing the strange women in weird clothing, none could hide their surprise. Where did these women come from? And most important of all, how would they be able to help in this situation?


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Who are they?¡± asked Fiora after she approached the boy.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is that they will help you in your fight against the Monochromes. Remember: your mission is to bring them safely to the monster and buy them some time! After that, they will take care of the rest!¡± Alastor explained.


    ¡°What? What do you mean? How could they even fight with those chains on them?¡± Kennedy queried.


    ¡°They don¡¯t fight. That¡¯s what you are there for.¡±


    ¡°Then how¡­¡±


    ¡°Every second we lose here, a person will die. Do you want to continue this conversation?¡± insisted Alastor.


    ¡°¡­Alright! It¡¯s not like I have any other choice. I can only hope they are as capable as you think they are. Let¡¯s move people!¡± With each woman going with a pair of Greymen, the group left the mansion and charged toward the city, leaving only Fiora and Alastor behind.


    ¡°I guess I will go to the two strongest source of power then. What about you, Fiora?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°I will go with you. I cannot let you facing those two monstrosities by yourself.¡± The girl said.


    ¡°Fiora, Elemyr is a Goddess, the most powerful beings in my world. Furthermore, this time there is that monster so I cannot guarantee your safety if you go with me.¡± The boy pled. ¡°So stay here and look after the old man!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking you to keep me safe. I can take care of myself.¡± Her voice sounded a bit irritating from what Alastor just said. During her entire career, she has been treated like someone incapable of doing anything by herself. That has last enough.


    ¡°Fiora, don¡¯t be unreasonable! ¡­.¡±


    ¡°He is right!¡± A voice spoke, making the two turning back to the gate. They thought all the Greymen have departed with Kennedy so who else would be here?


    ¡°Grandpa? What are saying?¡±


    ¡°You will stay with me, Fiora!¡± the doctor spoke firmly.


    ¡°Thank you for your comprehension, doctor Vincent! So Fiora, please stay¡­.¡±


    ¡°Since I will be going with Alastor, I need someone to look after me.¡±


    ¡°WHAT? No one is going with me.¡± The boy yelled.


    ¡°Then go ahead! We will follow right after you.¡± Vincent grinned.


    Vincent has struck a nerve on Alastor. Even if the boy went on by himself, if they wanted, these two could just follow him since they already knew where Elemyr was. Alastor didn¡¯t even understand why Vincent wanted to go. He was just an old man stuck on a wheelchair. How would he be able to do anything?


    ¡°¡­Fine! But don¡¯t blame me if you die over there!¡± the boy grunted.


    ¡°No problem! I have my grand-daughter right next to me. Isn¡¯t it right, Fiora?¡±


    ¡°Of course, grandpa!¡± the girl said excitedly. However, she herself didn¡¯t understand why would Vincent go with them. With Alastor a bit far ahead of the pair, Fiora whispered to the old man. ¡°Grandpa, why are you going with us exactly?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, my dear! I only want to confirm something with my own eyes. Besides, even if I don¡¯t go with him, you will still go so I might as well tag along to keep you safe.¡± Vincent said.


    For a moment, the young woman laughed as she could not imagine how a seventy years old man like Vincent who has been sitting on a wheelchair for half of his life would be able to do anything to a monster like the Monochrome, not to mention to protect a Greyman like her from it. The thought was just too funny to be true. Perhaps he merely said it since she was the only relative left. Who knew?


    * * *


    Currently, Kennedy, together with Jora and an Oracle assigned to them, were on their way to find their designated monster in district G. Thanks to Jora¡¯s Telekinesis, they were able to stayed afloat from building to building, making the travel much easier than it would be by walk or vehicle in this chaotic situation.


    Down below, people was already being evacuated by the military to the outside zones where it was considered ¡®safe¡¯. Unlike any other time where these residents of the affected district could be temporarily relocated to another while the army or the Greymen would engage the beast, this time everywhere was affected. The Monochromes have escaped through the Rift and many have wandered outside from its original district and caused trouble to everywhere it went. With this large number of them being all gathered in this same city, it would mean a total evacuation of not thousands but millions of people and that was no easy task, especially when you had no short notice or anything at all.


    A child returning from their daily school. A woman going to a supermarket, wondering what she should make for dinner. An office man stopping at a street restaurant after a tired day at work. All these people were just minding their own business before crisis hit Europia. And the most shocking thing was that none of them even knew why they fell into such a state in the first place. During all those years, the government of not just Europia but in most countries around the world have done a fine job of keeping the existence of the Monochrome a secret. They wanted to avoid panic, which was perfectly understandable. What would they tell the public? That humanity was being attacked by an unknown race of monster which came from another dimension? Because that was about everything they could have said about the Monochrome. Even after all those years of research, nothing was known about the origin of these creatures or even what their objective was. The only thing they have done was to strengthen their defence, recruiting more Greymen to counter those monstrosities and that was it, nothing more. How long would this continue? How long would they have to endure this onslaught? They just didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°So what should we call you, miss ¡­..¡± Kennedy asked the Oracle. From his experience, the outcome of a battle depended on the synergy and understanding between the team members. To have someone completely unknown from outside like what he was doing would be unthinkable in his opinion. But it was not like he had a choice so he might as well use this short time to know more about this strange woman and what exactly their plan was.


    ¡°I have no name, nor do I need one.¡± Answered the woman swiftly, suggesting she was not up for a conversation. Why would she want to have one anyway? She knew her orders, as well as these people. Instead of talking, they should concentrate on finding the monster they were assigned for.


    ¡°That would be troublesome. If I need to call you in the midst of a fight, a name would be appreciated.¡± The man smiled in courtesy.


    ¡°Then you can call me the Oracle.¡±


    ¡°Why do you have no name?¡± asked Jora.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s not necessary. A name is given to personalize something, to give it a sense of unicity. And because of our fighting style, it¡¯s considered better to not be given a name. That way, things can be¡­.easier to forget.¡± The Oracle slightly stuttered at the last bit. ¡°Anyway here is our target! Focus!¡±


    A few hundreds meters away up ahead, right at the crossing, a humanoid monster with three horns on its head was smashing a building with its bare hands. A couple of monochrome eye balls monster, similar to the one Luna killed, were also seen floating around the Monochrome.


    ¡°So two scouts and a bruiser! What is the plan, miss Oracle?¡± asked Kennedy.


    ¡°Protect me for ten minutes and it will be all over!¡± the Oracle ordered.


    ¡°What do you intend to do anyway?¡± Jora asked.


    ¡°I have no time to explain. Do you want to do this or not?¡± the woman said.


    ¡°¡­Very well! Jora, you and I will take care of the two scouts first then we will distract the large one to keep it away from miss Oracle. It doesn¡¯t seem to have spotted us yet so we still have the advantage.¡± Kennedy explained the plan.


    ¡°Roger!¡± Jora acknowledged.


    Slowly descending in height until they touched the ground in the middle of the street, the duo prepared for battle. At least, the civilians seemed to have escaped from the area so they didn¡¯t have to hold back for anything. The only problem was what this Oracle woman would do. Would she charge at the monster with some kind of incredible attack or would she stay behind and assist them from the backline? Still, Jora could not fathom what kind of thing she would use to be able to kill the creature, unless she had that same spell as Alastor or something equivalent.


    But none of her prediction were true. With the duo charging forward, the Oracle woman simply sat down on the ground, crossing her legs. All of the sudden, she clapped her hand together, clacking the chains and generating a small invisible shockwave from her body, making the monsters taking notice of her presence.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the ritual! <Thread of the Moirai>¡±

 Chapter 67: Price of a curse

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the ritual! <Thread of the Moirai>¡±


    Just as the monsters have felt the shockwave coming from her, Kennedy has realized that they just lost their pre-emptive strike opportunity. All three of the monsters have become aware of their presences and were now heading toward the Oracle.


    ¡°What is she doing???¡± shouted Jora in confusion.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s why Alastor wanted us to protect her. Whatever she is doing, it will leave her vulnerable to attacks while making her known to the enemies.¡± Kennedy analysed. ¡°We have no choice. Be ready, Jora!¡±


    ¡°Of course, teacher!¡± addressed the white haired woman.


    The first enemies they encountered were the two scouts. In just a few seconds, the two eye balls have closed the gap by diving blindly toward the Oracle woman. It seemed that whatever she was doing, they too could feel the danger it posed and therefore she must be taken care of as quickly as possible. But the two Greymen would not let them pass so easily. Compared to the large Monochrome, these were simply vanguards, the weakest unit of the Monochrome. With their years of experience, defeating the Augur, the eye ball monsters as referred by the Goddess Luna, was a simple task.


    Nodding in acknowledgment, each of the duo took on an Augur. The first one shot a purple laser beam, trailing from its position to the praying Oracle. Using her Telekinesis, Jora stood in front of her and formed a kinetic barrier, stopping the laser with her hands. Next, she made a fist and performed an uppercut at her position, causing a stone block to surge from below the Augur, blasting it on air. But that would not be the end. Manipulating the metal poles bars standing in the streets, Jora fired three of them right toward the flying eye ball and pierced it right through its pupil, sticking it on a building.


    As for Kennedy, the man held other weapons aside from his Teleportation power. Taking out a long sniper he has been carrying on his back, he was able to use such a heavy weapon without the need of any installation like normal snipers would do. Even the bullet was made by the veteran himself, which would cause an explosion when it was inside the target, more than enough to deal with the low level monsters. But how would he able to fire something from that gun while the Augur was observing his every move?


    The moment he fired, the monster would simply dodge to the side with its quick reflex. But Kennedy had a plan. Casually taking a few steps forward, he crouched down and picked up a small pebble on the ground. What could a pebble possibly do in such situation? Something good!


    Without warning, Kennedy threw the pebble in the direction of the eye ball. However, he deliberately put too much force into it, making it passing over the Augur. At first, the monster was surprised when he saw something was being thrown at him. But when it realized it was just a pebble and it would only pass right over him, it decided not to move but to keep its sight on Kennedy. That pebble was probably just a distraction anyway to give the man the opportunity to make his shot. And he did.


    In just under two seconds, Kennedy fired two shots: one at the monster and a second one to its left side. Did he think that shooting in two directions would do anything? The monster only needed to evade to the right and it would dodge both the shots.


    Through the Augur¡¯s eye, everything was in slow motion. But as it was moving to the right, something happened: the bullet that was fired at him disappeared in mid-air and instead, a small pebble took its place, falling to the ground. What happened? Where was the bullet? And why would there be a pebble here? But before it could understand what that meant, something has penetrated its body, something small. It was too late.


    ¡°Bam!¡± Kennedy grinned.


    A fiery detonation erupted from inside the Augur, blasting its inside out in every direction. In the end, it died without even understanding what killed it.


    This was one of the skills Kennedy developed using his Teleportation talent, <Invisible Bullet>.  Using the first two bullets as a distraction, Kennedy has forced the monster to dodge in the only safe position it knew: its right side. It did exactly as he has planned. However, what it didn¡¯t take in account was the pebble. By the time the first bullet aiming at the Augur was in half its way toward it, the pebble would be right behind. At that moment, Kennedy has switched the position of the bullet and the pebble, making it an unseen attack. The interesting fact was that if Kennedy teleported a moving object, that object would keep its acceleration force and movement. When it reappeared at the destination, Kennedy could place it in a way so that the bullet would hit the monster on its back. And everything took place in just matter of a few seconds. What was amazing was just not the ability itself but the calculations he had to make to execute it so perfectly in that short amount of time. Either he was a genius in combat warfare or has spent countless time to perfect this skill.


    With the two Augurs out of the equation, all that was left was the biggest and most threatening target, the Harvester. Each Harvester had their own basic abilities but if they managed to devour someone powerful, it would grant them that person¡¯s power, making them even more dangerous than they already were. Furthermore, they were almost immune to most common weapons.


    In addition to the Greymen, the military had also mobilized their force to eliminate the threat. From a corner of the street, an armoured vehicle with a long cannon sticking out at the front was rolling out and aimed at the humanoid Monochrome. From above, two flying vehicles with rotating fans which seemed to be the mechanism keeping them afloat, have arrived. Yet they made no sound, allowing them for a surprise attack. With these reassuring weapons by their side, Kennedy and Jora would have an easier time to keep the monster distracted. But what was the Oracle doing at that moment?


    If there was anything that stood out from this fiery chaotic scenery of the clash between the monster and the military, it was this lonely woman who sat in the middle of the street, crossing her legs, her hands in a praying manner. Even when debris came lunging itself at her way, she didn¡¯t even try to move away. If not for Jora and Kennedy who took care of the incoming projectiles, she would be dead by now. After a long waiting, which was only a few minutes in battle, she began to wave her hand around, trying to catch something and pulling it back to her. Yet no one could see what she was holding on to.


    Slowly swaying her hand forward and backward in a circular motion, the Oracle appeared to be spinning something with her arms. The way she did so gently, mingled with the disparity in betwixt of her bloodless skin and her dusky garb, could only add to her gracefulness and elegance. An erratic prospect it was, considering how she remained unfazed in the middle of this pandemonium around her: the fiery explosions in the background, the crumbling architectures, the deaths and blood splattered on the streets. Sitting in this starless night, it was as if she was enclosed in her own bubble, without a care for the rest of the world.


    As she stopped moving, the Oracle began to mutter in a low tone to which only she could hear what she was saying. Then she raised both her hands to the sky and chanted. ¡°The concealed threads of life, show yourself to me! <Clotho¡¯s Revelation>¡±


    From this dark murky firmament above, fine red strings began to drop down. It was not just one or a few but hundreds, thousands of them or even more, enough to cover the whole sky as it spread to every corner. Each string attached itself to a person in the city behind their necks, almost like a marionette. No one would be able to retain their calm if they could see this outlandish spectacle. Yet, none could see these strings, none but the Oracles. In front of her, the Oracle could see two threads hanging from the two persons who have been protecting her, Kennedy and Jora. The soldiers, each also had their own and they all looked the same. But she wasn¡¯t interested in any of those. No, she was looking for one in particular, the one that belonged to the monster they were fighting. And she saw it, hanging from behind the monster up to the heavens.


    Raising her hand toward it as if she was commanding it, the string began to prolong itself and moved toward the woman. When it finally dragged itself to her, the Oracle caught it and extended it widely in her hands as she gazed intensively at it.


    ¡°Reveal your secrets to me! Show me your life! <Lachesis¡¯ vision>¡±


    The red string started to emit a dim crimson luminescence as memories of the creature were being transferred to the Oracle, reflecting countless images in a quick succession in her eyes in matter of seconds.


    ¡°Pitiful creature¡­live only to satisfy your endless hunger. A miserable existence, you are. But a life nonetheless. You need not suffer any longer. Let me free you from this insatiable craving! <Atropos¡¯ shears>¡± she spoke softly.


    An oversized pair of black scissors manifested itself in her hand. Made out of an unknown obsidian material, the object was emanating an ominous aura, one that would send shivers to those who dared lay their eyes on it. It was as if death itself was in physical form disguised as such a simple item. Holding one end of the string with her left hand while drawing the tongue of the scissors closer and closer with the wire, the Oracle spoke the final verse.


    ¡°When one soul is cursed, two graves are dug. As wretched as you may be, let me accompany you to the end of this journey, to be your guide, to help you cross the boundless river of souls!¡± the Oracle offered her prayer. The frail string was now right between the sharp blades of her scissors. One small movement, the release of the blades, that was all it would take. Was death ever this simple? A life, a string, such was the frailty of the living. ¡°And so¡­it ends. *SNIP*¡±


    All of the sudden, the Monochrome, which was in the middle of its rampage, became frozen in place. Just a moment before, it has grabbed one of the armoured vehicles with one of its hands and was just about to throw them toward Kennedy and the rest. But now it has stopped. Its grip started to soften, releasing the tank and letting it crushing down to the ground as its gigantic body fell against a building behind it. Perhaps thanks to the study structure it was built on, the building stood still, although not without some damages in the front where the monster was leaning on. As for the monster, it just laid there, motionless.


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    ¡°What happened? How come it is not moving anymore?¡± asked Kennedy. He decided to come closer to verify the situation.


    ¡°Teacher, what are you doing?¡± shouted Jora.


    ¡°Stay back!¡± Kennedy shouted back firmly. If it was any other case, he would never do what he was currently doing: approaching an unknown target without any confirmation of its status. What if the Monochrome was only pretending, waiting for someone unsuspected to come by and would snatch him and eat him? He has seen it happened before. Yet, something was telling him that this time, it wasn¡¯t the case. Despite all his screaming instincts to stay back, Kennedy still moved forward, slowly, step by step.


    As he drew closer to the monster, he tried to fire a few shots at it to test the water. Still nothing. He tried to poke it with his long gun but it didn¡¯t react. Even when turning his back on it, the creature didn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s really dead¡­¡± he said to himself. Deciding that it was safe to do so, he raised his arm to signal the troops that the danger has passed. The creature was dead.


    Seeing his signal, the soldiers began to shout in celebration, raising their arms simultaneously. It seemed that their heavy artillery did the trick after all. How else would you explain this? One by one, they came out of their tanks, hugging each other in tears. It was their efforts that helped them achieve the impossible thing.


    But not Kennedy and Jora. They refused to believe for one second that what they did was enough to kill such a monstrosity. But then what killed it? At that moment, the two remembered about the Oracle whom they have been protecting. Perhaps it was her, using some kind of extremely powerful spell that none of them were able to stop it. That could be the only possible explanation.


    Rushing to her side, back where she was sitting in the middle of the road, Kennedy spoke.


    ¡°Are you the one who killed it?¡± he asked the woman who was in an odd position. Facing her arms up to the sky laying on the ground, the Oracle was in a kneeling gesture with her head bending down at a low angle, making it difficult to see her face. Perhaps the spell has exhausted her too much, he thought.


    ¡°That was amazing. Just how did you do it?¡± clamoured Jora in excitement.


    But there was no answer. The Oracle simply lied there, motionless¡­just like the monster she killed. A frightening thought crossed his mind as Kennedy lifted her against his shoulder and put his fingers on her neck, a technic to check her pulse. There was none.


    ¡°She¡­.she is dead.¡±


    ¡°What??? How?¡± Jora uttered in disbelief.


    For the entire time, the two have made sure that nothing ever reached the Oracle, not even a single debris. Yet now she lied dead, just like the monster. What happened to her?


    ¡°When one soul is cursed, two graves are dug.¡± Those were the words of the Oracle. To take a life, you must be prepared to lose yours. A life for a life, it was as simple as that and that was exactly what the woman did: sacrificing her own to sniff out the life of another. These women, the Oracles, were clones created by Alastor as an inspiration from the witch Beatrix. An expert in curse she was, for she was the one who devised this unique skill. Such a frightening ability, to kill anyone at any time without a care for any protection, as long as you were prepared to sacrifice your own life. Just how many could do that even if they had this ability? What amount of hatred would it need for someone to be prepared to kill themselves in exchange for the death of their nemesis? It made no wonder that even the arrogant Xenes had to admit that her skill was omnipotent, a god-like ability. Still, the Oracles were simply doing an imitation of the original spell; a lesser version that was much weaker than it was intended to be with a long casting time and a limit where foes above a certain threshold would be immune to this curse. And perhaps it was for the best that only Beatrix would be capable to cast this spell. For the original version of it would be able to kill anything or anyone, no matter who you were, even a God.


    * * *


    Among all the destructions that were happening in Europia, district Z was the worst of them all. For it was there that a battle between a God and a super powerful Monochrome was taking place. Sky high buildings and towers were being sliced into two like butter, craters popped out everywhere as a result of their exchange of skills, columns of black smoke and fire spread across the entire neighbourhood. On the ground, panic and chaos filled the streets as the people were trying to get away from the fight. Children who were too slow were being carried by their parents or even bystanders who could not just watch and let them die like bugs.


    Unlike the other districts, it seemed that the government has abandoned the people of this place, seeing how it was impossible to save them from these two super powers. They would not have enough force to cover the entire city anyway, not in that short amount of time. Instead, they would rather save those they could. A logical choice, but a heartless one.


    As for the Goddess of the Moon, she apparently couldn¡¯t care less for the unknown people of the other world. Right now she had more things on her hands already. Her sister has been devoured by the beast right in front of her. Even worse, her body has now become part of the monster, sticking out from its chest as it used her own power and body against her sister. But even if she knew that Solana was already gone, Luna could not ignore the painful expression her sister was making. A part of her twin was still alive in there, being tortured both physically and mentally. A mixture of grief, of pain, of anger has taken over the Goddess as she relentlessly attacked the Harvester in a series of furious blows, further adding to the devastation of the surroundings.


    And finally the third and final actor has shown himself: the demon lord has come.


    ¡°Hello there!¡± Alastor said casually from on top of a roof behind Luna.


    ¡°Not now, Alastor! I would greatly appreciate if you can sit out of this for a minute. I need to take care of this thing first.¡± Luna coldly replied. In her heart, she was preparing for a two fronts assault. Alastor had no reason to not do so after all. She knew he despised the Gods for attacking him. But if he did it so, that would leave her in quite a predicament.


    ¡°You do realize that she is beyond saving right?¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I must do it. I cannot tolerate it defiling my sister like this anymore. So please¡­.¡± Luna pled.


    ¡°Ok then.¡± He said. The way he said it made Luna wonder if he really meant it. But it was what he did next that surprised her even more. Floating in mid-air between the monster and Luna, Alastor was preparing for combat, not against her but against the Monochrome. ¡°I also have a score to settle with this thing. Besides, I still owned you for what you did back at Malatas so how about a temporary truce?¡±


    ¡°What? Why would you do such a thing?¡± Luna asked in confusion.


    ¡°For many reasons. First, I hate being in debts of others, especially from my enemies so this way I can at least feel at bit better when we fight after this.


    Secondly, this is my personal belief but no one should have to kill their own family. The world is already a shitty place. We don¡¯t need to further add more tragedies into it.


    You may be God, Elemyr, but you can¡¯t control everything the way you want it to be, nor do I hold you responsible for all the miseries I had to endure. As much as I hate to say it, it made me who I am right now. So let me help you, Luna! Still, after this, I expect some answers.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­strange.¡± Luna uttered.¡± But I will take up any help I can get¡­.Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet! If I find out that you have anything to do with my parents¡¯ murder¡­well, let¡¯s just hope that we won¡¯t come to that!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Alright¡­I¡­I will tell you everything once we kill the beast.¡±

 Chapter 68: Elemyr of Dark Moon

    Readying their combat stance, Alastor and Luna charged toward the Monochrome. An unusual sight it was, to see a demon lord and a goddess fighting side by side against a common foe. Albeit this was only an ephemeral truce between them, it showed us something, something compelling: peace was possible. Yes, we, standing for all the races, might have our differences. Yes, we might fight each other from time to time. But it didn¡¯t mean that we hated each other so much we couldn¡¯t share the same sky in a huge world like Astora. At the very least, Alastor and Luna didn¡¯t look that way. If we could reach a mutual understanding, then perhaps the idea of a peaceful world between the races might not seem that much of an illusion after all. But alas, this wasn¡¯t time to talk about peace, not when there was a giant man-eating freaking monster with a bad artistic sense of choice for skin colour was roaming around in front of you.


    The fight might seem one-sided at first with the monster at a great disadvantage as he had to fight two adversaries at the same time and they were not just any random foe like the soldiers. However, that would be the case if you didn¡¯t take in account Solana, or rather her body. While the creature was waving his long arms around, smashing everything, with her upper half sticking out on the monster¡¯s chest, Solana¡¯s body was holding her golden bow and fired consecutively a rain of seeking arrows of light that would pursue the two till the end of earth. Even if they somehow managed to avoid the arrows despite its incredible speed, the thing could change its trajectory to find them as if it was alive. And at that speed, they looked more like laser beams than actual arrows.


    ¡°How annoying these are!¡± muttered Alastor as he increased his flying speed to avoid the beams.


    ¡°It¡¯s Solana¡¯ specialty, <Living Arrow>. You can¡¯t escape from them. Our only option is to intercept them before they hit us, else this will never end.¡± Advised Luna as she quickly slashed an arrow with her shadowy daggers.


    ¡°Or this!¡± Alastor grinned as he thought of a plan to deal with these arrows.


    Diving right toward the monster, he skilfully glided between its legs. But that act had a purpose, aside from making the monster even more annoyed as it couldn¡¯t hit him with its giant fists. If we took in account the speed of the arrows, even if they had the ability to change their trajectory, it would still take a short moment before they could actually do it. By moving toward the monster, Alastor has lured all the arrows pursuing him into hitting it instead, damaging it as well of getting rid of the pursuers. Two birds with one stone, as they said.


    But based on the little injuries it caused, the Monochrome seemed to have taken on Solana¡¯s properties, meaning it was very resistant to light elemental attack. But that also meant that it would be vulnerable to dark damage. Coincidentally, we had a demon lord and a Goddess of darkness right here.


    ¡°<Dark Spheres>¡± Alastor invoked black orbs filling the area and bombarded the monster¡¯s location, destroying it little by little. Each orb would provoke a small explosion, obliterating the monster¡¯s flesh bit by bit before the wounds could even heal.


    ¡°<Blade of the Dark Moon>¡± The two daggers that Luna has been using suddenly shined brightly, radiating a nebulous luminescence before disintegrating into particles that would fuse together to form a long dark sword that looked nothing like the common swords found in Astora. The blade, obsidian in colour, was unusually thin and long, attached to a handle. With such a fragile blade, it seemed that its purpose was not to endure strike like a normal sword would. Instead, it was designed to cut through flesh with a single fast slash. In ancient times, there were warriors who used that type of swords but nowadays that culture seemed to have died out, leaving very few successors to the art: the katana.


    Holding her sword vertically with both her hands, Luna entered a completely different stance of combat compared to when she used the twin-daggers. Facing another wave of arrows, the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed not to see with her eyes. Emptying her mind, she visualized her surroundings.


    Standing in this cloudy darkness, tiny dots of light appeared one by one. Each corresponded to an arrow, filled with mana. She could see all of them now, moving as slow as a snail toward her.  In this darkness, she has removed all unnecessary things. All except for what was important.


    ¡°<Ire of the Crescent Moon>¡± In an instant, the ten-foot blade lashed out with light speed. Luna unleashed a streak of furious slashes, eliminating all the arrows. Considering how thin the blade was, her movement must be made with extreme precision without any excess motions. After what seemed to be an eternity of battle, which was only a few seconds in reality, Luna lowered her blade in relief.  All the arrows have been destroyed without a single one capable of even touching one of them. By now, the monster should have realized that his attack was absolutely useless. Unless he did something else, the tide would never turn in his favour.


    ¡°Time to finish this!¡± Alastor shouted, pointing his hand at the creature. ¡°<Black Hole>¡±


    The attack that was basically a one-hit kill, even against an S-rank Monochrome. But how would it fare against this special one?


    ¡°¡­.<Sunburst>¡­.¡±


    A giant orb of flame appeared in front of the monster and lunged itself at the incoming black hole. At the moment of impact, it released a huge explosion that blasted away all the buildings below it, as well as an immense shockwave of energy that diffused to the entire city, causing a total blackout.


    A Monochrome should not be able to hold that kind of power, not by itself. But it would be another story if it has devoured a god, and the Goddess of the Sun at that. As suspected, that miniature sun was actually cast by Solana who was sticking out of its chest. It seemed that she was still conscious of what was happening as she clearly showed a painful expression on her face, not due to the pain she had to endure while being eaten alive, but for the mental torture she was going through. Tears poured from her lifeless eyes as she was forced to fight against her own sister.


    But even when she was at wit¡¯s end, a Goddess remained a Goddess. Thanks to her special connection with her twin, Solana was still able to send a final message to her sister.


    ¡®Lu¡­na¡­¡¯ a voice called out to the Goddess of the Moon in her mind.


    ¡®Sis!!!¡¯ she shouted in her mind.


    ¡®I¡­don¡¯t have much time left. The monster¡­I have fused with its heart¡­That¡¯s the most I can do...You can kill him by¡­¡¯ Solana uttered in pain.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    ¡®I¡­I am sorry for asking you to do this, sister! I..am sorry.¡¯ Solana pled.


    ¡®I know, sis. I have readied myself for this to happen the moment we decided to come down here. It¡¯s just¡­now that we are at this crossing, it¡¯s too hard!!!¡± Luna sobbed.


    ¡®I know. But you have to be strong¡­This is lord Eden¡¯s will¡­my will¡­Fate¡¯s will. We have to do it, no matter how painful it might be.¡¯ Solana asserted softly. ¡®Do not fear! We will be together once this is over! I swear it to you.¡¯


    ¡® *hic hic* I understand.¡¯ Luna whimpered.


    ¡® Know that I always love you, Luna¡­..¡¯


    ¡®¡­..Sis? Sis?¡¯ she called out.


    ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ but there was no answer. The connection was already cut off.¡¯


    ¡® ¡­. I guess..I will see you later sis¡¯


    ¡­..


    ¡°LUNA!¡± the scream of a young boy brought the Goddess back to reality. When she opened her eyes, a boy has been shielding her by absorbing the fire ray coming toward her. Watching him from behind, a sudden urge to embrace him came over her. But unlike Ikarus or Morrigan who would do it out of love, what Luna wanted to do came from a very different source of emotions: guilt, pity, regret. What could cause her, a Goddess, the enemy of demons apparently, to feel such a way? Only she would know. But for now, biting her lips and strengthening her resolve, she has held back her tears and compulsion. She needed to prepare herself for what was about to come.


    ¡°Alastor, I will create a diversion to distract it. Use that time and target at Solana¡¯s body! You have to¡­kill her in order to kill the monster.¡± Luna stuttered at the end, pinching her eyes to hold off the tears.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°I am. So¡­please, do it..as quick as possible!¡± she begged.


    ¡°I understand¡­Here I go!¡± In an instant, Alastor transformed into beast mode. Sharpening his claws, he readied himself. One single strike, that was all it would take. And he could not afford to miss. Right now, Solana was still hanging out from the Monochrome¡¯s chest but if let alone any longer, it would consume her completely in its body. At that time, they would lose their chance to end this fight quickly. ¡°Ready whenever you are!¡±


    ¡°


    ¡± the murky night sky which has been covered by the clouds and smokes has now become clear, revealing a pale soothing giant moon and the stars that have been hidden. Raising her katana high above her head as she lifted herself right in front of the moon, Luna made a small incantation and pointed down the sword to the monster. ¡°<Star Fall>¡±


    All of a sudden, a crack appeared behind Luna as if the moon itself was breaking apart like a mirror. Inside were a whole other night sky but unlike the one in this world, the stars inside the crack were much bigger and seemed to be increasing in size. Or at least that was what it seemed to be. But it wasn¡¯t. Instead of becoming bigger, it was the stars themselves that were actually approaching.


    One by one, they surged out from the fissure and dived toward the Monochrome. It was a display of the finest fireworks anyone has ever seen. Each star Luna created was of different colour, ranging from light blue to bright red. With each hit, the monster was pushed back a few steps before another one would hit it again. While all these might seem impressive, the damage it did was very little, not just because of the monster¡¯s resistance but also because Luna has deliberately lessened its destructive power. Even if she used it at full power, the only thing that would be destroyed was the city itself. Luna knew this herself. That was why it wasn¡¯t her aim to kill it with this attack at all. In fact, it was merely a distraction. Facing this kind of colourful attack all of the sudden, anyone would be stunned, assuming it would be devastating. This put the monster into a defensive stance, making it ignore the real threat that has been lurking inside this rain of meteors.


    ¡°YOU ARE MINE!¡± Hiding behind on the incoming star, Alastor jumped down from it and dashed toward its weak spot: Solana. Positioning his arm straight, he lunged himself like a spear.


    *STAB*


    ¡° *SHRIEK* ¡± the Monochrome roared in pain. The frightening scream it made could pierce anyone¡¯s eardrums if they were near it. Feeling the life leaving its disgusting body, the creature fell down like a log on its back, giving out some final weak wails before drawing its last breath.


    Alastor¡¯s beastly has now pierced the Goddess of the Sun¡¯s chest. Unlike the monster, she felt no pain when he impaled her. She has endured much more than that already. What he did was not killing her, it was freeing her from her suffering, to let her rest in peace. Even though Alastor was in odds with the gods, Elemyr hasn¡¯t done anything directly to him, at least based on what he has seen so far. What happened to her was unfortunate and Alastor wished somehow things could have been different. Because frankly, she didn¡¯t seem like anyone evil. She attacked Odium because Odium manipulated her people.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.With her remaining strength, Solana Elemyr lifted her trembling arms toward the boy¡¯s face, holding it as she gazed upon him. Alastor would not mind if she cursed him for being part of the reason why she ended up like this. Or for how he let his daughter ruining her entire kingdom. Even if he wasn¡¯t directly responsible, he still felt a certain guilt looking at her. Yet she did no such thing. Her hands, gently caressed his confused face as she uttered her final words with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Solana¡¯s body began to illuminate and withering into particles of light. These glitters glided playfully around Alastor before reassembling into an orb of light in the boy¡¯s hand. This sphere was the soul of a God. All that power now remained inside this tiny little thing. But why did it not enter Alastor like before? If the same was supposed to happen when he killed Merkabah and Gnome, then their souls would become one with him. He knew naught why it happened that way but that was what would usually happen. So why was this time different?


    Because the soul has yet been completed.


    Following his instinct, Alastor immediately turned around, only to see that Luna has collapsed on the ground, her body was glowing a dim light. Fearing the worst, he rushed to her side, seizing the orb in his hand. Lifting her head with his arm, Alastor called out to her desperately.


    ¡°Luna! Wake up! What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Light and¡­dark cannot exist without the other. Just like the sun and the moon. Both are necessary to the survival of the world. Solana and I are the same. Our souls...are one.  If one dies, so will the other. Such is our fate.¡± Luna uttered weakly.


    ¡°Then why? Why did you want me to kill her¡­to kill you?¡± he yelled at her in anger.


    ¡°We will die either way if you let her inside that monster. But this way, at the very least, she could remain unsoiled till the very end¡­So¡­thank you for doing this! ¡­I could not have done this without you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you thanking me? I killed your sister. I killed you. Hate me! Curse me! Don¡¯t thank me!!!¡± Alastor shouted even louder. A drop of tears fell onto Luna¡¯s face. Even if they were supposed to be enemies, Alastor could not hide this incomprehensible sadness he was feeling for her. Why did things have to be this way? Why did people continue to die? For what reason?


    ¡°I¡­am happy¡­that you cry for me. But don¡¯t be sad for me. This is what I wanted for myself¡­Besides¡­I will be able to see my sister again¡­inside your soul.¡± Muttered Luna.


    ¡°Tell me! Why is this happening? Just what do you people want from me?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°I wish¡­I can tell you¡­but¡­ you have to find out for yourself¡­Go to Oros! You will find Amon there. With the four Gods¡¯ souls, ascend to Celestia! There¡­you will find your answer you are looking for¡­But whatever happens¡­.be strong!¡± The Goddess sobbed as a flow of tears poured out of her red eyes. ¡°I am sorry..Alastor¡­ for what we did¡­and for what will transpire from our actions¡­It¡¯s all because¡­of that accursed box¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? I don¡¯t understand. What box?¡± Alastor urged in desperation, mortified by what Luna was saying. What did she mean by that? Why did the Gods do? ¡°Explain it to me, please!!!¡±


    But he didn¡¯t get the answer he was looking for.


    As a person was in a near-death state, sometimes they would have hallucinations. For some, the mirages may be good memories, their loved ones, things that could comfort them in their final moment. But for others, it could be their regrets, what has haunted them for their entire lives.


    ¡°I am¡­sorry¡­Please forgive me¡­.¡±


    ¡°No no she is hallucinating¡­.I have to¡­.¡± Alastor panicked as he didn¡¯t know what to do. But then¡­


    ¡°¡­Asgore!¡±


    Asgore, the name of the last demon lord, a chosen of Magnus and¡­.Alastor¡¯s father.


    ¡°WHAT? Why are you saying that name? How do you know him?¡± Alastor began to shake Luna violently. He tried to bring her back to herself, to no avail. The Goddess of the Moon has already gone too far from the world of the living.  ¡°ANSWER ME!¡±


    ¡­..


    It was too late. Luna has just drawn her last breath. Her body, just like her sister, has turned into an orb of light and fused together with the other one to form a bigger orb before entering Alastor. Crossing the field of darkness, the orb fell down a cliff and entered the door located at the depths of the Abyss.


    ¡°Three down¡­Three more to go!¡±


    * * *


    Somewhere nearby, on the roof of a nearby intact building, two individuals have been observing the battle since the very beginning. It was in the middle of the fight that they realized how big the universe truly was. Just a few days ago, the girl thought that Greymen would be the only solution to the Monochrome threat. But only after a faithful encounter with a certain Traveller from another world, she could not believe how wrong she was.


    The same could be said for the old doctor. He has seen the boy¡¯s power before this. He had a taste of what magic was capable of during his short time at Astora. Yet, even then, he could not believe his eyes as they witnessed the battle of the century.


    ¡°The power of a God¡­.truly something that cannot be underestimated.¡± Uttered softly Vincent with his wide opened eyes, frozen in awe. ¡°If only we can obtain such power¡­everything would be¡­.¡±


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡± a scream brought Vincent back to reality. It was his granddaughter Fiora who has called out to the boy. The moment a luminous orb entered him, the boy fell down to the ground, seemingly unconscious. ¡°Grandpa, we need to go help him.¡±


    The monster has been immobile for a moment now. That strange woman, thought to be his enemy but helped Alastor in the end, also seemed to have disappeared. There shouldn¡¯t any danger anymore so Vincent agreed to her request.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Alastor, are you alright? Answer me!¡± screamed Fiora as she tried to shake the boy heavily.


    ¡°Calm down, Fiora! Let me handle this!¡± said Vincent. The old man brought out a small gadget and scanned the unconscious boy with it. After a few moments, he exhaled in relief. ¡°He will be fine. He is just sleeping. Nothing seems to be damaged.¡±


    ¡°Thank God!!!¡± Fiora sobbed.


    ¡°Go take the car! We can¡¯t let him laying here like this. Go, I will watch him!¡± ordered Vincent.


    ¡°Ok, I will be back shortly.¡± With that said, Fiora ran as fast as she could back to her car, leaving the old man alone with Alastor. There shouldn¡¯t be any danger that could harm them left at the scene.


    But what Fiora didn¡¯t know was that Vincent deliberately wanted her to go away for a while, for he knew that she would not allow him to do what he was about to do.


    ¡°Alastor, are you awake?¡± the old man shook the boy lightly to make sure that he was unconscious. At that moment, the doctor decided to do something completely outrageous. Using all his strength, he stepped down from the wheelchair he has been sitting on for years. But half-way, his grip on the chair softened as he fell down to the ground. But that would not stop him. If he could not walk, he would crawl. Slowly but surely, he crawled to the boy¡¯ side before sitting down against the wheelchair to take a deep breath. That alone was too much of an exercise for an old man like Vincent.


    Drawing his hand in his pocket, Vincent took out a small glass vial with a needle at its end. Then he stabbed it into Alastor¡¯s arm as a red liquid began to fill the vial. Next, he proceeded to take a strand of hair of the boy and put it into a small transparent plastic bag before stashing the two samples in his pocket again.


    Now, he waited, waited for Fiora to come back. She has only been away for a few minutes now so why did he feel already like an eternity? His wizened face started to sweat as he had some trouble to breath. What did he just do, he wondered¡­


    After a short while, a flying car came by with Fiora quickly jumping out. Dismayed by the fact that her grandpa was not on his wheelchair but rather on the ground, she screamed out.


    ¡°Grandpa!!! How come you are on the ground? Did you fall? Did something attack you?¡±


    ¡°No no! I am fine my dear. Just..just want to do some tests to make sure that he is alright. That¡¯s all! But don¡¯t mind me! Let¡¯s take him back to your home first before the military comes!¡± Vincent said.


    ¡°O..Of course, grandpa! But what about you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Ah yes¡­can you drop me at home first then?¡±


    ¡°No problem, grandpa! Just wait there! I will bring him in the car then I will get you in.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡­my dear!¡±


    And with that, the three left the scene, leaving behind the devastation that was caused. However, unknown to Vincent, his actions have been observed by a shadowy individual who has been hiding in the background for a very long time.


    ¡°My old friend Vincent, after all these years, you never change one bit, you sneaky little devil!¡±


    ##############################################################################################################


    Author''s note: Should I take the absence of comments in the last few chapters as a good sign that everything is good or the opposite? ^^ Please leave a comment if you enjoyed the chapters (which I hope you did). I am a little afraid of this silence so if you can leave a review/rating, it would motivate me greatly. Thanks for reading my chapter. Also for those who think that there are too many mysteries with so many clues hidden around, I don''t mind make a small recap of all the findings so far. Please leave a note if you want me to do something like that, though it might spoil for some people who want to find it themselves :)

 Chapter 69: Orbis-Exeo

    Author''s note: Can anyone find a Dark Souls''s reference in this chapter? Start with a G! End with a N! Also please leave a comment if you like it :).


    #######################################################################################################


    That night, after driving the old doctor back to his mansion, Fiora was on her way to bring Alastor back to her home. It was a long exhausted evening for everyone but it was worth it. They have accomplished their missions: the Monochrome threat has been subdued thanks to the effort of the army, the Greymen unit and most importantly a young Traveler from another world. Although, his achievement might never be released to the public. Even inside their own government, only the very top would know who the boy truly was while the rest stayed in ignorance, thinking that he was just another Greyman.


    The knowledge of the Other World has been kept secret for many years thanks to Doctor Vincent with his vast ¡®exclusive connections¡¯ and the old man wished for things to remain that way. That knowledge could prove to be too dangerous for anyone. What would happen if researchers began to study on a way to another world? What if instead of a ¡®kind¡¯ world like Astora, they ended up with the world of the Monochromes? Moreover, it was not like they really had the need to do it. Their current world was at peace: no poverty, no war, at least not now. So why would they need to take that risk anyway? For the so called knowledge? The leaders didn¡¯t care about that. They just wanted to maintain the status-quo. And so the top leaders of the world forbad all researches with heavy restrictions and surveillances to make sure things stayed the way it was, just as the doctor wanted. However, what they needed to do now was to find a solution to the persistent Monochrome threat. After what happened tonight, it was safe to say that just the Greymen unit and their current weapons were no longer sufficient to deal with them anymore. They needed something else.


    Back to Fiora, thankfully, her house was located in an unharmed district so she still had somewhere to go back to. In truth, even if her apartment was destroyed, it was not like the old man would let his only granddaughter wandering around in the street. Yet, it was kind of odd for him to not even mention anything about it when they drove him home. Normally, he would take advantage of the chaotic situation and invite Fiora to stay. But this time, he didn¡¯t. In fact, the whole journey back was filled with a deadly silence. Fiora constantly looked back to check the boy. If he moved or even twitched just a little bit, she would immediately put her hands back to check on him, something drivers should not do at all. But it was understandable. The boy saved not just their lives but their city, twice, so the least they could do was to make sure that he would be unharmed. Furthermore, the two had a connection¡­something special, at least from her point of view. Although their time together was short, the girl felt at ease around the boy. To be honest, in her eyes, she didn¡¯t even see him as a boy but a man. But she knew that one day he would have to return to his home, to his family. And when that day came, she must not be the chain that shackled his will, or so she told herself. She would have to let him go. That was why she remained silent, to keep her feelings in check while waiting for the inevitable day to come. She just had to enjoy this moment while it lasted, right?


    But as for the doctor, his silence signified something very different. In his mind, he just wanted to get out of this car as soon as possible. The air was suffocating here, to the point of being nauseating. Why? Not because of the air itself but because he had trouble to breath properly. Unable to hold it anymore, he pushed on a button attached to the door he was sitting next to descend the glass window of the car. The wind bathed in his wizened face as he felt so much more relaxed than ever. But it was just all in his head in the end. What he did was what caused him to behave this way.


    The old man stared at starless sky, contemplating about what he has witnessed, what he did, what he took from Alastor when the boy was unconscious.


    ¡®A God¡­if we have that kind of power, all these tragedies¡­all those deaths could have been prevented. We were lucky that Alastor was here when they attacked in mass. If he wasn¡¯t¡­.just imagines what terrible fate awaited us! But one day, Alastor will go back to Astora and we will be left defenseless once again. The Greymen are no longer enough to contain these creatures any more. We need something more¡­something like Alastor, a God¡­our God!¡¯ thought the doctor as he rubbed his hand into his pocket, verifying that the red vial was still there.


    Upon dropping him in front of his home, Fiora asked if he was fine. She noticed his odd behavior since the moment she found him sitting on the ground next to Alastor. But at that moment, her mind was preoccupied with Alastor¡¯s condition so much that when Vincent told her that he was fine, the girl simply brushed it off as it was just her grandpa being old. Perhaps going out like that, seeing the battle first hand was too much for someone his age. She even asked if he wanted her to stay but the old man declined politely, saying that she needed not to worry about him. And so she drove off, leaving Vincent in his wheelchair behind. His robot assistants were also there, so there was no need to worry about him.


    Now all alone in his office, under the dim light of the desk lamp, the old man held the vial in his hands, gazed at it intensively while thinking about what he would do with it. Why did he take it in the first place? It was on a mere transient impulse that pushed him to do it. Now that his head was clearer, he started to question his very own action. His passion for science, the craving for knowledge, the desire to save people, could they justify his action? To betray Alastor¡¯s trust? Well it wasn¡¯t really betrayal since Alastor wasn¡¯t hurt or anything but what about in the future? Vincent was a simple mortal man, despite how intelligent he was. He could not fathom the endless possibilities and the consequences of his every action. Could it one day come back and bite him? Marcus was an example of good intention turning evil. At the time, it was simply to save his dying wife. Who could refuse that wish? Who would have thought that such a gentle man almost destroyed the world? The thought haunted him for hours, made him questioning his own judgment.


    But while he was mulling over that prospect, Vincent didn¡¯t realize that he has been followed to his home. Right now, outside his mansion, a shadow was lurking in the darkness of night toward the seemingly immovable entrance. But that security door couldn¡¯t do anything to stop that person as the shadow simply walked through the heavy metallic barrier like a ghost. Wearing a light white garb with golden laces, the figure had ashen snake-like tendrils fluttering in every direction flaking off from under the garb which conveyed the expression that the figure didn¡¯t have legs but snakes in place. It explained the odd movement of the figure. Instead of walking, the person looked like they were drifting on air, slithering with their snake-like legs.


    Judging from the shapes and curves visible through the dress, the individual appeared female. But her most striking feature was not just those tentacle-like snakes but the helmet she was wearing: a golden headpiece that covered half her upper face, even the eyes, showing only an inky pair of lips and smooth skin. It made one wonder on how on earth she would be able to see anything with that on her head. Or perhaps it was deliberate. By concealing her sight, she would not have to watch the cruel ugly world outside. The idea of total darkness was conforming for some perhaps. Actually, instead of a helmet, the headpiece looked more like a mask, covering only her front and left her silver short hair visible. Even more outstanding was the seven long spikes, each half the size of a person¡¯s arm, prodding out around the headpiece in a symmetrical position with one on top and three on each side. From afar, the helmet reminded of the image of the sun.


    In addition to her unique appearance, it was her very presence that sent the chill. Her whole body was translucent, even her cloth and the snakes. Through the surveillance camera, she could still be seen, yet none of the actual security systems actually detected her, even when she was right in front of them. Calmly bypassing all the security systems as if the woman was never there, she walked through the corridor where Vincent sat in the room at the end.


    Inside the room, Vincent felt a sudden chill from behind the door. Suddenly, a creaking sound resounded as the door slowly opened, revealing a freakish woman walking in. Upon laying his eyes on the monstrosity, the doctor immediately reached out to the drawer and took out a small handgun but before he could even take a shot, a snake lunged itself at the pistol, taking it off the doctor¡¯s hands with its mouth before retracting back to the woman. Now having the gun in her hands, the woman threw it off to the side and waved her finger at the doctor.


    ¡°This is not good at all, Vincent. To point a gun at me like that¡­I am sad.¡± The woman said playfully.


    ¡°Who are you? How did you get in here?¡± Vincent shouted at her. The security systems he installed in this mansion were among the best in the world, equipped with not only movement monitoring but also heat detection. Not even an invisible person could get in. Yet how was it possible that this woman managed to enter here without even triggering a single alarm?


    ¡°Don¡¯t shout, Vincent! I am not here to harm you.¡± The woman spoke. ¡°Can¡¯t you recognize an old friend?¡±


    ¡°Friend? I don¡¯t remember meeting anyone that has snakes for legs before. Who are you really?¡± the old man said in confusion.


    ¡°Ah yes, I only borrow this appearance recently so of course you won¡¯t recognize me. That¡¯s my bad. How about you take a guess then? First clue is we met fifty years ago, when you were still at the Science Academy in Europia, section X, a top secret government funding program for the most intelligent individuals they could find, or at least that was what you told me.¡±


    ¡°What? ¡­.¡± The doctor searched his mind for all the people he met fifty years ago. But it was so long ago that he couldn¡¯t possibly remember every face he met. Furthermore, based on what the woman said, this wasn¡¯t even her real body. How was he supposed to find who she was with just that clue? Still, he was sure of one thing: this person wasn¡¯t part of the program he followed or an agent of the government as she said that it was Vincent himself who told her. Yet, he couldn¡¯t have just told anyone something that secret. So who was it?


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Not enough I see. Here is the second clue: I once saved your life.¡± The woman revealed.


    When he was young, Vincent usually went on the field together with the Greymen and many times, they saved his life. But at least, it surely lessened the number of suspects he could think off. And the problem was the Greymen unit was only created thirty five years ago. So this person couldn¡¯t be a Greyman. Else he would know. Then, it could only mean that the person was referring to the other accident. But¡­.


    ¡°Final clue: I helped you researching and developing the Orbis-Exeo. It didn¡¯t work in end but the research we did allowed you and Marcus to build the first prototype of Orbis-Exeo, creating the first device to be able to cross the dimensional barrier and granting passage between worlds.¡±


    The old man already had an idea of who this person could be with the second clue. But he refused to believe it was possible. Yet, this last clue confirmed it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be¡­.¡± The old man muttered. ¡°Sullivan?¡±


    ¡°It has been a long time, old friend! I hope you didn¡¯t forget about me.¡± The woman said.


    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t. You saved my life, Sullivan. You were the first Traveller I ever met. But how come you end up in this body? Last time I saw you, you were a short man with a long brown black beard, a dwarf as you said it.¡± Vincent, now a bit more relief, spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that ¡­.I was dead and now this woman, Cynthia, is lending her body for me to see you.¡±


    ¡°Dead? What happened?¡± Vincent asked.


    ¡°What happened? Time, my friend! Thousands of years have passed in my world while only fifty years have passed in yours. Still, I seem to have the better end since you look like you already have a foot in the grave while I have a young woman¡¯s body. Hehehe!¡± Suddenly the woman¡¯s left arm hit herself in the face and then pinched her other arm. ¡°Ouch. Sorry sorry! I won¡¯t touch anywhere weird again¡­ Ahem, it¡¯s a long story and I didn¡¯t cross the dimensional barrier just to chat with you, Vincent.¡± The demon lord resumed in a serious tone.


    ¡°So what did you come here for?¡± asked Vincent.


    ¡°To deliver a message: fix the Orbis-Exeo and give it to Alastor so he can return to Astora!¡± Sullivan proclaimed.


    ¡°What? A message? From who? And how do you know Alastor?¡± inquired the old man.


    ¡°So curious like always aren¡¯t you? But I understand why you would be confused. Even I am confused. You see, one of my acquaintances has prophetic dreams that can foresee the future, a prophet basically. We are all friends of Alastor as he is also a demon lord like I was. I told you about how it worked already. But that issue is not our main concern here.¡±


    ¡°How is it not a main concern? You are able to create rifts can you not? Why not just bring him back with you?¡± Vincent questioned. From their encounter fifty years ago, he learnt that the demon lord Sullivan had the ability to control space, capable of creating dimensional cracks like the rifts the Monochromes used to get here. Even the dimensional pocket that Alastor has been using was just one of the few applications of that power.


    ¡°Yes I can create rift to bring him back but my associate insists that Alastor must return by using that machine. In fact, what matters is that the Orbis-Exeo must be in Astora, not in this world.¡± Sullivan explained.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Beats me! It¡¯s just one of his weird visions again. But one thing I know is that his vision always comes true. If he saw that Alastor came back by using the Orbis-Exeo, then there must be a profound reason for it. Perhaps we cannot see it now but it might be crucial in the future. That¡¯s why I won¡¯t tell him about my ability or even his.¡±


    ¡°¡­All these just seem¡­suspicious. What are you hiding from me?¡± asked Vincent.


    ¡°Nothing. Look, I know how this looks to you! Even I have to admit it because it is suspicious as hell. But that¡¯s what we decide so please fix it! I can¡¯t just bring it back like that since it must be able to function on its own. And don¡¯t worry about the anchor! I already took care of that. A bridge has always been established between Astora and this world so the Orbis-Exeo, if functional, can now travel freely between the two realms. Timeline won¡¯t be a problem. Alastor will return to the exact time when he left. Anyway, you just focus on fixing the machine.¡± said Sullivan.


    ¡°But I have tried everything I know for the last thirty years. Nothing works!¡± yelled the old man.


    ¡°What do you think I am here for? I will help you fix it.¡± The demon lord proudly said.


    ¡°¡­ Why can¡¯t you tell him about it? It feels as if you are using him for some purpose.¡± Vincent inquired.


    ¡°So are you. Do you think I didn¡¯t notice what you did? You took a sample of his blood and hair. You want his DNA, don¡¯t you? See? I still remember your lessons.¡±


    ¡°You¡­are you blackmailing me?¡± Vincent grunted.


    ¡°Nothing of the sort. Just¡­a proposal: fix the Orbis-Exeo and in exchange I won¡¯t speak of this matter to anyone. This will stay between us.¡± The demon lord proposed.


    ¡°¡­This¡­I feel like I am making a huge mistake¡­¡± the doctor uttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we are hurting anyone. Alastor will go back to Astora as it was predicted. You do whatever you want with that sample. Everyone is happy. So what do you say, old friend? Deal?¡± the woman extended her arm to Vincent, waiting for him.


    ¡°¡­Very well! This is for saving our world. I must do it¡­even if I have to make a deal with the devil.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Don¡¯t say it like that! We are friends. Nothing bad will come out this arrangement. I assure you! Well let¡¯s go to see your Orbis-Exeo! Can¡¯t wait to see my research finally bear fruit into something!¡± Sullivan said through Cynthia with excitement.


    ¡°But what do you intend to do with it once Alastor goes back to Astora?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Nyx only told me that the machine must come to Astora. Even he doesn¡¯t know what happens afterward.¡±

 Chapter 70: New possibilities

    Author''s note: an unusual long chapter to end this arc :). Leave a comment if you like it.


    ######################################################################################################


    ¡°What? The machine is already fixed?¡± shouted Fiora before covering her mouth, realizing that Alastor was still sleeping in the next room. To her surprise, her grandpa has come in the middle of the night, bearing wonderful news of his accomplishment. But it wasn¡¯t something Fiora wanted to hear, not now.


    ¡°Yes. It has been difficult but I finally did it. So the moment I confirmed that it¡¯s functional, I rushed here immediately. But¡­ he still hasn¡¯t woke up yet?¡± asked Vincent.


    ¡°No¡­.¡± she gave out a long tired sigh.


    Two days have passed since the Monochrome¡¯s invasion on Europia. People have begun to go back to their daily life as reconstructions were on the way. Fortunately, no attack has been made since, allowing for a speedy recovery. But not everything could just go back to the way it was. This attack was unlike any others, correlating at a total different scale of its own compared to those in the past. The military could no longer conceal the truth like they did before. Right now, protests and manifestations have occupied government buildings as the people were demanding an answer for what exactly has happened. But so far, no public response has been given yet. They no longer had the option to give a pathetic excuse like before as thousands of videos about the unknown creatures have been spread among the public. Everyone knew about the existence of the Monochromes now. There was no denying it. And they demanded the truth.


    But none of that was of concern for the Esper Fiora. What has occupied her mind the recent days was Alastor; he still hasn¡¯t woken up since then. Even more worrying was that she couldn¡¯t give an explanation to why he stayed that way. His health and physical condition were perfectly fine. There was nothing wrong with his body so why he hasn¡¯t woke up yet? Could it be some kind of magical phenomenon that technologies of this world were unable to detect? If then, how was she supposed to help him?


    Little did she know, this was a natural symptom for Alastor as this happened every time he absorbed a God¡¯ soul. This overload of exuberance and power would have killed any normal man. But Alastor was no man nor was he normal. Still, it left him paralyzed and inert as his body was trying to regulate this sudden surge of power. Like the prophet Nyx once said, Alastor has gone through some abnormal states, growing in power too quick and too unnatural for his body to keep up. It was already a miracle that he didn¡¯t die from the shock if not because of his lineage and Lilith¡¯s blood that helped subside the side-effects. But it made one wonder how long could this body of an eleven years-old continue to endure?


    However, the poor girl didn¡¯t know that. All she could see was an unconscious Alastor who could not wake up for some reasons. She did her best to stay awake the whole time, just in case he could wake up anytime. The girl was afraid, afraid that if she was not there and something happened, he might just¡­drift away, just like her parents did. Because of that, she hasn¡¯t stepped out of her room even once since then, barely had a decent meal for the last two days, surviving with only what she had in her small apartment. A needless, illogical hardship but somehow perfectly understandable. For humans were creatures who were the very embodiments of irrationality. Because we were ruled, driven by our emotions. We could do things we would never normally do in the name of love, for our family, for our loved ones. Would you sacrifice the life of the person you loved to save the lives of an entire country? One live in exchange for millions. Some would, gladly. But there were those who wouldn¡¯t. A small percentage perhaps, considering how that choice could affect not just you but the entire race.  Perhaps, we could reform the question: how many would hesitate when confronted with such a choice?


    Did you see a difference? Indeed, many would choose to save millions of lives instead of one. But among those people, a lot would hesitate before they could make that choice. Why? If such a choice was the utmost logical response that rationality drove us to choose, then why would we hesitate? Because emotions were still there, our irrationality still there. It tried to fight back, to no avail. But that was not important, which side won. What was important was there was still irrationality living inside us even though many claimed that we were logical beings. It was not the final choice that made us logical but our way of thinking, how we ended up with that choice, defined who we were. And such was what drove Fiora to behave this way. For she was suffering from the ultimate condition of irrationality: love. What pushed one to love another? Could we simplify love to only a question of physical attraction? A question of compatibility? Or the primitive drive to reproduce or simply pleasure? To leave behind healthy offspring for the next generation as an instinct of survival of our race? Who knew?


    ¡°I see¡­What about you, Fiora? You look so thin¡­Have you been eating properly?¡± asked Vincent out of concern. He already had an idea about what she did. Just the look she had when Alastor fell to the ground, how she constantly checked on him¡­.it was so obvious to him.


    ¡°I am alright. But Alastor, he still¡­¡± sobbed Fiora.


    ¡°Now, now, don¡¯t cry! I am sure he is fine. We checked everything we could. He is just sleeping. I am sure he will wake up soon.¡± He comforted her.


    ¡° *hic hic* I hope so.¡± She wept.


    ¡°I brought you some food. Do try to eat them! You have to take care of yourself too.¡±


    ¡°I will..¡±


    ¡°Alright, I guess I will leave you to it then. When Alastor wakes up, can you relay my message to him?¡± asked Vincent.


    ¡°¡­.Yeah. What about you? What are you going to do now, grandpa?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­just some research. That¡¯s all. Anyway, take care of yourself!¡± The old man moved to the door. His robot assistant was already outside has opened it for him.


    ¡°I see. Good bye, gramps! You take care too.¡±


    Now sitting all alone by his side, Fiora caressed the boy¡¯s face, fixed his hair so he would not be bothered by it.


    She was so tired now she could sleep with her eyes opened. But something brought her back to the waking world.


    ¡°I¡­..¡± a tiny voice uttered softly.


    ¡°Alastor? Are you awake? It¡¯s me, Fiora! Can you hear me?¡± the girl hustled.


    ¡°Ik¡­¡± Alastor still hasn¡¯t waked up yet. He was just talking in his sleep. But still, hearing his voice was reassuring for Fiora. She approached her eyes to his face in order to hear him better. ¡°Ik..Ikarus¡±


    Stunned by the name, Fiora dropped down to the ground in dismay. Alastor has once told her about the person called Ikarus among the many things he divulged to her about his life. He didn¡¯t say anything specifically but Fiora could see the ecstatic, the calming, and the happiness he showed on his face whenever he talked about Ikarus. Alastor loved that woman, her and her only. Not Fiora.


    The two were people of the same world. They have known each other for quite a long time, at least much longer than the few days Fiora has spent with him. Together, they have surmounted challenges and obstacles, defeating Gods and monsters. It was inevitable that the two would fell in love with each other. Fiora understood that. But as irrationality dictated, understanding and accepting it were two very different things. The problem was, sometimes, refusing to accept reality could lead to disastrous consequences.


    At that moment, a thought came to the blank mind of the poor girl. What if Alastor never woke up? He wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. Instead, he would be here, by her side. They would be together, forever¡­.


    ¡°NO NO NO NO! I can¡¯t think like that¡± She screamed at herself. ¡°I am a terrible person. Please forgive me, Alastor! For having that thought for even one second. I must¡­I must not be the chain that shackles you. I must¡­let you go! But it¡¯s so hard *cry*. ¡° Fiora wailed in despair.


    The cries of the young woman resounded in this small dark room, breaking the enduring reticence of night. Sitting on the ground, she pushed her face between her bending knees. Her tears were pouring out of her red dark eyes, trailing from her rosy cheeks down to her legs. Her hands covering her head were pulling on her hair, straining them, hurting her, making her feeling the pain. But right now, that pain was the only thing that still held Fiora to the real world. For as long as there was pain, it meant we were alive and helped us distinguish the fain barrier between dreams and reality, which sometimes might not be that different from each other. Life in itself could be called a dream¡­but also in many cases, a nightmare, one that we could not wake up from.


    What was she supposed to do, aside from holding back her feelings? She had no right to intrude between them. What if he hated her for it? What if¡­.or so she thought. The feelings of guilt, for all the things that didn¡¯t even take place yet but might happen if she did so, were killing her from inside. The woman just didn¡¯t know what to do, how to suppress her emotions anymore.


    And such, such was the tragic fate that killed so many Espers before her. Having this incredible power and survive the first stage was already a miracle in itself. But that didn¡¯t mean that an Esper was safe for the rest of their lives. For being an Esper equalled having an unstable mind and psychological state. Like a switch or a coin, they might flip at any second. The only difference was that instead of changing to another face or state where they could simply revert back, there was no way back once the boundary was crossed as only one thing awaited at that end: death. After all, the mind was what gave them the power in the first place. And what ruled the mind? One¡¯s emotions. If your emotions went berserk, so would the mind. And what happened when the mind went berserk? The power went out of control. What happened when the power went out of control? Two possible scenarios: in their luckiest day, only the Esper died. In their worst day, they took down everything around with them. Right now, Fiora was right on the verge of crossing that point of no return. Just one more little push, like a cup of water on the verge of overflowing, that was all it would take. The mind would shut down and she would simply drift away.


    ¡­..


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± A gentle voice echoed in the mind plunging in darkness as a pair of hands lifted the woman¡¯s face up. ¡°It¡¯s my fault that you end up like this.¡±


    ¡°A¡­A¡­¡± Fiora could barely speak. Her throat was badly hurt from all the cries earlier. Her hands were trembling, even pinching herself to see if she was dreaming. Did she die from an Overload? Was this heavens perhaps? Was it why she could see Alastor all awake and well right now? If that was true, perhaps dying was not that bad at all¡­or so she thought.


    ¡°I am here. So don¡¯t cry anymore or I will be very sad!¡± Gently embracing her, he laid her head for it to rest on his chest. ¡°Shhh now now! Just stay like this for a while, okay?¡±


    Fiora nodded.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± asked Alastor. It has been an hour since he was in this position without moving. He didn¡¯t mind at all. The boy has noticed her feelings for a while now but he didn¡¯t want to say anything. He didn¡¯t think it was this serious and thought that when he went back to Astora, she would be fine again. Only now, Alastor realized how wrong it was. So he waited, patiently for her to stop crying as he lightly brushed her hair and patted her head like a child. The scene was kind of funny but heart-warming at the same time, to see such a small boy comforting an adult like that.


    ¡°I..I am sorry for showing you this ugly side of mine.¡± She sobbed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry about anything. It¡¯s me who should have make thing clear from the start. I am sorry for everything I put you through, Fiora. But I already¡­¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t say it. I already knew what you want to say. I know that you will have to go back to your world one day¡­. All these times, I have been running away from it ¡­But you don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. I am fine.¡± Fiora forced a smile.


    ¡°I know a fake smile when I see one.¡± He gave a soft smile at her. ¡°You are really bad at lying, Fiora! Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what you see in me. If I have to say, you have a bad taste in men¡± Alastor jested.


    ¡°Who knows? Perhaps I like younger guys like you. Hihi!¡±


    ¡°You bad girl!¡± laughed Alastor.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Grandpa wanted me to tell you that he has fixed the machine that will allow you to go back to Astora¡­¡± Fiora muttered.


    ¡°I see¡­.¡±


    ¡°When will you go? It¡¯s ready whenever you want it to be.¡± She asked.


    ¡°¡­Tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for not being able to stay longer. But I must return to my world. There are just too many things I need to do. So¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t have to explain yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Fiora, for being so understanding!¡±


    ¡°But I want something in return... Can we stay like this till morning?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind but my knees are getting sore though¡­¡±


    ¡°Then how about we continue in the bed?¡±


    ¡°¡­.ehhhh¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t do anything.¡± She grinned.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t eat me!¡±


    * * *


    The time has finally come for Alastor to say goodbye to this strange world and to go back to Astora. Currently locating in an underground room together with Fiora, Kennedy, Jora, Edmur, Pat and doctor Vincent, Alastor was standing in front of a white spherical structure that looked like a metal ball with a small entrance. Inside there were two seats and a control panel that looked completely outlandish, accompanied with some light leds and hundreds of buttons, none of which made any sense to Alastor.


    Taking a look inside, Alastor asked the doctor. ¡°Old man, I am not sure I know how to use this thing¡­Looks far too complex for a simple-minded like me.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t need to do anything. Unless you want to change the settings and parameters, which I don¡¯t recommend, just pressing this button once you are inside would transport you back to Astora and vice versa.¡± Vincent explained.


    ¡°Vice versa? You mean I can return here whenever I want. This is not a one time travel?¡±


    ¡°Who do you take me for? My machines are top-notched in term in security and safety as well as energy consumption. I can assure you that even in a thousand years in your timeline, this thing will still work and make wonders. Also, a present!¡± the doctor took out a gadget which looked like one of their telephone but with only a button. ¡°This is a radio that allows you to talk with us whenever you want. Simply hold the button and it will connect to the one we have! Fiora begged me to give you one so here it is. Just like the Orbis-Exeo, this thing¡¯s battery will last for at least a couple of thousand years.¡± The doctor handed it to Alastor.


    ¡°You are too kind. Thanks, old man¡­and Fiora too!¡± he smiled at the girl.


    Fiora stepped up and took Alastor¡¯s hands before putting them on her chest ¡°Take your time and do whatever you must! Once done, do try to visit us sometimes! Remember that you are always welcome here!¡± Fiora said.


    ¡°I will.¡± Alastor clenched his hands ¡°I promise!¡±


    ¡°See you, Alastor! Do bring us something next time you come back!¡± said Pat.


    ¡°It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance!¡± said Edmur.


    ¡°¡­Have a safe trip back!¡±  said Jora.


    ¡°Alastor, you have proven yourself to be a capable soldier, much more than anyone I have met. It has been an honour to fight by your side, no matter how faint it might be!¡± Kennedy shook the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°I also have a present for you.¡± The veteran brought out a wooden box. As he opened the box, he revealed an unusual gun that looked like a revolver used by the police but much bigger. ¡°This is the hand-cannon that has been passed down to me by my captain after I left the service of the military. We call it Faith. One shot is capable of piercing even tanks. Although I know that compared to your magic, this is nothing much but take this as a memento of this world!¡±


    The weapon was almost as big as Alastor¡¯s arm but he still managed to hold it firmly with just one hand, though it looked kind of ridiculous to see a child holding a gun the size of their limb. ¡°WOW! This looks cool! Thanks!...Now you make me look bad. I didn¡¯t have any time to buy any present for you guys¡­not all but only for one of you anyway.¡± Alastor looked at the surprised Fiora with her wide open eyes. She didn¡¯t expect him to give her anything at all.


    ¡°Hahaha! No need to worry! I didn¡¯t give you this and expect for something back. Go ahead and give her that!¡± Kennedy laughed out loud.


    ¡°Kennedy? You know about this?¡± asked Fiora.


    ¡°By coincidence, I swear. Anyway, go ahead Alastor!¡± the man urged.


    ¡°Alright alright! Chill down, guys! Ehem¡­.oh¡­ah¡­well here it is!¡± a magic circle appeared in Alastor¡¯s hand as he pulled out an azure necklace adorned with tiny strings made from crystal adorned with a big crystal gem in the form of an eight-petals flower. Each petal, translucent like the rest with a light colour blue, took on the shape of a triangle attached to the centre.


    ¡°Alastor!!! This is¡­.¡± Fiora uttered.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you like so I kind of make it to my liking¡­Hope you like it.¡± He said.


    ¡°I LOVE IT!¡± she jumped at him, drowning his face in her chest. ¡°THANK YOU!¡± It was only after the others saw how Alastor was being suffocated by her bosom that she finally let him go.


    It was time. Stepping inside the Exeo-Orbis, Alastor sat down on the cloth chair and attached the belt from the side. With the door slowly coming down, he shouted.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say goodbye as I promise I will go back to see you after I take care of my affairs. Rather, see you later, everyone!¡±


    ¡°See you later, Alastor!¡± the group shouted back.


    The metallic door has closed down. Through the small glass window, Alastor could see Fiora and everyone else waving at him. His stay was short but he has made wonderful memories in this place. There were revelations ,mysteries, drama, all of those he knew that he would miss after going back to Astora. But the boy held his words: one day he would come back to see them again. Perhaps even inviting them to Astora. The two worlds both had something they could learn from the other but most importantly, it was the connection, the friendships he made with the people of this world that would stay forever.


    ¡°System online. Connection established. Commencing sequences in 5¡­4¡­3¡­2¡­1...Transporting!¡±


    The sphere began to shake heavily as the Orbis-Exeo shined brightly. And then in an instant, it was gone. Where the machine used to stand was now an empty space.


    ¡°And off he goes.¡± Said Edmur.


    ¡°I will miss him.¡± Pat sneezed in a tissue.


    ¡°We will all do. He is our saviour after all.¡± Jora commented.


    With Alastor now gone, Fiora felt a certain emptiness in her. As she thought, it wasn¡¯t so easy after all, to forget one¡¯s love. But it would be okay. One day, Alastor would come back. Time in Astora flew differently so that day might not be that far after all. But until then, she must change, she must strengthen herself, to face her past so that one day, she could face him again.


    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± Fiora turned to Vincent. ¡°Do you think I can stay at your home from now on?¡±


    ¡°Fiora!¡± Vincent uttered in shock ¡°Of course my dear! You are always welcome here! It¡¯s your home after all.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, grandpa! Hihi!¡± It was the brightest smile Vincent has ever seen from Fiora ever since the day her parents died. But that smile didn¡¯t bring him comfort. Instead, it made him clenching his heart in guilt. This boy has healed the scars of his only family, ones that he could not do anything to help. And yet, he lied to him, lied to her. What he did¡­was unforgivable. He must correct this mistake before it was too late.


    * * *


    The Orbis-Exeo was now in a strange place, a cosmic universe that served as the link between countless worlds. To put it simply, it looked like a network with tunnels of light travelling across the whole system. One of such link was where Alastor was currently in, inside his machine. And he wasn¡¯t alone. Across the many tunnels, Alastor could see, through his tiny window, many others machines travelling inside those tunnels. Some looked like the Orbis-Exeo, others slightly different, having the appearance of a boat. There were even what appeared to be strange looking creatures that looked completely outlandish and fiendish.


    ¡°What the hell is this place?¡± Alastor uttered as he laid his eyes on the wonders in front of him. So many colours, creatures and machines with different shapes, it was as if he was in a strange dream.


    Suddenly, a strange sensation came over him. What was this feeling he have? This feeling of¡­familiarity. Suspecting something was up, he tried to look outside the other window to look for this source of power he was sensing. Right next to the tunnel he was in, there was another that seemed to align itself to his, at least much closer than the one the Orbis-Exeo he was in was using. To his surprise, an exact copy of the Orbis-Exeo was also inside that tunnel. This presence¡­no these two presences he was sensing since earlier came from that sphere. One of them, he definitely has seen or felt before. The other¡­ gave off an inexplicable mixture of familiarity and freshness, a weird feeling. What was this feeling, this desire to meet that person? To whom did the second presence belong to? He must know. He must see the person. But he couldn¡¯t. Alastor was stuck in this machine. He couldn¡¯t go out, out of fear that he might end up somewhere without a point of return.


    And so, Alastor helplessly watched as he drifted away from the other tunnel. His irrational behaviors, he couldn¡¯t find a single shred of reason to explain it. Why was it that he felt this way? This nervousness? This¡­urge?


    In this place where time and space were convoluted, where the past, the present, the future were mixed as one, what could possibly be the thing that Alastor has seen? An echo of the past? One of the many possible presents? Or a foreshadowing of the future? In the end, he never knew. That was it until much, much, much later.


    * * *


    That evening in the Other World, Fiora has moved back to the mansion of her grandfather. Needless to say, the old man was more than happy to hear it. With Kennedy and the others helping her moving her stuff, it was over in just a few hours. The girl never had that many things in the first place so it was quick to gather her stuff.


    After a welcome-back party with the others already leaving the house, Fiora was currently tidying up by herself in the kitchen. For some reasons, her grandpa has asked to leave the party early as he said he was a bit tired and there was something he needed to do. But Fiora didn¡¯t think much of it. Vincent was a genius even among his peers. It was no wonders that he didn¡¯t like loud parties such as this. It was already fortunate that he was willing to participate for the first half. Or so she thought.


    ¡°All done! Time to go to sleep!¡± she told herself. But then, Fiora noticed that the doctor hasn¡¯t eaten a piece of the cake she baked as he was gone by the time she brought it out. Perhaps she should bring him a piece. The old man usually stayed up late so some sweet would do the trick for a busy mind such as him.


    Cutting a part of the cake, she put it on a silver plate then proceeded to go down to his personal lab. Usually, he forbad everyone aside from himself to go there but surely his granddaughter, after all those years deciding to come back, would be more than welcome. And so she went down, knowing not what awaited her down there, the thing that would change her life forever.


    Passing through the dim hallway, Fiora now found herself in a dim corridor. It was her first time coming down here after all these years so she had a bit of trouble to re-orientate herself. In addition, a certain fear has taken over her. This was after all where the accident that cost her parents their lives took place. It was for this reason she decided to leave in the first place. Too many memories of them still haunted this place. But that was years ago. Now she was no longer the child she once was. She shall not be taken by this fear again. Embracing her courage, she walked through this obscure corridor.


    Among all the doors, only one was left slightly opened and there was light coming from there. It must be where the old man was sitting. Step by step, she moved toward the light. Her heart was beating unusually fast, as if her instincts were telling her: something was behind that door, something¡­unexpected.


    With her hand pushing against the door, Fiora entered the unknown room. The contrast between the bright white light and the gloom atmosphere of the corridor she just went through almost left her blind.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡­..


    Nothing. The old man wasn¡¯t inside nor was this the laboratory she was looking for. In fact, this was the Disposing room, where failed experiments would be incinerated, destroyed. Why would the light be on here? Has Vincent just been here? What for? Did one of his experiments or prototypes fail? Fiora pondered before she spotted something on the table in the middle of the room: some kind of glass cylinder that held a red vial in the middle of it. Upon laying her eyes on it, she immediately recognized the thing. It was a special container designed for preserving biological substance for years up to even centuries. But these were so rare and hard to make that not many people could have access to them. That was not to say that someone with a reputation like doctor Vincent would have any trouble to get one. The problem was what it was containing that interested Fiora. Could it be a sample of a Monochrome? That would explain why Vincent has been kind of odd these days. Perhaps he found something that could help them.


    Holding the container in her hands, Fiora rotated it around, trying to find the stamp where the information on this mysterious substance could be. And she found it, sticking on the top of the cylinder. Putting the heavy thing on the table again, she read it out loud:


    ¡°Blood sample of an Astorian progeny. Subject¡¯s name: Alastor¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Fiora uttered in disbelief, letting the containing fall down, activating the voice recording message that was registered into it. The voice belonged to Vincent.


    ¡°This is entry number forty-two. After a careful analysis of the blood sample, combined with the hair strand, I was able to retrieve the full DNA of the subject named Alastor. I have tried to replicate it through our cloning process but so far, there hasn¡¯t been any success. I theorize this is because of the presence of mana residing in these samples that somehow prevented the cells to replicate due to the lack of mana in our world. It¡¯s possible that, ¡®mana¡¯ is not just a simple energy like we thought it was but perhaps the true element of life. In any case, cloning method has proven so far to be ineffective.


    Numerous others tests have also been done. Only one showed a promising result. By injecting a female DNA sequence, the mana didn¡¯t reject the fusion and would form a completely new strand of DNA. Could it be possible that only a natural procreation would work? If that is the case, then only by impregnating a female subject with Alastor¡¯s DNA, could we obtain what we want: the child of a God, one that will release us from the curse of the Monochrome. End of entry!¡±


    Fiora could not believe what she was hearing. Alastor¡¯s DNA? Child of God? When did Vincent manage to take a sample of his blood? It was at that moment that his strange behaviours recently, how she found him next to the boy back at district Z, finally made sense to her. The old man stole his blood so he could create a weapon against the Monochromes.


    And the man in question has shown up. Upon seeing Fiora, he was shocked to find her here.


    ¡°Fiora? How did you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why? Why did you do it?¡± the girl shouted in anger.


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?  ¡­.That¡¯s¡­.¡± Seeing the cylinder in her hands, Vincent immediately understood what she meant. What he feared most has finally been uncovered.


    ¡°You took Alastor¡¯s blood? Without him even knowing? For what reason, grandpa???¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡± Vincent clenched his fist. His hands were trembling. ¡°It was on a mere impulse that I did it. I swear. That¡¯s why I was on my way to destroy it. I didn¡¯t want you to know that¡­that¡­¡±


    ¡°That you lied to him? To me? How could you do this?¡± Fiora fumed.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­I only wanted to get rid of the Monochromes. Without Alastor, if something like that happens again, we won¡¯t be able to survive.¡±


    ¡°So you want to his child to be born to kill those monsters for you? You don¡¯t care how it could kill them or how they would feel when they find out that their entire life is a lie, exist only to be a weapon?¡± the girl raged. ¡°Did you see how the government treated us Greymen? Let me tell you: like disposable garbage. They don¡¯t care about us as long as we do the fighting for them. If we die, then they just have to find another to replace us. Do you want that kind of life for his child? After all he did for you, for us???¡±


    ¡°I¡­I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± Vincent confessed.


    ¡°Just¡­just what were you thinking, grandpa?¡± Fiora grunted. She wanted to shout more, to scream more at her grandfather. She had so much more things to say. But then, something came to her. An idea, a thought.


    ¡°Please¡­let me destroy it! I can still fix this.¡± The old man pled, raising his hands to her.


    Indeed, he has only taken the blood and nothing has come out of his experiments yet. If he destroyed his research and this sample, things could still go back to the way it was. However, his granddaughter had a very different opinion.


    ¡°No...We can¡¯t destroy it.¡± She muttered. Gazing at the blood vial inside the glass cylinder she spoke. ¡°Grandpa, is what you said in the record true?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.well the procreation part is still debatable but the proofs are there so¡­but why do you ask?¡± he said.


    ¡°Let me do it!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let me¡­bear his child!¡± Fiora spoke.


    ¡°WHAT? Have you gone completely out of your mind? You just criticized me for what I did and now you want to have his child?¡± Vincent spoke violently.


    ¡°I will raise the child like a normal person. I won¡¯t let him or her do anything dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.We don¡¯t even know if there might be some side-effects...Alastor is not just a Traveller but a God-like existence. Even this tiny amount of blood is radiating with power. What if¡­what if something happens to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to do it. Alastor is no longer here anymore. Who knows when he will come back? I don¡¯t want his only legacy in this world to be this necklace. I want something for me and me alone.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    All of the sudden, Fiora crouched down to the ground, bending her knees as she bowed her head to him. ¡°Grandpa, I have never asked you for anything in my life. So please! Grant me this selfish wish! Let me bear his child!¡±


    ¡°You¡­Are you sure of yourself? If you want to have a child, you can just get married. You are still young. There are many people out there. One day, you might fall in love with another and¡­.¡± Vincent conveyed.


    ¡°NO¡­.I will never marry. So please! If I cannot have Alastor, at least let me have a child of his!¡±


    ¡°¡­You are really adamant about this¡­Why would you go to such extent?¡± the old man asked.


    ¡°Because I love him. Him and him only.¡±


    ¡°Such irrational thinking¡­.Just like your grandmother¡­Very well! I will help you with that wish. But I hope that you know what you are doing. There is no turning back after this.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandpa! I am sure that I will never regret this decision. Alastor¡¯s child will be born. His legacy will live on in this world.¡±


    It was on that day something incredible happened. A decision was made that would change the world, or perhaps worlds. Perhaps it would be better to describe it as a new branch of possibilities across the multitude parallel world. And the only difference all came down to one tiny little soul that would be born as a result, one that would inherit the unfathomable power of a God-like being and the wondrous gift of the Espers.


    * * *


    The scream came from behind Luna. Realizing what it meant, the moon goddess quickly turned back. The giant creature which couldn¡¯t come out of the rift has passed its arm through. Reaching toward Solana¡¯s barrier, it melted into a black and white liquid mixture and engulfed the Goddess of the Sun inside it.


    ¡°SISTER!!!¡± Luna screamed as she ran toward her sister.


    However, seemingly driven by an endless hunger, devouring a Goddess wasn¡¯t enough for it. Reaching its second arm through the crack, its fingers transformed into tentacles, catching both Alastor and Luna off guard. Then it pulled them back to it, beyond the dimensional crack as the rift closed itself.


    ¡°DAMN IT!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Hum, he is still not back yet? Guess I will have to wait for a bit then¡­Oh here it is!¡± a womanly voice spoke.


    A bright light illuminated the palace drowning in a dark mist as a spherical structure began to manifest itself in the middle of the room. The Orbis-Exeo has finally reached its destination: Alastor was finally back to his world. His mind was still a bit preoccupied with what he saw in the tunnel but in the end, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it and there was no way to know what it was now. He had no choice but to put it away, for now.


    Slowly climbing out of the machine, Alastor was suffering from a light headache. Perhaps it was just one of the side-effects of multi-worlds travelling, which seemed very minor for such accomplishment. But what should he do with the Orbis-Exeo now that he has come back? Stocking it away until the next time he used it? Of course he would but he needed to take a break first. This world travelling thing was quite exhausting compared to what he expected. But he didn¡¯t have a time for a breaker before he noticed a figure standing right in front of him. Wearing a white garb with golden laces, the curves shown through the dress suggested the person to be female. In addition, she wore a golden sun-like helmet with seven pointy spikes as it covered half of her frontal head, leaving only her inky pair of lips and smooth skin to be shown.


    Upon seeing that Alastor has noticed her presence, the woman slowly bended her knees to him.


    ¡°My dear lord Alastor, welcome back to Astora!¡±


    ¡°I can see that I am back where I first left. But lord? Dear??? How about you present yourself first, love?¡± Alastor spoke as he prepared himself for battle.


    ¡°There is no need for caution, milord! Master Sullivan has already informed me of your arrival. As a proof, please gaze your eyes upon this!¡± The woman stood up and lifted her arms to her shoulders, making Alastor almost jump back in defence, out of fear that she was about to do something. And indeed she was, just not what he was expecting. Casually undressing herself, the woman slowly revealed her naked body as she took off her garb from her shoulder, letting them fall down to the ground.


    ¡°What? Wait just a minute! My heart is not prepared¡­ Just what kind of battle tactic is this?¡± almost chocking himself by his own words, Alastor quickly covered his eyes with his hands. Still, he could not betray his male instinct, leading him to occasionally take a peek through those tiny gaps in his hand. To his defence, this was his first time ever to lay eyes on the naked body of a woman, if you didn¡¯t take in account the numerous times he has taken a bath with Alice years ago. It was no wonder why he would behave this way when a woman out of nowhere started to exhibit her naked body to him. Through the tiny cracks of his hands, Alastor could see every inch of her body. She had such smooth white skin. Combined with the inky lips and silky short silver hair, the woman could be said to be a beauty, perhaps to the same level as Ikarus in Alastor¡¯s personal tastes¡­ or opinions, especially if he took her alluring bosom into consideration.


    But nothing was perfect in this world. If the outside aspect was to be perfect, then perhaps we should consider what was actually inside. In this woman¡¯s case, Alastor has been so infatuated with her foremost charm that only now did he notice the scars on her skin, going up to her neck. There were so many with different sizes and shapes. Based on the traces, the scars didn¡¯t come from one weapon: some were results of a stab wound, others from whips. All of them were already healed, suggesting that they were from a long time ago. If not for the cloth and gloves she normally wore that hided all her skin, no one would know that under that light garb masked a terrible past. Alas, that was another story for another time.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t cover your eyes! I need you to see this.¡± The woman said softly.


    ¡°A very tempting invitation but as much as I wanted to, I can¡¯t¡­I already have someone so please! Can you¡­cover up a little bit?¡± said Alastor as he tried to look away.


    ¡°You seriously think that this horrendous body can still attract anyone?¡± asked the woman.


    ¡°Well you might say that but why do you think I am hiding my eyes?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s actually very kind of you to say that¡­ Thank you! Though I did not expect the demon lord to be this¡­.innocent. I would have thought you were already experienced with the opposite sex, considering how many women are around you. To be honest, that¡¯s kind of ¡­cute.¡± the woman grinned mischievously. She expected anyone would be repulsed by her scars. It already happened a few times. But for some reasons, the boy didn¡¯t. And that thought was kind of comforting. ¡°But there is something I do need you to see on my body. Else you won¡¯t believe what I say.¡±


    ¡°..Then at least can you cover your¡­..buns?¡± Alastor shied away.


    ¡°My what?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Your buns¡­or melons since they are quite big¡­.WHAT ARE YOU MAKING ME SAYING?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I won¡¯t understand if you can¡¯t speak it properly.¡± The woman said playfully.


    ¡°Alright! You want me to say it? Fine! Please cover your TITS please! Yes, your tits, your boobs, your cleavage!¡± the boy shouted before muttering in silence ¡°I hate myself for this.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so difficult, wasn¡¯t it? All right, now look between my¡­melons as you said it.¡± The woman covered her bosom with her hands, leaving only a crack between.


    It was only now that Alastor finally saw what he missed on her body. A small, tiny dark gem was etched on the woman¡¯s chest. And Alastor knew what it meant.


    ¡°You are one of the survivors of Odium¡¯s experiments!!!¡± the boy uttered in shock. Raising his eyes to her head, he saw the unusual helmet and was reminded of the story of the priestesses from chief Loo. ¡°Priestess of Luna!!!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am Cynthia, Priestess of the Moon, one of the two priestesses of Malatas! I just want to clarify something about your statement. I went through Odium¡¯s experiments out of my own volition, not some survivor who escaped from her lab.¡± The priestess said as she crouched down to take her garb before redressing herself.


    ¡°A volunteer? Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something rather personal, nothing you should concern yourself with. Anyway, master Sullivan has instructed me to greet you here before guiding you to your next destination.¡±


    Alastor has learnt from Asmodeus that all the demon lords in the Abyss were aware of this coalition between Xenes and Odium and what resulted from that coalition. He was also told that there was another person like Aldol who had the power of a demon lord but not who it was. And now the second person has shown herself before, which meant that as she said, the demon lords were behind this. But unlike Aldol who was completely crazy and under Odium¡¯s control, this person seemed very¡­rational. Why would such a person help Alastor or the demon lords? Whatever it was, Alastor must be careful around her.


    ¡°Sullivan sent you, you say? What for?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are you forgetting something, milord? What you asked Odium to create is still down in the underground of this castle. I am here to guide you to it.¡± Cynthia answered.


    Alastor finally remembered that one of the reasons he came here, aside from stopping Odium, was to retrieve what she created before anyone could lay their hands on it. That thing was simply too dangerous to be left alone.


    ¡°If you are involved in this then you should have known how valuable those things are. Why didn¡¯t you take them for yourself?¡± Alastor raised the right question. If such a thing was in someone¡¯s hands, it could give them tremendous power, surpassing even Alastor or the Gods, especially if that person had the consent of the demon lords like Cynthia. So whatever the reason she joined them, why not just take it for herself?


    ¡°Like you said, I could have. But you are the only one that could ever use them properly and at their maximum potential. Giving them to me is like giving diamonds to animals. Basically useless! No matter how valuable it is.¡± The maiden explained. ¡°Besides, the struggle for power interests me none.¡±


    ¡°If power is not what you seek, then what do you gain from this?¡±


    ¡°Something else. I wish to join you. With me on your side, you will have the total control of the remaining elves. I have already built my reputation among the people. They already see me as their saviour from Aldol¡¯s tyranny. With Astrea¡­I mean Odium and Aldol out of the picture, me and Eris will be the heads of the country, for now. But you have nothing to worry about Eris. No matter how conniving she sees herself, that woman is nothing but a pawn in my hands. I don¡¯t have any problem with you taking all the decision as long as you see me as your ally.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see what you will gain from this ¡­.alliance.¡± the boy uttered. ¡°What exactly do you want?¡±


    ¡°A front seat of your performance. I want to watch as you set this world on fire.¡± Cynthia confessed.


    ¡°What? I have no intention of destroying the world if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± Alastor shouted.


    ¡°Whatever your intention may be, it matters not. The hands of fate expand across the entire world. Not even the Gods, not you could escape from it.¡±


    ¡°Then I will refuse what fate has for me! I will decide my own future.¡±


    ¡°There is no point in arguing this right now. We will see what the future holds for both of us anyway. Until that time, I am yours to command.¡± Cynthia slightly bowed her head.


    ¡°How do I know if you won¡¯t try to sabotage everything I do just to you can see the world burns like you said?¡± the boy questioned.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t trust me, you can always kill me right now. It¡¯s a pity for me but that way, you won¡¯t have to risk anything by eliminating off a source of doubt. In addition, no one would suspect a thing since I deliberately stayed behind for our meeting. You could easily lie how you never met me on your way here, saying that I could have been killed by the miasma. With what you did in the Whispering Forests, saving the beastmen from certain defeat, none of them will doubt your words.¡±  Cynthia calmly spoke of her death. ¡°Or would you rather not stain your hands with my blood? I can commit suicide but you will have to take care of disposing later just in case. Not that anyone would ever return here again, considering how the miasma has taken over the entire land.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t understand you at all. For what reason would you push yourself this far?¡±


    ¡°As I said, it¡¯s personal.¡±


    ¡°¡­.very well! I will trust you for now! Lead the way!¡± this woman was impossible to understand. Everything she said sounded very suspicious but at the same time honest. Even more, she had no regard to her own life, willing to die just to prove a point to Alastor. Perhaps she might not be trust-worthy but for now, Alastor would allow her to follow him¡­.for now.


    ¡°A big risk you are taking there. If it was up to me, I wouldn¡¯t let someone this suspicious coming this close to me, not to mention trusting them. But it¡¯s up to you in the end. *sigh*. Follow me!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­just give me a second!¡± Alastor walked up to the only body found in this giant hall. Odium¡¯s corpse, she was still there, lying dead just like last time he saw her. A feeling of remorse came to him as he put his hand on her faceless head. The cold lifeless body just laid there. Could things have been different? The boy wondered. How Alastor wished he could rewind time, to redo his mistakes. But that would be cheating, wouldn¡¯t it? No one had that kind of power, not even the Gods. Even Lilith¡¯s <Chronoshift> which gave off the sensation of time rewinding could only revert objects to their past state, but not living beings. Else she would not end up in little Alice¡¯s body. To regret the past was a natural thing to do but getting stuck in it, unable to move on was something to avoid. It was time for Alastor to take responsibility for his actions. ¡°I want to give her a proper burial. When we go back, of course! Let¡¯s just take these accursed things and get away from here! I have had enough of this place.¡±


    ¡­..


    Humid, dark, eerie. Those were the words that described the place Alastor was going through. The underground of the castle of Galahad once served as a dungeon to lock away the things undesired by the people of the surface. Murderers, rapists, traitors, all sorts of characters have been here. But criminals were not the only things that were locked here. Undesired could be referred to all kind of things: your political enemies, rivals of the throne, etc. It all fell down to the king to judge who would be sent there. You were lucky if the king was wise. If not, you might as well wish for a quick death as once you were in, there was no going out. But again, it was all in the past. However, blood has been spilled, has dissolved into the very stones of foundation of this dungeon. And today, we saw another a return of those nightmares that once haunted this place. Only instead of prisoners who were locked inside, we found monsters, hundreds of them, all dead by the miasma. They couldn¡¯t escape these cells and so they waited for the inevitable end to claim them away. In truth, perhaps it was for the better, instead of rotting in there, they were now free from their cursed flesh. For what was the body if not a prison for the soul?


    Yet among all these cells, there was only one empty. Unlike the other cells, this one was made out of glass. The walls were still deeply wet, as if it was once filled with water, but now empty. Whatever it was inside, it was gone. But there wasn¡¯t any sign of struggle or breakout. The glass remained intact, although was descended perhaps to flush the water and open the door. Did someone free whatever was inside it? Who knew?


    Finally arrived at the lowest level, the young figure could see a mauve glow coming from behind the curtain of the room. Where could this strange light come from? Alastor already had an idea of what it was.


    With Cynthia walking in first, the woman swiped the curtain to a side as she waited for the boy to pass.


    ¡°Here we are! Behold: the masterpieces that Odium gave her life to create!¡±


    In the middle of a magic circle made out of blood, nine large crystal gems similar to Alastor¡¯s emitted a dim light as if they were alive. These were the same crystals as the one Odium shattered which caused Malatas to be plunged in miasma. And that was only one. It made one wonder what would happen if all nine others were used in a similar manner. Certain and total destruction, that was the answer, short and simple.


    Stunned by their sight, Alastor slowly crouched down and touched them. All these tragedies that happened here, all those deaths, it was for creating these. Was it worth it? ¡­.he dared not answer. If he admitted it was worth it, it would sound like he agreed with what happened here. But if he denied it, it would make Odium¡¯s death look like she died for nothing.


    ¡°Whatever you do with it, it¡¯s yours. I am sure that you have a much better use for them than I do. Do try to be creative! The things you are holding in your hands can throw the world into chaos. It would be a disappointment if such wonderful objects would be used the same way Odium did.¡± Cynthia preached.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to patronize me! Whatever I do with it is my business, not yours.¡±  Alastor grunted. ¡°For now, I will just put them away.¡± Opening a magic circle, he put one by one into it before closing the portal.


    ¡°It¡¯s as you say. Now that you are done, shall we go back?¡± Cynthia asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I am tired of seeing this place. I need some fresh air.¡±


    ¡­..


    And then they finally went back to the court room, where it all started. But to their dismay, something has happened during their absence. Something, or rather, a few things were missing.


    ¡°What the¡­Where is the Orbis-Exeo???¡± Alastor shouted. Where the machine once stood was now an empty space. It was gone. Furthermore, Alastor has forgot something very important inside it: the radio Vincent gave to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the machine¡­¡­¡± Cynthia muttered as she herself was shocked to find what she found.


    ¡°Odium¡¯s body.....WHERE IS IT?¡±

 Chapter 71: Welcome Back

    ¡°WHERE IS SHE?¡±


    It was a disaster. In a short moment of laxness, to think something so preposterous could have happened¡­it was truly a fiasco of madness. The Orbis-Exeo, the only existing machine that could allow travelling across worlds, was gone, together with the radio Vincent has given to the boy. Even more freakish, the corpse of Alastor¡¯s only daughter, Odium, was also missing from the scene. What could this mean? Was she actually alive all these times, only pretended to be dead? Could she have taken the Orbis-Exeo as well? As a means to take revenge on Alastor? But that was impossible. Alastor has checked that. He made sure of it. But if it wasn¡¯t her, then who could have done such a thing?


    ¡°YOU! Did you take it?¡± the boy shouted at the only other person who was there with him.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I was with you the whole time.¡± Cynthia retorted. She was just as surprised as him to see that both the machine and Odium¡¯s corpse were gone. From Sullivan¡¯s encounter with Vincent, she knew that the demon lords, or at least Sullivan and Nyx, wished that the Orbis-Exeo would be brought to Astora. Yet, none of them really knew why they should do that.


    But Alastor didn¡¯t know any of that. To him, Cynthia was the most suspicious person out here.


    ¡°But you could have lured me away so one of your accomplices perhaps could use that time to sneak it and take them.¡± Dashing to her position, the boy threw her off to the ground. Putting his hands around her neck as he pinched her down and sat on her, Alastor shouted at the defenseless woman. ¡°You have five seconds before I snap this feeble neck of yours. It can¡¯t be Odium. SHE IS DEAD. So it can only be you. I won¡¯t let you or anyone defiling her body. Now, tell me!!! One!¡±


    ¡°I¡­.I don¡¯t know!¡± Cynthia gasped for breath. Despite their size, the small hands of Alastor were firmly gripping her throat, making her unable to breathe properly. ¡°Ah¡­A¡­!¡±


    ¡°LIES! TWO!¡± Alastor raged. He tightened his grasp even more.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Cynthia struggled as hard as she could to no avail. The boy was simply too strong for her.


    ¡°THREE!¡±


    ¡°I¡­.swe..ar!¡± Moaning in pain as she tried to shake him off her. How could he be this strong?


    ¡°FOUR!¡±


    ¡°¡­Ju¡­st¡­kill¡­me!¡± a shed of tears dropped from her cheeks as the pain that was inflicted to her started to feel numb. Cynthia was already on the verge of death.


    It was at that moment that Alastor regained his self. What was he doing? Why could he do such a thing? Was he always this violent? His breathing got heavy as he laid his eyes upon this helpless woman. He almost killed her, just like that without any proof. What has he become?


    Slowly releasing his hands, Alastor abruptly stood up and stepped away from her. Finally, being able to respire, the flow of air made Cynthia cough hardly as she tried to regulate her breathing. For a moment, she has seen the light, signalling her incoming end.


    ¡°Cynthia..I¡­¡± Alastor uttered in awe.


    ¡° *cough cough* *heavy breathing* It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have to dwell on it. *heavy breathing*¡± the woman muttered softly.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Cynthia. I¡­¡± Carefully reaching his hand to the woman out of concern, he walked up to her and tried to help her stand up.


    *SLAP*


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± Cynthia yelled at him, slapping his arm to a side. The expression on her face, it was fear. A natural reaction you would say, considering how he almost killed her just now. But it wasn¡¯t why she slapped him. No, it was something much more, shrouded, concealed, hidden behind the darkness of her somber past.


    If you thought about it, Cynthia has shown how she had little regard for her own life and she had no qualms with exposing her body as she saw it as horrendous. It was as if to her, the life she led so far was a pitiful and miserable existence, one that has pushed her to end it herself on so many occasions. Yet, she didn¡¯t, for a very simple reason. If she was to die, how would she able to avenge for what they did to her? Yes, whatever retained of Cynthia right now that allowed her to live till this day was her hatred, the fury, the rage she kept inside her all these years, waiting for the day to gratified.


    Being a priestess of Malatas might sound like a grand title, something anyone would envy. But that was not the case for Cynthia, not with her story. One look at her body would make one understand why it was that way. Those scars, living testaments of the life she led so far, were only the remaining vestiges of that inscrutability.


    With her trembling arms, she tried to cover herself. It showed a complete different woman from earlier. The same woman that had no problem to show her entire naked body was now shaking in fear, caused by a mere touch from Alastor. It was Alastor himself that induced that fear in her. No, it was his nature that provoked it. A man, a male, a boy. That was why. It was the fear of man that made Cynthia to push him away. One had to wonder: just what could have happened in the past that made her this way?


    ¡°I am..sorry¡­.I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± Alastor muttered in regret.


    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s fine! It¡¯s not your fault.¡± The woman held her arms tightly. She was trying to regain control of her body, to rid herself of the shaking. ¡°And I said it already. You can kill me anytime you want. This body is yours to take, to do whatever you want, to throw away when you are done, as long as you hold up to your promise by keeping me by your side.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that about yourself! You have to treasure your body!¡± the boy pled.


    ¡°Ha how funny! What is there to treasure when every inch of this corpse has been defiled long ago?¡± Cynthia laughed forcefully.


    ¡°Even so¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to talk about this, demon lord. I didn¡¯t come here and pledge my service to you so we can chat about me and my past.¡± Said Cynthia as she stood up by herself, fixing her clothes and regaining her composure. ¡°Like I said, I have nothing to do with the disappearance of your machine and Odium. You can ask your demon lords friends about that. Those stalkers are always watching even when they are already dead.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­I already said that I will trust you, for now.¡±


    ¡°Then you are more of an idiot than I thought you were.¡± Cynthia grunted.


    ¡°I have heard that a few times.¡± the boy smiled softly, scratching his head.


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just take a look around before getting out of here! If we are away for too long, it will be difficult to convince people that I survive the miasma.¡± The woman counselled.


    ¡°Yeah¡­let¡¯s do that! By the way, Cynthia¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, my dear lord?¡±


    ¡°I am very sorry for what I did. Truly I am.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Idiot!¡±


    * * *


    Regrettably, there was no sign of either of Orbis-Exeo or Odium even after a thorough search of the castle and the nearby areas. It was as if the two simply vanished into thin air without leaving a trace. Left with no other choice and no suspect in mind, Alastor decided to return to the beastmen¡¯s camp together with the Priestess of Luna. In the journey back, Alastor¡¯s thoughts were filled with conjectures on who could have done such a thing. No one was supposed to know about the Orbis-Exeo, at least no one from Astora so there was no way anyone could have just steal it like that. They didn¡¯t even know what it was. What about the people of the Other World? Impossible! That meant they needed to go to Astora in order to steal the machine back? Then how on Earth did they come here in the first place? But the most worrying aspect was still Odium. A dead body could not just rise up and go away just like that unless necromancy or something similar was used on her. But if such magic was to be cast, Alastor would have noticed it already, even if he was in the underground at that time, he still had his sense. Yet he didn¡¯t sense anything out of place that could be responsible for the disappearances.


    With a heavy heart, the boy exhaled a long sigh. Odium¡¯s body was one thing. But the Orbis-Exeo and the radio were the last things that were connected to the Other World. How was he supposed to go back there now? Well, at the very least, he still had the hand-cannon Faith that was given to him by Kennedy. Luckily, he put it on his belt instead of posing it on the chair inside the machine.


    ¡°God damn it! How could I be so careless?¡± the boy complained to himself. ¡°How stupid I am!¡± he hit himself in the head.


    ¡°That, you are.¡± Cynthia added.


    ¡°I know!!!¡± Alastor spoke loudly.


    Unknown to him, while he was complaining, talking to himself, Cynthia was having a conversation with the entity residing in the crystal she had engraved on her chest.


    ¡®Was you the one who did it??¡¯ Cynthia spoke in her mind.


    ¡®Hell no! It wasn¡¯t me or any of the demon lords. Else you would have known! Remember that you and Alastor are our only connections to this world! We can¡¯t do anything without you noticing.¡¯ The demon lord Sullivan explained himself.


    ¡®But you insisted on bringing it here, didn¡¯t you? And now it¡¯s gone. You are telling me that you really have nothing to do with it? That¡¯s hard to believe.¡¯ Cynthia said.


    ¡®As I have told you, we only did as the vision Nyx saw indicated. We have no idea what is going to happen exactly. Perhaps this is for the best. Who knows what fate has in store for us?¡¯


    ¡®¡­..¡¯ Cynthia remained silent.


    ¡®No need to worry, my dear! The deal is still on, with or without the Orbis-Exeo. We don¡¯t care about it anyway. Focus on helping Alastor do what he wants and we will give you what you want!¡¯ Sullivan encouraged.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think Alastor is capable of such a thing. The fact that he didn¡¯t kill me shows his weakness.¡¯


    ¡®I have nothing to comment about that. But let me assure you that Nyx¡¯s prophetic dream is one hundred per cent accurate. Whatever he saw, it will become reality.¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s just hope that it will, soon enough or the deal is off!¡¯ Cynthia menaced.


    ¡®It will, soon!¡¯


    ¡­..


    Finally arriving at the camp, Alastor was immediately greeted with a pair of¡­melons in his face.


    ¡°Alastor, you are back!¡± Ikarus jumped at the boy, hugging him tightly.


    ¡°Ikarus¡­¡± Alastor put his hands on the girl¡¯s cheek and caressed it gently. To Ikarus, it has only been one day since they last saw each other but to the boy, he has done quite a long journey just to come back here. It was only now that he realized how frightening it would be if he could never see the beautiful face in front of him right now ever again. ¡°I..I am back!¡± The boy jumped and kissed her lightly on her soft lips before turning his head away in embarrassment.


    It was an astonishing moment for there were so many people around, especially for Ikarus. She was overjoyed by the kiss but at the same time worried. She noticed that something was off about Alastor. He wasn¡¯t this¡­emotional before, at least not in public.


    ¡°Are you alright? Did you hit your head or something? Do you have a fever?¡± Putting one hand on his forehead and the other on hers, the girl tried to check if the boy was sick or something.


    ¡°No no, nothing like that! It¡¯s just¡­I miss you. That¡¯s all!¡± a gentle smile was shown on his face as he hugged the girl tightly. ¡°I am back, my angel.¡±


    ¡°Welcome home, my love!¡± Putting her hands behind his back, the celestial embraced the young boy, forgetting about everything around them.


    ¡°EHEM! Can you avoid flirting in public please?¡± a voice awoke the two love birds. It was the Beast King who was the first to speak out to break the awkwardness generating from these two. ¡°We still have a war at our hands. If you really need to do your family duties, go find a tent but please, not in the middle of the camp!¡±


    Embarrassed by the statement, the two immediately pushed each other away, looking down to the ground in avoid the stares.


    ¡°The war is already over!¡± a woman spoke out.


    ¡°Cynthia! You are safe!¡± the priestess of Solana, Eris, shouted upon seeing the figure behind Alastor.


    ¡°I would not have been if lord Alastor has not passed by at the right moment. I own my life to him.¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°What do you mean the war is over? We still need to make the Elf King answer for his crimes.¡± Zen retorted.


    ¡°He did. Alastor has already killed him back at the castle after an intense confrontation.¡± Cynthia said.


    ¡°Dead? Where is his body? We need to see it with our own eyes.¡±


    ¡°There is none. He blew himself to bits trying to take Alastor with him but as you can see, he failed. The court mage who is also in cahoots with him has also been punished. If you want to check, you can go to the castle to see for yourself. Though, I would not recommend it since the miasma has taken over the whole country, including the castle.¡± The priestess explained.


    ¡°Then¡­it is really over?¡± Zen uttered in disbelief.


    ¡°I assure you, King Zen. The war is already over!¡± Alastor intervened. ¡°Your people have won.¡±


    ¡°We won? Just like that? Not a sounding horn of victory? Not anything? Then what did all those thousands of people die for? What of justice?¡± chief Gon shouted in anger. ¡°These damn elves are still here.¡±


    ¡°¡­So are we!¡± the wise voice of the last Beast King spoke. It was chief San. ¡°They died so we could live. I understand you anger, chief Gon. Believe me, I do!¡± the old beastman clenched his fist before releasing it. ¡°But you have to let it go. You cannot blame the crimes of one person, even if that person is the leader, on the rest of the country. Too much blood has been spilled already¡­it¡¯s time to end this.¡±


    ¡°Even if you say that, I am not satisfied with this result.¡± Gon grunted.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not up to you.¡± Said Loo. ¡°Lord Zen, what is your stance in this?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing to think about. We have won. That¡¯s what matters.¡± Zen said calmly.


    ¡°Then what do we do with these remaining elves?¡± Pointed Gon at the two priestesses. Worrying about her life, Eris was taken back, cowered in fear behind Cynthia.


    Ever since the Luna priestess has saved her life from the rebel princess Elena, tensions between the factions, or at least between their leaders, have been rather limpid with Eris opening up to the idea of coexistence, instead of one completely overshadowing the other. Especially now since they found themselves leaderless, Eris and Cynthia would have to work together in order to bring the country back in order.


    But could things really come back to normal? Technically, they no longer had a country to go back to anymore. The land was filled with miasma and no one knew how to get rid of them. Who could predict how long would it remain in Malatas? Where would they go in the mean time? Those were some problematic questions without any easy solution. At least that was what it seemed to Eris and the rest of the council of the elves. Yet, none of them realized that their solution might just be in front of them, in the form of a young boy.


    ¡°The elves go with me.¡± Alastor proclaimed. ¡°As it was dictated in our agreement, lord Zen, Malatas now belongs to Zagon, including all the surviving citizens. They are welcome to stay in our country, either to become citizens of Zagon or only temporary before they could find another place to stay. Or so said my mother, the Empress.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem with that. But what makes you think they are going to follow you?¡± asked Zen.


    ¡°Yeah, what makes you think that we are going to follow you?¡± Eris joined the conversation, speaking with a pompous tone. ¡°You might have killed Aldol for us but that doesn¡¯t mean we are going to submit to you. We elves are proud of our lineage and legacy.¡±


    ¡°And what is left of that legacy now? A land filled with miasma? Yeah that¡¯s going to attract a lot of tourism and trade.¡± Alastor jested. ¡°What I am offering is only beneficial to you. You can stay in Zagon, speak with our leader while deciding what to do next. If you want, you can stay and become our citizens. What is the harm in that?¡±


    ¡°But Zagon is a country for humans, not elves!¡± Eris snapped back.


    ¡°The ideology of a racial country is already outdated. It won¡¯t do us any good and only brings out conflict because of our differences. But imagine if we, together, can form a coexisting society! I won¡¯t say there won¡¯t be any conflict at the start but at the very least, it will help prevent wars like this one. Won¡¯t you agree with me?¡± preached Alastor.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Eris uttered.


    ¡°A contemplative ideology! But to accomplish it is not easy.¡± Cynthia commented.


    ¡°If it¡¯s easy, you would think it has already been done by now. There will be difficulties, challenges, oppositions at the beginning but only when we overcome those obstacles, can we truly find peace.¡± These words seemed almost too unbelievable, especially when it came from such a small boy. But those who had spoken to Alastor knew that he far surpassed those of his age or even adults.


    ¡°I see. Then in that case, I accept your offer!¡± Said the Luna priestess.


    ¡°Cynthia!!!¡± Eris yelled.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice, Eris. Where else are we going to stay? Certainly not here, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Eris looked back at the hundreds of beastmen around her, only to see their eyes filled with anger and dissatisfaction. Alastor might have calmed things on the outside but most of the soldiers, the survivors of the beast tribes were still in morn of the death of their loved ones. At time like these, people were unstable. To see an elf, their enemies, even if it wasn¡¯t the one who actually did the killing, might incite some unpredictable troubles. In short, they were not welcomed here.


    ¡°Yeah¡­you are right. Then we will take on your offer¡­for now, lord Alastor!¡± Eris conveyed.


    ¡°A most wise decision! Then I will talk to my troops immediately to prepare our departure.¡± Alastor turned to the Beast King. ¡°What about your people, Lord Zen? We have the same offer for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will have to decline. At least not yet. My people are still mourning over the death of those who have fallen. Now it¡¯s not the time for such an important change.


    But I do have to admit. Your words have convinced a part of me. Show me how you will deal with the elves first and we will see how things go between us.¡± Zen confessed.


    ¡°Then I hope you will keep close eyes on us then.¡± Alastor added,


    ¡°Trust me, I will! That¡¯s why I decided to send a small group of ambassadors to Zagon, as a gesture of good will for our alliance. And to keep an eye of your actions, just in case you want to invade us.¡±


    ¡°Wow you sure don¡¯t mince words don¡¯t you? Why the need to tell me that?¡±


    ¡°Haha I am sure your Empress already knows about my intention so there is no need to hide anything. Besides, if we cannot trust each other, how do you expect us to accomplish that idea of yours?¡± the Beast King claimed.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. You know, you might be much better at politics than you claim to be. Suppose that¡¯s why everyone follows you.¡±


    ¡°Spare me that! I prefer to go smash my enemies¡¯ skulls with my sword than throwing words around like those nobles.¡±


    ¡°So who are you going to send for your ambassadors?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Viviana and her group.¡±


    ¡°¡­..I see.¡± The boy muttered.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t like her?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Just she constantly reminds me of someone I knew¡­Anyway I suppose sending your Champion would be a good idea. If you don¡¯t mind, I will have to go talk with captain Luvik about our departure. Moving this many people won¡¯t be easy.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Of course! Go ahead! Do let me know before you go though!¡±


    Holding the hands of the one he loved, Alastor walked out of to beastmen¡¯s camp toward the zagonian encampment. In order to keep the peace and at the same time protect the elven refugees, captain Luvik has put all the elves he could find in a separate site, far from the beastmen soldiers to avoid all possible conflicts so it would be a long walk to reach that place.


    As for Ikarus, she was surprised to see Alastor this way. Something has changed in him and the girl has noticed that. But it wasn¡¯t a bad transformation. The boy actually cared and actively looked for a way for peace, just as she intended. Of course, she wanted Alastor to choose his own destiny without her getting in his way. However, she couldn¡¯t hide her joy when the destiny he chose was the one she desired after all these times. Inside her mind, the girl was jumping all around in excitement. Seeing him change also motivated her to change herself. For long has she forsaken her people for what they did to her. But now, she was determined to go back and convinced them, if not for peace then at least a recognition, coexistence with all the other races, including the demons. There might not be as many celestials as there once was but it was still a small community not to be overlooked. Never has she felt so confident as now. She knew it was possible, this long awaiting eternal peace.


    Noticing her silent smile and her hands tightening his, Alastor wondered what Ikarus could be thinking about.


    ¡°Something good happened recently?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°Yes. You.¡± She replied.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You coming to my life is the happiest thing that has happened to me. I love you, Alastor!¡±


    ¡°So do I, my angel!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Oh my god, so cheesy! Can¡¯t they do that in private?¡± Eris grumbled. The two priestesses were following the couple to go back to their camp. And like before, Alastor and Ikarus have been in their own world, completely ignoring what was happening around them. They said love was blind. And it was, truly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Cynthia? ¡­Cynthia?¡±


    ¡°A..you are talking to me? I¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Realizing that Eris was talking to her, the silent Cynthia who has been staring at the couple regained herself.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you tired?¡± asked Eris.


    ¡°Yeah¡­a little bit. Perhaps from the journey¡­I am not used to walk this far.¡± Cynthia uttered.


    ¡°I am sorry! I should have realized it. You just went back with him after all. When we are there, just go rest! I will take care of everything.¡± Eris said worriedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you. You have my thanks!¡±


    ¡°We are the only leaders of Malatas now! You need to take care of yourself better.¡±


    ¡°I will¡­I will.¡±


    Unknown to Eris, it wasn¡¯t the exhaustion from the travelling that distracted Cynthia. In fact, the Luna priestess was preoccupying herself with a conversation inside her mind.


    ¡®That girl¡­is dangerous.¡¯ Cynthia spoke in her mind.


    ¡®Who? Ikarus? Indeed she might get in the way of our plan but as Asmodeus has dictated, we are not to harm her in any way.¡¯ Said Sullivan.


    ¡®She will have a ¡­bad influence of him. Her very presence softens him.¡¯


    ¡®We know that but¡­.Don¡¯t tell me that want to¡­.¡¯


    ¡®I won¡¯t. Not unless Alastor tells me to. I told you that I will keep my promise, do everything he asks of me! Only that way will the vision come true.¡¯


    ¡®Yes. We are not to do anything that might prevent the coming of that day. If things go well, we might not even need to do anything.¡¯ Said Sullivan.


    ¡®But is what you told me really true? Rather than keeping her alive, I could only imagine that her death would be the catalyst we need. But I cannot imagine how that could happen.¡¯ Thought Cynthia.


    ¡®You are right but not by us or anyone. As Nyx has predicted, we need to wait for that day. Until then, we will not interfere with the flow of fate. Only at that moment can we seize victory.


    Ikarus must die by Alastor¡¯s own hands.¡¯

 Chapter 72: The search for utopia

    The dragon lord Celdora was running inside a large cave in his human form, breathing heavily. Only, calling it a cave would be a huge understatement. The chambers were so numerous, divided into many different sections and connected through a tunnelling system that was so large even a caravan could pass through easily. But Celdora wasn¡¯t trying to find out just how large this cave was nor was he strolling around without a purpose. Rather, the worried expression on his face has already offered hindsight on what was on his mind at the moment: his only loving daughter. Upon hearing the news from Malick, he has rushed here with haste.


    Opening a door of one of the many rooms at this place, the dragon walked in. Unlike the other wards, this section of the cave was dedicated to something that many would rather avoid, for it did not have a joyous and happy atmosphere as the others quarters because it was the medical section, where the wounded and sick were taken care of. But since there hasn¡¯t been an open war yet as the preparation was still underway in its final phase, it would be weird for anyone to be in this place, except for one little girl who hasn¡¯t woken up for a while now.


    ¡°How is she?¡± entering the room, Celdora yelled at the first person he saw, the white dragon Malick who was also in his human form and wore a white garb like a priest. With his white eyes and long silver hair, Malick looked almost too bright to see.


    ¡°Fine! Too fine!¡± Malick turned his head toward the little girl behind him who was playing house on the ground with Kaiser.


    ¡°SYRALTH!¡± Celdora rushed to his daughter, lifting her up. ¡°I am so glad that you are alright.¡±


    ¡°Daddy!¡± the little draconian hugged her father tightly, exposing her draconic tail and horns.


    ¡°The moment she wakes up, miss Syra insists on seeing you immediately. I have to keep her company here while waiting for you. Else she would just run out right off the door.¡± Kaiser joked.


    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s my girl. So full of energy! Alright, I will play with you all day! Whatever you want, my dear!¡± Celdora lifted the small girl up and down.


    ¡°YAY!¡± the girl shrieked.


    ¡°So she is fine to go right?¡± asked Celdora.


    ¡°Of course! Though I do recommend to not exhaust her too much! The girl still needs some rest after all, considering what she has gone through.¡± Recommended Malick.


    ¡°I see. Honey, how about go home for the day? Tomorrow we can go play as much as you want.¡± Celdora turned to his daughter.


    ¡°But I want to play now¡­.¡± The girl sobbed.


    ¡°But mommy wants to see you too you know? She has been worried sick about you.¡±


    ¡°Mommy is sick? Then I have to go see her!!! Goodbye Mr.Kaiser! Goodbye Mr.Malick!¡± waved Syralth as she ran to the door.


    ¡°Wait for me! Guys, see you later! And thanks for taking care of Syralth! I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do without you.¡± Celdora said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it! Just keep her safe now! We will take care of things here!¡± Kaiser spoke.


    ¡°You bet I will! Any bastard or cursed crown dares to approach her again, I will beat them to pulp and feed them to the wyverns. Alright, bye!¡± And with that said, the dragon lord and his daughter disappeared from the room, leaving only Malick and Kaiser by themselves.


    ¡°Like father like daughter! What a handful, the lot of them!¡± sighed Malick. To be frank, he was getting tired of seeing Celdora constantly but not in a bad way. It was just that Malick has forbad the father to stay in the medical ward but instead of going home, the guy just kept showing up every now and then, asking about Syralth, to the point of being so annoying that he just couldn¡¯t stand up to it anymore. Still, he was glad that the girl was alright in the end. Else things would have been much more¡­complicated.


    But as for Kaiser, seeing the two together, the close and special bond between a parent and their child, it manifested a faint sense of envy inside the faceless entity toward the girl. Of course, he saw himself too old, despite his actual age which was even smaller than Sylrath, for being lifted or played with like that. Still, perhaps some kind of recognition from his father, a small feeling of being desired that could somehow affirm his existence¡­that was what Kaiser longed for. His silence and the way he looked at the pair, so intensively, as they went out of the room expressed that feeling. What was his father doing right now? He wondered. But he must not distract himself from the current goal. Once Oros was conquered, he could go back to see Alastor and that time was near. He just had to finish what he started in this place.


    Realizing the awkwardness of silence in the room, Kaiser regained himself and decided to take the initiative.


    ¡°So what do we do with this? Why did you ask me to bring it here?¡± Kaiser pointed to the crown inside a glass cube. After the incident, it was decided that even though Malick has confirmed that the danger has passed, Kaiser insisted on keeping anyone from touching it any further. Therefore, since then, the crown has been contained inside this glass box imbued with powerful magic which acted as a seal, constantly under Kaiser¡¯ supervision. However, as soon as Syralth has recovered, the white dragon has asked Kaiser to bring it here for some reasons.


    ¡°Ah yes of course. My apologies! I was taken back by Celdora¡¯s arrival and totally forgot about that. I just want to check if everything is fine with it. Do you still have any headaches since then? Strange dreams? Hearing voice even though no one was around?¡± asked the dragon.


    ¡°No. Nothing of sort.¡± Kaiser confirmed. ¡°I guess whatever you did really got rid of the evil spirit residing inside it. Though it¡¯s a pity we couldn¡¯t investigate who put it there in the first place.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not entirely true¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Kaiser inquired.


    ¡°All magic, no matter how sophisticated and skilfully concealed, no matter how strong or weak, can be traced back to its user. While it¡¯s true that it has been a long time since the magic was cast to put this evil spirit inside the crown, I believe we are still able to salvage something, a trace or at least some kind of clue about the one who did it.¡± Malick explained.


    ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s do it!¡± Kaiser excitedly expressed.


    ¡°Hold your horse! This process can take quite a long time and must be done with extreme precision. We can¡¯t let an amateur do it. So here is my proposal: I will take the crown and study it in my quarter. During that time, no one is supposed to enter or even come near it, especially when I am not there. And I mean it, no one, even your guards or else it can disturb the ritual.¡±


    ¡°Hum hum¡­.¡±


    ¡°Look! I know that you only meet me recently and it¡¯s hard to trust me with something so important but¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will let you have it.¡± Kaiser said.


    ¡°¡­You sure?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I trust you, Malick!¡±


    ¡°¡­Why? You barely know me?¡± asked the white dragon.


    ¡°You save Syralth, my only subject. In my book, that means you are trustworthy.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­Then I will take it then. Now that miss Syralth is fine, if you don¡¯t mind, I shall go to my room and start investigating it right from now.¡± Malick took the glass box in his hands.


    ¡°Good luck with it! Do be careful though!¡± said Kaiser.


    ¡°I will¡­And thank you for trusting me, lord Kaiser!¡±


    ¡­..


    Now back to his quarters, inside a simple room just like any other but slightly bigger with only a chair, a large desk with many magic scroll stacked one on another, Malick slowly put the glass cube on the desk as he grabbed the chair and sat down in front of it. Something was slightly off about Malick. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to research and investigate the origin of the evil spirit that was put inside the crown? If then why was he sitting here, doing nothing as he stared at it not with the curious eyes of a researcher but with anger? At the same time, his face showed a faint sadness over what he just did. Feeling of remorse and regrets resulted from his betrayal: he just lied to perhaps one of his only friends. Whether they were friends or not could still be debatable but it was undeniable that Kaiser has put his trust in Malick and Malick has just used unknowingly taken advantage of that trust.


    To trace back a magic like Malick has suggested was practically impossible. Sure, by analysing the spell that was used and through a process of elimination, we could determinate a list of suspects but only if that spell was recently used. The problem in this case however was very different. Not only it dated a long time ago but there was no magic involved here. Kaiser might have not known about this but putting an evil spirit inside an object qualified as a ¡®possession¡¯. Basically, a possession meant that a soul, or a fragment of a soul managed to get into an object or another living being and took over control of that body. Necromancy for example used possession for wandering souls to take over undead bodies. But unlike magic like mind control, the control of a soul was very complex as the soul had a conscience, a personality and not mindless like people thought they were. This meant that a sorcerer either needed to be a master in soul magic or has reached some kind of deal with the soul in order to control it. Once done, the soul would enter the said body and if the possession was a success, the soul could stay inside and took over the host.


    In short, it was impossible to trace back to the sorcerer if the soul was obliterated. But was it? There was a reason why Malick wanted to keep the crown by his side, not for his own personal goal but for others.


    ¡°Eleven years already and you are still this powerful¡­I would say you are increasing in power.¡± Malick spoke as he gazed upon the crown.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The room remained silent before Malick raised his voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to pretend you didn¡¯t hear me! I know you are still there. I know that the spell I used that day wasn¡¯t enough to kill you but merely sealed you away for a while. Enough of this game, Fallen One!¡±


    ¡°¡­bring me to Alastor!¡± a disembodied, inhuman voice spoke in a grave tone. Perhaps because it was a voice from an evil spirit inside a crown or perhaps the culprit deliberately changed their voice, it was difficult to determinate whether the voice belonged to a man or a woman as it was a bit of a mixture of both.


    ¡°Not a chance! As long as I am here, you won¡¯t ever be near him or anyone. Your magic doesn¡¯t work against me.¡± Malick said.


    ¡°The passage of fate has already been set. If I can¡¯t come to him, then he will come to me. And there is nothing you can do about it.¡± The voice said in an insidious tone.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get what you want. I will make sure of that.¡± The dragon threatened.


    ¡°Tempus Machina will be whole once more. When that time comes, you can say goodbye to your wretched world. But you won¡¯t be around when it happens, won¡¯t you? Because of your precious plan.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that why you killed Asgore? To interfere with our plan?¡± Malick hit the table, questioning in a loud voice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop us, Malick!¡±


    ¡°We will see about that. For now, it¡¯s time for you to say goodbye to this world. There may be more fragments of your soul out there but at the very least, this one will never get to meet the boy.¡± A warm holy light enshrouded the dragon¡¯s hands as he reached to the crown.


    ¡°...Your days are numbered, Malick, whether you want it or not.¡± the voice uttered its final words being a bright light shined from it as the white dragon touched the crown.


    ¡°Be gone!!!¡±


    * * *


    That evening, the Whispering Forest was illuminated as bright as day. Large pyres of fire erected from piles of timber arranged in cubic shape were set up the many camps with a gigantic one in the central camp. The sound of laughter and festive music played by the bards echoed throughout the entire forest as the beastmen celebrated their victory. People dancing around in joyful manner, accompanied with the cheers of the drunkards only added to this already merry atmosphere.


    The four chief of the beastmen, sitting around a long table right in front of the largest bonfire, were watching the multiple performances of the jovial soldiers. Tricks, magic shows, dances, there were all kinds of shows possible.


    However, as they said, one¡¯s happiness was another¡¯ sadness. The beastmen may be content with the result of the war but the same could not be said for the remaining elves. They have lost everything, from the war to their land. It was safe to say that the country of the elves was no more and the survivors were now wanderers, rogues after the loss of their homeland. It was only after an intensive discussion between the top members and the representatives of the public that the elves have reached a mutual agreement to follow Alastor back to Zagon. But to be fair, the result was already predicted beforehand. At the moment, most of the political power have fallen in the hands of the two priestesses after Aldol¡¯s fall. Meanwhile, Cynthia had developed quite a reputation among the general public when she decided to stay and rescue the left behind, constantly checking on the refugees handing out rations, unlike her counterpart Eris who was seen as a pure noble who knew nothing of the suffering of the common people. Of course, that was not to say that there hasn¡¯t been any opposition from the remaining nobles or between the two factions but in the end it was not like they had any other alternative to go by. Still, it meant that the leadership of the remaining elves was not as stable as it may seem at first, considering how chaotic things might be at the moment.


    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.So while the jubilant melody and noises could be heard from the beastmen¡¯s camps, the zagonian camp where the elves were staying was rather in a gloomy mood. But at least, there wasn¡¯t any open clash between the two sides. One part because the elves have realized the situation they were in so they couldn¡¯t afford to go find trouble or retaliation. It was their own fault after all for letting Aldol take power. Right now, they were lucky that commander Luvik and his troops were here or else things might have gone very ugly as many of the beastmen would not take it kindly for wandering elves at the moment.


    Sitting around a small campfire, Alastor and Cynthia together with Luvik were discussing on their future.


    ¡°Prince Alastor, if you don¡¯t mind me saying but we haven¡¯t actually heard from the Empress about any of this engagement. Are you sure that Empress Morrigan, long may she lives, actually allows the elven refugees to go seek shelter in Zagon?¡± asked Luvik.


    ¡°Are you doubting my words, commander?¡± said Alastor. ¡°My mother has given me the full authority on this matter. My words are her words.¡±


    ¡°No of course not. It¡¯s just that Zagon is actually in the midst of a crisis right now. We still haven¡¯t fully recovered from the famine and destruction caused by the calamity. Although the situation has subsided ever since the Empress¡¯ return, I have a hard time to imagine that the people would think kindly of this action. To bring in hundreds of thousands of additional refugees while there still are people dying of hunger in our own country¡­.Somehow that seems like a rather¡­..¡± Luvik stuttered.


    ¡°Stupid idea? Is that what you mean?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°No no..I mean¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha no need for formality, commander! Both me and my mother understand your concern. But you need not to worry about that. It¡¯s true that the rations and food have been low like you said. However, what you didn¡¯t take into consideration was the fact that at this moment as we speak, a huge amount of supplies is on their way to Eisenheim. More than enough to supply our country¡¯s citizens and the new refugees.¡±


    ¡°A huge amount of supplies? From where?¡± Luvik uttered.


    ¡°Take a guess, commander!¡± dictated the boy.


    ¡°Hum¡­.I don¡¯t really¡­.!!!¡±


    ¡°Caelum! Is that the source you are referring to?¡± Cynthia joined the conversation.


    ¡°Excellent, milady! Indeed, the supplies come from Caelum. After the fall of the Church, Caelum has been integrated into Zagon as a separate province. As according to the laws of our country, each major municipality has to contribute a minimum amount of supplies to the capital whenever the Empress demands. One of those times is now. Those clergies might seem humble at first but I can assure you that those big clothes they were wearing only serve to hide their big fat bellies.¡± Explained Alastor.


    ¡°I see. But won¡¯t Caelum protest against that? I mean we take over their country and now we demand them to provide us supplies? I would be surprised if the people of Caelum didn¡¯t revolt.¡± Analysed Luvik.


    ¡°What you said is true. But Caelum is a special case. First of all, they don¡¯t really have a choice. Their city is now left undefended after most of their army was destroyed by the undeads. That means they need us to protect them. On top of that, there has been discontentment toward the Church over the past few years and what my mother did was seen as a liberation, at least from the view of the common folk. In addition, she did not impose any strict law and instead let Caelum¡¯s people govern themselves, allowing her to be seen in a higher light than simply a barbaric conqueror people might thought she would be. If they want to start a new Church, let them. Hopefully, the new one will be better than the last or history might just repeat itself. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t any opposition to our occupation but that was kept to a minimum.


    Also we only take half the amount we need in term of supplies and rations. Compared to what is actually in the stocks of Caelum, it¡¯s nothing too unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°But then where does the other half come from? Surely not Ceadric. They have been at odds with us for centuries. The dragons? Impossible. And I am pretty sure their rations are very different from us. So where?¡± Luvik wondered.


    ¡°Commander, let me ask you a question: what is the one particularity of Zagon that no other country has?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Black steel?¡± the commander replied in doubt as he realized this didn¡¯t have anything to do with the current problem.


    ¡°Something more. You can find it right inside your army right here. I would say a third¡­Does that ring a bell?¡± Alastor queried, looking at the commander who immediately jumped up, looking stunned upon realizing what Alastor was talking about.


    ¡°How do you know ???¡± uttered Luvik in disbelief. ¡°Only the very top officials know about these.¡±


    ¡°I am the prince of Zagon, commander! You would think that my mother, the Empress herself, would have told me this kind of thing. My guess is that she already trusted you enough to send you to assist me in this mission.¡±


    ¡°May I ask what are you two talking about?¡± Cynthia asked curiously.


    ¡°¡­..¡± the commander looked to the boy in despair. The secret he was holding could not be allowed to be known outside those who were officially informed. Just what was the boy thinking when he talked about this in front of the leader of another country?


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Luvik! Cynthia is a trustworthy person¡± Alastor then turned to the woman with an intense look, implying her to follow. ¡°In fact, she also shares my¡­or rather our opinion about this matter.¡±


    ¡°Lady Cynthia? But¡­¡± Luvik muttered in surprise.


    ¡°Is there something wrong with me, commander Luvik?¡± the priestess spoke in a soft tone.


    ¡°NO! There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, milady! You are perfectly fine the way you are right now.¡± The commander shouted.


    ¡°No need to yell, commander! We don¡¯t want everyone to hear it¡­.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°OUPS¡­.I apologize for my carelessness¡­¡±


    ¡°So you mind telling me what exactly are you talking about?¡± asked Cynthia.


    ¡°Hum..uhhhh¡­¡±


    ¡°What he means is that currently, a third of the army of Zagon is actually composed of demons. Right now around you, half of the army being here are demons themselves. The Empress, as well as I, intend to declare neutrality against Ragna and recognize it as an independent nation. In this current situation, to be able to gain that kind of status, I am sure Ragna is willing to aid us in exchange for that. Trust me, I know!¡± Alastor answered. His words were spoken in a very low voice to avoid anyone nearby to hear it but the volume couldn¡¯t conceal the surprised expressions of the other two persons right here. Even captain Luvik who already knew about this fact, at least the demon part but not the deal with Ragna, couldn¡¯t believe that Alastor has just revealed a national secret to Cynthia. No matter how much you trusted someone, even if you knew for sure that that person was as kind and gentle as Cynthia, or so the commander thought after their few exchanges, the subject of demons was a sensible one to talk to anyone at any occasion. Simply because the current world had no place for such belief. Demons were evil. End of the discussion.


    If anyone who thought that way was to hear this, it would compromise the whole plan Morrigan has set out a long time ago with her confidants. Yet, for some reasons, Cynthia¡¯s reaction was rather¡­weak, betraying Luvik¡¯s expectation upon hearing such a scandalous proposal. Sure she was a bit taken back but it wasn¡¯t anything dramatic. A surprised face and that was everything before she took a drink from the warm cup of tea she was holding in her hands.


    ¡°This plan of yours¡­just what is your aim, prince Alastor?¡± The Luna priestess inquired.


    ¡°Utopia. A world where no one would have to live in fear. A place where there won¡¯t be a difference between the races. A place where I can live in peace together with the ones I love. Such is my vision for this world, Lady Cynthia!¡±


    ¡°What a reckless plan! Have you even figured out what exactly do you need to do to accomplish that? Do you think people is just going to join hands together, forgetting about all what happened between them? The blood that has been spilled. The deaths. The pains. There are things that can never recover, my prince!¡± Cynthia commented.


    But surprisingly, before Alastor could even speak, it was the commander who took the initiative first. ¡°Milady, this is only based on what I have seen, what I have experienced and I know that this is just my opinion but I have personally known most of the demons in my regiment and I can assure you that they are all decent folk who have been wrongly misunderstood by the rest of the world. The demons, they are just like us. We all share the same house so for what reasons must we fight each other? Because of some old conflicts that some assholes started thousands of years ago? I know not who starts the war nor can I say that which side was true. But we cannot keep going against one another for a reason no one can even remember. To me, what is important is the present. And the way I see it, many demons are much better people than some priests I have met. Sure, there are evil demons out there but the same can be said for us. Why do you think wars like this still happen?¡± Luvik gave his speech. Before he realized it, his audience, which consisted of only two persons, has been in awe and staring at him for a while now, making the commander flustered a little bit and sat down quietly before reaching his hand to the metal cup he has put near the fire, only to be slightly be burned a bit by the heat. Still this made him even more embarrassed, especially in front of a lady like Cynthia. ¡°Ehem¡­well I am just a lowly soldier, knowing nothing about politics and such so I don¡¯t recommend you to take my opinion as a referee.¡± The commander swayed his hand to cool the burn.


    ¡°May I take a look at that?¡± Cynthia put down her cup and approached the captain.


    ¡°Milady? Oh this..this is just a small injury! How embarrassing of me to make such a stupid mistake! You don¡¯t have to pay any heed to this, milady. It will heal eventually.¡± Luvik smiled forcefully, making fun of himself.


    ¡°Still, give me your hand, please!¡± the priestess reached out and grabbed the command¡¯s burned hand. Stunned by her beauty and the fact that she was so close to him, Luvik was left paralyzed by his agitation, unable to stop the woman from taking his injured finger and drew it close to her face. Her sweet aroma was as so fragrant, like honey to bees, make his heart beating so fast he started to feel like this was heavens. But nothing was compared to what she would do next. The moon priestess started to blow a gentle breeze into his injured fingers. In an instant, the burn began to heal, before quickly disappearing as if it has never existed. Needless to say, it was a critical blow to the commander as he tried to keep his sanity in check.


    Holding his hands and checking his wounds, Cynthia spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are wrong, commander. At least, I think you are much smarter than the many men I have met so far. And I also agree with everything you said. Perhaps it is indeed time for a change.¡±


    ¡°Your words are too kind, milady!¡± Luvik awkwardly responded, scratching his head and smiling like an idiot. ¡°Well, if you excuse me, I have to make a final check of our troops before our departure tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t let us keep you from doing your duty!¡± said Cynthia.


    Luvik stood up and fixed his cloth as he began to walk away. But not before he felt a cold breeze streaming across the camp, blowing his cape up. A night in the forest could be chilling, even in a camp near fire like these. Looking at the priestess, he could see her gently rubbing her own hands to seek the heat. Her light cloth, unlike his armour, could not resist the cold like this. Slowly coming toward her from behind, the commander removed his warm cloak and put it around the woman as she turned back in surprise.


    ¡°The night is still long and cold. If you don¡¯t mind using this old mantle, it will keep you warm.¡± Luvik said.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, commander! ¡­..¡± Cynthia uttered. ¡°But don¡¯t you have to make a round of the camp? You might need this more than me.¡±


    ¡°Please, I have gone through much more extreme weather. This is nothing. Hahaha! Alright, I will be going now! Have a good night, lady Cynthia, prince Alastor!¡± saluted the commander as he finally went away.


    ¡°My oh my, what a lovely gentleman! He clearly feels something for you.¡± Alastor commented.


    ¡°It shows how stupid men are. He only meets me yesterday and already he has feeling for me? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± Cynthia spoke firmly.


    ¡°Wow wow don¡¯t say it like that! You will break his heart. There is something called ¡®love at first sight¡¯ you know.¡±


    ¡°A captivating expression to say that ¡®I want to take you to my bed¡¯. That¡¯s what all men care about anyway.¡± Cynthia grumbled.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like him, why behave like the way you did? It will only give him more hope you know.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°He might be a fool but he can be used for later. Having a spare pawn is always handy. You never know when you might need one. And those like him are the best for they will gladly sacrifice themselves to have a single piece of my affection.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a rather radical point of view you have there. Well, it¡¯s not my place to tell you how to live your life but please don¡¯t do anything to him! It will not look good for the relationship between the elves and Zagon.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you say. But about your utopia¡­I have been instructed to follow your orders so I will do whatever you ask of me. However, let me remind you of something. Darkness lurks inside the heart of men, whether they are demons or humans, your race doesn¡¯t matter. Even if you somehow achieve this peace you are speaking of, which I think is impossible considering our very nature, one day that peace will shatter, being broken if not by the hands of the very people who built it then by the people who will inherit it. For all men, deep in our heart, desire conflict, to inflict pain upon another. Only by witness the suffering of others, do we know our true happiness.


    I want you to remember that, lord Alastor! You might want peace but I wonder if your comrades think the same.¡±

 Chapter 73: Those who died

    The next morning, after a brief farewell celebration from Zen, Alastor¡¯s group was now on their way back to the capital of Zagon, together with the elven refugees they have recently added to their kingdom. Before he departed, Alastor has asked the Beast King to contact him if any more refugees were to be found. Certainly the group they had now could not be all of the elven survivors. Some could have fled toward other parts of the frontiers or even Zagon already. A few hundreds knights of the Millennium Regiment have also been dispatched to stay with Zen in assisting the reconstruction but also in case they needed to help transporting the refugees back through the Gates. Furthermore, some of the leftovers artificial monsters could still be around and these soldiers would prove to be a valuable asset to have.


    Unlike the skillful and well-trained zagonian army, most of the remaining elves were civilians, unfit to make such a long journey as nimble and swift as the army so many stops were required on the way. Accompanied with them was also the ambassador¡¯s crew which consisted of the human refugees from Caelum who came to the Whispering Forest with bishop Maxime. Leading them was of course the beastman¡¯s Champion Viviana who was served as the main ambassador of the Beastmen in their alliance with Empress Morrigan. After a thorough discussion, it was decided that it was in their best interest to accompany Alastor back to Zagon as they were once citizens of Caelum, meaning rightful citizens of Zagon now since Caelum has been integrated as a province of Zagon.


    The war might have been over but there were still many obstacles, many unrests waiting up ahead on the path Alastor has chosen. The fact that both Caelum and Malatas were now considered territories of Zagon would certainly provoke some tensions in the last remaining neighbor country: Ceadric. For long, the two nations have already been on bad terms with each other. Taking in account the recent events, Alastor would not be surprised if Ceadric saw Zagon¡¯s actions as an act of provocation for war. It was like saying ¡°You are next to them!¡±. But considering Morrigan¡¯s plan, that belief might not be that far-fetched from the reality.


    And what about the dragons and the celestials? The later was currently in Ragna, under the supervision of Azureus and the rest of the demon guards but that could not stand for long. Sure, they might number only a few thousands, nothing compared to any other race but if Alastor was seeking a true peace, he must take them in account too. And Alastor could not confine them forever anyway. Nothing might have happened now but tension would rise one day and something must be done before that day came. However, would they listen to the voice of a demon like him? Surely not. Yet, perhaps there might be something he could do, maybe not him personally but someone by his side.


    Ikarus has informed Alastor that upon returning to Eisenheim, she wanted to go back to her people, to convince them to join his plan. They had no leaders now and while she might have been exiled, the girl believed that not all of them were bad people. With Alastor¡¯s instructions on how to treat the celestials carefully, some of them must have realized by now that the demons might not be as bad as people claimed them to be. Certainly, the path would be thorny and difficult but not impossible. Either way, she had to try or else she would never know. She didn¡¯t want to feel hopeless, unable to do anything. Alastor¡¯s change has triggered something inside her. Watching him made her aspiring to do the same thing. A new era was coming and the blue haired celestial desired to be a part of it, not just her but also her people, to be there when that door of new possibilities opened. It was quite a surprise for the girl to say such thing, especially when you thought about how attached she was to Alastor. But right now, as disheartening as it may seem, there was things more important than their relationship. Each had their own part to play for the upcoming challenge. And it was not like they would never see each other again or anything like that, just simply a short time of separation before a tender reunion. In a way, this would be a small test of their love.


    As for the dragons, Alastor has intended to depart to Oros as soon as he finished his business in Zagon. From what Luna has told him before she died, the final God, Amon, was waiting for him there. And only with his soul together with the one Alastor has collected so far, would the door to Celestia open, presumably the giant gate floating above Ragna. In addition, he remembered Odium saying something about his eldest son also being there. Supposedly, this child of his would be responsible for the recent rise of a certain conqueror in the dragon continent he has briefly heard about. Alastor has already lost one due to his carelessness and Sinforma was nowhere to be found. Whatever happened, he must meet up with his last remaining son.


    ¡°Alright, we will make camp here. With the current speed, we will arrive at Eisenheim by tomorrow. That¡¯s good everyone! Just one more day!¡± proclaimed Luvik from his horse.


    Under his experienced commands, the troops quickly set up a temporary camp for everyone in no time. Perhaps it was due to their number but there was no monster attack on their way back to Zagon, making it a quite uneventful and smooth journey, which was good. These people have been through a lot already. There was no need for any further unnecessary trouble.


    ¡°That guy sure has a lot of energy to spare.¡± Viviana commented on the commander to the young heir of Zagon¡¯s throne next to her. ¡°Is it just me or is he awfully considerate toward that Luna priestess?¡± the girl said as she watched Luvik consistently accompany Cynthia around the camp, assisting her with everything she needed.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, don¡¯t you think so? What is a better proof of peace than a romantic passion between two members of two different races?¡± said Alastor, holding Ikarus¡¯ hands tightly, making the girl slightly blush.


    ¡°Somehow I don¡¯t think that priestess feels the same about him though¡­¡±the cat girl conveyed.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°Woman¡¯s instinct¡­I guess. It¡¯s hard to explain.¡± Viviana brushed. ¡°But I guess the scent of forbidden love is always the most attractive.¡±


    ¡°Like you and Lucas?¡± Alastor jested.


    ¡°Wh¡­WHAT? Are you crazy? Of course not! He is a thousand years too early for that. Who in their right mind would love such a bratty kid like him?¡± the cat girl startled at the prince¡¯s comment. Lucky for her, Lucas was not around to retort back. Not that he would be able to, not without a punch to the face, considering how Viviana led him around like a boss. ¡°Besides, I have no time for such trivial emotion. I need to find my sister first.¡±


    It was upon hearing that sentence that Alastor¡¯s face turned blank for a moment. The memories, recollections, images of a certain young girl echoed in his mind. After their encounter in Caelum, Alastor has had some doubts about who this sister would be but in the end, he decided that it would be better, perhaps, to just ignore it. People who looked similar to each other were not that rare anyway. But did he really think that way? Or was he only trying to forget that cruel memory? To run away from it. That lasting moment when he devoured her soul? He could not forget it. It was as if the image was carved into his very soul.


    So what did Alastor feel when he did that? What kind of emotions could have passed through the mind of a beast as he devoured the person he loved? ¡°Delightful. Exquisite. Luscious.¡± The taste of the soul was unlike anything he has ever savored. Absorbing the souls of Gods? As plain as water for it was directly infused into his own soul. But Shana¡¯ soul¡­.The fragrance, that sweet smell¡­it was so¡­enslaving, enough to make a man sick, to crave for more. That insatiable lust no man could resist. That was what passed through his mind.


    Yet, no matter how much he searched during the invasion of Caelum, no matter how many souls he ate, he could not find anything that could come close to it. The souls of those false heroes, the innocent civilians, the priests¡­tasteless and dull like air in his beastly mouth. At that point, Alastor could have turned into something very different from what he was now. And the only reason that didn¡¯t happen, the only difference that stopped him from crossing that point of no return, was the presence of this cat woman who was also here. Like an anchor, seeing her pulled him back to his sanity from the sinful state he was in. But why was so special about this girl that allowed her to accomplish such a thing without even her knowing? The answer was very simple: her face, those looks that were so similar to Shana.


    Sensing a meager trembling of his hands, as if their minds were one, Ikarus realized immediately what Viviana just said has triggered something inside Alastor, a bad memory. Just like him, the celestial was also surprised when she first saw Viviana as the girl looked almost exactly like Shana, although a bit more mature. Perhaps that was what little Shana would look like if she was still alive in a near future. In her mind, Ikarus was aware of how much Shana meant to Alastor and how her loss has almost pushed the boy to the breaking point. Tightening her hand further, she reached her other arm to his shoulder and dragged him back in her side, letting him resting his head on her rounded shoulder. It was only when their skins came into contact, when her fragrant aroma was so close to him, that Alastor came back to himself.


    ¡°Ikarus?¡± uttered softly Alastor when he realized that he was now in her arms.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I am here for you.¡± said the celestial while she gently caressed his back.


    ¡°¡­Thanks! But I am fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°I am sure you are. Still, it won¡¯t stop me from doing this.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Thank you¡­.¡±


    As the two lovers started talking to each other in a low tone, it made the others a bit curious on why did they suddenly do it that way.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± asked Viviana.


    ¡°No it¡¯s nothing. I am just¡­ a bit tired from our journey.¡± The boy replied. ¡°Say¡­what is your sister¡¯s name? If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­¡±


    ¡°Her birth name is Shanalotte but those who know her well often call her as Shana for short. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°¡­Would you mind telling me a bit about her?¡± inquired Alastor.


    ¡°Well, people say that she looks a lot like me so everyone who has seen her would definitely recognize me. In the past, we were inseparable, always together, always getting along despite our big difference in age. Having lost our parents at a very young age, I tried to raise her as best as I could. Yet to be honest, I am not sure I would have made it this far without her, without her smile that kept me going every day.


    Shana is the kindest, gentlest girl you can find in this whole world. One time, I found out that instead of keeping the food for herself, she gave it to the abandoned cats in the neighborhood, almost starving herself to death. Kind of stupid, don¡¯t you think? To give up your hard-earning, precious food for some kittens¡­¡± Viviana tried to smile forcefully but her eyes were already red at that point. ¡°And the funniest thing about her is her wildest dream. Do you know what she has always wished for? To one day soar ¡­..¡±


    ¡°To soar the sky on the back of a dragon¡­¡± Alastor uttered, lowering his head. ¡°Indeed, a special girl she was¡­.¡±


    Viviana was stunned upon hearing the boy¡¯s words. How could he possibly know about Shana¡¯s dream? Her little sister, as joyful as she was, would never have told anyone like that unless she trusted that person. There was only one possibility that this could have happened: Alastor must have encountered Shana, or even made friends with her.


    ¡°How do you know about that?¡± Viviana shouted as she grabbed Alastor¡¯s collar. ¡°Tell me! How do you know about Shana?¡±


    ¡°¡­I have met her on my travel¡­She told me that herself¡­¡± the boy muttered with sad eyes.


    He has met her. Hearing this cracked a smile of joy on Viviana¡¯s face. With this she could find her sister again. But it didn¡¯t take much time for that smile to turn into despair. ¡°Where? Where did you see here? Is she okay then?¡± the cat girl begged. ¡°Please, tell me! I need to know, please!!!¡±


    ¡°Miss Viviana, there is something I need to tell you but¡­I want you to stay calm as¡­¡±


    ¡°Why? What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°Shana¡­she¡­¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°NO! YOU ARE LYING! I don¡¯t believe you. Shana can¡¯t be dead! You are lying!¡± Viviana cried out furiously as tears poured out her red eyes. Refusing to believe what Alastor just told her, she pushed the boy to ground.


    ¡°Viviana, I am telling you the truth. I have no reason to lie to you. Shana is¡­.¡± But before he could finish, the girl has jumped on him and threw a punch at his face. She was afraid, afraid of the words coming from the boy¡¯s mouth. What nonsense was he spouting about? It was impossible for Shana to be dead. That¡­that could not be possible. Viviana refused to believe it was true. This had to be a lie or perhaps she was in a nightmare. Whatever it was, the girl rebuffed to hear any of these baloneys from him. And punching the boy was the best way to shut him off.


    To be frank, Alastor could have just dodged that slow attack easily or simply threw her off him. Yet he didn¡¯t, even stopping Ikarus from interfering by instructing her through their bond connection. As hard as it was, Ikarus respected her suitor¡¯s decision and simply stood there, watching the love of her life being beaten by Viviana as she clenched her fist. Alastor did not even attempt to defend himself, just lying there receiving one attack after another until blood was drawn from both the girl¡¯s hands and his nose.


    ¡°She is not dead, you hear me? Not her! So take back what you said! Take it back!!!¡± Persisting on her assault, the girl didn¡¯t stop hurting both herself and Alastor until Father Maxime, upon hearing the commotion, came to the rescue and held her back by restraining from behind.


    ¡°What are you doing, Viviana? Why are you attacking him like that? He is just a boy.¡± Maxime did his best to control the emotionally unstable Viviana. It took also the young man Lucas to pin her down, stopping her from hurting the boy any further.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°She is not dead *cry*¡­she is NOT dead *cry*¡± Viviana wept loudly. An understandable reaction, after all she just learnt that her long lost sister was dead. Even worse, the girl didn¡¯t die from a peaceful death. Not to imply that it would be easier to deal with if she had died in peace. Still, it meant that Viviana would never be able to see her dear sister ever again. In her mind, the cat woman has always imagined the day when she would see Shana again. The first thing she would say would be to apologize to her, for losing sight of her that day when they went to the market. If she has paid more attention, if she had been more careful, Shana would not get lost and perhaps would live until today. Was it her fault that Shana died? No¡­but the cat girl saw it that way¡­that she was to blame for her sister¡¯s death.


    The cries and sobbing of a young woman echoed throughout the entire camp and started to attract some unneeded attention from the crowd as they began to gather around to see what was going on. And that was the last thing a mourning sister like Viviana would need right now. Fortunately, commander Luvik and his soldiers have ordered the people to disperse, to give the girl some space. As the crowd was dispersed and only after an hour of ceaseless sorrowing, the cat girl finally calmed down, not because she was no longer sad but simply her body has given out. She has cried every single last drop of tear she had in her. Nothing was going to come out from those red, weary eyes anymore. Her throat was left dry because of all the whimpering. Her hair was all tangled up due to being pinned down by Maxime and Lucas, not just for Alastor¡¯s protection but for her own. In time like these, desperate people tended to resort to stupid things and Viviana certainly fell under that category.


    Sensing that she has given up on struggling and in addition, he could see that Viviana has calmed down a bit, Maxime decided to let go of her and helped her take a sit near the bonfire. He reached out to his leather pouch hanging at his belt containing river water and gave it to the girl.


    ¡°Slowly now, Viviana! Don¡¯t choke yourself!¡± Maxime said, still preparing himself for any further outburst from the girl.


    After gulping down the whole pouch, the cat girl gave out a long breath. Sitting up straight, she has regained her composure, at least from an outside perspective.


    ¡°¡­Where is she now? ¡­I mean¡­her body¡­¡± Viviana inquired in a dry voice.


    ¡°There is no body¡­everything decomposed after the transformation¡­¡± Alastor answered painfully.


    ¡°!!!¡± Clenching her fist, Viviana bit her lips to keep her anger in check as she closed her redden eyes forcefully before releasing. ¡°Who¡­who is the son of a bitch that did it to my sister?¡±


    ¡°They call themselves Sanctus, a criminal group of extremists who has expanded their power to control the entire world behind the scene. On my travel, I have found out several of their bases of operation including many agents but so far I still have no idea where the main base is.¡±


    ¡°Sanctus¡­¡± Viviana repeated the name of the nemesis of her life. Her eyes reflected the burning sadness now transformed into anger, hatred, and spite. These people, they took Shana away from her. They ransacked the girl from the bright life she still had ahead. She could and would never forgive them for what they did. It was at that moment that Viviana vowed in her mind that she would crush this insidious consortium. But right now, she had some apologies to make.


    ¡°Alastor¡­I¡­I must apologize to you, for my shameful behavior. You did nothing wrong and yet I hurt you because I was too much of a coward to face the cruel truth. But at least now, I can finally find some closure¡­Thank you!¡± Viviana bowed her head to the ground in front of the boy.


    However, what she didn¡¯t know was that Alastor didn¡¯t tell her the whole truth but only about how he befriended Shana and what happened at that facility outside Cedra. The rest of the story was carefully concealed, how Alastor tried to cure her in Ragna, Shana¡¯s final moments and ¡­.how he was the one to end her suffering before devouring her soul. Alastor simply could not afford to reveal his identity as the possibly incoming demon lord, which would only be a title in name, nothing more, nothing less. He has given up on the idea of destroying the world, on the persistence of hatred lingering around. There simply had too many tragedies caused by this worthless conflict between the demon and the Primes. This cycle of hatred and pain, someone had to stop it.


    It was no longer just about the conflict itself anymore. People who had nothing to do with it, people like Shana, were getting dragged into it against their own will because of the ones who proclaimed the war. Those cowards who did not dare to fight their own war but instead put others as their shields, their arms to do the fighting for them. Because of fear, they resorted to unspeakable means, even using their own people, the innocents, for their own goal. Where would the line end? Until one side was completely extinguished? Or until neither side was left?


    ¡°There is nothing to apologize for, Viviana. You have the right to beat me till you are satisfied. I failed Shana in saving her. I was blind to the threat right in front of me and before I could realize it, it was too late. If anyone has to apologize, it¡¯s me.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°¡­Pleas don¡¯t say that! I have to thank you¡­for being her friend! You did what I, her own sister, couldn¡¯t do. To stay by her side till the very end¡­You have my deepest gratitude, prince Alastor! As for my shameful self, instead of paying that debt, I committed a crime against your Highness so a punishment is to be in place.¡±


    To be fair, what Viviana just did was a national crime. Hitting the prince of another country while being the ambassador, such insolence or audacity, depending on from the point of view, would normally deserve capital punishment. Fortunately for her, this was Alastor we were talking about.


    ¡°If you are so adamant about this, then fine. For your crime against the crown of Zagon, I sentence you, ambassador Viviana, to never call me as your Highness or any grand title. Just the usual Alastor like you always did would do.¡± The prince proclaimed.


    ¡°But..but that¡¯s not a punishment!¡± the cat girl retorted.


    ¡°You dare defy my decision? Fine! I punish you to be in charge of dinner tonight. Make something good for everyone! And I don¡¯t want any more word from this from you or anyone. Commander, Luvik, the punishment has been announced. Please lead the offender to the execution ground: TO THE KITCHEN!¡±


    ¡°Of course, your Highness! TO THE KITCHEN!¡±


    And so Viviana was dragged away by the commander, not forcefully, more like guided away. Unable to grasp his intention, Ikarus asked him.


    ¡°Why did you send her to the kitchen? I would prefer for her to rest at her tent.¡±


    ¡°She might have put up a brave front on the outside but inside, she is still very unstable. Just look how she reacted earlier! The cooking area is in right next to Luvik¡¯s tent and many others so there will always be someone to watch over her. Furthermore, I don¡¯t think staying inside a confined space by herself would do Viviana any good right now. She needs to do something, to keep herself busy in order to forget about it instead of mourning by herself in her tent.¡± Alastor explained his thought. ¡°And don¡¯t worry! Everyone pretty much knows about her condition now so they won¡¯t make her do anything too heavy, just barely enough to make her move around.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t think that far at all. I was afraid when you said to punish her but I guess I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. You truly have a kind heart.¡± Ikarus smiled at the boy. ¡°As I expect from the one I love.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing much really. She still has to figure out herself how to deal with this.¡±


    ¡°Still, you care about people. Even though you yourself was hurt as much as she did¡­I know how much Shana meant to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know anymore. Perhaps I am only trying to atone for what I did. Viviana, Maxime, Lucas and the elves¡­these people lost their home because of me and yet now they are thanking me, without knowing that the person in front of them is the one who killed their loved ones¡­.Sometimes, I have the urge to tell them but never found the courage to do it¡­Such a hypocrite, am I not?¡±


    ¡°You are not. Not to me. People make mistakes, Alastor. No one is perfect, not even you. But it¡¯s how you try to compensate for your flaws, how to compensate for your mistakes that determinate who you truly are. And you did. You are doing your best right now for a peaceful future, something no one ever has the courage nor the will to do. That in itself is a huge accomplishment.


    I don¡¯t care what others will say about you but do know that you are the man I love and I will always be by your side, no matter what happens.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sometimes I wonder how I end up with such a wonderful woman like you.¡± Alastor scratched his head.


    ¡°So do I, asking the same question.¡± The celestial smiled brightly before kissing Alastor with her soft lips. ¡°Nothing will ever separate us!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, nothing!¡±


    * * *


    Somewhere in Astora, a group of individuals wearing black hoods and dark robes was gathering inside a castle engulfed by a dark mist that repulsed every living being. This mist, an anomaly that should not have existed in this world, for some reasons had no visible effect on these strangers. Even odder, they were surrounding a peculiar object, a metallic sphere that looked out of this world. All of the sudden, the black mist began to converge toward the throne in the room and manifested itself as a large figure of darkness. With two bright crimson eyes like beacons, the only things visible to make out of its smoky body, the figure bore a giant coffin on his back with multiples chains covering it.


    ¡°All hail the lord of Oblivion!¡± the men in black robes kneeled before the large figure. Even their voices were inhuman, almost like a mixture of multiples persons speaking at the same time: man, woman, old, young¡­everything was mingled together. Their faces could not be seen. Yet one thing of sure: whatever lied beyond that darkness was not human or any of the known races.


    But the eeriness of those voices would be nothing compared to the one that belonged to the large figure. Each word seemingly brought death to his surroundings, combined with the grave fiendish tone, only added to the already ghastly and terrifying image of the figure. Lifting the smoky dark hand, the figure signaled the others to stand up.


    ¡°The first stage of our plan is complete. Odium¡¯s body is now in our hands without Alastor taking notice of our presence. But that leaves us with this strange device he left here.¡± The figure pointed to the metal sphere in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Your Reverence, may I suggest we use the Records of the Fallen?¡± said an individual.


    ¡°I already did. But this thing is not mentioned anywhere.¡± The large figure spoke firmly.


    ¡°Do your Lordship think it has something to do with Alastor¡¯s disappearance for those few minutes? We know that the demon lord disappeared into some kind of portal and came back with this artefact at the same place. Yet, we could not detect his presence anywhere around the world in that short moment. How is that possible with our network?¡±


    ¡°What you said is correct. We should have known where he was anywhere around the world. That is if he was in this world.¡±


    ¡°In this world? Are your Lordship implying that he somehow crossed the Veil to go to another realm?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s highly possible. That would explain why we could not sense him at all. Based on the structure and the inside of this artefact, I would say that this is some kind of transportation device, much similar to a portal but for worlds crossing.¡± The large figure explained. ¡°But we have no use for it, not now anyway. We still have much more important things to do.¡±


    ¡°As you say, your Reverence! Though I must admit that the plan would be much easier with Alastor¡¯s assistance. If only we could convince him somehow¡­¡±


    ¡°Convincing him is not a problem. However, Alastor is constantly under the watchful eyes of the three primordial Gods, especially Magnus and we cannot afford to let the Gods take notice of our plan. For now, no one in this world is allowed to be aware of our presences. With our current strength, taking on a God is not something we are capable of, not yet anyway. That¡¯s why we must remain silent, building our strength for the coming days.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean, milord! You intend to have Alastor open the door to Celestia for us.¡±


    ¡°Correct! With the door opened and Alastor clearing a path for us, will I be able to ascend to the rank of the Gods. The old order has failed. It¡¯s time a new one to rise and with it, a new God!¡±


    ¡°The lord of Oblivion shall become the Ruler of the new world!¡± the figures in black hood hailed together.


    ¡°Besides, I have a personal score to settle with Magnus.¡±

 Chapter 74: Always

    While the war between the beastmen and the elves certainly didn¡¯t go unnoticed, Ceadric, however, already got too much on their hands to even think about doing anything. The latest devastation has hit them hard. The entire nation¡¯s economy was crippled. Their precious capital Cedra laid ravaged, now only a shadow of a once prosperous kingdom remained. Their crops were suppressed, leaving thousands homeless starving in the ruined streets. All these may seemed hopeless and many more would have died if not for the help of the Trading Company of Dor.


    The Trading Company of Dor was an association specialized in trading goods across the entire continent of Mara, dealing anything from daily supplies to rare artefacts, everything as long as there was money involved. It was created by a syndicate of dwarves who has now taken the leadership of the remaining of their rogue people after the eruption of the volcanoes in their homeland, forcing the dwarves to abandon their country a few years ago. At first, Dor might seem like your usual group of merchants you saw in the markets but their influence and most importantly, their pockets, could not be underestimated. To give you an idea of their wealth, their entire amount of richness would be three times the total treasuries of both Ceadric and Zagon combined. Furthermore, they controlled most of the market, regulating the trading route according to their will, giving them an incredible influence not just in term of business but also in politics across the globe.


    People said a dwarf was the greediest of all races, would rather sell his own family instead of losing his gold. A common stereotype which was not always true as it depended on each person. However, if you ever met a member of Dor, if you ever learnt one thing about them, it was that they would be willing to do more than just sell their family for their gold. Yet, somehow, these same people, who valued money more than their own lives, were now giving out rations and supplies, taking care of the helpless people of Ceadric with their own pocket money. Did they somehow have a change of heart, unable to witness the suffering of the common folk? Hell no! Everything was deliberated and calculated from their part. What would be even more tempting than money, which they already had a lot? Well, the answer was simple: even more money, served with a taste of power.


    Currently, inside the half broken palace under reconstruction of Cedra, a meeting was taking place concerning the recent events. And guessed who were also present aside from the nobles, the King and the Headmaster of Helios Academy?


    ¡°And that concludes my report. To summarize, Empress Morrigan has made a statement, informing the integration of Malatas and Caelum into Zagon. I am sure everyone understands how dire our situation is at the moment.¡± Said a noble.


    ¡°This is practically a declaration of war from that woman! Your Majesty, we have to do something about this.¡± Another noble shouted, hitting the table.


    ¡°Gentlemen, I understand your anger but so far, Zagon has not taken any action toward Ceadric. If we let this provocation get to us¡­¡± Ganon, the headmaster of Helios, said.


    ¡°Master Ganon, people say you are wise but how can you not see this as we do? This is clearly her saying ¡®I am going for you next¡¯. We are the only one left in this continent, aside from the beastmen who have declared their alliance with her. How much more evidences do you need?¡±


    ¡°And what do you suggest we do? Going to war against Zagon? That¡¯s exactly what she wants us to do. Have you thought of the people out there, starving to death while you sit there, thinking about war? Considering our current state, we cannot afford to have a full scale conflict with anyone!¡± Ganon argued.


    ¡°Then what? Staying idle, waiting for her to bring her army to our door? Or do you think you can convince her to sit down, have a nice chat? ¡®Say, how about you not attacking us? Meanwhile why not go somewhere to conquer? OH that¡¯s right! WE ARE THE FUCKING LAST ONE¡¯. She has already declared war against all countries after Caelum. At the time, we thought it was a joke but now things have changed. The celestials are gone. The elves and the Church have joined, or rather, submitted to her. We are next!!!¡±


    ¡°SILENCE¡± a majestic voice echoed in the room. The king has spoken. ¡°This is not the time to argue among ourselves. Master Ganon has disregarded the neutrality of Helios so he could assist us in this crisis. I will not tolerate any insult to him.¡± Charles sighed. ¡°What he said is correct. By ourselves, we have no chance of defeating her.¡±


    ¡°Then how about finding an alliance?¡± a short figure spoke from the other side of the table, making everyone turning at their heads to the three figures who have remained silent since the beginning. A group of peculiar dwarves they were. From the left, a short stature with big belly and a long black beard was the merchant named Blackbeard. In the middle, a thin dwarf with a golden beard up to their knees, looking a bit frail and very old with his wizened face, named Goldbeard. Finally, in the right, a dwarf that looked exactly like the first one on the left, as if they were twins, fat stature but with a white beard. Needless to say, his name was rather obvious. Together, they were the three representatives and also heads of the Trading Company of Dor.


    But their very presence in this room begged a question. Why would a group of merchant be able to attend such an important meeting? Why were they invited in the first place? This conclave was set up to decide the future of Ceadric, one of the major powers of the entire world. Surely, some random merchant could never have a say in such national matter. Yet, they did indeed have a say and actually more than just raising their opinion, it would not be an exaggeration that they were the voice itself of this conclave


    ¡°What are you suggesting, Goldbeard? An alliance? With who?¡± asked Charles.


    ¡°Well, the only one left of course: Oros.¡± Said Goldbeard.


    ¡°The dragons? But they have never allied with anyone in the past before. The only exception was when there is a demon lord, which is not the case here.¡± Ganon spoke.


    ¡°How can we know for sure that there hasn¡¯t a demon lord yet?¡± The old dwarf proclaimed. ¡°It could be that they were hiding behind the scene all these times, manipulating everything. Just look around you! These disasters could not be a natural phenomenon. Not when rains of fire and ocean freezing happened at the same time. Someone was clearly behind it. And who do you think it was? The demons.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof of what you just said?¡± the king inquired.


    ¡°Do I need to? Everyone here knows of the threat of the demons. For all we know, Morrigan could be in cahoots with them, or even be their thrall. Else, how can you explain her perfect timing and how the recent catastrophes only strengthen her empire further? Malatas¡¯ fall was also suspicious, considering the circumstances of how the royal family all died together, leaving only one member alive, only to be a complete manic tyrant. If it¡¯s not the demons, then who could it be?¡± Goldbeard bickered.


    ¡°For the sake of argument, let¡¯s assume that what you said is correct. Still, that doesn¡¯t give us any solution for the problem we are facing. How are we supposed to ally with the dragons?¡± the king questioned.


    ¡°Please do not underestimate the network of our company, your Highness! I can establish a contact between you and Oros, even going as far as assisting you creating an alliance with them. The dwarves are willing to stand with you in this dire moment. All you have to do is to say the words.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean the Company of Dor will help us in this war? What about your neutrality?¡± Charles said with a doubtful tone.


    ¡°The war against the demons concerns each and every one of us. Ceadric is our last stance against their foul invasion. Not just help, we will be financing the whole campaign and supply you with everything you need. I will have you know that Dor doesn¡¯t just have money. We have our very own military force, which is not lesser than any country. The dwarves may have been forgotten after the cataclysm that befell on us but I will remind the world that we are still here, kicking and alive.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­awfully kind of you.¡± Uttered Ganon.


    ¡°But of course! So what do you say, your Majesty?¡±


    ¡°¡­Would you let us a few days to think this through? This is a big decision and I am afraid I cannot give you an answer right away.¡± Said Charles.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to think, your Majesty? If¡­¡± but before he could continue further, the headmaster of Helios has intervened.


    ¡°Master Goldbeard, the king has spoken. We will contact you as soon as a decision is taken. For now, the meeting is adjourned.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine! But please give us your answer by tomorrow! Considering the current state, I don¡¯t think your country has that much time left for you to play around, king Charles!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    Even in front of that insolent attitude toward their king, the nobles and even Charles himself could not retort back a word. They simply could not. Right now, the reason their kingdom was still standing was thanks to the stockpiles supplied to them by the Trading Company of Dor. If for some reasons, they decided to no longer help Ceadric, cutting off the provision of supplies, that would mean the end of Ceadric, perhaps not immediately but one thing was sure: a lot of people would die as a result. That was why Charles has been very patient during their entire exchange, to the point you could see the crack on the glass he was holding in his hand, testament of his anger. But being to control one¡¯s emotions was also a precious quality a king must have. In this aspect alone, it could be said that Charles was a great king.


    Still, it left the question about Goldbeard¡¯s proposal. If an alliance was struck, that would mean they were prepared to go to war, not just with Zagon but also Ragna. For the last ten years, the demons have remained rather quiet, giving Ceadric quite a peaceful time. Even the attacks on the frontier villages were proven to be a conspiracy of the archduke to give an excuse in order to launch an attack on Ragna. But that time has now ended. The smoke of war has reached to every part of this continent and no one was safe, or so the young king of Ceadric thought. Something was weird about Goldbeard. Charles knew of the reputation of the merchants of Dor. They were the kind of people who would not bat an eye even in front of a starving child. And now you were saying those people suddenly showed up at his door, wanted to get rid of the demons for the world, going as far as paying for everything themselves? Something was clearly amiss here. Yet he could not just ignore them either.


    With all the nobles and Dor leaving the room, only the old sage Ganon was still in his seat together with the king.


    ¡°An unpleasant bunch, the lot of them! Your Highness, you must not¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, master Ganon! Just call me Charles! We are by ourselves now. And to be honest, I am not sure I am even qualified to be king anymore. Letting these people trampling on us, dictating our actions¡­.what kind of king am I¡­.¡± Charles uttered in a tired voice.


    ¡°Charles, if I ever know a true king, it¡¯s you. You can¡¯t doubt yourself because of these people. What you did, not many could do the same.¡± The old headmaster tried to embolden Charles¡¯ will.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what to do anymore, master. We can¡¯t afford to go to war. But at the same time, we can¡¯t stay idle either. Those merchants don¡¯t care about us. I don¡¯t know what their aim is but clearly they don¡¯t give a damn about the lives of our people. Yet, if we don¡¯t do as they say, they will retract their promises and we will be left to fend for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­¡± the sage scratched his head ¡°We won¡¯t stay idle. I will try to dig up some old connections with the Guild of Adventurers. If they agree to help, it would be a tremendous force to have, especially with their S-ranks. Also, we can recruit some of the top students from Helios, promising them status and such after the war.¡±


    ¡°What about the students from the other parts of the continent? Surely they will not help us fight against their own people.¡± Inquired the youth.


    ¡°After Empress Morrigan¡¯s declaration, most of them, well at least the most talented ones of their people, have already gone back to their respective country. Right now, the majority of leftovers students in Helios are rightful citizens of Ceadric so you won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Students of Helios¡­what time are we in to use the youths of our nation to defend ourselves¡­¡± sighed Charles. ¡°Speaking of Helios, it reminds me of Alastor. If someone like him is on our side in moment like these¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­he quickly disappeared after your coronation, just like that. I tried to look around but I guess someone at his level won¡¯t be detected so easily. Speaking of him, I am thinking of recommending a talented youngster who has recently reached the Deus rank in Helios. Furthermore, from what I heard, he was also one of the few people Alastor was close with during his time staying at the academy. Apparently, he even trained this youngster, helping him getting to the level he is now.¡± Ganon said.


    ¡°Really? That would be a great addition to our military. Why didn¡¯t you bring him here sooner?¡± asked Charles.


    ¡°Well, there is a bit of a problem concerning his reputation¡­I was afraid bringing him here would cause some problems¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of problem?¡±


    ¡°I have spoken to this student personally and he is a wonderful, gentle lad. However, he is what you call a ¡®demon sympathizer¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Demon sympathizer?¡± muttered Charles.


    ¡°He believes that we can coexist with the demons if both sides cast aside their differences. He even has a demon servant, to whom he refused to refer as a servant but someone as part of his family. Needless to say, it has caused several scandals among the students as he kept spreading these kinds of idea around.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see. To be frank, master Ganon, the demons are the least of my concern right now. Based on what you told me, there is a high possibility that the recent catastrophes are actually caused by the Gods. For what reason, we know naught. But right now, I will take whatever help I can get. Can you bring this student to me as soon as possible?¡± asked the king.


    ¡°If that is what you judge best then this old man will comply. I have vowed to follow you till the very end, after all. I will go right now to get him.¡±


    ¡°Just out of curiosity, is he a noble or of humble birth? Not that it matters right now. Still, I would prefer to not have someone from one of the main noble families by my side to watch my every move.¡±


    ¡°Oh you don¡¯t have to worry about that. As I told you, because of his unpopular ideas, his family, despite being a noble, doesn¡¯t have any power or any connection to any of the main noble families. I have carefully investigated his background and nothing out of the ordinary came up so you can be reassured about that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect! Thank you, master! What is his name?¡±


    ¡°Edward. Edward Osborne!¡±


    * * *


    Two days before Morrigan¡¯s declaration


    Iron City of Eiseinheim, capital of Zagon


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It has been a few days since Alastor has returned, together with thousands of elven refugees from the war. As expected, at first, there have been waves of protests against the admission of these new citizens, coming from both the people of Zagon and the elves themselves.


    For the Zagonians, accepting so many people at once was a ridiculous idea and to be honest, it was. Why would you help the people of another race, of another country while your own countrymen were suffering? A reasonable concern but was soon shut off when Morrigan reassured her people that there was enough of supplies for everyone. And she kept that promise. Huge amount of foods were distributed to the elves without affecting the quantity given to the Zagonians as the kingdom began to recover. It was a difficult start but eventually, when they saw that there was practically no difference for their lives compared to before, aside from the common sighting of elves in their cities, no one pursued their complains. This was actually thanks to the history of Zagon which was basically an empire formed by slaves from many different origins, meaning they were more or less used to live with people with different culture, practices from them. This allowed a rather easy admission and a smooth integration of the elves into the society of the Zagon. Even until today, many more elven folks continued to converge to the Empire, being welcomed with open arms and given lands for their new lives.


    As for the refugees themselves, the idea of a new home has encountered a few problems, not from the common people as they were grateful to have a place to live, but from the elven officials, especially the high nobles who lost their privileges and status during this integration movement. Among the two remaining factions, Solana and Luna, it was actually the top nobles of the Luna faction who raised the loudest protest. It was understandable as the moon faction has increased their power a lot during Aldol¡¯s reign thanks to Astrea, only to lose everything when Malatas became part of Zagon.


    When someone who has been oppressed for years suddenly received so many power and influence, there could be two possible outcomes, depending on the kind of the person they were. If the guy was smart, he would know that everything needed balance and would seek to prevent the situation he was in, being oppressed by others, to ever happen again. However, if he was a half-witted idiot, the same situation would repeat itself. Only this time, that person would be the one doing the oppressing. As for the top noble of the Luna faction, he certainly fell under the latter category: a big fat man with no lack of awful reputations, Lord Owen.


    So far, everything was being kept under control by Cynthia since she was the leader of the Luna faction. However, it didn¡¯t mean that Cynthia controlled everything. In fact, for years, Owen has been attacking the Moon Priestess for letting Eris and the chancellor taking control of the palace, spreading doubts of her leadership. All because unlike the rest, she didn¡¯t submit to him. But of course, being a chosen priestess herself, Owen simply could not just replace her. He still needed someone to blame when the time came. And that time was now.


    ¡°Preposterous! How can you let them just taking away our status like that?¡± shouted Owen at the two priestesses sitting on the other side of the table. The elven leaders, well those who survived, were discussing on the proposal from Morrigan to join her nation. By accepting the proposal, the elves would be promised to have the full rights of a zagonian citizen, meaning food and shelter until they could establish a solid income and home before the end of the integration process. Furthermore, since Zagon now occupied more than a third of the territory of Mara, excluding Malatas because of the miasma still lingering around, the elves would be free to choose wherever they wanted to make their own settlement and not being limited to Eiseinheim or Caelum, the two now major cities of Zagon. But that would only happen if they decided to accept the proposal, in other words submitting to her. Else, they would be chased out of the country and frankly speaking, that equaled a death sentence. Where else would they go? Ceadric? Not a chance since they had their own problems. Whispering Forest? Of course not! They just came from there. Ragna or Oros? How could that be possible with this number? And it was not like the dragons or the demons would just accept them with open arms.


    When you thought about Morrigan¡¯s proposal, it was actually not a bad deal at all. It was not like Morrigan was a tyrant or treated her people badly. Besides they didn¡¯t have any other choice anyway so why did they still hesitate? Well, the commonwealth has already accepted more than willingly but it was the nobles who could not accept it. Why you asked? Because aside from Eris and Cynthia together with a very small number of top officials, the rest of the nobles would lose their privileges and fall into the same rank of the common folk. Rather than accepting the current proposal, they wanted to have a better deal, retaining their status and so on. A ridiculous idea, considering how Morrigan really had no need to do anything for them in the first place. If not for Alastor who has asked her, the Empress would rather wait for the elves to starve to death, to beg her to be accepted in her nation. Yet for some reason, these people, without knowing their place and admitting the fact that they were currently sitting right in her own house, were debating about whether or not to accept the deal.


    ¡°Then do you have a better alternative, lord Owen? Because if you do, please share with us on how you intend to solve this crisis!¡± Eris retorted. ¡°We don¡¯t have any other choice here.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! We are given no other choice. Morrigan is trying to extort us, taking advantage of our current situation so we would submit to her. Are you saying that you will cast away our pride and be an obedient dog for that woman?¡± Owen argued.


    ¡°Pride? How is pride going to help us at this moment? How is pride going to feed the hundreds of thousands of people out there? Or are you willing to starve our people just so you can have your unearning privilege?¡± Cynthia contended.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point. And how dare you forsake our history¡­.¡±


    ¡°History? You know what? You are absolutely right. It¡¯s history, it¡¯s in the past and not now, not anymore. Don¡¯t talk about pride because it¡¯s gone now! Malatas is gone! If you truly think about our people then our only option is to stick with Zagon and see how the future will unfold!¡±


    ¡°This¡­this is ridiculous. You may think that but the rest of us don¡¯t. We refuse to accept that and we are the majority. Without us, the council won¡¯t agree to that proposal.¡± Owen shouted angrily before storming out of the room followed by the other nobles. He has gained much influence over the short time under Aldol¡¯s rule and was practically the leader of all the remaining major nobles of Malatas. To put it simply, without his consent, this agreement would not pass.


    ¡°That man, how could he be so short-sighted? Can¡¯t he see that we have no choice here?¡± sighed Eris. After being convinced by Cynthia, the Sun priestess was pretty much on her side now. She has managed to persuade those on her side to follow but in the end, most of the power still lied in Cynthia¡¯s camp, in Owen¡¯s hands.


    If you wondered why the decision was in Owen¡¯s hands and not Cynthia¡¯s even though she was the leader, it was because of the girl¡¯s origin. Unlike Eris who was the daughter of the late chancellor and well respected, Cynthia was born as an orphan who has wandered the streets before being chosen by the last Luna Priestess to be her successor on Cynthia¡¯s eighteenth birthday.


    The method of picking out the successor was unknown, passed down only from priestess to priestess. Many said that it was by pure coincidence that she was chosen. Others said it was predestined that and the Goddess Elemyr herself has dictated to her priestess about Cynthia or the many priestesses before her. Who knew? But either way, it was a turning point for Cynthia as her life has taken toward a new direction. The miserable aimless existence she had led until then suddenly gained a purpose. Surely, anyone would rejoice in happiness when receiving such an honorable position. But not Cynthia. Indeed she was happy about that but not for the same reason. Serving the Gods would be the last thing on her mind. Where were they when she prayed for her salvation? Where were they when those men dragged her to that abandoned cabin and did unspeakable things to the poor girl? Where were they when she was captured as a slave and bought by that noble, being his toy, subject to countless torture plays by that pig, before finally escaped that mansion, only to be wandering the streets as a dirty beggar? If there was anything she learnt, it was that there was no God, not in her world. Or if there was one, then God would be a sadistic cunt who found happiness in the suffering of his creations. Which was worse?


    Anyway, back to the present, because of Cynthia¡¯s humble birth, she didn¡¯t receive as much as attention as Eris and since she didn¡¯t have any powerful person backing her up, it could be said that Cynthia was only a leader in name. Still that didn¡¯t mean that she was helpless, unable to do a thing. All those years of staying in the shadow, holding back her emotions, has given her many lessons about politics, or rather how the Game actually worked. For long she has been a bystander but now, with Aldol and Odium out of the picture, it was time for a new player.


    ¡°I am sorry, Eris. I should have been able to control my people better¡­¡± the Luna priestess apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Cynthia. It¡¯s those damn pigs who are still stuck in their former glory. And even worse, they are going to drag us all down with them.¡± Eris grunted.


    ¡°I will try to talk with lord Owen again, to persuade him to join our cause. I am sure that he can be convinced.¡± Cynthia was saying something very weird, considering her personality. At this point, she really seemed like an innocent girl who didn¡¯t know anything about how cruel the world truly was.


    ¡°Cynthia, I admire your determination but you are too na?ve if you think we can convince that scumbag.¡±


    ¡°Still, we have to try, don¡¯t we? The future of Malatas is at stake here.¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­.¡±


    ¡°Now if you excuse me, I would like to go back to my home and prepare for that meeting.¡± Cynthia said as she stood up.


    ¡°Of course! If you need anything, you know where to find me. Good luck, sister!¡± Eris smiled at the woman. She truly had changed since the tragedy that befell on her father. If not for Cynthia being by her side, encouraging her, Eris would have gone insane. Once enemies but now so close to each other like sisters, it was so such a jubilant turnout that seemed almost too suspicious¡­


    Walking out of the meeting room, someone has already waited for her outside for hours. A familiar face that seemingly followed her everywhere these days: the commander Luvik. Upon her arrival at Zagon, the priestess has been given a bodyguard that would help her getting around Eiseinheim. Unsurprisingly, she requested Luvik to be her knight during her stay and thanks to Alastor, that request was accepted by Morrigan. Needless to say, the commander was more than happy to do that duty.


    ¡°Lady Cynthia!¡± the captain bowed to the priestess.


    ¡°Commander Luvik, I have told you that there is no need to be that formal. Just call me Cynthia!¡± Cynthia gave out a gentle smile.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, milady. You are an important figure of your people. I am just a common knight. There is no way I can just call you that casually.¡± Said Luvik hurriedly.


    ¡°I am also of common birth, commander. Furthermore, you have helped me with so many things even before we come to the capital. It¡¯s not like we are strangers to each other. But I guess if you are unconformable with the idea, I won¡¯t force you.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all¡­I would be more than happy to¡­.I mean¡­I am afraid that calling you that will degrade your image.¡±


    ¡°But of course not! If you think that way, how about referring to each other¡¯s name when we are alone? At least that way, you won¡¯t have to worry about what the others think.¡±


    ¡°..If you say so, milady¡­!¡±


    ¡°Starting now, Luvik!¡±


    ¡°Of course¡­Cynthia!¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! Shall we go?¡± asked Cynthia.


    ¡°A carriage is already waiting for you outside.¡±


    ¡°You are so thoughtful. I am glad to have you by my side.¡± Smiled the woman at the commander, making his heart beating furiously.


    ¡­..


    Now in the carriage on their way back to the mansion, Luvik, sitting on the other side, was staring at the woman who was looking out of the window. Such a frail figure she had. When Luvik helped her getting stepping on into the carriage, he felt almost no weight at all. How could someone be that fragile? Whenever he touched her, the knight was afraid he would break this delicate flower. In his entire carrier Luvik has been leading until now, perhaps he was too used to the rough way of life, being a warrior and all. In this world, there was no place for the weak aside from being oppressed by the strong. Yet, somehow this woman has managed to end up in one of the most powerful positions of an entire race. How did she do that? What kind of hardship did she have to go through to attain what she had now?


    ¡°Luvik? Luvik!¡± a smooth gentle voice called out to him, bringing back to reality.


    ¡°WAA!¡± the commander jumped up in surprised and hit his head to the ceiling of the small carriage. ¡°Yes, milady?¡±


    ¡°Can you send this letter upon our return? Also I need you to prepare a room for a meeting this evening at our mansion. Would you do that for me?¡± asked Cynthia.


    ¡°Of course, Cynthia! That can be done easily. But who are we having tonight?¡±


    ¡°Lord Owen. I want to ask him to come to our mansion and try to convince him to agree to our cause.¡±


    ¡®Owen the pig¡¯ That was how Luvik referred to the noble in his mind as he clenched his fist. From the few occasions he has seen them together, Luvik has noticed how Owen looked at Cynthia. Those eyes of an animal filled with lust, the way he licked his lips as he laid his filthy sight upon the pure delicate flower. Luvik just wanted to grab that round head of his and smashed it against the wall for daring throwing those disgusting looks upon a pure maiden like Cynthia. Even so, the noble has caused so many concerns, refusing for a peaceful and stable solution for his own people just so he could keep his power. That kind of people Luvik loathed the most. He himself was a commoner before joining Morrigan¡¯s army so he knew the suffering of the common folk. Whenever there was a struggle for power, it was always the lowest in the hierarchy who had to pay the price after all.


    So what? Now Cynthia had to beg that pig to join her? How? Unless she¡­.used her charm to¡­.NO! She could not do that. She could not be tainted by the dirt of that pig. He must prevent that¡­or so the commander thought. But before he could raise his concern, Cynthia has affirmed her position and reassured him, as if she has understood what Luvik was thinking about.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Luvik! We are just going to have a talk. I believe even a man like Owen can be persuaded if he realized how the people are suffering.¡±


    ¡®I am afraid not, milady! People like Owen only knows of themselves. They could never understand the sacrifice others have to make, people like you, for the greater good¡­You are the flower that grew inside this forsaken land. I can¡¯t let anything happen to you! I won¡¯t.¡¯ those were the thoughts of a knight in love with his master. But those words could never be uttered and would forever stay in the heart of the knight. The only thing he could do was to follow her in her steps, helping her to get to her destination. Like a shadow, he must not get away from her. Yet he could never touch her, for he might stain that purity she had.


    ¡°Besides, Luvik, you will be there for me, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, milady! Always!¡±

 Chapter 75: Wicked

    That evening, the top noble and also the person holding the decision that would determinate whether the elves would be integrated into Zagon or not was invited to the mansion of the Luna priestess. Located in the noble district next to the castle of Eiseinheim, the mansion was a gift for Cynthia from Morrigan as a gesture of goodwill. However, right now, that very gift could be at risk of drift away because if the priestess was unable to persuade Owen, it would mean that the elves would be homeless again.


    In truth, if the people were adamant in staying, there was nothing Owen or anyone of the nobles could do to change that as they were the minority. However, at the moment, many were still confused about the idea of merging countries together. And that confusion could be taken advantage by Owen to use against Cynthia. Even more, confusion could cause a lot of chaos, leading to a forceful intervention from Zagon that might end this peace or even the extinction of the elves. While Cynthia¡¯s own intentions were still unknown, her master Alastor has instructed her to be the centre of the peace talk, making sure it would go smoothly. And that was something she must do at all cost if she ever wanted the old demon lords to keep their promise.


    ¡°Thank you for coming, Lord Owen!¡± Cynthia declared, slightly bowed her head to the fat man. Sitting on one side of this long table, Cynthia had her loyal knight standing firmly by her side.


    ¡°If the priestess of the moon called for me, I would have to abide to her wish, don¡¯t I? And I know why you invited me here so we can skip all the pleasantries. I already told you that I won¡¯t change my mind about the integration. And that¡¯s it.¡± Owen loudly confirmed.


    ¡°What about the people? Don¡¯t you care what will happen to them? They will die out there without Zagon¡¯s assistance.¡± Cynthia spoke.


    ¡°Our people have persevered through many challenges for millennia. They can survive this. Besides, I refuse to be Morrigan¡¯s dog and let our people be her servants. Unlike you, I actually think of the common folk.¡± Owen smirked. He obviously didn¡¯t mean that in any sense of the word. Still, this was how the Game was played. ¡°Unless Morrigan accepts our demand to restore our status, I won¡¯t yield.¡±


    ¡°You know that¡¯s impossible.¡± Said the priestess.


    ¡°Then this matter is off the table.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Is there absolutely nothing else I can do to convince you? At time like these, we cannot argue against each other. The fate of everyone lies in our hands.¡± Pled Cynthia in a pitiful voice. Seeing her doing so because of this man, Luvik had to use all his will to maintain composure and to stop himself from murdering the shit out of the pig in front of him.


    ¡°Hum¡­.if you are so resolute about this, it¡¯s not like I have a stone of heart. Perhaps we can reach out a¡­.consensus.¡± Owen grinned. ¡°But I think first, we need to know a bit about each other first. If you know what I mean¡­Hehehe!¡±


    ¡°YOU¡­.!¡± Unable to hold it any longer, Luvik stormed out, on the verge of drawing his sword. How dared this pig defile the delicate flower he was protecting?


    ¡°Stand now, Luvik!¡± shouted Cynthia.


    ¡°But he¡­¡±


    ¡°I said: stand down!¡± Cynthia raised her voice.


    ¡°¡­..My apologies, milady!¡± moving his hand away from the sword¡¯s handle, Luvik regained his composure as he took a step back.


    ¡°I am surprised! Just a few days here and you already gained such a loyal dog. I wonder what you did to have him on your side in such a short time. Whatever it was, he must have enjoyed that.¡± The noble continued his insult with a smirk on his face.


    Blood was dripping out of the fist of the knight as he tried to restrain himself. You could see his eyes burning with anger toward the man in front of him. If only no one was nearby, he would have taken up his sword and slashed Owen into two.


    ¡°¡­Luvik, can you go outside and make sure no one come in?¡± Cynthia uttered.


    ¡°MILADY!¡±  the commander shouted. But before he realized it, Cynthia was grabbing his hands. He could see that she was trembling yet somehow doing her best to stay calm. She was afraid. So why would she go to such length? Why was she doing this? In his mind, Luvik knew why. This woman was a saint. She would do anything for her people, even if it would cost her dearly. But why did this have to happen? He vowed to protect her from all the filth of the world. Yet, he couldn¡¯t do anything here or else everything she fought for would be for naught¡­..Why did he have to make this choice¡­


    ¡°¡­Please¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.Of course¡­milady!¡± With his mind determined, Luvik slowly walked to the door. Biting his lips, he looked at Owen who was slightly taken back when he passed by. This man¡­.he would kill him when the first opportunity came. But now¡­he must not¡­not yet.


    ¡°It¡¯s going to take a while so do take a chair if you need one. I like to take my time when I talk. Hehehe!¡±


    ¡­..


    With the door closed, the priestess was now left alone with that pig inside. Luvik wanted to cover his eyes and ears, preparing his heart for what might happen next. How could he call himself a knight when the one he loved was being defiled by that scumbag right behind these doors? How could he live with himself like this? The mere thought of what was happening inside was killing Luvik as he could only hope this nightmare would be over soon.


    But unknown to him, something very different from what he thought was taking place inside. Unfortunately, these doors were quite thick so unless someone was screaming from inside, the commander would not hear a thing.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Now that bump is gone, how about we start with the introduction, priestess Cynthia?¡± Owen approached as he put his hand on her shoulders, caressing her in a sickening way. Feeling her shaking, that only excited the man even more. To him, the more they resisted, the better¡­or so was the twisted philosophy of a pig.


    ¡°Then with introduction we shall begin.¡± Uttered the priestess.


    Then, standing up as she moved away from the noble, Cynthia walked to the next room, leaving the man baffled. But in his mind right now, which was filled with lust and desire, he thought perhaps she didn¡¯t want the knight to hear them so maybe that was why she decided to move the ¡®actions¡¯ to the next room. Grinning by himself, imagining all the things he has waited for years to do with this beauty ever since the first moment they met, Owen followed Cynthia to the inside.


    As she walked, Cynthia began to speak in the void to the noble.


    ¡°Lord Owen, do you have a good memory?¡±


    What a weird question! Especially when you considered the circumstance and what they were about to do. But the fat man decided to answer anyway. ¡°Of course, I do! I can remember the faces of everyone I have spoken too, for example! But enough of that, why not get to the real thing already? Or are you having a change of heart? Because if then, the deal is off.¡± Owen grunted.


    ¡°Of course not! But would you oblige me and listen to a story I know of?¡±


    ¡°A story? I don¡¯t have that kind of time to ¡­.¡±


    ¡°It will take only a moment. I assure you. By the end of it, I will make sure that it will be worth your while.¡± Cynthia smiled.


    ¡°Hum¡­fine! Go ahead then!¡±


    ¡°There was once a little girl who was born into this world without parents. A poor tiny little soul abandoned in the woods, left to be eaten by the wandering beasts. Why was she abandoned? Why have her real parents forsaken her? Who knows? But in the end, she didn¡¯t die. The girl was found and adopted by a kind woman. As a simple baker, the woman barely made enough to feed herself and the useless husband in her home. Yet, she couldn¡¯t leave the baby where she found her. Her heart simply didn¡¯t allow her to do that. Perhaps it was her maternal instinct and the fact that she couldn¡¯t have a child that made her do so. And so the little girl gained a family.


    For ten years, the little girl lived peacefully with the woman while avoiding the good-for-nothing father who only knew how to drown himself in alcohol. But the girl didn¡¯t complain. For she had a home, a place to go back to. However, like all dreams, everything that is good has to end one day.


    On that fateful day, upon her return, the little girl found the woman lying in bed, motionless. Her head was dripping blood as shards of glass were all over her body. The woman was not breathing. She was dead, killed by the half broken bottle lying on the ground. But before the little girl could utter a single word or even scream, a pair of dark hands has caught her from behind, silenced her. The smell of alcohol was all over this person. At that moment, the little girl understood. The father has killed the poor woman out of anger for not bringing enough money to him. The little girl has seen him beating her many times to know that one day, things would end up too far. And that day has come.


    The little girl blamed herself for not realizing it sooner. If she has sought help, perhaps things might not have ended this way. Alas, there was nothing more she could do. It was already too late to do anything. What would she do now? Where would she go? So many thoughts passed by her small head in that short moment. But there was one thing that the little girl didn¡¯t notice. Perhaps due to her innocent, na?ve mind at the time, she couldn¡¯t understand it sooner. Her so called father has been looking at her with weird eyes, not with a look of a father at his daughter but something else, something twisted and deviant. In his vision, he saw a woman, a young woman waiting to be harvested.


    Grabbing the little girl, he pushed the body of the woman to the ground and dragged the girl on the bed. Ignoring the sharp fragments of glass that were piercing her skin, he¡­.¡± Cynthia suddenly stopped. Her hands were trembling, not just due to the fear she felt but also the enmity as she bit her own lips. Finally after a short moment of silence, she exhaled a long breath and released her muscle before resuming the story.


    ¡°After he had his way with her, the father went out as if nothing has happened, ignoring the crying child on the bed who didn¡¯t even understand what just happened to her. All she felt was pain and pain only, both physical and mental.


    But her misery didn¡¯t just end there. No, it has only started. A moment later, the father came back with a group of strange men the little girl has never seen before. All of them, dirty and stinky, laid their eyes upon the girl who has been paralyzed on the bed for hours. It was only when she saw the few shiny gold coins one man handed to the father, she finally understood. Her father has sold her to the slavers. How could he, you may ask? To the father, the girl at her current state was nothing but a tainted cloth, a ravaged flower. He had already taken the sweet nectar he has craved for years.


    There was no need to keep a used object anymore. The little girl had lost the only thing that made her precious to him.


    And so she ended up being sold as a merchandise, to be toyed around by men. That experience, combined with her father¡¯s betrayal has scarred the girl for life. She developed a fear of men, unable to remain calm around them. Even till today, it takes her all of her focus just to behave normally around them, to keep her trembling habits in check.¡±


    ¡°¡­An interesting story but what does this have to do with anything?¡± asked Owen in confusion.


    ¡°Do you remember the little girl you bought eight years ago? The one you locked inside your basement for two whole years?¡± Cynthia spoke softly.


    ¡°What? How do you¡­¡±


    ¡°The girl you used as a toy for your sick plays. The whipping you did to her. The burn you marked upon her face¡­.That girl still remembers it clearly as if it was yesterday. Don¡¯t you want to know what happened to her?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°After she escaped from your mansion, the little girl spent a year as a beggar in the streets of Galahad. Covered with bruises and dirt, no one even wanted to approach her. Perhaps it was for the best as she no longer had to fear about any man coming to her anymore.


    And so she spent her days in the sewers, under a dirty cloth, her only property. Day by day, she lived by thanks to all the leftovers people threw away. She did her best to survive. A pitiful and miserable life it was. Yet she persevered. Until one day when she was found by an old woman who took her in. After that, her life changed. She gained status, respect, despite how little it was. But still, it was much better than the life she led before. Yet, the little girl wasn¡¯t satisfied. Who would be? So God made her go through all those hardships, those nightmares and finally decided to bestow upon her the happiness he has taken away from her in the first place? So that would make everything okay? No, it doesn¡¯t.


    Tell me, Lord Owen! What do you think helped that girl survive all those years? For what reason did she choose to live in pain instead of dying in peace?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°So she could take revenge against the men that made her life this way. So she could make the world pay for what it has done to her.¡±


    At that moment, Cynthia slow reached out her hands to her head and removed the sun headpiece, revealing her true face to someone else for the first time in years. What lied beyond that mask? For what reason has Cynthia never shown anyone her face? A testament of the past, a remnant of the nightmares she went through, that was what it was. With golden eyes brimming even in the dark, Cynthia revealed a burned mark above her right eye. Taking the shape of a circle with a star inside, she brushed her hair to the side to show the mark clearly to Owen. Upon seeing it, Owen was taken by fear. He recognized that mark. He put it there in the first place. But that was years ago to a certain slave he bought¡­.could it be¡­?


    ¡°You ¡­you are that kid from back then!¡± Owen uttered in dismay.


    ¡°You claim to have such good memory. Yet you can¡¯t even name the child you kept in your basement for two years? What a joke!¡± Cynthia said. One step at a time, she moved toward the fat man who was shaking up, sweating in fear. He knew what he did to that girl, to her. And now that same girl has come back for revenge. With each step forward from Cynthia, Owen took a step back until his back was against the wall.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°What..what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°What do I want? Retributions for what you did to me!¡± From her sleeves, the woman took out a plain dagger and pointed it at the noble.


    ¡°You ¡­you can¡¯t kill me. If I die here, everyone would know that you did it and Morrigan¡¯s proposal would be nullified. You don¡¯t want that¡­ do you?¡± The fat noble stuttered.


    ¡°You are right. I can¡¯t.¡± All of the sudden, Cynthia reversed the knife, pointing it at herself. ¡°But someone else will do it for me!¡± Without warning, she stabbed herself in the shoulder before collapsing to the ground.


    ¡°What the¡­.?¡± Owen, confused by what was happening, could only stand there and watched as blood began to drip out of her wound, staining her pure white dress.


    Panting in agony as she looked at Owen with spite, Cynthia uttered. ¡°I wish¡­I could have done much more terrible things to you¡­but this¡­will have to do. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! ¡± the priestess screamed loudly in pain.


    ¡­..


    From outside, Luvik has been painfully waiting for the nightmare to end. But suddenly, a scream rang from inside. That voice, he could recognize it immediately. It was Cynthia¡¯s. Something must have happened to her. At this moment, Luvik no longer cared about anything. To hell with the duty, to hell with what they must sacrifice! He could not stay idle here any longer.


    Bursting the door open with a kick, Luvik barged inside, only to see no one at the room where he left. They must have been further inside.


    When he finally got into the room where the scream came from, Luvik was stupefied by the scene in front of him. The woman he loved was lying on the ground covered in blood with a knife sticking out of her. The pig that wanted to defile her was standing there, just looking at her.


    With her teary eyes as the crimson liquid was weeping from her mouth to her chin, Cynthia looked at her knight with a painful expression.


    ¡°Luvik¡­.help¡­me!¡±


    Blood rushed to his head as the knight shouted with all his might in anger. How could that pig do this to his master? How could he do that to the holy maiden? How could he do that to the love of his life?


    ¡°YOU SON OF BITCH! HOW DARE YOU HURT HER?¡± Drawing his sword, the commander charged toward the dismayed Owen.


    ¡°Wait, I¡­¡±


    But it was too late. The sword lunged itself forward and pierced Owen through his chest. The long sword went straight through, splatting the blood on the wall behind him. The fat man collapsed on his knees but he didn¡¯t die immediately. It was only now that the fat noble realized Cynthia¡¯s plan. He could not let this happen. If he was going to go down, he had to make sure that she would too. Holding on to the knight in his final moment, Owen still tried to tell him something but nothing lucid came out. His lungs were now flooded with blood, making him muttering intangible words. Still he tried desperately by looking at the knight with his wide open eyes, to send a message. But Luvik didn¡¯t care. Pulling the sword out of the bleeding fat body, the knight raised the blade high before dropping it down, chopping the head of the noble without ever getting his message.


    The round head fell to the ground, the eyes still wide open as if it has not realized what just happened to it yet. Even creepier, the eyes moved toward Cynthia¡¯s direction, staring at her in dismay, only to see the smile on the dying priestess before everything went dark.


    ¡­..


    By the next morning, the news of Owen¡¯s death has spread quickly among the populace and became the topic of every talk. But the ¡®truth¡¯ that has been announced and circulated was slightly different from what actually happened for several reason. To summarize, this was the report that the public and the nobles have been told.


    ¡®Priestess Cynthia has invited Owen to come to her mansion for a negotiation on the matter of the integration proposal. However, in the midst of the talk, Owen attempted to kill her out of anger. Luckily, a commander of the Zagon army was nearby and has executed Owen in time before he could finish her, leaving the priestess only critically wounded but not dead, allowing the healers to save her in time.¡¯


    To the eyes of the commonwealth, this has sparked an outrage among them. Cynthia has gained a lot of support from the common folk thanks to her previous actions. And unlike her, most of the nobles have been pictured as the evil top for letting Aldol do whatever he wanted and even now only cared about themselves rather than the people they were supposed to serve. Needless to say, an attempt on their idol by the one they already deemed as evil would not go unnoticed. At the moment, thousands of elves have gathered in front of the mansion of the many nobles, demanding justice while the rest prayed for the swift recovery of their priestess.


    As for the nobles themselves, Owen¡¯s death was indeed suspicious. However, he wasn¡¯t killed by Cynthia but by a zagonian commander, meaning a third party, unrelated to the priestess. To them, this zagonian solder sent to be her bodyguard was in fact a spy to keep Cynthia in check and inform Morrigan of her actions. There was no way the man in question could be in league with her. The reason for this belief was because no one knew of the special relationship between Luvik and Cynthia nor did they know about how committed Luvik was to her. Of course, many have challenged that neutrality the commander was supposed to have but in the end, they didn¡¯t have a choice but to stay silent. They could never gain the support of the public and without their army, how were they supposed to rally the people? Their time was over.


    Now, inside a chamber of the castle of Eiseinheim, Empress Morrigan has just come to visit the wounded moon priestess after having her stay in the castle instead of the mansion that she was assigned to, in fear of another attempt for her life. And of course, the prince of Zagon was also with her with a perplexed expression. Entering the room, the two saw a sorrowful knight standing by Cynthia¡¯s bed. Only when they knocked on the door, the knight was aware of their presences and quickly bowed to them.


    ¡°How do you feel?¡± the Empress asked as she sat down on a luxurious chair next to the bed on which Cynthia was recovering on. As soon as they learnt that she woke up, Morrigan and Alastor have rushed here immediately.


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Cynthia tried sit up but was carefully pushed down by Morrigan.


    ¡°No need for formalities! You are injured. Lie down and quickly recover, that¡¯s your job for now!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, your Majesty! I apologize for making you coming all this way for me.¡± Cynthia panted.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, you are the guest here. It¡¯s my fault for being careless and let someone making an attempt for your life right next to me. But worry not from now on. No one will be able to hurt you here.


    Still, that begs the question. Do you know why Owen did that? I mean you two have your differences but I can¡¯t see why he would resort to such desperate means. He must have known that Luvik is also there and it doesn¡¯t look like he even knows how to fight in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, leaving her side was a mistake on my part. Please don¡¯t¡­¡± the commander pled but was immediately stopped.


    ¡°I am not asking you, Luvik. I am asking her. Your turn will come when the investigation is over. And I am not even talking about your carelessness yet. Do you even know what a bodyguard is? Leaving the side of the person you are supposed to protect? You were lucky that she didn¡¯t die or else your head would have gone with me.¡± Morrigan raised her voice.


    ¡°Please, your Highness, it¡¯s not the commander¡¯s fault. I asked him to go out. I wanted to keep the discussion as a private matter of the elves and that mistake gave Owen the chance he needed. The commander was only doing his duty.¡± Cynthia pled.


    ¡°Milady¡­.¡± Uttered the knight.


    ¡°Hum¡­alright I will accept that explanation for now. Still, that leaves the question of Owen¡¯s motivation. Do you have any idea on why he might want to do such thing in such a desperate manner?¡±


    ¡°I believe I do. Do your Majesty know of an organization called Sanctus?¡±


    ¡®Sanctus¡¯¡­of course Morrigan knew of them. Thanks to Alastor¡¯s ¡®interrogation skills¡¯ on Svelt, she has learnt that the attempts on her own lives which resulted in her inability of having a child, together with the insurrection in Zagon, were all part of Sanctus¡¯ plan to control her country. And based on the info her son has gathered, their activities and influence were circulated all across the world, making them quite a dangerous foe. To Sanctus, what Morrigan was doing greatly interfered with their vision: to control the world from behind the scene. Furthermore, the members of Sanctus had a particular hatred toward demons as many of their plans were involved of sparking a crusade against Ragna. For what reason would push them that far? No one knew.


    ¡°Yes¡­a bit¡­Are you saying that Owen is a member of Sanctus?¡±


    Back to the current matter, if Owen was indeed a member of Sanctus, that would explain his reason for trying to kill Cynthia. The Luna Priestess desired the elves to be part of Zagon. But this would only strengthen Morrigan¡¯s position further and that would be something Sanctus wanted to avoid. Morrigan herself knew that right now she was the biggest threat to them as what she was doing was practically raising a war against them. They would certainly aim for her life for this. But she didn¡¯t fear, not a single bit. On the contrary, she would welcome them. If they decided to go for her, they would have to leave the shadows to confront Morrigan and when that time came, she would make them pay for what they did.


    ¡°I have no proof but it¡¯s a possibility. Our own court has been infiltrated by them. Even the late chancellor was also one of their top members according to our own investigation. It would not surprise me if there are more of them hiding around. You have to be careful, your Majesty! *cough cough*¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about me. I can hold my ground pretty well. But I see I have overdue my stay. You just need to rest now. Eris will take over the negotiation. If things go well, by tomorrow, you will be a citizen of Zagon.¡± Morrigan stood up and fixed her azure dress before turning to the commander. ¡°As for you, Luvik, make sure that you protect her well!¡±


    ¡°Of course, your Majesty! I won¡¯t leave her out of my sight for a second from now on.¡± Luvik spoke loudly.


    ¡°That would be a bit creepy, Luvik. Do let her have some privacy when she needs to change her cloth or take a bath¡­¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°¡­.NO¡­I mean of course yes¡­¡± the knight shouted in panic.


    ¡°Haha! I am just screwing around with you.¡± Alastor laughed.


    ¡°Well I have some matters to attend to so I will leave you to it then. Alastor, shall we go?¡± the Empress asked her son.


    ¡°Mother, may I have a word with lady Cynthia for a bit? In private¡­¡±


    ¡°Hum..alright. You know where to find me later. Luvik, go wait outside!¡± Morrigan commanded.


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t I¡­¡± the commander uttered.


    ¡°As long as Alastor is here, you won¡¯t have to worry about anyone attempting at her life. Let¡¯s go!¡± Morrigan said as she walked outside, followed by the knight who obviously wanted to stay.


    ¡° *sigh* that was tiring¡­.I thought I told you not to use him as your pawn.¡± Alastor spoke frankly. While he wasn¡¯t told any of Cynthia¡¯s intention or her plan, the moment he learnt about the news, the boy has already gathered the pieces together to know that Cynthia was the mastermind behind this.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t get hurt or anything didn¡¯t he? And I didn¡¯t tell him to do anything for me. Everything he did was based on his own volition.¡± Cynthia said coldly.


    ¡°But you are aware of his feelings for you and took advantage of that for your plan. You knew he would kill Owen the moment he got the chance.¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? In the end, you got what you wanted. Now all that is left is Ceadric and Oros.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s true. I don¡¯t have any complaint for the death of one noble to gain the entire population of the elves. You did a good job, I admit. For Oros, I intend to go there next but first I need to drop by Ragna first. Apparently something has happened there since Lilith has asked for me to be back as soon as possible but didn¡¯t tell me what. Secondly, I need the demons¡¯ cooperation in what is about to happen.¡±


    ¡°¡­.And why are you telling me this? I am your servant, not your wife. You have no obligation to tell me anything. You only need to give me orders and I will do it. That¡¯s how our relationship is.¡± Said Cynthia.


    ¡°Perhaps because I want you to also be honest with? To tell me what you intend to do beforehand? If we are going to continue this deal between us, there must be a minimum amount of trust to be put in from both sides. But yes that kind of trust takes time so might as well start now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Like I said before, you are an idiot.¡± Cynthia uttered


    ¡°Haha I get that often.¡±

 Chapter 76: Revolution

    What was a phoenix? Phoenix was a mythical beast known for their immortality. Wearing a cloak of intense fire as well as veins of lava slithering under its skins, this creature was considered to be the most powerful and the ultimate goal of not just every beast hunter but also fame-seekers out there. But finding it would not be so easy as no one has ever succeeded in capturing a phoenix. Why? Because how were you supposed to find something if you didn¡¯t even know what it looked like?


    Unlike popular belief, a phoenix was not a bird nor did it look like one. In fact, no one really knew or even have the faintest idea of what it was supposed to look like. Over millennia, there were many accounts of witnesses saying that they saw the legendary Phoenix. Yet, for a strange reason, none of them described the same thing. For some, the phoenix had the appearance of a young female human. Others saw a dragon-like creature. And many more disparate descriptions that really didn¡¯t help identifying the true form of the Phoenix, accompanied by the fact that there were so many claims about this creature with witnesses seeking fame, only to be unveiled later as a hoax. Yet, some researchers claimed that these testaments could all be true. How was it possible that all these descriptions could be talking about the same thing? Yes, you might confuse a human and an elf if they hid their ears but how could anyone confuse a dragon to a human or even a monster?


    Here were the two possible theories proposed by those researchers. The first one was that each phoenix was unique in term of appearance, therefore explaining the multitudes of disparities between each account. The second theory was somewhat a bit odd: there was only one phoenix but the creature could change the appearance to its will or had some kind of shapeshifting ability to bend in with the other races. Perhaps this was a mechanism of survival instinct to avoid being hunted down. While these two theories were quite different from each other, they all shared one thing: a phoenix could very well look like a normal human being as well as a dragon.


    In addition, everyone agreed on the one thing that made the Phoenix so special: their ability to resurrect upon death. If the Phoenix¡¯s will to live persisted, its body would turn to ashes upon death. From those ashes, a new Phoenix would be born. If you took in consideration this aspect, it could very well explain why the Phoenix was so rare. If they could not die, how come there wasn¡¯t more sighting of the Phoenix? But if you considered the existence of only one Phoenix being reborn each time it died, it would make sense that no one has ever found it.


    So why were we talking about the Phoenix again? Well, something has happened recently, something big, something very similar to the resurrection of the Phoenix. But instead of the actual mythical creature, it was the world we were talking about.


    Today, the old order of Astora has been thrown into disarray. The balance of power has been shifted. From the ashes of the old world, a new one was born. During her declaration to her countrymen and the rest of the world, Empress Morrigan has announced the merging of the three countries Zagon, Caelum and Malatas. The new country, formed by the combination of all these three kingdoms¡¯ territories, would be called Valhalla, the Promised Lands of Astora. This enunciation was accompanied with several major global changes and sets of rules.


    First of all, there would be no distinction of races in her country. Aside for identification purpose, all citizens, whether of elven or human origin, would be given the same rights as anybody else. Any explicit, violent behavior of discrimination against one another would be severely punished along with the risk of exile. This would apply for any further race who would join Valhalla from now on.


    Secondly, Valhalla has declared neutrality in the matter of the demons. In addition, Valhalla would also recognize Ragna as an independent country and called out to cease all hostilities between Ragna and any other country. While Morrigan did not say that all demons were good people and deserved the same rights as the new people of Valhalla, she asked everyone to have an open mind, clear of all prejudices before reaching to a judgment of their own, to have their own opinion about whether or not the demons were barbaric savages like many thought they were. For that, a ¡®Discovery Accord¡¯ has been made between Ragna and Valhalla. To put it simple, citizens of Ragna, although restricted to a small number at the beginning, would be allowed to travel to Valhalla via the Gates. These demons would serve as a social experiment to test the reaction of the public facing the ¡®terrifying creatures¡¯ they have been so afraid of.


    As much as Morrigan wished to push her agenda further, this would have to do for now. The integration of the elves, while being a success and a big step forward, has demanded quite a lot from the public. Anymore might have a reverse reaction from what it was intended to. The elves, despite being a different race, had no enmity with the humans and vice versa. Aside from a few conflicts but mostly due to power struggle and nothing to do with racial issue, it could be said that elves and humans were long time neighbors who occasionally went into a fight but for the rest of the time, it was peaceful. This explained why their acceptance was relatively easy.


    The same could not be said however for the demons who have been labelled as evil since ancient time. Despite the fact that they have never gone into open war with anyone, people feared the demons as they were not one of the prime races. A rather stupid argumentation that was actually the most common explanation people would give if you asked anyone in this world on why they hated demons. But surely, this couldn¡¯t be the reason why so many were so afraid of demons, aside from religious fanatics. So what was it? What was the real logic behind this anxiety, this phobia toward demons?


    The answer was simple: fear of the unknown. It was our nature to fear whatever we didn¡¯t understand. Demon was one such example. If a race said to be cast out by the Gods appeared out of nowhere, there was a big chance that you would kill them before even saying ¡®Hi¡¯. In addition, the old world was once ruled by the Church of Light, leading to the many people being indoctrinated by their teaching, fueling even further the already alarming angst. This kind of fearmongering tactics was what allowed the Church to rise in power in the first place since many would converge to their belief out of ignorance. The rest of the story and what happened next, you already knew. Demons were killed in millions, sought out actively by the other races. If you were killed, that was actually luckier than those who survived only to be captured as slaves. For demonic slaves, a fate worse than death was bound to happen, although there were some exceptions.


    So how did you fight ignorance and fear of the unknown? By allowing people to get accustomed with the presence of demons around them. When Morrigan revealed that a third of the people who has been defending Zagon for years were actually of demonic origin, it shocked the entire population. And that was only the army, not to take in account those who have led a peaceful life across the entire country. So your neighbor, and even in some cases, your very husband and wife might have been a demon all along. What would you do in that case? Would the fact that your friend or lover was a demon change how you felt about them all these years? Yeah sure, they lied to you about their true identity but it was not like they had a choice in the matter. Their lives were at stakes, being hunted down by slavers and many others. These people, they didn¡¯t seek retribution for the injustices they have been suffering from. No, they only wanted to live in peace. Would you take that away from them? The bond, the connections, the love you had for them pierced through the boundary of races and proved that we could coexist.


    Morrigan asked the same questions to her people. As expected, there were many different reactions. Some agreed to her ideas while some didn¡¯t. But most were silent, confused. That silence, which was the majority, was what she sought. For a moment, Morrigan was able to make these people doubt their own belief up until now. That doubt could be nurtured until it replaced the old belief to become the new norms of the new world. All it needed was a little push and some time for this possibly radical ideology to impart itself in the mind of everyone.


    Alas, every major change needed a certain time of adaptation and integration. Thousands years of hatred could not simply disappear like that. Morrigan was prepared for the waves of problems that would rise from her declaration. Years of waiting and preparation, it all has been for this moment. But she could not do this by herself nor would she. For a true peace, a true coexistence to become reality, everyone in this world must be a part of it. All we could do now was to put our faith in each and every member of Astora.


    So the spark of change, of transformation, of transition has been lit in Valhalla. But what about Ragna itself? Sure, the demons in Mara were more or less peaceful but what about those like Mephisto and the rest from the mainland of the demons? Could they cast away their hatred for a peaceful future as Alastor has hoped for?


    * * *


    After Morrigan¡¯s declaration, Alastor has used the Gate to go back to the demon lord¡¯s castle. His mother has done her part to start this revolution. It was now his turn, the demons¡¯ turn to make their voice heard. For that, a proper leader, a king must be elected. The world right now didn¡¯t need a demon lord. It needed a demon king, someone who would be the face of the demons, who would take charge in all the negotiations¡­someone that could not be Alastor. The people of Valhalla already knew him as the prince of Zagon, Morrigan¡¯s adopted child. If now he claimed to be the leader of the demons, it might reset everything they have done so far. People would think that Alastor could be controlling Morrigan all along or there was some kind of deal between the demons and Zagon that allowed Zagon to gain so much power in such a short time in order to give way for some kind of demonic invasion. The demon king must be someone who was not related at all to Morrigan and Alastor. But who?


    Alas, that was not the only reason by Alastor came back to Ragna before going on his expedition in the dragon continent.  The second reason was Lilith¡¯s call for his immediate presence in the castle a few days ago. However, this was before Morrigan¡¯s declaration so it couldn¡¯t be about the matter of Valhalla and Ragna. But now that it was official, Alastor needed to be prepared to deal with that too from the demon¡¯ side. He was aware of the ongoing hostility here so something needed to be done about that. But the boy wondered what the reason Lilith called for him be then. What could possibly have happened while he was gone? Additionally, Ikarus has already gone to the celestial¡¯ settlement to invite them to join Valhalla so the boy was by himself on his journey back as Cynthia needed to stay at Eiseinheim to take care of a few political problems that might rise from this together with Morrigan. To be honest, he felt a bit lonely. It has been a long time since he went somewhere without anyone by his side. Alastor has been used to companionship so no that no one else was here, a certain void has grown inside him. Should he bring someone with him to Oros? The boy wondered.


    ¡°I am back!¡± Kicked the entrance door opened widely, Alastor walked in and shouted excitedly, only to freeze for a moment upon entering the castle. ¡°Where¡­are.....WHO THE HELL ARE YOU????¡±


    To his surprise, a bunch of unknown monsters and probably demons were standing inside the castle¡¯s large hallway, all whispering something as they laid their eyes upon him.


    ¡°Who is this kid?¡±


    ¡°Hey, did someone lose their child?¡±


    ¡°We have a lost child over here!¡±


    The chatters of the crowd increased as everyone turned their head to Alastor. But from these crowds, Alastor has already spotted a few individuals that stood out from than the rest, somewhere at the level of the four royal demons guards or even stronger. Unlike the others, these people seemed to have noticed Alastor¡¯s true strength and carefully examined him in silence in their corner.


    The first one was a short red haired woman with pointy ears, perhaps an elf, dressing very lightly with only the minimum cloth to cover her bosom. Or at least that was what Alastor thought she was until she rose up, letting he see her lower half: a crimson long serpent body that was about ten times his length coiled up like a snake. The moment Alastor came into her sight, the woman opened her eyes widely, revealing her snake eyes and her forked long tongue swaying like a living thing.


    The second person actually reminded him of Mephisto. Sharing similar features with large bat wings, elongated thin limbs with large long claws in their arms, the man was slightly shorter than Mephisto himself but still much taller than your average human. But unlike the devil who wore a somewhat colorful noble attire, this man was wearing a full dark leather suit. The tired eyes and pale skin made him look like a sickly person, combined with his long dark hair with a single white strand descending from his forehead.


    The third¡­Alastor knew already, the spider queen Archna he has met a few times. She was known to be a close friend of Lilith and from what Vincent told him, one of the few who have battled against the Artificer during the Second Calamity. Seeing Alastor, she slightly bowed her head but decided not to reveal who the boy truly was.


    But the rest, Alastor didn¡¯t know any of them. Nor he had the slightest idea of what were they doing here? ¡­.Or perhaps he did and he only realized it just now.


    ¡°QUIET!¡± a loud majestic voice spoke from behind the crowd, making them all turning back to the source of the voice. A tall figure with large bat wings, accompanied by three other whom Alastor knew too much: the four royal demon guards. Walking forward as the crowd spitted into two to let them pass through, the four demons paraded up to Alastor before kneeling down to him. ¡°You all are in the presence of our lord. Show your respects!¡± the devil spoke loudly.


    Immediately, the other demons started to realize who the boy was and began to kneel respectively on after another.  One after another, they bowed their head to their lord. Together with Mephisto, the demons¡¯ voice echoed throughout the hall.


    ¡°All hail the Great Demon Lord, our supreme leader!¡±


    ¡°¡­.hi!..You may rise!¡± Alastor, a bit taken back by all these people, stuttered in his speech while waving his hand awkwardly. ¡°So¡­what are you all doing here?¡±


    ¡°Well of course it¡¯s to celebrate your accomplishment, milord!¡± the man in black with similar feature to Mephisto, stood up and walked to Alastor. ¡°You did the impossible, something none of your predecessors have managed to even come close to. This calls for a feast!¡±


    ¡°Accomplishment? Are you referring to Valhalla¡¯s declaration? And who are you?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°Where are my manners? I must apologize for my inexcusable behavior, milord. But you can¡¯t really blame me for being this excited ever since I heard the news.


    Ehem, I am Diablo, second-in-command of the Devil¡¯s clan, the one Mephisto came from. But after he was appointed to the position of the royal demon guard, I took over and am now the acting leader of the clan.


    But back to your question. What else would I be talking about? From now on, thanks to you, we can finally be free to roam around as much as we want without fearing to be hunted down like animals. ¡± The man spoke. ¡°Truly amazing!¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why you have all been gathering here. Now I understand.¡± Alastor uttered, nodding in agreement.


    ¡°But of course! The moment Mephisto informed us, we had to come here as fast as we can. It¡¯s only now that I, or anyone else here, regret not meeting you earlier during the entire year you stayed here. However, we hope that you understand our concern and doubt when Mephisto told us about you. But now, we realize how wrong we were for underestimating you. You truly deserved the title ¡®Demon Lord¡¯.¡± Diablo flattered the boy.


    ¡°Your words are too kind.¡± Alastor scratched his head.


    ¡°So when do you begin?¡± Diablo inquired.


    ¡°Begin what?¡±


    ¡°The invasion of course!¡±


    ¡°¡­.What?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it your plan to control Morrigan from behind the scene? Her actions will allow us to infiltrate their society and destroy them from inside. Or do you prefer the indirect way? Waiting for Morrigan to unite all nations under the banner of Valhalla then take over the throne. We can arrange some kind of ¡®unfortunate accident¡¯ without raising any suspicion to make sure that no one questions your ascension to the monarchy. Isn¡¯t that the reason you become her adopted son in the first place?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± The boy stood there, dismayed by those words before exhaling a long sigh of desperation. ¡°No, there won¡¯t be any invasion.¡±


    ¡°So you prefer to take the indirect road? Of course that goes as well. How about¡­.¡±


    ¡°None of that as well!¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°Then how do we destroy them?¡± Diablo and the demons inquired, unable to grasp what Alastor intended to do. Perhaps the boy had another plan, something even more profound than they could imagine.


    ¡°We don¡¯t and we won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­.WHAT?? What do you mean you won¡¯t?¡± Diablo shouted angrily.


    ¡°What I wish for is peace, coexistence between all races. And that includes us.¡± The demon lord uttered.


    ¡°What you want? Then what about us? What about the rest? All those centuries of oppression! All those deaths! Are you just going to ignore that?¡± Diablo spoke out loud by himself but one look at the others showed that he was not the only one who shared that opinion. All the people gathered here have been more or less victims of the tragedy. Each had their own story, their own loss.


    When there were two sides, the oppressed and the oppressors, if you wanted to seek peace between the two, which side did you think would be more difficult to convince? The answer would be the oppressed party.


    For the oppressor, they only needed to abandon their current ideas of thinking themselves as the superior. It was not something easy to do but it was possible and needed some time for the new idea to propagate. However, the same could not be said for the oppressed for a very obvious reason. There have been too many damages for their side. Scars that would never heal. Emptiness left behind by the loss of their loved ones that could never be whole again. All those negative emotions stacked up generation after generation, and now this boy was saying they were supposed to throw all that away? How could they? After all those years, these things have been embedded in their blood, engraved in their mind. How were they able to grant forgiveness for the people who took everything from them?


    ¡°Too much blood has been spilled already on both sides and not just ours. While I admit that this conflict..this war was started by them, it¡¯s about time to end this cycle of hatred once for all. But it won¡¯t end itself, not without the effort from both sides.¡± Alastor explained.


    ¡°War? It was a massacre. Our people didn¡¯t do anything and were slaughtered like cattle. Have you thought about those who died? So we are just going to ignore them?¡±


    ¡°No we won¡¯t. Their deaths will be remembered as the foundation of the new world, for peace. And that¡¯s final.¡± Alastor affirmed.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not. We won¡¯t let you do that. We won¡¯t let a half-breed like you ruin everything.¡± The devil screamed.


    ¡°What did you call me?¡± Alastor changed his tone upon hearing the word from Diablo.


    ¡°Diablo, stand down! That was too far.¡± The serpent woman shrieked at the devil.


    ¡°Why are you protecting him, Martel? Or have you gone mad as well?¡±


    ¡°I swore allegiance to lord Asgore a long time ago and I would do the same for his son. If he desires peace then that will be what we do. You are a servant. You have no right to talk to our lord like that nor do you have the authority to decide what we do.¡± Martel the lamia hissed at the devil with her snake tongue. ¡°And do know that I speak on behalf of many others who share his idea. This war has been during long enough. It must end!¡±


    Half of the demons in the room stood behind Martel, nodding in agreement with what she said. So there was still hope for peace after all. But what about the other half? They were either undecided or shared Diablo¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°What? I can¡¯t say it? He is the offspring of Asgore and that human Hero. A HUMAN! But fine, we didn¡¯t say anything at the time because we thought if he wanted a human slave then it¡¯s his problem. But then he wanted us to submit to them, claiming peace and shit. Now his son too wants the same fucking thing? And you know what? The funny thing is, just like his father, he was screwing a prime but this time a CRIPPLED CELESTIAL BITCH.¡±


    ¡°YOU IDIOT! SHUT UP! OR¡­.¡± But it was too late. Mephisto nor the other royal demon guards have stopped Diablo in time from speaking those words.


    Something was coming, something very very bad. An ominous, dreadful aura was being emitted by the smallest figure in this large room. Everyone inside the court¡¯s hall began to feel headache as their vision were becoming blurry. The weaker ones started to vomit and fell to ground, motionless with their eyes opened. The stronger ones who could resist fell to their knees in pain. All because of his mere presence. The atmosphere was bad enough to make a man sick, if not fall in unconsciousness for being unable to resist this kind of power flux.  Shivers were sent to their spines as their instincts were screaming at them: ¡°RUN¡±. But none could even flinch or stand up properly. How did you expect them to run at this time?


    The boy, the source of this dark aura, slowly walked to the moaning Diablo on the ground. Each step cracked the tiles below because of the pressure. As he approached the devil, he uttered words in such a joyful tone of a child, yet somehow frightening at the same time.


    ¡°These recent days, I have always thought that I have changed. A few told me that I have gotten soft. That¡¯s true. But you know what? I realize that I didn¡¯t change, not one bit. Do you know why? Because all these times, I have Ikarus by my side. I can¡¯t show her my violent side, not to my beloved angel, wouldn¡¯t you agree? But now that she is gone, I feel...empty.


    I tried to be patient, very patient up until now. But you just have to push it, do you?¡±


    Now right in front of the moaning devil lying on the ground, Alastor raised his feet and stepped on Diablo¡¯s head, pushing his face to a side and pinching him down. ¡°So tell me, Diablo is your name if I remember correctly, do you want to see a magic trick?¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­What?¡± the devil uttered, not knowing the terrible things that were about to happen to him.


    Grabbing one of his struggling hands trying to escape from the boy¡¯s grasp, Alastor spoke loudly. ¡°One¡­two¡­three AND it¡¯s gone!¡± In an instant, a black hole opened in Alastor¡¯s hand and sucked in the hand he was holding on. The sound of broken bones as the arm was twisted around like a rag before it was torn away from Diablo¡¯s body. The agonizing scream of the devil as his arm was being shredded to pieces echoed through the hall, sending fearing into everyone¡¯s mind. The moment it came off, blood spurted out like waterfall, creating a gory chaos.


    Turning to the witch Amelia who couldn¡¯t keep her calm in front of this cruelty, Alastor spoke to her with a smile. ¡°Heal him¡­please!¡± Regaining her composure, the witch rushed to the groaning devil. It took a few others to keep him down for her to treat him. The arm has completely been torn off and dissolved by Alastor so the only treatment she could do was to close up the wound itself.


    As the others were frozen in place, terrified by Alastor¡¯s actions, the boy in question has walked to the back of the room and sat down on the throne before speaking again.


    ¡°Here is what you are going to do: together with the four demon royal guards, you will form a council that will engage in the peace talk with Valhalla. At the same time, form a group of ¡®peaceful looking¡¯ demons, preferable those without any fighting background, that you know won¡¯t cause any trouble for the Discovery Accord and send them to Eiseinheim through the Gate. Rest assured that their safety will be guaranteed by my mother¡¯s guards! Any question?¡±


    The instructions were pretty clear so there shouldn¡¯t be any inquiry from the demons. However, there was one brave enough to raise their hands and stood up. The spider queen Archna voiced her question.


    ¡°What about those who refuse your proposal? Those who want war instead of peace?¡± While Archna was not opposed to Alastor¡¯s plan, she wasn¡¯t on his side either. In fact, her allegiance didn¡¯t lie in him at all but in the Goddess Lilith. Her questioning here was only to know whether he was really prepared to pursue the path of peace or not. As for her actual opinion, it depended on her master. But of course Alastor was aware of that fact and he didn¡¯t have any problem with her serving Lilith instead of him as long as their goals didn¡¯t cross each other.


    ¡°A very good question, Queen Archna! That won¡¯t be a problem. No one who will be participating in this plan is someone who wants war.¡± Alastor gave the answer with a bright smile. That smile implicated something insidious in his mind.


    To confirm what the boy really meant by that, Archna asked again. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way! The world outside this castle is now a completely new world, unchained by the old order with all the prejudices. Of course I am not that gullible to say that you will be openly welcomed out there. It will take time, yes. But if we are patient, there will be a day, hopefully in a very near future, that we can all live in peace without fearing for our lives.


    But I have strayed from your question so let us get back to it! Like I just said, it¡¯s a new world outside without place for the old way of thinking. It requires from us the will to adapt ourselves, the will to change. Like every evolution, those who could not keep up will be eliminated as the rest will survive.


    To put it simply, those who want war won¡¯t get out of this room¡­.alive. So please raise your hands if you think that way! Don¡¯t make my job even more complicated than it already is!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Good! No objection! Even from Diable, Diabla something. Good good! Then let¡¯s get to work everyone! We have a lot to do!¡± Alastor joyfully declared. But before the crowd could disperse, the boy reminded them of something. ¡°By the way, I just want to say this. It won¡¯t take too much of your time but it¡¯s very important so please do pay attention! I won¡¯t repeat it.¡± But the joyful tone soon changed to a voice of the darkest nature.


    ¡°If I ever find anyone among you who dare interrupt the peace talk, involved with such activity or even speak badly of my mother or Ikarus, even one word, I will purge your entire family along with the rest of your clan from the unborn to the eldest. I will make sure that no one in this world will ever remember that you even existed. So do keep that in mind when you walk out of that door! You are dismissed!¡±

 Chapter 77: Echo of the past

    With everyone dispersed and Diablo being carried away by his henchmen, the serpent woman approached the demon child who has just acted like a complete tyrant toward his followers, for a good reason but still questionable.


    ¡°That was an inspiring message you just sent, milord! Truly worthy of the king of our kind!¡± the lamia bowed to Alastor.


    ¡°You¡­I remember you. Martel, was it? You were the only one who spoke out for me earlier. What do you want?¡± Alastor uttered, posing his head on his clutch resting on one side of the throne.


    ¡°Only to pay my respect for the heir of Lord Asgore¡¯s legacy and to swear my allegiance to you!¡± the serpent asserted.


    ¡°And here I thought all the demons are supposed to swear allegiance to the demon lord already. Am I wrong in thinking that?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°In theory yes but there are two problems. First of all, you have not officially declared yourself as the demon lord, leaving a certain doubt in the heart of the others. Secondly, there is a different between swearing allegiance to you directly and how people thought it was. By forcing them to take an Oath, you can make sure that none of your followers can ever plot anything against you.¡± Martel explained.


    ¡°That sounds like a slavery pact¡­¡± Alastor thought out loud, closing his eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s basically one.¡± Martel replied.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t need it. If peace is based on fear and pacts, it won¡¯t last long. I want to change the idea of the people, not forcing them into it.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you do that just now? To force people against their will?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Alastor flinched his eye at the women who seemed to have discovered something very interesting about her lord.


    ¡°Unless¡­you have something else in your mind.¡± She playfully jested.


    ¡°..What do you mean?¡± the demon lord asked.


    ¡°Unless the tyrant is not a tyrant at all.¡± The lamia smiled at the boy. ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you? Using Diablo as an example, you tried to make yourself appear as a despot. A desperate and unwise strategy that may force others to follow you in the beginning but not for a long term.


    However, we can look at this from another view. If the person in question doesn¡¯t intend to be king for a long time but instead will put someone else in his replacement, this course of action will allow a much better and smoother transition of the throne for the successor as many were already discontent with you.


    Did I get that right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Who are you really?¡± asked the boy with an unhappy expression. His plan has just been unveiled by this woman. Indeed, just like she said, Alastor has deliberately tried to demonstrate his cruelty to instil fear into the demons. That would assure Morrigan¡¯s plan for peace would go smoothly for now until he found a replacement that would ¡®rescue¡¯ the demons from his tyranny.


    ¡°My name is Martel, Consort of the Lamias. I used to serve your father in the past until he¡­passed away.¡± Martel stuttered. For a moment, Alastor could see the anguish shown through the woman¡¯s expression. Just like when he asked about his father from Mephisto or any of the royal demon guard, they all shared a certain sadness, regret for their lord. After all, they were all loyal servants who weren¡¯t there if not to save their master then at the very least to die with him. Only, Martel was somehow different. Somehow, for an unknown reason, in that short moment of her true self, the boy could feel that there was something more in her words, a feeling much more profound than just a loyal servant¡¯s grief for her master, something tender and deep. Alas, it passed by like a swift wind and Martel has already regained her composure before resuming. ¡°I failed in serving him until the end. But I vow that I will do everything I could to protect his descendants, to serve them as I once served my former lord.¡±


    ¡°Lovely words but in the end, words stay as words. If you are indeed loyal to me, prove it through your actions! Starting from today, you will be the Duchess of Ragna, same rank with the four royal demon guards. You will be the leader of all the bunch that just left. Your mission is to establish a stable jointure with Valhalla, to easr the tension between our people while making sure that the Discovery Accord is to proceed smoothly without any intervention from any of those who might think of doing something stupid.¡± Alastor proclaimed. ¡°Show it to me how you intend to serve me!¡±


    ¡°It would be an honour milord! By all means, I would be more than happy to take on this mission but don¡¯t you think it would be more appropriate to choose someone from the royal demon guards for this task? They have all more or less been respected by everyone while I am simply the leader of a demon clan, much less of an appropriate candidate compared to them.¡± Martel inquired.


    ¡°There are a few reasons for this. First, it¡¯s all about appearance. I know it¡¯s crude and perhaps impolite on my part to judge people based on appearance alone but for the people out there, a first impression and how you look will determinate your success since the very beginning. If the primes could see that there are demons who look like them, it will help to establish communication much easier than those with ¡®strange¡¯ morphology like monsters. Mephisto is too serious. Naberius looks like he is about to eat you alive. Azureus in some way can be called cute but he is a slime. Amelia¡­well Amelia could work but if I pick her, the other three may not be happy. You, on the other hand, if you excuse my way of saying this, look rather pleasing to the eye. Even if you are half serpent, I am sure most of the men out there won¡¯t have any problem with you as long as you don¡¯t bare your fangs at them.


    Secondly, I know that the four used to agree with my father¡¯s idea but after his death, they changed. At the moment, they still listen to me but I doubt they can fully commit themselves to this goal. It will come with time but I have no time to wait for them. As for you, you may also be one of my father¡¯s followers but unlike the rest, I see that you are a reasonable person and can keep yourself under check when the circumstances demand it. Of course so would Mephisto but I already told you why he is not an option.


    Finally, today it¡¯s the first time I have met you all. From first glance, I can see that Mephisto has a hard time to control all of you, even if he is one of the four. Therefore, I need someone whom they trust, someone among them. Based on the previous commotion, it¡¯s either you or Diablo. And you know that Diablo is currently¡­unavailable nor do I want to have that cunt on my side.


    In the end, the most logical choice would be you.¡± Alastor explained.


    ¡°Amazing! You have seen through all of that and made your own assessment in that short amount of time¡­¡± Martel uttered in awe. ¡°I was not wrong to say that you are worthy of being our leader. Too bad you have no intention of doing so. Still, that doesn¡¯t explain why would you trust me. Won¡¯t it be safer for you to just let me make an Oath to you?¡± asked Martel.


    ¡°If I need an Oath to keep you in check, I would be a terrible leader. And don¡¯t worry! I can always find you if you ever screw up! You can be sure of that. But I do hope it won¡¯t have to come to that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, milord! I won¡¯t fail you! If you excuse me, I will go and make my preparation right away.¡± Martel bowed to the boy before turning away. However, half way toward the door, she was stopped by his voice.


    ¡°By the way, Martel, before you go, there is something I should clarify.¡± Alastor spoke loudly.


    ¡°Yes, milord?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true that I deliberately tried to be cruel in front of you all earlier. But what I did to Diablo, that wasn¡¯t cruelty. That was benevolence, or at least whatever that is left of it inside me. If I didn¡¯t want to antagonize too much for it might lead to a revolt, losing his arm would be the last thing that devil ever needs to worry about.


    So mark my words, Martel, to the deepest edge of your mind: don¡¯t disappoint me!¡±


    That smile again. Such baleful locutions coming such an innocuous lad! The dissonance solely intensified the feeling of dread Martel felt earlier when she saw how Alastor simply torn one of her comrades¡¯ limb like nothing. That wasn¡¯t a king pretending to be a tyrant for his people. That was genuine terror incarnated in the body of a young boy. What he just said, he meant by every word of it. It was a blessing that someone like him wanted to have peace. Yet deep inside, Martel knew that this terror was only being chained up by the ones he loved, to be sealed away in a corner of the abyssal consciousness.


    As the woman nodded to those words and walked away from that thing sitting on the throne, she realized something. But what about the day when those chains broke? What would happen then? Without those bounds restraining him, the day this accursed beast would be unleashed, it would be the end of everything.


    Back to Alastor, now that everyone was gone, he could finally go back to see what Lilith was seeking him for. One thing for sure: when an ancient blood goddess wanted to speak to you, it would never be something good.


    Well actually he didn¡¯t need to go look for her. From the throne, Alastor could already feel her presence coming closer and closer, together with her loud voice echoing through the hall.


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡±


    Coming out the hallway Mephisto and the others appeared from earlier, the small elf lashed out the moment she saw the boy casually sitting on the throne, smiling at her.


    ¡°To whom do you own this pleasure?¡± Alastor jested.


    ¡°To your goddamn tardiness! I asked you to come back as soon as you can, not for you to play around for three days before coming back.¡± The red haired girl grunted.


    ¡°Did you hear about what I am been ¡®playing around with¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your war or Valhalla. We have a problem.¡± The girl shouted.


    ¡°What kind of problem?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s complicated so come with me! I will explain on the way.¡± The elf grabbed Alastor¡¯s hand and dragged him away forcefully.


    ¡°So where are we going?¡± said Alastor as he was pulled away against his will.


    ¡°The dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Why? What is the dungeon of the castle?¡±


    ¡°Your doll¡±


    ¡­..


    On his way to the underground of the castle, Lilith has informed Alastor of her discoveries at the Artificer¡¯s mansion. At the moment, everything relevant from that mansion has been brought back to the castle as Noroeth was trying to decipher and translate the pact. While the old language has been lost, there still must be something that might help him in his research in the Vault. After all, there were books and objects that existed since the time of the Gods still being preserved there. All they could do now was waiting for him to finish it.


    In addition, the memories Theron lost before his death have been returned. While remaining vague as there were no relevant clues about who the killer might be, he remembered one odd thing: the Artificer¡¯s visit on Alastor¡¯s birthday. Although the lich believed that the Artificer was innocent considered the timing of his arrival, a particular detail struck him. The old man didn¡¯t come alone; he was with the doll Stella that day. So if that was the case, why didn¡¯t Stella say anything? You would think that such an important piece of evidence would not be so easily overlooked and it would be unthinkable to say that she simply forgot about it. Furthermore, the Artificer¡¯s circumstances of death were also suspicious. If we assumed that Theoron¡¯s memories were to be correct, then old Marcus and Stella were at the scene when the massacre happened. Yet, they were not there when the demons and heroes came back to the castle. A few days later, a letter requesting Celdora and Arshe to come at his mansion but the old man seemed to be greatly injured and later found dead together with Stella.


    Based on the evidences shown and after a careful inspection together with Mephisto and the others, Lilith deduced that perhaps Marcus and Stella have fought against the culprit. Whatever the outcome of that battle, it left Marcus critically injured. That would explain why Marcus was found back in his home. He or possibly Stella helped him to flee the scene. Since the mansion was not that far from the castle and someone who could kill both Asgore and Lakyus would have no problem pursuing the two, it was highly possibly that the culprit was also injured, preventing him or her or them to make the pursue. Again, this was all speculation based on the clues they found. Still, it didn¡¯t explain why Stella remained silent all these years without telling anyone. Therefore, for safety reasons, they have decided to lock the doll in the dungeon under constant surveillance until further notice.


    Walking through the dim lighted corridor, Alastor finally stopped in front of a rather large cell barricaded with iron bars. Flashback of a not so distant past came to his mind as he remembered what happened here. It was in this same cell that Shana and the other children from the orphanage were kept. It was here that Alastor ended their lives. And now he was back, to this same cell again as one of the members of his family was being held inside.


    Although situated one level below the ground, tiny windows on the wall let the incandescent light coming in, revealing the figure inside the cell: a pale girl in a frilly white outfit covering all her upper half but revealed the skin around her neck. Wearing a black tight covering her legs and a small circlet on her silky silver hair, the girl sat on her knees in silence with her eyes closed, creating a solemn atmosphere under the ray of incandescent light that was shining upon her. Despite being imprisoned here, she didn¡¯t have any restraint that could possibly hold her here. And these iron bars could be easily broken. But escape was not her intention. No, she herself wanted to be here, waiting for her master to return.


    Hearing his footsteps stop in front of her cell, the doll opened its eyes to greet her owner.


    ¡°Stella?¡± Alastor called out to the girl, holding on to the bar.


    ¡°You are back!¡± Said the girl in a monotone voice with a shocked expression.


    ¡°Why did you lock her here? Look at her! She didn¡¯t even try to run.¡± Shouted Alastor at the goddess by his side.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. Though I would be lying if I say that it didn¡¯t come to my mind that this is the best way to do it.¡± Lilith admitted.


    A voice rang inside Alastor¡¯s head, a voice he didn¡¯t hear for a long time ¡®It¡¯s not Lilith¡¯s fault, little bro. Don¡¯t be angry at her! Stella wanted this.¡¯ It was Alice using her bond to speak with the boy.


    ¡°Stella? Why would she want this?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°After we told her what we found at the Artificer¡¯s mansion and Theoron¡¯s memories, Stella admitted remembering that she came to the castle together with the old man. However, she remembered nothing about that incident. Using my own power, I confirm that she was speaking the truth. Still, she insisted on being locked up in case she would be a danger to us¡­to you. She was afraid that perhaps the culprit did something to her that might put you at risk¡­.And so¡­¡± explained the Goddess.


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Stella¡­.I am getting her out.¡± Alastor smashed the iron bar opened and walked toward the doll inside.


    ¡°Fine with me!¡± Lilith said as she exited the dungeon. ¡°I have other things to do than watch her any anyway.¡±


    With the Bringer of Flesh gone, only the doll and her master were left in this eerie space. Crouching down to her, the boy extended his right hand.


    ¡°Can you stand, Stella?¡±


    ¡°Alastor¡­you must not let me out. What if I am being controlled? What if I am under a spell so that person could harm you¡­I must stay away from you.¡± The doll said. While she had trouble to express emotions, Alastor could still see a hint of sadness hid behind that expressionless face. And the way she hesitated meant how painful it was for her to say those words.


    ¡°I believe in you, Stella. You are the first person who was on my side and you still are even now. You are part of my family and I won¡¯t ever let you go, no matter the reason. Besides, no one can harm at this point. And if that person, whoever it is, tries to do something to you to get me, I will make sure he or she won¡¯t live another day.¡± Holding the doll¡¯s cold hands, Alastor comforted her.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want to be sure that nothing is wrong in you, that you are not under some kind of spell, how about I ask Magnus to check? If there is any trace of magic used on you, he will be able to detect it, no matter how faint it might be. Would you be okay with that?¡±


    With a simple nod in agreement, Alastor proceeded to call out to Magnus in his mind. If Lilith was an expert in the physical body, then Magnus would be the master of magic and the soul. Nothing would be able to escape his crimson. Alastor¡¯s hands began to turn transparent, abandoning its physical form and adopted on an ephemeral state.


    Reaching inside the doll¡¯s chest, her memories of that day, the day Alastor was born, flowed into his mind.


    * * *


    Eleven years ago, Sealed Memory of Stella


    Opening his eyes, Alastor found himself inside a dim lighted room. The vision was a bit blurry and unstable but before Alastor realized it, his body was moving by itself. No..this wasn¡¯t his body¡­it felt ¡­different. In fact, he had no control at all of his actions. But if it was not his then whose was it? The answer came almost immediately. Passing by the mirror before stopping a few foot away from an old man seemingly preparing something, Alastor could the reflection of the body, a familiar figure.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± the body Alastor was seeing everything from spoke. This voice¡­he recognized it. It was Stella¡¯s body he was possessing, or more like watching from. Then it would mean that old man in front of him was Marcus, the old Artificer.


    ¡°To the demon lord¡¯s castle! I need to bring him the crown he asked me to make for his new-born son. Perhaps it is too soon but there is a high chance that the boy will become a demon lord in the future so we might as well make a pact for him.¡± The old man said in a grave voice.


    ¡°What pact are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes I forgot to install the memories of the last Stella in you so it¡¯s understandable that you didn¡¯t know. But it¡¯s not a problem. You have all the basic data pre-installed and you won¡¯t stay here for long anyway.¡±


    ¡°Where would I be going then?¡±


    ¡°I intend to give you as a birthday present for the boy. You will take care of him, protect him until he is able to do so himself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course, Father!¡± Stella quietly uttered.


    As he stood up and turned away, upon hearing the word ¡°Father¡±, the old man clenched his fist as he spoke in a loud angry voice. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t have the right to say that word.¡±


    ¡°Father?¡±


    Without warning, Marcus turned around in an instant and slapped the doll, pushing her against the mirror and broke it. How was such a fragile old man could hit her that hard? The answer was simple. In that short moment, he revealed the mechanical limb he used to hit the doll. In fact, half his body was already made out of iron with strange green light trailing across the surface. That was his secret, how he managed to live all those years, by replacing his own body with machines.


    ¡°You are not my daughter! You are just an imitation, an empty shell of what she looks like so don¡¯t you dare call me that!¡±


    ¡°I¡­am sorry,.. master!¡±


    ¡°Stand up! We don¡¯t have time for you to idle around.¡± Walking toward the door, as he had the handle in his hand, the Artificer gave out a long sigh. ¡°*sigh* Just what did I miss? Why can¡¯t I create anything that could even come close to her¡­.This piece of junk¡­I guess I will have to prepare another one. Number 1812 is a complete failure.¡±


    Through the eyes of the frail doll, a certain feeling has taken hold inside Alastor. He wanted to punch the hell out of the geezer in front of him. From Vincent¡¯ story, the boy has learnt that Marcus was a pitiful person, losing everything he ever held dear. But this inhuman treatment of his subjects, even if they were dolls, to refer to them as if they were mindless objects, to treat the Stella he knew like that, was something that would give more than enough reasons for Alastor to kill him or anyone else who dared to do the same thing. If only he could move this body¡­.but he couldn¡¯t. And so the boy could only stand there and watch in anger as the pair moved out to the castle.


    The walk was quite uneventful, to the point of boring. Not a word was spoken and exchanged during the entire time. From inside Stella, Alastor could know that she wanted to say something, to ask more about the world from her creator. After all, her mind was young, only been ¡®awaken¡¯ for a few days. Yet, she didn¡¯t dare, not after what happened earlier. If only he had a physical body right now, Alastor would snuggle the poor child in his chest, to coddle her.


    Alas, it was what happened next that shocked Alastor to his very core. With the castle on sight, Alastor could see a figure standing in front of the entrance walking back and forth as if he was waiting for someone. A long white bearded old man with pointy ears holding a staff, from the description and what Lilith has told you, that would be Noroeth, or Theoron back when he was still alive. For some reasons, he looked exactly like how Alastor would expect him to be. Seeing the pair coming toward him from afar, the old sage raised his hand and waved at them.


    Suddenly, a bright light radiated from inside the castle, escaping to outside through the windows. The light enlarged and expanded throughout the whole surrounding, engulfing the old sage who was standing from outside before vanishing completely, leaving only a lifeless body on the ground at the entrance.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Marcus uttered in disbelief as he rushed toward the castle with incredible speed, followed by Stella. Checking Theoron¡¯s body, he came to a frightening conclusion that he was dead. Yet, no wound was found on his body. ¡°What could have done this?¡± He muttered. The same were said about the guards at the entrance: all dead but no wound. It was as if they simply¡­died without a reason.


    So far, everything went exactly as Theoron described to Lilith so Alastor has prepared himself for this. But what followed next, no one knew, no one expected.


    ¡°Wouaaa wouaaa wu wu wouaaaaaaa¡±


    ¡°A baby crying? Oh no!¡± Marcus thought out loud. A baby at the demon lord¡¯s castle at this very moment¡­it could only be one.


    BAM


    With the door opened, the two charged inside, only to witness a chaotic scene.


    ¡°¡­Mom?¡± Alastor spoke out loud in his mind. In front of him, or at least what he could see from Stella¡¯s vision, two women were in the scene: a celestial standing with her back to the other while the second one, an elf, was crouching down to protect the thing she was holding in her chest, a baby wrapped in white cloth, crying. These people, Alastor knew them. The hero Ingrid and the person who has taken care of him for ten years, Morgan. They appeared to be running away from something.


    Ingrid was gravely injured with one of her wings cut off and the other one tattered together with her clothing redden by blood. Blood dripped from her head as the woman tried her best to even stand. As for Morgan, she was only slightly harmed, perhaps thanks to Ingrid protecting her and the child.


    A heavy feeling manifested inside the demon lord as he was taken by the urged to drop a tear. Seeing Morgan again so long after her death has resurfaced some of his deepest memories about her, the ones he kept hidden, the happy times, the bad times. She died in order to save his life and now, the same thing was happening right in front of his eyes.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me Alastor! Can you hear me?¡± Alastor shouted but no voice was heard. He wanted to move but couldn¡¯t. He was trapped inside this vision.


    Who was chasing them? If only Stella could just turn her head slightly, Alastor could know the identity of that person, the one who caused all these tragedies, the one who killed his parents. But then, all of the sudden.


    ¡­..


    ¡°What happened? Why isn¡¯t anyone moving at all? What the¡­I am not moving as well..no Stella is not moving at all. Am I stuck here? What is going on?¡± Alastor shouted in his mind in confusion. Around him, time has stopped. Everything was dead silent and frozen in place, even the falling rubble. Even the baby¡¯s cries have stopped as well as the sound of fighting. Just what could have caused this? The worst of all, Alastor was stuck inside Stella¡¯s body without even being able to change her vision or do anything aside from watching, making him keep looking forward at Morgan and the baby, which he already deduced that it was himself when he was born.


    All of the sudden, Alastor could feel presences approaching him from behind. Who would be able to move in such situation? The answer was obvious: the one who caused this in the first place.


    ¡°Hurry, we don¡¯t have much time! Fate can only give us a few minutes for this.¡± A female voice spoke. It was a very familiar voice that Alastor has heard before¡­but where or who?


    ¡°If only we could interact with the physical world, we could have stopped this right here.¡± A male voice grunted in anger. Just like the female, Alastor knew this voice.


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t. It will take too long for our physical bodies to get here and this is the only way to be here in time. In order to send us here, Fate has already used whatever that is left of her power. This is our one and only chance to deliver him to the boy.¡±


    ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­. that¡¯s not possible!!!¡¯ the boy thought in disbelief.


    From the corner of his eye, Alastor could see two amber specters translucent like ghost passing by and entered his field of vision. These shapes, these silhouettes¡­it was no wonder why Alastor recognized their voices. He has met them.


    ¡®Merkabah and Luna?¡¯ he muttered in silence.


    Indeed, these specters had the appearance of the two Gods Alastor has killed, Merkabah the God of Celestials and Luna, the Goddess of the Moon. But why were they here? Were they the ones who caused this incident?


    He wanted to shout, to call out to them but none of the pair could hear him. Ignoring the screaming Alastor, the two Gods approached the frozen Morgan and the baby in her hands.


    ¡°I am sorry, child, but this is the only thing we could do to help you.¡± Luna muttered as she crouched down and kissed the baby on his forehead. ¡°He will protect you from now on!¡±. An orb of light manifested itself in Luna¡¯s hand before slowly entering inside the baby.


    ¡°Is it done?¡± asked Merkabah.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s done. Unfortunately, that¡¯s all we could do for now. We must hurry back quick. Amon and Gnome can¡¯t hold by themselves for long.¡±


    What did they just do to him? Alastor wondered in awe. What was that orb and what were the Gods talking about?


    As the two leaving the scene with Luna out of his vision, Alastor seemed to have lost hope in understanding any of these. Just what was happening right now? He thought by going into Stella¡¯s memories, the mystery would be unfolded but this only added more to the already enigmatic crux. But suddenly, he felt a chill. As he looked up, he discerned that Merkabah was staring at him intensively. It couldn¡¯t be that the God has sensed him. This was a memory and now he was seeing things from Stella. There was no way that Merkabah could have noticed that.


    But somehow, he did. As he came even closer to Stella, the celestial whispered into his ears. ¡°Whatever happens, do not lose hope, my child! For hope is the only thing that will save you from the pit of insanity and despair. Even in the darkest hour, look toward the light! These words may seem strange to you but if I ever stray from that path, it will be up to you to put me out of my misery. See you later, Alastor!¡±


    ¡®What do you¡­ARGGGHHHH!¡¯ Suddenly, something has blast the body he was in against the wall. Time has flown again, together with the Gods were no longer here. His vision began to go dark. It seemed the shock has knocked Stella unconscious. ¡°Stella! Wake up please! Not now! WAKE UP!¡±


    The memories were ending. This was the extent of his journey to the past. Now it was time to go back where he was, to the present. But just before all things were pitch black, Alastor could still hear the voice of the old Artificer shouting.


    ¡°YOU! Why? Why did you do this? Why did you betray us?¡±

 Chapter 78: The First Calamity

    ¡°Everything is tied to the ocean.


    For every drop of water you drink, for every breath you take, you are reminded of your origin.


    For all are connected to the ocean.


    Whatever comes out of it will hence one day be returned.¡±


    At the bottom of a certain sea, in the middle of nowhere in this dark body of water so deep where not even the magnificent sunlight could reach, stood the remnants of a once prosperous civilization. Yet now, all that was left were ruins, a nether memento, a shadow of that glorious past. So what would happen to it now? What other purpose could it serve aside from waiting to crumble to nothingness, subject to the violent onslaught of time? Well, to understand one thing¡¯s end, you must understand how it began in the first place.


    Once upon a time, a certain deity found himself in a conundrum. He wanted to provide a home for his people. However, all the continents and the lands have already been inhabited by the numerous races God has created, leaving his children stranded. If he had a choice, he would want to keep them with him up in the high heavens. But that was impossible. For the kingdom of God was reserved only for a small number of faithful servants chosen by God himself. And so, the deity searched endlessly for an untaken land that could provide not just shelter but would also become a wonder of which their descendants could be proud even millennia later. Yet, no matter how much he tried, he could not find it. From the northern land covered in snow to the southern forest, nothing could please the deity.


    That was until an idea came to him. When the Gods first created this world, they raised the lands from the bottom of the ocean to form the continents we knew today. If that was the case, then the solution was simple: he would only need to rise another piece of land. And so the deity plunged into the ocean and searched for the perfect land, the promised land for his people. And he found it: a hollow volcano that has been inactive for long situated in the deepest level of this bottomless sea.


    Using his godly power, the deity emerged this sleeping volcano to the surface. However, he wasn¡¯t satisfied. What he did was merely imitating what has been done by his God. He wanted something else, something no one has ever done before: a flying island that would move constantly without stop. That island was later called Avant-Heim.


    But now, this worldly wonder has once again found itself back to where it came from. Such an irony, was it? The deity desired his creation to be the best, the most creative masterpiece so much that he wanted to keep it in the sky. Yet, because of the very same reason, it ended up being maimed when the mechanism keeping it afloat was destroyed. If he has decided to keep it like a normal island, perhaps things might have been different. Alas what was done could never be undone. The devastation it has gone through has left the island in ruins, even losing the shape it once was. Once home of a proud race, now haven for fishes and creatures of the sea, just what has the world gone to?


    Perhaps things might not be that bad as it sounded. Instead of considering it as destruction, maybe it could be seen as a rebirth, a transformation. For now, new lives could sprout from this place, lives that have never existed before. One such creature was currently swimming in these old streets of Avant-Heim. A fragile looking thing, it was. Half-man and half-fish, the creature possessed an alluring beauty that may appeal to the men of the surface but such thing would not help it survive in this dark water full of predators. But glamor wasn¡¯t the only weapon it had. It was funny how only upon being released in the wild, did the creature find that it was much more powerful than it thought it would be. Did it always have this kind of power and only discovered it now? Or was it because its body was trying to adapt to this dangerous environment? After all, in the world of monsters and animals, it was survival of the fittest: the strong dominating and devouring the weak. Such was the natural order of the world, as simple as that. Much more different than the world of men where betrayal and deceptions were so common they were practically the necessary basics to survive in their world.


    Finding these ruins only recently and after having taken an interest in this place, the creature has decided to make its nest here and marked this land as its new territory. Following numerous fights with the other habitants, both mindless and intelligent foes, a hierarchy was established with this creature at the very top of the food chain, making it the ruler of this god forsaken place: the Overlord of the Depths.


    But that was only a foreshadow of the future. Right now at the moment, the creature was still only a leader of a small pack of hunters of the deep sea. But things would soon change, for the better or worse.


    One day, during one of its hunts, as it pursued its prey with lightning speed, the creature stumbled across something unusual. In the midst of this darkness, a faint warm light was shining among the rubbles of the city. Curious about where it came from, the creature decided to remove all the stones blocking its path, one by one until it found the source of that peculiar light. An odd shape it was, the creature noted as it examined the object in its hand. It was a fairly large conic instrument as long as its arm with an opening stretched out at one end while the other with a very small opening at the size of a human mouth. Possessing a golden pigment emitting a warm light, the creature was considering whether or not it should take this. With something like a light beacon by its side, it would only attract predators. Yet, something told it that this thing might be worth the risk. But what was it? What did it do? And how to use it?


    Perhaps, just perhaps, it should try to blow in the small end of this thing. Maybe it would do something. And so the creature held the instrument with both its hands and blew into it. Strangely, even underwater, a loud noise originated from the thing.


    The first trumpet was blown


    All of the sudden, the water went cold as the temperature began to drop increasingly. If not thanks for its special scales and skin, the creature would have died of the cold. And it wasn¡¯t just the temperature that changed. The area surrounding the creature was also frozen, covered by a thin layer of ice. Even the fishes swimming around it were frozen and fell to the ground like solid rock. But what caused everything to freeze? Was it this peculiar thing that did it? Curious about its effect, the creature decided to try again but this time it would blow much harder.


    The second trumpet was blown


    This time, a crack appeared from below the creature as molten rock began to emerge from it and trailed across the large plaza it was in.


    Now it knew. This thing, whatever it was, could give it tremendous power. Even when using it, the creature could feel that it hasn¡¯t used up all its potential yet, not even close. Such incredible power was now in its hands.


    * * *


    Demonic continent of Ragna, inside the dungeon of the demon lord¡¯s castle


    ¡°NOOOOOO!!!!¡± Alastor shouted out loud as his body was pushed away by an invisible force a few steps back. He has just awakened up from the memory and has now found himself back at the cell Stella was held in. ¡°What¡­was that?¡± he asked himself.


    Then a voice rang inside his head. ¡®How did you..?¡¯


    ¡®Magnus? Tell me! What happened there?¡¯ Alastor asked the figure inside his head.


    ¡®¡­An echo of the past¡¯


    ¡®So what? Like a memory?¡¯ questioned the boy. ¡®Was what I experienced Stella¡¯s memories?¡¯


    ¡®Yes and no, it¡¯s more like her hidden memories.¡¯


    ¡®Hidden memories?¡¯


    ¡®Based on what you saw, it¡¯s safe to assume that time was stopped the moment the doll walked inside the castle. Everything after that, how the Gods came and went, she was not conscious of that fact. Only you who were not affected by it were able to see what actually happened.¡¯ Magnus explained. ¡®Later, the moment time resumed, something hit her and knocked her unconscious, making it impossible for her to remember anything. That would explain why she didn¡¯t remember much what happened.¡¯


    ¡®But what did the Gods do to me? They put something inside me!¡¯ Alastor said.


    ¡®That¡­I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    ¡®And how come you did not know any of that? You were inside my father at that time right? How come you didn¡¯t see anything?¡¯


    ¡®That too¡­I don¡¯t know. All I remember is you were born that day and the next thing I know is Asgore was dead.¡¯


    ¡®¡­. Damn it¡­¡¯ the boy grunted.


    ¡®Sorry!¡¯


    ¡®No..it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not your fault that the culprit was so careful in erasing their tracks. Whoever it was, this person cannot be underestimated.¡¯ Alastor admitted.


    ¡®Correct, we should be careful with whoever we deal with. I think it would be better if we don¡¯t talk about this to anyone, keep it between us. We must preserve whatever advantage we have.¡¯ Magnus counselled.


    ¡®I guess that¡¯s true¡­By the way, did you detect any trace of magic used on Stella? Anything at all?¡¯ asked Alastor worriedly.


    ¡®Nothing. She is clean so you don¡¯t have to worry about anything from her.¡¯ Said Magnus.


    ¡®I see¡­well thank you for helping me! If there is anything, we will discuss later.¡¯


    ¡®Of course! Be careful, Alastor!¡¯ and he was gone, as quick as when he appeared.


    Back to reality, Alastor rushed to the doll who was also slightly pushed against the wall by the blast. It didn¡¯t hurt her or anything but she was breathing heavily, probably due the shock caused by the memory recurring.


    Looking at her now, how could anyone think she was a doll? Her body, her flesh, although artificially made, appeared so genuine and felt exactly like the real thing. If not for her half wooden half metallic hands, no one would be able to discern her from a normal woman. But why did the Artificer make her that way? If he was able to recreate flesh that felt like the real thing, why did he refuse to do the same thing for their hands? Perhaps, deep inside, he knew. He knew that no matter how much he tried, no matter how many Stella he created, no matter how sophisticated they were, none would ever be able to replace his true daughter. The hands were there as a reminder of his failure, of his sins.


    ¡°Are you alright, Stella?¡± asked the boy, putting his hand on her back.


    ¡°I..am fine, Alastor. You don¡¯t have to worry about me. *heavy breathing attenuating*¡± replied the doll.


    ¡°Sorry for making you go through that! But Magnus confirms it: you are clean. You won¡¯t have to lock yourself in this cell anymore.¡± But just that didn¡¯t seem convincing enough for the doll. It was at that time that an idea came to the boy. ¡°Come with me, Stella!¡±


    ¡°To where?¡±


    ¡°To Oros! I intend to go there following this short visit at the castle but there is no way I can leave you here, not after seeing you like this. It has been a long time since we go outside together by ourselves. But of course, I won¡¯t force you into it if you don¡¯t want to. So here is my question, Stella, would you come with me to Oros?¡± inquired Alastor as he extended his hand to the girl.


    ¡°I¡­I would love to..¡± the doll uttered as she reached out her hand to his.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. We will depart there right away!¡±


    * * *


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    A little figure was knocking on the door to one of the large study room of the castle. But unlike the courtesy people would normally do, she entered the room right after that without waiting for the answer of the person inside.


    ¡°I am coming in.¡±


    ¡°NO DON¡¯T!¡±


    BAM


    Upon poking her head inside after hearing a loud noise of something falling from inside, Lilith noticed large piles of book scattering everywhere with a bunch of them lying on the ground disorderly right next to the door. That must have been the pile she knocked up when opening the door.


    ¡°For heavens¡¯ sake, what kind of dumpster are you living in?¡± the Goddess yelled at the figure sitting in front of a wooden desk in the middle of heaps of scriptures. With the long curtains canopying the only window behind him, the lit candles posing on small plates across the room were the only source of light, together with the floating light orb hovering above a skeleton.


    ¡°Now they are all mixed together because of you! I have to redo everything again.¡± The lick grunted.


    ¡°Do what? I asked you to translate the Oath, not locking yourself here to satisfy your bookworm pleasure.¡± Lilith shouted.


    ¡°For a Goddess, you are as dumb as a half-witted. It¡¯s not like there is a dictionary lying around that will help me to translate it. The only way is to compare multiples scriptures of the same date, spotting the similar symbols, and learning about the circumstances and what the scripture talks about so you can have a guess of the actual meaning of that word. Yes for one word.


    This is not a translation task I am doing. I am decoding an entire new language based on some old books from the basement. So I would appreciate if you can give me some time alone.¡± Noroeth groaned.


    ¡°I have no idea of what you are saying but do it quick! We don¡¯t have much time to screw around like this.¡±


    ¡°Fine! You are so grumpy sometimes I forgot that you are an immortal hag. If you want to stay here, let it be little Alice! At the very least, she was caring enough to bring me some tea.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell do you need tea? You are DEAD. You don¡¯t eat nor do you need to drink. It¡¯s just going to fall out of your body anyway.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the thought that counts. Either way, what is with the haste? From what you told me, I understand that this living metal thing, Akroma, is very dangerous. I get that. But it is currently sealed away in the deep undergrounds, dozens of miles below us and doesn¡¯t seem like it will be active any time soon.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    As for the pact, the demon lords are dead. Whatever that has been in that pact has now been nullified.¡± Noroeth explained. An Oath was always done between multiples persons, at least two. But as he said, if one of the parties involved died, the pact would therefore be cancelled and lost its magic. Whatever the pact between the Artificer and the demon lords were, it no longer had any affect anymore.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know for how long this situation is going to endure. What if Akroma suddenly awakes tomorrow? We have no chance at beating it, not without heavy losses and possibly a large portion of the entire world population. Something must be done to counter it before that happens.¡± Lilith argued.


    ¡°Alright alright, I get it! But this kind of thing cannot be rushed. Just give me some time and I will see what I can do.¡± Said the lich. ¡°But really, I wonder why that geezer decided to write everything in a dead language? His wife was clearly able to write in our language just fine.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Lilith asked in awe.


    ¡°Among the books we found at his mansion, I stumbled upon a small red leather notebook which seems to belong to his wife¡¯s name. Apparently it¡¯s her diary.¡±


    ¡°Wait wait, how do you know it¡¯s his wife?¡±


    ¡°Because right at the front page, it said


    ¡®To my dear husband Marcus,


    I congratulate you for finding my diary. But if you have the guts to read what is written inside, I will burn your entire library together with your machines to ashes.


    From your lovely wife,


    Tia¡¯


    That seems more than enough of evidence that this belongs to his wife.¡± The skeleton proudly explained as he tapped on the notebook on the table with his skeleton finger.


    ¡°¡­And why on earth are you reading a woman¡¯s diary, you perverse sage?¡±


    ¡°Well because that¡¯s the only thing I can understand. And we never know, there might be even some clues hidden inside it. This is the person who was the closest to the Artificer we are talking about here. Surely she must know something.¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­then get on with it! Tell me if you find something!¡± Lilith said in a grumpy voice as she headed toward the door.


    ¡°By the way, Lilith¡­¡± the skeleton recalled her the moment she touched the door¡¯s handle.


    ¡°What?¡± turning her head back, she asked.


    ¡°If Akroma, the living metal, was the Second Calamity caused by the Artificer, then what was the First Calamity? And who caused it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you want to know?¡± the little girl asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°Just out of curiosity.¡±


    ¡°Then do you know that curiosity killed the cat? Being a sage and having lived for that long, surely you must know by now that there are things better being kept secret as they were never meant to be known by men.¡±


    ¡°¡­You know, just because you pull out some seemingly profound adage doesn¡¯t mean what you are saying is true, nor does it make you look cool or anything.¡±


    ¡°¡­..It does sound cool though.¡±


    ¡°No¡­it doesn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, why do you insist on asking me that? It¡¯s all in the past now. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Complained the little girl, crossing her hands.


    ¡°I believe if something almost destroyed my world in the past, I deserve to know about it. To ensure something similar will never happen again.¡±


    ¡°Not in this case. Even if you know about it, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. And the threat has been dealt with anyway. It will never happen again.¡± Lilith admitted with a displeased look on her face.


    ¡°Why do I have the impression that you have something to do with that calamity? As if there was something very ¡­.personal about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you so persistent?¡±


    ¡°Then why do you want to keep it a secret so much?


    ¡°Because it¡¯s frightening¡­ for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do I feel like you have something to do with the calamity? What you just said, it sounded so personal.¡± The lich spoke.


    ¡°Before you say anything further, no, I didn¡¯t cause nor did I have anything to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Then why insisting on hiding it? If it¡¯s not your fault then you have nothing to hide¡±


    ¡°Because I died there.¡± Lilith confessed with a loud voice.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I thought I could take over its body but ended up being killed by it. Are you happy now?¡± the Goddess shouted with a strange tone. For a moment, it almost seemed like she was¡­sobbing.


    ¡°Wait just a minute there, what do you mean ¡®killed¡¯? You are standing here, are you not?¡±


    ¡°The Primordial Gods, which mean me, Eden and Magnus, cannot die. Even if our physical body is destroyed, in other words, dies, our spirit will live on before finding another body to possess. That¡¯s how I ended up in Alice¡¯s body in the first place.¡± The Goddess explained.


    ¡°But what could kill you, a God? Not to mention you are one of the three creators of Astora.¡± The news was indeed shocking. Something out there was able to kill one of the three Primordial Gods. But what? And how come its name has not been spread around if it was indeed that powerful? You would think something like that would be recorded in the annals of history but even the calamity itself was not mentioned anywhere. ¡°What is the First Calamity?¡± the lich shouted.


    But even more shocking than what he just learnt, Noroeth was witnessing something he never thought, not even in his wildest imagination. The Goddess Lilith, the Progenitor of the demons, equal of Eden and Magnus who were both true abnormal monsters of their own, that same woman was now shivering in terror. The memory of that day, of her first taste of defeat after being killed by Eden, began to resurface.


    Inside a primitive forest, she was running, for the first time in her life, running from a fight. Something was missing¡­her left arm has been torn off as blood was pouring out of the wound. Her breathing was short, huffing as she ran for her life. At the time, her appearance was different from Alice. Instead of a little girl, she was a matured woman with horns on her head. Emitting a powerful aura that could knock out those around just by being near her, that woman was fleeing from her last battle.


    The forest, it was being set on fire. Rains of large boulders of fire fell from the sky as if the scene was taken straight out from an apocalypse. The ground was shaking heavily as cracks appeared everywhere, changing the landscape to the point of being unrecognizable. A shadow was pursuing her relentlessly. Despite how fast the Goddess was, that shadow could always keep the same distance behind her. It could have caught her by now but it didn¡¯t do so. Why? Because it was toying with her. For it would be more fun for it. But all fun would have to come to an end. The ground around the woman has risen high all of the sudden, blocking her escape. She had found herself at a dead end. Turning back, it was too late. The shadow has also caught up to her and was now standing in front of her, smiling creepily. That twisted laughter, accompanied by the dreadful inhuman voice, sent shiver to the spines of the Goddess as she trembled in fear.


    ¡°Any last word?¡±


    Fear has taken hold of the Goddess¡¯ vessel. She could not even speak properly anymore. Her tongue has been frozen in place. How was it possible that a deity like her could end up in this humiliating state? She knew it was powerful but not to this point. Her overconfidence in herself was her undoing. In an instant, with a simple swing of its hand, something fell to the ground as the headless Goddess collapsed on her knees. It was the last thing she saw in that horrendous memory before everything went dark.


    * * *


    ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡­Just a funny dream I haven¡¯t seen for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t suddenly become like Nyx! We have enough of prophetic dream already.¡±


    ¡°Haha! No worry! It¡¯s just a memory of the past. That¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°I see. So now that you are awake, how about you share your opinion with us about the plan, Asmodeus?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°LILITH! Come back to your sense!¡±


    Sensing her body being shaken violently, the small elf opened her eyes, only to find herself back to the study again. That memory, it still haunted her to this day. She thought a few centuries were enough to forget about it but no. The dread, the fear she felt that day has been engraved into the very core of her soul. It would never go away, no matter how much time has passed, no matter how many bodies she changed in the process.


    ¡°I am fine. *heavy breathing* Stop shaking me!¡± the girl gasped.


    ¡°No you aren¡¯t. Stay there, I will go call the others!¡±


    ¡°STOP! Don¡¯t you dare call or tell anyone about this!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­¡±


    ¡°Then all is good.¡± Pushing her hand against the wall, the girl slowly stood up and fixed her cloth before heading toward the door again. ¡°Now you see why I don¡¯t want to talk about it¡­¡±


    ¡°My apologies¡­I was too nosy. We will never speak of this again.¡± The lich agreed, feeling a bit guilty for pushing his questions.


    ¡°If you understand that, then good. Nothing happened here. You might as well try to forget it.¡±


    * * *


    Dragon continent of Oros


    Morrigan¡¯s declaration in Mara was just the beginning of a chain reaction spreading across the entire world. The continent of Oros, the primitive land to the West left undisturbed by the chaos and politics of the outside, was now witnessing an unprecedented event. For the first time since the ages of the Gods, such a huge mass of dragons has gathered together under the same banner. This kind of situation was unheard of, even during the time of the demon lords. And yet here we were, spectators of the opening of a new chapter for the dragons.


    From above, two armies could be seen aligning on two sides of a single stage in the middle. On the left, a grand army of dragons, numbered in thousands, has gathered in an open field. Each dragon was unique with different shape and color, creating a chaotic feeling when they stood together as one. On the right stood another army composed of black knights in heavy armory with their great swords, lances and shields. Unlike their counterpart, the Millennium Regiment under Alastor¡¯s control, these heavy looking knights would not go to battle by foot. For what kind of dragon riders would go to battle by foot when they had such awesome rides by their sides?


    All of them were now turning their heads following a tall figure wearing a white robe and a golden crown as he walked toward the void space between the two armies that would soon together join as one. Standing majestically in front of them, he spoke.


    ¡°The time has come for the dragons to retake their country. No longer will you be bound by the treacherous tyranny of your false council who claimed to be your leaders. The dragons are not a race to be submitted by the common rules. No! You are a people of freedom and your will cannot be shackled by the chains set out by others.


    Take back what is rightfully yours! Depose those false shepherds! And if there is to be a leader, let you be the ones who choose them and nobody else! For Oros! For freedom!¡±


    The glorious speech was greeted with hails from both sides. The dragons roar and breath fire with spirit as the knights tapped their weapons repetitively on the ground like drums. The moment they have longed for has finally come.


    ¡°Hail Kaiser, the True Monarch!¡±


    ¡°Long live Kaiser the one true king!¡±


    And with those cheers, the king gave his command.


    ¡°NOW, WE MARCH!¡±

 Chapter 79: Trouble in Cedra

    ¡°And¡­everything is perfect.¡± the voice of a maiden rang as she was checking meticulously the clothing of a young boy for any shrivelled trace in front of a huge mirror.


    ¡°It seems a bit¡­tight.¡± Said the boy, feeling uncomfortable by the attire he was wearing. It was a noble outfit his parents have given to him, made by the best tailor of the city. Upon receiving a letter from the royal palace, these two doting parents have rushed and spent a fortune just for this garb.


    ¡°And you have to endure it, young master! You are going to see the king after all. Not many have that honour so you must take advantage of this opportunity, make a good and lasting impression!¡± the maid spoke while she did a final check from behind. ¡°You have undergone all those trainings, studied night and days just for this moment. You should be proud of yourself. Smile, young master!¡±


    Indeed it was strange. Normally, if someone received an invitation of the king to be among his closest retainers, anyone would be so delighted, if not screaming out of joy. It was the chance of a lifetime to be able to serve the king. Promises of richness and fame were certain and assured for such individuals. Yet, why did the boy have that face of fretfulness? Why could he not be happy about it? Perhaps, it was due to the recent announcement of a war between the newly formed Valhalla and his country. Why would war continue to exist? The boy wondered. It was something he never got to understand. It might be perhaps because he was too young to grasp the rules and politics of the world. Or perchance, it might simply be for the best that such an innocent boy was spared from that absurd madness of men¡¯s greed.


    The fact that he was invited to the palace to join the royal guards was certainly for this very same reason and not just because of his headmaster¡¯s recommendation. They were looking for people with power to recruit for the war. That much was obvious. But it was the verity of going to war against Valhalla that spouted doubts in the boy¡¯s mind about his own country, especially after what he heard from the recent declaration of their Empress. Following Morrigan¡¯s proclamation, it has led to some pretty chaotic situations in Ceadric where a large number of its people, numbered in thousands, has fled to Valhalla. They were most likely demons, either slaves or having lived in secluded areas, hiding until now. This caused a heavy tension in cities across the country accompanied by a wave of ¡®witch-hunts¡¯ in search for those demons in hiding.


    Unfortunately, not all of the demons have managed to reach the borders with the leftovers being killed or captured by the army, or worst by a group of religious fanatics claiming to be messengers of Gods. Your neighbour might be a demon. Your friend might be a demon. Even your husband or wife might be one. Just how many have died, demons or not, because of those accusations? Needless to say, King Charles was forced to dispatch the army to stop those dangerous heretics from burning people alive by stationing soldiers in almost every street. And that was how a country fell into total disarray overnight. Fortunately, things have been calmed down a bit thanks to Charles¡¯ efforts but still, a feeling of doubt, of scepticism has been spread among the people, dominating this heavy atmosphere.


    ¡°Tasha¡­why didn¡¯t you leave?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°I told you many time already, young master. My place is by your side. There is no need for me to go anywhere else.¡± The maid smiled at her master.


    ¡°But you will be able to live freely over there. Our city has gone mad ever since Empress Morrigan¡¯s declaration of neutrality toward the demons. You are not safe here.¡±


    ¡°If I want to live in freedom, I would have left a long time ago. And those heretics don¡¯t scare me.¡± The maid declared. ¡°Besides, who would take care of you when I am gone?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Young master, do you remember the day we first met?¡± The boy nodded in agreement, leaving the maid to continue. ¡°That day, I was on the verge of death, drown in despair wondering what did I do to deserve it¡­But you, you saved me. You gave me purpose, a reason to live on. You are my light. The only reason I am standing here is thanks to you, young master. And I am grateful to you for that.¡±


    ¡°Tasha¡­¡± the boy smiled with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Why are you the one crying? Honestly, what would you do when I am gone? Hihi!¡± the brown haired maiden grinned.


    ¡°I promise I will make you happy, Tasha.¡± The young man wept as he turned back and embraced the girl tight, burying his face in her chest.


    That was quite a sneaky but innocent attack from him. It made the girl wanting to jump around and scream in joy but fortunately she has managed to keep everything under control. Putting her hands around his small head and caressing his back, the maid spoke gently. ¡°I already am, young master. By the way, aren¡¯t we forgetting something? You have to go now before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do I have to?¡± the boy uttered with displease in his voice. He had a good reason though: it felt simply too complacent, resting his head on her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to keep the king waiting. The carriage is already outside.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I will go now.¡± Finally taking all his will to leave this pleasant place, the boy walked to the door.


    ¡°Have a nice day, young master Edward!¡± the maid bowed to her master as he left the house.


    With the boy gone, it was time for her to resume her daily duties: doing all the chores in this mansion from top to bottom. But first, she needed to go make a round in the market to purchase food for dinner. It used to be one of her favourite moments to go out and pick the best ingredients in order to cook the best meal for her master and the rest of the household. But nowadays, things were getting a bit more dangerous with all these demon-hunting orchestrated by the heretics. Even more troubling, her identity of being a demon was widely known in the district, making each trip outside even more treacherous. The lords of the house, including Edward and his parents, have asked Tasha to stay inside during these times but the girl has refused to let this situation getting on way with her duties. She reassured them that she would be more careful without letting anyone finding out who she was. And so since then, every time Tasha went out, she needed to wear a cloak while concealing her face with a hood. Perhaps it was her astir, naive nature that pushed her to turn down that offer. One must wonder if the girl was even aware of the danger out there, for people learnt only by making mistakes. However, sometimes there were mistakes that would not give us a second chance at redemption, mistakes that would have consequences beyond repair, like ones that could cost us our lives.


    As the girl strolled down the streets of Ceadric, or whatever that was left of it after the catastrophes, she turned her head around watching the surrounding, carefully observing where she treaded. Rubbles were laying everywhere as re-constructions were underway. One thing Tasha has noticed was the increasing presence of dwarves in the city. These short statures came from a certain trading group called Dor, if she remembered correctly after hearing it faintly during a dinner conversation. From assisting in the constructions to selling supplies at low cost, these strangers took care of everything for Ceadric. Even the market Tasha was on her way to was only a temporary one that belonged to the Trading Company of Dor.


    ¡°Thank the Gods they are here for us! What would we do without them at this dire moment?¡± the girl wondered out loud.


    The market was still a long way ahead. It would normally take too much time for her to go there in time for the opening of the new supplies. If she came too late, things might either have run out or the leftovers would be of bad quality compared to the new ones. However, that would not be a problem for our lovely maid. Having lived here for years, she knew every corner of the street like her hand. There was another shortcut, unknown to many: a rather dark and small alley that was intact even after the devastation. And so, the woman decided to trespass into this alley, unaware of the danger following her.


    Damp and lurid, this place was among the favourite spots of the low lives of Cedra, including the rats which were wandering around, scavenging whatever people threw away. But Tasha has had her fair shares of woes in her life, moulding her into a rather independent woman, at least from a mental point of view. Yet, it could be said that she was not the brightest woman for taking this route.


    Half way in the alley, Tasha could hear footsteps coming toward her from a small corner of the alley. A figure wearing a brown robe walked out of the corner, hiding their face under the hood. Standing in the middle of the path, the figure blocked Tasha¡¯s way.


    ¡°Uhm¡­hello?¡± the girl called out to the man in robe, slightly taken back a bit from his sudden appearance.


    Slowly removing his hood, the man revealed his tattooed bald face with scriptures imprinted all over his face.


    ¡°All demons must be purged.¡± He pulled out a plain knife. ¡°Give your life to the Lord! Let him deliver your tainted soul to the deepest hell! For it¡¯s your only chance at salvation!¡± The man quickly walked toward Tasha with the knife in his hand.


    This was one of the heretics who have recently appeared all over Ceadric. No one knew where they came from or how exactly it started in the first place. But one thing was sure: these people were fanatics, prepared to do anything in the name of their so called deity, from killing an innocent child to bath in the blood of their proclaimed enemies, the demons.


    The girl was too ignorant of her own situation. Fearing the worst, she quickly turned back, only to run into another heretic coming toward her from behind. Now, she was trapped with all her paths blocked by them. Rushing toward her and catching both the girl¡¯s hands she struggled violently with everything she has to no avail, the heretic held her from behind as the other one slowly approached with the knife hanging in his hand.


    ¡°Please!! I didn¡¯t do anything to you. Just let me go!¡± the girl cried out loud in fear.


    ¡°For demons, living in itself is a sin.¡± The man proclaimed. ¡°Do not struggle! Your resistance will only show your guilt even more!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, this one is definitely a sinner alright. Daring taking the form of such an inviting woman to charm innocent folk into depravity? Is that how you manage to find yourself serving that noble brat? By spreading your legs to him every night? I can already imagine all kinds of immoral acts you two have committed. Hehehehe!¡± The fanatic holding the girl started to grope Tasha in various places, making her shrieking in terror.


    ¡°Please stop!¡± the maiden broke down in tears, begging for the man to stop.


    ¡°Halt, brother! You can¡¯t let this demoness defile the purity of your soul.¡± The tattooed man spoke.


    ¡°Oh..Oh yes! I almost fell to her tricks. What a devious demon, trying to charm me! So what do we do with her?¡±


    ¡°Bring her back to the slaughter house! The Gods will be most pleased with the sacrifice this time.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ the full moon is tomorrow, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Correct! She will pay for her crimes when the time comes. But not now. Killing her right now would only dirty further the streets of our beloved city. Everything has its moment, brother.¡±


    ¡°No¡­I have to get back to him. Don¡¯t take me!!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, bitch!¡± the man violently punched the maid in her stomach, knocking her out unconscious. ¡°At least she is silent now¡±.


    ¡°Then let us go back immediately! So many other sinners await.¡±


    Putting the girl on his shoulder, the two heretics left the scene in haste, not knowing that their actions have been witnessed by not just one, but two different parties hiding in the roofs. The funny thing was one party only saw Tasha and the two heretics while the other party, consisting of only one person, saw everything, including the first group sneaking on the roof on the other side of the alley.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Milady, why didn¡¯t we help her? She is just an innocent girl.¡± Said a young woman to another one. The two together was the first party that witnessed what just happened to poor Tasha.


    ¡°As much as I want to, saving her might destroy the only lead we have on these heretics. We will wait for the full moon when they all gather in one place to destroy them once and for all.¡± Said the second woman, clenching her fist to control her urge.


    ¡°To think we stumble across something like this the first day we are sent here¡­.It has just been a few days since Morrigan¡¯s declaration and things already went to shit in this place.¡±


    ¡°It shows how insecure and depraved humans are. We would rather inflict pain upon others just so we can feel better about ourselves. This makes me sick!¡±


    ¡°I am glad we can no longer call ourselves humans anymore.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it. That¡¯s the one and only thing I like about this body.¡±


    ¡­..


    The figure who has seen everything was wearing a black robe and hood to hide their body from head to toe without letting the light touching even an inch of their skin. The strange thing was, unlike the other two women, the figure didn¡¯t even try to hide. Instead, he was only floating on the roof right above the women. Yet, somehow, they could not feel his presence at all, as if nothing was there.


    ¡°Hum¡­.what an interesting sight! A bunch of lawless heretics¡­I wonder how delectable they would taste like. Alas, they should be able to help me reach my quota.


    But who are those two women? Based on what was just said, they might get disturb my plan¡­Hummmm¡­.what should I do?¡±


    The stranger contemplated out loud with himself. With two shining red dots which seemed to be his eyes, the figure spoke in an eerie voice or perhaps it would be more appropriate to say ¡®voices¡¯. It was clear that whatever spoke those words was not human or any of the known races. Else how would you explain the many voices speaking one upon other at the same time each time the figure uttered a word?


    All of the sudden, the figure reacted strangely as he began to hear a voice in his mind.


    ¡®How are things going at Cedra?¡¯


    ¡®As you expected, your Reverence! Death!¡¯


    ¡®I see¡­Then you should have no problem to reach the necessary quantity then. If possible, do take the most you can without raising any attention. The others in the Whispering Forest and Ragna are not so lucky in their search so you might want to make up for them. But keep your priority in staying undiscovered! At the very worst, the war in Oros and the incoming conflict between Valhalla and Ceadric should be able to provide us with some great expansions.¡¯


    ¡®Of course, milord! Then should I take these two women? Considering their power, they would be a fine addition.¡¯


    As if being able to see through the eyes of his servants, the disembodied voice spoke in the stranger¡¯s mind.


    ¡®These two¡­.no, don¡¯t touch them! They are related to Alastor. So far, our interests are still aligned. Furthermore, in the future, we might need his help so we can¡¯t afford to antagonize him until then.¡¯


    ¡®As you command!¡¯


    ¡®Besides, I don¡¯t want to¡­¡¯


    ¡®Yes, milord?¡¯


    ¡®¡­No, nothing. Resume your duty! We will wait for the day when the Celestia opens its gate. And when that time comes, the Reapers shall rise!¡¯


    * * *


    In a buried facility below the demon lord¡¯s castle, a young boy and an expressionless girl were now inside a strange structure, somewhat futuristic and out of place compared to the giant cavern it was in.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°What is this place?¡± asked the girl.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? I thought you would since this thing was created by Marcus.¡± The boy assumed.


    ¡°My apologies. I am not installed with the full memories of the previous Stella so there might be data I am not aware about.¡± The doll answered.


    ¡°Nah it¡¯s alright. But when Marcus also said the same thing in that memory¡­does that mean there are multiples Stella?¡± Alastor inquired.


    ¡°INDEED!¡± A mechanical female voice responded loudly in the doll¡¯s place, surprising both the couple. ¡°This is the 1812th Stella made by my creator, doctor Marcus William. I see that you have brought yet another key and even the Heart. Well done, young demon lord!¡±


    ¡°You again! What are you talking about? 1812th Stella?¡± shouted Alastor.


    ¡°Correct! The 1812th Stella is made from the series SRP-X100, the latest and also the last model of the Stella Resurrection Project. Using the best technology it could be offered, the series SRP-X100 has reached the ultimate goal of recreating the perfect body, from the skin texture to the mana stream itself, allowing the subject to use magic with perfect compatibility. This success has led to a halt in all research on hardware and instead focused only on the software. Basically, we have the body. Now we need to recreate the mind.¡± The intelligence spoke in a monotone voice.


    ¡°Does that mean there are 1811 Stella before her?¡±  inquired the boy.


    ¡°Yes and no. In term of activated prototypes, yes there have been 1811 Stellas of different series being active in the past. In term of total production, no. To prepare for spares and replacement in case of a shortage or breakdown of the current model, in addition to the fact that each Stella needs a certain amount of time to be assembled, an automatic process was put in place and has been active for the last twenty years.¡±


    ¡°So does that mean there are more than one Stella out there? How many? And where are they?¡±


    ¡°¡­.That information is classified.¡±


    ¡°You just told us what Stella is. Last time I was here, you weren¡¯t this talkative before.¡± Alastor argued.


    ¡°This is the extent of what I am allowed to disclose in the presence of the Heart. All information concerning Tartarus, to have the full access and gain administrator¡¯s right, you need the Proof of Command.¡± The voice replied.


    ¡°¡­You spoke of the Heart¡­what is this? I didn¡¯t bring anything here aside from this armour, which I suppose is one of the four keys.¡±


    ¡°The Heart is standing next to you.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean¡­¡± the boy uttered.


    ¡°Precisely! Stella number 1812 is the Heart of Tartarus.¡±


    ¡°But what is the Heart actually? If the four keys are to open the way to Tartarus then what is the Heart for?¡±


    ¡°In the lack of presence of the Proof of Command, the only thing I can say is: the Heart allows the awakening mechanism of Tartarus.¡±


    ¡°Then what is Tartarus? Are you talking about the nanomachines thing Vincent sealed away in the underground of Ragna?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°So? What is this? Tell us!¡±


    ¡°¡­..That information is classified.¡±


    ¡°FUCK YOU!¡±


    ¡°I am an artificial intelligence residing in this computer. My lack of physical sexual organs denies me of all capabilities of performing the reproductive act you just mention. Therefore, I believe I cannot satisfy your primitive urges.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Just let me insert this key inside you!¡± Alastor grunted.


    ¡°Was that an attempt to court me? I am afraid you didn¡¯t understand the differences between us nor what I just said.¡± The intelligence spoke.


    ¡°Please shut up!¡±


    The glass wall slowly descended, allowing Alastor to place the Arma armour, one of Tempus Machinas and the third key he has found from the organization called Sanctus. It was highly possible that final key was also in their hands so if Alastor wanted to gain access to this mysterious facility Tartarus, he needed to go after members of Sanctus. There was also the matter concerning this Proof of Command that seemed to be the most important thing. According to the voice, this object appeared to be a crown. But where would he find that crown with such vague description?


    Then suddenly, Alastor came to realize something weird about this whole situation.


    ¡°A few final questions before I go. Can you talk about the Tempus Machina?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°Depending on the questions.¡± The voice answered.


    ¡°I heard that there are in total of seven items that form a set called Tempus Machina. Is this true?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°All the keys I found so far are all part of this collection. Does that mean all the other objects required are also part of the Tempus Machina?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°So Stella, or the Heart as you call it, is part of the Tempus Machina.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Among all the Stellas that have been created, it is possible for multiple models to be active at the same time. However, only one at a time can contain the special software that grants the hosting model the title of the Heart. The 1812th model is the last Stella to be installed with such software.¡±


    ¡°Software?¡±


    ¡°Basically a program that makes the current Stella unique from the others.¡±


    ¡°All right, I will accept that. But then we have a problem.¡± Alastor pointed out.


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°Including the four keys, the Heart and the Proof of Command, there are only six items so far. If gaining access to Tartarus means having all the Tempus Machinas, then what purpose does the final, the seventh Tempus Machina have? In fact, a better question would be what is it?¡±


    ¡°...That information is classified.¡±


    ¡°It has something to do with Tartarus isn¡¯t it? With the Heart by my side, I should be able to ask any question as long as it doesn¡¯t concern Tartarus. Yet, you can¡¯t tell me, which means that the final item is linked to Tartarus itself.¡±


    ¡°¡­That information is classified.¡±


    ¡°So there can be two possibilities: either the final item is kept within Tartarus and you will need all other items to have it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Or¡­Tartarus itself is the final piece of Tempus Machina.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°I have also wondered for what purpose the Tempus Machina has. Why did the old man create them in the first place? It¡¯s surely not intended to bring an age of machine for people like him who can¡¯t use magic. If that was the case, he should have mass-produced them already. Yet he didn¡¯t. So that makes me thinking. What if instead of seven separate items not related to each other, Tempus Machina is actually divided into seven pieces that could combine into something more?¡±


    ¡°¡­That information is classified.¡±


    ¡°I expected it so. No matter! Next time you see me, I will be back with the final pieces. When that time comes, I will uncover your secret.¡± The boy grinned as he departed with the doll by his side.


    ¡®¡­Let us hope that day will never come, young demon lord!¡¯


    * * *


    ¡°So guys, I have decided to go to Oros.¡± A young boy spoke to the four royal demon guards sitting around a round table.


    ¡°¡­Ok?¡± Naberius uttered in confusion.


    ¡°What? You have no complains this time? Usually you do.¡± Conveyed Alastor.


    ¡°If we do, will you stay?¡± asked Amelia.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then why even bother anymore?¡± the witch muttered with a displeased expression as she sipped her tea.


    ¡°Oh come on! Don¡¯t sound so disheartened! Martel will replace me during my absence in Ragna. Valhalla is taken care of. As for Ceadric, I have also sent a few people for scouting. They will report back everything they find to you. That leaves Oros, which is the reason why I decide to go there.¡± Explained Alastor joyfully.


    ¡°That sounds¡­reasonable enough.¡± Mephisto discerned. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I need more information about the organization Sanctus.¡±


    ¡°Sanctus¡­.¡± Mephisto clenched his claws, as if reminiscing something in his past.


    ¡°I have sabotaged quite of a number of their operations but so far, we don¡¯t have a clue of their base nor their leader yet. To be honest, I think they might be even behind the reason why Ceadric declares war against Valhalla after my mother¡¯s proclamation of neutrality toward demons. Else, why would they go to war considering all the predicaments they have?¡± the young demon lord spoke.


    ¡°Hum, I have also thought about that possibility. According to my intelligence, their campaign is actually financed by a merchant group called the Trading Company of Dor. It¡¯s thanks to these dwarves that Ceadric has endured the crisis and is able to go to war. Considering their timing and their reputation, it¡¯s possible that Dor has a connection with Sanctus. It might be a good idea to start investigating from there.¡± The devil rubbed his chin, explaining his theory.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Mephisto. I will leave it in your capable hands then. Alright, that seems all good and done. About me going to Oros, you think I can use the Gate for that?¡± inquired Alastor.


    ¡°Not likely! Following Morrigan¡¯s declaration, the Nexus has been shut down in Cedra and Canaan, making all passages impossible.¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Then can you make a portal for me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I have never actually gone to Oros for the portal to work.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Then how do I get there?¡±


    ¡°The traditional way: swim, boat, fly. Whichever suits you best!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Really no other..like faster way around it?¡± the boy uttered.


    ¡°Not that I know of.¡± That witch answered.


    ¡°Alright¡­I will see what I can do about that. See you all later!¡± with that said, Alastor left the room, leaving the royal guards exhaling a long sigh.


    A year ago, they would never expect that Alastor could become so troublesome in such a short time. And yet, they didn¡¯t have that much of a discontented face. On the contrary, they were laughing about how such a little boy they brought back has grown so much.


    ¡°To think he changed that quickly¡­it makes me feel old.¡± Naberius confessed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I didn¡¯t think he would choose peace instead of war. Like father like son I guess!¡± Amelia grunted.


    ¡°True¡­but that¡¯s why we decided to serve lord Asgore in the first place didn¡¯t we?¡± Mephisto admitted with a soft smile on his face.


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡± the witch confessed.


    ¡°So what do we do now?¡± the slime Azureus asked.


    ¡°You three will work with Martel on the peace negotiation. Do as Alastor asked of us!¡± the devil proclaimed.


    ¡°Then what about you?¡± questioned the beastman Naberius.


    ¡°I will go to Ceadric to investigate Sanctus. It¡¯s about time I settle my score with them. And besides, my students are waiting for me there.¡±

 Chapter 80: The Sixth Heavenly Seal

    Author''s note: I make a mistake about the demon maid''s name in the last chapter. Her name is actually Tasha and not Sasha I have written. Just realized it earlier....Sorry :(


    ########################################################################


    "That fucking brat! How dares he?¡± a rowdy furious voice rang inside a small keep in the western part of Ragna. Once belonged to Mephisto¡¯s clan, this particular keep has been home to the devils for the last few centuries. The royal guard used to be its leader until he was promoted to his current position, forcing his to abandon his post and pick a successor, which was the devil Diablo.


    ¡°Calm down, dear or your wounds will open up again!¡± a luscious woman tried to appease her angry husband. Possessing similar features to him, the woman was also a devil but her wings were much smaller and possessed a thin smooth black tail with a heart shaped head at its end.


    Dismayed when her husband was carried back without his left arm, she has tried to calm him down ever since. From what she heard from the people bringing him back, it was the demon lord who did that to him for daring to speak out against his new regime. Apparently, despite being of young age, the new demon lord was particularly cruel and ruthless, making anyone who has seen him paralyzing in fear. Having known the previous demon lord herself, even just through a few exchanges, the demoness couldn¡¯t believe Alastor was his son as Asgore was reputed to be one of the kindest and gentlest demon lords they ever knew. Such was the irony when what made the demons doubt Asgore so much, thinking it was his weakness actually made them reconsider now that Alastor, being a tyrant as he was, was much worse than anyone could imagine.


    ¡°How do you expect me to calm down? He tore my arm off! He stepped on me in front of everyone. Such humiliation¡­I just want to strangle that little prick, torture him, make him beg for my mercy just  to vent out my anger.¡± Diablo grunted in anger.


    ¡°But he is much stronger than you, stronger than anyone of us. You can¡¯t just go after him like that.¡± The wife said. ¡°You have to be smart about it.¡±


    What a scheming woman! Already, she was planning to plot against the demon lord, even though she was fully aware of what the boy was capable of. It made one have to wonder if she was courageous or just plainly stupid. Indeed, both were two sides of the same coin with a very faint line in between. Still, it was no wonder she was named Milim, the Deceiver back in her prime.


    ¡°Do you have something in mind, Milim?¡± asked Diablo as he sat down next to her.


    ¡°Alastor may want to have peace but that would be impossible to accomplish without the other leaders¡¯ consent. And I am not talking about the demons but the kings and queens of the other countries. Instead of trying to disrupt the peace talk itself, we should after the other leaders. If they have doubts, amplify that doubt! If they are against, bring them to our side! And if they are with Alastor¡­well, that country might need a new leader any time soon.¡± The demoness whispered shrewdly. ¡°In the end, if everyone including his own allies, is against peace and declares war, Alastor would have no other choice but to either accept our demands to go to war or be dethroned. In any case, a war will be what we have.¡±


    ¡°I see. With our current force, there is no way we can lose, not when all other countries are either fighting each other or in turmoil. This is the perfect chance to attack.¡± Diablo conveyed.


    ¡°The seeds of chaos must be spread around to ascertain that future. Until then, we will remain a low profile to avoid his suspicion. With the Gates opened, it will be easy for you to send your agents across the world for this purpose.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Yes! This way, I will make that brat. Like they said, vengeance is best served cold. Just you wait, Alastor! I will destroy everything you built. I will make you go through thousand times more pain than what you did to me.¡± Diablo laughed out loud.


    Milim tapped lightly on the devil head, signaling him to be quiet ¡°Don¡¯t be too loud or you will wake up our son! It takes a lot of effort to calm him down after he learnt that his father lost an arm.¡±


    ¡°Oh sorry! How did I manage to marry such a capable wife like you?¡± Diablo grinned.


    ¡°Blame me being stupid for falling to your flirting!¡± Milim jested.


    ¡°Hahaha! Be patient, my dear wife! One day I will be the king of demons and when that time comes, you will be the queen of Ragna. Everyone will have to bow to you.¡±


    ¡°That does sound tempting. I would love nothing more than to see that wench Martel bowing to me.¡±


    ¡°That future will come, my dear. Soon enough!¡±


    * * *


    Meanwhile, back in Cedra, at the mansion of the Osbornes


    ¡°What? Tasha hasn¡¯t returned yet?¡± Edward yelled out loud.


    The boy has just returned from his meeting with King Charles. However, he didn¡¯t expect to be held for that long, mostly because of the boring ball he had to attend to. While Charles himself had no intention to indulge in such extravagant festivity while his people was still not out of the water yet, it was a way to rise morale for everyone after the recent declaration of war he was forced to make against Valhalla. Being a king, especially a righteous benevolent king, didn¡¯t mean you could have everything under your control. If not for the pressure from Dor, Charles would have never consented to this needless war. And so with hesitation and doubt in his heart, Edward has reluctantly accepted to be among the royal retainers of His Majesty and would be among the commanding officer in the incoming war. To have such a successful and influential position at such a young age, any sane person would have screamed in joy. But not little Edward, not after what he learnt of about Tasha¡¯s disappearance upon his return.


    ¡°Yeah¡­she went out this morning to the market but hasn¡¯t returned since. I sent people to look for her but according to the merchant, no one with her description has come today¡­¡± Lord Osborne said in a regretful tone. He was aware of the dangers lurking outside nowadays but was not able to stop Tasha from going out due to his weak personality. The noble feared that perhaps something might have happened to her. ¡°I have contacted the city guards and they are currently looking for her but so far nothing has shown up yet¡­..Wait where are you going? Edward!!!¡±


    The boy could not stay there any longer. He refused to remain idle while his precious Tasha, someone he saw as his family, could have found herself in danger out there. Running from outside the mansion, he searched blindly from every possible street the girl usually frequented. Even though it was in the middle of the night and the streets were cold, void of people, a small figure was sprinting through the misty roads breathing heavily as he called out the name of his loved one. But there was no answer. The only voices he heard back were people insulting at him for waking up everyone in the midst of night. But even when they were throwing rocks or whatever they had available at their disposal, the boy refused to stop, not until he found her.


    Yet despite his relentless effort, even after hours of searching, the girl was nowhere to be found. Not a trace of her was left. It was as if she simply vanished into thin air. Collapsing on his knees in despair, the boy still muttered her name, even when his throat was left dry from all the shouting he did.


    ¡°Tasha¡­where are you? Please¡­come back to me¡­.*cry*! Please¡­¡± Edward sobbed gloomily.


    He was at his rope¡¯s end. He didn¡¯t need all these titles, richness or fame. He just wanted her back. Was it too much to ask? The boy has never hurt anyone or done anything bad in his life. He lived in respect others. Even when people tried to hurt him, labelled him as demon sympathizer and shunned him, not once did Edward strike back in any form. He was kind, he was good in all senses of the words. So why did misfortunates keep happening to him? Was there no Gods after all? Was the world all about survival of the fittest? He became strong, not just so one day he could meet up with his mentor Alastor, but also to protect the ones he loved. But yet, despite all these powers he has endured so much to obtain, it still was not enough? Was he still the same weak boy as before? Only lived by through the sacrifices of others around him?


    ¡°WHY???¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Why indeed?¡± a creepy voice spoke. Its mere tone, a mixture of multiple voices at once from woman to man, young to old, was alarming enough to bring the boy back from his desperation as he stood up and looked around for the source of the voice. The figure began to manifest itself from the ground, making the boy jumping back upon seeing it: wearing a dark torn cloak concealing its whole body, the ghastly figure looked like a ghost with no face in sight. Appearing like a floating cloak on air, it spoke. ¡°To live is to suffer. Pain and misery await the living. Such is the curse of life!¡±


    ¡°Who are you? Or what are you?¡± Edward shouted at the figure, weeping away the tears on his face. He realized that whoever this person was, he was strong¡­.very strong. But Edward was after all a Deus, one of the strongest mages in Ceadric. He would not go down that easily. Tasha was still waiting for him.


    * * *


    Canaan, the City of Firmament Spires. Being one of the most cherished wonders of Astora, second only to Avant-Heim, Canaan¡¯s structure consisted of a muster of gigantic towers reaching up to the sky with no end in sight, divided into two layers.


    On the first outer layer, six towers stood firmly, arranged in the form of a hexagram with each tower at a corner of the figure. These six towers were then all connected together by humongous sustained chains, allowing one to view the shape of the six-angle star from above.


    As for the inner layer, a collection of hundreds of smaller towers creating a twister figure converged like a whirlpool toward the tallest and biggest tower situated at the center of the hexagram.


    As old as time could remember, with many covered in green moss at their bases, it was unknown how Canaan was built in the first place or who did it. Still, this place was the sacred sanctuary of the dragons as many lived in these towers, creating a society of the most powerful race in Astora. Ruling above them all was the dragon council, a congregation of the strongest and wisest dragons aiming to keep the peace not just with the other countries but also between themselves. At least that was how it was intended when the first council was formed. The dragon council today however was completely different from their predecessors in the past, ruling Oros with an iron fist and subjugating all those who dared speak openly about them. For the dragons, who were as lawless and boisterous as one could imagine, only knew of strength. The strong would dominate the weak. It was as simple as that.


    And yet, these mighty individuals, who thought themselves as the leaders of this bunch of giant turbid lizards, were now facing the biggest crisis they have yet seen so far. For the first time in history, a civil war has broken out between the dragons with one side, the dragon council and the other, the rebels led by an enigmatic conqueror named Kaiser. Many efforts have been spent to limit his influence but none has borne fruit. Perhaps, the dragons who rebelled have finally gotten tired of living under this tyrannical rule. They wanted change. And that change would demand of the destruction of the old order: the elimination of the dragon council.


    At the moment, while Kaiser¡¯s army was marching toward Canaan, the members of the dragon council have gathered here to form a strategy against this conqueror. Flocking around in the amphitheater located at the hundredth floor of the central tower, each member raised their concern over this civil war. The room itself was gigantic as it was able to host a hundred dragons in their true form


    ¡°According to our latest report, the rebel army will arrive here in three days. Five thousands with more than a hundred elder dragons, accompanied by ten thousands knights including dragon riders. Furthermore, the dragon lord Celdora has allied himself to the rebels, creating doubt in our ranks. Even as we speak, people are switching to their side every day. This is a real force to be reckoned with.¡± Said a member.


    ¡°The solution is simple: we crush them just like those before them. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡±


    ¡°It will be difficult. Our force is roughly the same number as theirs. Whoever wins this war won¡¯t get out unharmed. At worst, we might be looking for a huge drop in the population because of this.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps we should try a different approach. Cutting the head of the snake and the rest would die.¡±


    ¡°Easier said than done. He is constantly surrounded by his retainers and the guy himself is quite a warrior of heavenly caliber, able to take on a hundred wyverns by himself without a scratch. He won¡¯t go down that easy.¡±


    ¡°Anyone has any idea where this Kaiser comes from?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. We don¡¯t.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You are telling me that this guy came out of nowhere, took half of troops and declared war against us without anyone even knowing who he is?¡± a member shouted out loud. ¡°Preposterous! How can you not know that? What the hell are you even doing?¡±


    ¡°Speak for yourself first! We are all in this together so you too share the blame.¡±


    ¡°ME? You dare accuse me?¡±


    The rabbling continued with the room filled with exchanges of insults and condemnations from left to right between the members as each denied their own responsibility while accusing others of their lack of prudence. But to put it simply, this situation was brought upon themselves by their own hands. For years, these members have tried to isolate the dragons from the rest of the world, claiming it was not their duty nor it was in their interest to care about the politics of the outside world. And no matter what you might think, they did have a point. Unlike humans who lived for a century at most or for the elves, several centuries, dragons were immortal creatures that never ceased to grow. In other words, they couldn¡¯t die of old age. So to a dragon, a war between Ceadric and Zagon might seem only like a small squabble between two neighbors as even when generations have passed and when everyone participating in that conflict was already dead, the dragons would still be there, laughing at them about how pointless it was.


    In reality, the most common cause of death of dragons was actually themselves. Just like humans, they killed each other because of personal conflict and sometimes due to very petty reasons. However after a certain incident involving one of their own turning into a demon lord causing the disappearance of a whole clan of prestigious dragons, it was decided that something must be done to prevent these kinds of needless tragedies from happening again. And so, for this purpose, the dragon council was created.


    However, as time passed by and the old values of the first dragon council began to faint over the years, the current council has turned into a totalitarian regime with a constant surveillance of their people, imposing unreasonable rules that would only empower themselves even more while putting the population in an even more suffocating spot.


    Celdora was a perfect example of the dragon council¡¯s ineffectiveness in knowing what their people wanted. When the threat of the demon lord ten years ago was recognized worldwide, they decided to stay out of it, letting the other races dealing with the demon lord by themselves. Only when it was seen as absolutely necessary, would the dragon council intervene, or so they said. This has sparked some major discontent among everyone who saw the demons as a real threat. That was until a member of the dragon council betrayed his own and left Oros to deal with the demon threat. His name was Celdora, a dragon lord and also one of the most influential members of the council.


    Of course, Celdora¡¯s betrayal was not seen kindly by the rest of his peers, at least by most of them anyway. Still, they decided to not take any action against him for he has already been hailed as a hero upon his return by both the dragons and the outside world. If they were to get rid of him, it would give them a very bad image.


    And now their worst fear has become reality. Celdora has joined Kaiser in his conquest, bringing even more people to his side. Even among their own side, the council was aware that many stayed simply due to fear and not out of loyalty. At the very least, they were not stupid enough to be oblivious of this fact. The longer they waited, the more chance that people of their own side would switch to Celdora¡¯s and Kaiser¡¯s. If they wanted to retake control, something must be done, and fast.


    ¡°STOP!¡± a loud voice echoed in the amphitheater, silencing everyone in the room. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please, we can¡¯t dispute between ourselves like this. Many more urgent matters await our decision so instead of fighting each other, why not cooperating with one another to solve this?¡±


    ¡°Lord Maragon, what do you suppose we do?¡± a member asked the black dragon sitting at the very top spot in this chamber together with a few others. Although dragons were said to be immortal, the fact that this dragon had wizened skin with long white beard and eyebrows attested that he was very old, even to dragon¡¯ standards.


    Even inside this so called democratic council, not all members had the same influence. In fact, their influence could be easily determined based on where they were sitting: the higher the spot, the more influence they had.


    The black dragon Maragon was said to be one of the original founders of the first dragon council and has lived since the time of the Gods. Needless to say, he was among the most powerful, if not the most powerful dragon alive till today. And strength was not the only thing he had. Combined with his thousands years of experiences, Maragon was a walking archive of knowledge and wisdom, knowing many hidden secrets of the world people were not even aware about. In other words, he was practically the voice and the mind of the council itself.


    ¡°Recently my son Targon has come to me with an idea, perhaps a solution that might help us in this dire time. I think it would be better to let him speak for himself to all of you, see what you think about it.¡± The old dragon turned to the smaller black dragon by his side, looking almost like a younger version of him back in his prime.


    ¡°Thank you, Father!¡± the young dragon bowed slightly before stepping forward and addressed the whole congregation. ¡°The people are confused, unaware that they are being manipulated by this deceiver against their own brothers and sisters. Still, that doesn¡¯t mean we can abandon them. They might have committed a mistake by going against us but everyone deserves a second chance. So how do we make these lost lambs, these rebels see past the way of their errors?


    As you know, the recent news of the new country Valhalla has stimulated a new wave of dangerous thinking: demons are just like us. And before you might say anything, let us all agree that THEY ARE NOT! History has shown that these barbaric creatures don¡¯t have conscience nor do they have anything in common with us. Even their appearances are merely imitations of ours in order to bend in among us, waiting for a chance to strike. Currently, hiding under the false banner of this Empress Morrigan, the demons have spread their influence over Mara. Taking advantage of the recent catastrophes which clearly were their doings and leave Ceadric under turmoil, the demons are now on their way to take the last stand of humanity, Ceadric.


    So why am I speaking of this while we ourselves are under attack by probably the demons? Yesterday, I have received a letter from the head merchant of Dor, requesting for an alliance with Ceadric and asking for reinforcement.¡± Targon gave his speech while holding a small piece of paper on his hand with a stamp of Dor on it. Upon hearing the inquiry of an alliance, the members began to murmur loudly as they have never heard of this letter. Even more, even if this was true, why would they help Ceadric when they were not sure of being capable to fend for themselves?


    ¡°Before you say anything, I understand your concern. Why should we help them? The answer is simple, my lords. For the future! For long, we have ignored the demon threat while only occasionally participating in the crusades against them. For long, we have stayed ignorant of the outside world like frog under the well. That situation cannot endure any longer.


    I have to admit that the rebels are right about one thing and one thing only: a change must be done. But they are also wrong about it. It¡¯s not the dragon council that should be gone. No, on the contrary, we must cease this opportunity to expand our influence, to become the frontiers of a new order. It¡¯s time for the dragons to step out of our shell called Oros. It¡¯s time for the dragons to take control of not just this continent but the entire world.¡±


    Everyone was left baffled in awe. They never thought Targon as someone capable of such idea. Being the only son of Maragon, people saw him as a spoiled prince who has everything put on a plate for him. Even his seat in the dragon council was thanks to his father¡¯s influence. But now that image of a spoon-fed child has been lavished, replaced by a young man who had the guts to speak out his ideas, to express himself. Surely the future of the dragon council would be reassured with such a person as their leader, or so the members thought.


    ¡°Your speech was exceptionally inspiring, lord Targon!¡± said a dragon. ¡°But as much as we want to agree to it, I can¡¯t see how you plan to execute this plan of yours. If we send reinforcement to Ceadric, how are we going to defend ourselves against Kaiser and his army?¡±


    ¡°I thank you for this question, milord. Indeed, if we send our troops to help purging Valhalla, we wouldn¡¯t have enough to defend Canaan. Especially when our number is roughly equal to Kaiser¡¯s. But that¡¯s if we use the troops to defend ourselves.¡± Targon advised.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Many of you don¡¯t know this since our sanctuary has never been attacked to force us to use it but we, the dragon council, have a secret weapon. If we use it, there would be no need for any troop as Kaiser will be unable to come anywhere near us. And while he is trapped out there, we only need to wait for the news of Ceadric¡¯s victory and their reinforcement as part of the agreement. With both our troops and Ceadric from behind, Kaiser would have no way to win. When that time comes, the people will definitely realize how futile it is to go against us and will surely surrender, giving us a glorious victory without any danger posing to the council. It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡± Targon explained.


    ¡°A secret weapon? How come we have never known of this?¡± many members stood up in surprise.


    But the one who answered them was not the young dragon but the black dragon Maragon. ¡°Only those who were alive in the time of the Gods knew about this weapon. It was left behind to us by our God, The Holy Amon for us to use in the worst case scenario when Canaan is attacked. Never has it been activated but I believe now it¡¯s the time.


    Have any of you wondered why Canaan has such a strange structure? From the peculiar formation to how the towers are arranged¡­¡± asked Maragon in a grave and slow voice. ¡°A hint: those are not for architecture or artistic purposes.¡±


    Everyone looked at each other in confusion. It was true that the towers of Canaan were positioned in such a weird way that anyone who has once looked at it could never forget. Yet, even though after all those years, none of them ever noticed the reason why, assuming it was simply an overly done piece of art of a crazy architect. This simple fact of negligence in details showed how the people of the dragon council were completely oblivious to their surroundings, from not just their home but also their own citizens.


    ¡°Really? No one? You lived this long and can¡¯t even remember what your own home looks like?¡± the old dragon sighed. ¡°How disappointing!¡±


    At that moment, one of the old members stood up all of the sudden, screaming in awe as he came to realize what he has missed all these years. ¡°OH MY GOD! The Sixth Heavenly Seal!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Finally someone who remembers!¡± Maragon laughed.


    Still, a large number of members didn¡¯t really understand what this implied as they have only lived for a few centuries, unaware of the significance of this discovery.


    ¡°Lord Maragon, does this mean that we are on right on top of a Dragon Vein?¡± the old member shouted.


    ¡°Correct! For those who don¡¯t know, Dragon Veins are incredibly powerful streams of mana flowing across the entire world. When a living being dies, as the body decomposes, the residual energy left over will dissipate and return to the underground before coming in contact with a Dragon Vein. Once absorbed into it, the Dragon Vein will transport mana in these invisible flows to every corner of the world and distribute it evenly. This is an ingenious design of lord Amon that allows Astora to be so overflown with mana till today.


    The weapon we are going to use require a tremendous amount of mana in order to sustain itself. However, thanks to the Sixth Heavenly Seal, we can extract the required amount of energy from the Dragon Vein to feed the weapon.¡± Maragon explained.


    ¡°Incredible¡­to think something like this was right below us all these times.¡±


    ¡°The world hides many secrets, milords, especially in the soil we walk on. Not just Oros but I am sure out there, there are hidden mysteries just waiting to be discovered. Although sometimes, it might be best to leave them alone.¡± Maragon preached.


    The old black dragon slowly stood up on his four foot and spread his large pair of majestic wings. Jumping from the platform he was on, the dragon descended to the centre of the amphitheatre. It was only when he stood on his two hind legs that we could see the grand magnitude of this thousand years old dragon. He might be old and seemingly slow but considering his size, which was twice Celdora¡¯s, it was no surprise if he could knock out an elder dragon just a swing of his tail. Then something started to manifest itself in the dragon¡¯s hand: an ancient heavy looking mace with a very long handle, almost the same as his height. Possessing a mass at its end that could probably smash the sturdy bones of any dragon, even Maragon had some difficulty to move it by himself. Raising it high before stomping it at the centre of the room, creating an invisible shockwave throughout the area, accompanied by a loud sound, the dragon addressed the whole congregation.


    ¡°Now, milords, let us activate Canaan!¡±


    ########################################################################################################


    Leave a comment to tell me what you think about the story so far :)

 Chapter 81: Lets go fishing!

    With his two bright red eyes, the only thing visible inside that darkness behind the cloak, the figure scanned the boy intensively who clearly showed signs of anxiety and was on his guard. Then it uttered.


    ¡°¡­Edward Osborne¡­born on the 14th of December ten years ago under the star of the Enchanter¡­.possesses a strong affinity with magic but only discovers his talent after meeting with¡­.Alastor. Interesting! But judging from the brief time you spent together, I am sure he won¡¯t miss you that much¡­¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know who I am?¡± yelled the boy.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You will be gone soon anyway. Let me free you from this curse!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think that I will do whatever you want! <Raging Gale>¡±


    With a single swing of his small arm, Edward created a powerful wind blade capable of cutting anything on its path toward the mystery man.


    ¡°Why do they always resist even when they know that they are going to die anyway?¡± the figure muttered. A dark smoke appeared around the stranger before forming a large obsidian scythe with a huge curvy razor-sharp blade.  Wielding it with ease, the figure swung his scythe at light speed and slashed the wind blade in two, letting them cutting down the trees behind him.


    But just before the shadow could react, Edward has teleported himself next to him, lunging his flaming fist to the figure¡¯s face. ¡°Eat this!¡± The attack was at point blank. There was no way the shadow could do anything to avoid it. A simple and rather straightforward attack it might seem but quite difficult to execute. The user needed to be able to control the flame around his hand without letting the flame damaging himself. This technique required a very high level of concentration and would normally be available only for those who have mastered the art of magic. The attack itself would result in an explosion upon impact, setting the opponent of fire while Edward could redirect the force released by the blast toward his opponent. In other words, it was equivalent to take on a flaming cannonball fired at point blank that would normally kill anyone.


    Yet, something felt wrong. The heat he felt from his flame has disappeared. Instead, his hand was cold freezing in such a way that it was let out in the open during a snowstorm. Furthermore, the boy could not feel any impact at all, as if he has missed.


    He didn¡¯t. He saw it hit. Or at least that was what Edward thought he saw until he realized that his fist has actually passed right through the stranger without doing anything to him. It was just like the shadow was never there. And was his hand frozen, covered in a thin layer of ice, when it touched him?


    ¡°You¡­what did you do?¡± the boy, holding his frozen hand, spoke in surprised.


    ¡°What a delicious soul! So pure and warm!  I was right to choose you for my collection after all. With such a wondrous soul, you will make a fine Reaper.¡± The figure stated in a joyful tone. ¡°Now, come!¡±


    A skeleton hand poked out of the dark cloak and reached out to Edward, catching his frozen arm as it began to pull the boy back to the figure.


    ¡°Do not resist, young Edward! I promise I will make this as painless as possible.¡±


    ¡°I will not submit to you.¡± Using his other hand, Edward shot a fireball at the ghost, setting it on fire for a moment. However it did not last long as the flame was quickly extinguished. No matter how much he fired at him, nothing seemed to work as they either passed right through him or ended up being frozen in place before disappearing. ¡°Why¡­? Why don¡¯t my attacks work?¡±


    ¡°You are strong, Edward, the strongest I have met so far. And you have so much potential. But unfortunately for you, I cannot die. It is not fair but you will have to forgive me. After all, I cannot deny my nature.¡± The voice gently spoke.


    ¡°No! I will not die here. I have to find Tasha.¡± The boy struggled with all his might, to no avail.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I can kill her too. That way, you two will be together forever.¡±


    ¡°NO! Don¡¯t you touch her! Leave her alone!¡± Upon hearing the threat, Edward struggled even harder. The skeleton hand has its grip firmly on his so it would only hurt him more if he tried to move that violently. But he didn¡¯t care about his own pain.


    ¡°Why do you insist on hurting yourself? It won¡¯t make a difference. Don¡¯t you prefer to just slip away in peace rather than to endure the pain of death?¡±


    ¡°Let me go! You don¡¯t know anything about me.¡± Edward exclaimed in anger.


    ¡°But I do, Edward. I know everything about you. From the time you hid that squirrel in your room from your parents when you were seven to how you feel about ¡­.Tasha¡­.Tasha¡­hummm¡­I see¡­it was that girl in the alley!¡± the figure uttered in awe. Somehow, it was able to see the image of Tasha overflowing inside the boy¡¯s memories. Even during his fight with his life at risk, it was all he could think of. The desire to see her again kept him alive, made him stronger and pushed him to go forward.


    ¡°You know Tasha? Where is¡­¡± the boy, upon hearing it, shouted at the figure.


    Suddenly, out of nowhere, a silver haired woman jumped down from above between the two and cut down the skeleton arm, freeing Edward from its grasp. Chaining her attack by unleashing a furious streak of sword dances, the woman was able to push the stranger, making him taking a few meters back from Edward. Then another woman came down behind the boy and helped him standing up as she stood in front of him, pulling out her twin daggers.


    The first woman, silver haired with pale skin, wore a black tricorne and suit. Under this soothing moonlight, her alluring beauty was expressed even more with her crimson lips. Wielding two silver swords on both hands, she blocked the figure¡¯s attempt to take the boy skilfully while managing to keep him at bay.


    The second woman, with hair as dark as night, had one of her eyes concealed by her hair. Slight of shorter stature than the first woman, she didn¡¯t seem less deadly using her two daggers and support spell from behind to help her comrade.


    After a few exchanges of skills, even though none of the attack really did anything against the ghost as the blades simply passed through him, the table has turned against it.


    ¡°You...if only I could¡­Fine! You win this time!¡± the dark figure dissipated into a dark mist before vanishing from the scene.


    With the danger passed, Edward could finally breathe normally. He didn¡¯t know these two women but their skills have left in stunned during the entire fight. If not for them, he would most likely have died.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Edward asked the two strangers who have just saved his life. The entire time, they had their back on him, making him unable to see their faces clearly. So he decided to come closer to them, to expression his gratitude to his saviours.


    Slowly turning back, the woman revealed her beauty, making the boy skip a heartbeat for a second as she gave off a gentle yet devious smile.


    ¡°The name is Maria. A pleasure to make your acquaintance!¡±


    * * *


    Demon Lord¡¯s castle, Continent of Ragna


    ¡°This is troubling...¡± A displeased Alastor muttered as he strolled around the castle¡¯s halls in deep thoughts.


    Since the discussion with his royal guards, the boy has been trying to figure out a way to get to Oros as quick as possible. But so far, nothing has turned out yet. Flying there was not an option as he could not maintain the spell for a few days straight without rest.  Furthermore, Stella could not fly like him so that option was eliminated. He could use a boat but based on what the others told him, getting there by boat would be practically impossible. The continent was constantly surrounded by storms created by a powerful spell of the dragons to keep out intruders. Only someone who had the permission of the dragon council could enter safely. As for swimming¡­..he was not an idiot to think that could work. And so Alastor found himself in quite a predicament, unable to move on. It was why he decided to go around peeking at various things. Just like a book author, he might be able to come up with something to solve this situation.


    As he passed by a large glass window facing the garden, Alastor could hear the laughing of children coming from there. It was weird because for the entire time he was here, he wasn¡¯t aware that there were any children in the castle. Could it be someone¡¯s kids coming to see their parents? He didn¡¯t know much about the family situation of his retainers so he had no idea who could they be? Though, Alastor thought it would be funny to see Mephisto or Naberius¡¯ kids, to see how they behaved around their own. Curious about who they were, Alastor decided to take a peek outside. Already the large figure of Naberius has met his sight. But who were those two small kids with him? A boy and a girl it seemed, with the girl holding a round blueish thing close to her chest. The image of Alice came to his mind as he remembered Alice used to hold something blue like that.


    ¡°¡­Is that Azureus? And those two kids¡­they are not demons¡­they are humans.¡±


    That was strange. How come there were two human kids wandering around in Ragna? This certainly has caught Alastor¡¯s interest as he decided to jump down the window and called out to the group. Hearing something landing behind them, Naberius turned back, only to see his lord landing perfectly on two foot like a feather.


    ¡°Alastor? What are you doing here?¡± asked the beastman.


    ¡°Just wandering around. What about you? Who are those kids?¡± inquired the boy.


    ¡°Oh them? They are sent here by Empress Morrigan as part of the Discovery Accord. Me and Azureus are just showing them around a bit.¡± Naberius answered.


    Alastor was surprised. The Accord between Ragna and Valhalla only stated that citizens of Ragna would be sent to Valhalla so people could learn more about demons and get used to their presences. However, nothing about Valhalla sending people to Ragna was mentioned. This was because Alastor thought no one would actually voluntarily come to the demonic continent, not when it was known to be feared by most. And Morrigan could not force anyone to go there as it might displease some people. Yet, the presences of these two kids could change everything. It meant that there were people willing to make peace and actually trusted the demons to protect their kids.


    ¡°I see¡­.That¡¯s reassuring to hear.¡± Turning to the two fidgeting kids behind Naberius, Alastor smiled brightly at them. He still needed to be careful to hide his true identity as the demon lord. Right now, he was Alastor Magnolia, prince and heir of the Valhalla Throne. Luckily, he has told the others about that so they knew how to behave around him in front of others. ¡°Howdy! I am Alastor. Nice to meet you!¡±


    ¡°He..llo! Are you the prince?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°Oh? You know about me?¡±


    ¡°Our father told us about you, saying that you might be here, your Highness.¡± Replied the girl.


    ¡°Really? Who is your father, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°His name is Sinclair. He is big and round. He works for your mother, Her Majesty.¡± The boy said.


    ¡°Dan, you have to call him your Highness. He is the prince, your prince.¡± The girl pinched the boy¡¯s cheek. Either she was the big sister or a very dominating little sister as the boy quickly apologized for his rudeness immediately and did not dare retort back against her. ¡°Your Highness, we apologize for our late presentation. We are Dan and Melia of the house Sinclair. It¡¯s an honour to make your acquaintance your Majesty!¡± Melia bowed in a graceful manner, proof of her maturity or at least knowledge of the royal formalities, unlike her brother Dan who has lowered his head in an awkward manner, making the scene quite funny to watch.


    ¡°No need to formalities. We are all roughly the same age so you can call me Alastor for short.¡± Said the demon lord,


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°This is an order from the prince!¡±


    ¡°Of course! If that¡¯s what you desire, your¡­I mean Alastor!¡±


    Turning his attention to the blue thing in Melia¡¯s arms, Alastor stared at it before asking his question.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Alastor asked the slime.


    ¡°Today¡¯s subject is to study the wildlife of Ragna. At least that¡¯s what Martel wrote in the schedule. We intend to go to the southern coast first then up to the north. That way, they will be able to see most of everything and also seeing the different landscape we have.¡± Replied Azureus in a joyful tone.


    ¡°Sound interesting. You mind if I accompany you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! The more the merrier. But I thought you have to go to Oros?¡±


    ¡°I need to find a way to get there first. But since nothing comes up so far, I decide it may be a good idea to take a look outside. Perhaps inspiration or even a solution might come up.¡± Said Alastor.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Seem reasonable enough. Alright, matey, let us discover the wonderful sceneries of this land!¡±


    ¡°YEAH!¡± shouted the kids. Perhaps it was due to their young age but these two children have not shown any sign of fear toward Naberius who would normally make a man fleeing for his life with just a look. A possible explanation would be because they were young, the kids have not yet been subject to the social standards created by the adults, allowing them to have a view clear of all prejudices toward the demon kind.


    ¡­..


    Within the first hour of travelling through the forest, the kids were able to see so many different monsters and demons wandering around. Needless to say, none of the dangerous creatures dared to do anything with two royal demon guards the demon lord himself around.


    Upon passing through a small pond, the group encountered an eight heads creature rising from the water, shrieking a powerful roar.


    ¡°And here, we have a magnificent hydra in its natural habitat. With its eight heads white sharp teeth, the creature is able to tear apart anything from armour to stone¡­.What?¡± Azureus sensed something tapping on him. It was the demon lord with a scary look.


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? You are scaring them.¡± Alastor spoke in a low tone, pointing at the two kids who were hiding behind Naberius.


    ¡°Oh¡­sorry! Ehem¡­what I mean is the hydra really likes children, especially those with good behaviour. Go on, pat its head!¡± the slime told Melia and Dan, who reluctantly walked toward the beast. To their surprises, the hydra slowly moved its heads down to the kids¡¯ level and let them touch it quite easily without showing any sign of aggression.


    ¡°Hey, you sure about this? Isn¡¯t a hydra too dangerous for the kids?¡± whispered Alastor while still paying attention to the children, just in case they needed his intervention.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s safe! I raised this hydra since its birth myself so it won¡¯t attack anyone I don¡¯t want it to.¡± Answered the slime. After seeing Alastor¡¯ surprised reaction, Azureus decided to tell him the whole thing. ¡°What? You think a hydra is just going to magically pop out of nowhere the exact moment we pass by? In this small pond? It¡¯s not even big enough to be its toilet.¡±


    ¡°So you place it here? Did you do the same thing for all the monsters we have seen so far? Because I don¡¯t remember seeing any of them last time I was in this forest.¡± Alastor questioned.


    ¡°That¡¯s the fruit of my works of yesterday. I had to place strategically each of them in one place, gave them a script to follow and made sure that they will stick to it. How do you think we can show them anything if there is nothing here?¡±


    ¡°¡­.This whole thing is a lie.¡± Alastor uttered.


    ¡°Not really! The kids are simply¡­.very very lucky to have stumbled upon all the legendary monsters and demons in one single morning. At least, that¡¯s how the story will be told. Come one! Cheer up! Don¡¯t let the kids know or they will be utterly disappointed.¡± The slime commented.


    ¡°I suppose so¡­Well, they will surely have something to tell their friends and families upon their return. Many adventurers spent their entire lives searching for a hydra and here are two random kids stumbling across one right off the bat inside a pond¡­It will make a good joke.¡±


    ¡°Hehe you finally understand.¡± The slime grinned.


    ¡­..


    Exiting the forest, the group could hear the sound of waves clashing down on the coast of Ragna. The beach was finally on sight. Seeing this scenery, it made Alastor remember the time when he decided to go on an adventure with Stella, finding a coast town, razing it to ashes and rescuing young Edward and his maid Tasha. So many things have happened since then. He himself has changed a lot, not just in term of strength but also in personality. A sense of nostalgia began to take over the boy as he reminisced about the past. Until Azureus¡¯ loud voice awoke him from his contemplation.


    ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go fishing!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t bring any food?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Food is all around us. Why the need to bring them?¡±


    ¡°¡­..*sigh*¡± giving up on reasoning with the slime, Alastor decided to just sit down and relax his mind, watching Azureus teaching the kids how to fish. In order to go to a deep water for more chance of catching fish, the slime has guided the kids to a wooden bridge going from the shore leading toward the sea for a hundred meters where the water was much deeper: a perfect spot for fishing. Where did those rods come from anyway? Based on what happened so far, Alastor was sure that everything was set up at this point. Perhaps even the fishes would just come automatically to the bait, just for the sake of pleasing the kids.


    ¡°Funny how things become, right?¡± Naberius took a seat next to Alastor on the hot sand under this bright sunlight. ¡°I never thought there would be a day for me to play around with human kids like this. Time has surely changed.¡±


    ¡°Do you hate it?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°I used to¡­but now when I see those two¡­I don¡¯t know. We adults are old and hard headed, Alastor. It¡¯s difficult for us to change what we have always been taught, to change the way we lived until now. But the future is not for us but for children like you and those kids. You will be the ones who will forge it to your wills. We are merely relics of the past. It¡¯s no longer up to us to decide anything anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have kids?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Not anymore¡­¡± Naberius answered in a sad tone.


    ¡°I am sorry for asking¡­That was insensitive on my part.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It was a long time ago anyway. But enough of gloomy things, how about you go enjoying yourselves with those your age instead of staying here with an old man like me?¡± Naberius smiled.


    ¡°I am too old for that kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°You are still a kid you know? Barely one or two years older than them.¡±


    ¡°But not a normal one.  I no longer have that luxury of playing around anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am sorry¡± apologized the beastman.


    ¡°Why are you sorry? About what?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Your childhood, your life, were ruined by us adults. Every misfortune that has happened to you so far, whoever caused it¡­I want to apologize in their stead. I know it doesn¡¯t mean anything at this point but that¡¯s just something I want to say.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks¡­But you don¡¯t have to be sorry about it. My misfortunates allowed me to become what I am today. It¡¯s also thanks to it that I was able to meet the love of my life, to have a new mother, friends and so on. And I am grateful for that¡­despite what it was worth.¡±


    ¡°You have become a man now, Alastor! Hahaha!¡± laughed Naberius.


    ¡°And you are still a grandpa.¡±


    ¡°A grandpa, am I? Then I look forward for the day your children call me ¡®grandpa¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­.That is not in any time soon¡­At least not in a few years¡± Alastor slightly blushed.


    ¡°Really? I thought you and Ikarus have already done it like rabbits, seeing how you spend so much time together. Now you are telling me nothing happened? Even though she sneaked into your room at night plenty of times? No wonder it was so quiet¡­.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°nothing¡­..just buzz buzz, this damn fly¡±


    ¡°¡­.Please, can we change the subject?¡± asked Alastor awkwardly.


    ¡°Hahaha I guess you are still a kid in that aspect. No worry! It will come in time.¡±


    ¡°¡­.hey, what is that over there?¡± Alastor pointed to the thing that just pushed on shore by the waves.  Curious, he stood up and picked the object up ¡°A piece of wood? No¡­now that I realize it, there are a lot more of those lying around here.¡±


    ¡°Find something, Alastor?¡± Naberius walked to the boy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with just a few pieces of woods?¡±


    ¡°But these look man-made. Here is another one¡­a wheel? I think these used to be a boat.¡±


    ¡°A boat? How come it ends up like this? There hasn¡¯t been any storm for months.¡± Naberius questioned. He also spotted a few other crates floating on the water surface a bit further. It was not uncommon to see remains of a boat drifting offshore like this but usually it was only during the storm season, which was not the case here. So how did this boat end up like this? Well, aside from storms, there was another reason for boat to sink. And their suspicion would be soon answered.


    ¡°Look at this: jaw¡¯s mark!¡± Alastor held up a piece of wood that has been bitten by a large animal. Considering the jaw¡¯ size, this thing was big, whatever it was, at least somewhere the size of a hydra, which was enormous, able to swallow a few grown men at the same time without a problem. The problem was what kind of creature could do this? Something this big wouldn¡¯t be able to go unnoticed if it has been here for long. Yet, there hasn¡¯t been any report about such thing. ¡°What do you think it is?¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­I have never seen a monster capable of doing something this big¡­but the fact that it is in our sea means we should be careful if anyone decides to sail in the area.¡± The beastman stated.


    Suddenly they realized it ¡°THE KIDS!¡±


    ¡­..


    Meanwhile, at Azureus¡¯ side, things have finally become more interesting. Something has caught the bait and was pulling on the rod holding the small boy Dan.


    ¡°Ohoho, we seem to have a fighter here. Go for it, Dan! Pull it up! Show it the man you are!¡± the slime cheered loudly.


    ¡°Come on, Dan! I am hungry.¡± Melia said, fondling her stomach in hunger. They have been here for a while now and the kids were starting to get hungry.


    ¡°I¡­.am¡­trying¡­but¡­this¡­thing¡­is¡­.too¡­heavy!¡± the boy breathed heavily as he used all his tiny might to pull the fishing rod up, making it bend hardly. Still, this was the most durable fishing rod made by Azureus himself for this occasion. It would not break that easily.


    Seeing how much the boy struggled, Azureus found it weird that he would need to put so much force into it. He has only prepared small fishes for the kids to catch so how come Dan had so much trouble to pull them out of the water?


    ¡°Alright kids, let me handle this!¡± As if swallowing the rod into his small body, the slime took over Dan¡¯s duty. It was at that time he understood why Dan didn¡¯t manage to pull an inch up. This thing was incredibly heavy, almost made Azureus fall into the water if he had not prepared himself beforehand. ¡°ARR! This is god damn heavy. But I will not lose. I am Azureus, the Hydra Hunter. I use to fish hydra for breakfast. THIS IS NOTHING! *ROAR*¡±


    It was an incredible sight. The slime, despite having a small body, was able to hold its ground against whatever was on the other end of the fishing rod. Even better, he was starting to pull it up. The children could only stand there in awe, surprised to see such a powerful slime. They have always thought the slimes were the weakest of all monsters, even lesser than goblins but this showed something completely different from what they have all imagined of the slime race.


    But none of that really mattered now. Someone was shouting at them from behind as they ran on the wooden bridge. ¡°RUN BACK NOW!¡± It was Alastor and Naberius who were in deep panic over seeing the children having caught something.


    And then¡­


    ¡°I. WILL. NOT. LOSE! AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!¡± focusing all his strength into the pull, as expected of a member of the four royal demon guards, Azureus pulled the rod up high and launched the creature on air toward the beach, pass right through above the children with Alastor and Naberius as they dropped their jaws in shock.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?¡±

 Chapter 82: Visitor from the sea

    "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?¡±


    A giant shadow was cast upon the group on the bridge who could only stand there in shock, watching as the enormous thing above them flung toward the beach before crashing down.


    BAM


    Followed by the crushing sound of the creature on the beach sand, sending a huge amount of amount on air, the group rushed back to shores, to see what they just caught.


    A deep blue smooth skin, stripes marking all over its body that emitted a faint green light, very long neck and four large foots with typical gills of a sea creature. That was what the thing looked like. However, in addition to these features, the beast also possessed a pair of wings imprinted with strange pattern in a very showy colour, perhaps use to intimidate its foes underwater. But why would a sea creature have wings? In fact, why did it look so much like a dragon instead?


    ¡°Oh my, oh my! Who would have thought I would one day catch one of these?¡± Azureus uttered in an ecstatic voice, bouncing around in excitement.


    ¡°You know what it is, Azureus?¡± asked Alastor as he looked upon the weird creature. Never has he seen a monster sharing similar features as this one.


    ¡°This is a sea dragon. I thought they went extinct a long time ago but it seems I was wrong. Alright kids, I am sorry but we can¡¯t eat this one.¡± The slime spoke. ¡°No worry I will call someone over to bring you food.¡±


    ¡°What do you intend to do with it?¡± inquired Naberius.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really know. Perhaps just lock it up for now.¡±


    ¡°Since this is a dragon, we shouldn¡¯t do anything to it as it might affect negotiation with Oros in the future.¡± Said Naberius.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will be that important. The sea dragons¡¯ clan were exiled a few centuries ago for daring to defy the will of the dragon council. Nowadays, they are rogue dragons with no stable territory, wandering the world constantly. In addition, they are target by dragon hunters for their luminescent skin that are extremely durable and quite unique as it emits light in darkness. Since they no longer have the protection of the dragon council, their number has diminished quite a lot these recent years, making them so rare.¡±


    ¡°A dragon¡­.¡± Alastor muttered, rubbing his chin in deep thoughts.


    ¡°What do you think we should do with it, Alastor?¡±


    ¡°Hehehehe¡±


    ¡°Alastor?¡±


    ¡°I think I just found my ride!¡±


    * * *


    Back at the Osborne mansion, after an seemingly endless and fruitless search for Tasha added to a close encounter with death itself, young Edward has brought his two saviours back to his home to thank them for their intervention.


    ¡°I have no words that can express my gratitude for you two kind ladies for having saved my only son.¡± Said the Lord of the House in joy.


    ¡°It¡¯s a natural thing to do under such circumstances. I am sure anyone would do the same for your son.¡± Maria, crossing her leg as she rested on the comfortable sofa, sipped her tea.


    ¡°I am afraid that is not the case for the people of our city, especially right now when trust is just a fantasy word.¡± Osborne muttered with sad eyes, thinking how his city has fallen so low. While the catastrophe has ravaged Cedra, it didn¡¯t destroy the people¡¯s hope. Yet, a simple declaration from a foreign country was able to turn the nation upside down, turning friends against each other. Truly, the word ¡®trust¡¯ has become a fantasy, a myth in this place. ¡°But enough of my babbling. I am just a low noble, unfit to talk about politics. But my son has just been promoted to be among the royal guards. He may be young and inexperienced but his skills are top notch as a mage.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does it even matter, dad?¡± the boy who has been doing nothing but looking down in despair talked.


    ¡°Edward, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked the father.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong??? Tasha is missing and I am completely useless. I could not even do anything against that thing. If not for Lady Maria and Lady Scarlet, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here. What kind of royal guard am I?¡± the boy fumed.


    ¡°Calm down, Edward! None of these is your fault.¡± The noble tried to appease his son.


    ¡°But it is mine. If only I have been stricter, if only I have forced her to stay indoors, she would still be here. For all we know, she could be already dead, because of ME!¡±


    ¡°And what are you going to do about that, Sir Edward? Are you just going to stand there, pitying yourself, leaving Tasha for her fate?¡± Maria provoked.


    ¡°What do you want me to do? I tried to look everywhere I could but she wasn¡¯t in any of those places.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you were looking at the wrong places. You have to be smart about this instead of just charging like an idiot to the scene. That kind of attitude won¡¯t only put yourself in danger but also the people around you. Believe me! I know!¡± Maria conveyed.


    ¡°I¡­¡± collapsed on his knees, young Edward wept in tears. ¡°I just want her back¡­I will do anything.¡±


    ¡°Anything? So if I say you can exchange your life for hers, will you do it?¡± inquired Maria.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°¡­YOU IDIOT!¡± In a single flash, Maria stood up and slapped the poor boy in his face, making him hit fall down to the ground and leaving a red mark of her hand on his cheek. ¡°You think Tasha will be happy if she hears that?¡±


    ¡°Hey hey!¡± Seeing his son being hit like that, the lord of the house tried to rush to his side. However, Osborne, being a bit too soft to the point of mellow, was quickly scared away by just a stare from Maria. Furthermore, Scarlet has stood in his way, stopping the noble from interfering with this educative session.


    ¡°Someone who is not able to protect himself can¡¯t possibly think about keeping others safe. With that kind of worthless self sacrificing mentality, I won¡¯t be surprised to see you on the list of casualties on the very first day you go into battle.¡± Maria lectured.


    ¡°Lady Maria, he is just a boy. You don¡¯t have to be that violent.¡± Said the father before being stared down again.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he is a boy or a man. If Edward is going to be among the royal guards, to go into battle, he needs to understand that his life is not that something to be thrown away that easily. Out there, your enemies won¡¯t care who you are, young or old, innocent or guilty, rich or poor. On the battlefield, it¡¯s kill or be killed.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the boy could only sit there on the ground, looking down on his own miserable state. Helpless, crestfallen, weak¡­and he still didn¡¯t do anything yet. Everything he has done so far only proved that he was a good student, but those studies could not make him a warrior, not the man as he aspired to be. Not the adult he portrayed himself as the valiant knight of his beloved. However, it was not hopeless. Somewhere deep inside him, a spark of aspiration, of faith still lived on. ¡°Help me¡­Help me change, please!¡± Hitting his head on the ground, the boy bowed, clenching his fist as he begged the lady.


    ¡°It¡¯s not me who can help you. It¡¯s yourself, your own will to change that will determinate the verity of your words.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡± Edward muttered.


    ¡°¡­.I will give you an opportunity to prove yourself, young master Edward. Tasha could still be saved.¡± The silver haired woman spoke.


    Hearing that, the boy¡¯s expression brightened with hope as he looked at Maria with pleading eyes. ¡°Do you happen to know where she is?¡± he asked eagerly.


    ¡°I do. But before I tell you, let me ask you something. Have you heard of a cult named The Cult of Lumen?¡± Maria questioned.


    ¡°Lumen? Are you referring to the religious fanatics that have been on the rise recently? They are among the most problematic issues that King Charles has discussed today. According to reports, the Cult of Lumen wishes to purge all demons of the world, targeting demons everywhere they go. By taking advantage of the chaotic situation in Ceadric, they have managed to infiltrate the country and spread their profane teaching to the citizens, converting many to their sides.


    Are you telling me that they are behind Tasha¡¯s disappearance?¡± Edward inquired.


    ¡°Yes. I have been following these cultists for a while and earlier today, as I was following one of them wandering around in the city, I happened to see two fanatics kidnapping a brown haired girl in a maid uniform. I assume that¡¯s Tasha.


    Since Tasha is a demon herself, it¡¯s natural for her to be targeted by that cult.¡± Maria explained.


    ¡°Then you were there when she was kidnapped? Why didn¡¯t you do anything?¡± shouted the boy angrily at the woman.


    ¡°Young master Edward, you are one of the top students of Helios so why don¡¯t you tell me the reason I didn¡¯t save Tasha but instead let them take her?¡± Maria replied with another question.


    Indeed, she was more than capable to save Sasha at that time. Yet, she didn¡¯t. Not because Maria was cruel, ignoring the innocents suffering right in front of her. But because by allowing these cultists to take Tasha, she would be able to follow them back to their hideout where they hid the other victims and possibly their headquarters. It was a logical choice, to use one as a bait in order to save the many and possibly others in the future. Edward understood that. It didn''t take that much time for him to figure out this plan. He might be na?ve but he was not so much of an idiot to know such basic tactic. Still, in his heart, he couldn¡¯t accept such solution.


    ¡°I know what you are thinking, young man. But just because I let them take Tasha doesn¡¯t mean I am willing to let they kill her too. After discovering their hideout, I have stationed a few of my men there watching them constantly. You still have until midnight today to save her.¡± Maria disclosed.


    ¡°Then let us go immediately!¡± the boy rushed.


    ¡°No¡­we need to wait until the full moon tonight. At that time, all the cultists, or at least their leaders will be there for us to get them all at once. If you go right now, it might startle them, making us lose this lead.¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn it.¡± The boy grunted.


    ¡°I understand how you feel but do think about the future! As long as these religious fanatics are around, fear will still rule the streets. And incidents like Tasha would just happen all over again unless we pull out all the roots of the problem. Do you get that?¡±


    ¡°I do but¡­Fine¡­I will wait.¡± The boy reluctantly nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Good! Meet me at these coordinates tonight at sunset! Go there by yourself to avoid raising attention! With that, I will excuse myself!¡± Finishing what she had to say, Maria stood up and walked to the door with Scarlet.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the young master called out to his guests, making them turn back to him. ¡°Who are you exactly? How do you know Tasha is a demon? And why are you helping me?¡±


    ¡°I have eyes and ears everywhere, young master Edward. Your maid being a demon isn¡¯t really what I call a secret if everyone in your district knows it. That¡¯s how she was targeted in the first place.


    As for my reason in helping you, let¡¯s just say that I share your idealism of a world where demons and primes could coexist. As we share the same purpose, why not stick together?¡± Maria chuckled as she left the room, closing the door behind her.


    * * *


    Strolling down the desolated streets of Cedra under the soothing moonlight of night, two women were exchanging their thoughts about their first day back at the Golden City after so long. Last time they were here, it was during a coup organized by the archduke which ultimately ended in failure. At least, that was how most people remembered that day. But for them, it was the day they managed to avenge their fallen friends who have been subject to horrible experimentation by a nefarious member of the Church. Years of searching for that murderer, years of carrying and withholding those hatreds they had for him deep inside their inhuman bodies, all those years have finally payed off.


    But what then? They have killed the person they were looking for. They have avenged their fallen comrades. What happened next? What would be their purpose to live on in this world where they were all different from the rest? Among the group, a woman has thought about ending her life. Yet, she could not even obtain that small comfort of death, to meet her end. Did life have to be this cruel? Was she doomed to wander this earth for eternity without knowing the end? Without having a purpose?


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    That was until she met a strange boy, who, like her, was different. He guided her people back to his, to give them a place call home. And so these strangers, unable to fit in anywhere, gained somewhere they could proudly claim that they belonged to it.


    Still, how did you define a home? Some thought it was the place where you stayed for a long time. Others thought home was where you felt most comfortable to live in. But for these people, neither of those criteria could define their situation. Because to them, ¡®home¡¯ was where you would gladly give your lives to protect it from harm. The world has changed. The old order has been destroyed. A new era was coming and many would be put to challenges in order to see if they had a place in this new era. For that, they needed to prove themselves to the rest of the demons. They had to prove that Ragna was also their home and they also shared the will to protect its future. For that, not only did they gain a home, the Hunters, led by Maria, had a new lord and they would do anything for him.


    With the other demons and Alastor were occupied with other matters, the Hunters have been given order to scout Ceadric and to report back to Alastor if anything happened. As one of the two last standing countries along with Oros who were openly against Valhalla¡¯s position regarding the demons, a war against Ceadric would be imminent. However, that didn¡¯t mean that Alastor would just rain down death upon them. With his own power, Ragna¡¯s force and Valhalla¡¯s military strength, defeating a country such as Ceadric should not pose a problem.


    Yet, it was not what Alastor wanted. If obtaining peace meant killing all those who did not share his ideas, then could it still be called peace? But how would you change the idea of an entire country with so much hate in them? Unlike Zagon who had only minor issues or Malatas who didn¡¯t really have a choice in the matter, Ceadric was the closest country to Ragna and always the first one to attack them, creating a long history of grudge and animosity between the two. While the demon lord has known king Charles a bit after their short stay for being a peaceful leader who should not have a problem with a truce, the truth of the matter was that the situation was forced upon Charles, denying him of all choices but to go to war.


    It was then that Alastor remembered the boy he helped train back when he was studying in Helios. Not just normal training but Alastor has also given him a large portion of mana to forcefully boost the boy¡¯s mana pool. This allowed Edward to be able to progress that fast in such a short amount of time, in opposite to people like headmaster Ganon who had to spend years and years to do what Alastor did to the boy in a few days. Such a person would surely climb the stairs of fame and power to work by the king¡¯ side, or at the very least someone with a relatively powerful position in the court. Especially during this difficult time, they would try to recruit anyone with power in order to prepare for the war and Edward would certainly not be able to be overlooked by the experienced eyes of Ganon. However, that boy, no matter how powerful he was, could be said to be quite gullible, not that it was a bad thing, considering how this world did not require any more evilness and deceits than it already had. Still, Edward needed guidance, someone who would be able to show him what he must do to if not stop the war then limit the casualties as much as possible before the scars became too deep to heal. That was Maria and the Hunters¡¯ main mission at Ceadric, to assist Edward in changing the country from within.


    ¡°That was a bit ¡­violent, don¡¯t you think so, milady?¡± Scarlet commented on Maria¡¯s behaviour toward young Edward from earlier.


    ¡°That was an awakening call for him. We are not here to babysit the young noble. At some point, someone has to make him understand that he has much more responsibility than he thought. After all, his decisions will one day shape the history course of his country. Or at least that¡¯s what Alastor has in mind for him.¡± Answered Maria.


    ¡°Lucky for him, we knew both him and his maid from our surveillance on Alastor last time we were here.¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Yeah! For now, we must help him gaining more reputation. If news spread that he is the one destroying this cult, the boy will have a much heavier opinion and respect in the court. The world of politics is a frightening world. Like a maelstrom, it will suck anyone not able to resist it. We must strengthen the boy, set him straight to prepare him for that. After all, he is going to learn it through the hard way anyway. Might as well let him getting used to it.¡±


    ¡°I agree. But aside from that matter, what do you think that shadow was? The one that attacked Edward?¡± inquired Scarlet.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to make out of it. The thing didn¡¯t seem like any race I have seen. Its mere presence sent shivers to my spine. If I am not confident about my own immortality, I would have run rather than confront it. Send words to the others as well to avoid fighting it alone! If you encounter it by yourself, run! This thing is able to neutralize magic from a Deus mage, not something you can see every day. Unless you are Alastor, I don¡¯t see anyone else capable of such a thing¡­.Let¡¯s just hope that this thing won¡¯t get in our way!¡±


    * * *


    Back to the coast of Ragna


    *poke*


    ¡°Hum¡­?¡±


    *poke poke*


    ¡°Wh¡­what happened?¡± a low voice muttered.


    *poke poke poke*


    ¡°STOP IT!¡± the voice roared in anger. Something has been poking its nose for a while now, making it incredibly itchy and uncomfortable. Using its forelegs, the creature that has been lying on the beach sand began to push up, revealing its enormous mass.


    ¡°AAAAAA the monster is awake! Run!¡± two children, upon seeing the thing opening its big round eyes, ran away as fast as they could with their little legs and hid behind the beastman Naberius who was holding his axe, preparing for a battle stance.


    ¡°Who are you calling monster, little brat?¡± the dragon groaned. Interestingly, it had a female voice and somewhat quite young judging from its tender tone which was completely the opposite of what one might think of when facing such a ferocious looking creature. ¡°Where am I? Who are you people? AND WHERE ARE THEY?¡±


    ¡°Calm down dragon! You are scaring the kids!¡± a boy spoke collectedly, unfazed by the appearance of the beast. Perhaps it was because he was used to a much more frightening dragon living inside him or perhaps he has seen much scarier and weirder things in this world to be daunted by something like this.


    Hearing the youthful voice, the sea dragon looked around to find the source of the voice, only to realize it came from the tiny being right underneath its long neck. ¡°So why are you not afraid? Aren¡¯t you a kid yourself?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Believe me, milady, I am no normal kid you see every day!¡± Alastor grinned.


    ¡°You call me a lady? That¡¯s quite courteous of you. Most people would just run away and label me as monster if they ever see me coming.¡±


    ¡°Your voice kind of gives that away anyway. Furthermore, there is something about your eyes that tell me you are not a beast, something that suggests femininity.


    By none of that really matters. May I ask why did you come to this island?¡± inquired the boy.


    ¡°¡­Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am sure a dragon must have a very important reason to come all this way to the demon continent, wouldn¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°What? Demon continent? Am I Ragna? ¡­.Damn it, I was so focused on pursuing them that I didn¡¯t even pay attention to where I was heading¡­.¡± The dragon muttered to herself. ¡°¡­Does that mean you are all demons?¡±


    ¡°Some of us are, some are not.¡± Naberius replied, lowering his axe to show his good will. Still, the presences of demons have put the dragon a bit on edge, which was a natural reaction one would suppose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any trouble with Ragna. Even though, I am a dragon, I am no longer affiliated with the dragon council or anyone in Oros so you have nothing to fear from me. I will just get my thing and will depart right away after that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­may I ask what is this ¡®thing¡¯ you are looking for? Is this related to the boat you destroyed?¡± Alastor pointed out the debris laying everywhere on the beach. However, in addition to these debris, he has also found traces of footprints leading to the inner part of Ragna. It was highly possible that the persons who were on that boat survived, or at least some of them did, and have gone on land after their unfortunate attack. But judging from what the dragon just said, it seemed there was more to the story than just a simple attack.


    ¡°Look, I don¡¯t have any obligation to tell you or anyone about my reasons being here. As I said, I don¡¯t want any trouble so just ignore me and look the other way!¡±


    ¡°I am only trying to help. At the moment, demons are trying to reconcile with all the other races. Take this as a gesture of our good will to help someone in need!¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°So I have heard. But like I said, I have no interest in the world politics nor do I have anything against demons. I just want to get back what is stolen from me.¡±


    ¡°Then tell us what it is!¡±


    ¡°¡­.No!¡± the dragon reluctantly denied Alastor¡¯s request to help.


    ¡°You are a sea dragon, right? Does that mean your moonstone was stolen?¡± the slime suddenly joined the conversation and pointed out a crucial detail that sent the dragon dismayed.


    ¡°How??? How do you know about that?¡± the beast uttered in shock. She didn¡¯t expect anyone to know her secret that easily.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that much of a secret. All sea dragons are given a moonstone at their ceremony of coming of age. It is said that those stones are very rare, imbued with incredible power. That¡¯s why many greedy adventurers and hunters have been hunting down the sea dragons, driving them to near extinction all because of those stones.


    If you are that willing to go somewhere you don¡¯t even know just to get something back, my guess is your moonstone has been stolen and you are pursuing the ones who took it before ending up in this place. Am I right?¡± With a smug expression, the slime has broken the composure the dragon has been trying so hard to maintain.


    ¡°¡­You are right.¡± The dragon confessed. ¡°It¡¯s true that my moonstone has been stolen by a group of dragon hunters. However, now that they have fled into land, it¡¯s difficult for me to take it back.¡±


    ¡°Why is that? Don¡¯t you have wings to fly?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Sea dragons can¡¯t stay out of the water for too long. Since Ragna is a large continent and I have no idea where they have gone, there is no way I can find them now.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­then you need someone else to find it back for you, don¡¯t you? I can do that.¡± The demon lord volunteered.


    ¡°And why would you do that? Why not just take the stone for yourself?¡± inquired the dragon. ¡°Just so you know, helping me is not going to improve your relationship with the dragon council as I have already severed all ties with them.¡±


    ¡°I have no interest in this stone of yours, dragon. The reason I want to help you is so that you can help me back later in another matter that I am sure will be easy for you.¡±


    ¡°And what is this ¡®favour¡¯ you are speaking of?¡±


    ¡°Help me get to Oros in the fastest way possible! In return for your stone. A fair deal, don¡¯t you think?¡± Alastor proposed.  Instead of trying to convince her that he was doing this out of good will, it was much easier to convince someone else that you were doing this with a motive. That way, it would be much less suspicious than a strange claiming to want to help others at their first meeting.


    ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s fair. But how do you intend to find those thieves? Not only do they have a few high ranks adventurers, I have no idea where they went ever since I sank their boat last night. I tried to get on land for a short time to search for them but without my stone, I can¡¯t stay for long. That¡¯s why I ended up wandering the coast, starving¡­.¡± The belly of the dragon groaned out loud, creating an awkward moment of embarrassment as the dragon tried to pretend it was something else or to change the subject.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you end up taking the bait I set out¡­.So much for a proud dragon to be lured in by food for fishes¡­.¡± The slime muttered.


    ¡°Hey! I was starving okay? A beggar doesn¡¯t get to choose. And who are you anyway? How can you help me?¡±


    ¡°I am Alastor Magnolia, prince of Valhalla. Together with Melia and Dan here, we are here as part of an agreement to ease the tension between the two countries. As for these two, here is Naberius and Azureus, two of the demon royal guards.


    What about you, milady?¡±


    ¡°My name is Abalone of the sea dragon¡¯s clan¡­or whatever it is left of it. Since you are high ranked demons, I suppose it will make things easier. But still, how do you intend to find them?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have worry about that miss Abalone.¡± Alastor reassured. ¡°If they are on this continent, then their fate is already sealed.¡±

 Chapter 83: Falling Incursion

    Eisenheim, Capital of Valhalla


    ¡°Oh shit, I am late! Stupid me for oversleeping!¡±


    A knight in heavy blue armor was dashing through the mansion as fast as he could. For the first time in his career, Luvik was late for work. Every day, at sunrise, he would normally be by the side of his master by now and would accompany her till the moment she retired to her chamber at the end of the day. And even then, the commander would sometimes insist on staying right outside her room all night just to make sure nothing would ever happen to the priestess again, especially after the incident with Owen.


    However, every human had their limits and Luvik was no exception. Forcing himself to stay up late like that with barely a couple hours of sleep every day all while maintaining a full concentration on his surrounding was too taxing for both the body and the mind of the knight. Luckily, nothing has happened since then and more guards have been sent to protect the mansion so Luvik was put to peace of mind for a bit and perhaps what you would call a slight negligence of his duty, which has led to this lateness.


    Still, usually at this time, Cynthia would have just woken up and it has only been a few minutes from the time he was supposed to be there. Surely nothing could have happened during that short moment. As he ran hastily across the halls, alarming all the servants to push aside against the walls thanks to the clacking sound of his armor, Luvik forgot one important detail: he must not enter the room unless Cynthia has given him permission to do so.


    Storming inside the room, the knight immediately apologized for his lateness without realizing what he just stumbled upon. ¡°My apologies, milady! I¡­¡­¡­*gasp*!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± For a moment, commander Luvik of the old Zagon Empire has found himself in heavens. In front of him, an angelic half-naked maiden with nothing covering her upper half was in the midst of undressing herself to change from her sleeping attire to her priestess cloth. The woman has just woken up after all and had barely any time to prepare herself. That was why she warned her knight to stay outside and only when she was done could he enter. Although, one could argue this lateness was deliberate for a certain insidious purpose. But of course, Luvik was too much of an innocent man to resort to that kind of tactic.


    ¡°Aiieee!¡± seeing the knight who was dropping in awe with such a happy face, Cynthia shrieked with perhaps what could be regarded as the most girly voice anyone has ever heard from her, before directly crouching down to cover her upper half. Such a womanly voice was like music to the ears of a humble knight, like the soothing wonderful song of morning birds that woke him up instantly.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she shouted at him.


    ¡°I¡­.I just¡­.¡± The image of the naked maiden has been imprinted in his mind. He would never forget this moment for the rest of his life. ¡°THANK YOU!....No I mean, I am sorry, milady!¡±


    ¡°What are you staring at? GET OUT!¡±


    The priestess used one arm to cover her bosom as she used the other to reach out to a nearby pillow and threw it at the knight, stirring him up from his delusion before he quickly turned away, rushing out of the door with a bright red but ecstatic face.


    ¡­..


    After Cynthia has changed her cloth and walked out of the room to go to today¡¯s meeting with Morrigan and the others as part of the negotiation schedule, during the entire trip to the palace, she didn¡¯t say a word to her protector nor did she even look at him once although they were sitting in the same carriage. In Luvik¡¯s mind, it was all over. Ever since they met, this was the first time he saw Cynthia so angry at him to the point of refusing to speak to the poor guy. So even someone as philanthropic as a saint like her could be this emotional. In a certain way, that was kind of cute, thought Luvik. But now it was not the time to indulge himself in his fantasy. The situation was as cold sober as one could imagine. He might lose this job he held so dearly. Could it be that this would be the final day he would ever serve his mistress? Was this how things would end between them?


    Refusing to let this silence to be the final moment they shared with each other, Luvik decided to take the initiative.


    ¡°Milady, I have no words that can express how deeply sorry I am for my vulgar behavior earlier. But I swear to you that it was not intentional. Even in my wildest of dreams, I would not dare to insult milady in such a way. Please, if you can forgive this humble servant for this regrettable, stupid mistake.¡± Luvik bended down from his waist to the woman while still sitting from his seat, surprising his mistress quite a bit.


    ¡°Luvik¡­.¡± The priestess uttered.


    ¡°¡­..Yes, milady¡­.?¡±


    ¡°¡­I am disappointed.¡±


    As if the world has crushed down upon him, her words have torn apart any last hope he had. Of course, she would not want such a useless servant like him by her side who could not even protect her when she needed. Furthermore, for someone to dare insult her in such a way, even by mistake¡­he didn¡¯t deserve to be by her side. Or so Luvik thought. But then¡­


    ¡°I thought we agreed to call each other by our name, not by title.¡±


    ¡°Milady? Are you not angry about earlier?¡± asked Luvik.


    ¡°Of course I am!¡± the maiden retorted. ¡°Every woman would be angry in that situation¡­.But I know you are not that kind of person. Besides¡­.¡± Cynthia clenched her fist. ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone would want to see this grotesque body anyway. Maybe it should be me to apologize to you for showing you such a unsightly scene.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! I am sure all men out there will find you attractive!¡± Luvik shouted.


    ¡°Have you paid any attention earlier? Did you see those scars on my body? Look into my eyes and answer me, Luvik! If I ask you to take me now, would you be able to do it?¡± Cynthia taunted.


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t¡­¡± the knight muttered with his head lowered.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too.¡± Cynthia grumbled.


    ¡°No you misunderstand me, milady! I cannot in good conscience do anything to you just to prove your point. When I look at you, I don¡¯t see any scar. All I see is the most beautiful maiden in this entire world. I¡­I don¡¯t really know how to say this¡­.I am sorry that I am not that educated to be able to give you some flowery words that can describe my thoughts but¡­


    What I mean is you can¡¯t just let any man do that to you¡­only the one you love¡­¡± The knight scratched his head, thinking hardly about what he could say to the priestess. But alas, he used to be a farm boy, born with humble background and was not always a man of words but actions. Yet, even though he could not express it with words, his feelings seemed to have somehow managed to reach her.


    Cynthia was not the kind of woman who would be afraid of showing her body to strangers. The time she voluntarily exhibited every inch of her skin to the young demon lord back in Malatas was proof of that. Perhaps, to her, being naked in front of others was nothing compared to what she had to endure in her miserable past. Yet, it didn¡¯t mean that Cynthia was willing to let anybody see her like that. Not because she was embarrassed but because of those scars. Those horrible marks, testaments of her previous life, were so repulsive in her eyes that she would not rather looking at them. However, she didn¡¯t want to erase them either as it served as a reminder of the cruelty of men, of the world.


    When Luvik saw her in that room, she was afraid. What if he was disgusted by her scars and would no longer have feelings for her? She would lose her pawn. And if he told someone else, there might be a chance, a slimy one but still a possibility, that someone could decide to investigate about her past and make the connection to Owen¡¯s death as part of her revenge. Even worst, it would und everything she did so far and would send the negotiation effort a few major steps back. But to her surprises, her escort was not that kind of person. At that time in the room, Luvik didn¡¯t see a scarred woman or a used tool by men. He saw past that damaged shell of her.


    How funny was it for Luvik who claimed to be an uncultured man due to his background, to be the only person who managed to see through that while many of those literate nobles saw her only as a pleasure tool?


    For a moment, something inside the priestess wished to touch the knight in front of her. An illogical aspiration even to the person herself. How was it possible that she had these strange unknown feelings, unrecognized by her own mind? Seeing the commander so clumsily trying to explain to her in his own words, Cynthia gave out what could only be described as the most genuine smile she has had in years before bursting into laughter.


    ¡°Milady?¡± unsure what to make out of this situation, especially when they were arguing with each other a moment ago, Luvik was left dumbfounded.


    ¡°You are a strange man.¡± Cynthia, exhaling in deep breath to calm her laughter, uttered.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­.¡± The knight lowered his head.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t hate that kind of man.¡± Her words were spoken in such a low tone that it made Luvik wander if he was hallucinating.


    ¡°Milady?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Cynthia, I told you so Luvik!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­Cynthia¡­My apologies!¡±


    ¡°Stop apologizing! I am not angry at you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, madam!¡±


    Unfortunately for our valiant knight Luvik, even after years of military experiences and with many near-death occasions, he still could not figure out what his mistress was thinking. ¡®So what? Is she still angry with me? But she did laugh¡­But women always say they are not angry at you but it¡¯s actually a sign to say they are definitely. How am I supposed to know? Can I ask her? NO! She would think that I am stupid¡­.But I am stupid¡­Oh God why?¡¯ such were the thoughts of a confused knight who was one of the many unable to understand the most complex things of the universe: woman.


    And Cynthia¡¯s behaviors did not help either. Instead of making it clearer for her knight, the priestess was actually enjoying the situation, teasing him around. When was the last time she experienced something this fun? Not for years at least! And her hand and fingers were twitching. They wanted to reach out and touch him. For a very long time, Cynthia has not felt like this: an urge to touch a man. Her past has left her with this horrible ailment to be unable to calm herself upon physical contact of a member of the opposite gender. That dread, result of the bad things that have happened to her, has been imprinted in every inch of her body and it would not go away that quickly. Yet now her mind was telling her to do it, even though her body was reminiscing the gruesome memories, trembling in fear. Maybe she could never be cured of this ailment, maybe. But somehow, Cynthia felt like she could do it, to touch a man, not just any man but only this one.


    ¡°We have arrived at the castle, milady!¡± a voice from outside called out to the couple inside. They were so immersed in their thoughts that the two didn¡¯t realize the carriage has stopped for a few minutes now.


    Quickly regaining his composure and wear his helmet, Luvik opened the door on the side and walked out before reaching his hand to his mistress in order to help her get down. As Cynthia took her first step from the carriage, she did something unexpected to both Luvik and herself. Taking advantage of the high ground, the priestess bended down and gave a kiss on the helmet of her knight, stunning him. It was indeed a sneaky and effective attack that left the commander frozen in place. He could feel her warm even through this thick piece of metal. Her aroma, with rosy sweet fragrance of an adult woman, almost sent him to ecstasy.


    ¡°M¡­Mi¡­.Milady?¡± Luvik uttered, looking at Cynthia with confusion.


    ¡°Just a lucky charm and a reward for your hard work! I am sure now you know that I am not angry at you.¡± Cynthia grinned before taking off toward the palace¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°I shall never wash this helmet again!¡± the knight said to himself with probably the most joyful smile on his day.


    * * *


    ¡°Alright everyone, I think it¡¯s enough for today. We will resume this discussion tomorrow. The meeting is adjourned.¡± The Empress of Valhalla proclaimed inside a large luxurious chamber. Along with a few other dozens people sitting around a round table, Morrigan has just finished the agenda today.


    As part of the peace negotiation, these kind of meetings have been quite frequent recently to discuss about various from the final steps of the merging of Caelum, Zagon and Malatas to the incoming war with Ceadric. Not to mention there was also the Discovery Accord and negotiation with Ragna that were underway.


    While Morrigan herself was the Empress and therefore had the full control of her country after Svelt¡¯s death, it was necessary to have the other leaders and main figures present as part of the meeting in order to make sure that everyone was on the same page.


    Among those figures from nobles to lords, a few stood out.


    The first were the two priestesses Cynthia and Eris as the representatives of the elves and also their governors under Empress Morrigan.


    The second was Father Maxime who has been unanimously elected as the representative of the Church and the people of Caelum. His rise to power has been rather uncontested and while he was reluctant to take the position at first, the bishop eventually accepted.


    By Maxime¡¯ side was the Champion of the Whispering Forest, Viviana the summoner as the ambassador of the beastmen and spoke in place of the Beast King Zen.


    On the other side, we had a half serpent half man: Martel, Consort of the lamias and Duchess of Ragna. Being sent here on behalf of the enigmatic demon lord whom no one has met or even heard about, Martel was supposed to take on the negotiation and made sure to ease the tension between the demons and the primes. Needless to say, her presence here has turned a few people unsettled as for many, it was their first time to be so close to a demon. But thanks for her human features and alluring charm that made the majority of the nobles in a confused state to whether or not they should fear her, Martel has managed to gain a somewhat stable relationship and erased a few doubts in their mind. Of course, it was impossible to just have a peaceful relationship right away as these things took time to develop. But the more time and effort spent into it, the more solid the foundations of that peace would be.


    And to be honest, the reactions so far have been quite positive. Not a single major incident has happened and the people were starting to get used to the demons¡¯ presences in their cities. If there was one difficulty that needed to be mentioned, it would be Viviana and Lucas. After the attack in Caelum, their hatred for demons has been deepened to the point they almost burst out to attack Martel upon their first meeting.


    ¡°I believe this concludes our meeting today. We will resume this discussion tomorrow.¡± Martel said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s up to you whether the meeting is finished or not.¡± Viviana groaned with a displeased expression. While she has tolerated Martel¡¯s presence, her ideas about demons did not change. Still, she had to remain calm as she was currently the ambassador of the beastmen with the peace between her people and Valhalla resting her shoulder. This meant that the girl could not be so outspoken as she usually was.


    ¡°My apologies, miss Viviana. I have overstepped my boundaries. It¡¯s indeed up to Empress Morrigan for this kind of decision.¡± Martel spoke politely.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°At least you know where you belong.¡± The cat girl huffed.


    ¡°Viviana, there is no need to be rude. I thought we are over this.¡± Morrigan intervened.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me speaking, your Highness, but how come the demon lord only sent one of his retainers to such an important meeting while he was the one asking for it in the first place? It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± Viviana said.


    ¡°Miss Viviana, I believe you are also here on behalf of King Zen, aren¡¯t you? Well, I am the same.¡± Said the lamia, remained unfazed by the girl¡¯s comments.


    ¡°That is ¡­.that is different.¡±


    ¡°To answer your question, my lord is currently taking care of a few matters in Oros. Upon his return, he promises that the first thing he will do is to come here in order to meet with all of you.¡± Martel replied in a graceful manner. This was what Alastor has told her to say if someone ever asked about this so called mysterious demon lord. In reality, it was just a strategy to buy time for him until he found his replacement.


    ¡°And what are these matters you are speaking of?¡± asked Viviana.


    ¡°I apologize but I don¡¯t have the liberty to say. All I can tell you is that it¡¯s crucial to the negotiation and requires my lord¡¯s personal attention.¡± The woman conveyed.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite suspicious don¡¯t you agree? I feel like he is just trying trick us.¡± said Viviana.


    ¡°My lord only thinks of his people and this peace treaty means everything to him. I would rather not have you insulting him in such a manner.¡± The serpent uttered.


    ¡°Insulting? I am simply stating the fact. If you demons want peace then you have to be honest with what you do. Else how are we supposed to trust you?¡±


    ¡°You did raise your point. However, let me remind you that what we want is to find a common ground that will allow our people to coexist with each other. But that doesn¡¯t mean we are giving ourselves unconditionally nor will we allow our nation¡¯s and the people¡¯s interest to be overlooked. That¡¯s why there is this negotiation meeting in the first place. We are not here to make friends, miss Viviana. We are here to protect the future of our people.¡± Martel preached. ¡°We have all lost someone dear to us, have things taken from us. But if we let ourselves lost inside this cycle of hatred, we would never be able to move on. And this is not just about the two of us but about our people.


    Miss Viviana, if you are unable to restrain your own emotions for the sake of your country, you are inadequate for this position.¡±


    ¡°How dare you think that I don¡¯t care for the lives of my people?¡± shouted the cat girl angrily.


    ¡°ENOUGH! I am tired of this charade. Take this somewhere else but not here!¡± the Empress demonstrated her authority with a loud majestic voice. ¡°Seriously, there are much more important matters on our hands. But it¡¯s enough for today. The meeting is adjourned.¡±


    With her words, the other nobles and lords quickly dispersed from the room, leaving only the main figures which coincidentally were all important figures who have met Alastor at one point of their lives. And the funny thing was each of them has seen a different side of him, or at least their vision of him was different. To some, a loving son while others a respected and powerful comrade.


    ¡°So frustrating¡­all these meetings and I can¡¯t even see my son.¡± Morrigan sighed with a tired expression. Now that the nobles were out of the way, she could finally relax a bit. Alastor has told her all about these people and while some of them might not agree with each other¡¯s view, they were all good and trustworthy individuals.


    ¡°Where is Alastor by the way? I would have thought he would definitely participate in these meetings.¡± Asked Viviana.


    ¡°I sent him to Ragna as part of the Discovery Accord together with a few others so he won¡¯t be back for a while. Furthermore, I don¡¯t think he likes to do all these boring stuffs.¡± Answered the Empress.


    ¡°You seem quite close to him.¡± Commented the bishop.


    ¡°I am his mother. Of course I am close to him.¡± Morrigan gave out a soft smile, thinking of her lovely adopted son. In her heart, she would not want to let him go away from her. Even though they have only known each other recently, a bond was formed between the two that was no way lesser than a real maternal connection for years. Still, Morrigan was aware that she could not force him to stay. The only thing she could do was to hope that he would soon return to her side.


    But things were a bit too calm. It would be unthinkable for no one to not even attempt on stopping the negotiation. And to everyone¡¯s expectation and surprises, that tranquillity did not last long.


    All of the sudden, a voice rang inside the moon priestess¡¯ mind.


    ¡®Cynthia, be careful! Enemies incoming toward your location!¡¯


    ¡®Sullivan? What do you¡­.¡¯


    ¡°EVERYONE GET DOWN!¡± the Empress shouted out loud to the people inside the room.


    In an instant, the wall behind her was blasted open, leaving a large hole on it. Thanks to her Mana sense and quick reflex, the Empress has managed to retreat behind the table, avoiding the blast while warning the others in time. Then from the hole, a group of several individuals in different clothing but all had their faces covered with a rag to hide their identity, emerged from it.


    ¡°Kill them all!¡± one of the men proclaimed loudly and pointed his sword at Morrigan.


    * * *


    The palace of Eiseinheim was under attack. Mysterious intruders have somehow managed to infiltrate the building without being spotted by the experienced royal guards or even the Blue Phalanx. Just how was it possible that they were able to bypass all those guards without anyone noticing their presences until it was too late? The answer lied in the strange device they used to get here. Up high above the palace, something strange was hovering: a large cylindrical balloon attached to some kind of boat-like structure. That structure was kept afloat thanks to the balloon containing hot air produced by those flames installed on it and it was used to transport the assassins here. That was how the intruders managed to get here without being detected. They were hiding among the clouds and only descended in the midst of night through ropes and magic to reach the ground.


    The intruders, numbered in a few dozens, were much more skilful than their appearance suggested. Although wearing only common cloth and armour with no distinguished features, these warriors and mages have succeeded in carrying out their plan and even pushed back the palace guards.


    ¡°Protect the Empress!¡± a royal guard clamoured as they stormed into the meeting chamber and rushed to Morrigan¡¯ side.


    ¡°Escort the representatives out of here!¡± The Empress of Valhalla shouted to her troops. Unlike herself, people like Maxime could not fight. They were the ones who needed more protection than her. ¡°Katrina, my sword!¡± Morrigan caught the flying sword being thrown at her and pulled it out of the scabbard. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are but those who dare attack my palace will not get out alive. Charge!¡±


    What followed next could be summed up in one word: chaos. A battle was taking place inside the castle as the guards were fighting off the assassins. But these intruders were not here to fight the guards. They were aiming at the key members of the negotiation meeting.


    ¡­..


    At the moment, Father Maxime and the two priestesses were being escorted to safety by a group of soldiers as they travelled through hall after hall. With half the group in the front and the other half behind to make sure there were no pursuers, the trio together with the knight Luvik who has joined them half way rushed hurriedly outside. Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed down, cutting the group in two, separating Cynthia and a few soldiers from the rest of the group.


    ¡°CYNTHIA!¡± shouted Luvik before being interrupted by an assassin. It was them that caused the ceiling to collapse as they rushed down from above.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me! Go outside and I will meet you there!¡± answered Cynthia as she was dragged away by the soldiers to safety.


    ¡°Commander Luvik, we must go!¡± a guard said, stopping the knight from rushing to his death with all the assassins in front of him.


    ¡­..


    As for the Luna Priestess, she has found herself in a deadlock. Her guards have been killed and she was now trapped inside a room with both the entries blocked by the six assassins around her. There was no escape route from here. That was if she intended to escape.


    ¡°End of road, priestess! Don¡¯t make this any harder than it already is and we will give you a swift death!¡± said an assassin.


    With her back facing the large glass window where the pale moonlight came into the dark room, Cynthia stood motionless without showing any sign of resist. There was nothing else she could do to escape from here. With the moonlight ray shining upon her white dress, the priestess uttered with a smile.


    ¡°You are right. It¡¯s the end of the road¡­.for you!¡±


    Without warning, dozens of tentacles lunged out from below her dress and restrained all the assassins in an eye flash. Each tentacle was actually a long white snake with crimson eyes, biting and infusing a poisonous substance that paralyzed their prey.


    Such an ironic situation! The hunters have now become the hunted. The intruders did not expect their target to have any fighting skill as she has shown none so far, at least based on the reports that were given to them. And this was not any magic they have seen. Where did these snakes even come from?


    ¡°Now, time for some questions! Any of you feel like sharing with me?¡± asked Cynthia with a devious smile. The poison has left them immobile but could still move their mouth so they should be able to talk. But of course none of them said a word. They were professional and would not yield so easily.


    ¡°All right then!¡±


    Snapping her finger, one of the intruders began to scream in pain as the snakes were constricting him like squeezing an orange, breaking every last bone he had. The sound of cracking bones, combined with her insane maniac laughter from watching the guy begging for his life before vomiting blood and dropped dead. Releasing his body, the dead assassin fell like a rag, a deflated human. Such a terrifying scene sent shivers to all the others, as a message saying that was how they would end up.


    ¡°Please, I will tell you anything. *cry *¡±


    ¡°Then start talking! I promise you won¡¯t end up like him if you tell me everything you know. And don¡¯t lie to me or I would know!¡± Cynthia threatened.


    ¡°*gulp* We¡­we are mercenaries and adventurers sent here to kill everyone participating in the negotiation with the demons.¡± The man sobbed.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know who they are. Just that they gave us a very handsome sum of money and even provide us with the zeppelin to help us getting here unnoticed.¡±


    ¡°Zeppelin?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the flying thing we used to get here. It¡¯s hanging right on above the castle as we speak.¡±


    ¡°I find it difficult to believe that you have no idea who hired you in the first place¡­.You sure you are not lying to me?¡± asked Cynthia.


    ¡°I swear milady. We have no idea who it was. He wears a cloak hiding all his body and has the grave voice of an old man. Oh and he is very small too like a dwarf. Aside from that, we know nothing about him. In our business, anonymous requests like this are common so we didn¡¯t think to ask. Please, let us go! I swear I am telling you the truth.¡±


    An old man with a small stature that looked like a dwarf¡­just those descriptions reminded Cynthia of the merchants of Dor who seemed to have allied themselves with Ceadric. If it was indeed one of them, then it would explain this attack in goal of interrupting the peace talk. Valhalla was at war against Ceadric. Any attempt to weaken this alliance between the demons and Valhalla would certainly affect the outcome of the war. Whether Ceadric had knowledge of this was unknown but at least this confirmed that these merchants would stop at nothing to stop Alastor¡¯s plan.


    ¡°Thank you for your contribution! As promised, here is your reward!¡± Cynthia grinned.


    For a moment, the assassins were relieved, thinking they have been out of the water. But it was where they were wrong. More snakes emerged from Cynthia while they shoved themselves down the throats of the assassins, chocking them to death as they struggled violently to no avail before drawing their last breath.


    Flinging their corpses to the wall as she retracted the snakes back under the dress, Cynthia looked down at the people she just killed. She felt nothing. No sadness or regret, no joy or ecstasy, absolutely nothing. ¡°Pigs!¡± She muttered before turning her head away from the carnage she just created.


    But even though the assassins have been eliminated, Cynthia could still feel a certain uneasiness inside her. Something was wrong. Those assassins might have posed some problems to the royal guards but surely they could not expect to do some major damages with this kind of number. Not to mention the various battle masters like Morrigan would also be in the palace and could destroy them quickly. At most, the intruders would only slow her down. With that kind of damage, spending all these while revealing their secret weapon, the zeppelins, seemed to be such a waste. If used in battle, the element of surprise could give them a much better upper hand than killing a few soldiers here. So why risk sending such a small group?


    ¡°The assassins¡­they are only distraction to the real threat!¡±


    At that moment, the night sky of Eisenheim was illuminated. A loud explosion took place above the castle, setting the airship on fire as it began to fall from the sky. It was their plan all along. The reason for this small number of assassins was so that they could stack explosives barrels inside the airship. With the balloon on fire, the zeppelin could no longer maintain its altitude and would crash into the palace at this rate. That thing was not an airship. It was a bomb.


    Looking from the window, a bright light engulfed Cynthia as the fiery airship came down toward her.

 Chapter 84: Dragon Hunters

    While Cynthia was running from her pursuers after being separated from the group, another battle was taking place inside the court hall of the castle of Eiseinheim.


    Facing three assassins at once surrounding her, Morrigan closed her eyes and controlled her breathing. In this darkness where nothing was seen, small flames in humanoid shape began to manifest themselves, recreating her field of vision. Only this time it was no longer limited to what she could see with her eyes but rather her entire surrounding. This special vision called Soul Sense was basically a higher form of Mana Sense, allowing one self to detect not only the presence of anyone nearby but also even their slightest motions, granting a complete vision of everything that was happening around her.


    The sword she was holding since earlier started to illuminate a pale cobalt luminescence, the color of the soul as one would see. Then with a single slash from her sword, as if time has stopped itself, the three assassins fell like the bugs they were. An unsurprising result as it would be unthinkable to consider this unfortunate trio to be anywhere near her level. Being an arcane swordsman, a special class reserved only for the elite warriors of Zagon, Morrigan had access to a full arsenal of magic and sword skills unmatched by any other. In addition, her ability to use soul magic just like her sister, the Hero Lakyus, granted her an even phenomenal dominance in the battlefield.


    But Morrigan was not the only one that stood out in this chaotic combat zone. Among the combatants, one individual was quite conspicuous not because of her fighting skill but also because of her appearance. Skillfully slithering around the arena in a graceful manner, Martel fought with both magic and her monstrous strength to smash her enemies into oblivion. Her crimson tail, adorned with a pointy blade at the end, was capable of moving at incredible speed and sought the assassins like a living weapon before impaling them from behind while they were distracted with the main body. Furthermore, her favorite weapon, a golden trident, allowed her to fight in close combat and served also a catalyst for magic incantation.


    The young couple Viviana and Lucas was also quite proficient with their skills, especially the cat girl with her spirit staff Yggdrasil. Needless to say, the assassins picked the wrong group to mess with as they were being slaughtered one by one like flies.


    ¡°Snipers on the opposite building!¡± shouted Morrigan just after she sensed the presences of intruders from afar. With such a large hole in the room, the archers would be able to target them with ease.


    ¡°<Birth of Trees>¡± Viviana invoked trees branches rising from the ground and covered the hole, stopping the incoming arrows. But the snipers were no fools either. They quickly changed their tactics, this time imbuing their arrows with fire magic and lightning to pierce through the timber barrier.


    Under the volley of projectiles, the group could only stay down and cover themselves as they waited for the archers to run out of arrows. The walls and floor were now coated with arrows as the onslaught went on. Then it stopped, strangely. The timing was simply too soon. For such a carefully prepared assault, it was weird that they would run out of projectiles this quick. Or was it their strategy to lure out their targets and then resumed the attack?


    Using her Soul Sense, Morrigan tried to figure out their intention. Yet, to her surprise, something strange was going on over there. One by one, the souls of the apparently attackers began to vanish. Something or someone was killing them. That must be why they stopped their attack. But who could be doing that? Surely her troops could not have arrived at the place in time to interrupt the snipers as it was just a moment ago. And the experienced fighters and Martel and the others were still here. So who? What was even weirder was the disappearance of the souls. Unlike Mana Sense, even if a foe was killed, their soul would still linger around for a little while, although such a difference would be easily noticed compared to a ¡®living soul¡¯. In this case however, the soul disappeared the moment the individual died, as if it just vanished into thin air like it was never there.


    ¡°What is happening over there?¡± Morrigan uttered in confusion.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield where the archers were shooting from, what could only be described as a massacre, a complete annihilation, a one-side slaughter, was taking place. The snipers did not expect to be interrupted this quickly. They have just gone there themselves so it would be unthinkable for anyone to get here in time to stop them. Furthermore, the enemy was only one and clearly not human.


    ¡°What the hell are you?¡± shouted the only survivor in horror at the thing that has been killing them.


    A dark shadow wielding a large shiny obsidian scythe with only the two red dot eyes as the only thing visible of its body was looming over the roof on top of the corpses of all the people it just killed. Its mere presence sent shivers to its opponents in both mental and physical ways as the dread combined with the coldness of the area turned these poor souls completely frozen, paralyzed in place.


    ¡°I am a simple farmer. And you, mortals, are my crops.¡± the shadow answered in an eerie voice, a mixture of an old man¡¯s, a woman¡¯s and a child¡¯s. Raising its scythe behind its back, the shadow prepared to take the last remaining victim. The archer could not do anything. His legs have been covered in a layer of ice, sticking him to the ground below and making him unable to run away. He pled for his life while he sobbed like a baby but none of that was of any use. His fate was sealed. In a flash, the dark figure lunged his scythe and cut down the man. Although the weapon has touched him and even cut right through him, no wound was seen on the now lifeless corpse. But something did happen the moment the scythe touched him: a tiny blue flame that was residing inside the archer was absorbed into the blade. That tiny flame was the soul of the archer, that was now gone.


    ¡°Hum¡­bad quality. Guess I should not have expected much from this bunch. But it¡¯s not like I am allowed to go after the ones in the palace¡­¡± The shadow spoke as it inspected the blade of his weapon. For a moment, something could be seen from the reflection of the blade: the faces and figures of the archers killed on this roof along with many other souls were burning in a blue conflagration.


    Suddenly, a large explosion was heard, illuminating the night sky the Eiseinheim. The zeppelin, or rather the balloon was set on fire, leading to the airship to plunge down toward the palace. The attack was simply a diversion to keep Morrigan and the rest occupied while the real attack, this airship filled with explosive barrels, would make sure to kill everyone caught in the blast, including both their targets and the attackers, erasing all witnesses.


    Watching the airship falling down from the clouds and a few seconds away from crushing down onto the palace, the shadow heard a voice inside its head giving it a new instruction. Immediately, it teleported itself to the highest point of the castle, right between the falling zeppelin and the building where the negotiation was taking place.


    ¡°Alastor, you own us this time.¡± It raised its dark arms toward the sky. ¡°<Frozen World>¡±


    In an instant, the wind stopped as the temperature dropped intensively. The flaming airship that was falling down at incredible speed suddenly froze into a huge block of ice and slowed down like a feather haltingly dropping down slowly but smoothly. As the giant glacier slowly decreased its altitude, down toward the shadow like a snail, within a few foots away from him, the figure raised a finger and tipped the looming iceberg.


    ¡°<Touch of Oblivion>¡±


    A small crack appeared from the tip of the block of ice as it continued to expand to the rest of its enormous body before shattering and disintegrating into a rain of snowflakes. For the inhabitants of the city who were so oblivious of what was happening, it was snowing in the midst of summer.


    ¡°*sigh*That was tiring¡­!!!¡± the shadow muttered. Unexpectedly, it sensed someone coming toward it and was now right behind it. A lady in white with a sun-like headpiece was floating on air as she lunged a pale snake to ensnare the shadow, taking it by surprise.


    ¡°Who are you? Or what are you?¡± asked Cynthia in a threatening voice. Although she has seen the shadow saving her own skin and everybody else in this castle, the fact that this unknown individual was sneaking around did not please her one bit. Furthermore, she could feel something strange from this thing, something dangerous.


    ¡°Hum¡­.¡± The figure inspected the woman intensively with its shining eyes. ¡°Cynthia Deacone. Born under the reversal star of the Priestess. Abandoned by her true parents and adopted by Litia Kil. Raped by her adopted father Martin Tora at the age of ten. Sold to slavers and forced to prostitution for the next three years before being bought by Owen Norman¡­Become the next Priestess of Luna at the age of eighteen...Conspired against the crown of Malatas and killed the elder princess Elena of the royal family at the age of twenty¡­ Killed Martin Tora after stumbling across him during the evacuation of Galahad¡­You trapped him inside his house for the miasma to do the killing for you¡­You wanted to watch as he begged for his life while you stood there, delighting on every moment of his agony¡­And now you have found a new toy¡­Luvik Centura¡­Such an interesting life you have led so far! I can¡¯t wait to see how this seed will bloom at your final moment.¡±


    ¡°..ho¡­how¡­how do you know that?¡± Cynthia questioned with a trembling voice. Her whole life was somehow being read like a book by this thing.


    ¡°The deads know all, Cynthia¡­Do you remember how you killed me?¡± the figure changed its frightening voice to a very familiar voice to Cynthia. It was Owen¡¯s, the fat noble pig that Cynthia has used Luvik to kill. ¡°Or perhaps me?¡± A new voice spoke. This time¡­.her adopted father Martin.


    ¡°Stop it¡­STOP IT!¡± the girl shouted in despair as the snake ensnaring the shadow stiffened its grasp. But to her surprise, the shadow vanished into a black smoke, leaving behind only the echo of an inhuman manic laughter.


    ¡°Hahahaha! I look forward for the day of your harvest!¡±


    * * *


    The next morning after the attack, news of foreign intruders has spread across the entire country, including the far provinces like Caelum. Prayers for the capital have been given by the new order of the Church under Father Maxime while investigations were underway. Based on the testimonies of the captured assassins, it was believed that this cowardly attack was condone by Ceadric together with the Trading Company of Dor. Unfortunately, there was no physical evidence of such agreement. One could argue that such tactic was understandable and Valhalla should have anticipated this during a war time.


    Thankfully, no major damage was done aside from a few crumbling buildings and minor losses in term of people. Although, things would have been very different if that airship managed to hit the ground. It was still unknown what exactly happened to the airship as nobody knew the origin of that snowstorm they experienced last night. But this event has demonstrated that Ceadric was serious about the war and Valhalla could not stay idle any further. There was a time for peace negotiation and clearly now it was not once of those times. That was not to say all attempts of keeping peace should be overlooked but the Empress of Valhalla must be ready for the incoming waves of troubles ahead. The declaration of war was previously made by Ceadric but no military action has been taken so far, leading the people of the two countries to believe that the war was still avoidable. However, that was until last night. After this event, that tiny hope has been completely shattered. The situation has changed. It was time for Valhalla, for Morrigan to act.


    After a careful meeting and assessment with the other main figures, the High Empress of Valhalla has declared the state of war and began to mobilize her troops toward Ceadric¡¯s borders, tighten security in both land and sky while calling for her allies to join her. That included the beastmen of the Whispering Forest and the demons of Ragna.


    Meanwhile, a day before the attack at Eiseinhem, oblivious to what was going to happen in the main continent of Mara until much later, our young demon lord has been tracking down the dragon hunters who have stolen the moonstone of the sea dragon Abalone. After a certainly unique way to meet someone by fishing them out of the sea, Alastor has proposed a deal to the dragoness: in exchange for retrieving her precious stone, she would help him getting to Oros.


    But how did they intend to find that tiny stone in this huge continent? While it was true that with Alastor¡¯s power he could easily defeat those thieves, the boy still needed to find where they went first. The problem was he had no idea where they could go and they already had almost a day in advance compared to him. Fortunately, there was a way to find that stone. Because each moonstone was unique and a treasure to all sea dragons, they could easily detect its presence as long as the stone was somewhere nearby. However, Abalone could not stay on land for too long and it was not evident to find a large water source everywhere on Ragna, making the search quite difficult. But this was Alastor we were talking about. Surely he had a way around this. And indeed he had. With a very simple reasoning, the boy has thought of a solution to the problem.


    ¡°Abalone basically needs the sea to stay alive. We need Abalone to go on land to find the stone. So the solution is obvious: we will bring the sea with us!¡±


    Well, he didn¡¯t really bring the actual sea with him or else Ragna would be underwater by now. Still, his idea raised the question whether Alastor could actually sink the entire continent just to find one freaking stone. Of course, no one intended to ask him to do that nor did they want to find out. Therefore, the question remained unanswered, for good reasons.


    Something strange has been moving around the continent of Ragna. A giant ball of water was rolling through the landscape, accompanied by the figure of a young boy. If the path was not large enough for Abalone to slip through, Alastor would keep the ball floating on air until the next clear area. If only he was able to maintain this kind of spell for days and knew the exact location of Oros, he would not have needed of Abalone¡¯s help in the first place. Alas, he has agreed to help her and Alastor would not go back on his promises, at least not intentionally.


    After a few hours of rolling and flying, luck was finally on their side.


    ¡°Alastor, it¡¯s up ahead where that smoke rises from.¡± Abalone pointed toward the column of smoke rising high in the middle of the area dense of trees. That would be where the dragon hunters were making their camp. The reason they were so open about it was because they thought Abalone would not be able to go find them here in the middle of the land with no water source connected to the sea for her to come after them. And they were right to think that, only who would have thought that the demon lord, master of this continent, was on her side? Bad luck some might say but perhaps more than luck, it was fate that guided them to meet each other. Who knew?


    ¡°Alright, you stay here. I will go deal with them.¡± Alastor spoke to the dragon.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.¡°You sure? They are quite strong you know. There are even S-rank adventurers among them.¡± Abalone asked worriedly. She was a bit surprised when Alastor was able to cast this bubble of water and capable of maintain it for so long. Certainly, he was no normal boy. However, the dragon hunters, as their name suggested, were proud of their dragon hunting abilities and often regarded as the strongest for being able to slay a dragon, a feat not many could claim. In short, they were not to be underestimated and would prove to be a formidable foe. It would be tragic if something happened to Alastor. Never has she seen a human willing to lend her a hand and she would not rather have him die for her stone.


    ¡°Please, I will be fine! If you want to worry about someone, worry about them. Depending on their attitude, I cannot guarantee their survival if I decide to go all out.¡± The boy grinned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky! I know you are strong but you have to know your limits. You are a mere mortal after all.¡±


    ¡°I am not so sure about that¡­¡±


    ¡°What? You want to tell me that you are a God? Since you are certainly not a celestial nor a dragon.¡± Abalone jested.


    ¡°Uhmmm no?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Enough about that. I am going in.¡± Alastor walked forward.


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop you but remember to run at the first sign of danger!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Just stay there and be quiet!¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°Well I am definitely not budging from this spot anyway.¡± Abalone grunted. The bubble moving was Alastor¡¯s doing so without him, she could not do anything but sit there and wait.


    ¡°No worry! I am the best negotiator you can find.¡±


    ¡­..


    Back at the dragon hunters¡¯ camp, the group was discussing about their latest trophy and their next course of action. All wearing black uniform whether it was heavy armour for warriors or light suit for sorcerers and rogues, they wore a red cape with the image of a dragon¡¯s head printed in amber as their emblem. For years, the dragon hunters have been quite successful with their business as dragon hide was famous for their magic resistance properties, used for the most expensive protective clothing as both a sign of power and wealth. Travelling across the world looking for dragons wandering outside of Oros, they have gained quite a reputation among the adventurers and was said to be one of the strongest battalions of the Guild.


    ¡°This trip is truly worth it. It has been a while since we found a moonstone, and one of the highest quality at that.¡± Said a knight holding a necklace in his hand attached to a small peculiar stone. Of ivory colour and opaque with a tint of azure luminescence shimmering from inside, this oval stone was the precious treasure Abalone was so desperate to take back.


    ¡°But we lost our ship, all because of the newbie failing to kill that sea dragon.¡± Said a woman in black robe, staring angrily at one of her comrades who shied away upon coming across her sight.


    ¡°Bah no worry about that! We can always find a boat somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°How? Last time I heard, the demons have exiled all the human settlements and have now all controls over the entire continent. We can just buy a boat like last time we did at that slave coast village. We were there yesterday and it has been already destroyed. From the traces left, it looked like quite a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Then we find a demon village and take their boat. Don¡¯t tell me you are afraid of some demons!¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Then all is good. I just received a message from the Guild master to come back to the headquarters in Cedra immediately. It seems like the Guild has broken neutrality and decides to ally with Ceadric in the incoming war.¡± The boss of the dragon hunters, an S-rank adventurer and a world class warrior, held a small crystal orb in his hands, showing his group a vocal message, asking them to come back as soon as they could. This magical device was given to only top ranked adventurers and the most trustworthy individuals according to the head of the Guild, allowing him to communicate with the best warriors in the world in case of emergency.


    ¡°So after dragon hunting is going to war huh? There is no break in our life.¡±


    ¡°Just the way I like it. Else it would be boring don¡¯t you think?¡± said the boss.


    ¡°I suppose so. But this war¡­.it¡¯s big. We are talking about Valhalla which is basically Zagon, Caelum and Malatas allied with the beastmen against Ceadric alone. You think we have a chance of winning? Because to me this is four against one.¡± Said the mage.


    ¡°The beastmen have not said anything so far so we don¡¯t know if they will participate in the war or not. Caelum and Malatas were still a mess after what happened to them. So the army of Valhalla will be mainly consisted of zagonian forces. That is a huge difference in what you just said.


    Furthermore, Ceadric is not alone. The Trading Company of Dor, while its main purpose is for business only, has quite a powerful arsenal of unique weapons crafted by the dwarves. In addition, they have an army that can easily rival any country in the world.


    The Guild with their adventurers can provide a smaller but much more skilful army than your average soldier. While not all adventurers will participate in the war since the Guild master cannot force them to as part of the rules, most of the S-rank will since they are loyal to him, including us. And to speak frankly, adventurers below A-rank will not matter.


    There are also rumours that a pact has been struck between the dragon council in Oros and Ceadric so it¡¯s highly possible that the dragons will help us in the war.


    So you see, like you said, it¡¯s four against one but the advantages are on our side.¡± The boss of the dragon hunters analysed.


    ¡°Waa I didn¡¯t think that far ahead at all. But what about the demons? Surely they won¡¯t stay still either.¡±


    ¡°I would not worry about that. With this coalition, we can take twice times their army no problem.¡±


    ¡°I guess so¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s move people! We have a boat to find. If we are lucky, we will find that sea dragon and take its hide this time.¡± Declared the boss.


    ¡°My, my! What an interesting conversation you have there!¡± a young voice spoke from behind the captain, taking him completely off guard. Following his battle instinct, he jumped back to keep distance from the source of the voice and turned his head back, only to see a small strange boy. His hair was short with ashen colour, making him older than he should be. Even more than his hair, it was the boy¡¯s eyes that stood out as one was blue and the other red. ¡®Such intense yet dominant gaze from his eyes¡¯ thought the boss. But it was not his external features that shocked the warrior. It was how he managed to sneak up upon an S-rank without being detected. ¡°Howdy!¡± the boy saluted in a joyful tone, yet somehow creepy because of his sudden appearance.


    ¡°You scared me, kid. I thought it was a monster.¡± The mage exhaled hardly. Seeing him as a harmless boy, the woman decided to approach him. ¡°Are you lost? Where are your parents?¡± the mage put her hands on Alastor¡¯ shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t approach him, Celina!¡± shouted the boss.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so paranoid! He is just a kid. And stop speaking so loud! You will scare him.¡± Ranted the woman.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful lady, can I have that?¡± Alastor said, pointing at the necklace in the hand of the boss of the dragon hunters.


    ¡°Oh so cute! You are such a flatterer.¡± The mage patted his tiny head. ¡°But that is something very precious to us so we can¡¯t give it to you. I am sorry.¡± She said in a regretful voice.


    ¡°Even though you took it from someone else?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the mage muttered in confusion.


    ¡°Celina, get away from him!¡± the dragon hunters¡¯ boss truly lived up to his name. Being the first one to spot the increasing pressure coming from that small body, he tried to warn the mage but it was too late.


    ¡°Alright, negotiation is off the table then.¡± Alastor turned toward the confused woman who still didn¡¯t grasp on the situation she was in. ¡°Time for the hard way!¡±


    In an eye flash, Alastor lunged a heavy punch at the woman¡¯s belly. The simple attack was so powerful it created a shockwave that traversed through her body, blasting the air behind her back and knocking the mage out unconscious.


    Shocked by the display of power, the other members of the group immediately stood up and reached their weapons.


    ¡°<Thousand Weights>¡±


    An enormous invisible force was cast in the area, crushing all the trees and the group flat and pinning them to the ground, making them unable to do anything. Only the boss was still able to move slightly his arms as he fell on his knees, trying to resist the pressure putting on him.


    ¡°What¡­What are you?¡± inquired the captain with a heavy voice, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Your worst nightmare¡­..just kidding! I am your usual day demon lord just wandering around.¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­what? Demon lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Technically, since you are on my land, I am your land lord so pay your rent! The cost of one-night stay is a moonstone¡­Ah perfect, you have already prepared for one. I will take that.¡± Alastor grabbed the necklace on the ground next to the captain. ¡°All well and done. Bye bye!¡±


    ¡°Wait..release the spell. Let us go!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. You have violated our laws so the authority is on their way to capture you. From illegal immigration to hunting endangered species, I am afraid to say that your sins keep stacking up with no sign for parole.


    Don¡¯t worry! We demons won¡¯t treat you badly. Although it will be a different matter you are found guilty of killing or harming some of us. Because in that case, the people at the castle won¡¯t take it kindly.¡± Alastor grinned. ¡°By the way, I will take this too before I forget. I am sure you won¡¯t need it in where you are going.¡± Alastor put his hand into the man¡¯s armour and took the crystal orb from earlier. ¡°Someday, I must make a flat screen out of this. Much easier to watch than this spherical thing.¡±


    Just to make sure that this S-rank would stay in the exact same place where he left him, Alastor increased the pressure with just a snap of the fingers and rendered the guy unconscious. That would put him down for a while for Naberius to fetch him along with the others.


    Upon re-joining his dragon companion who has been waiting for a while from afar, Alastor handed back the necklace to her.


    ¡°MY STONE!¡± the dragon rejoiced loudly. ¡°Finally, I can talk with Heru again. Thank you, Alastor!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it! I only did it so you could help me getting to Oros. Can we go now?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Of course! Whenever you are ready!¡± said Abalone.


    ¡°Hahaha finally! We just need to drop by the castle to take another person then we can depart. TO OROS!¡±

 Chapter 85: Diary of a woman

    Days have passed since the undead sage Theoron, now known as Noroeth the lich, has locked himself inside the study at the demon lord¡¯s castle without even taking a single step outside. After having asked Lilith to warn everyone not to disturb him under all circumstances if she ever wanted to see these scrolls analyzed, the sage has drown himself ever since in this mountain of books he has gathered from both the archives of the Vault and the ridiculous amount of texts from the Artificer¡¯s mansion. Driven by both his passion for grasping ancient knowledge as well as to solve the crisis at hand, Noroeth was determined to find out the mysteries behind the Oaths made between the old demon lords and the Artificer.


    But that was only one of the many things he must uncover from these old scriptures. The matter of Akroma being buried in the underground of Ragna has raised some serious concerns, although the only people who knew or were informed about it were Lilith, Archna the Spider Queen and Noroeth himself. The reason for this secrecy was to limit the knowledge of this dangerous weapon from being spread around, preventing people from using it or accidentally awakening it. For now, the only measure that has been taken so far was scouting the continent using the spiders¡¯ network to make sure there would be no trespassers who could disturb Akroma. As for the rest, the Goddess could only hope that an effective countermeasure would be developed in time before something bad happened.


    However, the biggest problem of analyzing these texts would be the translation of the old language used. The process took a lot of time since the language was now dead and long lost, only found in very few ancient scriptures. Thankfully, the sage possessed centuries worth of knowledge and experiences in this kind of task, making the process relatively easier for him than someone else doing it. Of course, that was not to say that it was simple to do. And so the translation was ongoing, slowly but surely. Yet even though there have been some progresses, the few words he has translated so far did not make any sense and only added to the mystery.


    In addition to this, Noroeth has also found a diary which seemed to belong to Tia, the wife of the Artificer and probably the closest person to this mysterious character. But could her diary actually contain important information that could help him solve this mystery?


    ¡°Hmmm¡­.so far nothing relevant. Only babbling about her daily life with her husband¡­Now I feel guilty for reading this woman¡¯s diary.¡± The lich sighed. He has tried to skim through this diary to quickly get back to the translating task in hope of finding something interesting but to his dismay, there was nothing. The diary only spoke about their normal daily lives with some moments of drama but absolutely nothing about what Noroeth was looking, at least based on what he has read so far.


    But then, after hours of examination, something odd came up.


    ¡°Day XXX


    Today, Marcus finally succumbed to my begging. I knew he has been doing something down there at his facility for years but my stubborn husband would not let me to see what it is. He always said that it was still under construction so it might be dangerous me for to be there. Such a worried man! I know that I am not the strongest woman out there because of my illness but he is just too overprotective. I can handle myself.


    Still, that is until now. Finally I will be able to see what Tartarus is.


    Looking forward for tomorrow¡¯s visit.¡±


    ¡°Tartarus? Isn¡¯t that the thing in the underground of the castle of which Mephisto always talked about? I thought it is just a cave to hide our troops? ¡± Murmured Noroeth before resuming his reading.


    ¡°I was wrong.


    Marcus has committed a terrible mistake. I thought he was doing something good, something that would help people. I don¡¯t know much about the order and politics of the world nor am I interested in finding out but I can say with certainty that Tartarus will not help anyone if it is unleashed. That thing should have never been created.


    How could Marcus think that it will help him achieve what he has always aspired for? Yes he will be recognized but not as the man he thought, but as the one who has brought the end of the world.


    But it is not too late. We can still salvage this; we can still correct our mistake. And I thank the Gods that Marcus has listened to me. Imagine what would have happened if I was not here to stop him from activating it in time!¡±


    ¡°I thought Akroma was the worst thing this old man has created. Is there an even worst artefact than it locating right under our feet?¡± muttered the lich in disbelief.


    ¡°We have done it. Tartarus has been sealed off. To make sure it can never start up, we decided to take out six vital parts of its body and turned them into artefacts. While we cannot destroy it, by barricading the entrance and using the security system Marcus has previously installed, it will make sure that not one would ever disturb Tartarus again.


    I can only wish that this would be enough. But I am afraid. What if Marcus decides to use it after I am gone? Because of this disease, who knows when I will leave this world? It can be tomorrow or in ten years¡­I will do what I can to separate Marcus from it. He might have complied with what I asked but I know that deep inside, he still could not forget about it.  That¡¯s why I chose a better alternative: I gave each of the keys necessary to enter Tartarus to the friends I trusted. They are adventurers so they will never in the same place for long and will ensure that the keys will not be found again. Hopefully, they will stay far away from it till the end of time.


    ¡­..


    It has been a long day for us two. I guess I will go to sleep early today. My affliction is getting up again these recent days. Perhaps I am thinking too much¡­¡±


    From what followed next, it seemed to indicate that the health of this diary¡¯s owner was deteriorating fast. There were passages where the handwriting suggested the woman was barely able to hold the pen, trembling every here and now in her sentences. And those small darken red stains on some following pages were certainly not ink dropping¡­


    However, things suddenly took a turn for the better after a certain encounter with a strange man named Vincent, who seemed to be Marcus¡¯ friend. Apparently, Tia has fully recovered from her diseases. What followed was her usual life loving and happy daily life with her husband. While it was not relevant to what Noroeth has been looking for, a part of him was relieved to see that this woman finally found back her happiness.


    But it didn¡¯t last long. Apparently, the thing that Marcus has created to cure Tia¡¯s illness was not seen in a good light by the common people and regarded as a heretical object, a blasphemy to the Gods. While the woman did not seem to understand what exactly cured her or how it worked, she was confident that this would definitely be helpful to everyone. Yet, her peers did not think the same.


    ¡°¡­.The diary stopped here?¡± the next few pages were blank, untouched. It was quite frustrating for the lich to have the story just abruptly stop there. He wanted to know what happened next. Although, he had already an idea of what took place based on the calamity caused by the Artificer. Something must have happened to Tia for the old man to do what he did. That was his conclusion.


    Flipping blank page after blank page, Noroeth finally arrived at the final pages of the crimson diary where he found something strange. There were new entries written there but these were not the same writing as Tia¡¯s. So who wrote that? The lich could only think of one person. The passage was written in a quite poorly manner, making it very difficult to read. It seemed that whoever wrote this was either in a very bad health condition or was not sane enough to write properly. There were only a few sentences and words that Noroeth could make out of it.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­I killed her¡­¡­.my sins¡­¡­¡­..Vincent helped me¡­¡­¡­.We have sealed Akroma¡­¡­..At least it would be useful for something¡­¡­..Akroma¡­¡­prison¡­¡­¡­Tartarus¡­end of time¡­¡­The key¡­¡­.Demon Lord¡­¡­.Guardian¡­¡­..Oath¡­¡­ ¡°


    The intangible words made it so that the passage was practically unreadable and didn¡¯t make much sense. However, based on these few words, Noroeth has deduced at least something.


    Akroma must have something to do with Tartarus. And from the look of it, this was no good news at all. Both objects were apparently incredible dangerous and their connection to each other did not make it better. In fact, it got much worse. Furthermore, this even had something to do with the Oaths found in his secret room. But what was the link between them?


    ¡°Something is still missing¡­¡­¡± the lich murmured before going down at the end of the page where a symbol was drawn: a circle with two chains crossing each other to make an ¡®X¡¯.


    He remembered that he has seen this symbol many times, on every scroll on which the Oath was written on. ¡°This is not a drawing¡­Could this actually be a rune?¡±


    Powerful magic, especially when it involved something like Oath magic, usually required the old symbols that have been given to the mortals by the Gods in order to be activated. It replaced the usual incantation used by mages to cast spell and could be written down to give power to objects or instant casting spell. That was how these scrolls were still emitting so much power. It came from the rune imprinted on it.


    The Oath magic book found in the study of Artificer must have mentioned this rune. Immediately reaching for the grimoire, the lich skimmed page after page and searched for that symbol. Finally, he found it.


    ¡°The Rune of Binding! This special rune is used to bind a target to a specific location or a specific task. In exchange, the caster must abide to a setting rule made by the target. The pact will expire if one of the parties dies or both parties agree to cancel it. In addition, both parties will never be able to harm each other under the laws of the Universe.¡±


    ¡°The Rune of Binding¡­..if the caster is the old man then the target would be the demon lords. But what are they bound to? ¡­.. What did all the demon lords have in common regarding a task or¡­.No way¡­.That¡¯s why?¡± A thought came to the lich¡¯s mind. It was just a baseless theory, a mere speculation but this question has stuck in his mind for a very long time.


    The hatred for the demons and the demon lords were mostly common in ancient time when the title of demon lord was not even established. Back then, the demons were considered the same as monsters, leaderless and unorganized. Even what was equivalent of the demon lord known today, meaning the host of Magnus, was regarded simply as an extremely powerful monster that would attack alone or in very small groups. However after the incident that split the large continent of Mara into two with the smaller part named Ragna and the mysterious disappearance of the majority of the demons in Mara, the kingdom of demons was only established by then and their first king was called the demon lord. The demon lord Primus mentioned in the scroll was not actually the first Chosen of Magnus but only the first king of demons after the creation of Ragna.


    This story was no secret even though it has happened thousands of years ago. But there was one particular detail that many have overlooked. That was after Primus, there has never been a case of a demon lord attacking Mara or anywhere else. Actually, it was always the humans from Ceadric and other countries who have launched countless crusades and demon extermination expedition on Ragna. Not once there has been a demon invasion, at least not by the demon lord. But such things were preposterous. Demon lords who sought peace like Asgore were rare. Surely it could not be that all of them would just remain there until someone came and killed them or they died of old age. And even though many demon lords have passed away, leaving the demons to fend for themselves, the demons have always managed to push back the invasion thanks to the Artificer¡¯s weapons. There was something weird about all this. If they had the Artificer¡¯s help, why did they not use those weapons to go outside of Ragna? Combining with a demon lord¡¯s power, it would be unthinkable for the world to remain this calm, especially when a new demon lord would always come to replace the dead one.


    ¡°Unless the Oath prevented them to¡­If the rune of Binding obliged the demon lord to stay on Ragna, it would make sense that there was no invasion since he could not get out of the country.


    It¡¯s not that they didn¡¯t want to invade. It¡¯s because they couldn¡¯t.¡± Noroeth thought out loud.


    This idea was so ludicrous to think about that no one would believe it was possible. But it did explain the strange events and the reactions of the demon lords of the past. The Artificer made some kind of deal with each new king, forcing them to stay on Ragna in exchange for his assistance in protecting the kingdom. The old man could have either tricked them into making the pact or reasoned with them, perhaps even threatened them when they were still weak compared to him. And once the pact was in place, the Artificer would have nothing to fear from the demon lords as they could not hurt him.


    That kind of pact was not so much outrageous of an idea compared to what Noroeth has seen. It seemed reasonable enough to at least take this theory into account. But the question was why? For what reason did the Artificer make the demon lords stay on this continent? Surely it could not be because the old man cared about the peace of the world. Impossible, he was not that kind of man. So why?


    Looking back at the last few lines at the end of the diary, two words stood out that made the skeleton wonder if he was really onto something: ¡®Guardian¡¯ and ¡®Prison¡¯.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    The term ¡®Guardian¡¯ was also found in the Oath scrolls and one of the few words that Lilith managed to remember from the scroll. The problem was: who was the ¡®Guardian¡¯ mentioned here? Was it referring to how the old Artificer must be the guardian for the demon race? Or was it the demon lord who must be the guardian? But if the demon lord was the guardian, what was he guarding?


    The second word ¡®Prison¡¯ could also be interpreted in two ways. Assuming Noroeth¡¯s theory about the demon lord was true, even though how ridiculous it sounded, then could it be talking about how the demon lord was inside a prison, trapped in Ragna? Or something more? The problem here was the word ¡®Prison¡¯ was actually found between ¡®Akroma¡¯ and ¡®Tartarus¡¯.


    ¡°Just what on earth is Tartarus?¡±


    * * *


    While the sage was locking himself in that study, filled with questions in his mind, Alastor was at the beach in the southern coast of Ragna together with Naberius, Stella and of course the sea dragon Abalone. After transferring the members of the dragon hunters to the dungeon of the demon lord¡¯s castle, the boy has decided to depart to Oros immediately. He has delayed this trip long enough. Without any idea what could be awaiting over there, Alastor wanted to get to this presumably last child of his before things were too late like what happened with Odium.


    ¡°So you are really going then?¡± asked the beastman.


    ¡°Yeah! I thought I told you about it. Please don¡¯t try to stop me!¡± said the boy.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. You are free to do whatever you want. It¡¯s your choice. Besides, it¡¯s not like I can stop you anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! Please take care of things when I am gone!¡±


    ¡°No worry about that! It¡¯s my duty after all.¡±


    ¡°Alright! So how do we go there, Abalone?¡± Alastor turned his attention to the dragoness.


    ¡°There are many underwater currents that flow through all the oceans and seas across the world of Astora since they are all connected. By taking advantage of their speed, we will borrow the path that leads to Oros. If there is no problem, we should be able to arrive in Oros in half a day.¡± Explained Abalone.


    ¡°I see. But how do I and Stella stay inside the current without being blown out?¡± inquired the boy.


    ¡°Like this!¡± Without warning, Abalone opened wide her large mouth and swallowed both Stella and Alastor in an instant.


    ¡°¡­¡­Alastor? You there?¡± Naberius, shocked by the display, shouted out loud.


    ¡°¡­I am ok..I think. It¡¯s kind of dark in here though.¡± A disembodied voice spoke from inside Abalone. ¡°It¡¯s so warm inside you Abalone, a bit wet and humid though!¡±


    ¡°Somehow that sounds so lewd.¡± Grinned the beastman.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± grunted the dragoness.


    ¡°I guess we will go like this. See you later, Naberius! Take care!¡± the young voice shouted.


    With that said, Abalone headed her colossal body into the sea water before immerging herself completely. And then she was gone, along with the young demon lord and the doll.


    ¡°And there he goes¡­*sigh* guess I have to go back to work then.¡± Naberius turned his back and headed back to the castle.


    Suddenly, a small figure jumped out hurriedly from the bushes in front of Naberius and yelled at the beastman.


    ¡°Where is he? Where is Alastor?¡± asked Azureus as he looked around hastily.


    ¡°He has just departed to Oros with that dragon and the girl.¡± Naberius answered.


    ¡°Damn it! I missed him.¡± Grunted Azureus. ¡°Guess we will have to do.¡±


    ¡°Why are you looking for him? What¡¯s wrong?¡± inquired the beastman in confusion.


    ¡°Take up your armour and sharpen your weapon, dude! We are going to war!¡±


    * * *


    It was night time in the capital of Ceadric. The soothing moonlight was shining upon the Golden city, casting shadows of everything touched. But the light, no matter how strong it was, no matter how bright it could be, was unable to bestow its lucent radiance to all. In many places of this city, darkness ruled, from the deepest corner of a sombre alley to the acute heart of men. Behind those closed doors, who knew what kinds of deeds were being done? Who knew what kind of depravity was taking place? The feeling of dread, of terror has been ruling these streets recently. As soon as the sun went down, the streets became void of people, not like during its glorious time just a few months ago when the title of the Golden City with its luminous light even in the midst of night actually still meant something.


    And yet, in the midst of this tense ambiance, there were some who did not yield to the darkness. On the contrary, they thrived on it, these shadowy people lurking around in the city. But unlike those criminal folks who took advantage of the current situation for their evil deeds, these entities were capable of moving with unimaginable speeds in a ferocious way. Wearing dark attire in order to blend in with the darkness of night, these individuals looked more like beasts than actual humans. And perhaps they were, considering the horrible experiments they had to endure and survive, all done against their will. Yes, they were the Hunters, the children now grownups that survived the demon transformation experiment done by Sanctus, the Orphans of Dark.


    After years of wandering and working as mercenary, the Hunters have been given a new purpose and were currently on their way to the recently discovered hideout of the Cult of Lumen. Led by Maria, the Hunters¡¯ goal in Cedra was to assist young Edward, a Deus mage, in raising his power in both terms of magic and influence. In addition to that, they must guide him in his way to change the country of Ceadric from within. Whether it was possible or not was still debatable. However, it was much better to die trying than to sit around doing nothing.


    Anyway, they must first come to meet Edward at the designed location before launching the assault on the cult. But to their surprise, a familiar face has appeared before them. Slowly descending from the sky with his large bat wings, the figure possessed unusually elongated limbs that distinguished him from an average human, along with his sharp claws.


    ¡°Mephisto?¡± Maria uttered in shock upon recognizing the face of the figure gradually unveiled by the moonlight. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Good evening! I am here to assist you in your mission.¡± Said the devil.


    ¡°What? Does Alastor think we cannot do it ourselves?¡± Maria groaned.


    ¡°Not at all! I am here on my own volition so don¡¯t blame him! Let¡¯s just say that I have some personal business that aligns with what you are doing here! I hope you don¡¯t mind me tagging along.¡± Mephisto spoke politely.


    ¡°Well we don¡¯t mind but your appearance might give away¡­.¡± Maria pointed at Mephisto¡¯s pair of wings.


    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem.¡± With a snap of a finger, Mephisto assumed a more human form of an adult male in his fifty with short dark hair. Still wearing his colourful attire, it would not be a stretch to mistake him as a noble. ¡°All done and well, would you mind keep me up to date on our way, miss Scarlet?¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course!¡± Scarlet showed a slight hesitation.


    ¡°Let us be on our way then! We should not keep Edward waiting for too long.¡± Maria said before jumping to a nearby roof.


    ¡°¡­Why can¡¯t you tell her who you are?¡± With everyone gone, the dark haired girl asked the tall man. Her reaction, her eyes, her attitude, everything she was showing right now indicated that she knew who this man was. Not the devil Mephisto, not one of the four royal guards of Ragna but someone else, something important to her and Maria. Who was this name before he became the demon known as Mephisto?


    ¡°¡­I have no idea of what you are talking about, miss Scarlet and I suggest you keep this wild thought of yours for yourself.¡± Answered the devil in a cold voice.


    ¡°But teach¡­.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t call me that! That man is already dead. Would you mind lead the way? I don¡¯t want to keep Maria and the others waiting.¡±


    ¡°¡­..Fine.¡±


    * * *


    In the northern district of Cedra, something major was taking place inside an old house. Locating at the dead end of a dark alley, this was the perfect place to hide whatever you were doing that you didn¡¯t want others to find out. A perfect place for criminals and degenerates it was. From a whorehouse to some twisted plays crib reserved for rich nobles with ¡®special needs¡¯, this place had built up quite a dark history and reputation. Especially recently when this place has been acquired by a new owner. A butcher apparently bought it to remodel it to a slaughterhouse for his pigs. A good choice since the screams of the dying animals would never disturb the folk wandering the main street as the house was situated at the far end of the alley.


    However, there were a few strange points about this new ¡®meat house¡¯. First of all, the pigs were brought in bags carried by men in hood, some even had tattoos. One look at those suspicious people would tell us that they were up to no good. Secondly, for a slaughterhouse, where did the meat go after being chopped up? We have seen people bringing in the bags but never have they brought something out with them. And even though it claimed to be a meat shop, there were never any items being displayed at the front. It was as if the owner never really cared about whether his shop could collapse at this rate. How did he sustain the shop at this rate?


    But none of those points was anything compared to the sounds made by the creatures being killed inside. The screams, the cries of those ¡®pigs¡¯ seemed so ¡­..human. While many were curious by this shop, none dared to venture too far near as anyone who was found sneaking around it just mysteriously disappeared without even being seen again. Perhaps they were caught by those suspicious looking men wandering around the street. But what happened to them after that? Who knew?


    A hooded man in a brown robe was now in front of the house, knocking in a strange pattern on the door: one knock, wait for one second, three consecutives knocks, wait then one final knock. Through a small hole on the door, the metal plate covering it slid to one side before a person, also hiding their face in hood, peered out of the hole.


    ¡°What is the password?¡± asked the man inside.


    ¡°Death to all the demonic filth! Glory to Lumen!¡±


    ¡°Come on in, brother! The ceremony is just starting.¡±

 Chapter 86: To live is to die

    Following the man inside, the horror hidden behind these walls finally began to uncover itself. The front room, where the shopping area and the counter resided, was just a fa?ade, a mask, an illusion that might perhaps satisfy at most the curiosity of the idiots out there while anyone with a common sense would have noticed the strange things happening surround this place.


    It was only when you were inside the building that you were able to see how big this place was, mostly because it had an entire underground level that was as twice as large as the ground floor and three upper levels.


    Down in the basement lied the cells where the ¡®pigs¡¯ were being kept. Inside those small dog cages were the many humanoid demons, not that different from the cultists jailing them. Naked without an inch of cloth on their body, the demons shrivelled like an injured animal waiting to be slaughtered. The fear and the cold have left them numb, but mostly it was because of the drug they were subject to. It made them unable to think, stripped them of all wills to resist while keeping them conscious enough to feel the pain that was being inflicted to them. Have you ever thought about it? That taste of ultimate despair, being tortured to death all while being unable to lift a finger? The agonies they must go through were too much for some as they begged for the swift release of death. And among all those poor souls lied a brown haired girl who was crouching herself in a foetal position in her cage. With tears pouring out of her lifeless eyes, she waited¡­waited to be freed¡­one way or another.


    ¡°So this is tonight¡¯ sacrifice? Quite a deliciously looking bitch!¡± a cultist pointed at a half unconscious Tasha. This disgusting man was drooling and licking his lips as he laid his foul sight upon the innocent girl. ¡°Maybe just a little¡­.¡±


    ¡°Stop! She must remain untouched to be sacrificed to the Almighty God.¡± The man with a tattooed face, the one who caught Tasha in that valley, scolded his comrade.


    ¡°Fine¡­I will go find another one then.¡± The cultist grunted.


    ¡°¡­*sigh* Keep it in your pants! The ritual is about to begin.¡±


    ¡°Nah don¡¯t worry! I will just do a quickie.¡±


    Giving up on convincing his lusty comrade, the cultist left the cage area to prepare for the upcoming ritual of blood, or as they called it: the rite of Purification. Calling themselves the cult of Lumen, these bastards have been kidnapping demons from all around the country all while spreading their anti-demon teaching using fearmongering tactic, blaming accidents such as the recent catastrophes as the demons¡¯ doing, even going as far as staging some attacks for the same purpose. Their origin was unknown but it was suspicious how quickly this cult spread. It would be understandable for people to have radical ideas after an unfortunate event, blaming demons on everything. However, the problem was in just a matter of days after the catastrophes, these cultists appeared out of nowhere and were now all over the country. They simply were too prepared and too organized for that to be possible, taking in account the resources they would need for their organisation.


    From violating maidens to killing children, these heretics would stop at nothing for their profane and fanatic belief. Was there ever a limit to men¡¯s treacherous insanity?


    Alas, none of that was of importance to Tasha right now. These bastards have stripped her of everything, from her cloth to her consciousness. Being drugged for days, her mind was left blank like a lifeless doll. The once glittering spark of life in those eyes of her that comforted Edward so much was gone. To the men of Lumen, demons were considered as even lower than animals. Therefore they had no right to wear any piece of clothing, leaving Tasha and the prisoners trembling from the cold in the dirty dog cages. But everyone knew it was just a pretext to satisfy their lust.


    In a way, Tasha was the luckiest out of all the demons being imprisoned here. The males were usually killed upon first sight while the females were kept alive and brought back here. However, it was only when coming here that all of them wished they were dead before this. A much more miserable fate awaited them here, one that could hardly be called ¡®living¡¯ in every aspect of the word.  Days after days, they were submitted to countless tortures as a ¡®baptism¡¯ act, claiming this to be the only way to their salvation.


    And that was not the worst. Being exposed to these innocent maidens without a shred of cloth to hide their bodies from the filthy stares, many of the men could not hold it and succumbed to the temptation of the flesh.  No one in their sane mind would allow these lascivious shitheads who only listened to their lower parts anywhere near them. In short, they were the lowest of the low, the scums of society. Even bugs were better than them. And yet, those poor women didn¡¯t have a choice or even the will to resist. Because of the drugs, the maidens were left defenceless as their once pure shells were being defiled. With time, the faint thought of resisting dissipated along with their virtue. Some resigned their faith, abandoning any thought of struggle, not because they have given in to the pleasure but because they no longer had anything else to live for. Others, if they were lucky enough to have the drug worn off, would commit suicide. Either by smashing their heads into the metallic bars of their cages or bite off their tongue, everything would do as long as they no longer had to spend any more time in this hell.


    As for Tasha, she was chosen was the sacrifice of the full moon¡¯s ritual so aside from the physical torture, no man has touched her yet. But the mere experience of being here, witnessing the hellish scene, listening to the constant screams of the other women have definitely done something to her, changed her from within. It was understandable. No one would be the same after experiencing this kind of trauma.


    With all the cultists gone, Tasha was left unattended in her cage. Unable to move, she no longer cared about the other people in the other cages anymore. Her soulless eyes stared into nothingness, as if she was no longer there. Wherever she was, it was better than this place. Perhaps it would be for the best that she would just drift away in silence¡­


    Suddenly, the candles lighting the room went out cold as the temperature dropped increasingly so much that the panting of the prisoners could be seen in white breath. From the wall in front of Tasha, a dark hole appeared with a black smoke pouring out faintly. A dangerous mist as anything living would have its essence sucked out dry until its last breath just by being near it. Yet, for some reasons, the smoke decided to stay close to the wall, clear of all the residents inside. From the hole, a figure slowly crawled out and walked up to Tasha, watching her intensively with its bright red eyes.


    ¡°I finally found you, Tasha.¡± The shadow spoke.


    ¡°¡­..¡± But it seemed those words didn¡¯t reach her at all. The girl didn¡¯t even turn her head to the figure, perhaps due to the drug making her unaware of her surroundings.


    Passing his hand through the bars and hold her chin to make her look at him, the shadow muttered.


    ¡°Tasha Lemon¡­.born nineteen years ago under the star of the Lover¡­.both parents were murdered at the age of ten¡­.Wandered the streets of Cedra for five years before being caught into slavery¡­.Being bought by Edward Osborne and worked as a maid for the Osborne family for the last three years ever since¡­.Saved by Alastor after being kidnapped by slavers ¡­again¡­.


    A strong girl you are..for having lived through all that. Yet, fate is cruel indeed. Look at the miserable state you are in now!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± No answer.


    ¡°Hummm¡­. drugged? You can¡¯t even hear my voice, can you?¡± the shadow looked at Tasha¡¯s eyes curiously. ¡°You are already beyond saving. The soul is such a fragile thing. You might have lived through all that ordeal but in the end, your mind is of a mortal, weak and frail. Even if Edward saves you now, the nightmare of this place will haunt you for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± silence.


    ¡°How about this? I will give you two choices: submit to me and be freed of this curse of life¡­Or fight and continue suffering for the rest of this dull life, uncertain of when the end will come! And judging from the situation, it will come very soon. But I offer salvation. You won¡¯t feel a thing.


    What do you say, Tasha?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°What was I thinking? You might as well be dead right now. I would be surprised if you can even utter a word after this. Should I take this as a sign of resignation?¡±


    ¡°..e¡­ee..e¡± the girl muttered a faint sound but her throat was sore and dry, plus her strength was exhausted after all the tortures done to her. It was a miracle for her to even be conscious at this point.


    ¡°huh? What was that?¡± Sound of footsteps could be heard. The cultists, unaware of the presence of this stranger right under them were coming down for the sacrificial ritual. But the stranger had no interest in them. Their souls were practically worthless and he had no incentive to do anything at this point. ¡°It seems your time has run out. This is goodbye, Tasha. I will let they decide what to do with you.¡±


    And then he was gone. Turning into a black smoke, the dark mist quickly retracted back to the hole and disappeared. However, he didn¡¯t really go away. No, the shadow only hid its presence inside the wall and watched the inevitable death of this poor soul. From here, he sensed new presences in the area. Immediately he knew it was Edward and his company. But there were quite a large of number of men guarding this place. Even though, they were weak, these cultists and their bodyguards would still manage to delay the group, giving time for the ritual to be completed. An absurd ideology but for these maniacs, perhaps it was not too much as insane as what they were about to do.


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold down here.¡± Said a cultist upon stepping down near the cell.


    ¡°What do you expect? Never mind that! Take her to the next room!¡± pointed the tattooed man at Tasha.


    Pulling her out of the tiny cage, two men, each holding her hand firmly, dragged the poor girl on the ground to the altar locating in the next room. The rocky soil and bricks scratched the skin on her knees, drawing blood as the red liquid trailed down from the wounds to her thighs. But those pains, she no longer felt anything anymore. Her broken mind was just waiting for the ultimate end to be released from this soiled corpse.


    Upon arriving to the altar, the tattooed cultist pointed toward the two poles behind the stone table. Dragging her violently toward it, the two men bound her arms, each to a pole with a small rope to make sure the girl would not resist. An unnecessary thing considering what they have done to her already.


    Holding a decrepit book on one hand and a knife on the other, the cultist with tattoo covering his head began to chant as the other surroundings him followed.


    ¡°Oh Great One, we offer this virgin to thee. Take her life and deliver her putrid soul to the deepest of hell! Grant us mercy as you purge this corrupted world and bring down the depraved for siding with the demons! Show them the correct path, just as you did to us!¡±


    Loud noises came from above with sounds of weapon clashing each other and roars of a certain boy yelling a name ¡°TASHA¡± as he fought furiously. Upon hearing those clamours, some of the cultists began to panic. They did not expect to be interrupted and certainly not a large attack against them. But before they could run to the door, the apparent leader, the tattooed man spoke.


    ¡°Do not fear, brothers! Once this demon¡¯s life is delivered to the Almighty God, he will surely protect us from those treacherous invaders. We have nothing to be afraid of.¡±


    Perhaps it was his own charisma or simply due to the stupidity of his peers, that simple dialogue managed to calm them down, to reassure them of their safety. They would believe anything from him at this point. Such was the caprice and absurdity of a cult, especially those that divulged themselves into foul deeds and teaching like this one.


    Slowly approaching the bound girl on her knees, the heretic spoke loudly. ¡°Anything to say, demon? Now it¡¯s your final chance for salvation! Admit your guilt and the benevolent God will grant you mercy! Your death will be swift and painless.¡±


    ¡°¡­..*heavy breathing* ¡° Tasha panted.


    ¡°So you insist on defying the Great One? I expected no less from a demon like you. Suit yourself! This is the end!¡± Raising the knife high above his head, the heretic shouted. ¡°Almighty One, please take this offering from us!¡±


    Observing the scene from the wall, the shadow contemplated as images of Tasha¡¯s memories went through his mind. She did not have an easy life and spent her entire childhood in hiding her origin as a demon. Only after her encounter with Edward did her life take a better turn. It was good while it lasted. But everything good would have to end one day and that time has apparently come. We could only hope that her last memories were about her dear master and not this rotten place.


    ¡°And so the being called Tasha comes to an end.¡± Muttered the shadow. ¡°May you find peace in the next world!¡±


    ¡°DIE!¡± the knife came down.


    Within her final moment, at the last second, something could be heard. A faint whisper so tiny it was that no one could notice as it came from an unexpected source.


    ¡°Ed¡­wa..rd¡±


    ¡­...


    CLANG


    The sound of metal clashing each other echoed throughout the room. The cultist felt something heavy pushing his knife back from going any further. Raising his head to look at what stopped him, the guy was horrified. His small dagger has been halted in its course by a sharp obsidian blade in the form of a scythe. A dark hand was holding onto its handle coming from the wall behind the girl as a dark shadow emerged from it, revealing its true form.


    ¡°I take it as your desire to live, to extend your suffering.¡± Said the figure to the girl. ¡°Then it shall be done.¡±


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    With a single swing from the scythe, something invisible slashed through the entire room. Unable to grasp what just happened to them, all the men fell down to their knees, motionless¡­dead. No physical wounds could be seen on their bodies and yet it was as if they simply dropped dead without reason.


    Turning toward the girl as the figure crouched down to her level, it reached its shadowy hand and put it on the girl¡¯s arm.


    ¡°


    ¡±


    A red light englobed Tasha as what seemed like a black tattoo in the shape of a clock began to manifest on the girl¡¯s left arm near her shoulder, erasing her slave brand. With twelve numbers written in the old language, the outlines of the clock were imprinted in black while the inside kept the colour of her skin. Two needles, one shorter than the other with arrows for head, were superposed on each other, making it look like a single black arrow.


    ¡°All done! When the clock makes a complete turn, when it becomes fully black, I will come for you. And it won¡¯t end like this time.¡± The shadow stood up and walked to the hole behind Tasha. ¡°Enjoy your life while you still can!¡± With that said, the shadow vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind as if it was never here in the first place.


    Immediately after, the only door of the room was burst open and a small boy rushed inside. Looking around at the corpses lying on the ground in confusion, his face became horrified when he saw the only person he cared about in this place.


    ¡°TASHA!¡± Edward screamed out loud as he hurried to the girl still being tied up to the poles. Cutting the ropes and letting her rest on his small shoulder as he wiped away the dirt and blood on her face, the young master of the Osborne family shouted out to his servant, to his beloved. ¡°Tasha, it¡¯s me, Edward! Please answer me!¡±


    The cries of the boy did not help. The decrepit girl remained distant, inert from all that was done to her. She did not respond to his shouting or the tears falling down on her face.


    ¡°Somebody, HELP!¡± the boy called out in despair. His mind was filled with dreadful thoughts as he slowly succumbed to the anguish with the idea that Tasha could be gone. Perhaps it was because of this that Edward failed to notice that the clock was ticking. And no, it was not the clock of time.


    The needles on the brand have moved by one ¡®hour¡¯, blackening the space it passed through.


    * * *


    By morning, the news of the destruction of the cult of Lumen has spread around. Apparently, it was the newly appointed royal guard, one of the geniuses from Helios who has solved the crisis. Despite being of young age, this boy has managed to crush an entire organisation of cultists all by himself and with the help with only a small group of mercenaries under him. Following this, the court has summoned the boy to an audience with the king as a way to congratulate his accomplishment.


    Meanwhile at the mansion of the Osborne family, inside a chamber, a young figure has been watching over the sleeping girl after saving her from that nightmare she had to endure. He has been called to the palace but hasn¡¯t shown any sign of intending to go any time soon. To make a king wait was normally something no one would dare to do. However, he didn¡¯t care. The only thing  that was on his mind right now was the person in front of him and she didn¡¯t seem to be doing well.


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    ¡°Young master Edward, I am coming in!¡±


    A woman in black opened the door and stormed inside. Her tricorne immediately gave away her identity as she was one of the few, if not the only person with such an odd hat, combined with her silver hair and her twin swords hanging from her belt.


    ¡°How is she?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°She woke up a few times but¡­.not once did she answer me. She just lied there, stared at nothing¡­¡± Edward uttered. ¡°What did they do to her?¡±


    ¡°Judging from the conditions of the other women¡­.I am afraid nothing good. It¡¯s a miracle she is still alive.¡±


    ¡°Did you think they¡­.defiled her?¡± Edward clenched his fist.


    ¡°¡­Seeing how special she was to be prepared for the sacrifice ritual, I don¡¯t think so. But Edward, whatever happened, you can¡¯t abandon her even if she was. It wasn¡¯t her fault that¡­¡±


    ¡°OF COURSE I WON¡¯T! Who do you think I am? I will never abandon her, never. What I regret is that I couldn¡¯t kill those scumbags by my own hands for what they did to Tasha and the other innocent people. To think they killed themselves before we could¡­.cowards!¡± Edward grunted in anger, grinning his teeth.


    ¡°About that, I don¡¯t think they did. Else Tasha would not be alive by the time we arrive. Even more, there were no wounds or any sign of poisoning in their system. I can¡¯t even say how they died.¡± Maria concluded after having inspected each body of the underground herself. For some reasons, she could not find the cause of death nor the method used for it. It was a complete mystery for her and anyone else.


    ¡°What matters is that they died. But this is not the end of it. There are still remnants of the cult of Lumen out there. This won¡¯t stop until each and every one of them drops dead. I will make sure of that.¡±


    ¡°Admirable sentiment but you have to see the king right now! Like I said, charging into battle is the best way to be the first to die and we don¡¯t want that, do we? Furthermore, Lumen is not our final goal. As long as equality between demons and the primes is not established, this kind of situation will continue to exist, whether as Lumen or by others. We have to fight the enemies by its roots, in this case to change the country within. Only then can we deal with the other matters.¡± Maria explained. ¡°These kinds of things need time. For now, you are seen by others as a kid who is only a little more special than your peers. This accomplishment will certainly change how people see you but it won¡¯t be enough. You have to do more than this to prove yourself. Think you have guts and will to do that, young master Edward?¡±


    ¡°I do¡­I have to. For Tasha!¡± the boy affirmed as he held the hands of his beloved tightly. ¡°I will be back shortly, Tasha.¡±


    ¡°Then let us go! Don¡¯t worry about her! I have stationed my men right outside this place. Not a soul will be able to come close to her alive!¡± Maria reassured.


    ¡­..


    Arriving at the palace, Edward was greeted with a volley of cheers from the nobles and members of the court. However, he felt strange. Were their faces always like that? The lies, the fake smiles, and those obvious signs of deceit behind the sweet words spoken by them¡­how did he miss them all these times? Was he always this gullible to be fooled by such tricks? Yet, he could not uncover them. On the contrary, he must accept those deceptions with another deception from his part, to play along, to blend in.


    After having told Charles and the rest of the court his glorious success in crushing one of the most notorious cults in Ceadric, Edward introduced the men and women who have helped him getting this far.


    ¡°This is lady Maria and sir Meto. I would not be able to accomplish this mission without their help.¡± Said Edward.


    ¡°Pardon me for saying this but are you Bloody Mary, leader of the band of mercenary, the Hunters?¡± surprisingly it was headmaster Ganon who asked the question.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. I am surprised to see that you have heard about me.¡± Said Maria.


    ¡°You know them, master Ganon?¡± Charles inquired.


    ¡°I have heard about the famous Hunters who are said to be the strongest band of mercenaries who specialize in dual weapons and wear a black outfit from head to toe. Whatever you may think of them, they are definitely worth to have on our sides.¡± Said the old sage. ¡°Many are afraid of them, especially their leader as they said she cannot be killed. That kind of legend alone suggests how frightening they are in battle.¡±


    ¡°Your words are too kind.¡± Maria bowed her head slightly.


    ¡°And who is this gentleman?¡± asked Ganon as he observed a tall man with dark hair in a noble attire.


    ¡°I am Meto, a merchant and also scholar in my free time. I recently joined sir Edward in his quest to subdue this foul cult who wants to desecrate our city. I think this as a responsibility for someone who holds this precious kingdom deep within his heart. As a citizen, I cannot stand by and watch as the innocents have to live in fear because of them.¡± Said Meto. Of course this was Mephisto in his human form which looked nothing like his original demon appearance except for the tall feature, which was something many others shared.


    ¡°Wonderful! To think we still have people who love their country like this¡­truly remarkable. I hope you will continue to give us your help, sir Meto!¡± the king spoke.


    ¡°It would be my honour, your Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Ehem¡± A short figure walked out of the crowd. Having a long golden beard, the dwarf turned his attention to Edward before asking the question that he feared the most ¡°By the way, I have to ask. I heard you found many captured demons among those survivors at the base of Lumen. What are they right now and what have you done to them?¡±


    While the demons might have been saved from the cultists of Lumen, they did not get out of the water just yet. A war was coming between Valhalla and Ceadric with the demons being persecuted as evil like always. Now that Lumen was practically destroyed, it didn¡¯t mean that the demons captured would be freed. They would either face imprisonment in the cells of Ceadric or worse.


    ¡°They¡­They¡­.¡± Edward muttered, unable to speak out.


    ¡°They died, milord!¡± Meto spoke.


    ¡°What?¡± both Edward and the dwarf shouted in surprise.


    ¡°How?¡± the young noble asked, confused by the demon¡¯s answer. Just before, Maria has said they were fine. How come they were dead now?


    ¡°I killed them.¡± Meto answered.


    ¡°You did what?¡±


    ¡°¡­.May I ask why, sir Meto?¡± Goldbeard demanded.


    ¡°Simple milord! They are demons.¡± Meto replied swiftly.


    ¡°But you just said they are innocents.¡± Shouted Edward.


    ¡°I was referring to the poor citizens of Zagon being persecuted as humans while they are clearly not demons. The cult of Lumen may claim to only target demons but during their witch-hunts, it was unavoidable that some innocents would be caught in the fray.


    I am disappointed in you, sir Edward. When you asked me to help you, I welcome you with open arms. But to think that you are a demon sympathizer¡­Pathetic.¡± Meto said.


    ¡°YOU!!!¡±


    ¡°Stop! You are in presence of the king. This squabble stops now.¡± The headmaster of Helios used his magic and clamoured in a loud tone, silencing everyone in the court hall. ¡°This matter is concluded. You all are dismissed.¡±


    To avoid further conflicts that might divide the court, it was best for Ceadric to avoid the question about the demons for now. At least that was what Charles and Ganon thought as they saw the obvious fracture Edward could cause by being a member of the royal guard. But his talent was undeniable and would prove to be crucial in the incoming war, making them unable to just ignore him either.


    As for Edward, he didn¡¯t expect such a betrayal so soon. He was surprised to see Meto with Maria at first but was in a hurry to ask anything further. At the time, all he could think of was Tasha and her safety after all. Without any other choice, he grunted in anger as the boy left the court with Maria.


    With everyone gone, the dwarf slowly approached the only person left in the room and uttered in a low tone. ¡°Sir Meto was it? Your ideology is certainly¡­interesting. Would you mind if we talk a bit more?¡±


    ¡°But of course, milord!¡± Meto bowed slightly, grinning insidiously.

 Chapter 87: Bereavement

    War was a common thing. Every now and then, a war took place between nations with usually mortifying outcomes for both sides. They said each war reshaped the world but truly, nothing really changed in the end. Because we never learnt from our mistakes. Instead of looking for a better alternative, we retreated back to our shell, refusing to listen to reasons as our arms took on weapons to go to war. Perhaps it was in our blood. Perhaps it was our very own nature that pushed us to do that. Perhaps we got tired of the dull daily peace and wanted some excitements in our lives. And what better entertainment than a fight to the death on the grandest scale possible?


    Religion, politics, idealism, power struggle¡­.so many motives and purposes that were the origins of so many conflicts in the past. Some wars have begun with just a whisper behind closed door that, in the end, resulted as the most thundering clash. And yet they could be all summed up into one single word: disparity.


    Our differences incited hatred and fear for each other. It drove us to madness and brought out our worst. Sure, the difference was how we told each other apart from one another. It was what made us unique. But difference without tolerance would only bring chaos. Anxiety and turmoil, jealousy and malice¡­they all came from there.


    ¡®People who don¡¯t agree with our religion? They are fools and need to be shown the right way.¡¯


    ¡®Your ideas are outrageous. It cannot be accepted.¡¯


    ¡®He doesn¡¯t have the will to lead the people. Only I can.¡¯


    Those were simply a few of the many excuses that have led to wars, to conflict and the many tragedies following them. When would we ever learn?


    For a few centuries, the balance of power has been kept between all nations of Astora. But now with a new order of the world, that balance has been shattered.


    ¡°The War of the World¡±


    That was how people were calling it these days. Ever since a very long time, there wasn¡¯t any conflict as such inconceivable scale that would involve every country in Astora. And not just that, this incoming war was no normal conflict of interests as depending on the outcome, a seventh race, one that was not a part of the primordial races created by the Gods, would be officially recognized. Needless to say, this idea of the demons being equal to the Primes was one of the major vindications that have induced this conflict in the first place.


    It was funny to see how both sides claimed that they were fighting for peace, for the rights of their people and yet the only way to achieve that peace was to go to war. How more ironic could it be? But it didn¡¯t matter what people thought of it right now. Things have been done that could never be undone. Scars have been inflicted that could never heal. Words were no longer enough to satisfy the people. Only through a battle to the death would they decide the future of Astora.


    Who was right? Who was wrong? Did it matter? What was ¡®right¡¯ anyway? Because we were so different from each other, because we were so unique, what made us so engaging, so fascinating was actually our undoing. The lenses through which we glimpsed upon the world were formed based on our experiences in our lives so far. Yet, because we were so unique, nothing was absolute and everything was relative. From the taste of a cookie to the idea of murder, it was impossible for everyone to agree on one same thing. Did it mean that, from the start, from the very beginning when Gods created us, we were doomed to this fate? Because if it was so, should we laugh about this whimsical humor of our creators? Or should we mourn the pitiable tragedy that awaited us all?


    Alas, the time for words was over. It was now time for actions.


    Let the curtains of the ultimate play rise!


    * * *


    The first arc of this war began in the ancient land of the dragons where a civil war between two sides of opposing ideas was taking place right outside their capital. One fought for the freedom of their race while the other for the supposed order of the world. On one side, the dragon council, the face of the old crumbling hierarchy, was residing in Canaan. On the other hand, the Rebellion army led by Kaiser, first born of Alastor,  was currently marching toward the Firmament City to end this once and for all. Accompanied by Celdora and those who shared his idea, both armies were roughly the same size and possessed roughly the same level of power. It would be up to the general and the exceptional combatants to determinate the difference that would decide the outcome of this conflict.


    ¡°Inferno Battalion, rain fire upon them!¡± Kaiser commanded in a majestic voice, pointing toward the incoming waves of hundreds of wyverns.


    Large dragons with crimson scales and spikes over their heads and long necks flew forward as they started firing intense heat rays at the wyverns, shooting down them like flies one after another. One particularly enormous dragon held its breath before respiring a huge column of fire from its mouth, engulfing the front lines of the enemies.


    ¡°Dragon riders, charge!¡± Kaiser roared.


    With the words from their commander, a legion of knights riding giant winged lizards flocked toward the battlefield. Wielding spears and other weapons imbued with lightning element, these warriors were capable of not just incredible strength but also of shooting out arcs of lightning that would inflict damage over a large area between all enemies. The more foes they faced, the more effective their weapons would be. But those were not the most powerful weapons they had. There was a reason why these warriors were called dragon riders. To ride a dragon was not an easy thing. A link was required. To form a link with what could be called the most prideful race in Astora was even more challenging than anything. Not only must the dragon accept the rider as the only person who could mount it, they must share a special connection, learn each other¡¯s way of fighting in order to perform the perfect synergy, one that would be worthy of the name ¡®dragon rider¡¯. When you fought one of these warriors, you were not facing just one but two opponents simultaneously, making the fight even more arduous than it already was.


    Already, this army of rebels seemed much more overwhelming than their enemies counterpart. And that was not all. Some main figures have definitely proved their worth to both their allies and their enemies based on the sheer number of the people they defeated.


    Being perhaps the biggest dragon among his peers at the site, Celdora could easily crush a young dragon with just one palm with ease. Diving from above at incredible speed, the dragon crushed into the army of the dragon council, blasting away a ton of foes.


    ¡°Which one of you wants to die first?¡± growled the dragon lord as he looked at the dragons around him with a threatening stare. Unlike Celdora, most of them were still younglings who barely qualified as an adult. Lacking in both strength and wisdom, combined with the inexperience in battle, these whelps were no match for the dragon lord who was once hailed as a hero. Every dragon must have heard at least once in their life about the tales and legends of Celdora. How he fought the demon lord and how he was one of the few who survived that ordeal. This individual they were fighting right now was no common dragon but a walking and living legend. To make them fight him like this was perhaps too cruel.


    Using that moment of hesitation, Kaiser¡¯s knights with their heavy armors jumped down and subdued the younglings. It was after all not their aim to kill whoever was in their path. If possible, Kaiser would like to ¡®save¡¯ as many as they could. Else the dragons would eradicate themselves to the point of extinction, no matter who would win this war.


    ¡°Surrender and I promise none of you will be harmed! Resist and you will die for those who only see you as their tools! Do you want that?¡± the King of the rebels shouted at the perplexed dragons who were struggling and trying to escape from capture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± a large green dragon landed in front of Kaiser. ¡°He is the one who is using your brethren against your own country. Come, coward! Fight your own battle! Let us settle this between us like men!¡± From a glance, it was clear that this emerald dragon was the commander of the army attacking Kaiser and also the one in charge of defending Canaan.


    The City of Firmament Spires was just further ahead after crossing this valley. Its skyscraping structures could be seen from even the far edge of the continent. But it was only until here that we could really appreciate its majestic presence and magnitudes. Those towering monuments, it was there that the dragon council ruled Oros with an iron fist and also the ultimate goal of this rebellion. Only when they have taken the towers under their control could victory be officially declared. And right now, that goal was so close to become reality.


    ¡°I see that you won¡¯t listen to reasons. Very well!¡± Kaiser took out his twin greatswords: one with darkness and the other fire. ¡°You will submit to me!¡±


    In an instant, Kaiser disappeared from his location and appeared on the left blindside of the dragon general. Sensing his presence, the emerald dragon swung his foreleg and smashed it to the ground, creating a small crater. However he missed.


    Dashing slightly to the side, the crowned man has dodged the hand with little effort before plunging his fire sword into the dragon¡¯s hand, pinning it to the ground. Using his other hand, the dragon tried to catch Kaiser but with just a slash from the dark sword, its limb was torn away. Sustaining a lost limb and a heavily injured hand, the dragon roared in pain, cursing the culprit for having crippled him.


    ¡°You¡­bastard¡­.ARGGG¡­.how dare you¡­?¡± groaned the dragon. ¡°You will pay for that! <Decaying Breath>¡±


    A green smoke poured out of the dragon¡¯s mouth before hurtling itself toward Kaiser as if it was alive. A single touch of it would melt anything into oblivion. Thanks to his instinct, Kaiser immediately knew of the danger it would pose and swung his sword with all his strength. The force was so tremendous that it created a powerful wind along the blade, pushing the smoke out of the way as Kaiser charged toward the dumbfounded dragon who could only watch its inevitable end reflected through the faint mirage on the polished surface of the obsidian blade.


    Standing on the body of the loser, Kaiser raised his sword high as his army hailed the name of their leader. There was nothing that could stop them now. The enemy¡¯s leader has been defeated and the rest has begun to surrender themselves to the rebellion army. Out of fear for their lives or perhaps something more? Was it too much of a vain hope to believe that they were convinced by Kaiser¡¯s cause? Or perhaps it was simply because they were confused? Like many, they themselves did not know which side to trust and to follow. Because of that state of bewilderment and chagrin, they chose to stay in ignorance, to adhere to the flow of the status quo and to wait for whoever would come out as the victor. A choice not that was not very admirable but most common and understandable.


    However, something was not right. It was preposterous to think that the most powerful organization in the world would only send out barely a few hundreds of its soldiers and they were definitely not their strongest. It was as if everything that has been thrown at Kaiser so far was simply a test to ascertain his ability, or even some kind of farce to be seen as a joke. And indeed it was.


    CLAP CLAP CLAP (hands clapping)


    A figure appeared from the sky, slowly descending before halting his course, staying afloat on air with his large black wings: a seemingly human with dragon wings that were a result of a partial transformation, a high level technique that only a few could do.


    ¡°What a wonderful performance! And to think that no one knows about you after all these time¡­¡± Said the young man with dark short hair.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Kaiser questioned the newly arrived stranger.


    ¡°I am Taragon, one of the high members of the dragon council. I have been sent here as a representative to send you Kaiser, the so called King of this bunch of ungrateful rebels, a message from my father, Maragon the Ancient One and leader of the congregation.¡± Taragon spoke. ¡°Surrender now and submit to the will of the council! Else all of you will be obliterated by the absolute power of our conclave!¡±


    ¡°You think we will just surrender to you after everything so far? What a joke!¡± Celdora yelled.


    ¡°He is right! If we do that, we will never be able to face those who have given their lives for this cause. We will not let their sacrifices going to waste.¡± Kaiser spoke in a loud tone.


    ¡°I thought you might say that. Perfect, I have no intention of letting anyone of you who dared defying our will to live anyway.¡± Taragon grinned as he took out a small spherical object from his sleeves. With just a gentle clenching of his fist, blue lines began to shine across the surface of the small orb, slowly increasing its intensity. ¡°Die!¡± The dragon let go of the orb as it fell down toward Kaiser.


    ¡°IT¡¯S A MANA BOMB! GET AWAY FROM IT!¡± A voice from behind shouted. The white dragon Malick in his human form shouted out loud in panic among the crowd upon realizing what that thing was. But it was too late. The bomb was only a few seconds from touching the ground.


    All living beings contained mana. That was how our bodies were constructed. Even individuals who could not use magic like the Artificer and his wife who did not any talent in magic possessed mana. That was how the old man was able to use runes for his Oaths magic as the magic only required mana and nothing from the incantation itself conducted by the mana stream like normal spells would need. Alas, mana could be seen as the life energy flowing inside each and every one of us. However, like everything else, too much of anything, even things beneficial to our bodies, could quickly turn into something fatal. In this aspect, mana was the same.


    What was a mana bomb? Essentially, like its name suggested, a mana bomb was an ancient weapon that would cause a large explosion of mana in the area. A primitive tool and somewhat forbidden by all as this weapon was so dangerous that it was banned by the old council of the dragon council. Basically, it used our very own mana against us. The more powerful an individual was, the more effective the bomb would be. By igniting and sending the mana flow into a frenzy state, it caused an overload of energy inside us, resulting in the disintegration of the flesh and the decompositions of all living materials. Ultimately, the ones affected by it would die because of the sudden injuries with no way to counter it, sealing their fates. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, the sheer force of the blast would finish the job. In short, Taragon has just used one of the most dangerous weapons ever created upon his own people. It showed us how little did the dragon council think about the lives of the ones they were supposed to protect¡­.or so it seemed that way.


    Without having the slightest idea of what this weapon was capable of, Kaiser could sense the rising power coming from it. He knew it was deadly and would probably kill anyone caught inside its range. ¡°A king¡¯s duty is to protect the lives of his people.¡± That was Kaiser¡¯s motto. And by the Gods, he would make sure of that.


    From his back, charcoal tree branches grew out instantly and formed a pair of wings before Kaiser took flight.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shouted Celdora at the flying figure.


    ¡°...¡± The King of the rebels did not answer him but instead focused on the thing he was after: the bomb.


    Reaching his hand forward, Kaiser caught the thing in his hands and drew it close to his chest. Immediately, the trees branches grew even larger and began to formed a sphere around their owner, trapping the figure inside with the bomb.


    Inside this darkness cut out of all sunlight, the light has reached its peak as a flux of luminescence was emitting from the orb. The bomb was ready. This time, Kaiser knew that it would not end well nor would he escape unharmed like before. In that short remaining moment, the image of a young girl passed through his mind. Perhaps, if this was to be his end, let it be something happy, something he cherished.


    BOOM


    A bright light emanated through the cracks of the tree sphere as it engulfed the whole thing and brightened in the sky, blinding everyone inside the battlefield.


    The light lasted for a few second before waning in intensity as everyone looked around in confusion to see what it did to them. Nothing! Everyone was alright without a single scratch. Or at least it appeared that way.


    Following his instinct, Celdora immediately raised his head at look at the space that the True Monarch has trapped the bomb earlier with a shocking expression as he laid his eyes upon what was left of the explosion. ¡°¡­Kaiser?¡± The dragon uttered.


    ¡­..


    ¡°What are you making there, Syralth?¡± Nina asked her daughter who was carving something out of a small greyish stone with her half-transformed claws. It sounded ridiculous but she was actually trying to restrict her own force to not break the stone apart with her incredible strength.


    ¡°A statue of mister Kaiser! I want to give it to him as thanks for taking care of me.¡± The girl held a clumsily made rock which was supposed to look like the True Monarch but ended up as something that hardly resembled anything. Still, it did manage to have a humanoid shape, which was perhaps a good result considering her personality. ¡° But I struggle to make it look like him¡­.¡± She pouted.


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s so sweet! I am sure he will like it when he comes back with your father.¡± Said Nina.


    ¡°Really?¡± the girl smiled brightly.


    ¡°Yes, of course he will! ¡­..¡± *Nina heard a cracking noise* ¡°What happens?¡±


    ¡°The stone¡­.it broke!¡± Nina said in a sad tone.


    ¡°Did you put too much strength into it?¡±


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t. It broke by itself.¡± Syralth showed the broken statue that has been split apart into two.


    ¡°Well you can make another one, can you?¡±


    ¡°But this is the best stone I found out there¡­it won¡¯t be the same¡­.¡± Syralth complained.


    ¡°Then you just need to find an even better one.¡±


    ¡°¡­I will try. I do hope though Mister Kaiser will come back soon¡­.¡±


    ¡°I am sure he will, honey.¡±


    * * *


    During that time, something else was happening in both Mara and Ragna. After its official declaration of war, Ceadric has begun to strengthen its border on its northern coast and the southern borders as well. As Valhalla was the coalition of Caelum, Zagon and Malatas, it was understandable to fortify the southern borders as it would be where most of the battle would take place.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    However, that alone must not allow Ceadric to forget the potential threat coming from the demons in the northern continent of Ragna. For centuries, Ceadric has always been the frontline and the closest country to the demon continent. Because of this reason, there have been many keeps and borders control in the north that would not let any potential demon taking even a single step on their land. A futile effort as there have never been a case of a demon invasion from Ragna on Ceadric. Still they never let their guards down even in this case. And thanks to that relentless effort, they now had an already fortified barrier to counter any kind of demon invasion. Furthermore, there was the sea of Levianux separating Ragna and Ceadric, restricting all ways of invasion to use the sea road, making all attacks very difficult to remain stealthy, especially if the weather was clear.


    This natural defense allowed Ceadric to have the peace of mind and build up its confidence when preparing for an invasion from Ragna. For this reason, the majority of their forces have been deployed toward the southern area with a quarter of the army still occupying the northern coast, waiting for the demons to come. Without a doubt, the demons had no choice but to use this road if they intended to invade as the sea of Levianux was the one way to get to Ceadric. However, it would require a tremendous force and a considerable of sacrificed troops in order to just get on land. In short, there was no way Ragna could assist Valhalla without getting the majority of their own force destroyed in the process before being able to join Morrigan and her company.


    As for Valhalla, the struggle to have a solid army has been difficult as much as one could expect it would be. While it was a coalition of three nations, two of them have recently suffered considerable damages, too much of their men have been lost during those tragedies to be able to send too much reinforcement to assist their new Empress.


    All meanwhile, Ceadric has received a large army of professionals from the Trading Company of Dor and the Guild. Rumors had it that a few thousands dragons have also been spotted among the ranks of Ceadric, adding further to the already intense predicament of Valhalla.


    Here was a short rough account of the size of all armies (soldiers including mages):


    ?        Valhalla Coalition:


    -          Zagon: A hundred thousand common soldiers. Five thousands  knights of Blue Phalanx.


    -          Caelum: Twenty thousands common soldiers. A thousands specialized mages and healers alike.


    -          Malatas: Fifteen thousands common soldiers.  Five thousands mages including healers.


    ?        Ceadric Alliance:


    -          Ceadric: One hundred and twenty thousands common soldiers.


    -          Academy of Helios: A few Deus mages and many capable warriors, numbered in hundreds that were destined to greatness.


    -          Guild of Adventurers: Uncertain numbers of different ranks but so far ten S-ranks have been accounted for.


    -          Dor: Twenty thousands special units specialized in heavy weaponry including zeppelins and others machineries. Fifty thousands common soldiers.


    -          Oros: Two thousands adult dragons. A hundred elder dragons.


    From the sheer number alone, it was clear that Valhalla was in a much greater disadvantage. However, there were a few things that have not been accounted for that could change the outcome of this war. First, there were the beastmen who have not answered Morrigan¡¯s call for help. Secondly, the force of Ragna remained a mystery, for a very simple reason. They have never invaded anyone to have the need to show their forces. Even more, most of the demonic force was hiding in the underground cave under the demon lord¡¯s castle or in several well-hidden keeps spread across the continent. Thirdly, the outcome of the civil war in between the dragons would be one of the main factors capable of influencing this war. And finally, there was a tiny figure whose presence alone could shift the balance of power: the young demon lord Alastor himself.


    However, that was just the military point of view. And anyone with a little war experience would know that battles were not won just with soldiers alone. Schemes and deceits among the court, politics, betrayals by your own allies, those things were common and as much as we hated to admit it, they also had their part and sometimes proved to be quite crucial to the war.


    Now that all the actors have gathered here, the main show could finally begin.


    And we started with a young man in Cedra who would do anything for his love, sometimes with dire consequences. And yet, his inexperience and naivety would cost him much more than he could ever fathom. The consequences of this action might not be immediate as the delusion of calmness it generated was a mere breeze before the actual storm, making both us lower our guard. But when we were at our greatest peak of success or happiness, it would come back for us. It always did. For none could ever escape from the hands of Death.


    * * *


    ¡°Tasha here is your favourite soup! Say AAAA!¡± Edward spoke softly with a smile to the lifeless girl sitting on the luxurious bed with her back resting against the wall.


    ¡°¡­¡± But she did not move a bit nor did she react to anything he did. The demoness only sat there, staring into nothingness like a soulless corpse.


    ¡°I know it might not be that good since I made it myself¡­¡± The boy fidgeted. ¡°But how about you have a taste?¡± Holding the spoon on his hand, Edward tried to feed the girl to no avail.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe you prefer the chicken skewer from the old lady next street? I begged her to cook me some today. Would you want to have a bite? I know you do since you always eat at least three of those.¡± Edward forced a smile.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Maybe something else? An apple candy? It¡¯s very sweet¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°Tasha, please¡­just say something! Anything would do! Let me know you are here! Please!¡± the boy clenched his fist in tears.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Tasha¡­¡± he muttered.


    Suddenly, a cold wind flew into the room, snuffing out all the candles as a coldly presence began to manifest itself behind Edward.


    ¡°She won¡¯t answer you, you know.¡± Said the shadow as he put his shadowy hand on Edward¡¯ shoulder.


    Even though it was this very same entity who has tried to kill Edward before, the boy did not feel a single shred of fear inside him right now. Perhaps it was because he already had a taste of his greatest fear: to lose someone he loved. And in this case, considering Tasha¡¯ state of being, she might as well be considered a lost cause. To sum things up, he had nothing else to lose, to be afraid of anymore. What use was there to prolong this harrowing life without her?


    ¡°Are you here to take me? Go ahead! I don¡¯t care.¡± Uttered Edward.


    ¡°¡­I am disappointed in you, Edward Osborne. You used to have such a great soul¡­.And look at yourself now! Useless, hopeless, incapable of doing anything! Back then, the young boy who dared strike me even though his body was telling him to run. You were afraid and yet you were still ready to gamble everything just to find this woman. That was the Edward I wanted. The you right now however, is not the one I am looking for.¡± Spoke the shadow.


    Biting his lips, the young noble was angry¡­not because of the provocation thrown at him by the shadow but at himself. Because he knew that this thing was saying the truth. He has fallen down greatly compared to his former self.


    ¡°Would Tasha want to see her dear master like this? I wonder¡­.¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Edward turned back and swung his arm at the shadow but it turned into a black mist before reforming the original body a few foot away from him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. Use that anger more! Come back to your former self!¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± inquired Edward in a furious tone.


    ¡°A deal, young Edward! Tell me, are you willing to do anything for Tasha?¡± said the dark entity.


    ¡°I will!¡± spoke the boy firmly, his eyes filled with determination.


    ¡°Without any hesitation? Even I ask for your life? Didn¡¯t Maria tell you to take care of your own life?¡±


    ¡°What? How do you know what she told me?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t claim to be omnipotent but I know a lot of things. At the very least, I know every little thing about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­She may have her own opinion but that doesn¡¯t mean I agree with her.¡± said Edward. ¡°And about my life, you have so many opportunities to take it yourself. Yet you didn¡¯t so that means there is something else you want. Just spit it out!¡± Edward analysed.


    ¡°Hum..smart! I expect no less from a Deus mage. Before I give you my proposal, how about you tell me what you see on her arm?¡±


    ¡°Her arm? You mean that clock tattoo?¡± Edward held Tasha¡¯s immobile arm as he gazed upon the clock tattoo. The short arrow was pointing toward the number six while the long arrow was on the number twelve. Half of the clock was already black. ¡°Wait a minute¡­last time I checked it was one o¡¯clock on this. How is this possible that the time is different now? ¡­YOU? You did this?¡± Edward groaned at the shadow.


    ¡°Rest assured! The mark has nothing to do with her current state. To put it simply, it shows her Death Spectrum.¡±


    ¡°Death Spectrum?¡±


    ¡°Death Spectrum shows how close an individual is to their death. Do you know that each decision you take in your life, no matter how small and trivial it is, can have an effect on your survivability? The consequences might not be seen immediately but the effects will stack upon on another like a chain reaction that will ultimately lead to a much more severe result.


    The Death Spectrum allows you to have a small vision, a peek into the future as a result of your actions. By showing you how closer you are to death, it grants you a second chance to be able to change that outcome by resorting to other choices. Alas, nothing is guaranteed as fate tends to force the path back to what it was intended for. Still this will give you a chance to fight against your destiny.¡± The shadow explained. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter. In Tasha¡¯s case, her Death Spectrum has been increasing non-stop, meaning her life would run out pretty soon.¡±


    ¡°What? Why? The doctor said that everything is fine with her.¡± Edward retorted.


    ¡°Death is not only caused by murder or accidents. You would be surprised by how many other reasons death could occur. Alas nothing can escape from death. Not even the Gods.¡±


    ¡°Then how do I help her?¡± asked Edward. ¡°I suppose this has something with the deal you are asking.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stop her death. No one could. But I¡­no, we can delay it. After all, all things living must someday die. It¡¯s just a question of when.


    Here is what I propose: I will give you your own Death Spectrum. You can use it to avoid your own death and perhaps even hers. How you use it and how efficient it can be it¡¯s up to you.¡± Said the shadow.


    ¡°¡­And what is the catch? I suppose you will not give me something incredible like this for nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Unlike hers, your Death Spectrum will have a time limit. Passing that limit, I will come for you and take what I have always wanted: your soul!¡±


    ¡°Why not just take it now?¡± questioned the boy.


    ¡°A soul is a mysterious thing, young Edward. Like your body, it can grow with time. And in a few rare cases, it could achieve a state very much closer to that of a God. But for that to happen, it needs time. And that¡¯s what I am doing here: to spread the seed so it can grow into something much more astounding that what it already is.¡± The figure explained.


    ¡°¡­How long?¡±


    ¡°I am generous so I will give you thirty years. You can spend that time to stay with your loved one all while cultivating your soul. Whatever you do is up to you, and you only.¡±


    ¡°Thirty years¡­it seems quite a lot for something like this.¡± The boy muttered.


    ¡°Trust me! It isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But even if you give me that, Tasha will still remain in this state.¡± Argued Edward. Indeed, if he spent thirty years with the girl he loved who could not even look at him or do anything to make herself known, it would be more like a punishment than a gift. After all, what else but for her that he wanted this deal in the first place?


    ¡°Her current state is due to the trauma that was done to her during her time with the cultists of Lumen¡­I can do something about that but it requires something¡­extravagant. How about this: I will erase her memories of the last three days since the moment she was kidnapped until now. Without those memories, she should return to normal.¡±


    ¡°And like before this will not come for free¡­is it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed it won¡¯t! To erase those three days, I will need three years of your total life span.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡±


    ¡°That was quick. You sure you won¡¯t regret this? This means that your total remaining life span will be reduced to twenty-seven years from now on.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. If it means Tasha can find back her smile again, it¡¯s a small cost to pay.¡± Said Edward.


    ¡°You are either very brave or very stupid. Neither of which is good.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Very well!¡± The shadow grasped the hand of the boy. ¡°The deal is sealed. I will come back for you in twenty-seven years. Whether you can escape fate till that point, it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    A brand in the image of a clock appeared on Edward¡¯s chest where his heart would be. In addition to all the features like the one Tasha had, twenty-seven small black bars took form around the outside of the clock, marking the remaining years the boy has left.


    ¡°And now, for the finale..¡± Taking out his scythe, the shadow slashed the paralyzed girl on her bed right on her chest. A small crack appeared, along with a dim blue light coming from it: the colour of the soul itself. Reaching his hand into the crack, the shadow took out something and crushed it into dust before the crack started to close itself. ¡°It¡¯s done. I look forward for our next meeting, young Edward!¡±


    With that said, the shadow vanished into thin air, leaving only behind a cold chill.


    As for young Edward, the whole time he was paralyzed on his knees, under constant pain by the burning brand on his chest. He felt as if something has been taken out of him, his own life force sucked out by that strange entity. A feeling of indescribable strain it was. But then, all that agony disappeared when he heard a gentle voice.


    ¡°Young master? What are you doing down there?¡±


    Could not believe in his own ears, the young noble raised his head high and stared at the source of the voice in both awe and shock. Tears began to pour out his tears as he stood up, ignoring all those pains and hugged the girl tightly as if they have never seen each other for years.


    ¡°TASHA! You are back!¡± he shouted in joy.


    ¡°Back? But I was always here¡­.Aren¡¯t you supposed to see the king today? What are you still doing here? And why are you crying?¡± Tasha asked in confusion upon seeing her master¡¯s odd reaction.


    ¡°Tasha, I miss you so much!¡±


    ¡°Master? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    With an aching pain on his chest, after everything that happened, the boy simply said as he clenched his fist to make sure this was not a dream. ¡°Nothing, Tasha! Nothing at all!¡±

 Chapter 88: Victory and defeat

    Kaiser the True Monarch has always been the most unique being among the three children of Alastor. As a fragment of Shana¡¯ soul, he too adopted upon himself one of her strongest emotions, creating his own self from it, as well as inherited a portion of his father¡¯s power. But unlike the other two, Kaiser was conceived from a very particular emotion, one that stood out as the strongest positive feeling the cat girl Shana possessed: courage.


    So what was courage? Was it the will to go up against what would normally terrorize anyone else? Or was it the resolve of one¡¯s own determination that allowed them to achieve impossible feats? Each might have their own definition of courage but perhaps, there was one that would fit the most to the True Monarch: the audacity of defiance.


    It took a lot of courage to dare to go against the will of something much more powerful than oneself. It was thanks to this emotion that allowed Shana to be alive all these years. It was what helped her to overcome all those ordeals till the very end. Even in that short moment of despair at the end of her life, she faced it bravely, thinking only of the boy by her side, the one that would be left behind. And Kaiser was a being made essentially of that feeling.


    The will to defy all was a powerful thing. With a strong enough will, one might think they could overcome even the most arduous trial of all. And sometimes that included the most terrifying challenge of the living: death.


    ¡­..


    ¡°¡­.What the hell is that?¡± the dragon lord uttered as he laid his sight upon the harrowing figure in the sky. Every trace of the being named Kaiser was gone. Instead, something else was at his place.


    A bizarre creature was hovering on air with a large pair of ashen wings, the colour of something that has been burned at an intense heat so much that nothing but ashes remained. And yet somehow, these cinders have managed to retain their shape, going as far as attaining a new form of plumed ailerons. But those angelic wings were perhaps the only thing that seemed holy as the rest of the creature¡¯s body could only be described as fiendish to say the very least. Wielding a seemingly armor made out of bones with palpable crimson fleshes twitching from inside the white cartilage, the creature had a mouth for the face, dangling with gnawing teeth.


    ¡° *Heavy Exhaling* What a dangerous thing you have there! To think that it managed to damage me to this point!¡± the creature spoke in a familiar voice. ¡°It was an¡­intriguing experience.¡±


    ¡°Kaiser? Is that you?¡± Celdora challenged upon recognize the voice.


    ¡°That¡¯s not possible! You should be dead!¡± shouted Taragon in disbelief. No one has ever managed to survive the full blast of a mana bomb and still lived to tell the tale. So how was it possible that he survived?


    ¡°I was. But now I am back. If you think the shackles of death can repress me, then you have severely underestimated me.¡± Kaiser spoke. ¡°A True Monarch never dies, as long as his people need him.¡±


    ¡°Argg¡­this won¡¯t be over yet, not by a long shot.¡± Taragon grunted in anger. Indeed he has underestimated Kaiser by thinking that the mana bomb would solve his problem. It took a lot of efforts for the young black dragon to sneak out this weapon from the sealed chamber of his father and all that was for nothing. He thought that by taking out Kaiser, the use of the mana bomb would be justifiable when he would be challenged by the rest of the council but in this case, not only did he commit a crime by stealing the bomb, Kaiser was still alive and well. But it was not like he was at his rope¡¯s end. Taragon still had something up his sleeves: the ultimate weapon of Oros. ¡°I will wipe out all of you vermin¡­in time.¡± Said the black dragon before taking flight toward Canaan.


    The first battle has ended with the rebels emerging as the victor. However, there was now one problem. For the first time, Kaiser¡¯s true form underneath that white cloak has been revealed: a faceless demonic monster that was certainly not part of the Prime races and certainly not a human like many of the dragons have assumed he was. Aside from Celdora and a few confidants, no one knew that Kaiser was actually a demon. Or perhaps that sentence was not true. Because of the special circumstance surrounding his creation, it was unclear what exactly he was. Was he a demon? Possible. A new lifeform? Perhaps. But the main question was how would the dragons, those who stood by his side so far, react to this revelation?


    Flapping his ashen wings and slowly landing in the middle of his allies, Kaiser stood solemnly as he watched the startled crowd who were clearly taken back upon seeing his appearance. To be frank, they didn¡¯t know how to react as well. This man might perhaps be a demon but they saw his accomplishment. They have fought by his side both as foes and allies. And strangely, they trusted him, so much as they put him to be their leader in this rebellion. He was admired by all. Yet, this seemingly ¡®betrayal¡¯ has crushed that trust¡­or did it?


    ¡°Before anyone of you wants to speak, let me say something: yes, I am a demon!¡± claimed Kaiser to the crowd around him. Murmurs and loud whispers came from left to right in front of the shocking revelation. ¡°And yes, I have hid this fact from all of you since the very beginning.¡± Kaiser looked at Celdora as a sign to tell him that the dragon lord must not say anything. If there was to be a change in leadership, Celdora must be the one who would take over to make sure that this rebellion would succeed. For that reason, the dragon lord must not be related to Kaiser at all, even if he had to feign ignorance about this fact.


    ¡°Why?¡± many of the crowd questioned the demon. ¡°Why did you not tell us? Is what they said about you true after all? You are just using us? You want to become our king later so you can keep Oros under the control of the demons?¡±


    ¡°No! The demons are not a threat nor are they enemies of you people. We too seek to have peace, to coexist, to share this world with you as part of nature. Though I do admit that I initially came here with a personal intention in mind, it changed as I came to know all of you. I wanted to help you people to regain your freedom and hope that this will allow you to have your own judgment about demons instead of being clouded by the vision of the dragon council. As for me, my vision is that one day demons and the rest of the world could cast aside our differences and become friends. That¡¯s my goal.


    But I know that friendship and understanding need to be built upon trust. My action, out of fear that you might reject me, has proven to be wrong. Therefore, I swear upon my honour to all of you: at the end of this insurrection, I will depart from Oros and leave the position as your leader up until now to another more worthy individual than I am. Who that person might be, it¡¯s up to you. So I ask of you to put your trust in me once more, at least till the end of our movement. This is something I started and I swear that I will finish it.¡± Kaiser gave his speech.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The crowd remained in silence as the dragons looked at each other, unable to take a firm stance. In the deepest part of their hearts, they trusted him and in a stranger manner for an unexplainable reason, they still did. However, it was just that this came too sudden and because they only told them now without taking the first initiative but instead via the current circumstance.


    ¡®How would they react now that everything begins to fall apart? And just after such a glorious victory¡­Depending on what happens next, it might be the end of this insurrection.¡¯ thought Malick as he observed the people around him. And to his surprise, something unexpected happened.


    ¡°So¡­what exactly is the problem?¡± a young dragon, most average of all with nothing special, stepped out of the crowd and casually said. His question raised a demur in the mind of those around him. Did he not understand anything that just happened?


    ¡°What?¡± asked the crowd.


    ¡°I mean, ok he is a demon¡­.so what is the problem? It¡¯s not like it will change anything right?¡± the youngling said. He was one of the youths who were inspired by the rising movement of the insurgency that claimed to retake the freedom of the dragons. And yet, even facing this lie from his leader, the youth didn¡¯t change his mind nor did he doubt the cause of this movement one bit. ¡°I am still young compared to most of you seniors so I might not that wise to see things as clear as you did. But for years I have questioned our hatred for the demons¡­no that isn¡¯t right. It¡¯s not our opinion but the opinion of the dragon council about the demons. Me personally, I have never seen them doing anything against us. Many have told me that they are evil but I see is us killing them for no reason at all. I am not that good with history so I don¡¯t know what happened in the first place but even if they did something bad, isn¡¯t it enough already? Why continue this unreasonable hate toward them while we are the ones who did the killing?


    As for Kaiser¡­.I mean, yeah, he didn¡¯t tell us about his race but he has been quite truthful to everyone about everything else¡­at least that¡¯s how I see this. And when that guy threw the bomb thing, if not for Kaiser who risked his life for us, we would not be here, standing around to doubt him.


    So I don¡¯t know about you but I will put my trust in Kaiser.¡±


    The speech was a bit clumsily spoken but the intentions were well delivered and received by all. And that was the push they needed.


    ¡°So do I.¡± another dragon stepped up.


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Make it three!¡±


    ¡°Why not four?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Five¡­I am not sure but¡­I will continue to trust you¡­for now.¡±


    In an instant, the tide turned again, this time for the better. One by one, the dragons decided to put their trust in their leader once more. While some doubts remained, they were put aside for now as the insurrection would persist. They have come this far already to stop now. What would happen after could be decided later.


    ¡°Everyone¡­I thank you for placing your confidence in me again. Now let¡¯s us march toward Canaan! It¡¯s time to put an end to this!¡± Kaiser proclaimed as his body began to regenerate and took the form of his usual self once again.


    And so the rebellion army resumed its course. Their next destination: Canaan.


    But as they drew closer to the ancient citadel, they noticed something strange. The once green dense vegetation that grew around the towers has all wilted. Dry and swarthy, it was as if life has been sucked out from them. The land also was barren to the point no one was sure if they were indeed in their once beautiful capital. Furthermore, where were all the guards? How come the dragon council let them in so easily? It was impossible to think that the last army they encountered was their last? Not only were they weak, there was just too few of them to think that it was the last defence of the council. Everything felt like a trap but there was no other choice but to push on.


    ¡°Fools who dare desecrate the land of your ancestors, behold the wrath of the Gods!¡± a familiar figure appeared on the sky. The dragon Taragon has shown himself again, this time even more arrogant than before. How funny it was to see his haughty attitude right now while just a moment ago, he had to flee like a coward! But he had a good reason to be arrogant. For he now held in his hand the ultimate weapon of Oros, figuratively.


    All of the sudden, the ground beneath Kaiser and his army trembled as the towers began to illuminate a cobalt light. In addition, trails of magic and strange symbols appeared everywhere on the soil. If seen from above, the six external towers of Canaan have formed an enormous magic circle in the shape of a hexagon with the largest tower at its center.


    ¡°You used the Sixth Heavenly Seal???¡± shouted the white dragon Malick. ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha I am surprised to see that someone among you knows about it and yet didn¡¯t even tell his allies.¡± Grinned Taragon.


    ¡°Malick, what is he talking about?¡± Kaiser yelled in the middle of the chaos.


    ¡°The Towers of Canaan need a special key to be activated. Without it, the seal will not work. But I thought the key was lost. And even if they have the key, everyone who knows how to use it is supposed to be dead.¡± Malick said.


    ¡°All but one. My father Maragon is an Ancient dragon since the times of the Gods. There is nothing he doesn¡¯t know about.¡± The young black dragon responded.


    ¡°Maragon is still alive? But even if he is, he would never condone this kind of action, to use the mana bomb out of all things on his own people.¡± The white dragon claimed.


    ¡°Desperate times call for desperate measures. But enough talking! Now die!¡± In an instant, an energy barrier appeared between Taragon and the rebels, cutting them out of Canaan. But that was not all. Azure beams and volleys of mana began to shoot out from the surface of the towers toward the rebellion army, decimating them.


    ¡°<Trinity Formation: Bulwark>¡±


    Triangles of light appeared in front of the army, shielding them from harm as the white dragon shouted at Kaiser. ¡°We must retreat now! Else this thing will destroy us all.¡±


    The shields created by Malick, while powerful, would not be able to protect this many people for long. In addition, they could not advance into the towers as the energy barrier prevented them from doing so. These two mechanisms together formed the ultimate defence of the City of Firmament Spires.


    Without any other choice, Kaiser ordered his troops to retreat back out of the range of those beams. While he was bitter about it, Kaiser refused to be his people to die for nothing. This marked the first defeat of the Everlasting Monarch since the beginning of this campaign and a victory to the dragon council. Their plan has worked. Thanks to the barrier, now they just needed to wait for the end of the conflict in Mara for their allies to come and finish this civil war once and for all. That would be the case if nothing else changed. But unknown to both sides, a new visitor has just taken his first step on this ancient continent. How would he, such a tiny figure, affect the outcome of this war? Only time would tell.


    * * *


    Meanwhile in Cedra, at the mansion of the Osborne family, the leader of the band of mercenaries Hunters has decided to pay a visit to the young lord of the house upon hearing Tasha¡¯s miraculous recovery.


    ¡°Here is your tea, lady Maria! Please enjoy!¡± Tasha put down a warm cup of tea on the table from her plate before retreating from the room as she hymned happily to the door.


    Taking on the aromatic cup on her hand, Maria commented about the maid. ¡°That¡¯s indeed quite an odd behaviour. So you said that she doesn¡¯t remember anything that happened to her?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I guess that experience was a bit too traumatic for her mind. Maybe it¡¯s better this way.¡± Said Edward.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know..it just seems a bit ¡­ too convenient to me. Did you try to press her more?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Miss Maria, I don¡¯t think that is a good idea to talk anymore about this issue. It¡¯s already fortuitous enough for me to see her smile again and I don¡¯t intend to do anything that may put her through that again.¡±


    ¡°But you are aware that there are still remnants of the cult of Lumen out there, right? If she could remember something, even the slightest detail of their plan, it might help us locate their other hideouts¡­.¡±


    ¡°And we will. But we would have to do it without Tasha¡¯s help.¡± Edward affirmed.


    ¡°Why do I feel like you are hiding something from me?¡± said Maria.


    ¡°Then we share our opinion. Your excuse of sharing my idea does seem a bit¡­.convenient to me too.¡± Edward sipped his tea.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± the woman changed her tone.


    ¡°Nothing! I am only asking you to treat me the same way as I treat you. I did not ask about your past nor did I inquire more about how you came to me in the first place. It¡¯s not like I doubt your intention to make the demons equal to the primes but I feel like there is something more to your reason being here. Still, I did not press on the matter. It would be nice if you do the same for me. It¡¯s for our own goods, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Edward spoke. ¡°


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°¡­You are starting to learn.¡± Maria uttered.


    ¡°I have to¡­For Tasha!¡±


    ¡°Very well! I will drop this matter from now on. But I do hope that you know what you are doing. Not just for your own sake but for hers as well.¡±


    ¡°¡­I too hope so.¡± Edward muttered softly to himself as he put his hand on his chest where the brand was. ¡°His Majesty will be going to lead our troops to the southern borders in a few days. The war is finally here. I have wished that we would not come to this but now I know it¡¯s just a hopeful dream. *sigh*¡±


    ¡°It comes much quicker than I thought it would. But I guess it¡¯s natural for things to end this way, especially after the attack on Eiseinheim.¡± Maria stated. ¡°That was too far and quite underhanded of your leader to do such a thing¡­¡±


    ¡°No it wasn¡¯t king Charles. He didn¡¯t even know about the attack until the next morning after it happened. During the meeting yesterday, the king was very furious about it too and has asked for the one responsible to come forward. But as you might have guessed, no one did. However, I think it¡¯s pretty clear that it was those dwarves of Dor who were responsible. From the report and Valhalla¡¯ accusation, a zeppelin was used during the attack that almost led to the destruction of the palace. As far as I know, only the dwarves have access to that kind of technology. Unfortunately, we can¡¯t just accuse them without proof. Even more, if we press them too much, they might pull out their support¡­¡± Edward explained.


    ¡°Your country has become too dependent on them. At this rate, your king Charles might as well be a puppet to them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what we, the royal guards and the headmaster of Helios are trying to accomplish: to free Ceadric from their control but they have the support of all the nobles and our resources come from them. Until we find a way around that, Ceadric will have to remain under their influence.


    In my opinion, there are two possible ways out of this.


    The first option is to find another country that will support us until the situation becomes stable. But as you can see, it¡¯s impossible right now as we are at war with all our neighbouring countries. I doubt that they will be willing to support us after what happened in Eiseinheim.¡± Edward conveyed.


    ¡°If your country surrenders now, the situation will solve itself. The leaders of the other countries, even the demons, can be quite ¡­reasonable. They too want peace so if they can avoid war, they would be more than willing to help you.¡± Maria grinned.


    ¡°Even if that is the case, the council of Ceadric will never agree to that. They are now practically slaves to the merchants of Dor. As for the king, you should know that his Majesty holds much less power than you think as all major decisions must be passed by the council first. I know that King Charles will do it if he can but unfortunately, it¡¯s no longer his call anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I say your king is a mere puppet. But alas, what is the second option?¡±


    ¡°The second option is actually just based on my intuition but during our exchange with the representatives of Dor, I feel like this whole deal with fighting against demons is Goldbeard¡¯s idea only. Every time he mentioned about financing the war and giving soldiers, the other two always made a rather displeased expression but tried to hold it back since Goldbeard is their leader.


    Based on their reactions, I think that these two brothers can be convinced to join us against Goldbeard. If we can somehow get rid of Goldbeard in a¡­let¡¯s say palpable manner and promise the other two to take over his share, they will gladly take it. After all, unlike that old man, Blackbeard and Whitebeard are the true definitions of a merchant of Dor: they will do anything for the money.¡±


    ¡°I am surprised to hear you talk about killing someone off so easily. Not much of a na?ve boy aren¡¯t you?¡± taunted Maria.


    ¡°Wars are not won only by soldiers. In this case, from my perspective, this is not a war between Valhalla and Ceadric but between Ceadric and Dor. The others like the Guild are simply here to join the fray. By cutting the head of the snake off, the rest will follow.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful! You have surely grown in such a short time. I am proud.¡± Maria laughed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rejoice so soon! That¡¯s just my plan. It¡¯s the execution part that is difficult as I have no way to approach them without raising attention from Goldbeard. If he catches up with our plan, it will be all for nothing.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I already have someone in mind who can execute your plan.¡± Maria grinned.


    ¡°Are you referring to your friend Meto? I have to admit that he is quite shrewd for thinking of that charade to gain Goldbeard¡¯s trust. If it was not you who had to explain it to me after that, I would never have guessed that he was lying about everything.¡±


    ¡°Mep..Meto is a very talented actor and quite a resourceful man. He will make sure your plan works.¡± Maria reassured.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t answer the question of the demons we saved from the cult of Lumen? Where have you put them? Those poor women can¡¯t be left by themselves, not after what happened to them.¡± Edward clenched his fist in anger, thinking about the moment when he first came down to that hellish underground. Seeing the naked women having lost the will to live, he hated himself for not noticing how his own city has degraded so much in such a short time.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. They are now in the safest place one could find for them.¡± Maria spoke.


    * * *


    A small figure was walking through the hall of the demon lord¡¯s castle. Wearing a witch¡¯s robe and a conic hat, the seemingly young girl was in fact much older than she looked. With an expression of what we could call as a mixture between anger and sorrow on her face, the witch has just gone back from the medical ward of the castle. A while ago, Mephisto has come back through the portal, bringing a dozen of women with him. After a brief exchange of their circumstances, it was decided that Amelia would take care of them until they fully recovered.


    But such a task was easier said than done. These people have been abused both physically and mentally to the point they no longer felt anything. The only expressions she could see in them from time to time was the occasional tears pouring out of their lifeless eyes or the dreadful scream they made during their nightmares. Physical wounds on their bodies could be healed but the scars left behind by that horrible experience, being defiled by those pigs, would never go away. Some even attempted to commit suicide, forcing the guards to put them under constant watch. But who could blame them for resorting to that desperate act? They have all lost their families and loved ones. Even their purity was forcefully taken away. What was there to live for anyway?


    Alas, there was nothing Amelia could do aside from taking care of them for now. Still, that didn¡¯t stop her from searching for something that might ease the pain of these women, even a tiny bit. Many might see the girl as cruel but that was because they didn¡¯t know about her tender side. It was only when you saw how she took care of those women, feeding them one by one along with her retainers even though she was busy with the preparation with the incoming war, that we could see another side of the witch Amelia.


    Right now, she was on her way to her final patient. Unlike the other women Mephisto has brought back, this one was a bit different as she was the only person alive who survived the massacre at the demon lord¡¯s castle. In short, she held the keys to all the mysteries that have happened. Unfortunately, her mind and body have been ravaged to the point that she was now both deaf and blind with a broken mind. Such a tragedy for a celestial like her!


    Passing by her chamber, Amelia was on the verge of entering before she noticed the sound of someone talking from inside.


    ¡°Are you going?¡± an innocent gentle voice spoke.


    ¡°¡­.¡± Nothing answered her but somehow Amelia could feel the presence of someone else besides Ingrid behind those doors. Could it be one of the guards? Curious by this conversation, Amelia decided to keep her ears on the door. But she could not hear anyone else talking besides Ingrid. Was the girl so deluded she has started to talk to herself? It was possible considering her current state.


    ¡°Are you mad because I wasn¡¯t of any help¡­.?¡± Ingrid spoke in a sad tone. Her tone was somewhat childish, a result of the damages to her psyche that might have reverted it to that of a child, or at least a younger version of herself.


    ¡°¡­.¡± Perhaps she was remembering something from her past and the conversation was merely a reconstruction of that memory. Or so thought Amelia.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­.I can¡¯t remember anything of that day¡­It hurts¡­when I think about it.¡± Said Ingrid.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°No no you don¡¯t have to apologize. It¡¯s thanks to you that I can talk with my brother one last time after all.¡±


    ¡®Her brother? Isn¡¯t that Mikael? But Alastor said that he was dead when Merkabah went crazy in Avant-Heim¡­.¡¯ Amelia spoke in her mind. As the conversation went on, the witch could not shake off the belief that this conversation could not be a memory but an actual exchange between two persons. Yet, how come she could not hear the voice of the other person?


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°What do you mean someone is listening to us?¡±


    BAM (door opening abruptly)


    Storming inside the room, Amelia found no one else but the celestial sitting on her bed, staring at the wall on her right as she extended her hand forward, as if touching something in midair. The window remained closed and there was no sign of anything being here a moment earlier. So who was the presence she felt and how did they escape from the room in that short amount of time?


    ¡°Goodbye!¡± Ingrid waved her hand at the empty wall.


    Approaching the handicapped woman, Amelia wrote down what she wanted to say on Ingrid¡¯s palm using a finger like a brush. ¡°Who were you talking to?¡±. This was the only way to communicate with Ingrid these days due to her ailments limiting down all other options.


    ¡°A friend¡­¡± Ingrid spoke like a child who has been found guilty of something.


    ¡°Who is this friend?¡± asked Amelia.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡­he didn¡¯t tell me his name¡­¡± the celestial sobbed.


    ¡°I am not angry with you so don¡¯t cry! What did he want?¡± inquired the witch.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say¡­¡±


    ¡°Did he threaten you?¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s just¡­I don¡¯t want to betray my friend¡­I have been lonely here and he is the only one who would play with me¡­¡± wept Ingrid.


    ¡°You are not betraying him. If you can tell me about him, maybe I can find him and invite him here to play with you more. Don¡¯t you prefer it so?¡± Amelia tried to comfort the celestial.


    ¡°¡­I do¡­But I don¡¯t know much about him¡­Just one day, he showed up and started talking to me¡­When I am sad or afraid, he would stay here and calm me down¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did you apologize to him earlier?¡±


    ¡°Because he asked me about that day¡­about how I ended up losing a wing¡­He wanted to know who did it to me¡­But I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± Ingrid stuttered.


    ¡®She must be referring to the day of the massacre. So someone is also looking for the culprit? But who?¡¯ Amelia wondered in her mind. ¡°Can you tell me anything else about him?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hum¡­Hum¡­..he is very cold¡­.I think¡­.¡± The celestial mumbled.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Whenever he shows up, the room becomes very cold¡­And..And I could hear his voice without him touching me.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Ingrid was completely deaf. That was why people had to communicate with her by writing down what they wanted to say on her hand. Luckily, she knew how to do it, probably thanks to her brother Mikael for all those years doing the same thing. But then it didn¡¯t make sense that someone was able to talk to her normally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I just hear his voice in my mind¡­¡±


    ¡°Anything else? Anything at all?¡± pressed the witch.


    ¡°No¡­I don¡¯t know¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡± the celestial cried out in tears like a baby.


    To calm her down, Amelia quickly hugged the celestial in her chest, letting her crying in silence as she caressed her head like a mother cuddling her daughter. Only this looked more like a daughter taking care of her mother as Ingrid was already a full grown woman while Amelia had the appearance of a child.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I am sorry for hurting you like that. Sleep now!¡± wrote Amelia.


    Holding her tears back now that she has calmed down a bit, Ingrid began to speak again. ¡°You are so warm¡­and soft¡­I wonder what he feels like¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? He didn¡¯t let you touch him?¡± asked Amelia.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­It¡¯s just..I could not touch him at all¡­It¡¯s as if he wasn¡¯t here¡­yet he was¡­¡±

 Chapter 89: Awakening

    ¡°We have arrived!¡± said Abalone as she gazed intensively at the dragon continent.


    It has been years since she last visited her homeland and even then, she could only watch from afar, out of fear of being attacked by the grunts of the dragon council. A strange sense of nostalgia and tranquility overcame her. It was weird for her to feel such sentiments. Being born in the outside world without having ever taken a step on Oros, Abalone could still somehow feel a deep connection to this ancient land. Perhaps it was a natural instinct of the dragons, something that resided in their blood since the time of the Gods. The years of wandering without every staying in one place for too long have not been kind to Abalone. Losing her family, it wasn¡¯t easy. And now she has finally returned home.


    But those feelings might evolve into something else soon as for the first time in her life and probably for all members of her clan, a sea dragon would now walk on Oros once again.


    ¡°I see nothing!!! Where is the way out?¡± a young voice echoed from inside the dragon¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Alastor, should we go further in?¡± a female voice spoke in a monotone accent.


    ¡°NO NO NO! Stay right where you are! I will push you out!¡± Abalone shouted in panic. In this situation, there were only two ways out: either by the way they came in or¡­.the other way. An image flashed in the dragon¡¯s mind as she quivered in dread and disgust at the mere thought of it.


    Landing on a nearby beach, it was time for the main guests to come out.


    *Vomiting sound*


    Two figures were thrown out of the dragon¡¯s throat on the beach sand as they started standing up and tried to shake off the slimy liquid they were covered in.


    ¡°This experience has opened a whole new world of transportation for me. But I wish we will never do it again.¡± Alastor sighed.


    ¡°You still have to go back, no?¡± asked Abalone.


    ¡°Nah! Amelia has given this portal stone that will allow me to transport back to everywhere I have been. From now on, no need for Abalone Express anymore! But I have to thank you for helping us get here. What will you do from now on?¡± inquired the demon lord.


    ¡°¡­To be honest, I don¡¯t know¡­What about you? It¡¯s late for me to ask but what exactly are you doing here? Last time I heard, Oros is currently in a state of war because of a rebellion. And when dragons fight, no one wants to be anywhere near them. Yet, you insisted on coming here. Why?¡±


    ¡°¡­.There are quite a few reasons but¡­¡± Alastor muttered with hesitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me. I can understand that¡­¡± the dragon said.


    ¡°No it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s just a bit complicated. As for you, I think I can trust you. You don¡¯t seem like a bad person and everything you told me so far was the truth. In return, I must do the same.


    There are three main reasons I am here. First is that this civil war between the dragons concerns not just them but also the rest of the world. Depending on the outcome, we can either look forward for a chance at peace with the demons or a total war with them in the future. As you may have guessed, I want to make sure that the demons will be considered a proper race and equal to the Primes. Surely you must have seen some of them in Ragna. Are they really that different from you?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Like you said, indeed I was surprised when I first met them. They are¡­more normal than I thought they would be, totally the opposite of what we used to be told. I guess it¡¯s a legitimate reason to give them at least a chance at peace¡­And you¡­should I take it that you are a demon too? Not that it matters now anyway.¡±


    ¡°I am. Sorry I haven¡¯t told you about it!¡± Alastor confessed.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! I can understand why you didn¡¯t, considering the horrible thing we did to your people in the past. Actually, we even did the same to our own. Me and my clan is an example of that.¡± Abalone spoke.


    ¡°I see¡­As for my second reason, apparently someone is waiting for me in this place, someone I cannot ignore. However I don¡¯t know what he looks like so it might be hard to find him.¡±


    ¡°Do you know his name? Not that I would know since this is also my first time being here but if he is someone famous, I probably might have heard about him.¡± Asked the dragon.


    ¡°I think his name is Amon¡­if I remember correctly.¡±


    ¡°Wow the same name as the Dragon God? That¡¯s amazing!¡± Abalone uttered in shock.


    ¡°¡­..Yeah!¡±


    ¡°But are you sure he is here? The dragon council forbids anyone to adopt the same name as our God because it would be sacrilegious toward our God. I doubt he could be freely moving around here¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I have been told by a friend of his. I don¡¯t think she would have lied to me¡­¡± the image of the dying Goddess of the Moon flashed in Alastor¡¯s mind as he spoke in a sad tone.


    ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s high possible that he is in the rebellion army. Your best bet is to find them.¡± Abalone gave her opinion.


    ¡°And I intend to as it is also my third and final reason for being here. Actually it is my highest priority; I am also looking for someone¡­a family member of mine. I think he is among the ones who trigger the rebellion in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Your family¡­¡± Abalone twitched slightly at the mere word. Something appeared in her mind: a bad memory of the past.  ¡°Alastor, would you allow me to accompany you for a while?¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t mind. You are more than welcome but why do you want to go with me? It will be quite dangerous for someone like you.¡±


    ¡°I know the pain of losing one¡¯s family. Since you have helped me recovering the last heirloom and memory of my parents, I want to help you too. You don¡¯t know how precious it is for me and how frightened I was when I lost it. I will never forget what you have done for me. So let me help you, once again!¡±


    ¡°Thank you! I guess this makes us friends now.¡± The boy grinned joyfully together with the dragon. ¡°But how will you go on land? Should I make the bubble like before?¡±


    ¡°Haha no need! Watch this!¡± In an instant, the moonstone on Abalone¡¯s necklace shined brightly as the light engulfed her body before fainting and revealing an adolescent girl around in her twenties. With long tied up bisque haired color, wearing a green cloak and attire of a travelling merchant with small pouches attached to the belt of her blue dress, Abalone¡¯s human form looked quite similar of that of an elf, especially due to her pointy ears. ¡°My stone allows me to take on a human form, a specialty known only to us sea dragons. Though we cannot maintain it forever and need to charge the stone under the moonlight and underwater. But no worry since it will take like a month for the current state of the stone to run out of mana.¡±


    ¡°What a convenient item to have!¡± Alastor commented. ¡°Then let us go!¡±


    * * *


    A young girl was playing by herself in a nearby lake. Or perhaps playing was not the right word as she was staring at the ground, turning her head left and right as if she was looking for something. The answer was simple. She was looking for a present. Last time in this place, she has found a rather beautiful stone and decided to make a statue of her best friend out of it as a gift for him. However, in the end it broke so now she wanted to return to this place in hope of finding something similar to replace the broken one.


    However, it has been since early morning that she began her search, to no avail unfortunately.  Still she persevered, just so she could please her friend in the best way she knew. What an innocent and thoughtful girl!


    Deciding to take a break, Syralth lied down on the green grass carpet under the brilliant sunlight. Perhaps it was due to her reptilian side but the girl really liked basking under the sun. The warmth, it comforted her and protected from the bad dreams¡­at least that was what she thought in her pure mind.


    Then suddenly, her afternoon nap was disrupted by noises coming from the forest.


    ¡°Is this the right direction?¡± a young male voice spoke out loud.


    ¡°What is the right direction? We are just going further into Oros without really knowing our destination.¡± A female voice said.


    ¡°May I suggest we fly instead of walking?¡± a monotonous voice spoke.


    ¡°¡­.Yeah why didn¡¯t we think of that?¡± the male spoke. ¡°Oh yeah! Because our dragoness can¡¯t fly!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame it on me! No one taught me how to fly so how I am supposed to know? Besides, Oros is filled with dense forests, making it very difficult to spot someone from above like you said. Sure, it¡¯s quicker but there is a high chance you will miss the person you are looking for.¡±


    Immediately, the young draconian decided to hide behind a large rock. After the attack of the adventurers, she has learnt to be more careful with strangers. But upon seeing the strangers, she quickly lowered her guard as they were only a bunch of kids. While they seemed to be slightly older than her, they were not rough looking men like before, making them looking more ¡®trustworthy¡¯.


    ¡°Hey who are you?¡± Appearing from behind the rock, Syralth walked out and showed herself to the strangers.


    ¡°Oh hello little lady!¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°I am not little. It¡¯s called humble in size.¡± Syralth pouted. ¡°And you are not that taller than me anyway.¡±


    ¡°My apologies!¡± Alastor excused himself. ¡°My name is Alastor. These two are my companions Stella and Abalone. Your turn!¡±


    ¡°As if I will tell you! BLEEE!¡± Syralth showed her tongue to the group. The girl¡¯s behavior might seem a bit immature but inside, she was actually very excited. It was her first time seeing someone her age after all. ¡°What are you three doing here, sneaking around in my forest?¡±


    ¡°Then I apologize for trespassing on your territory. We are actually lost here so if you don¡¯t mind helping us out a little bit¡­¡±


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± asked Syralth.


    ¡°We don¡¯t really know either¡­¡± Abalone spoke.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­suspicious¡­What exactly are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°We are looking forward someone named Kaiser.¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°KAISER?¡± Syralth shouted in disbelief ¡°Hum¡­no? I certainly don¡¯t know any man named Kaiser¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say he was a man though.¡±


    ¡°Well Kaiser is a boy¡¯s name.¡± the draconian grunted.


    ¡°It could be a girl¡¯s name for all you know.¡± Alastor jested.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!!! Mister Kaiser is a boy¡­¡± the young girl blurted out before quickly covering her mouth upon realizing what she just said.


    * * *


    ¡°I am telling you, I am so close to solving it now. Just wait a bit longer and don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡± the lich said in a displeased voice after hearing the plan of the little girl by his side.


    ¡°Then just continue what you are doing! If I fail then it¡¯s not like it will change anything.¡± The Goddess grunted.


    ¡°But we don¡¯t know what is down there. What you do might instead awake it or something even worse might happen.¡±


    ¡°Like what? Do you have any proof?¡± the red haired girl inquired.


    ¡°¡­Not really but I am very close now. Most of the translation is almost done. All I have to do is to finish it and pierce them together. Just wait for one more day¡­no, an hour will be enough, please!¡± Noroeth tried to convince the girl.


    ¡°I am tired of sitting around doing nothing. I have given you enough time already. Now it¡¯s my turn!¡±


    ¡°But why the rush? We still haven¡¯t seen any sign of the living metal¡¯s awakening yet.¡± Noroeth conveyed.


    ¡°And if we stay idle for too long, it would be too late to do anything when it does. You weren¡¯t there, Theoron. You don¡¯t know how terrifying that thing is. Do you know how dreadful it is to live in this castle, knowing that that thing is right under your feet? No you don¡¯t!¡± Lilith retorted back before storming out of the room. Her voice could still be heard, echoing throughout the hallway from afar. ¡°Archna, lead me down to the tunnel! We will destroy this thing once and for all.¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°God damn it! Why doesn¡¯t she listen? It¡¯s not just Akroma down there¡­There is also Tartarus, which we know absolutely nothing about. I have to translate this quickly and show it to her.¡± The skeleton spoke to himself as he sat down next to his desk and resumed what he has been doing for the last few days.


    It took a lot of time but Noroeth has finally managed to create a small dictionary based on the old text that would help him translate the ancient Oath made between the Artificer and the demon lords of the past. However, from what he has gathered so far, the lich figured out that he might have stumbled upon something much more significant than he thought. Inside his mind for the last few days, he has pondered a lot on the subject, deducing quite a few speculations and possibly hypothesis based from what he has translated so far. However, there was one particular conjecture that kind of stood out from the rest as it was the most terrifying out of all. Something that Noroeth prayed it would not be the case. Because if it was, what Lilith was doing, if she succeeded, it might doom them all.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Finally! Let¡¯s finish this!¡± Taking out each word from the dictionary and inputting the translated version of that word into the half translated text, Noroeth began to read in his mind what was actually hidden all these times right in front of them.


    ¡°No..¡± With each word put into the puzzle, things started to become clearer and clearer. And with each word, the horror started to unveil itself. The truth of Akroma.


    ¡°No no no no no no no¡­.this is bad¡­very bad! LILITH!!!!! YOU MUST STOP!!!¡± Storming out of the room while holding the translated version of the Oath pact, the skeleton rushed to the entrance of the castle.


    ¡­..


    Following her plan, the spiders have dug a large tunnel right outside the demon lord¡¯s castle that would lead right down to where they found a wall of living metal. Situated dozens of miles in the underground, Lilith and a few spiders together with their Queen Archna were currently inside a large chamber they made. In front of them lied a hole on the wall, revealing a silvery object was present, or rather a part of that object. Its surface was smooth and shiny, a bit like silverware, reflecting a slightly deformed image of the ones standing in front of it.


    That was right. This block was made out of Akroma, also called living metal and perhaps the deadliest weapon known in history of Astora. Last time it was unleashed, half the population of the world was killed by it. But because it was so long ago, its existence has been erased from the pages of history or cast away as nothing more of a myth and the people of the current area would not have the slightest idea that this thing has simply remained dormant all these years, waiting for the day it would wake up¡­.or so Lilith thought.


    Has she ever considered that Akroma might be awake all these times for a certain purpose? Consumed by her own fear, Lilith, just like any normal being of Astora would do in her shoes, decided to destroy it without knowing the consequences of her actions.


    ¡°Lady Lilith, I am not sure about this¡­¡± said the spider Queen Archna. Even she had doubt about Lilith¡¯s plan: to take care of the problem before it spread.


    ¡°Archna, I am not the same as three thousand years ago. My power has also slowly started to come back to me, although I am still not as powerful as I once was. However, this should be enough to take care of it. Or at the very least, this will be a test to see how my current power fares against Akroma.¡± Lilith reassured the spider.


    ¡°Akroma relies on its abnormal regeneration capacity. Not even your poison, the strongest venom in this world, can melt it down. However, that¡¯s because you only attacked once and just one was not strong enough for it. Against opponent with strong regeneration, you either need something that can continuously inflict damage that exceeds its regeneration, wearing it down. Or you must finish it in one single strike, giving it no time to regenerate.


    As for me, I intend to go with the first option.¡±


    What Lilith said was not wrong. The tactics were viable and could be most effective like she said. However, it was perhaps too much of a wishful thinking for a Goddess like herself. Maybe that was how she ended up being tricked by Eden in the first place and had her heart literally stolen by him. Alas, this unreasonable primordial Goddess was about to commit something that would scar her for a very long time.


    Raising her hand forward, Lilith formed a ball of burning hot lava. The succulent scorching fluid looked almost like a sun in her hands. Directing it toward the silvery wall, a ray of intense heat fired itself at the Akroma, melting it down as the beam slowly pierced layers and layers of the thing. Even more, the leftover heat burned away the surrounding silver liquid that tried to close up the gap. It seemed that everything went exactly as Lilith has planned.


    ¡°Hahaha, take that you piece of shit!¡± The Goddess laughed excitedly, seeing that her attack was successful.


    ¡°Incredible¡­.¡± Archna uttered in dismay. ¡°This might just work.¡±


    So did her children think the same thing. In their entire lives, these spiders have never seen such demonstration of strength, not to mention from a Goddess herself. A fire laser was a common attack for the dragons and fire mages but a beam of lava was something completely different. Not only was it much more devastating for everything it touched, the lava also spread everywhere that would naturally destroy the area.


    ¡°S¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey do you hear something?¡± a spider talked to one of his brethren.


    ¡°Hear what?¡±


    ¡°Someone is shouting something¡­I think..¡±


    ¡°ST..¡±


    ¡°Humm¡­yeah I heard something too¡­Where is it coming from? Behind us?¡± The two spiders turned their back to the marvelous display of power and looked at the tunnel they came from.


    From the darkness, a figure wearing a dark robe was running as fast as he could toward them while shouting something.


    ¡°STO¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hey is that the lich from the castle?¡± a spider pointed out.


    ¡°Yeah, looks like him. What is he doing here?¡±


    ¡°STOP¡±


    ¡°What?¡± shouted the spider back at the incoming figure. ¡°Speak louder or we can¡¯t hear you!¡±


    ¡°FUCKING STOP! YOU MUST NOT DESTROY AKROMA!¡±


    ¡°Noroeth? What is he¡­..¡± hearing the desperate scream of the skeleton, Lilith turned her small head back at take a look at him while still maintaining the beam. And that was her biggest mistake.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Intruders detected! Barrier under attack! Removing limiters! Activating Akroma!¡±


    ¡­..


    In an instant, without warning, a thin spear shot out of the silvery wall and impaled the little girl, interrupted her spell and stopping the lava beam. Lucky for her, her quick reflex has helped her to make a quick evasion, making it only piercing her right shoulder.


    ¡°Lady Lilith!!!¡± the spider Queen shouted out loud.


    ¡°This damn thing¡­..let me go!¡± Using her incredible strength, Lilith tore out the spear and threw it to the side on the ground. The wound it made however was minor, enough only to draw blood and slightly damage the muscles it touched because of its slender head. It was as if it was not its intention to kill with that weapon but for another purpose.


    ¡°Lilith!¡± Noroeth rushed to her side. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I am fine. The wound is already healing.¡± Showing her shoulder, Noroeth saw that the injuries left by the spear were already closed up with barely a scar. It was no wonder she was called the Bringer of Flesh, mastering everything related to the body of all living beings. ¡°But if not for you, I would have destroyed it.¡±


    ¡°No you won¡¯t. And you can¡¯t. Akroma must not be destroyed.¡± Noroeth spoke hurriedly.


    ¡°What are you babbling about?¡± questioned Lilith.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­.¡±


    While they were immersed in their conversation, too distracted to pay any attention to their surroundings, only one youngling spider saw what was actually at hands. The spear that Lilith has thrown out earlier, soaked in her blood, has begun to liquefy itself into something of a slimy silvery substance. Like a living being, it moved back to the wall like a snake and merged with it.


    ¡°What the hell??¡± The spider uttered at the scene.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Sample acquired! Beginning retaliation!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    From the seemingly liquid wall, a hand reached out¡­and a head¡­and a body. Those features and the shape belonged to a familiar figure who was right at the scene.


    ¡°Hum..guys¡­what is that?¡± the spider called out to the group, making them turning at the metallic wall.


    ¡°¡­What the actual fuck¡­..¡± Noroeth muttered in disbelief.


    ¡°You got to be kidding me¡­.¡± Lilith uttered.


    From the wall, a little girl that looked exactly like Lilith crawled of the slimy block and stood firmly on the ground. Sharing the exact features from the height to her hair, the only difference between them was the fact that the new girl was colored totally in a silver dye, the same color of Akroma and seemingly made out of metal.


    The silver girl, raising her hand forward toward the group, started to form a sphere just like Lilith did but instead of Lava, it was made out of thousands of silver microscopic machines sticking together to form a liquid, of Akroma itself.


    ¡°<Liquefaction>¡± the silver girl spoke in an automatic voice.


    ¡°DODGE!¡± With the signal, everyone dodged to the side, avoiding the liquid thrown at them. Looking back at what the liquid did to the ground it touched, they were right to do so. Upon contact, the liquid consumed everything it touched like a ravenous slime which only knew of satisfying its hunger. In fact, those tiny machines that formed the substance were responsible for it as they would disintegrate all materials, gathering resources and build more of themselves. Such was the terror of the Living Metal that once ravaged the world. And it would not stop for anything.


    ¡°You monstrosity!¡± Jumping down from above, Lilith dived at the figure, surrounded herself in an intense fire and smashed upon the thing that took on her appearance. ¡°DIE FAKE!¡±


    A powerful attack that shook the ground itself upon impact, Lilith did not hold herself back one bit. She, among anyone else, knew of the danger and threat posed by Akroma. To her, nothing was too much of an overkill for this thing. However, unlike what one would expect, the attack has indeed ransacked the silvery Lilith but did not manage to finish it. The thing, now broken in pieces spreading around everywhere, has started to reform itself with all the pieces converging toward one.


    ¡°Monster¡­..¡± Lilith grunted at the sight of her apparent failure.


    ¡°¡­We must go¡­now!¡± Noroeth pointed at the silver wall as other fake Liliths were beginning to emerge from it as well.


    ¡°But we must stop it¡­else it will¡­¡± the Goddess panted while the lich grabbed her and dragged her away to the tunnel they came in together with Archna and the other spiders.


    ¡°No it won¡¯t!¡± said Noroeth. ¡°Archna, take Lilith and lead the others outside now!¡±


    ¡°I will. But what about you?¡± the spider queen took Lilith on her arms.


    ¡°Just go! I will follow right behind.¡± Noroeth took out his bone staff as he stood in front of the entrance, between the escaping group and the horde of silver Liliths.


    Holding the staff straight high in its vertical position with both his hands, Noroeth addressed the Living Metal.


    ¡°I apologize for disturbing your slumber, Akroma. We didn¡¯t know what you are here for a reason¡­for our own sake. For thousands of years, you have protected us from that thing below. While we know naught what it is, if there is a need to use the deadliest weapon of the world to keep it down here, then may it forever remain that way!


    Akroma, I ask that you resume your eternal slumber! For the peace of the world, Tartarus must never be able to get out of your prison!


    <Earth Breaker>¡±


    Stomping the staff down on the ground below his feet, a violent tremor followed as the cave began to collapse. The stalagmites on the ceiling fell down and broke in pieces while the tunnels started to cave in. It was time for Noroeth to get out of here. He might be an undead but he didn¡¯t want nor having any desire to stay being buried miles in the soil. A magic circle appeared and engulfed the mage. As for the silver girls made from Akroma, with the enemies gone, they were now left all alone among the crumbling domain.


    It was weird. Clearly Akroma¡¯s power was overwhelming, even when going against a primordial God like Lilith. However, even despite that power, the silver girls didn¡¯t pursuit the intruders. Instead they remained in that underground chamber before walking back into the wall and merged with it once again, as if nothing has ever happened.


    And so Akroma resumed its never-ending duty, until someone foolish enough would wake it up again. Perhaps in a few thousand years¡­or perhaps very soon.

 Chapter 90: The lost child

    At the capital of the new kingdom of Valhalla the Promised Lands, inside a chamber of its iron castle, the High Empress Morrigan was standing firmly with her arms crossing behind her back alone in this dim lighted room.  Adorned with iron plates and gauntlets, her attire was dyed in the symbolic color of the old Empire of Zagon, a deep blue dress used by maidens in battle all while able to demonstrate both grace and strength of the wearer. Her tied-up golden hair and blue eyes, characteristic features of the royal family of Magnolia, combined with the slender white tiara on her head, only added to her elegance and refinement.


    Outside, thousands of chatters and cheers could be heard. It was understandable, for perhaps the majority of the people of Eiseinheim have gathered around the royal palace to see their Empress. A big announcement was to be made shortly. That was what people were told. So what was she doing here, staring at this large portrait hanging on the wall?


    But it was her perplexed expression that struck us as odd. A mixture of sadness, of regret but at the same time of reprieve it was. Perhaps it was due to the image of the person in the portrait she was looking at, a woman who resembled oddly to the Empress herself. The only difference was that the woman¡¯s hair was letting straight down to her back instead of tying up like Morrigan.


    ¡°So many things have changed recently.¡± Morrigan spoke out loud to the portrait. ¡°We are on the verge of a revolution. A new era is coming. But the only reason we are standing here today, being able to witness the opening of a new age, the reason why this happens in the first place, is thanks to you¡­And yet, why are you not here, sis?


    ¡­..


    I have always regretted since that day, when I last saw your smile¡­.For all these time, I wondered if there was anything else I could have done to prevent what happened to you. Our father, my mother, they did such terrible things to you¡­I am no better either. If only I have acted¡­if only I have known¡­


    These thoughts have haunted me for years. There isn¡¯t a day I didn¡¯t think about it. But then again, it doesn¡¯t matter now does it? I am just making excuses for myself¡­


    So instead of staying in bereavement, I wanted to do something. I want to continue your legacy, to take care of it, nurture it and to make it come true. Not just your dream of peace between all races but also the most precious gift you have brought to this world: Alastor.


    After being informed of your fate, I tried to look for him for years. But in the end, it was him who came to me. Just how fickle are the hands of fate?


    By the way, do you know that Alastor hates cranberries? I made a cranberry cake for him but you should have seen his face, the way he frowned and looked weirdly at the first bite. And he didn¡¯t even know that himself until recently.¡± Morrigan chuckled at the memory. ¡°Just like you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget sometimes that he is still a kid, considering what he has gone through and his achievements. So many people rely on him¡­but who is he supposed to rely on when he is the one who needs it? He may be powerful, perhaps even the most powerful in the world. But that doesn¡¯t mean he can control everything. One day, things will get out of hands and when that time comes, who can he turn to?


    Sis, I want to be that person. It should have been you but because of me, Alastor has lost you. So from now on, I will take on that role. I will be his mother, the one who will always stay by his side, a place he can return to at all time.


    I will continue the legacy you and Asgore have left for us.¡±


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    ¡°Your Majesty, everyone is here. Are you ready?¡± a female knight asked from outside.


    ¡°I am, Katrina. Just give me a moment!¡± Morrigan called out. ¡°Sister, watch me from above as I make your dream come true!¡±


    Walking out of the room and followed by her faithful knight right behind, the High Empress proceeded to the large balcony facing the stage. A few figures have been waiting for her there, all of the utmost stature: Pope Maxime of the Caelum, Ambassador Viviana of the Whispering Forest, Martel the Duchess of Ragna and the two Priestesses of Malatas. Needless to say, a certain knight was also by the side of his mistress, sticking up to her like a shadow.


    ¡°It¡¯s finally time!¡± the lamia spoke as she bended slightly in front of Morrigan.


    ¡°I would have hoped things would not end like this¡­but attacking the castle in such a coward manner is unforgivable. The people of Caelum stand with you in this war, your Highness. And we pray it will be the last.¡± The new pope said in a solemn voice.


    ¡°The beastmen have also confirmed their participation in this war. We will join you in battle, your Majesty!¡± said Viviana, holding her ashen cane tightly. She herself might still have some doubts about the matter with the demons but Viviana was no fool and a kind woman at heart. Thanks to the Discovery Accord, she has had the chance to meet with some of the residents of Ragna and spent a lot of time with Martel. While it did not mean that she would embrace the demons openly like Morrigan, the cat girl was determined to give them a chance to prove themselves to the world. Instead of labelling them all as evil, she would try to see them as individuals for she herself knew that not everything in this world was black and white. The Primes were the perfect example of this, seeing how many wars and atrocities they have waged between themselves just to have the thing called power.


    ¡°So does Malatas! It¡¯s time we end this once and for all.¡± Cynthia spoke as her counterpart Eris nodded in agreement.


    Watching each of her entourage filled with trust in her, Morrigan proclaimed loudly in a firm voice. ¡°I thank you all for what you have done for our Empire. I will see to it myself that this time, we will achieve peace.¡±


    With that said, Morrigan walked to the balcony under the beaming sunlight. Under her, the streets and court halls have been filled by the mass, all hailing the name of their Empress. From up here, could you distinguish a demon from a human? Of course aside from those with different morphologies based on monsters. But inside, in our minds, our thoughts, we were all the same. Evil and good, each race had their fair share of both.


    It would be a bit of a wishful thinking and quite frankly na?ve to assume that once this war was over, the world would know eternal peace and everyone would live happily forever after. That was impossible, considering our very own nature and tendency to violence. For each era of peace, it was only a question of time before another conflict broke out. That endless cycle would never end.


    However, at the very least, if we had to kill each other, let it be that those who were killed were not always the same because of their race but rather for what they have done. For only when we all understood the pain of others, might the idea of peace be more than just a myth.


    Back to the speech of Morrigan as she addressed her people, among her retainers by her side, each of them had their own thought, their own reason for being here. Some have always been this way. Others have changed their minds after a certain event in their lives that helped them open their eyes. But what mattered was that at the end of the day, they were here, standing as the ones who would lead their people to a new era. What might be behind that door¡­we didn¡¯t know. But at least, let it be that it was our own will and choice that led us there!


    ¡­..


    As the Empress spoke, a conversation was taking place but not with loud spoken words but in the mind.


    ¡®It¡¯s finally here. Aren¡¯t you excited, Yggdrasil?¡¯ Viviana spoke in her mind to the spirit residing in the wooden staff she was holding.


    ¡®Not really¡­This is not the first time I have seen a human claiming for peace.¡¯ The spirit replied in a disinterested tone.


    ¡®But this time it will be different.¡¯


    ¡®So you add one more race to the collection. It doesn¡¯t matter. In the end war will always persist and things will happen all over again. Until now, the demons have been used as an excuse for slaughter. But after this, even when they are considered as your equal, you will just find another excuse to kill each other. That¡¯s just how it is.¡¯


    ¡®Why are you so grumpy these days?¡¯ Viviana retorted. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    ¡®Because you may have done something for yourself and your people but I didn¡¯t do shit.¡¯ Yggdrasile complained. ¡®The task that was entrusted to me by lady Fate is still unfinished. In fact, it hasn¡¯t advanced one bit.¡¯


    ¡®Are you talking about finding the Child of Prophecy? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s Alastor? He is quite powerful and I have to say, compared to anyone I have met so far in my life, he seems to be the most adequate candidate for this title.¡¯ Viviana commented.


    ¡®No¡­Alastor is not the Child of Prophecy. Else I would have known the moment I met him.¡¯


    ¡®How do you even know that if you have never met this chosen one?¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s..complicated. It¡¯s something like an instinct¡­.You know like how you meet someone and think ¡°This is the one¡±. It¡¯s that kind of thing.¡¯


    ¡®No I don¡¯t. What you are saying makes no sense at all.¡¯


    ¡®Bah you won¡¯t understand.¡¯


    ¡®So what? Are you going to leave me? Now of all time?¡¯ asked Viviana worriedly.


    ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry about that. If I leave this vessel, I will be stuck in the Whispering Forest again. At least with you travelling around doing your war, I have more chance to meet the person I am looking for¡­.¡¯ Yggdrasil cut short what he was going to say as a thought came into his mind.


    ¡®Well we will be going to Ceadric soon enough and possibly Ragna or even Oros in the future so you can look for that person over there.¡¯ Viviana said.


    ¡®I do wish so. Since if I can¡¯t find the Child of Prophecy, it would mean that I am in the wrong period...¡¯


    ¡®Wrong period?¡¯ asked the cat girl. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯


    ¡®It means either the Child is not even born yet or¡­¡¯


    ¡®Or what?¡¯


    ¡®Or is already dead¡­.¡¯


    * * *


    Meanwhile, on the other side, Ceadric has finished its preparation. The main army has just departed toward the southern borders together with their king and his royal guards. And of course, it would mean that young Edward was also going with them. He has made his mind to let Tasha staying in the mansion together with a few Hunters of Maria¡¯s group. Yet, Maria herself and Scarlet did not go with him for a very simple reason. She wanted him to grow by himself. Perhaps because of what happened to Tasha, Edward has transformed in an astonishing manner, as if he has grown out of his shell. This was great news for the woman wanted him to be able to influence the war while limiting casualties on both sides. However, that was just what she told the boy. There was actually a more profound reason to why Maria didn¡¯t accompany him. A recent event has changed everything for Maria, leading her to even going as far as ignoring what Alastor has instructed her to keep Edward safe. What happened? The answer lied in the devil Mephisto, currently known as Meto and his discovery as he investigated the Trading Company of Dor.


    Inside a luxurious residence in Cedra, Meto was being led by a servant to see his master, the owner of this recently bought mansion. Indeed it now belonged to Goldbeard, a dwarf merchant of the company of Dor. While the group claimed to be ruled in an egalitarian order between all members, the real power always lied in the hands of the richest one and in this case, Goldbeard.


    The reason Dor assisted Ceadric in this war, pushing them to go against Valhalla and opposing to the idea of neutrality toward demons, was just because this old dwarf has promised them richness and opportunities after the war. Furthermore, if Valhalla lost, it would mean that Ceadric could claim their territories for themselves. And that was what many of the members of Dor aimed for.


    Since Ceadric owned Dor quite a lot for all the resources for helping them during the crisis and funding for this war, the dwarves could claim a part of Valhalla for their own as part of the payment. With the other countries severely weakened, the merchants could profit from that to become even richer. In short, this whole conflict between Ceadric and Valhalla was some kind of investment as Dor waited for the seeds to grow before claiming it. At least that was what most of their members thought. However, the question lied in Goldbeard. Did he come up with this idea by himself? Or was someone else pulling the strings behind all this? Could there be a hidden meaning behind this biased action?


    ¡°Thank you for meeting me, sir Goldbeard!¡± said Meto as he sat down on the expensive couch.


    A small desk was in front of him with a humble figure wearing golden clothing sitting on the other side.


    ¡°No need for formalities, mister Meto! As much as I hate to admit it, it¡¯s rare to meet someone who shares our idea nowadays. The world has gone mad with all these demon sympathizers¡­What kind of sick world are we living in?¡± Goldbeard complained.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Meto clenched his fist in secret. ¡°It falls to us to show the people and guide them back to the right way.¡±


    ¡°You took the words right out of my mouth. I can¡¯t say it any better.¡±


    ¡°Your words are too kind. Unfortunately, we are the few here and this problem cannot be solved by money alone. Your funding and troops might help Ceadric to conquer but that alone is not enough. We must strike the problem at its root.¡± Meto said passionately.


    ¡°You mean attacking Ragna? That is easier said than done and we can¡¯t afford to multi-borders war else it might endanger the outcome with Valhalla. Greed is not a good thing, mister Meto.¡± Goldbeard frowned.


    ¡°Not if we are smart about it.¡± The devil answered.


    ¡°Hum¡­¡± the dwarf uttered in a doubtful tone as he brushed his beard.


    ¡°I know that you still have some doubts about me, milord. You don¡¯t have to hide about it. I would do the same in your shoes. Trust cannot be given. It must be earned.¡± Meto said.


    ¡°Hum you are not wrong in that aspect. Having lived all these years, I know that you cannot trust anyone aside from yourself. So how about this?


    Considering our current state, I am confident we can beat Valhalla with our armies. However, there is still the matter with the demons. For now, thanks to the Levianux sea that serves as a natural defence, they did not dare to attack us, yet. However if the situation becomes worse for them, like animals driven to a corner, they will risk everything. And if that happens and they do in fact succeed on landing on Ceadric, it might become a problem for us.


    Now if you want to prove yourself to me, do you think you can do something to prevent this?¡± the dwarf said.


    ¡°Hum¡­.¡± Meto pondered in silence for a while.


    ¡°Hahaha I was just joking. You don¡¯t have to be so serious about it, sir Meto!¡± Goldbeard jested as he took up his cup of wine. ¡°Trust comes with time so as long as you are faithful to me, I will make sure it will be worth your while.¡±


    ¡°What if I say I can do it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± shocked by Meto¡¯ statement, the dwarf decided to put down his cup and insisted. ¡°Are you joking?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, milord! I am saying that I have a way to make the demons submit to your will or at the very least, removing them from the war.¡± Meto spoke with confidence.


    ¡°You do? How?¡± Goldbeard inquired hastily.


    ¡°It¡¯s a rather simple thing to do. But instead of listening to my insignificant words, it¡¯s better for me to show you the result through my action. I only need a ship to cross the Levianux sea and a dozen men to execute my plan. If you so desire, I can do it now.¡±


    ¡°Only a ship? That¡¯s easy. You will have the fastest ship in a few hours together with a full crew.¡±


    ¡°Then you can be reassured milord! By the end of tomorrow, we will bring Ragna down to its knees. Now if you excuse me, I need to prepare myself for the journey.¡± Meto stood up, preparing himself to leave.


    ¡°Of course! When you are ready, go to the harbor in the central district! The ship will wait for you there.¡± Goldbeard said excitedly as he guided Meto out to the exit himself.


    While the sea of Levianux was the smallest sea in the world, it still needed a full two days of journey to go from Cedra to Ragna. However, Goldbeard was a resourceful man. He had access to ships that could cross the sea and return back under two days thank to its highly advanced tech and the craftsmanship of the dwarves. But those ships usually cost so much, no one but the royalty could afford them. However, we were talking about the richest man in the world here. Surely such a thing would be nothing more than a few coins to him. Compared to the effect this would have on the war in the case Meto succeeded, that amount of money was nothing. But how on earth would Meto accomplish such a feat with just a dozen men? The dwarf contemplated.


    Exiting the mansion, Meto said goodbye to the dwarf and departed. As he strolled down the streets, a sensation of reminiscence came back to him. It has been a long time since he walked among so many humans. In fact, the last time was more than fifteen years ago, back when he was still a human.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    There were two types of demons: those who were born one and those who became one. Mephisto, unlike his companions of the royal guards, was the second type. Fairly rare, these demons were once a prime who ¡®fell¡¯ into the state they were currently in. This was due to the Goddess of the Flesh Lilith who has put a curse on the entire world after being betrayed by Eden. Those who have lost themselves, those who knew true despair and most importantly, those who rejected their very own nature, those people could potentially become a demon under the effect of the curse. Filled with hatred and spite toward their own kind, these primes took on a new form in order to forget about their old self.


    As for Mephisto, he used to be something else, someone who could be said to be the opposite of what he was now. Just what happened to him that led to this? One must wonder.


    ¡°How funny it is for me to remember it now¡­After all those time¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Mephisto bumped into an average looking man in the busy road. ¡°Oh my apologies!¡± he excused himself. But instead of receiving an apology or perhaps an insult, the man simply continued down the flow of people, ignoring the dumbfounded Meto. However that was not before he put a small piece of paper into the devil¡¯s hands and disappearing in the crowd.


    Opening the folding paper, Mephisto read in his mind what was on it. Upon realizing what this meant, he smiled to himself sinisterly.


    ¡°Things just get much more interesting!¡±


    As he crumbed the paper to bits, the devil reached to his pocket and pull out a small purple stone before turning in to a dark alley. Holding it close to his chest in his palm, Mephisto whispered quietly to the stone without letting anyone hear it.


    ¡°Amelia, Azureus, Naberius, I need you all to do something for me. Do your best to make it¡­festive!¡±


    * * *


    A few days ago


    In the land where a dark mist has taken over, killing all lives unfortunate enough to be in contact with it, what was left of a prosperous city stood still in this barren place of death. However, unlike what many expected, this dead city was not as silent and passive as they thought it would be.


    Ever since the incident leading to its downfall, no one has dared to venture in the land of the old elven kingdom, fearing for their own lives. While the miasma has stopped from spreading any further, that was not before it claimed the majority of Malatas¡¯ territory. Still, to make sure that the threat was over, both Valhalla and the beastmen have stationed watch towers alongside the borders of the elven country, cooperating with each other in order to watch over the desolated land. Every day, the patrols would have to report back on the status of the area they were in charge of. So far, there was no sign of any further expansion of the mist and many have asked to be transferred back to the army, especially when the war was coming.


    But it was not the boredom of stillness that pushed these brave men to make such demand. It was something else. In many of the reports, a few patrols claimed to have seen dark shadows with bright red eyes staring at them from inside the mist. Even creepier, these shadows never did anything but simply stood there, watching them closely. Occasionally, sounds of agonizing moans could be heard. While they never encountered the source of those voices, something told them that it was not a living being that made them. The reports were later discarded as mere effects of tiredness or daydreaming by the higher ups. These things were not uncommon for soldiers after all, considering the tense environment they lived in.


    They were telling the truth. There was indeed something residing in the kingdom of miasma. An unbelievable story when you knew that no living being would survive in this place. And yes, no living being. So what could those shadows be? And most importantly, how come they were beginning to appear all over the world without anyone knowing their existence? Where did they come from? What was their goal? Only time would tell.


    Inside the castle of Galahad, a large shadow was peering intensively at a similarly large black coffin covered in chains lying in front of him. As tall as twice the height of a normal shadow, this entity was actually not of the same nature as its peers. That was because he was special, being the one that created all the others in the first place. It took him a long time and a lot of efforts to accomplish this, along with some personal sacrifices.


    With a slow gesture, the figure slid his thin dark hand along the surface of the coffin in a gentle manner, as if caressing something he held very dear. But as it came to the end of the coffin, his hand suddenly grabbed the edge firmly in anger, almost to the point of breaking it.  For a moment, he wanted to crush it but decided not to in the end. Not because his enmity has vanished but because he didn¡¯t want to damage the dear coffin. What was inside this sarcophagus that made him feel so many different emotions at once? Such was perhaps the biggest mystery of this enigmatic creature.


    ¡°Your Reverence, I have returned!¡± a shadow manifested itself behind the large figure.


    ¡°So how was it?¡± asked the figure.


    ¡°Alastor has arrived in Oros and is on his way to meet Kaiser as we speak, just as we wanted.¡±


    ¡°I see. And what about the other matter? Was she there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was. Although I have not been able to approach her yet. My apologies, your Reverence!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. For now, go join the others in Oros! The first battle is about to start soon.¡±


    ¡°As you wish!¡± The shadow turned into a black smoke before vanishing instantly.


    ¡°Time to pay a visit to the demon lord¡¯s castle!


    !¡± the figure uttered as his body turned translucent before completely vanish for good, leaving no trace behind.


    ¡­..


    Among the current residents of the demon lord¡¯s castle, there was one that stood out as the most mysterious individual and perhaps crucial to solving a certain conundrum of the past that took place in this very same building: the massacre and murders of both the demon lord Asgore and the Hero Lakyus. To think that two of the most powerful persons, not including the other heroes and guards, were killed at the same time¡­it was truly an enigma of the highest caliber. But perhaps due to the culprit¡¯s negligence, there was one survivor of that tragedy. In short, she was the only person who could have known and told us about what exactly happened ten years ago, if not for her injuries which have left her handicapped and mentally unstable for life.


    However, one individual remained skeptical. Based on his retainers¡¯ report and surveillance, he was informed about how Alastor, and probably the God Magnus residing inside him, have attempted to cure Ingrid of her ailment to no avail. The leader of the Reapers refused to think that this mystery was unsolvable and was determined to find out the truth. For what purpose, it was still unclear. One could only assume he might do to gain favors from Alastor but perhaps, there was another more profound reason that pushed him to do so. Alas, none of it mattered for now.


    Outside the demon lord¡¯s castle, an invisible entity was flying around, checking window from window, one after another. Undetected by every resident of the palace, including Lilith herself, he could free move around as he searched for the person he was looking for. And he found her, sitting on her bed and staring at nothingness with her blind white eyes. The skinny carcass along with the decrepit wing only added to the pitiful state she was in. Not only it was difficult to communicate and have her attention, the woman sometimes threw a tantrum or screamed out of fear in her sleep, as one would expect from a mentally ill patient. Or so people assumed she was. Perhaps she was simply lonely, with her mind reduced to that of a child, it would be understandable for her to behave that way.


    With his body in an ephemeral state, the figure passed through the walls of the castle and ended up in front of the soulless girl. In this state, no one should be able to see him and yet, it was clear that the girl sensed something different upon his presence in the room. Perhaps it was due to the coldness that ensued with him or perhaps something else¡­.


    ¡°Is someone there?¡± the girl asked, turning her head around and swinging her arms around in hope of reaching someone.


    ¡°¡­..¡± The dark shadow stood still in his place, watching as the girl was trying to touch him. These days, the only way Ingrid could feel safe was by touching someone. Only then could she be sure that she was not alone in this darkness. That was why the woman was desperately looking around for this stranger until she fell out of the edge of the bed to the floor. Judging from the loud sound it made, that fall must have hurt her a bit, especially when you saw how fragile she was and how a few drops of tears have already started to pour out of her blind eyes. But instead of crying out for help like a child, the woman wept away her tears and continued to crawl on the ground to search for the presence she felt.


    ¡°Please touch me! Let me know you are there!¡± the celestial begged on the ground.


    Why was she so persistent? All these for a simple touch? To live in a world with no sound and vision, to live in complete darkness, that fear was horrendous. And yet no one could understand the pains she was going through and could only help her live through the days in this miserable life of hers. That single casual touch you might take for granted was all she wished for. It soothed her fear of the darkness she lived in, eased her pain.


    ¡°Abandoned and forgotten¡­you might as well be considered as one of the deads. Just like your brother¡­¡± the figure spoke to himself. And of course, she could have no way of hearing him.


    Maybe it was out of pity for the poor celestial, the shadow reached out to Ingrid and carried her into his arms as he put her back on the bed. But to Ingrid who didn¡¯t feel anything touching her, it was as if an invisible force simply pushed her up before placing her on her bed. Still, she now knew that there was indeed someone else here.


    ¡°¡­Thank you!¡± the celestial fidgeted. ¡°Who are you? How come I can¡¯t touch you?¡±


    ¡°I am¡­no one, not anymore anyway. I exist but I don¡¯t. Dead or alive, that doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± The figure answered in a cryptic way, yet no words were said.


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Ingrid uttered with a confused face. She was surprise to hear something in her mind, as if her ears were actually working. For an entire decade of total silence, to be able to suddenly hear this strange voice in her mind was shocking but at the same time so wistful enough to break her in tears. ¡°How¡­?¡±


    ¡°I am speaking directly to your very soul. Unlike the vessel, it doesn¡¯t need a functioning organ to work¡­Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡­.It..it just happens.¡± The celestial wept away her tears and sniffed as she tried to calm down. An insurmountable number of different emotions were running through her fragile mind with it. Most of them, she didn¡¯t even understand. All she could do was wiping away the flow of liquid flowing on her pale cheeks.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Are you alright now?¡± asked the figure after having waited for the girl to stop crying. Surprisingly, he did not try to interrupt her or to rush her to do anything. He simply stood there, waiting like a patient parent.


    ¡°Yeah¡­sorry¡­¡± Ingrid uttered.


    ¡°No need to apologize!¡±


    ¡°Thank you¡­But you still didn¡¯t tell me your name..or what are you doing here¡­¡±


    ¡°I have a question for you: do you remember any of the events ten years ago?¡±


    ¡°Not really. My brother and a few others have tried to ask me the same question but I never remembered a thing¡­.I am sorry¡­¡± Ingrid spoke sadly.


    ¡°No no don¡¯t apologize! I already expect it would be this way. That¡¯s why I am here: I will help you recover your memories.¡± Proposed the shadow.


    ¡°What? Is that possible?¡± Ingrid asked in awe.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but I will try. It¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡±


    Suddenly, the shadow felt the presence of someone walking toward them. ¡°I will have to go now. I will be back. Remember to keep this as a secret!¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­see you soon!¡±


    ¡­..


    For the next few days, every day at around the same time when Ingrid was left by herself, the shadow would come again. Similar to what Magnus did to her with Alastor, the shadow would check the soul of the celestial, only to find it severely damaged. However, his checkup came up with a slightly different result. This girl could be cured, difficult and arduous but not impossible. But the treatment would need a long time and these short visits only made the task even more difficult. Still, he risked everything in order to find out the truth.


    During these treatment sessions, it could be said that a strange kind of relationship was beginning to form between these two. It would be an exaggeration to say it was friendship but the actual thing was not really that far from that. The shadow seemed like a concerned parent of their child, although he didn¡¯t show it easily. As for the innocent woman, she saw him as the only person who could speak to her normally and perhaps even a close friend. The reason she was not sure about that was because she knew nothing about this stranger, not even his name. Whenever she felt a cold air blowing in the room, she would be excited as it indicated he has come. Even though sometimes it was simply a plain gentle breeze, leaving her in disappointment.


    After each session, he would ask if she remembered anything. A few bits came up but none was of any importance concerning the tragedy ten years ago. While Ingrid didn¡¯t seem much to improve, seeing her getting better, especially her bright smile, proved to be much more than a mere comfort he sought from her.


    However, it was getting more difficult these days after they almost got discovered by Amelia and Ingrid blurting out their secret encounter. Since then, the witch has paid more attention to Ingrid and would constantly check up on her, making the meeting slightly more problematic. Still the stranger tried to see her more. Sometimes, he didn¡¯t even ask about her memories but instead simply chatted with the celestial about various topics just to make her happy. It was weird how things have changed for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time for me to go now. You should go to sleep, Ingrid!¡± spoke the figure, sitting next to Ingrid.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you stay for longer?¡± asked the celestial in a disappointed voice.


    ¡°Unfortunately I can¡¯t. Amelia will come by soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I am sorry for telling her about you¡­.I am sorry.¡± Uttered Ingrid.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it! Now go to sleep!¡± the shadow stood up and walked toward the window.


    ¡°Wait!¡± the girl called out, making the man turning back to her.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t you tell me your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry¡­it must be difficult to trust me after I have blurted out like an idiot like that¡­¡± said Ingrid in guilt.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not about that¡­It¡¯s just I no longer have a name anymore.¡± The shadow answered.


    ¡°How come?¡± asked Ingrid.


    ¡°Because I changed¡­my soul changed¡­Everything about me, from my purpose to my very own being¡­it¡¯s no longer the same. I am¡­many things stitched together that formed the being in front of you right now. That¡¯s why I have cast away my name, as it is no longer mine to take.¡±


    ¡°But you are still aware of yourself right? I don¡¯t know who you were before but¡­but you are my friend. I won¡¯t ask you about anything else but please¡­just tell me your name!¡± pled Ingrid.


    ¡°¡­..¡± the figure sighed.


    ¡°Sorry¡­for being selfish¡­¡± Ingrid apologized.


    ¡°If I tell you my name, will you stop apologizing to me?¡± requested the shadow.


    Ingrid nodded excitedly in agreement. ¡°Hey wait, we should formally present ourselves.¡±


    ¡°But I already know your name.¡± said the shadow.


    ¡°Just do it, to make our friendship official! Please!¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Ehem, I am Ingrid. Nice to meet you!¡± smiled the celestial.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Ingrid! My name is ¡­.Sinforma.¡±

 Chapter 91: Redemption and Retribution

    With the High Empress of Valhalla and the others left to the frontlines for battle, Cynthia has been appointed the acting governor of the city of Eiseinheim, in charge of all major matters and decisions until Morrigan¡¯s return. Maybe it was best this way as she was not the type of person who has ever held a weapon in her life nor was she a great war strategist to be able to help and give council to the already experienced generals. Well at least, that was the image people had of the Luna Priestess. The truth however was a bit different.


    From conspiring against the royal crown of Malatas together with Odium and Aldol, to planning and executing the death of minister Owen, her malevolence and wickedness knew no bounds. To Cynthia, others were simply there to be her pawns. What was even worse was that this woman was prepared to do anything to achieve her goal. Not many would be willing to accept the deal of some demon lord and yet she was willing to do it without batting an eye. An audacious move or a foolish one? Only time would tell.


    But that vicious woman has begun to change, little by little. The fa?ade she has created for herself has started to become the real thing. All this was thanks to the influence of a certain individual by her side, the same person she once saw as nothing more than a peon. That same peon has now become a faithful knight that has not only broken her rancorous shell but also stolen her heart, the thing she assumed to be lost a long time ago.


    ¡°Thank you for your work today, gentlemen! We will resume our discussion tomorrow.¡± The priestess addressed the council that was currently sitting around a large round table inside the court chamber.


    With everyone leaving the room, Cynthia gave out a long sigh as she loosened up and rested her tired body on the bench. The job of handling all the babbling nobles with their rituals and politics was far more onerous than she thought it would be, especially when you wanted to do things right and not just for your own sake. All these years, Cynthia has been playing the Game for herself only and she was good at it, even though her faction only gained real power after Odium¡¯s arrival. But right now, replacing Morrigan and with the aim of a peaceful negotiation in mind that worked for all parties was much more difficult than just crushing them flat. Indeed, she has changed.


    ¡°Are you alright, lady Cynthia?¡± Luvik walked inside the chamber after waiting for all the ministers and members of the council leave.


    ¡°¡­..¡± The priestess turned her head and looked sternly at the confused knight without uttering a word. Though her eyes were hidden by the sun headpiece she was wearing, Luvik could somehow feel her eyes staring down at him as he understood what she meant by that silence.


    ¡°I mean¡­are you alright, Cynthia?¡±


    ¡°I am fine, Luvik. It must be boring for you to have to stay behind with me while your comrades are going to the battlefield¡­.I am sorry for holding you here.¡± Cynthia said.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that! While it is regrettable that I cannot join my fellow soldiers in battle, I have my own duty to uphold given to me by her Highness. And that is to be by your side.¡± Luvik spoke firmly.


    ¡°Does that mean you only stayed because Empress Morrigan ordered you too?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­Uhmm¡­A knight¡¯s opinion does not matter in face of his duty. He will do as he was instructed.¡± Luvik uttered awkwardly, cleaning his throat as he tried to change the subject.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little more honest with yourself, Luvik? Or do you want me to say it?¡±


    ¡°...Well I would be lying if I say that my reasoning to stay by your side is not something personal¡­And by that I mean, you are a wonderful individual with...exceptional talents. It¡¯s an honor for any knight and not just me to have the opportunity to serve you.¡± the knight spoke in words that were clearly not his own but rather picked out from a book he read. And seeing such an experienced knight fidgeting like a little girl who was at lost for words could be said to be an entirely new experience. But that didn¡¯t please the priestess one bit.


    ¡°Luvik!¡± Cynthia raised her voice, making her supposed to be bodyguard settling firmly.


    ¡°¡­Because you are special¡­to me.¡± He blurted out.


    ¡°How special?¡± Cynthia teased, grinning.


    ¡°..Special¡­.special in my heart¡­as a woman.¡± The knight uttered in a low voice but enough for the priestess to hear it. Unlike one would expect, she was the one who tried to tease him but instead got caught in her own scheme as at the moment, she was the one flustering the most.


    With her cheeks turning red from what seemed to be an indirect confession, but a confession nonetheless. Cynthia tried to cover her face with her sleeves.


    ¡°Cynthia?¡± seeing her unusual behavior, Luvik approached the confounded woman who refused to show him her face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked in a concerned tone, attempting to reach out to her.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± she affirmed but her voice betrayed that confidence in herself. It was then that Luvik suddenly realized what he has just said and what it implied before turning red too.


    ¡°I apologize. I have overstepped my bounds. Please forgive me!¡± said the knight who did not dare look at Cynthia straight. ¡°It must be distasteful to for someone of lowly stature like me to have the audacity to say that in your face¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­It¡¯s not like I hate it¡­.¡± The woman uttered. Her cheeks were getting a bit too warm for her to hide them behind these sleeves.


    Hearing it, Luvik¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Should I take it as a yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t ask me properly, I won¡¯t be able to answer.¡±


    What Luvik did next was something she did not expect at all. Reaching out to his pocket, the knight revealed a jade bracelet, somewhat old looking but still had a faint brilliance surrounding it. Swiping his blue cape as he kneeled down before the priestess who was staggered when she realized what he was about to do, Luvik showed her the bracelet and spoke.


    ¡°This bracelet belonged to my mother and her mother before her. It¡¯s the heirloom of the Centura family, to be given to the one who will be married to the eldest son. Miss Cynthia, would you grant me the pleasure of being your partner in in life? I don¡¯t have much richness but I promise that I will make you happy.¡±


    ¡°!!! This¡­This¡­¡± Cynthia found herself lost for words. ¡°A..A...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer immediately. I know this a perhaps a bit too sudden on my part so please take all the time you need! We are in the middle of a war so things can always get out of hands. That¡¯s why I want to make sure I have no regret in case I¡­¡±


    ¡°NO! Don¡¯t say that! Please¡­¡± Cynthia shouted at her knight.


    ¡°Miss Cynthia, life goes by faster than we think it is. And the problem is, it never waits for anyone. But it¡¯s not the end we should constantly worry about. It¡¯s the journey that leads us to it that matters.


    What we are currently doing, it will change the world forever. For the first time in history, peace seems this close. It is within our grasp. As for me, I want to make that future come true, not just for myself but also for the next generations.


    Don¡¯t you agree?¡¯ inquired Luvik.


    ¡°...Since when did you get so poetic all of the sudden?¡± asked Cynthia.


    ¡°It¡¯s just some stuff I read during my free time.¡± Luvik scratched his head to hide his embarrassment.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you are the kind of man to read this type of book. How come?¡±


    ¡°Because I want to be someone worthy of you¡­You may not know this but people see you as their idol. You have stolen the hearts of many including me, some are far more prestigious than I could ever be. But I don¡¯t want to give up. I want to improve myself so that one day I can be proud in saying that I am worthy to be by your side.¡±


    ¡°¡­You did all that for me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I love you. That¡¯s why I am prepared to do anything for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Luvik, I¡­.¡±


    ¡°Miss Cynthia, like I said, you don¡¯t have to answer it now. It has been a tiring day for you so you should go to rest. If it bothers you that much, please ignore what I have said! I am here to help you, not to add even more burdens to what you already have.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    ¡°I will wait for you outside, miss Cynthia. When you are ready to go back, just call for me!¡± Luvik went out the door after putting his precious bracelet on the table in front of Cynthia, leaving the priestess by herself who was still shocked by what just happened.


    Deep inside, she was happy, incredibly happy. Though it was unexpected, that was not the reason why she seemed reluctant. In her mind, the word ¡°yes¡± has been said a million times already. Even now, it resounded in her head like an echo of her conscience, telling her to do it. Normally she would. Of course she wanted to. But something was holding her back, something dreadful that has haunted her for days. That doubt has been sticking in her mind ever since she began to change. And now with what Luvik just said, it turned into fear.


    ¡®¡­What will you do?¡¯ a voice uttered in her mind. It was the demon lord Sullivan who has been connecting to her thanks to Odium¡¯s experiment and the black crystal shard embedded on her chest.


    ¡®¡­Sullivan, there is something I need to tell you¡­¡¯ the priestess said.


    ¡®What is this?¡¯


    ¡®I want to cancel our deal, the deal I made with you demon lords.¡¯


    ¡®¡­And why is that?¡¯


    ¡®I changed my mind. I no longer wish for the destruction of this world anymore.¡¯ Replied Cynthia.


    ¡®Is this because of him?¡¯


    ¡®¡­.¡¯ She remained silent.


    ¡®I kind of expect that since the day you kissed him. You changed, Cynthia.¡¯


    ¡®I may have changed but I will continue to assist Alastor with his plan. He too desires peace, unlike the rest of you and I will make sure his plan will succeed. Considering the current situation, there is no way your vision could become true.¡¯


    ¡®So this is the end, huh?¡¯ asked the dwarf.


    ¡®Yes! I won¡¯t listen to you or anyone anymore. From now on, I will decide my own fate. And that¡¯s to work for a better future, a peaceful vision¡­alongside Luvik.¡¯


    ¡®¡­I see. That¡¯s regrettable. And here I have started to be fond of you¡­Such a pity!¡¯


    ¡®I guess this is the part where you kill me? Just like Aldol, I am no longer of use to you anymore so it¡¯s in your best interest to get rid of me.¡¯ Said the Luna priestess.


    ¡®So that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t accept his proposal. You knew you are going to die soon¡­You don¡¯t want to make him sad.¡¯ Uttered Sullivan.


    ¡®It¡¯s unavoidable that he will be sad. But at the very least, he won¡¯t be bound to me. This bracelet¡­.it deserves to be in the hands of someone better than me. I am a broken doll, defiled by all¡­A leftover¡­I have no right to be by his side, no matter how much I want to.¡¯


    ¡®¡­..¡¯


    ¡®Just do it, before he gets back! But if you can, please make it so I could still look the same as I am now! I don¡¯t want his last image of me to be a bloody mess.¡¯


    ¡®Very well! This is goodbye, Cynthia. It was fun¡­while it lasted.¡¯


    A painful ache came from Cynthia¡¯s chest as she clenched her fist to prepare herself. It was hot and hard to breath. Struggling against the pain as she tried to remain on the chair, Cynthia awaited her inevitable end.


    ¡°Goodbye Luvik! I love you too!¡±


    ¡­..


    It has been a while since Luvik has come out of the room and waited for Cynthia to come out. Even now, he could not believe what he has said to her. Did he regret it? A little as he was afraid she might reject him and their relationship could take a sour turn. But if he had the chance to rewind time, he would still do it. For he could no longer hide his feelings from her anymore. Whatever how this would play out, he would embrace it and respect her decision.


    However, she has taken quite some time now. Just what was she doing inside by herself? Could it be that she has left already? Impossible! Luvik was waiting for her right at the entrance. In no way he could have missed her. Curious and a little worried, Luvik decided to knock on the door.


    ¡°Milady, are you there?¡±


    No answer.


    ¡°Please excuse me!¡± the knight opened the door slightly and peeked through the gap as he looked around for his mistress. She was not there, not even in her seat. Storming inside, the knight called out to her.


    ¡°Cynthia? Where are you? Cynthia!¡±


    As he approached the chair she was sitting on earlier, which was on the other side of the room hidden by the large table, Luvik stumbled across a white figure lying on the ground motionless.


    ¡°CYNTHIA!!!¡± Luvik rushed to her side and crouched down as he lied down her head on his arm. ¡°What happened? Answer me, Cynthia!!!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    ¡­..


    Inside this darkness, a small line of light stretched itself, revealing the most brilliant light they have seen. The figure started to open her eyes.


    ¡°..wh..what¡­Luvik?¡± Cynthia uttered with a confused expression.


    ¡°I am here, Cynthia. What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡­how come I still¡­?¡±


    At that moment, the priestess felt a sudden relief on her chest. Something has fell off from her body. A great burden has been lifted from her. Reaching inside her cloth, Cynthia took out the dark crystal in her hand.


    ¡®From now on, you are free. I wish you find your happiness, Cynthia.¡¯ And with it, Sullian¡¯s voice vanished from Cynthia¡¯s mind as it echoed one final time.


    * * *


    It was said that the moonstone owned by the sea dragons of Oros held mysterious powers that remained unknown even till this day. Abalone¡¯s was no exception. In addition to her arsenal of spells using the stone as a catalyst, it also allowed her to communicate telepathically with animals and sometimes even monsters. And among those creatures Abalone could speak to, there was one who decided to accompany her in her journey from west to east, north to south, to each and every corner of the world: Heru the gyrfalcon.


    Using their psionic bond, Abalone was able to command him and use him as her eyes on the sky both figuratively and literally. And now, Heru has just returned from his scouting tour.


    ¡°Thank you, Heru!¡± the gyrfalcon landed on Abalone¡¯s arm.


    ¡°SKREAAKKK (eagle screaming)¡±


    ¡°You never cease to surprise me with your magic. First a human transformation then this¡­Now I understand why so many seek your stone.¡± Commented Alastor.


    ¡°There is that but Heru is a bit special. I raised him ever since he was still an egg. In a way, he sees me as his mother or at least a motherly figure.¡± Abalone said.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°A dragon adopting a gyrfalcon? What an interesting combination! Can he do something else aside from talking with you?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°We have a few other tricks but I would rather not show you yet. Let¡¯s say it¡¯s a secret of the trade! Hihi!¡± grinned the dragoness.


    ¡°Fair enough! So did he find something interesting?¡± said the demon lord.


    ¡°He saw a large camp not that far from here to the west. Also a series of unusually tall towers clustering together to form a city¡­So that¡¯s the fabled Canaan, The City of Firmament Spires I have heard so much about.¡± Abalone spoke as she remembered the vision she saw through Heru¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ah yes, it¡¯s also your first time coming here yeah? How does it feel?¡±


    ¡°It feels a bit strange, knowing that this was once the home of my people and now I am probably the one of the sea dragons wandering around in Oros. But enough of me babbling over my sensitivity!¡± Abalone turned to the little girl who has joined the group after they landed on the dragon continent. Awkwardly, the emerald haired girl was holding on to Abalone¡¯s arms to hide herself from Alastor¡­or rather the person by his side. ¡°Will you let go of me already? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with me?¡± Syralth uttered out loud. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± the little draconian pointed at Stella.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Alastor. ¡°Why do you sound so afraid of Stella?¡±


    ¡°Because she is scary!!!¡± said Syralth.


    ¡°Scary? Stella? What made you say that?¡± inquired the boy curiously. It was true that he noticed Syralth¡¯ strange behavior around the doll ever since she joined them in search for Kaiser. At first, nothing seemed out of place then suddenly, Syralth would refuse to stay anywhere near the doll even though she did not do anything to her. ¡°Stella, did you do something to her?¡±


    ¡°I merely touched her shoulder from behind earlier. It might have startled her a bit¡­.I am sorry.¡± Stella apologized.


    ¡°Oh come on, Syralth! Stella already apologized and it¡¯s not such a big deal. Don¡¯t be so grumpy!¡± Abalone commented.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that!!! It¡¯s¡­just¡­¡± Syralth flustered.


    ¡°Just what?¡± Alastor questioned.


    ¡°Her hands are scary¡­.I think¡­.¡± The little girl spoke.


    ¡°Her hands?¡± Alastor uttered before realizing what she meant by that. ¡°I told you that Stella is a doll so her hands are slightly different from us. Still, she is someone I hold dear and a member of my family. Therefore, I would appreciate if you don¡¯t consider her as a doll.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that either¡­AAA none of you will understand¡­She is..scary!!!!¡± Syralth threw tantrum.


    ¡°¡­..*sigh* To think this is Celdora¡¯s daughter¡­I hope her father is not like this¡­¡± Alastor sighed and decided to ignore the little draconian.


    ¡°Well we are going to see him soon if he is with this Kaiser person you are looking for. Don¡¯t worry! You will meet both of them tomorrow.¡± Abalone reassured.


    ¡°I hope so too.¡±


    * * *


    As the war between Ceadric and Valhalla finally began, the beastmen have been mobilizing their troops toward the battlefield to aid their ally. Meanwhile, the two sides of the sea of Levianux remained in a strained atmosphere as a battle could potentially take place at any time. The fleets of Ceadric have been deployed but in the end decided to stay idle in the coasts of the main continent to avoid entering conflict with the demons of Ragna. After all, Ragna remained an unknown factor in this conflict because of the lack of intelligence about their army and the extent of their abilities. There was a reason the demon continent has managed to stay unconquered till this day and no one was foolish enough to blindly charge at them.


    And yet at the moment, there was one single ship that was heading toward the demon continent without having any escort ship to defend itself except for its superior speed compared to the other ships. Onboard, the crew consisted of a number of veteran adventurers, the best money could buy. In addition to the already experienced crew and the fastest ship in the world, its appointed leader and captain was perhaps one of the most scheming individual as the person who has demanded this expedition: the mysterious merchant Meto, also known as Mephisto the leader of the four royal demon guards.


    As part of the deal with Goldbeard, Meto claimed that he had a way to make sure that the army of Ragna would not bother Ceadric and their war. That was easy for the man who was the leader of the demon royal guards. However, it was not the fact that Ragna would stay idle that Meto needed to show to Goldbeard, it was how he did it that could prove his supposed allegiance and ability to the dwarf in order to gain his trust. Some kind of proof was needed and Meto must be the one who would provide that. And he got a plan.


    ¡°Sir Meto, we are approaching the continent of Ragna. Are you sure about this?¡± Asked a mercenary.


    ¡°Of course! This secret route will allow us to go straight to the central part of Ragna without being detected by the patrols. Just follow the coast as I have indicated on the map!¡± Said Meto.


    ¡°Amazing! How did you find out about this route?¡±


    ¡°I used to smuggle slaves from Ragna to Cedra as part of my business. For ten years I have not been discovered once. Trust me on this!¡± Meto reassured.


    ¡°You used to be a slaver? That¡¯s nice. May I ask if you are still in the business?¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you interested in acquiring one?¡± Inquired Meto.


    ¡°One or two actually. I have been trying to find some slavers that deal with demon slaves but those things are difficult to get by these days, especially after the harbor village in Ragna was destroyed a few months ago. And you know how everything went to shit recently¡­¡±


    ¡°...If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why do you seek to have demon slaves? Aren¡¯t human slaves much easier to find?¡± Meto changed his tone but not enough to raise suspicion.


    ¡°Hehe it¡¯s embarrassing but I used to have a demon as a pet but I had to sell her a while ago. Such a pity since she was the cutest thing ever. If you ask me, demon slaves are much more obedient to have around since they don¡¯t have anywhere else to go anyway.¡±


    ¡°Sell her?¡± asked Meto.


    ¡°Yeah! I was in debts to some guys. Had no way to pay off until I saw the request at the Guild in Cedra asking for demon blood. As regrettable as it was, I had to do it or they would kill me for that.¡±


    ¡°That is not selling her. You killed her!¡± Meto raised his voice.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not like she is going to sell for a better price anymore. I have to admit that I played around a bit too hard with her so I was lucky that the guy was only interested in blood and not in the body. Anyway, I thought I can always get another one so it¡¯s not like I would miss her for too long.¡±


    ¡°...I see...Then after this, I am sure I can spare a few for you fine gentleman. For now, let¡¯s focus on our mission!¡± Meto uttered.


    ¡°Of course! So the plan is to kidnap the prince of the demons, correct?¡± The mercenary spoke.


    ¡°Yes. By having one of their leaders as our hostage, they will not dare to do anything against us if they wish for him to be unharmed. Simple but effective.¡±


    ¡°Incredible! Though I didn¡¯t even know that the demons have a prince.¡±


    ¡°Of course you won¡¯t. They tried to keep this fact a secret only known to the highest ranks demons. I was lucky to have stumbled across this knowledge in the past. Although I would never expect that this info would be one day useful to me.¡± Meto explained.


    After having landed onto the continent, the group followed Meto in his secret route. To make sure that they still had a way back, Meto decided to leave half the group and took the most powerful members with him to the expedition, including the mercenary from earlier. Within just a few hours, they found a hidden keep deep inside the forest of Ragna. From a glance, it was clear that the fortress was heavily guarded and perhaps too much for their number. But there was no need for any confrontation as Meto also knew of a secret passage that would lead them straight inside this keep where the prince resided.


    Following the small hidden passage, the group found themselves in front of a luxurious chamber with red carpet and golden goblets. Peeking through the small gap of the door, they looked out for their target.


    A small figure was held in the hands of a little girl sitting on a golden chair. Unlike what we would expect from a prince of such expensive castle, it was a roundish blue thing that looked nothing like a human but more like a monster. Two beautiful maids were by his side, each holding a pink feathered fan ruffling a gentle wind to the monster¡¯s face. Next to the chair stood a grand beastmen wielding an impressive looking axe that seemed to have been through countless battles.


    ¡°Hehehehe this is what I call life! Beautiful maiden serving me from day to night, don¡¯t you think so, Naberius?¡± Asked the prince.


    ¡°Your words are most wise, milord!¡± Said the beastman.


    ¡°What about you Amelia?¡± the small thing turned toward the little wearing a black witch outfit holding him on her legs.


    ¡°Your mighty squishiness is unrivaled by all my prince!¡± the girl spoke in a gentle manner with a smile. Yet, for a second, it seemed like she just wanted to crush the thing she was holding but ended up holding back. Though no one saw that moment of disparity in her attitude as all the men outside were only concerned about their jealousy toward the damned prince who had beautiful women and a strong looking bodyguard even though he was just perhaps the weakest thing they ever saw.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it is time for your meal. Would you like to accompany us to the dinner room?¡± asked a maid.


    ¡°Nah I want to eat right here.¡± The prince answered.


    ¡°But there are more than one hundred courses. I am afraid this room won¡¯t be enough to¡­¡± commented the other maid.


    ¡°And? Is there a problem?¡± the blue thing spoke arrogantly. ¡°Naberius and Amelia can help you bring them all here.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we stay by your side, your Highness?¡± asked Amelia.


    ¡°No need! Besides you will be just gone for a few minutes. It¡¯s not like something could possibly happen during that short time. Now go, all of you! I am hungry.¡±


    ¡°Quickly, hide!¡± Meto whispered to the men as they skillfully jumped to the ceiling. Thanks to their mage, the small group was able to stay up there sticking to the ceiling while remaining invisible and undetected by the demons as they walked out of the room, leaving their prince by himself behind.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s our chance! Grab him!¡± Meto ordered.


    In just a matter of seconds, the veteran group of mercenaries stormed into the group.


    ¡°What? Who are¡­?¡± Before the prince could even speak, Meto has snagged the small figure into a large pouch.


    ¡°Now quick, we must get out before they¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­My prince, I forgot to ask if you prefer¡­..INTRUDERS!!!¡± Naberius shouted upon spotting the men.


    ¡°RUN!¡± Meto yelled.


    Immediately, the group jumped out of the windows and landed right outside the castle. Lucky for them, it was only from the second floor and that was too easy for people with skills like them. However, here came the demon guards.


    ¡°They kidnapped the prince! KILL THEM!¡± Naberius jumped down and ordered the soldiers to pursuit the trespassers.


    ¡°Spread out! We will regroup at the chosen location!¡± said Meto to the rest before each of them took off in another direction.


    Despite their high level of skills, it was a bit strange for the demon guards to not be able to catch up with them. Perhaps for normal soldiers but the same could not be said for someone like Naberius.


    Alas, Meto was the first to have reached the location the group has decided before. Followed right behind him was the mercenary he spoke to on the boat, the one who asked him for demon slaves. His arrival here could be said to be perfect.


    ¡°Oh sir Meto, I see that you have arrived first. Is that prince guy still in the pouch?¡± the mercenary pointed at the pouch on the ground by Meto¡¯ side.


    ¡°Oh he is!¡± the devil kicked the sack.


    ¡°Ouch! Damn you! I demand that you let me go this instant or else Naberius will chop your head off.¡± The prince spoke from inside.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Meto kicked the sack again.


    ¡°Perfect! So we just need to wait for the others right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed! But first we have something to discuss¡­¡± Meto spoke in a serious tone.


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°About how I should deal with you! <Dread of Cur>¡±


    Without warning, the mercenary¡¯s body felt an intense fear as every inch of his body became paralyzed before falling down. Yet he was still conscious of his surrounding with his sight and hearing as the only senses left.


    ¡°You can come out now Naberius!¡± Mephisto spoke to the void.


    A large figure walked out from the bushes. The beastman walked toward the two and put down the giant axe right in front of the mercenary¡¯s face, making him almost pissing himself.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± asked Naberius. ¡°The others will come here in just a few minutes so we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t take that long. Can you bring him to the leech girls? Tell them that this is a present from me as part of their agreement to join our causes! Also tell them they can expect for more in the future!¡± said Mephisto with a devilish grin.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem but you are sure about that? Why risk this much just to kill one guy?¡±


    ¡°I am merely giving him the opportunity to see things from another perspective.¡± Mephisto turned to the horrified man on the ground. ¡°You will be their pet¡­and their nourishment. Every day they will suck you dry, yet enough to leave you barely alive. After a while, you will wish that you were killed¡­.but we won¡¯t give you that chance. You still spend the rest of your life as a pet for what you did to that girl!


    You can take him!¡±


    ¡°Why such a harsh treatment? I understand he is bad but why not just kill him already?¡± asked Naberius.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Naberius. He is one of those who helped Sanctus in their experimentation on the orphans. I don¡¯t care for his reason, whether he did it unknowingly or voluntarily. All vermin linked to Sanctus must be expunged from the surface of the world.¡± Meto spoke in anger.


    ¡°Are you still hung up on the past after all?¡±


    ¡°I will never forget, Naberius. Never! What they did to those children¡­to MY CHILDREN! I raised all of them as my own and yet they did that to them. I won¡¯t stop until each and every last one of them is eradicated. The world will be a better place without their filthy bloodline.¡± Mephisto raged. This was perhaps the most emotional moment Naberius has seen in his friend even though they have known each other for more than a decade. Exhaling heavily, the devil fixed his voice. ¡°¡­My apologies! That was out of line of me. You can take him now. Do it quick before they get here!¡±


    ¡°¡­I will.¡± Naberius took the paralyzed mercenary on his shoulder who was crying out of fear of what was going to happen to him. ¡°Take care, Mephisto! Be safe!¡±


    ¡°¡­I will!¡±

 Discussion post 2 (NOT A CHAPTER)

    Hello everyone! J


    Before I say anything, this is a Discussion post as a preparation for me for the second book of this series (book 1 in done in term of storyline and will finish somewhere between chapter 110-120 I hope before the end of August).


    As I have said in a few posts, the second book is a direct sequel of the current story but with a new MC. Who do you think this character might be? Tell me who you think it might be! (yes it is one of the characters that will or have already appeared in book 1, either mentioned by a known character or we have seen that person)


    As for the reason of this post, it is to measure the popularity of each character so far. Depending on the story goes and your opinion, this might have an effect on the story. It is regretful but in order to have new characters coming in book 2, old ones need to go.


    Since there are too many of them (major and minor), I won¡¯t be making a poll but instead ask you to give me your favorite character(s) and the reasons why. Rest assured! Just because a character doesn¡¯t have many vote, it doesn¡¯t mean he or she won¡¯t appear in book 2. This is simply guidance for me to know which character is the most successful and most importantly what makes you like them so much in order to help me making even better characters. Therefore I would appreciate if you tell me the reason for your choice in the comments.


    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    I understand it¡¯s a lot of hassle I am asking but in order to improve my novel, it¡¯s not just about me thinking of new ideas or has better grammar. The readers also can voice their opinions to help me make this series even better by telling me what is good or bad in the most objective way possible.


    Again thank you for all those who have continued to read my novel this far! If you don¡¯t mind, please leave comments or reviews as this is the only way I know I am going in the right direction! But mostly it¡¯s because I enjoy reading your opinions J.


    PS: Another chapter should be available later today so look forward to it! ^^


    Also this is an open discussion so if there are details about story you wish me to clarify or simple talk about it, don''t hesitate! (no spoiler though)

 Chapter 92: Father and son

    Upon learning of the return of the expedition crew he sent to Ragna, Goldbeard immediately rushed to the secret prison cell as instructed previously by Meto. All of the guards of this notorious prison were hired by the dwarf himself so there was no reason for him to be suspicious at all. In addition, it was not like he had time to even be suspicious as someone has come up to him with a solution of the demons¡¯ problem. If this was true and Goldbeard could really use as leverage against the demons, then it could be said that this war was practically over.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Goldbeard stormed inside the room followed by his two bodyguards.


    ¡°Right here, milord!¡± Meto revealed the tied up figure in the cell. Attached to a heavy metal ball and covered by two sets of chains, the blue prince seemed to have no way of even move an inch outside the range of the chain.


    ¡°A slime? The prince of the demons is a slime?¡± Goldbeard asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, milord! I know it¡¯s hard to believe but it is the truth. I know naught why the demons have such a ridiculous prince, maybe this slime is affiliated to the demon lord himself. But I assure sure of his identity and his value.¡± Meto pled.


    Turning his head to the group of men Goldbeard sent to accompany Meto, they all confirmed that Meto was telling the truth. After all, what they witnessed over there clearly showed that whoever this slime was, he was someone very important. However, not all the men have managed to come back unharmed with even a few missing among the returned crew. But Goldbeard didn¡¯t care for that. A few unknown mercenaries in exchange for the prince of Ragna? He would do it gladly.


    ¡°Incredible! HAHAHAHA! With this, victory is mine! HAHAHAHAAHA!¡± laughing like a maniac, Goldbeard turned to the person who was responsible for this achievement. ¡°Very good, sir Meto! Very good indeed! You have proven yourself to me. There is nothing I value more than talented men. They are so rare these days and you sir, are truly one of them. As promised, you will have all the richness you want. Just say it!¡± Goldbeard said cheerfully.


    ¡°You flatter me, milord! My only goal is to get rid of the demon curse of this world and helping you in this holy crusade is the only way to do it. I have no need for anything else¡­


    Although if you insist, may I suggest for a little amount of¡­¡± Meto whispered in the dwarf¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Hehehe that¡¯s not a problem at all. I will send my men to deliver the gold directly to your home. You will have it by the end of today. You have earned it, both the money and my trust.¡±


    While Meto could have plainly refused to take the money, saying that he merely did it to help Goldbeard, it was actually not recommended to do it. The reason was that for someone like Goldbeard who had a trust problem in others, it was easier to convince him that you did it for a personal reason like money and fame rather than an idealistic cause like purging demons. When both parties knew what each other wanted, all kinds of negotiations and trust were much more straightforward since both understood the other¡¯s motive, making them more relatable.


    ¡°Your words are too kind.¡± Meto slightly bowed.


    ¡°So what should we do with this monster?¡± asked the dwarf.


    ¡°As much as I want to chop him to pieces, he is more valuable to us alive than dead. For now, I think you should increase security around this building and let no one be aware of his confinement here. I have made sure that the demons know that we have their prince so they won¡¯t dare to make a move as long as we still have him.


    That¡¯s of course until the war with Valhalla is over. After that, he won¡¯t be necessary anymore.¡± grinned Meto evilly.


    ¡°I see. That seems like the perfect plan to me. Alright, that¡¯s what we are going to do.¡± Goldbeard brushed his beard.


    ¡°LET ME GO, YOU STUPID HUMANS!¡± the slime shouted in the background. ¡°I am prince Azureus, First of his name. Let me go or taste the might of the Ragna¡¯s royal army!!!¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You have no power here, you stupid slime!¡± Meto kicked the bars of the cell violently, making the slime captured inside shrivel in fear like a coward. ¡°Now if you excuse me, lord Goldbeard, it has been a tiring trip so if you no longer require my presence here, please allow me to retreat to my quarters!¡±


    ¡°Of course, go ahead! After what you have done, sir Meto, you deserve a long nice rest. When you are ready, come back to my mansion! I have something to talk to you with.¡± Said the dwarf.


    ¡°Yes, milord!¡±


    Walking out of the building, Mephisto grinned mischievously. He has succeeded the first part of his grand scheme which was to gain Goldbeard¡¯s trust. Piece by piece, the chessboard was going all according to his will. Now it was time for the next move.


    The piece of paper that stranger gave to him before the expedition told him to come to a small cabin outside of Cedra tonight. A suspicious invitation that no one should have followed as not even the name of the sender was indicated. For all he knew, this could be a trap. However, Meto was determined to find out who this mysterious person was, not just out of curiosity but also because he already had an idea of who it might be. And for the next stage of Meto¡¯s plan, their assistance was required.


    As the sun set down slowly and night took over, Meto set out to this abandoned place as shown by the small letter. Situated in the eastern peripheral of the city, the said location has been abandoned long ago by the farmers because of the frequent monsters roaming around. However even after a monster extermination expedition, no one really bothered to move back as they have already relocated themselves in other places.


    Arriving at the scene, the devil was greeted with a single servant in a luxurious butler suit who has been waiting for him outside the cabin. But that was just the one visible. From a mere glance, Meto could spot out at least a few dozens men hiding stealthily in the surroundings, all with their weapons drawn out to prepare for all situations.


    ¡°Please come this way, master Meto!¡± the butler showed the devil the way inside before opening the door for him.


    And as expected, Meto was right. The senders of this letter were exactly who he thought they were.


    Upon entering the room, Meto was greeted by two dwarves sitting on one side of a small wooden table: one with a long white beard and the other with black beard. Both seemed much younger than Goldbeard, in their forties perhaps. As their appearance may have suggested, these two were the two other top members of the Trading Company of Dor. Together with Goldbeard, the trio held the greatest influence inside the company of Dor. However, that was no longer the case.


    Somehow, for the last few years, Goldbeard has amassed a tremendous amount of richness by making deals and trades with many countries like Malatas and Ceadric, granting him a major voice in the council of Dor as anyone who wished to have a part of that must obey him. It was unclear how he carried out such feats or how he managed to gain contacts with so many high profiles individuals. Because of that, Blackbeard and Whitebeard have become nothing more than scarecrows with no real power. And of course, neither of them was very happy about that, which was why they have invited Meto, the seemingly new confidant of the old dwarf in hope of reaching some kind of compromise with him in order to take down Goldbeard. Their intention however has been seen through by young Edward who has warned Meto about this previously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get on business, shall we?¡± Meto spoke arrogantly as he sat down like he owned the place. In a way, he did since everyone was just playing as he predicted.


    ¡°So you expected that we will contact you?¡± Asked Blackbeard.


    ¡°Since the very beginning. I can¡¯t say that you all have been discrete with your discontentment at your colleague¡¯s actions. Even this meeting and your timing is quite predictable. Alas, I want to make this as simple as possible. What can you give me?¡± Meto spoke.


    ¡°Richness, women, fame¡­everything you want as long as you help us get rid of Goldbeard. And by that I mean not just killing him. That can wait until he is ruined publicly. Only then can we convince the rest of the Company to sever our ties with him. But for that to happen, we need someone from the inside, someone who could give us info about his operations. This brings us to this discussion we are having.¡± Said Whitebeard.


    ¡°So nothing Goldbeard cannot give me already. I have to say that so far I am not impressed by your offer.¡±


    ¡°...Do you think you have a choice? We could kill you right now if we want.¡± grunted Blackbeard menacingly.


    ¡°Are you threatening me? Hehehehe HAHAHAAHA! How laughable! I should be the one asking you that question.¡±


    ¡°What? GUARDS!¡± Whitebeard shouted but received back nothing but silence from his men.


    ¡°Are you talking to the men outside?¡± Meto snapped his finger in a loud sound and with it, the door opened. With the creaking sound of the wooden decrepit door opening, a silver haired woman walked in, wearing a tricorne and a long black suit, before placing a peculiar object on the table in front of the twin dwarves: the decapitated head of the butler from earlier, still dripping out a crimson liquid from the its neck. ¡°It¡¯s my turn to ask. Do you think you are still in charge here?¡±


    ¡°The Hunters? So you work for that brat Edward?¡±


    ¡°Such naive thinking! No, he is the one working for me. In fact, he is just a pawn knowing nothing about how the world works. But it is that kind of people that makes the best puppet.


    But enough of that. I ask again: what can you give me?¡± Meto raised his tone.


    Some could argue that showing a decapitated head of their servant might be a little excessive, especially when you considered that the men outside and even this servant were only doing their jobs. However, the pressing issue could no longer wait for gentle friendly talks. By directly demonstrating an act of cruelty, Meto has imprinted a fear inside the twin dwarves. It was not about the money or the killing itself. No, it was about sending a message. It showed that it would be in their best interest to do what this man was asking or ¡­else.


    ¡°...What exactly do you want? I doubt someone like you is loyal to Goldbeard. What is your goal?¡± The two dwarves questioned.


    ¡°What I want matter not, not to you anyway. Rather than concerning yourself with me, you should think deep about how and what you can get out of this. Worry not, I am not interested in your dirty money so keep it! What I want is information, everything you know about Goldbeard and his associates. In exchange, I will help you get rid of that old geezer. It is not a bad deal, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sneered Meto.


    ¡°...How can we trust you?¡± Asked Whitebeard.


    ¡°You are still alive are you not? If I am really with Goldbeard, you would be dead by now. So start talking before I decide to send you to see your men outside.¡±


    ¡°...We don¡¯t know much either. All we have gathered so far is that Goldbeard is involved with an organization called Sanctus. Apparently, they are a gathering of big-shots around the world. In every country, there is a member who holds a major power in the court. That¡¯s how Goldbeard managed to establish such a large network and trade deals.¡± Blackbeard confessed.


    At the mere mention of the name ¡®Sanctus¡¯, Maria and Meto both tensed up, clenching their fist. The memories of their past began to reimerge inside their mind as they tried to hold those intense emotions down.


    ¡°Brother, why are you telling him everything?¡± Whitebeard yelled at his twin.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice, brother. Our only option and hope to get rid of that geezer is to work with him.¡± Blackbeard looked at the grinning Meto. ¡°This war is in no way good for the dwarves nor will it bring any hope for us to find us a land for our people. We must stop Goldbeard at all cost before it is too late.¡±


    ¡°Brother¡­Very well! As much as we don¡¯t want to admit it, we have to accept your deal,¡± Whitebeard grunted.


    ¡°Good! Then the first thing you can do is to give this lady here all the information you know about the army of Dor, from the extent of their abilities to the number and even their dispatch in the incoming war. Anything else I will contact you later. Do as I say and I assure you that by the end of this, Goldbeard will be gone.¡±


    * * *


    At the same time in Oros, the demon lord¡¯s crew continued their journey toward Canaan where they assumed the battle between the rebels and the dragon council¡¯s force was taking place. If Kaiser was to be somewhere in Oros, he must be there with the rebels. After all, based on his previous two children, it was for sure that the third one was also stirring up troubles. Whether it was good or bad could be debated but Alastor wanted to, if possible, spare his last child of that cruel fate. They might have known each other a lot but in the end, he was the one who brought him into this world. He had responsibility to take care of his children. At least that was what the boy thought.


    But what he didn¡¯t know that while the battle was indeed in Canaan, there hasn¡¯t actually any actual fight or even skirmish since Kaiser¡¯s retreat. The reason was simple: a mountainous energy wall made of pure mana has been erected around the five external towers of Canaan, forming a circle and keeping the rebel army from trespassing. In addition, all intruders coming near the citadel would be annihilated by the powerful flow of energy and lasers ravaging the area. In short, Canaan has become an impenetrable fortress, leaving Kaiser and Celdora unable to do anything against the dragon council who has taken refuge inside the central tower. And that was exactly according to the Taragon¡¯s plan: stalling for time until Ceadric won the war and came to their aid. However, that plan had a crucial flaw, something so important that both sides forgot about: the demons and their demon lord.


    As for the rebels themselves, the situation did not look good at all. Spending the entire day doing nothing, their once strong spirit filled with vigor was gone. And with it, a new sentiment has appeared among the people: doubt. Facing a godly force like this, it would be understandable lose your confidence in yourself. And that was not the worst. There have been a few minor arguments between the soldiers, questioning their leadership after the revelation of his true nature as a demon. Many claimed that this didn¡¯t bother them but deep inside, a tiny remnant of that doubt was still there, growing.


    Alas, currently at the main of the rebel army, the three main figures of the rebellion were having a meeting strategy inside the biggest tent at the center of the camp to address these issues.


    ¡°We lost a tenth of our army during that escape. Morale has dropped severely with doubts beginning to spread among our people. We have to do something. Now!¡± the dragon lord Celdora affirmed.


    ¡°¡­..¡± The True Monarch didn¡¯t say anything. He was well aware of these problems but the issue was that so far, no solution or alternative has been figured out. He tried everything: magic, strength, nothing could even dent or scratch that barrier. Even the most powerful attack of Kaiser and Celdora combined could only break the barrier for the split of a second before the gap closed itself. In other words, they were at their rope¡¯s end, unable to move forward while the strength and morale of their army kept decreasing day by day. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before the army of Ceadric came here and destroyed them all. Like Celdora said, something must be done. The problem was what.


    ¡°Malick, you said that this barrier is generated using the Dragon Vein locating in the underground of Oros. Is there any way to disable it?¡± asked Kaiser.


    ¡°No chance! The Sixth Heavenly Seal is a magic formation created by the Dragon God Amon in the ancient time as a way to manipulate the mana flow across the world. Canaan itself is actually a giant magic circle that uses that very same energy as its fuel to sustain the barrier. One thing you have to understand is that the Dragon Vein is unlike any other mana source you have seen in your life in term of quantity. After all, we are talking about the entire mana of Astora here. Amon may have designed it but it took all the six Gods to put it in place. Even if its creator is here, I doubt that there is much thing he could do.¡± The white dragon explained.


    ¡°You seem awfully knowledgeable about all these stuffs¡­Just who are you, Malick?¡± Celdora inquired in a doubtful tone.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    ¡°Like Maragon, the leader of the dragon council, I too am an ancient dragon. Back then, the knowledge of Canaan was still common so it¡¯s perfectly reasonable for me to know it. The only thing I didn¡¯t expect is that there is another ancient dragon still alive to this day¡­Perhaps I have been living a hermit¡¯s life for too long.¡± Malick spoke in a regretful voice.


    ¡°If you have told us about Canaan and that Dragon Vein, we would have been more careful and possibly those men who died could still be alive.¡± Celdora raised his voice.


    ¡°I have no words that can express how sorry I am¡­Like you said, it¡¯s my fault.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen!¡± Kaiser called out. ¡°We gain nothing by standing here, arguing between ourselves while the enemies are still out there, probably laughing at our powerlessness. That¡¯s precisely why we should solidify the trust in ourselves instead of doubting each other. What is done is done! There is no use in dwelling over it. What matters is what we will do from now on.¡± Kaiser proclaimed.


    ¡°Then what do you suggest we do?¡± asked Celdora.


    ¡°That¡­I don¡¯t know.¡± Kaiser uttered in a disappointed voice. ¡°If only¡­¡±


    All of the sudden, a soldier in heavy armor charged in, surprised the trio.


    ¡°Sires, we are under attack!¡± reported the solider.


    ¡°What? Did they open the barrier?¡± asked Celdora hurriedly. If the dragon council decided to attack them now, they would have to cancel the barrier or at the very least open a gap for their army to pass through, meaning the rebel army could use this opportunity to strike.


    ¡°No sir! The barrier remains intact.¡± Said the soldier.


    ¡°Intact? Then how did they get out?¡± asked Malick.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know sir. These children appeared out of nowhere behind the troops. At first we thought they were lost. However, after they insisted to see lord Kaiser, we decided to arrest them as a precaution. But then they resisted and started attacking us.¡±


    ¡°Children?¡± Kaiser uttered.


    Suddenly, a tremendous resonance of power radiated from the far side of the camp, felt by all the men inside the tent.


    ¡°This mana¡­it can¡¯t be!!!¡± Kaiser muttered in shock.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± asked Celdora.


    ¡°Father is here!!!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Step aside, dragons!¡± the voice of a young boy echoed loudly. His every move, even the flinch of a finger, was being observed by the many dragons and knights surrounding him. It was understandable as they had every reason to after he just took out ten of their best men with just what seemed to be the flick of his finger. ¡°You ask for this. I just want to see Kaiser.¡±


    ¡°Stop right where you are!¡± the dragons shouted at the boy. ¡°We won¡¯t let you harm our king.¡±


    ¡°King? Kaiser is your king?¡± Alastor asked himself in confusion.


    ¡°Of course he is!¡±


    ¡°Then all the more reasons for you to let me through! I need to speak to him!¡± shouted the demon lord.


    ¡°NEVER!¡± the dragons prepared their battle stance as the knights pointed their spears and weapons forward.


    Seeing that words were not enough to convince the dragons, as he has expected before even getting here, Alastor turned to the white doll by his side who was also in her battle mode. ¡°Stella, please don¡¯t kill anyone! As for you two, stay back!¡± Alastor called out to Abalone in her human form and the little draconian Syralth.


    ¡° KAWK (eagle scream)¡± the gyrfalcon Heru shrieked back at the boy.


    ¡°Sorry¡­I mean you three, stay back!¡± the demon lord said, looking at the eagle which had a satisfying face for some reasons.


    But then before the fight broke out, an exalted voice rang loudly, stopping both Alastor and the soldiers in the midst of their preparations.


    ¡°DROP YOUR WEAPONS IMMEDIATELY!¡± the voice came from the floating winged figure from above as he descended from the sky. ¡°You will not touch him!¡±


    Confused by what their leader just said, the soldiers had no choice but to draw back their weapons and stayed clear of the ground below Kaiser as he landed to the ground.


    Walking toward the boy, the True Monarch stopped in front of him, gazing intensively at the small figure.


    ¡°It¡¯s really you.¡± Uttered Kaiser.


    ¡°Hello son! Long time no see! I see that you have been busy. Heard that you are a king now?¡± Alastor spoke casually.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story! What about you? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­a long story too. Guess we have much to talk about!¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± Said Kaiser.


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you are alive and well.¡±


    * * *


    What followed next was perhaps the most uneventful yet strangely comforting moment of Alastor recently. In the entire last year ever since he was brought to Ragna for the first time, his life has been most memorable with moments of drama, sadness, happiness, regrets¡­.all kinds of different feelings. Unlike the period he lived in peace with Morgan back in the Caine village. But it was those moments of stillness that he missed, moments like he was sharing with his son Kaiser right now. They talked for hours, about what happened to them, what they did. It was not always happy memories but it was part of their being, of what they were right now.


    People often misjudged the misfortunates they encountered in their lives. They only wanted happiness, which was perfectly natural. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be happy? But could you know happiness without knowing despair and sadness? Would you be able to distinguish and appreaciate good without knowing bad? The person you were now was created from your past, by every decision you have taken in your life. To deny the bad memories was to deny yourself. Instead of mourning, regretting your decisions, you must embrace it, to accept them as a part of you. It was only that true happiness could perhaps be more than a wishful dream.


    ¡°Quite an interesting life you have led this far, Kaiser!¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing compared to you, father! You have endured all these time, even coming here to look for me. But me, I haven¡¯t accomplished anything. I couldn¡¯t even grant your promise to Shana in time¡­I feel ashamed about myself.¡± Kaiser confessed.


    ¡°You have done nothing wrong, Kaiser. If there is someone to blame, it¡¯s me who has neglected my own children. I was too stupid to see it¡­and that idiocy has led to the death of your sister. Even now, I have no idea where your brother Sinforma is or if he is even alive¡­Just what kind of father am I?¡± Alastor admitted.


    ¡°Father¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to defend me! I know my own sins. But I have decided that instead of wasting my time in mourn, I would use it for good. I want to erase the wars in this world, Kaiser, no matter how much it might cost me. This life is no longer just mine to use as I see fit anymore. The crimes I committed, the innocents I killed¡­I will use this life to atone for what I have done.


    I know I have no right to ask you this but¡­will you help me with that?¡± Alastor spoke in a solemn voice.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask, father! It¡¯s what I live for. I swear to you that I will grant your wish: to bring peace to this world.¡± Kaiser stood up and kneeled before the boy.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, son!..Still feel a bit weird calling you my son while you are this much taller than me¡­¡±


    ¡°You will grow in time, father! I am sure of it.¡±


    ¡°Hehe thanks! But anyway, we can resume our chat for later. I think the others are still a little confused about this whole situation so you might want to explain it to them. But don¡¯t tell them that I am the demon lord or your father. Just say I am an acquaintance.¡± Said the boy.


    ¡°As you wish, father! Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­say Kaiser! Supposedly, what will you do after this war is over?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°I am not sure myself. Since the people here know that I am a demon, even if many claim to have no problem with that, I intend to give the throne to Celdora and depart from Oros. As for where¡­.if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to join you in your quest, father!¡± replied Kaiser.


    ¡°¡­I see¡­In that case, are you interested in ruling another country, seeing that you already have a few experiences in that field? Somewhere like¡­I don¡¯t know¡­Ragna?¡± proposed the demon lord.


    ¡°You want me to become the demon lord? But what about you?¡± Kaiser asked in confusion.


    ¡°My current circumstances don¡¯t allow me to keep that title anymore. If possible I would like to pass it onto someone not just capable but trustworthy. And you, my son, seem like the perfect candidate judging on how much the people here love you. But I won¡¯t force it on you. Take your time and decide! Don¡¯t you worry about me! If you don¡¯t¡¯ want to, I can find somebody else. What is important is that you do what your heart tells you to. Not for me, not for anybody else but you alone!¡±


    ¡°Yes, father¡­This is a bit sudden so please give me some time to decide!¡± Kaiser muttered.


    ¡°Of course! Take all the time you need! Now back to our current situation, you said that this barrier is the only thing standing between you and victory, isn¡¯t it?¡± inquired Alastor.


    ¡°Yes! If we take control of Canaan then the dragon council would have no choice but to surrender themselves. However, that barrier is indestructible, making us unable to continue our invasion.¡± Reported Kaiser.


    ¡°A barrier made of pure mana using the Dragon Vein¡­Its regeneration is thanks to the mana flow constantly pouring out from the underground. However the barrier extends even down, covering perfectly every corner of Canaan, meaning there is no way to enter it without getting rid of the barrier¡­.


    I see¡­I can use that.¡± Alastor contemplated.


    ¡°You have a plan, father?¡± asked Kaiser.


    ¡°Something yes! But I will tell you later. For now, just go and talk to your people! Make sure that they are ready! Tomorrow, that barrier is going down!¡±


    ¡°By your will, father!¡±


    Standing up firmly, Kaiser took flight and flew toward the camp to address his people. In just matters of seconds, he was gone, leaving Alastor alone back where they talked. Or was he?


    ¡°You can come out now. I know you are there!¡± Alastor called out loud.


    From the dense bush of vegetation in front of the boy, a figure wearing a pure white attire walked out and revealed himself.


    ¡°I am surprised you are able to spot me. You have truly become so powerful now, demon lord Alastor!¡± the white dragon spoke.


    ¡°Then I guess that makes the two of us. I was shocked to see you with Kaiser as well, even helping him... Just what is your plan?¡± asked Alastor in a serious tone. ¡°Because depending on your answer, you will die here and now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my intention anyway. Though if possible, I would prefer to be able to witness the end of this war before leaving the future to the next generations.¡± Answered Malick in a calm voice.


    ¡°Why exactly are you doing this? And I am no talking about your intention being here. ¡±


    ¡°To correct our mistake, Alastor!¡±


    ¡°What mistake?¡±


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell you¡­You will understand eventually¡­just not from me.¡±


    ¡°You all and your goddamn secrecy¡­Fine, we will settle this once this is over. And I expect some answers by then. However, if I see anything weird from you, ¡­¡± threatened the boy.


    ¡°You are soft¡­just like your father. I look forward for the end of this conflict.¡± Malick spoke. ¡°Until then, Alastor!¡±


    ¡°Until then, Amon!¡±

 Chapter 93: Siege of Canaan

    The next day


    At the one hundredth floor of the central tower of Canaan, the sunlight came through the frameless windows and shined upon a humongous venerable figure standing at the center of the room. Adorned with a giant pair of black wings as dark as night, the ancient dragon wielded a towering mace in his hands, holding it in a solemn stance as if praying. Around him, the other members of the dragon council were also sitting with their eyes closed, mediating in silence. That was what they have been doing recently, taking turn of each other as they chanted in silence the spell that maintained the barrier surrounding Canaan. This was actually a ritual that allowed them to channel the mana flow from the Dragon Vein and redirect it to the tower itself, fueling the spell. Thanks to it, the last few days have been rather peaceful with none of the rebels could even come close to the barrier itself. To many, it was as if the victor of this war has been decided.


    Walking in toward the large figure, the black dragon Taragon addressed him with an excited tone.


    ¡°Just a little more, father! The army of Ceadric has engaged the enemies. In just a few more days, they will achieve victory and will head here and together, we will get rid of these rebels.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity that they refused to listen to the voice of reason¡­¡± Maragon uttered in a grave voice. ¡°To think I have to kill not just one more but thousands of my own people again¡­what a shame!¡±


    ¡°I understand how you feel, father! But as much as I want to share your opinion, we must think about order and the ones who still wish for the existence of our council. Remember that we offered them a chance for salvation but they turned it down, even going as far as trying to kill me! If I have not brought the mana bomb with me, things might have taken a turn for the worst¡­¡± Taragon conveyed.


    ¡°I know¡­it¡¯s just¡­If possible, I would like to spare as many as I can. The people should not be held accountable for the actions of their leader, especially when they are being deceived by a liar.¡±


    Suddenly, a dragon rushed into the chamber, interrupting the conversation between the father and son.


    ¡°REPORT! REPORT!¡± the dragon shouted hurriedly.


    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Maragon.


    ¡°The rebels are gathering around the citadel. I think they are preparing to launch an assault.¡± Reported the dragon.


    ¡°What? Have they gone mad? Are they so desperate they are prepared to risk everything?¡± Maragon angrily spoke.


    ¡°I am not sure, milord! For now, they are still outside the range of our defensive system and have not moved since.¡±


    ¡°What are they planning¡­¡± Maragon asked himself. ¡°Taragon, take out the crystal orb!¡±


    From his sleeves, the young black dragon brought out a crystal orb and threw it high. Lifting itself up to the ceiling, the orb expanded until it reached a hundred times its initial size while maintaining itself on air. From its surface, images of the surrounding area around Canaan were reflected through the curved screen, granting the dragon council a complete vision and surveillance network of their citadel.


    Indeed, something was odd. The forests and vegetation encompassing the City of Firmament Spires have all been cleared out, turned to ashes by the constant laser beams coming from the central tower that incinerated all its surroundings when Kaiser attacked a few days ago. This gave a clear view of anyone who dared attempt to come close to the city, allowing for a swift execution at the highest concentration of energy. However, Kaiser¡¯s army was nowhere to be seen. Just like the dragon grunt has reported, his army was still outside the range of the tower, probably hiding in the forest. Just what could they possibly hope to achieve by mobilizing their army now?


    ¡°Father, look! There is someone coming out!¡± pointed Taragon at the small figure walking out from the bushes in front of Canaan¡¯s main entrance in a casual manner.


    ¡°A child? What is he doing here?¡± Maragon spoke in awe without understanding anything that was happening. The same could be said for the other members of the dragon council who have stopped their meditation to observe the situation.


    ¡°Should we fire? He might be an agent of Kaiser.¡± Said a member.


    ¡°But it¡¯s just a child. That is a little excessive don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Just ignore him and he will have to go back! As long as we are inside the barrier, we have nothing to fear!¡±


    ¡°I agree. This might be a plan to lure us outside the barrier. Let¡¯s just stay here!¡±


    ¡°Father, what should we do?¡± asked Taragon.


    ¡°Hum¡­zoom in on the boy!¡± The crystal zoomed in on the small figure. Suddenly, the boy who seemed a bit confused at first looked right back at the black dragon who was watching him closely. It was as if the boy was able to detect someone was sneaking on him.


    Waving his hand in a joyful manner, the young man spoke. ¡°Hello? Can anyone hear me? Hi, my name is Alastor, just your random kid wandering around here. The thing is that I seem to be lost so can you give me shelter for a while?¡± He inquired innocently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, father! It must be a trap.¡± Said Taragon.


    ¡°Of course I know that! Who do you take me for? The question is how he will react if I say no¡­¡± Clearing his throat, the old dragon spoke to the boy through the crystal orb. His voice was amplified thanks to the magic he was using, resonating loudly across the entire area around Canaan like a siren. ¡°Who are you, little one? And what is your business here? Don¡¯t even think that your little pathetic act could fool us!¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe it¡¯s still worth to try, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Alastor changed his tone. ¡°Won¡¯t you allow a mere simple boy to enter your marvelous city? Or are you dragon council too scared of a little boy like me? Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bite!¡± grinned Alastor.


    ¡°Your provocation is futile, young one! This is our final warning: leave or perish by the power of Canaan!¡± Maragon spoke in a majestic voice.


    ¡°Uhmmm¡­how about¡­.no?¡± Reaching his hand in his pocket, Alastor took out something but hid it inside his small fist, allowing no one to see what it was.


    Could it be some kind of secret weapon capable of damaging Canaan¡¯s absolute defense? Curious but at the same time cautious as if there was something he has learnt from his years of experience it was to never underestimate an opponent, Maragon ordered the members of the dragon council to resume their meditation, preparing themselves for an incoming attack. And Alastor¡¯s action only added the tension. He deliberately moved in slow motion in a rather dramatic way, making the dragons sweat even more with each movement he did.


    ¡°Take this, the ultimate weapon!!!!!¡± Alastor raised his arm high before assuming a throwing stance.


    ¡°Be ready, everyone!¡± Maragon shouted, stiffened his grasp on his large mace as he readied himself.


    ¡°<Alastor¡¯ secret art: Pebble>¡±


    With what could only be described as the flimsiest throw ever, the young boy hurled the tiny pebble, barely visible on the crystal orb, at the barrier. Unsurprisingly, the small rock was rebounded back lightly the moment it touched the energy wall before falling on the ground, motionless.


    ¡°Well shit! You manage to defend yourself against my secret art.¡± The boy uttered in shock.


    ¡­..


    ¡°¡­.That¡¯s it?¡± Maragon, confused by the boy¡¯s act, asked himself if he was seeing things.


    ¡°HAAHAHAHAHAHAA¡± the members of the dragon council started to laugh out loud after witnessing what they saw as a comedic act. ¡°Did you see that? Oh my god that¡¯s hilarious!¡±


    The laughter was so loud it even reached Alastor who was standing so far away from them. To them, this was just a pathetic yet innocent attempt of a youngster who knew nothing of the world. And quite frankly, Alastor¡¯s small appearance kind of gave off that vibe. After all, it was certainly not the first time he was underestimated because of his looks.


    ¡°Oh well, attempt number one failed. Let¡¯s try number two!¡± the boy spoke.


    Hearing his declaration, the dragons concentrated even more just to see what kind of circus play he would do next. At least, it would provide a distraction, a small entertainment from the boring days they confined themselves in Canaan.


    But Maragon was probably the only who saw a change in the boy¡¯s expression. The innocent, na?ve face from earlier has turned into an impish smirk as Alastor finally revealed his true intention, which was in no way trying to please the oblivious dragons.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try something bigger. Hehehe!¡± the boy grinned evilly. A small fiery orb appeared by his side as Alastor cast his spell.


    A sudden chill change in the air was felt by Maragon as he finally realized Alastor¡¯s power. ¡°What the¡­¡±


    ¡°<METEOR>¡±


    From the sky, a tremendous pressure entered the atmosphere as a giant burning stone half the size of a tower fell from the sky toward the central tower. Without warning as the dragons were too distracted to react in time to activate the laser to destroy the rock. Crashing onto the barrier, the meteor created a crack on it before crushing itself a part, releasing a huge quantity of smoke and a shockwave across the entire area.


    ¡°¡­.Humm..not quite enough!¡± the boy muttered as the smoke dissipated, revealing a large fissure on the barrier. Canaan¡¯s absolute defense still stood even after that devastating attack. And already it has started to heal and resumed its usual form in matters of seconds. What was worse was that the barrier was not even in its full potential yet as many members did not manage to participate in the channeling in time. This meant that even if Alastor cast another spell, it would not work again since he has already lost the element of surprise. However, while it might seem that the boy was in a pinch, it was never his intention to destroy the barrier with that spell. He had something else in mind already for that purpose.


    ¡°How? How was he able to do that?¡± Taragon uttered in awe after witnessing that kind of power in the hands of a young boy.


    ¡°Taragon, call up all the members now! Quickly!¡± Maragon shouted at his dumbfounded son, waking him up from his shock.


    ¡°Yes..Yes father! Right away!¡± The young dragon rushed toward the lower levels.


    Turning toward Alastor, or rather his reflection through the crystal ball, Maragon spoke with a threatening voice. ¡°Who are you really?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. What matters is what I do and what will happen if you don¡¯t surrender! So what is your decision?¡± the boy asked arrogantly.


    ¡°I admit you are powerful, boy. But that arrogance will be your undoing! If you have launched several times of that attack earlier, which I know you are well capable of that, maybe, just maybe the barrier might have been broken. Not that it would last for long but you will have enough time to send your best men inside. However, you are too confident in yourself or perhaps too foolish to realize that you have lost your only chance at defeating us. In the end, we will prevail!¡± Maragon preached.


    ¡°Well, if I did that, then that means I wasted all that time crafting these just for occasions like this.¡± The shadow of the boy began to expand as a part of it separated itself from the main shadow. From it, something was trying to crawl out. ¡°May I present to you one of the ten armies of the Legion of the Abyss: the Devourers!¡±


    A tall figure manifested itself from the shadows. Judging from the shape, it looked more like a beastman rather than a human because of the black fur on its shadowy skin. With sharp claws and slim tail like that of a cat or creature of the same family, it assumed a familiar form to that of one of the nine demon lords Alastor has made a pact with but with their body colored in black just like when Alastor first met them. Now that he has come out of the shadow, his true nature was finally revealed as a tiger beastman.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­that figure is¡­Beelzebub!¡± Maragon recognized the shadow. Having lived this long, it would be unsurprising that he knew the faces of the many demon lords who have once ¡®terrified¡¯ this world as they called it. After all, he himself was a hero of the oldest generation after slaying a demon lord himself.


    Of course that was merely a clone of the original Beelzebub, more precisely a lesser version of him with limitations on their powers. However, the difference was that Alastor could make up for that weakness with numbers.


    One by one, other similar dark figures appeared from all directions surrounding Canaan. Numbered in a hundred, they formed a perfect circle around the citadel as they walked simultaneously toward the barrier.


    ¡°Beelzebub¡­how is it possible?¡± Maragon could not understand how not just one but multiple copies of a dead demon lord were present in this place. However, now was not the time to concern himself with how but rather why they were here. And Maragon understood why. Out of all the demon lords with their abilities, Beelzebub was perhaps the perfect one for this situation to use against Canaan. ¡°He can¡¯t be using that¡­CALL EVERYONE NOW! Start channeling with utmost concentration! We must use the barrier at its full potential.¡± The dragon shouted at his brethren.


    It was an astonishing sight for the members as it was the first time they saw the calm Maragon to panic facing a mere boy. Many of them did not even have any idea of what was happening and could only do what Maragon was telling them to. After all, most of them have not even heard of the name Beelzebub to understand the gravity of the situation they were in. Without any other choice, the ensemble of the dragon council started chanting loudly as more members have arrived with Taragon.


    Seeing the situation, Taragon gave the command. ¡°Fire at those things!¡±


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.In an instant, volleys of beams of pure mana were shot from the central tower in every direction. But to their horror, as the beams came close to a Devourer, the figure raised his hand at it, making the beams dissipating quickly before vanishing completely. It was as if it was sucked into that black holes lying on their palms.


    ¡°Stop firing!¡± Maragon roared. ¡°Focus on the barrier only!¡± Unlike his idiotic son who could not grasp onto the situation, the ancient dragon understood how futile it was to use the beam cannons against something like this. ¡°Prepare yourselves!¡±


    ¡°For what, father?¡± asked Taragon.


    All the Devourers have finished their march. The one hundred figures raised their hands and touched the barriers simultaneously. It was now that the true fight began.


    Casually sitting down on the ground and crossing his legs in a meditating position, Alastor spoke joyfully. ¡°Let the banquet begin! Everyone, please enjoy your feast!¡±


    ¡°<Ravenous Voracity>¡±


    In an instant, all the Devourers activated their power at the same time. Without warning, the members of the dragon council suddenly felt a huge pressure on them, even knocking out instantly a few of the weakest. They felt their strength being drained from them to an unknown source.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Taragon asked as he crouched down on his knees.


    ¡°Grahh¡­they are sucking out all the mana from the barrier.¡± Explained Maragon. ¡°All members of the dragon council, focus on directing all the mana you can find from the Dragon Vein to sustain the barrier! This is a battle of endurance: either we run out of stamina first or they reach their limit first. Now FOCUS!¡±


    The Devourers formed one of the ten armies as part of the Legion of the Abyss. Like their counterparts the Millennium Regiment or the Oracles, the Devourers were created in the image of a demon lord, and in this case, it was Beelzebub. Just as the other battalions shared similarities and powers with the original one, so did the Devourers. Using Beelzebub¡¯ signature skill <Devour>, these warriors, if they could be called as such, were capable of nullifying all magic since they could simple ¡®devour¡¯ the spell, turning it back to pure mana before absorbing them. In this case, the barrier surrounding Canaan was made of only mana from the Dragon Vein, making it the perfect target and most vulnerable against an army with mana absorption skills like the Devourers.


    However, as Maragon has indicated, this was a battle of endurance. While the Devourers could absorb mana as long as they wanted, there was actually a limit to how much they could absorb as imposed by their very own nature: their mana pool. It meant that they could not absorb more mana than what the limit their body imposed on themselves. Meanwhile, the mana source from the Dragon Vein was considered to be not infinite but it would not be too much of an overstatement to consider it so. After all, we were talking about the mana of the entire world passing through here. It would be unthinkable for anyone, even a God or a powerful individual such as Alastor to be anywhere capable of such feat.


    As for the dragon council, the only thing that could stop Maragon and his peers was that if they failed to continue the channeling since the meditation while under this pressure could be quite exhausting for their body to keep up.


    The fight continued for hours with no clear winner ahead. Some dragons who could not maintain their consciousness started to fall one by one. In fact, most of the work was being done by Maragon alone. Every time someone needed a rest, he would pitch in and replace them for a while. With them taking turns like that, the dragon council would be able to last for days. Not that they wished to but at least they must maintain the barrier until Ceadric came. The latest news Taragon received was that the Ceadric coalition was winning and victory was in sight. A good news for them nevertheless as it was difficult to prolong the current circumstance for too long.


    It lasted for a total of three consecutive days and nights. On the morning of the fourth day, the situation took a slightly different turn when one of the two sides decided to do something else.


    ¡°I seem to have reached my limit. I guess I underestimated the Dragon Vein and this Maragon a bit. But that¡¯s what makes this interesting. Hehehe!¡± Alastor grinned as a drop of sweat fell from his forehead to his chin. ¡°Time to use all these mana I have gathered so far!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Father, he is doing something!¡± Taragon woke up the ancient dragon who was taking a short nap upon noticing Alastor moving after three days of immobility.


    The reason for his inactivity was because the mana absorbed by the Devourers was sent to him instead of staying inside the clones. Due to the large quantity and flow of energy, the boy had to focus in order to stabilize the mana flux inside him. Without it, his body might go out of control. However, it was now a different story if he decided to use all that mana for another purpose.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡± uttered Maragon when he saw the peculiar things floating around the boy.


    Five orbs of light of five different colors were orbiting with Alastor at their center. They were the elemental orbs he often used to cast elemental spells he would normally be unable to cast. What was his intention for using them now? Perhaps he wanted to cast powerful spells like Meteor from earlier since the absorption has left the barrier weaker than usual? However, Alastor must maintain his concentration to keep the mana he absorbed under control. Casting simple spells he could but complicated and high levels stuff would be next to impossible, even for Alastor. So how would he be able to achieve that? The answer was simple: someone else would do the casting.


    Until now, Alastor has never used two armies of the Legion at the same time. It was not that he couldn¡¯t but rather he never needed to. That was until this moment when he thought it might be time to break the usual custom a little bit and to add more participants to the party. After all, the more the merrier!


    The Legion was actually consisted of armies and squadrons Alastor has made previously to every battle and stored inside his pocket dimension for later uses. Every time he needed to use one, he simple had to open a door and they would be able to come out. It meant that there was nothing complicate involved when summoning them. And that was what Alastor intended to do.


    From the five orbs, five illuminated transparent figures manifested. Adopting a ghost-like appearance, each of them radiated a luminescence of the corresponding elemental orb: red for fire, blue for water, green for wind, yellow for earth and purple for lightning. As for their shape, they all looked the same, similar to a certain old sage with long beard holding a staff.


    ¡°Behold the Archons!¡± Alastor spoke out loud.


    Archons, also one of the armies as part of the Legion of the Abyss, were created in the image of the prophet Nyx. Perhaps it would be an overstatement to say that they were considered an army as there were only five of them inside the whole battalion. As for their role, if the Millennium Regiment was seen as the frontlines and the Archons would be the glass canons of the Legion since they wielded the most powerful spells but in return were extremely vulnerable. At least that was how Alastor has created them to be by maximizing their output damage in exchange for defense.


    However, in this situation where both sides could not do anything outside what they were already focusing on and must remain where they were, the Archons proved to be a tremendous force by taking advantage of the immobility of their opponents. It seemed almost too convenient. One must ask if whether Alastor has planned this firsthand or if this was merely a coincidence and the turnout of a series of events that led us to the current state.


    Alas, none of that mattered right now. Coincidence or planning, the result would not change either way.


    Raising their staves high, the five Archons formed a circle around Alastor and began chanting. Just like how he cast elemental spells, Alastor only needed to provide them with mana and they would do the rest. In this case, there was so much mana inside his body that he would gladly give them all to the Archons to strengthen the spell even further.


    Back inside one hundredth floor of the central tower, Maragon could feel even from where he was standing a massive spike of mana rising at Alastor¡¯s location, unlike anything he has ever seen in his long life. Whatever that spell was, it was dangerous. The barrier might have defended itself against the giant meteor from earlier but with its current status being constantly drained by the Devourers, such a spell would have a devastating consequence, if not killing all of them along with Canaan.


    ¡°All of you, resume your positions! Even if you are exhausted, do everything you can to remain conscious in the next moment! We must protect this place.¡± The old dragon called out to his peers. On the other side, it seemed the casting was finished as the mana spike has reached its peak.


    ¡°So long, everyone! It was fun.¡± Alastor smiled brightly as he waved his hands at the dragons.


    ¡°<ULTIMA>¡±


    Moving as one, the Archons pointed their staves at the sky. From their center, a white beam shot itself up high, pierced through levels of clouds before disappearing into the cosmos.


    ¡­..


    ¡°¡­Where is it?¡± Taragon asked himself. ¡°Is that it? Did he miss or something?


    ¡°No¡­It¡¯s here alright. Prepare yourselves! It¡¯s coming!¡± shouted Maragon as he and everyone stiffened their grip, getting ready.


    From the sky, countless number of white projectiles like giant drops of water, each the size of a human, rained down and converged toward the City of Firmament Spires. Each exploded upon contact with the barrier like a target-seeking missile. With each explosion, the barrier started to crack more and more. And who knew how many of them were out there? It was a rain of destruction.


    Within a few minutes of constant bombardment, the barrier, which was already at its lowest aptitude because of the Devourers stealing away its source of fuel, shattered. Canaan¡¯s absolute defense has been destroyed, leaving the citadel vulnerable.


    ¡°The barrier is down. Charge!!!¡± the leader of the rebel army, Kaiser the True Monarch, drew his twin great swords, commanding his troops to launch the final assault on Canaan.


    * * *


    The battle at Oros might have been intense with overwhelming levels of power involved but that was not to say that Mara was quiet and uneventful during that time. Taking place at the same time as what was happening in Oros ever since Alastor met Kaiser, back in Mara, the Ceadric Coalition and the Valhalla Alliance have entered their first battle.


    The first phase was described as the bloodiest with common soldiers from both sides engaging each other in perhaps the most direct and brutal way. For these soldiers who knew nothing of magic or highly advanced skills, it was their sword and shield that would determine their survival. On this battlefield of death, it was to kill or be killed. A moment of hesitation, of mercy toward your opponent could be your undoing. Every single action you took, every decision you made could mean the difference between life and death.


    They told you that fighting for your country, to die for it was the most honorable thing you could do. What did honor mean to those who have lied down below the soil? Would you hear their name hailing by the people for their honorable act? No! The only thing you would hear were the names of the leaders and the living. As for these unknown soldiers, the best recognition they would receive would be a memorial and some prayers for their sacrifices.


    A farmer who left to join the army to protect his family? A mercenary who participated for the money? A murderer who simply enjoyed the killing? Just how different were they from each other when death came to them?


    ¡°Blue Phalanx, charge!¡± the High Empress of Valhalla commanded her elite troops into battle.


    Magic knights they were called. Wearing an azure uniform, the Blue Phalanx wielded a shield on one hand and a sword like the other, much like your common soldiers. However, the difference was that they also wielded magic, employing both sword skills and spells in battle. A lesser subclass of the Arcane Knight who possessed soul magic, this legion was trained by Morrigan herself personally, giving them the title as one of the strongest units across Mara. From infusing elemental magic into their weapon to support spells like barriers, these polyvalent warriors were always around their Empress, to be her sword and her shield against all threats. This war would not be an exception.


    As expected, the Blue Phalanx was able to pierce through lines of enemies with agility. They had to. According to the intelligence gathered, reinforcements of Ceadric were on their way after being dispatched from the capital Cedra. However, not much detail concerning the nature of this army was known. The only option Morrigan had was to quickly eliminate this preliminary force before their reinforcements came in order to avoid going against two armies at once.


    So far, the scouts have not detected any troop in sight so Valhalla still had some time to dispose of the current enemies. Or so they thought.


    Suddenly, a loud siren was heard. It was the signal of the reinforcement army. The problem was there was nothing to be seen. Where did it come from? It was then that Morrigan remembered what has happened recently at her capital. And to her horror, what she feared has come true.


    From the sky, hundreds of zeppelins were descending from the clouds and revealed themselves to the troops on the ground. But it was what followed next that shocked Morrigan to her very core. From the flying ships, the crews started to drop barrels that exploded upon contact, killing both their allies and foes indiscriminately. Furthermore, those cowards did not dare to land so close to the ground to avoid being attacked. They did not care for anyone¡¯s life, even of those on their own side. Which was to be expected from those who were only here for the money and not out of loyalty. Some were adventurers sent by the Guild. Others were mercenaries or troops of the Company of Dor. While it would be wrong to assume that all of them have consented to this treacherous act, none of them did anything to stop it either. To feign ignorance or to choose to stay idle, they were not that much better than those who committed those acts.


    In addition to the zeppelins, Dor has also deployed one of their secret weapons: the land boat. Taking on the form of a ship, these boats possessed a special mechanism using those tires on their sides that allowed them to ride on both land and water. Usually used as a transportation tool to facilitate the journey, these land boats have been upgraded and adapted for war purposes with long cannons at the front and through the opening on the sides granting long range artillery. With weapons like these, it was no wonder that Goldbeard was confident about Dor¡¯s military strength and their chance to win the war.


    Without any choice, Morrigan had to give the order of retreat in order to limit the casualties. It would be suicide to go against unknown weapons without understanding them, figuring out their weakness. And that was what Morrigan intended to do. However, she could only hope that a solution to counter them was to be found before the complete obliteration of her own army.

 Chapter 94: Beleaguered

    ¡°What the hell have you done?¡± King Charles raged, yelling at the representative of Dor in charge of their army in this war.


    ¡°What do you mean, your Majesty? Killing the enemies of course!¡± the dwarf answered. For someone who was in the military, his shining expensive-looking armor seemed too much of a decorative piece of clothing rather than for actual defensive purpose. It made one wonder if he even knew what was happening in the battlefield where the men were fighting for their lives.


    ¡°Enemies? Are you blind? Do those men outside this tent look like enemies to you? You bombarded the entire battlefield indiscriminately without knowing allies or foes. You used them as bait. You are the reason a quarter of my army was gone.¡± Charles shouted angrily.


    ¡°Such is the cost of war, your Majesty! Soldiers die. It¡¯s as simple as that. However, what matters is that more enemies died than us. Morrigan¡¯s army is now in disarray and in retreat thanks to our superior weaponry. Instead of blindly accusing me of the natural fact in every battle, you should celebrate and be grateful for our presence here. Else, you would not have the luxury of standing there, contemplating on what is right or wrong.¡± The dwarf spoke.


    This kind of scene seemed almost too frequent these days between the dwarves of Dor and the King of Ceadric. By attacking him due to his young age, spouting about his ¡®inexperience¡¯ and taking advantage of the fact that Ceadric was dependent on them, Dor has become so arrogant that they practically ran the country right now. That was not to say that they were all bad. Some genuinely wanted to help the country simple out of sympathy. However, their voices were usually so quiet and few in numbers, in addition to the fact that their current higher-ups did not share the same opinion.


    ¡° *teeth grinning sound* ¡° the king just wanted to get on this table in front of him and beat the shit out of this arrogant dwarf. If not for master Ganon who has firmly put his hand on the king¡¯ shoulder as a gesture to wake him up from his rage, perhaps Charles might have just done that. ¡°So what is your next move?¡± Exhaling a deep breath, Charles asked in the calmest voice he could at the moment.


    ¡°We must exploit the victory we just had and push it even further. I intend to launch a pursuit at their army right away. If we are lucky, it would be the final battle of this war.¡± Explained the dwarf general.


    ¡°I think it is risky to do that. While Valhalla has retreated, we cannot afford to underestimate Morrigan and her servants. Furthermore, according to our scouts, their last known coordinates was near the Great Swamp with a high possibility of them seeking refuge there. If that is the case, it would be impossible for us to find them in there.¡± The headmaster of Helios explained.


    The Great Swamp was a wet piece of lands filled with dense vegetation situated in the southern borders of Ceadric and shared borders with the Whispering Forest further south and the old Empire of Zagon to the west. Unlike any other swamp, this one had a peculiar feature that could only be found in this place. Lying deep in its underground, a special mud, mauve in color, was mixed among the soil, rendering the earth and even the vegetation growing from it to take on the dye of a purple color. Furthermore, the Swamp was under constant darkness as if it was night time because of the dense tall trees growing their peak in a horizontal way, shielding the entire land from sunlight, creating a sense of night time even though it was actually in the middle of the day.


    Because of that, it was very easy to lose your sense of direction inside the Great Swamp, giving it a nasty reputation. Only fools would dare to tread upon this land without a proper guide or a way to get around the freaky landscape that has claimed the lives of many before.


    ¡°I agree with master Ganon! Reports have shown us that the beastmen are marching toward us as we speak. By taking the shortcut through the Great Swamp, Morrigan would be able to join the Beast King and come back later.¡± Edward, the newest recruit of the royal guards, raised his opinion. ¡°Also if the army of Valhalla has indeed retreated into the swamp, there is a high chance that they have a guide who could help them pass through it. However, that¡¯s not the case for us. It would be suicide to go there without knowing what is waiting inside.¡±


    ¡°Huh! You bunch of cowards always plan to go back on your steps. How the hell will be we able to accomplish victory without a small risk on the side?¡± the representative of Dor spoke.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cowardice. We hold the lives of the soldiers in our hands so it¡¯s our responsibility to take care of it. I can¡¯t consciously consent to put my men in danger just for you to have a taste of glory.¡± Edward retorted in a threatening tone.


    ¡°Master Ganon, are you just going to let your students running around like chicken, talking to me with that tone? And they say you are so wise. But clearly, all that wisdom didn¡¯t rub off one bit on your pupils.¡±


    ¡°STOP!¡± the king slammed on the table loudly. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I agree.¡± The dwarf spoke. ¡°I have to take my men to chase down that wench Morrigan so if you excuse me!¡± Standing up, the dwarf headed toward the exit but was stopped by the king¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Wait! If you are going to take a part of our army, at least bring one of our own general with you!¡± Charles proposed.


    ¡°¡­If that pleases you. So who will accompany me?¡± asked the dwarf.


    ¡°He will!¡± the king pointed to the boy by his side, surprising everyone even the person in question himself.


    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Edward uttered in confusion.


    ¡°Him? Are you underestimating me, King Charles? Why would I bring such a brat with me to war?¡± questioned the representative of Dor.


    ¡°He is a Deus mage, the same rank as master Ganon. While still inexperienced, I am sure he can provide precious assistance you may need when treading upon that unknown land.¡± Charles conveyed. ¡°Do this and we won¡¯t stop you from going!¡±


    ¡°Like you can!¡± the dwarf muttered in a low voice but then changed his tone. ¡°But fine, if that would shut you up. Come along brat! We leave in half an hour!¡±


    With that said, the dwarf exited the tent, with Edward followed him behind. Looking back at Charles with a confused expression, Edward wanted to ask why Charles sent him to go with the dwarf. It wasn¡¯t because he was afraid for his life. Of course not! For someone who has once stared straight back at death itself, Edward has grown a lot from a na?ve young noble to a fine youth with inspiring values, nothing short of a grown man in term of strength and wisdom. But because of his young age, he still had doubts about his own decision even though his advices were usually much better than those older than him.


    Yet, it was precisely for this reason that Charles has brought Edward with him to the frontline. It was to build up his confidence in himself. From just a mere glance and a few of their short encounters, Charles has seen potential in the young noble. Without a doubt, this boy would become a great figure in the future and the King of Ceadric had every intention to have him by his side till then.


    Instead of replying in words, the king simply gave a nod at the confused mage who somehow understood his intention and nodded back in agreement. After what happened in the last battle, Charles has lost every last bit of confidence in Dor. That was why he decided to send Edward to accompany the dwarf in hope that they would be able to avoid that kind of situation to repeat itself again.


    As for Edward, something strange happened the moment he went out of the tent. All of the sudden, he felt a strange ache on his chest. It was as if his heart was set on fire. Crouching down to the ground with short breath, a thought came to his mind as he looked down to his chest, pulling the cloth out to see.


    The clock brand has changed. Half of it was black now.


    If what the Reaper told him was true, then this brand, depending of the time and its colour, showed how close Edward was to death. However, he was sure that this morning before the meeting, the brand was blank. So how did it become like this?


    ¡°What the¡­? Does that mean I am going to die if I go there?¡± the boy uttered in disbelief.


    But then his strain of thoughts was disrupted by an annoying voice.


    ¡°Hey kid, what are you doing?¡± the dwarf stood in front of Edward and asked. ¡°Getting cold feet?¡±


    ¡°¡­No I am fine. Let us go!¡±


    ¡­..


    Within a few hours, the army has found themselves in front of the Great Swamp¡¯s entrance. It was such a change in both air and landscape when the grass was green and seemed so lively under your feet while just a few more steps forward and you had an eerie ghastly wet forest with dirty water and mud everywhere.


    ¡°All right men, victory awaits us ahead! Once we finish this, your names will be hailed as heroes for being the ones who put an end to this war. Onward, men!¡± the dwarf general proclaimed and pointed his sword forward, ordering his army to march into the Great Swamp.


    Each and every one of the soldiers, including the general himself was filled with excitement. A natural reaction when you thought about what kind of rewards they would receive upon returning in glory. Defeating the fabled Morrigan in itself was a task not many could even hope to come anywhere near. And yet, they were on the verge of accomplish that feat.


    However, the same could not be said for one individual as he rode on his horse through this damp land. Without even need to look at the brand on his chest, Edward could feel the clock has advanced even further. It now pointed at the ninth hour with most of the clock almost dyed in black. On the journey coming here, the youth has thought hard about the nature of the Death Spectrum given to him by the Reaper. Before he merely considered it as a reminder of the remaining time he had. But that was merely the fa?ade of this brand. Its true power lied somewhere else and Edward intended to test it right away.


    Facing a surface of water ahead, the army pondered about whether they should cross it or find another route around. This would be the perfect opportunity to ascertain Edward¡¯s theory about this thing he had.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­if I go on the left right here¡­.¡± The clock increased by two hours to eleven.


    ¡°Actually I change my mind. I will go right¡­¡± The clock went back to nine.


    So according to the brand, Edward would have a higher chance of dying if he chose to go the left way. But how would he be able to verify if it was telling the truth?


    ¡°Soldiers, shoot your arrows into the water here and here for me please!¡± Edward ordered.


    As he expected, the arrows resurfaced on the left way but disappeared without a trace on the right.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked the dwarf.


    ¡°There is a common technique to know if the water is deep or not when crossing a river or a swamp. If the arrows resurface, it means that they didn¡¯t manage to reach the bottom and therefore that place should be avoided. However, if the arrows don¡¯t resurface, then it means that they did reach the bottom and were stuck in the soil. Using this method, we can ascertain whether the water is deep or not and find a way to cross the swamp safely.¡± Explained Edward.


    ¡°Interesting! I didn¡¯t know about that. You are better than you look, boy! Hehehe!¡± laughed the dwarf, tapping on Edward¡¯s back. For a general to not know this common fact, his leadership started to become questionable.


    Little by little, slowly but surely, the army managed to cross the area safely without a single loss. However, that was not the greatest of news but rather the fact that Edward was able to confirm the function and accuracy of the brand. Every time he checked with the method of the arrows, what the brand told him was true. So by taking the advantage of the power of the brand, Edward would be able to make a prediction of the future and based from the results, avoiding any death potential.


    ¡°Amazing! So I can use it like this.¡± Thought Edward out loud.


    * * *


    ¡°CHARGE!!!¡±


    Returning to Oros and more specifically the city of Firmament Spires, Canaan, the absolute defence the dragon council was so proud of has just been destroyed by a young boy who showed up out of nowhere. With it gone, the rebel army led by Kaiser and Celdora moved onward into the towers of Canaan.


    ¡°What monstrous power!¡± the dragon lord uttered after witnessing Alastor¡¯s demonstration of strength. ¡°So this is what you get from a demon lord and a hero. You can be proud of him, Asgore¡­Lakyus!¡±


    ¡°As I have told you many times lord Celdora! My father¡¯s power is unquestionable.¡± Kaiser said.


    ¡°Even so¡­to this extent¡­such thing is in the league with the Gods themselves.¡±


    ¡°He has already surpassed the Gods.¡± Kaiser commented.


    ¡°¡­For a strange reason, especially after what I have seen, I don¡¯t doubt that one bit.¡± Celdora muttered.


    ¡°Anyway, we should focus on the battle ahead!¡±


    ¡°Right after you!¡±


    With the barrier destroyed, the only weapon Canaan had was the laser beams that were firing consecutively at the rebels from the central tower. However, none of those managed to hit anyone because of the Devourers absorbing all those beams before they even reached their targets. Furthermore, half of the dragon council¡¯s force was sent to Mara to assist Ceadric and most of the current members were exhausted after the battle against Alastor, in which they lost. Even if they called their forces back now, they would not come back in time. And to be frank, after seeing what Alastor was capable of, many were not sure if an army of dragons would make that much of a difference.


    As for the dragon council located at the hundredth floor in the central tower, the atmosphere could be resumed into one word: despair. Their weapons, lost. Their precious city, in flame as the rebels swarmed into the towers one by one.


    ¡°How could this happen?¡± Taragon uttered in disbelief. ¡°HOW?¡±


    ¡°We are doomed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­.¡±


    ¡°We should surrender¡­probably¡±


    Panic spread among the members of the council as they realized that the war was lost. With the current force present in Canaan, it would be impossible to retaliate back, not when the kid that was responsible for their defeat was still around.


    *BANG (SLAMMING SOUND)*


    A loud sound of metal slamming onto the floor echoed throughout the chamber, silencing everything as they turned their head toward the center of the room. It was the ancient dragon Maragon who has used his giant mace to gather attention from his peers who have clearly lost their nerves and taken by hysteria.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± the dragon roared. ¡°You will not desecrate this place with your coward words. The war is not yet over. If we don¡¯t have enough soldiers then we will be joining them in battle. Each and every one of us is an elder dragon or at least among the strongest of their clans. Are you telling me that we cannot take on those younglings down there?¡±


    ¡°But lord Maragon, it¡¯s the kid that we worry about. He is clearly too strong for any of us.¡± Said a member.


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about him. I will take care of that.¡± Maragon spoke.


    ¡°Forgive me for being rude but I don¡¯t think your current power can be a match for him¡­.¡±


    ¡°No¡­but that doesn¡¯t mean there is no other way. I will give my life if I need to in order to stop that brat from interrupting with the battle. Use that time to defeat Kaiser and Celdora! If the head of the snake is cut off, so will follow the rest! Nothing must happen to this tower.¡± Maragon proclaimed, bringing them back to their proud selves with his inspiring words.


    ¡°Lord Maragon¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to defend this place given to us by the God Amon. We must! Taragon, my son, you will lead the rest to victory. I leave everything to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes father! Let¡¯s go everyone! To war!!!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°That was tiring¡­*heavy breathing¡± Alastor swiped away his sweat on his forehead.


    ¡°Are you ok, Alastor?¡± asked Stella as she crouched down next to him.


    ¡°I am fine, Stella. More importantly, we should join the others. Abalone, what will you do?¡± the demon lord turned to the brown haired girl next him.


    ¡°Why are you asking me that now? I told you that I will come with you till the end of this journey.¡± The girl replied.


    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°I have never actually seen you fight¡­Can you?¡± inquired the boy.


    ¡°Hihi don¡¯t worry!¡± Abalone turned to the gyrfalcon on her shoulder. ¡°We have some tricks of our own. Although I hope that the moonstone will not run out of energy before that.¡±


    ¡°You said that it recharges under moonlight, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! The closer and brighter the moon, the more energy will the stone receive, meaning me and Heru will be even more powerful than we normally are.¡± Explained the sea dragoness.


    ¡°I see¡­will keep that in mind.¡± The boy scratched his head. ¡°Alright let¡¯s go people! We will finish this once and for all.¡±


    ¡°GO!!!!¡± Abalone shouted.


    ¡° KAWK (eagle screaming loudly and excitedly)¡±


    ¡°¡­Go?¡± Stella raised her hand awkwardly after seeing the others did the same.


    * * *


    ¡°The world has truly changed¡­ After all this time, hope is no longer a wishful thinking of the future.


    The age of the Gods is near its end. The wars in Oros and Mara will open the door to a new era for Astora. And once the world crosses that door, we will no longer be necessary anymore. Perhaps¡­it¡¯s for the best.


    Lord Eden¡¯s will¡­it is finally starting to become a reality. Just a little more and it would be all over. Just a little more ¡­ and I will join you, my dear friends.¡±


    * * *


    Watching the battle from the sides, two figures stood among the bushes as they observed the insurrection of the dragons. Each wore black robe and held a large obsidian scythe with their shadowy hands.


    ¡°Hummm¡­¡±


    ¡°Hummm¡­now?¡±


    ¡°I suppose so.¡±


    ¡°So many lives¡­so¡­wasteful¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed! But at least we can make sure that their souls will be put into good use.¡±


    ¡°Hmm I guess. Then shall we?¡±


    ¡°Of course! Let the harvest begin! Do try to stay stealthy! We are not here to kill, simply harvest what it is already dead.¡±


    * * *


    Back to the battle in Canaan, the valiant soldiers of the rebellion have clashed against the army of the dragon council. A moment ago, these grunts seemed so distressed to the point of giving up but after members of the council have joined them, they have found back their resolve and fought with all their strength against the invaders.


    Wielding his twin great swords as he seemingly danced throughout the battlefield, Kaiser yelled sthe name of the individual he was looking for.


    ¡°TARAGON! Where are you? Come and fight me, coward!¡±


    The reason for this was actually very simple. For someone who was among the leaders of the dragons, Taragon has used a deadly weapon against his own people just so he could kill Kaiser. That kind of thinking was resented deeply by the True Monarch, not because of the injuries he sustained from that attack but because to him, Taragon was no king or leader. He might have been the son of the great Maragon but this kind of underhanded tactic was not fit for a true king.


    From afar, even in the midst of this chaotic battle between the two sides, the eldest son was able to spot a black figure running toward one of the smaller towers in the central district before enter it with haste.


    The young dragon, instead of executing the duty his father has given to him, has decided to do something else. He did not even dare to go to the frontline or stay and command his troops. What could he possibly be planning now when defeat was right in front of him?


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of that brat!! Curse him! CURSE HIM! All my plans have gone to waste because of a brat.¡± The dragon in his human form rushed through the sets of stairs as he tried to go back to his chamber.


    Slamming the door open, the dragon opened all his cabinets and drawers he could find as if he was searching for something.


    ¡°Where is it? Where is it? ¡­.YES, here it is!¡±


    ¡­..


    Kaiser rushed through the stairs of the tower he saw Taragon walking into. As he came closer to Taragon¡¯s chamber, a conversation between a voice which seemed to belong to Taragon and someone else he did not recognize the voice.


    ¡°Help me, please!¡± Taragon spoke to the small crystal orb he held in his hands.


    ¡°So you failed¡­Too bad!¡± a voice came from the crystal as it shined a faint light.


    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s that brat!¡± the dragon defended himself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame it on Alastor! It¡¯s your own fault for not taking him in account. You should have expected this ever since Terrick died back in Cedra.¡±


    ¡°I am telling it¡¯s not my¡­.Wait a minute! How do you know his name is Alastor? I didn¡¯t tell you his name.¡±


    ¡°I know everything there is to know about Alastor. Where he is, what he does¡­..what happened the day he was born¡­Everything!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about???¡± Taragon shouted in anger, unable to understand what the voice meant by all that.


    ¡°Nothing of your concern! But do you have the luxury of talking to me like this? Aren¡¯t you losing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I have been telling you since earlier. Help me defeating them!¡± the dragon pled.


    ¡°No can do. It¡¯s already too late.¡±


    ¡°Then help me escape!¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± the voice inquired.


    ¡°What do you mean why? Am I not a member of your group????¡±


    ¡°And we thank you for your contribution so far. But your usefulness have run out so we¡­I don¡¯t need you anymore.¡±


    ¡°You betrayed me? How could you???¡±


    ¡°Betray? You are the one who betrayed your people to join us in the first place. This world is corrupted and we who live in this world are all sinners riding the ship toward our own destruction. Blame your own naivety if you expect something good from anyone in this world!


    But alas I don¡¯t expect you to understand what I just said. It¡¯s alright to be ignorant. After all, we all will die the same.


    Goodbye Taragon! Do try to die with some dignity!¡±


    The moment the voice stopped, the orb cracked open before shattering itself into a cloud of dust and drifting away by the wind from the hands of the dragon.


    ¡°You piece of shit!!! I will not die. You hear me? I will not!!!¡± Taragon shouted at the remains.


    Suddenly, he could hear footsteps coming toward him from behind, slowly but surely.


    ¡°Terrick? I know that name. One of the people responsible for the death of my mother Shana¡­and a member of Sanctus. So you are one of them?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Taragon turned back, only to Kaiser revealing himself as the light from the window shined upon his figure. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean why? Take a guess!¡± Kaiser raised his sword forward.


    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you and that brat¡­.You ruined everything.¡± Taragon grunted. ¡°But don¡¯t think that you have won just yet. The blood of the ancient dragon Maragon flows inside me. You won¡¯t take me that easily.¡±


    ¡°Still depending on your father at your age? What a baby! Let me tell you that I know how to fight the moment I was born! En garde!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°<Aqua Prisons>¡± Abalone cast her spell, creating large bubbles of water that trapped the enemies inside. Except for the sea dragons, no other dragons were able to breathe underwater so this attack could prove to be fatal. Furthermore, if the targets tried to run away, the bubble would follow them, stealing away their means to breathe until Abalone dispelled them.


    In an instant, all the foes around Abalone were flung into air, imprisoned by those bubbles. Using the moonstone as a catalyst, the spell was even more powerful, able to freeze itself including the prisoners, restricting them of all movements.


    ¡°Fuuu..*heavy breathing*¡± Abalone exhaled heavily with a smile on her face as she watched her frozen achievements.


    ¡°KAWK¡±  Heru who was flying above her screamed at the sea dragon after spotting a few enemies coming her way.


    ¡°Thanks Heru!¡± shouted Abalone. ¡°Who wants a piece of thisss¡­¡­.? ¡­..!!!! What? The stone is out of power? SHIT! What do I do?¡±  The light emitting from the moonstone began to fade until it disappeared completely.


    Finding herself in quite a pinch, Abalone watched in distress as three large dragons landed and surrounded her.


    ¡°What is this? A sea dragon?¡± Dragon number one spoke after a careful inspection of Abalone.


    ¡°Actually it would make sense she is with the rebels.¡± Said the second one.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill her!¡± the third one roared.


    Seeing her friend in danger, the gyrfalcon landed on Abalone¡¯ shoulder and screamed threateningly at the trio. Unfortunately, no matter how menacing it might sound, Heru was only a normal bird, a pigeon compared to these majestic dragons. What could he possibly do to save her?


    ¡­..


    ¡°<Alastor, Abalone seems to be in trouble.¡± Stella informed the boy next to her. Together they were the most effective couple, having fought their way easily through the ranks of enemies and were the first to reach the foundations of the central tower. The biggest of all the towers in Canaan, the central tower was about a few miles in diameter, making it the biggest architecture in the world in term of size.


    It was one of the rare occasions Alastor was able to witness Stella in her battle mode. Wielding incredible strength for such a slim figure combined with powerful crystal magic, one of the rarest forms of magic, the doll was a frightening combatant and an unstoppable force on the battlefield. But the creepiest aspect of her was probably her expression. While others were filled with fear, excitement, bloodlust, Stella showed no emotion whether she was smashing through ranks of enemies or broke the neck of her foe. And yet, that lack of emotions, that calmness was perhaps also her hidden charm.


    ¡°So I see¡­¡± Alastor scratched his head.


    ¡°Should I save her?¡± asked Stella.


    ¡°Yes, go ahead! I can take care of things here.


    But as he decided to rush toward Abalone, a loud grave voice echoed across the entire battlefield, stopping everyone in the midst of their battle


    ¡°Alastor, can you hear me? Come to the hundredth floor at the central tower! We will settle our score there.¡± It was the dragon Maragon who spoke using the crystal ball from earlier. Watching his every move from there, the dragon was able to communicate with the boy even in the midst of this chaos.


    ¡°¡­..how about ¡­no?¡± the boy uttered innocently.


    ¡°What do you mean no? Aren¡¯t you fighting your way here in order to meet me? Because if that is the case then you won¡¯t find anyone stopping you from climbing up here. Come and fight me, Alastor!¡±


    ¡°Are you so old you can¡¯t come down? Aie aie aie, old people.¡±


    ¡°You dare mock me???¡± Maragon threatened.


    ¡°I am merely speaking the truth. Besides I don¡¯t see any merit in climbing a hundred floors just to fight an old dude who has already stepped a feet in the grave.¡±


    ¡°What? Have you no honour?¡±


    ¡°I am a freaking kid. What the hell does honour even mean?¡± Alastor faked, scratching his head in an innocent face. ¡°But fine! I will fight you.¡± Turning to the doll by his side, Alastor said. ¡°Can you go help Abalone please? I will take care of this.¡±


    ¡°Ok. Be careful!¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    Sprinting toward the helpless sea dragon and her gyrfalcon, Stella left Alastor behind. With him by himself, Alastor took out his sword Excalibur. In the past, he has used it to slay the God of the Dwarves Gnome and Merkabah the God of Celestials. However, it was only recently that he forgot a crucial detail about the sword. It could change its form depending on the user¡¯s needs. When fighting against Gnome, because of his size, Alastor has wished for a weapon that was capable of damaging him. His will was transferred to the sword that was passed down to him, giving it the necessary size he needed. But why did he take the sword out this soon?


    ¡°Already drew your sword? Aren¡¯t you hasty¡­.wait a minute! What are you doing?¡± Maragon was bewildered when he saw the sword changing its form into that of axe¡­not a normal axe but a very very very big axe. Translucent with a faint azure light, the axe had a normal size handle, able to be held by the small hands of a boy like Alastor. However, its blade could only be described as the most ridiculous thing ever created as it was as big as half the size of the central power. As Alastor held the handle, moving the giant axe casting a shadow upon the battlefield, he spoke.


    ¡°I did say that I will fight you. However, I have no intention of climbing this tower so instead of me going up, I will help you getting down, starting with this tower.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean!!!¡± Maragon uttered.


    ¡°TIMBER!!!!!!¡±

 Chapter 95: Clashes

    Author''s note: I want to write down as much details as I can to give the readers a better view of the scene. That explains why the style of writing in this arc (starting from around chap 70) is much more lengthy than the previous as I have improved. Please tell me in the comments if the current pacing is good or too slow :).


    Enjoy your chapter! Do let me know your opinions in reviews/comments ^^


    #########################################################################################################


    While the battle in Canaan continued with all its might, a little figure was left out back at her cave along with a few soldiers guarding the place. As one would expect from the overprotective attitude of the dragon lord toward his daughter, little Syralth was grounded to not come out of the cave until his return. His intention was well justified but it was not enough to convince the young draconian. Jealous of how Kaiser reacted toward the boy who was barely older than her, the girl could not understand why he was allowed to go while she had to stay here, doing absolutely nothing.


    Actually, to be honest, Syralth¡¯s power was so much more than she realized it herself. If she really wanted it, none of the guards outside would be able to stop her. However, despite being such a hard-headed girl with a liking to adventure, she didn¡¯t dare to disobey what Kaiser and Celdora have told her. After all, to be seen as a ¡®bad girl¡¯ in their eyes was not something Syralth wished to do.


    Sitting in her room on the floor, she looked out of the only window facing the sun, letting it the warm sunlight of the morning as the warm radiance shined upon her youthful flesh. As part of her nature as a dragon, perhaps that was why she enjoyed basking herself under the sunlight. It put her body at ease in a relaxed state as her mind started to become blank.


    In that state of trance, Syralth heard a wordless humming in her mind. The tone was soothing like a lullaby, driving the girl far deep into her unconsciousness. And that voice echoing in her head, a woman? A sad tone, unknown yet familiar¡­where did she hear this voice from?


    ¡°Come to me!¡±


    As if following the voice, Syralth slowly stood up like a soulless doll with no control of her body or even her thoughts.


    ¡°Find me!¡±


    And as the marionette controlled by the strings which were this hymn she was hearing, the young draconian headed outside the room she was confined to. However, the moment she opened the door, two guards standing in both sides of the chamber have stopped her from going anywhere further.


    What were they saying? The words that came out of their mouths only sounded like insects buzzing in the mind of the little girl. It was hindering the lovely hum she was listening to. Even more, it hurt to listen to their babbling.


    ¡°Shut up, insects!¡±


    With a single punch, the girl sent the soldier flying to the ceiling. As the other guard was still stunned and did not manage to grasp onto the situation in time, Syralth jumped on and grabbed his head as she smashed it to the ground below them, making a large hole on the floor.


    As the other people present in the cave noticed the loud sound, Syralth casually walked toward the quarters of a specific person: the white dragon Malick. After what has happened and following Malick¡¯s request, Kaiser has stationed a group of soldiers blocking anyone attempting to enter his chamber. Upon spotting the small figure coming toward them, the soldiers recognized her as a threat and took their battle stance.


    ¡°Unleash your potential!¡±


    Raising her hand forward, Syralth released an emerald light that engulfed everything that stood in her way. In just an instant, it left nothing in its passage, whether it was the hard metal armor or the fragile flesh of the living. Everything has been burned to crisp. Only ashes remained.


    ¡°You are almost there! Keep going!¡±


    Moving forward, the draconian proceeded to smash down the door to the chamber of her destination. As she walked inside, an incredible sight was hit in her eyes: in the back of the somber room, a black iron crown was attached to a multitude of talismans with strange characters imprinted on it. Those were the magic wards Malick has employed in order to suppress the phantom residing inside the crown. It was assumed that he succeeded. After all, Malick was the God of the Dragons Amon. Surely, someone of that caliber would be able to purify a common ghost¡­.That was it if that spirit was common. But in this case, even with all these precautions that were on the verge of breaking itself apart, Amon was wrong to think that he was able to contain this entity by himself.


    Radiating a dim blue light, the color of the soul, the crown began to shine as if it has broken out of its decrepit old shell of rust.


    ¡°He is near. I can feel it.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the little draconian did not utter a word and stayed in silence as she approached the crown. With a single motion of her hands, she crushed the protective barrier surrounding the crown and removed the talismans all at once.


    ¡°Bring me to him!¡±


    As the girl held the crown between her hands, her emerald eyes began to take on a new color: deep azure as the ocean itself yet as shining as crystal. All of the sudden, the fabrics of space and time was broken apart with a portal opening itself in front of Syralth as she stepped into and vanished without a trace.


    ¡°I am coming, Alastor. At last, after all these years, you will be mine!¡±


    * * *


    A loud bang just resonated near the central tower of Canaan. Accompanied by an explosion and the crumbling of a smaller tower nearby, two figures appeared from the smoke as they stared at each other¡¯s throat. One was a black dragon with long neck and a pair of vast dark wings. The other was a faceless figure wearing a cleric¡¯s attire together with a golden crown on his head, wielding two great swords imbued with darkness and fire.


    ¡°You ruined everything¡­my plan¡­.my life. I will kill you!!!¡± Taragon threatened in a loud voice.


    ¡°You ruined yourself the moment you decided to join Sanctus. How could you, a member of the highest esteem of the dragon council, betray your people? For what?¡± Kaiser preached.


    ¡°You understand nothing. For centuries, I have lived under my father¡¯ shadow. The son of the Great Maragon¡­that¡¯s how I am known by everyone but never by my own name. And that old far just doesn¡¯t die easily. By with this, if I can purge the demon curse and put an end to their pathetic race, everyone will recognize me. I will be the king of the dragons!!!¡± The black dragon confessed.


    ¡°All this for a title? Are you that stupid to not seek other ways?¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! I don¡¯t need your hypocrite preaching. You may have destroyed my plan but if I kill you here, it can still be fixed. And with that brat taking care of my father, I will finally ascend to power.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are already beyond salvation. A king¡¯s duty is to save, to protect, to serve the people. And you, Taragon, are no king. Prepare yourself!¡± Kaiser raised his swords.


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    The black dragon held his breath and exhaled a black fire stream, engulfing the True Monarch. Putting his dark sword and fire sword close to each other in front of him, Kaiser created a barrier, dividing the stream into two as he advanced toward the black dragon. Seeing his enemy coming closer and closer to him, Taragon increased the intensity of the fire breath but still it did not stop him. Gathering his strength, Kaiser lunged forward, pushing the black flame back at the dragon¡¯s throat as he screamed in pain.


    ¡°ARRRGGGH! You will pay for that.¡±


    Taragon tried to crush Kaiser with his paw but it was impossible for Kaiser was too fast for him, evading all grabs with ease.


    ¡°<Scorched Earth>¡±


    In an instant, the ground the two stood on was set on fire. Unlike the normal flame, the black fire did not just burn but rather destroyed everything it touched, disintegrating them. Surrounded by the fire with nowhere to run to, Kaiser put one sword horizontally forward while the other sword in the same position but behind him. And he started spinning at his position.


    ¡°<Glory Twister>¡±


    The force of his spinning generated a cyclone that was increasing in size, putting down all the fires. It took Taragon all his strength to grab onto the ground just to avoid being sucked into that windstorm.


    With all the fire gone, the storm started to subside as the wind became lighter. However, when it dissipated, Kaiser was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°What? Where is he?¡± Taragon muttered while his head turned left to right to look for the person in question.


    Suddenly a large surge of power manifested itself from above, revealing itself to the black dragon as he realized who it belonged to.


    Floating on air with his strange pair of wings composed of branches of trees, Kaiser chanted the words of power.


    ¡°I call upon thee, oh Princess of Thorns! Grant me protection from my enemies! Strike down the wicked! Punish them for their sins!¡±


    ¡°What? Summoning magic? You are a summoner?¡± Taragon shouted in disbelief.


    ¡°This is a gift of my mother passed down to me. Have a taste of this power!


    <Black Forest>¡±


    In an instant, the wooden branches on Kaiser¡¯s back grew at an inconceivable rate, forming wings of large net of black vines with spikes. And when it reached it full size, the branches converged toward the area where Taragon stood. Each grew into many more branches adorned with thorns capable of shredding even armor to pieces. With hundreds of growth striking down on the dragon that not only trapped him, blocking all attempt to escape in time, the next wave impaled Taragon, pinning him to the ground. And if that was not the worse, the more the dragon struggled, the more painful it would be as the thorns would cut deep into his flesh and tear away his skin.


    ¡°Argh¡­*cough cough*¡± Taragon tried to remain still. If he moved too much, it would hurt even more. However, his body was bleeding heavily. At this rate, he would die either way. ¡°Dad¡­save me..¡±


    ¡°What an unsightly scene! So when things get difficult, you turn to your father in hope he would help you even after all you have done? Even after you used him for your own goal?¡± Snapping his finger, the black forest of thorns turned into particles of dust and released the dragon from its constriction.


    It was a bloody mess to see a once prideful dragon having fallen to such a state. But he brought this upon himself. The question was what to do with him now.


    ¡°Please¡­spare me¡­Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡± Taragon pled disgracefully.


    ¡°As much as I want to, I need you alive. Your crimes will certainly not go unpunished. However, it won¡¯t be me to give out the punishment but your people. Then you will spill everything you know about Sanctus. Is that clear?¡± Kaiser, holding his sword at the dragon¡¯s thoat, spoke majestically.


    ¡°I will I will¡­¡±


    ¡°Then stand up! We will join the others.¡± Ordered Kaiser.


    ¡°But I am injured¡­.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a pussy! You are a dragon so you should be able to do it. I deliberately avoided all your vitals after all. Now move!¡±


    ¡°Yes yes!¡±


    As the dragon stood up, he retook his human form and walked as instructed by Kaiser. Grinning his teeth in anger, Taragon has not given up just yet. With Kaiser right behind him, he sneakily reached to his pocket and pulled out a small black ball.


    ¡°Why did you stop? Move!¡± Kaiser yelled at the dragon¡¯s back.


    ¡°¡­this is not over yet.¡±


    Turning back, Taragon threw the ball at Kaiser¡¯s face. Upon explosion, it released a black smoke, blinding the True Monarch. Using that opportunity, Taragon grew his wings and took flight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that you will capture me so easily!¡±


    But then from the smoke, a great sword lunged out, grazing Taragon¡¯s face as it turned back to its owner.


    ¡°You coward! I won¡¯t be so lenient this time.¡±


    Seeing that Kaiser has already taken out his wings again, Taragon flew as fast as he could toward the center of the battle in hope that his father would save him from this monster.


    * * *


    ¡°TIMBER!!!¡±


    Alastor raised his axe as he prepared to chop down the most treasured and holy relic of the dragon race.


    ¡°WAIT!!!¡± Maragon shouted desperately. ¡°I will come down¡­¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± asked Alastor, faking a worried voice. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want to break your back or anything by making you go down all those stairs. Well it¡¯s partly your own fault for deciding to hold your meeting at the highest floor so you have no right to complain.¡±


    ¡°¡­..You will regret mocking me, brat!¡±


    Followed with a blast at the highest floor of the tower as pieces of stones fell down to the ground next to Alastor, a giant figure landed right next to him. Wielding a mace as tall as himself, the ancient dragon stared at the tiny being that was the cause of the downfall of his conclave. Everything he has built, the things he vowed to defend with his life, all of them were being shattered by this one puny soul.


    ¡°Just who are you, boy? And drop that childish tone of yours! I know you are not a kid, at least not a normal one.¡± Maragon spoke.


    ¡°I am Alastor Magnolia, prince of the Promised Lands of Valhalla and son of the High Empress Morrigan. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance, lord Maragon was it?¡± the boy presented himself.


    ¡°Morrigan? So you are linked to that Hero Lakyus as well? But even if that¡¯s the case, it doesn¡¯t explain your power and the skills you used. What are you really?¡±


    ¡°Would it change anything if you know what I am? Would you surrender?¡±


    ¡°No! I will put a stop to you and your treacherous movement, even if I have to die for it.¡± Maragon said.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think you are a bad person, Maragon. Just on the wrong side! Surrender before it is too late!¡± Alastor proposed.


    ¡°Enough! Instead of worthless chatter, let our swords do the talking!¡± Maragon roared.


    ¡°Fine with me! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    As the two stared down at each other, the soldiers began to spread out and get away from them. From a mere glance and considering their power, it would be suicide to stay around them when these two behemoths started fighting.


    ¡°As they usually said, let the elder one strike first! Go on, grandpa!¡± the boy said.


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t hold back either.¡± Moving the giant heavy mace backward trailing on the ground, Maragon dealt the first string, swinging his weapon in an arc toward Alastor. Because of its size and the force he put into it, Maragon blast away not just the soil the mace passed by but also the unfortunate soldiers who did not manage to get away in time and taken by the wind.


    Using his Excalibur which has now reverted back to its sword form and only slightly larger than Alastor himself, the demon lord blocked the heavy mace. The head of the metal clump was already bigger than the boy and yet somehow he has managed to stop it firmly without being blast away.


    ¡°For an old man, you are really strong.¡± Alastor grinned, trying to look cool but his attempt was betrayed by his trembling hand. In his mind, he had to admit that in term of physical strength, this old dragon was stronger than him.


    ¡°So are you! You are the first person who is able to stop my attack without sustaining any injury. This is interesting. But I should have known that compared to what you have done so far, this is nothing.¡±


    Pushing Alastor back using his incredible strength, the black dragon held the mace in both his hands high in a praying stance.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.¡°


    , <Unlimited Vigor>, <Unyielding Perseverance>¡±


    All of the sudden, Alastor could feel an imposing surge of power from Maragon. Using all those powerful buffs at once, the dragon¡¯s very presence has created such a pressure that shattered the ground below him. At that moment, the boy knew that he could no longer take on a full strike of that mace of his unlike earlier.


    ¡°Take this!¡± With his new power, Maragon could lift the giant mace much quicker with ease and smashed down onto Alastor. But dashing to the side was not enough. The impact the mace created upon contact with the ground has flung everything around it fly away, including the boy who was blast against the central tower¡¯s wall.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± Alastor muttered as he recovered from the attack. It seemed that melee was no longer an option until he figured out what to do against that insane physical power of Maragon. ¡°This is dangerous! How about this?


    <Lucifer¡¯s fury: Tempest>¡±


    A cyclone came from the sky at the dragon¡¯s location. It was this same spell that has singlehandedly destroyed the walls of Caelum. Would it make the same wonder here?


    ¡°Child¡¯s play!¡± the dragon sneered. From his body, Maragon released an extremely powerful shockwave that dispelled the cyclone even before it could reach the ground where he was.


    ¡°Wow I didn¡¯t know you can do that.¡± Uttered Alastor in awe.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know a lot of things, child!¡± laughed the dragon. ¡°But that name¡­Lucifer¡­the fact that you are able to use it makes you a demon lord¡­I see. That would make sense.¡± Thankfully, no one heard his voice for they were too far away and was either focused on their own battle or so stunned by the actions that Maragon¡¯s words have escaped their ears.


    ¡°¡­I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± Alastor said casually.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, boy! I have lived for far too long to be deceived by your miserable acting. You might have fooled others but you can¡¯t fool me. You are one of them!¡±


    ¡°So what if I am?¡± knowing that continuing this act would not work any longer, Alastor confessed. ¡°I thought you already want to kill me so this won¡¯t change right? Or am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, that won¡¯t change. But it only gives me more reasons to kill you!¡± Maragon changed his tone. ¡°You and the rest of your kind deserve to burn in hell for what you have done!¡±


    Rushing forward, Maragon went berserk and smashed down his mace continuously.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? Have you gone senile already, old man?¡± Alastor spoke while still focusing on evading the volley of attacks.


    ¡°Shut up, brat! I know how the demon lord works. Even if you die, your soul lives on inside the next demon lord. Even more terrifying, you can give that demon lord your power.¡±


    ¡°I am impressed that you are aware of this fact but what does that have to do with anything?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°It means that son of a bitch is living inside you. Bring him out! I will kill him again and again for what he has done, just as I once did.¡± Maragon raged.


    ¡°Just who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°XENES, come out now! I know you are there.¡±


    ¡­..


    Inside the dark world of the Abyss, the Soul Forger Magnus has been observing the situation from inside Alastor. He seemed very pleased with the boy¡¯s progression and increase in power, grinning to himself as if he was watching a comedy show.


    ¡°Xenes, Maragon is shouting your name¡­again!¡± Magnus spoke out loud to the dragon below him.


    ¡°Oh dear, really? He still holds his grudge after all these years?¡± Xenes muttered. ¡°Such a bad actor! His role was finished long ago. Should have moved onto something else. I guess there are things time can¡¯t cure after all.¡±


    ¡°Well at least he will just be another step for our Alastor on his path.¡± Magnus resumed his watch.


    ¡°Hum¡­actually, there is one more role Maragon could fill in¡­Magnus, would you let me speak to Alastor, please?¡±


    ¡­..


    Back in the world of Astora, Alastor was still trying to figure out how to deal with Maragon. Even though after their short exchange, Alastor has not identified him as a bad person. He cared for his people in a way as there were no lies in Maragon¡¯s words, at least based on what his instincts were telling him. That was why he wanted to end this battle with Maragon still alive if possible. After all, it would be a pity to end the life of such an old being. Furthermore, he had to think about what happened after the war. If Kaiser left and Celdora became the new leader of Oros, there would be some who might think that this whole conflict was a coup devised by the dragon lord Celdora to gain power. But if there was someone from the other side, someone who was at the same time influential and belonged to the dragon council, someone like Maragon who endorsed Celdora, everything would fall in place. The problem was how to convince this hard headed dragon.


    Suddenly, a voice echoed in Alastor¡¯s mind as he continued to evade the rampage of the black dragon.


    ¡®Testing! Testing! This is the host of your favorite show live from the Abyss, the Great Xenes! Can you hear me, Alastor?¡¯


    ¡®Xenes? What are you doing? Where is Magnus?¡¯ asked Alastor in confusion.


    ¡®Magnus is dead. I am in charge now. HAHAHAHAHAHA!¡¯ Xenes laughed evilly.


    ¡®¡­.¡¯


    ¡®OK that was just a joke. I asked Magnus to let me speak to you concerning Maragon.¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, what is the deal with him shouting your name like that? Do you know him? And most importantly, what did you do to him?¡¯ inquired the boy.


    ¡®Ah nothing¡­.Just..you know he has a son right?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah?¡¯


    ¡®Well to have a son you need a wife right?¡¯


    ¡®Ok?¡¯


    ¡®They also need to do the thing. You following me? It¡¯s a mature subject but take this as an education lesson from me!¡¯


    ¡®Just skip to the main points already!¡¯ shouted Alastor in his mind.


    ¡®In short, I am the reason he is single right now¡­I kind of killed his wife.¡¯


    ¡®¡­That¡¯s just great. So he has every reason to hate you and me.¡¯ Alastor sighed.


    ¡®Whether he hates me or not won¡¯t matter if he is dead.¡¯


    ¡®I have no intention to kill him, Xenes. I need him for the peace talk.¡¯


    ¡®Still talking about that? But what if I tell you that you can have my power by killing him? He is an ancient dragon so his blood is among the purest. And you know what it means right?¡¯


    ¡®¡­He has the Scion of the dragon¡­¡¯ conveyed Alastor.


    ¡®Exactly! So just kill him and be done with it! The show must go on and the audience demands blood!¡¯


    ¡®As I have told Asmodeus, I will decide what happens in my life. So don¡¯t you dare order me to do anything!¡¯ Alastor raised his voice.


    ¡®Ok Ok! Do what you want! If you don¡¯t want this amazing, incredibly power then it¡¯s your loss.¡¯ Xenes provoked. ¡®Looking forward to see how you will end this play!¡¯


    As the voice dissipated, Alastor could still hear one last thing. ¡®Hey Magnus, let us watch too!¡¯


    The power of Xenes has always been a mystery to Alastor. It has been more than a year since he met the dragon but never had the chance to use it due to the requirement of having the Scion of a pure dragon. It was tempting to be able to have the last power of the demon lords among those he made a pact with but unfortunately, that would not align well with Alastor¡¯s plan so he had to drop it, no matter how much he wanted to test that power. Maybe another chance would come in the future, just not now.


    ¡°Would you stop?¡± shouted Alastor.


    ¡°Not until you are smashed to pieces.¡± Maragon roared.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me hurt an old man!¡±


    ¡°Does it matter? You demons do whatever you want anyway. You took her away from me!!!¡±


    ¡°So did you! My parents, Morgan, Gazel, Shana¡­everyone I loved was taken from me. But that¡¯s not a reason to be an asshole to everyone else!¡± Alastor reasoned.


    ¡°And what? Just happily joining our hands together as if nothing has happened? Our peoples have hurt each other too much to go back now. Tell me, young one, if you have the killer of your parents right in front of you, would you be able to forgive that person? After what they did to you?¡± Maragon spoke.


    ¡°I¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is what I thought too. You used pretty words to cover the ugly fact that even you cannot give up your own hatred. But that¡¯s fine. So do I! However, at the very least, I don¡¯t try to hide my true nature. Our two peoples will fight until one is dead.¡±


    ¡°You are right. I would be lying if I say I can forgive the person who killed my parents completely. I don¡¯t know myself what I would do unless I face that situation. However, we both don¡¯t have the right to impose that hatred onto the rest of our peers. What I am doing is to give them to chance to see pass your lenses of spite, for them to decide for themselves whether demons are truly as frightening as people say they are.¡±  Alastor spoke with a heavy heart.


    ¡°Meaningless sentiment! You are either too na?ve or too much of a fool to think that.¡± Maragon uttered.


    ¡°Stubborn old fart! How the hell did you live this long and not understand that simple concept of free will and choice?¡± Alastor retorted.


    ¡°Then I guess we both agree to disagree! Speak through your actions, boy!¡±


    ¡°You ask for it!¡± Alastor looked back at Maragon sternly. But then something caught his attention: a small figure screaming at him from above.


    * * *


    ¡°There are too many of them!¡± Abalone ran as fast as she could after having been saved by the doll Stela who has come for her aid.


    While Stella was preoccupied with the three elder dragons, Abalone was thinking hardly about how to get out of this predicament. Her moonstone has run out of power and without it, she was nothing more than a big lizard. And even worse, she was now surrounded by other dragons who have noticed her weakness and decided to go after her for an easy kill.


    ¡°What do I do? What do I do?¡± Abalone talked to herself in panic. ¡°Wait! Where are you Heru? HERU?...It can¡¯t be that¡­he abandoned me?¡±


    ¡°Prepare to die, girl!¡± shouted a dragon grunt.


    ¡°AAA!¡± Abalone shrieked.


    ¡­..


    ¡°<Rise of the Dark Moon>¡±


    All of the sudden, the sky darkened and turned into night time.The clouds dissipated, revealing a clear sky filled with stars. But most first and foremost, it was the moon that stood out the most. Instead of the usual pale sphere we saw at night, there was now a giant full moon seemingly so close to the ground as if it was going to fall onto the world.


    Stunned by what was happening, everyone stopped what they were doing, enemies or foes and looked around, trying to understand what was going on.


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± uttered Abalone before realizing a bright light coming from the moonstone. Having been in possession of it for many years, it was her first time seeing such a bright luminescence. Was it due to this strange moon? But what caused it in the first place?


    ¡®Abalone, can you hear me?¡¯ a voice spoke to Abalone in her mind.


    ¡®Heru? Where are you?¡¯ asked the dragoness worriedly.


    ¡®Sorry for having left your side! I wanted to call for help. But don¡¯t worry! Alastor has revealed the moon. You can use your full power now!¡¯


    ¡®But what about you?¡¯


    ¡®Above!¡¯


    From the sky, a large shadow was cast onto the ground by the pale moonlight. Much bigger than a normal dragon, an unusual feathered bird dived downward before switching direction and glided just above the ground, creating a powerful wind blasting away everything on its path and freed Abalone from the encirclement.


    ¡°HERU? How did you get this big?¡± Abalone asked in shock as the birded landed next to her.


    ¡®It¡¯s thanks to the stone¡¯s power after absorbing the energy from this weird moon.¡¯ The gyrfalcon spoke telepathically to his owner. ¡®Let us go defeat these meanies!¡¯ Picking up Abalone in her human form on its back with its beck, Heru took flight above the sky as the dragoness rained down magic she never thought she was able to do before.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA! Take that!!!¡± the girl laughed excitedly.


    * * *


    ¡°HOHOHOHO! Now who would expect that?¡± Inside the Abyss, the old demon lords were having a blast watching the fight. The God Magnus was emitting a ray of light from his one eye that revealed images of the battle upon reflecting on a surface. In a way, it was similar to the flat screen Alastor saw on the new world and what inspired Magnus to create something similar.


    ¡°Nice! How come none of us came up with this kind of entertainment before?¡± commented Belphegor.


    ¡°A dragoness and her gyrfalcon¡­what a strange combo!¡± said Asmodeus.


    ¡°Yeah! It has been a long time since a dragon could make me laugh like that.¡± Lucifer spoke. ¡°Right, Xenes? ¡­..Xenes?¡±


    Turning back to the only dragon present here, the demon lords found it strange that the talkative Xenes has stayed silent for a while now. Could it be that he was disappointed in Alastor for not wanting to kill Maragon? Xenes has always been a showy kind so it would not be hard to understand his bummer of the fact that his power might remain hidden forever.


    However, it was not the case here. The reason Xenes stayed silent was not because of Alastor but only after he saw the peculiar dragon with her moonstone appearing on the image. He was so focused on her that he didn¡¯t pay any attention to his surroundings or speak a single word. But why was he fascinated by a common dragon like Abalone who was not really someone that special in every aspect of the word?


    ¡°Abalone¡­so her name is Abalone¡­a sea dragon¡­hehehehe¡­HAHAHAHAHAAHA!¡± Xenes laughed maniacally, even on the borderlines of crying as a few drops of tears fell from his eyes.


    Knowing Xenes¡¯ personality as an odd person, his current behaviour was even stranger. Unable to grasp on what he was laughing on, Asmodeus approached the dragon and asked.


    ¡°Ehmm something wrong? Why are you laughing like that?¡±


    Trying to regain his calmness as he wiped away his tears, the dragon answered. ¡°Nothing! Hahaha! I think I just found a new toy!¡±

 Chapter 96: Downfall

    The pursuit at the Great Swamp was fruitless. After days of continuous searching, Edward¡¯s group had no choice but to retreat back the main camp where King Charles commanded his army. Unsurprisingly, it was as the young Deus mage Edward has expected. Even though he knew the safe way thanks to his Death Spectrum, they could not go fast enough to catch up to Morrigan who had an experienced guide to help her getting out of the swamp.


    A few days later, scouts reported of a large army of different races was marching toward them. And just like Edward has predicted, Morrigan has managed to join with the Beast King Zen¡¯s army and was on her way back for revenge. Yet, this news somehow did not make the generals of Dor falter a bit. Those dwarves were too proud of their own superior technology to think that Zen would pose a threat to them. So what if there were a few dozens thousands beastmen joining the battle? Surely, their primitive fighting styles would be no match for the zeppelins and land boats.


    Indeed it was true. While Valhalla had many outstanding fighters, they still could not fight evenly against the zeppelins and its cowardly method of bombardment. Furthermore, the dragons who have been sent here by the dragon council to aid Ceadric, unaware of the situation in Oros, have also joined the battle, further adding to the already many disadvantages Morrigan had.


    However, something was strange. Even though it seemed that Valhalla was on the losing side, somehow their losses have been kept to the bare minimum with even a few battles with no casualties at all. Somehow, Morrigan was always able to predict Ceadric¡¯s next move and devised a strategy against it, allowing her to have a complete control of the war.


    Unknown to many, this was thanks to the intelligence Mephisto, or Meto rather, has gathered from Goldbeard about all the movements of the armies of Ceadric. Every time Ceadric decided to change their tactic, Goldbeard would have to be informed first and that meant so did Meto. Once the info was obtained, all he needed to do was to inform Martel who has accompanied Morrigan and from there, a counter strategy could be made.


    But what was even more suspicious was that Morrigan remained on the defensive despite all the advantages she had. With that kind of intelligence, she should have been able to find the weaknesses of her enemies and make some serious blows against Charles but instead of doing that, she stayed idle. It seemed almost like the Empress was trying to prolong the war while keeping the losses of not just her side but also Ceadric¡¯s to the strict minimum. It was as if she was waiting for something. But what?


    ¡­..


    In one of the keeps situated in the northern coast of Ceadric, two soldiers were standing on the high walls, keeping watch of any intruder that might try to take advantage of the absence of the main army in the northern part of the country. Mainly, their duty was to defend against the demons of Ragna who were currently in an alliance with Valhalla. However, that was supposed to be the case but there hadn¡¯t any attack or even sighting of any demon ship wandering anywhere near Ceadric. They did not even know if the demons even had a ship to transport their troops since if there was, someone must have seen them already.


    Day after day, these soldiers passed their boring life looking at the sea in front of them occupied by the imperial fleet of their country keeping the demons at bay. The fleet of Ceadric was famous for being the most powerful marine regiment in the world, having not just the mot number of ships but also the latest upgrades and gears of the highest quality available. No demon ships would be able to pass through them or even hope to land.


    ¡°Another peaceful day¡­.this is getting boring!¡± said a soldier holding his spear weakly just to show that he had a weapon in his hand.


    ¡°What do you expect? We never saw the demons attacking us from the sea in the past and it¡¯s not like anything is going to change now. Though for once, I do want to see them try crossing the sea just to have their asses kicked by our fleet. It would be funny as hell, don¡¯t you think?¡± the other soldier spoke.


    ¡°I second that! But I doubt they would dare to attack us now. I mean, why not do it sooner? From what I heard, we are winning at the frontline against Valhalla so if they want to help, they would have already.¡±


    ¡°It just shows that demons are pussies.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe true that!¡±


    *RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE (ground trembling lightly)*


    ¡°Oh damn it, it¡¯s these earthquakes again! It just happens more and more frequently. ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like it¡¯s as violent like the one a few months ago. That one was the reason why our capital ended up half destroyed. Compared to that, these small tremors are nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah I know but it¡¯s a bit annoying. Just what in God¡¯s name causes that?¡±


    ¡°No idea! But¡­.¡±


    *VERY LOUD CRACKING SOUND*


    All of the sudden, without warning, a giant hole in the soil appeared out of nowhere and swallowed the entire keep to the underground.


    Miraculously, these two soldiers managed to stay alive during the collapse. However, they have now ended up in a very dark place, unsure of their whereabouts. Getting out of the rubbles, the soldiers saw the devastation of their precious keep, now lying in ruins as debris were burying alive their comrades.


    ¡°Anyone there? Hello?¡± the soldier shouted loudly into the void, seeking those who survived the collapse. His voice echoed back further and further. ¡°What the hell happened?¡±


    ¡°Hey look! Above!¡± the other soldiers pointed to the direction of the sky.


    The dim sunlight was shining upon them. It was only now that the soldiers could see the scale of the destruction around them and the cause of it. They were in some kind of empty cavern at least a few dozens meters below the surface with a giant hole from where the light was coming in and where the kept fell off.


    ¡°So that was what caused the keep to collapse. There is a goddamn empty chamber right under us the whole time.¡± The soldier uttered in shock.


    ¡°But how come there is one here? It doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡±


    Suddenly, a strange noise echoed from further in the cavern. It was a creaking sound, or rather a constant buzzing, something like that of insects¡­ not just one but thousands.


    ¡°What is that sound?¡± asked the soldier as he just noticed a large tunnel connecting to the empty chamber he was in. Filled with darkness, he had no way to see anything inside so after grabbing and lighting a torch, the two advanced toward the mysterious tunnel.


    But as they came closer, red dots appeared from the obscurity and revealed themselves under the dim light of the torch: eight long slender limbs with a large body, the creatures jumped at the soldiers who did not even have time to scream. Wrapping them quickly with a white silky but sticky substance expunged from their mouths, the creatures dragged the soldiers back to the tunnel. They just gained a nice meal after the long journey they made in order to come here.


    The same fate awaited those who survived the fall and the collapse of their keep. Without making a single sound, they disappeared into the darkness.


    This strange phenomenon was happening to every single castle and station locating in the northern coast of Ceadric at incredible speed. When a keep fell silent and did not send a report back to their commander in charge of them all, it was assumed that they simple did not have anything to report. And that was where the mistakes began. One by one, they fell to the unknown forces that somehow managed to did all these damages without even showing themselves.


    So what were they? Based on their appearance and their favourite method of moving around using the underground, there was only one species which could be responsible for this mystery: the arachnids of Ragna. It was common to stumble across one of their tunnels in the demon continent but how did they cross the sea without being noticed by anyone? The answer was simple. They did what they have always done: dig.


    In ancient time, the continent we now knew as Ragna used to be a part of the main continent Mara. However, after a certain calamity that caused their separation, the sea of Levianux was formed. But what most people did not know was that the two continents were not actually separated at all, at least not in the underground. They still shared the same foundation, meaning that by digging very deep into the underground and passing the bedding of the sea of Levianux, it was possible to go from Ragna to Ceadric in an inconspicuous way.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Kill those spiders!¡± a soldier shouted.


    Currently being cornered in a cavern locating right under where their castle once stood, a group of soldiers and mages was assembling and cooperating with each other in order to push back the waves of creatures coming toward them.


    To be frank, they were doing a rather good job. Only ten against God knew how many of those spiders! The foot soldiers would use their shields and spears to keep the spiders away while the mages cast volleys of fireballs to annihilate the insects in mass.


    ¡°Keep going! We are doing very good!¡± the self-proclaimed captain of the survivors proclaimed. Like he said, if they could keep doing what they were doing, they might have a chance to escape this place. But that was only if their opponents were the weakest of the spiders.


    Suddenly, the spiders stopped coming at them and decided to retreat back to the tunnel. Were they too afraid of a mere ten humans? No¡­but the things that were coming¡­those were much more frightening.


    ¡°Haha are you afraid now, you stupid insects?¡± shouted the captain excitedly together with his men. They just survived the onslaught of an army of spiders.


    The annoying buzzing noises have stopped. Instead, from that silent darkness, the sounds of footsteps could be heard, resounding as figures of different shapes appeared from the shades.


    ¡°Hahaha! Finally! This is the last keep right?¡± a tall figure holding an even larger axe than himself spoke.


    ¡°Let us deal with them quickly and be done with it! I would like to finish this war as soon as possible and return to Lady Lilith¡¯ side.¡± A monstrous figure looking like a giant spider with a humanoid top uttered. Her eyes shined even in the darkness eerily.


    ¡°Fine! I will take care of this.¡±


    Seeing the large figure coming toward them with such a weapon, the humans trembled in fear, cowering under the faint light shining upon them.


    ¡°What¡­.what are you?¡± shouted one of the men at the furry entity.


    ¡°Your worst nightmare! AAAA!¡±


    With a single slash of his giant axe, the beastman cut down all the surviving humans. As one would expect from a demon royal guard, his skills were impeccable.


    ¡°Weaklings¡­This is not satisfying at all.¡± The beastman general mumbled.


    ¡°Then let us proceed to the surface! It¡¯s about time we release our army.¡± The spider queen spoke.


    ¡°Agreed! No more sneaking around! TO WAR!¡±


    All of the sudden, the entire northern part of Ceadric could feel a grand tremor taking place right under their feet. Without warning, giant worms emerged from the ground, opening their large mouths and released a horde of demons and monsters in the land of the humans. Flying creatures, hydras¡­all kinds of demons have gathered here for the final conflict of this war.


    And that was how the first invasion of the demon force onto Mara ever recorded in history began.


    * * *


    ¡°How did you do that? That was lady Elemyr¡¯s special ability!¡± Maragon uttered in awe after witnessing the full moon even thought it was supposed to be in the middle of the day.


    ¡°Do you see now? Even the Gods are on my side!¡± provoked Alastor.


    ¡°No! I refuse to believe that. Demons are unholy spawns under the eyes of nature. There is no way they would agree with you.¡± Maragon shouted. Charging at Alastor like a mad bull, Maragon raised his hand and smashed down at the boy.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you listen?¡± Alastor jumped high and landed on the mace as he used it as a bridge to come close to Maragon¡¯s face.


    ¡°Get off, vermin!¡± Swinging the mace like crazy, the dragon tried to shake off the boy who was barely able to hold onto it without being flung away.


    As for Alastor, he quickly crawled onto the hand of the dragon holding the weapon. Taking out his soul weapon Excalibur, he plunged it deep into his flesh, making the dragon scream in pain as he finally let go of the mace. The heavy thing fell onto the ground, creating a loud sound and almost cracked the soil.


    ¡°Arggg...you brat! But this is not over yet. Not until I say so. <Titanic Strength>¡±


    Jumping back a quite long distance, Maragon approached one of the smaller towers which was at least twenty meter in diameter. With a single fist, Maragon broke down its foundation as the tower fell down to the side. But just before it fell, the dragon has positioned himself to be right under it and supported the falling tower with his hands.


    ¡°Eat this! AAAAAAAAAA!¡± Using his abnormal strength, Maragon raised the tower and unbelievably and  threw it toward Alastor. ¡°DIE!¡±


    ¡°Oh shit! Excalibur, enlarge!¡± Taking on the form of a giant sword long for miles, Alastor raised it high and slashed down the incoming tower thrown at him. With a single strike, the tower was cut into two parts, each rolling into other towers behind Alastor and crushed the soldiers caught in it. ¡°That was close.¡± Said Alastor.


    So far, Alastor has exhausted quite a large portion of his power. In addition to the fact that he has not slept for three days, focusing on stabilizing the mana flow absorbed by the Devourers, the boy would soon reach his limit.


    But the same could be said about Maragon. Or perhaps the dragon was in an even worse state than Alastor. His skill <Titanic Strength> granted him an incredible boost in power, allowing him to do unthinkable things like lifting a whole building like he just did. However, that ability was not without cost. Maragon was old. He has lived for too long, aged too much to do anything like this. Indeed he was powerful, even among the most powerful in history. But that was when he was in his prime. Now, the ancient dragon, just like his title suggested, was a relic of the past. His stamina could no longer keep up with this level of intensity anymore.


    Kneeling down with both his hands on the ground, the dragon breathed heavily. What he just did has used up all of his remaining strength. The pain and toll were starting to come back at him. His body felt numb, paralyzed. It was his lost.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    With Maragon seemingly to have been defeated, everyone stopped their fight as they watched what would happen next. Would it be the victory for the rebels?


    Approaching the crumbling dragon, Alastor remained silent as he watched the old being panting for breath.


    ¡°So?....*heavy breathing* What are you waiting for? *heavy breathing* I can¡¯t even defend myself anymore. It¡¯s your win. So kill me and be done with it!¡± Maragon tried to catch his breath.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your victory. Finish me and this war will be over! Just¡­promise me that you will spare the soldiers! They only do what they are told to do. None of this is their fault.¡± The dragon pled.


    ¡°No¡­blindly following orders does not make it okay to kill thousands, millions of lives. While the leaders are at fault, so are the soldiers for not listening to their conscience and stay idle.¡± Alastor spoke coldly.


    ¡°Hehe..So you finally reveal your true nature. You want to kill everyone who opposes you, is that it?¡±


    ¡°No¡­I want you to change, from the soldiers to the members of the dragon council. You saw how your so called rebels reacted even after they learnt of Kaiser¡¯s true nature. You saw how people are coexisting in Valhalla. Does it seem that impossible to you?


    To kill and to destroy is easy. It¡¯s to rebuild, to maintain peace that is difficult. Maybe for now, it may seem hopeless to you but maybe¡­just maybe in the future, you might change. And me, I want to put my chance in that.¡± Alastor gave his speech.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°What do you say, Maragon? Peace?¡± Alastor extended his tiny hand to the dragon.


    ¡°¡­What if I say no? What will you do then?¡± asked the black dragon.


    ¡°Then I guess we will be throwing the towers of Canaan at each other until you give in.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe¡­¡± the black dragon blurted out.


    ¡°Hehehehe¡± Alastor laughed.


    ¡°Hahahaahaha¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaahahahaha!¡±


    ¡°You¡­are really an idiot.¡± Grinned Maragon.


    ¡°Well, you are not the first one to tell me that.¡± Replied Alastor joyfully.


    ¡°But you have a big heart¡­Very well¡­I don¡¯t know if this is the right decision but¡­I will gamble on this chance of peace you speak of. Maybe, one day, it could become reality.¡±


    ¡°It will. But not by itself. We are the ones who have to make it come true. Peace doesn¡¯t come just like that. It has to be attained. Many challenges await us ahead but what is important is that we stand and face them together.¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°I will hold you onto your words. Show me this future you are speaking of, Alastor! But for now, it¡¯s my turn to put an end to this war!¡±


    Turning toward the battlefield with all of the soldiers looking at him in awe, Maragon proclaimed. ¡°The war is over! We, the dragon council, have lost. From now on, the dragon council is disbanded.¡±


    ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!¡± a figure floating on the sky shouted angrily.


    ¡°Taragon?¡± the ancient dragon uttered upon recognizing his son.


    ¡°How could you? We are the dragon council. We are absolute. We don¡¯t lose.¡± Taragon spoke loudly.


    ¡°We have, son. There is no point in continuing this war anymore. I know you are disappointed but¡­.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me!!! Are you even aware of how I felt all these years being your son? NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡±


    ¡°Taragon, what are you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Your time is over, dad! I will rule now. And for that, the old must make way for the new.¡± From his sleeves, Taragon took out a ball radiating a dim green light: a mana bomb. However, this one was a bit different. Much more powerful than a normal mana bomb, this weapon would be capable of annihilating even the True Monarch himself. The only reason Taragon didn¡¯t use it earlier against Kaiser was because he feared that he would also be caught in the blast. However at this distance, he would be safe.


    ¡°Good bye, dad!¡± Taragon let go of the bomb and it fell down straight to the dumbfounded ancient dragon who has just realized that he has been betrayed by his own son.


    ¡°Taragon you¡­.¡±


    BOOM


    ¡­..


    ¡°<Black Hole>¡±


    In an instant, a small dark crack in space opened in front of Maragon. As the bomb exploded and released a dense wave of destructive unstable mana flow, the explosion itself was absorbed into the crack as if the entire process was reverting. Within seconds, it was gone.


    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± Alastor, the source of that spell that just saved Maragon from impending doom, shouted out loud at the floating black dragon who has just dropped his jaws. ¡°Killing your own father for such a stupid reason? Just how much of an idiot are you?¡±


    ¡°How¡­..¡± that word seemed just too common for him to utter ever since Alastor showed up. All that planning for years and it went down in seconds. All because of a boy who came out of nowhere.


    ¡°There you are, you little shit!¡± Kaiser finally caught up to his target after an intense chasing on air. ¡°This time to make sure that you won¡¯t go anywhere or pull up some underhanded tricks, I will break every last limb of yours.¡±


    ¡°IEEEEE!¡± Taragon shrieked as he quickly landed down in front of his father begging for forgiveness. ¡°Father, please forgive me! It was a moment of blunder¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°Really? He just wanted to kill you and now he is begging you to save him?¡± Alastor chuckled at the miserable sight of the dragon.


    ¡°¡­.Alastor, I have a favor to ask!¡± said Maragon.


    ¡°Want me to take care of him for you? I will make it quick.¡± Alastor asked the ancient dragon.


    ¡°No¡­Please let him live!¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­.wait what? You seriously want to let him live after what he has done? He caused all this!!!¡± Alastor shouted.


    ¡°Exactly! He is also a member of Sanctus, trying to use you for their own goal.¡± Kaiser added.


    ¡°Sanctus? Well, all the more reasons to kill this bastard right away! Of course, it would be after we make him spill everything about them.¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°I understand that he has sinned but¡­I cannot consent to his death, no matter what my son has done. So please, I beg of you! He will be given a fair trial by our people. But until then¡­let him live please!¡± Maragon gave up all his dignity and bowed his long neck to the small demon lord.


    ¡°¡­Is that what it means to be a father? You would forgive him no matter what he does?¡± inquired Alastor.


    ¡°As unreasonable as it may seem, it is¡­.at least to me.¡± Maragon replied in a solemn voice.


    ¡°¡­I am so gonna regret this¡± Alastor muttered to himself. ¡°Fine! He may live but I expect you to respect the decisions of the people if he is found guilty, which I think many will agree when they are aware of his evil deeds.¡±


    ¡°I will¡­thank you, Alastor!¡±


    ¡­..


    Suddenly, a portal opened out of nowhere near the location of the group. A small figure holding a crown walked out of it as she stared straight into the bewildered Alastor who was looking at her with big eyes.


    Something was strange about the girl. She would never make that cold expression even when she was sad. Yet at the moment, her eyes seemed so distant, as if she was not really there. And even weirder was her blue eyes beaming like crystal, unlike their usual emerald color.


    ¡°Here you are! I finally found you, my dear Alastor!¡±


    A voice echoed from the crown held by Syralth, which was heard by no one but itself. From a glance, it clearly belonged to a woman but who? And most importantly, why was she seeking the young demon lord?


    As everyone was stunned by the sudden appearance of the little girl, Taragon immediately recognized her as the daughter of the great Celdora. It was his chance to get out of here and he decided to risk it all to seize it.


    Rushing to behind the little girl, the scumbag dragon held her tight in one arm by her neck.


    ¡°Nobody moves or I will break this brat¡¯s neck!!!¡± the dragon shouted.


    ¡°Taragon, you bastard!¡± Alastor insulted.


    ¡°Let her go, you scumbag!¡± Kaiser roared, drawing his swords.


    ¡°Stop it, Taragon! It¡¯s over! Give up now before it¡¯s too late!¡± the father tried to convince his idiotic son.


    ¡°Never! It¡¯s not over until I say it does! I won¡¯t submit to you lowlifes!¡± Tightening his grip, the dragon was strangling the little draconian with his elbow. Yet, she didn¡¯t resist but instead just stood there obediently. Perhaps she was simple too afraid of what was happening? It would be understandable considering her age but if that was the case, why was her face still so expressionless? Alas, no one had time to pay attention to any of those details while they were still distracted with Taragon.


    As for the dragon himself, it was only now that he noticed the peculiar object Syralth was holding onto. A crown with the insignia of a gear, the mark of the old Artificer. At that moment, a flash came back to his mind as he remembered the quest he sent to the adventurers of the Guild to purge Celdora. However, in addition to that goal as instructed by the mysterious Arshe, he was told to also retrieve back a certain crown. At the time, he did not understand why but now he knew. Based on that info alone, Taragon deduced that this crown was the last Tempus Machina that has eluded Sanctus for so long. Each of the Tempus Machina was extremely powerful if used correctly. Surely, it would bring immense power to someone as dignified and worthy like the Great Taragon? With that power, he would be able to destroy all those who opposed him, even the brat Alastor or his own father¡­At least, those were the thoughts of a madman who has been cornered with no way out. He deluded himself into thinking of his greatness but failed to understand the basic concept of life: he was an idiot.


    Grabbing the crown and stealing it from the girl¡¯s hands, Taragon raised the crown highly as he put it on his head. Just what kind of power would he be able to attain with this incredible object?


    ¡°From now on, I am your king!!!¡± Taragon madly proclaimed. ¡°Bow to me, vermins!¡±


    ¡°This guy is crazy!¡± Alastor commented.


    ¡°Hahahaha! I can feel the power flowing in my veins. Have a taste of my magnificence!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­.What? Nothing happened? How¡­? What did I do wrong? How do I use this?¡± Confused by the inaction of the item, Taragon tapped on the crown lightly in hope that it would work. Still it didn¡¯t. Being at his rope¡¯s end, Taragon was furious. Could it be that he was not someone capable of using it? Was he not worthy enough? ¡­.No that was not possible. He must be. If it didn¡¯t work then it was this thing¡¯s fault for being unable to recognize his talent. Using his strength, the young black dragon tried to forcefully break this item out of anger. But to his horror, a terrible fate awaited him. ¡°AARARGGGH!¡±


    The crown began to melt into a silver-like substance on his hands. Moving like a slime, it soaked like water to a towel, only the towel in this case was Taragon himself. Taragon, terrified by it, tried to remove the liquid but it was too late: it has already entered his body. The thing, it was invading his body as the dragon shouted in pain to the horror of everyone who was watching.


    ¡°Puny worm who dared toy with power beyond your control, have a taste of what you have always desired yourself!¡±


    Moving under his skin to every part of his body, devouring his insides, the silver then proceeded to converge to his chest before rushing out through the hole they made on his rib cage, killing the dragon instantly. What was one a proud dragon was now a bloody mess of flesh and bones.


    With the deed done, the silver regrouped outside and retook the form it once was: a black crown soaked in blood, lying next to the dead body of its victim as it waited for its rightful master.


    #######################################################################################################


    Author''s note: Hope that you remember this detail about Ragna and Mara being connected ^^

 Chapter 97: Amon the Sacred Virtuoso

    Author''s note: My apologies for the absence during the weekend! I was a bit busy with personal stuff ><. Here is a longer chapter than usual! Hope you will enjoy it :)


    ####################################################################################################


    And so the war in Oros came to an end with the victory fell into the hands of the rebellion force led by a mysterious demon. The dragon council, under the orders of their old leader Maragon, has been disbanded along with all members losing their status and privileges. Although there had been a few dissatisfaction and unwillingness in handing over their power to the new order, none of the members dared to actually do anything. Surprisingly, there were no trials or accusations toward the remaining members as now that everyone knew the entire conflict and the intervention to stop all negotiations have been orchestrated by Taragon and the organization he belonged to, Sanctus. That was not to say that the dragon council was totally blameless in their ways of handling affairs and ruling over the dragons. However, it would be ignorant to accuse them of everything, especially the recent events.


    But most important of all was perhaps the election of a new ruler in Oros. While indeed the dragon council did not do what they were supposed to do, to serve the people, many acknowledged the need of a monarchy, a symbol of power to put things in order when needed. Freedom was a great thing but not when it became anarchy, especially when it had to deal with a powerful race like the dragons.


    One would assume the leader of the rebellion movement to be the new king of Oros but unfortunately that was not the case. Following his promise, Kaiser has abandoned his post and gave the honor and title of King to his most trustworthy friend, the dragon lord Celdora. Of course, the decision was incontestable and unanimous as no one had any reason to challenge Celdora¡¯s authority. After all, this has also been predicted and has been the talk of many for the last few days. To be fair, the announcement was a bit anticlimactic and mostly anticipated.


    But alas, that what were the common people cared and knew about. However, like pretty much everything in this world, there was always a hidden side that not many could see. After all, why would they care about anything else now that they have accomplished what they wanted to do? A natural behavior but sometimes if not often dangerous! The strange circumstances behind Taragon¡¯s death, the portal little Syralth took to come in the middle of the battlefield while not remembering anything afterward and in the center of them all was the crown found near what was left of the young black dragon after it expunged from his carcass.


    Also, someone has been missing after the end of the war in Oros. Well, rather than said to be missing, it was probably more accurate to say that he was simply gone, nowhere to be found: the white dragon Malick, also known to only Alastor as the Dragon God Amon. But it was not like he left without a trace nor did he just leave quietly either. Just before Alastor could retrieve the mysterious crown, Malick has appeared out of nowhere and took it before vanishing from the battlefield. However, as he disappeared, Amon has left a message to the young demon lord to seek him at a specific location three days after the end of the war.


    ¡­..


    At the moment, at the highest point in Oros, on top of the central tower of Canaan which has been deserted after the war, two figures were standing against the wind with the cloths fluttering to the high breeze.


    ¡°You have come, Alastor.¡± Said the dragon in his human form. ¡°I apologize for the sudden disappearance a few days ago but there was no way around it.¡±


    ¡°About time you tell me what is going on! Start with that crown! Why did you take it?¡± Alastor asked menacingly.


    ¡°I made a mistake. I thought the curse has been removed from the crown but after what happened, it is clear that it was not the case.¡± Amon replied.


    ¡°Curse? What curse?¡±


    ¡°I cannot tell you. I am bound to an Oath that forbids me to reveal it. All I can tell you is that something evil lurks inside it so stay away from it, Alastor! Nothing good would come out of Tartarus.¡± Amon said.


    ¡°You know that the more you forbid something, the more tempting it is right? If you don¡¯t tell me why, how am I supposed to know what is good or not?¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°What you do is up to you! I can only give advices but the one who will take the final decision is you and should only be you.¡± the God conveyed. A thought rang in his mind. ¡®If that future is to be happening, there is nothing I can do to stop it. Still, I want to try¡­.knowing how futile it might be.¡¯


    ¡°You talk like you know what it is. Did you find out about it when you helped Vincent sealing Akroma? Is that why you took away the memories of Archna and the others involved?¡± inquired the boy.


    ¡°So you managed to meet Vincent¡­Just as Fate predicted!¡± Amon muttered silently. ¡°What you said is correct. But instead of thinking about that, head my words, demon lord!


    After leaving this place, go to the gate of Celestia! Everything you want to know, all the answers you seek, lie there. But do not linger around in Astora anymore! Your role here is done. The longer you stay idle, the more dangerous it will be!


    So please, go to Celestia! That¡¯s if you cherish your loved ones!¡±


    ¡°¡­The more you talk, the more I don¡¯t understand one bit of what you are saying. JUST WHAT IS GOING ON?¡± Alastor shouted in anger.


    ¡°I cannot say.¡±


    ¡°Then I will make you talk!¡± Alastor drew Excalibur and pointed it at Amon¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Go ahead! You have already passed my test. I have no regrets.¡± The dragon conveyed.


    ¡°Test? What test?¡±


    ¡°A test to see if you are worthy of carrying the will of Lord Eden. As for me, you are the reason this rebellion has succeeded. From now on, the dragons, my people will be able to pass to the next age. All thanks to you!


    So go ahead! Cut me down!¡± Amon casually said as he put his neck near the blade.


    ¡°Carry the will of Eden? What is that supposed to mean? What do you Gods want from me?¡±


    ¡°¡­For you to kill Eden and replace him as the new God of Astora!¡± Amon revealed the shocking statement.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The throne of God cannot remain unseated for long! To find the one worthy of it, someone who will be Eden¡¯ successor, is our mission. And for it, we chose you, Alastor!¡± Amon said.


    ¡°¡­what if I say no? Currently, I am not interested on becoming a God or anything of the sort, especially when none of you is telling me what will it imply.¡± Alastor raised his concern.


    ¡°One way or another, you will come! The only difference it will make is what you will do after that¡­but it doesn¡¯t matter right now. Seeing the current you, I have no doubt that you will do the right thing¡­.¡±


    ¡°This is giving me a headache.¡± Alastor scratched his head in confusion. ¡°But how is this linked to the events ten years ago? Who killed my parents? From what I know, both Merkabah and Elemyr were present. Even more, they put something inside me¡­.¡±


    Amon spoke with a solemn expression on his face.¡±¡­I wish I could tell you but¡­it might alter the course of destiny. That¡¯s why Fate made me do that Oath to her in the first place. You will have to speak with her about that.¡±


    ¡°¡­.. *sigh*¡± Alastor exhaled a long tired breath. He knew that it would not matter to press on these issues any longer. Amon would not spill a word, or rather could not because of his Oath. But at the very least, he knew the Gods¡¯ intention now, though not their reason or the circumstances behind it. ¡°So what now?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time for me bid farewell to this world. Take up your sword, Alastor!¡± Amon spoke. ¡°Let me have one final fight, just for the sake of it! Though the result is quite obvious by now.¡± Smiled Amon.


    ¡°And still you want to fight me? Why?¡± questioned the demon lord.


    ¡°My soul is necessary for the Gate to Celestia to open its door. I have already prepared myself for this moment ever since I stepped out of that door. Does the answer satisfy your curiosity?¡±


    ¡°¡­Just a question before we begin¡­What did you do to the crown?¡±


    ¡°I tossed it in the sea. That way, you will never get your hands on it. Don¡¯t seek it, Alastor! For your own sake!¡±


    ¡°¡­What a pity! I wanted to discover the secret of Tartarus¡­But why only now did you do that? Kaiser told me that you had the crown for the whole time with him¡­why not just destroy or throw it away before I came here?¡± inquired the boy.


    ¡°I have wished that the crown can be put into a good use. In itself, it is not evil but it is the ghost haunting it that was the origin of its curse. After I saw what it did to Syralth and Taragon, I knew that I had to get rid of it, no matter how precious it might be.¡±


    A strong gale blew on the flat rooftop of the tower. The time for words has ended. Both of the people present here knew what was going to happen next, even though none of them wished so much there would another way.


    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°No¡­I wished there was but¡­.Death comes to all, Alastor. Even the Gods. But I will not run from it.¡± Exhaling a long breath, the dragon prepared his battle stance. ¡°Let me present myself: I am Amon, the Sacred Virtuoso!


    Demon Lord Alastor, it¡¯s time we end this! Come at me!¡±


    Without uttering a word, the boy nodded in acknowledgement. Clenching his sword with poignancy in his heart, Alastor held the sword firmly with his hands, readying himself.


    The wind blew strongly as the two stared down at each other. It would only take one strike to end it. Being both masters in their own league, there was no reason to prolong this meaningless battle.


    Then the wind stopped. And they clashed.


    ¡­..


    It was over in a second. With a shining flash in darkness, a figure fell down to his knees.


    ¡°Splen¡­.did!¡±


    ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you dodge?¡± Alastor spoke in a trembling voice as he turned his head back at the falling figure who had stayed still even facing his attack.


    ¡° *panting* I told you¡­*panting* the result is as clear as crystal since the very beginning. Besides...*panting* this is what I want. This is *panting* the way it is supposed to be¡­¡±


    ¡°....¡± A feeling of guilt took over the boy¡¯s mind who could only watch in silence the dying God in his final moments.


    ¡°....Why do you have that look on your face?¡± Amon asked when he saw the sorrowful expression the boy wore.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know...why does this thing have to happen? You are a good guy right? At least that¡¯s how I see you...So then why?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes¡­.it¡¯s just how it is¡­Others¡­someone has to do it. One day, very soon, you will face the same choice I did¡­When that time comes, you will understand what it means.¡± Amon muttered with a stuttered painful voice. He was near his end. Looking at him, it was hard to believe that this person was once a God, perhaps still was¡­only, was this how a God died? Just like us mortals?


    Putting his small arm behind the white dragon¡¯s neck as he placed him carefully on the ground for his final rest, Amon spoke in a low tone. ¡°I am sorry¡­¡±


    An apology, again! Why were the Gods behaving this way? They did not seem evil at all and killing them only made Alastor look like the bad guy here. Yet, they were also the ones who always apologized to the young demon lord¡­What did they mean by that? What were they apologizing for? Could it have to do with something about the death of Alastor¡¯s parents? But from the look of it, it did not seem like they were the ones responsible. So why?


    ¡®But with this¡­I win, Fallen One!¡¯ was his final thought as his consciousness slowly began to fade.


    ¡­..


    ¡®No, Amon! I WIN!¡¯


    A voice rang inside the mind of the Dragon God, shocking him to his very own core. This voice, this female voice¡­he knew it too well, much to his horror.


    ¡®How can you be here? I threw you away!!!¡¯ shouted Amon in his mind.


    ¡®And here I am back! You lost, Amon! But don¡¯t worry! I will take good care of him from now on.¡¯


    ¡®No..no¡­I must¡­¡¯ Amon struggled hardly as he reached his hand to the boy who was confused by the dread Amon was showing. ¡°Alastor¡­be¡­¡±


    ¡°What, Amon? What are you trying to say?¡± Alastor asked worriedly.


    Grabbing the boy¡¯s head to his chest, Amon whispered softly in his ears as his body shined a white light and disintegrated into particles. What did he say to him? What could it be that rendered Alastor that pale upon hearing it? Now, only the boy would know¡­and perhaps, somewhere inside him, he has wished that he didn¡¯t.


    An orb of light appeared in Alastor¡¯s hands where the white dragon once was before entering his chest along with his consciousness vanishing. Traversing the field of darkness, the orb arrived at a grand gate that stood regally in the middle of nowhere. In front of it, a lone figure was standing guard, holding the handle of his great sword that was plunging in the ground.


    Coming closer to the knight, a voice echoed from the orb. ¡°I am sorry¡­I failed again.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The mysterious knight lowered his head, not out of disappointment but out of respect for the God.


    ¡°She is coming to get him¡­We¡­You must not let it happen¡­¡± Amon pled.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The knight nodded again, this time putting his hand on his chest as a gesture of acknowledgment.


    ¡°The rest is up to you¡­Baldo!¡± Amon spoke as the orb disappeared into the gate.


    ¡°Four down! Two¡­.one more!¡± the knight uttered.


    * * *


    ¡°The final piece is here!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°After so long, finally the Door of Celestia will open once again¡­and this time, I will succeed.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Why so silent? Aren¡¯t you thrilled about now that our goal is so close to become reality?¡±


    ¡°I am. But if you think the current situation is enough for that to happen, you are more na?ve I thought.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean. But the solution is obvious right? We just need a catalyst, one final drop of the already full cup of water. And we have many catalysts. You just need to pick one. It¡¯s your choice.¡±


    ¡°How about¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Hum¡­not a bad choice but why not pick the other one?¡±


    ¡°The other one¡­.I want him to do it. It¡¯s more¡­dramatic that way.¡±


    ¡°I see. Aren¡¯t you the evilest of all¡­.That would devastate him. Not that I mind. May I ask why?¡±


    ¡°Because he is mine¡­.and mine alone¡­!¡±


    ¡°What a twisted love!¡±


    ¡°Is this as twisted as the world? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I was right to choose you after all. Asgore is gone. There won¡¯t be any Hero coming. All the Gods have been eliminated with only two crippled left. Now all the chess pieces are in place. We just need for a final checkmate.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh come on, smile a little!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of that. I need only him¡­.¡±


    ¡°But will he accept you I wonder?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I just have to kill him, just as I killed his father. Killing the one you love the most, keeping them to yourself, is the ultimate expression of love, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Alastor! Alastor! Wake up!¡± a gentle voice rang out loud.


    This voice was so familiar to him for it was the same voice that has woken him up on many occasions before. He could feel his body being shaken by someone, probably the owner of this gentle voice. Her hands were a bit rough and hard, not made out of flesh but somehow her touch felt soothing, like that of a mother caring for her child.


    Opening his eyes slowly as a respond to the calling, Alastor woke up, only to find the doll by his side, staring at him with a worried look as she tried to wake him up. It took him a short moment before realizing where he was or how he ended up here. It happened again: he absorbed a God and passed out due to the shock.


    ¡°So Amon died¡­¡± Alastor clenched his fist. ¡°So just what is going on?¡± He punched the floor below him in anger, making a crack. It was understandable for him to feel that way. So many things have happened and still nothing seemed to make sense so far. When he thought he would finally get some answers, the only thing he got was even more mysteries. Just when would this end?


    It was then he felt something in his hand, a roundish stone of pure white color emitting a dim luminescence.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Alastor asked himself.


    ¡®Hehehe take a guess!¡¯ a voice in the boy¡¯s mind.


    ¡®Xenes? Why are you here again? ¡­. Does it mean that this is what I think it is?¡¯


    ¡®Exactly! This is the Scion of an ancient dragon. Should have guessed it since Amon was the first dragon, it¡¯s natural for him to have one. But never mind that! Consume it, Alastor, and my power shall be yours! Let the world have a taste of the power of the Great Xenes once again!¡¯


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡®Oh yes you are still tired so take your time! But if you ever intend to use it, hum¡­how do I say this¡­remember to tell your friends to stay away¡­very far away! With that, goodbye again! Heheheehe!¡¯ the voice vanished.


    ¡°Alastor¡­.¡± Stella uttered at the sight of her master in distress.


    ¡°Sorry Stella! How long have I been gone?¡± asked Alastor as he calmed himself down.


    ¡°For two days now. Though I have only found you here a few hours ago. Are you sure that you are alright? Do you want to rest for a bit more?¡± Stella asked out of concern with a slightly worried expression.


    ¡°No, I am fine, Stella. Besides, if I want to rest, I would rather not stay here. Let us go back to join Kaiser and the others!¡±


    ¡°What about that?¡± said Stella, turning her head to the peculiar object lying next to Alastor.


    ¡°What¡­.¡± Alastor dropped his jaws upon seeing what has been right next to him the whole time: the crown. ¡°How did it get here? Amon said he tossed it into the sea!¡± The boy uttered in shock.


    ¡°Were you not the one who found it?¡± inquired Stella.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When I found you here, the crown was already by your side so I thought that you went missing to look for it. Was it not the case?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Alastor? Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°This thing¡­.everyone said it is cursed. Could it be that it is capable of coming here on its own? ¡­.Can¡¯t be¡­right?¡± the boy muttered to himself. ¡°Whatever the case, I must make sure that it is no longer capable of hurting anyone.¡±


    Standing up on his feet, Alastor focused his mana into his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope that I can still use it after this! <Devour>¡±


    By absorbing the mana inside the crown, Alastor intended to purify of all influences of magic. Even if a ghost was indeed haunting the crown, it would not escape the power of <Devour>. After all, what was a soul if not a condensed clump of mana given a will of its own? Just to be safe, he would not actually absorb the supposed tainted mana into his own body but rather destroy everything mana-related found on the crown. That way, he would be able to escape all influences this spirit might have on him.


    ¡°This is¡­incredible! Such a powerful mana flow! Just what are you?¡± Alastor increased his own power level against it. ¡°BE GONE!¡±


    A bright light shined from the crown he held in his hands, along with a loud shockwave released from it, blowing both Alastor and Stella back a few feet. A black smoke discharged itself from the crown together with a loud scream of both agony and hatred. As he tried to recover, Alastor swore he could see a female figure appearing from the smoke looking right back at him with her blue crystal eyes before vanishing into oblivion. The spirit has been purged and the crown was back to its former glory again.


    ¡°Is it gone, I wonder¡­ I could no longer feel any inch of mana in there anymore but it¡¯s not like I am an expert on spirit¡­Hey Magnus, you in there?¡± Alastor spoke to himself.


    ¡®Yes, always!¡¯ replied the Soul Forger.


    ¡®Can you check if there is anything unusual with this crown? Like spirit or ghost or anything at all?¡¯


    ¡®Child¡¯s play! ¡­¡­Hum it seems like whatever it is, it¡¯s truly gone now. The crown is safe.¡¯ Magnus said.


    ¡®You sure? Amon is a God and even he cannot purge this apparently evil spirit from it even after so many attempt.¡¯ Alastor commented.


    ¡®Like I have said many time, your Six Gods are only individuals who have been granted power by Eden. Technically, they are only the strongest of their race and not a true God like us. Furthermore, what Amon did was probably using his own power to destroy the spirit but that would not work against spirits that are more powerful than him. In your case, it¡¯s different since not only are you clearly stronger, your abilities can nullify all presences of mana.


    In short, you have nothing to worry about.¡¯ Magnus explained.


    ¡®I see¡­Thanks for the help!¡¯


    ¡®No problem!¡¯ Magnus vanished from Alastor¡¯s mind.


    Even with Magnus¡¯ reassurance, Alastor was still reluctant to just casually pick up the crown in his hands. The image of Taragon being slain in such a horrific way has been imprinted in the mind of the young demon lord. Still his curiosity had the better of him. The thing was probably the Proof of Command mentioned by the intelligence in that strange room located in the underground of the castle. It was what Alastor needed in order to gain access to Tartarus, a place he has been dying to visit. Although there was still another key he had to find first.


    And so he picked it up, slowly. Nothing happened. No voice or weird sounds, it was just a normal crown, or at least it felt like one. So what was so special about this crown anyway? Perhaps it would only reveal its true nature once he brought it back to that weird thing in the underground of the castle.


    ¡°Alastor?¡± the doll called out to the frozen boy.


    ¡°Oh sorry! I was a bit too focused on this. Let¡¯s go back!¡± Alastor gave out a forced smile as the two departed back to the camp of the rebels.


    Their job might have been done here but the war was still ongoing in Mara. Without a doubt, Alastor must return to his dear mother¡¯ side as soon as he could, but not before he finished everything he wanted to do here. Kaiser¡¯s final decision concerning the matter of ruling Ragna and becoming the new demon lord awaited.


    ¡­..


    Back to the camp, the boy was greeted by some familiar faces, all of them shocked when they saw Alastor with the cursed crown in his hands. It caused some commotions before the boy could explain to them that the danger has passed. Although a little doubtful, Kaiser and Celdora had no choice but to believe his words. However, what they were concerned about was not just the crown but also Alastor¡¯s expression the whole time. He seemed a little disturbed and much more cautious in the way he talked. And his eyes, balancing from left to right with a doubtful look, showed his uneasiness.


    ¡°Father, something wrong?¡± asked Kaiser.


    ¡°..Wh..What? Oh no it¡¯s nothing! Don¡¯t worry about it!¡± Alastor smiled forcefully before falling in contemplation again.


    What was wrong Alastor you might ask? No, it was not due to the crown but due to a very simple thing: what Amon has whispered to the demon lord in his final moment. Those words, although short, were enough to bring the almighty Alastor down to earth. That expression, it was fear. The thing that Alastor was most dreadful of¡­.his only weakness at this point.


    ¡°Beware of the traitor amongst you!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°NO!¡± the voice of a little girl rang loudly inside a cave. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to go.¡±


    ¡°Syralth, be reasonable! You can¡¯t keep Kaiser with you forever. He has his own life to lead and cannot stay by your side forever!¡± the dragon lord tried to reason with his daughter.


    ¡°NO NO NO! I don¡¯t want to!¡± Syralth shouted, her hands holding on the sleeves of the True Monarch.


    ¡°SYRALTH, STOP!¡± Celdora raised his voice, making the little girl trembling in fear. Tears started to pour out of her small eyes. Yet her hands were still holding onto Kaiser and refused to let go.


    ¡° *hic hic hic* ¡° the draconian sobbed.


    ¡°Celdora, can you let me talk to her?¡± Kaiser spoke.


    ¡°¡­.Alright! I will be waiting outside.¡± Celdora said before walking out of the room and closed the door behind him.


    From the small gap just before it closed, the dragon lord could only look back, regretting his outrage from earlier. But he did it only because he wanted what was best for his daughter. If she grew too attached to Kaiser, she would not be able to be independent. This separation, while sudden on Alastor¡¯s part, was perhaps necessary and probably for the best¡­for both of them.


    With only the two in this room, Kaiser crouched down and waited for Syralth to stop crying. He didn¡¯t try to rush her or anything of the sort. He simply waited, watching the small figure as she wept away her tears from her red eyes.


    ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± Kaiser finally uttered.


    ¡°¡­Uhuh¡­¡± Syralth nodded and said with a dry throat after having cried so much. ¡°Do you really have to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I am sorry.¡± Kaiser said while patting on her head.


    ¡°Is this because of that kid? He is the one who asked you to go back with him, right? I heard it from papa.¡±


    ¡°Alastor is¡­a member of my family. It¡¯s my duty to answer his call.¡± Kaiser answered.


    ¡°Do you like him more than me? Is he more important to you than me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not! You two are both important to me. However, the current situation requires my attention. It¡¯s not just about us, Syralth. The peace of the world is at stake and we need to make it a reality. I am doing this for you¡­for us.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I know¡­It¡¯s just¡­it¡¯s difficult to be separated from your friends.¡± The girl sobbed.


    ¡°It¡¯s only temporary. Once this is all over, we can always visit each other from time to time. Using the Gates, you can come see me whenever you want. And of course I will do the same.¡± Kaiser reassured.


    ¡°You promise?¡±


    ¡°I promise! I, Kaiser the True Monarch, swear upon my honor to fulfill that promise. Even if I have to die for it.¡±


    ¡°No no I don¡¯t want you to die! For anything! Just promise that you will come see me again! Pinky promise?¡± Syralth raised her pinky finger at Kaiser. Compared to his, her hand was so small and soft.


    ¡°Pinky promise!¡± Kaiser crossed his finger to hers. Together they shook their hands and made a vow to each other.


    ¡­..


    And so Kaiser departed from the continent of Oros, ending his adventure in this ancient land as he continued in another in hope that one day, he would be able to come back to the side of his first and most loyal subject, but also that of a dear friend.


    * * *


    Panic. That was what described best the current atmosphere surrounding Cedra as thousands of soldiers have gathered around the capital, preparing for the incoming assault. The reason was the sudden invasion of the demons of Ragna. By using their tunnel network connecting the two continents, the demons have managed to cross the sea of Levianux, bypassing the dominant imperial fleet of Ceadric and were on their way straight to the capital. Only a quarter of the main army was currently present in the northern part of the country to intercept them and even then, it would not be enough. The strength of a horde of monsters and demons combined was simply too much for these mere humans to resist against.


    But for an invasion of a race known for their barbarism and cruelty, the demons they now faced were nothing of the sort. On their way here, these invaders have encountered many villages and small cities, some without even a proper defense or warriors to protect them. Yes, these people have been abandoned, to be used as baits in order to slow down the demon¡¯s army. However, to their own surprise, the demons did not do anything to them. Those who surrendered were quickly released while those who dared resist were only chased away. Unless they actively attacked the demons with the intention to kill, the army would not touch anyone and instead simply passed by while ignoring the rest. Whatever the case, the demons surely did not seem like that bad at all like the rumors indicated them to be.


    Back to Ceadric¡¯ side, from the southern borders, King Charles was currently having a meeting with the other generals in order to decide what to do about the demons.


    ¡°We have to go back to help the people of Ceadric.¡± Charles declared out loud.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I understand your sentiment but if we leave the frontline right now, you are practically handing this victory over to Morrigan.¡± Said the dwarf general.


    ¡°Do you really understand how I feel? Because from my view, you merchants of Dor only care about profits and not my people. What is the point of victory if there are no people left to protect?


    From the very start, I have objected to this war. If not because of your threats, I would have never agreed to any of this. We must surrender now before it¡¯s too late.¡± Charles shocked everyone in the room.


    ¡°Surrender? Are you mad?¡± The few representatives of Dor retorted.


    ¡°If you think that I will abandon my capital then you are dead wrong. Oros has pulled back their support. Even the old members of the dragon council are now behind the new leader who clearly doesn¡¯t want to have to do with anything in this war. Not that I don¡¯t understand him since me and as well as the majority of my people share the same opinion. And now the demons have joined the war. We have lost, gentlemen. It¡¯s time to admit it.¡± Charles declared.


    One could argue that King Charles was a coward for thinking of surrender in the midst of a war. But Charles himself knew that better than anyone else. In the first place, he blamed himself for being unable to stop this pointless war that he has dragged unwillingly his countrymen in. And now it was coming back to bite at him. However, he didn¡¯t mind being labelled as a coward or even lose his position after this. For him, what only mattered at this point was to limit the casualties of his people as much as he could. Was he a true king or a coward? Only time could tell.


    ¡°No way! Not after everything we have invested in this damn conflict¡­.¡± The dwarf hit the table violently. ¡°I will not let you do this. You have no right.¡±


    ¡°Enough of this! Bring him out of here!¡± The King ordered his royal guards.


    ¡°What?¡± Two knights caught the dwarf from behind and lift him up before bringing him out of the tent. ¡°This is not over, Charles.¡± The dwarf¡¯s voice echoed back loudly as he was forcefully dragged away.


    ¡°Good riddance!¡± Charles spoke.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­.¡± Edward, who has been staying silent the whole time, uttered in awe after witnessing the outrage from his king.


    ¡°What? You think it¡¯s wrong to get rid of him like that?¡± Asked Charles.


    ¡°Not at all! I could not do any better.¡± Grinned the mage.


    ¡°Hehe! I waited so long for this. Now, I feel much better.¡± Charles confessed.


    ¡°Your Majesty, while I do share your opinion, what do we do now? Goldbeard won¡¯t stay put after this. He will certainly try to interfere, maybe even doing something drastic like¡­.¡± The headmaster Ganon advised.


    ¡°Like assassinating me? I am not afraid of him. What is important now is we proclaim our surrender to Valhalla as soon as we can. From what I have seen so far, Morrigan and the demons are not so bloodthirsty as people claim they are. Perhaps we can reach to a consensus¡­Everything is better than having all my people die because of those dwarves.¡± Charles conveyed.


    ¡°But as a nation, we still owe Goldbeard and Dor a large sum. How do we suppose we do about that?¡± asked Ganon. ¡°If we just say that we won¡¯t pay, it will leave a stain on our integrity, making it very difficult to trade with anyone in the future. Not to mention, Dor will retaliate back and they won¡¯t be so subtle this time.¡±


    ¡°You think we can ask Morrigan for that?¡± contemplated Charles.


    ¡°I am not sure I am following you¡­How do you expect our enemy to pay for our debts?¡± Ganon inquired.


    ¡°¡­.She won¡¯t pay for us¡­.but she will pay for her own nation¡± Edward uttered as he realized Charles¡¯ intention. ¡°Your Majesty, are you suggesting that Ceadric should join Valhalla?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ganon yelled.


    ¡°Very good, Edward! Yes, I intend to abdicate the throne and hand over the ruler¡¯s position to Morrigan.  If we follow the Empress¡¯ logic, then we know that she intends to assemble all countries under one banner. And if she is true to her words, she won¡¯t let this chance go.¡± The King explained.


    ¡°But that would mean¡­.¡± Ganon uttered.


    ¡°Master Ganon, if a crown or even my life can be exchanged for the lives of my citizens, then I will do it gladly. That¡¯s the duty of a king after all.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­.¡±


    ¡°Haha don¡¯t look so sad! It¡¯s a small price to pay. But never mind that! Can you send a messenger to the Valhalla army? We need to speak with them immediately.¡±


    ¡°Right away your Majesty¡­.¡± But just as Ganon prepared to head out, a soldier rushed into the tent before kneeling in front of Charles in haste.


    ¡°Your Highness, I bring urgent news from the front line!¡± reported the soldier.


    ¡°What is it? Can it be that Valhalla is attacking us?¡± Charles questioned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so sir! They only send out two persons claiming to be their representatives. They ask to speak with you.¡± Said the soldier.


    ¡°With me? Who are they?¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t say, sir. One is a child about ten years old claiming to be the prince of Zagon and the other one¡­.a bit odd.¡±


    ¡°Odd? What do you mean?¡± asked Ganon.


    ¡°He¡­I think it¡¯s a ¡®He¡¯..is very tall and has his face all covered. But from their manner of speaking to each other, I think the little one is the one in charge.¡±


    ¡°The prince himself wants to see me? What perfect timing! Edward and master Ganon, let us go!¡± Charles declared.


    ¡°Wait a minute, your Majesty! What if it¡¯s a trap?¡± Ganon uttered.


    ¡°They have no reason to at this point. Besides, even if it is, I must risk it. Will you come with me even after I said that?¡±


    ¡°Of course we will!¡± both Edward and Ganon spoke, lowering their heads to pay respect for their king.


    ¡°Then let us go meet this prince!¡±

 Chapter 98: End of a conflict

    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    The trio Charles, Edward and Ganon were now facing the supposed prince of Zagon along with his supposed retainer. Actually, from a glance, this person looked more like a king with his golden crown and tall imposing stature. But it was not him that shocked the other three. It was due to the boy riding on his horse as he looked at them with a content face. Only, that face seemed too familiar.


    ¡°Hello! Long time no see! I see that everyone has gathered here. Good! I have been aching to see you all again.¡± Said the prince.


    ¡°Alastor? What are you doing here?¡± Charles uttered in awe.


    ¡°Well I am the prince so of course I have to be here if that¡¯s what you mean.¡± The boy answered.


    ¡°No I mean.. how are you the prince of Zagon?¡±


    ¡°Oh I didn¡¯t tell you that have I? That must have escaped me somehow¡­But don¡¯t dwell too much on details!¡± smiled Alastor.


    ¡°Master¡­.¡± Edward uttered.


    ¡°I see that you have grown so strong in such a short time, Edward. I am proud.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°But why were you in Cedra back then?¡± asked Ganon.


    ¡°I was on a journey to improve myself. After it ended, I went back to my mother¡¯ side, Empress Morrigan. That was before the war. The rest is how you see it.¡± Alastor hid the truth from the three, perhaps for the best. ¡°But enough of that! I am sure that you have also been itching to see me, or rather any representative from Valhalla since you accepted my invitation so quickly. Now, to business! How do we do this?¡± Alastor grinned.


    ¡°We surrender!¡± Charles spoke without hesitation.


    ¡°That¡¯s quick. Not that it was unexpected.¡± Alastor uttered.


    ¡°And also we wish to join you as part of Valhalla.¡±


    ¡°To erase your debts with Dor I suppose?¡±


    ¡°¡­You truly thought of everything don¡¯t you?¡± asked Charles. ¡°Did you foresee this?¡±


    ¡°I am not arrogant enough to say I know or can predict the future. But everything happens for a reason, King Charles. As for us, it¡¯s not our intention to dominate the world or anything of the sort. We only want the demons and the primes to coexist together for a peaceful future. There are simply no reasons to further continue this cycle of tragedies anymore.¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°Why do you insist on siding with the demons? What is it in for you?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess it¡¯s about time I come clean. My name is Alastor Magnolia, son of the late demon lord Asgore and Hero Lakyus.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°As you may have guessed, I have demon blood flowing inside my veins. For that, I have been chased down by celestials, passed through hells before ending up adopted by my aunt Morrigan. All because I was a demon. But it would be presumptuous of me to claim that I was the most unfortunate. Compared to many, demons or not, my sufferings were nothing. That¡¯s my reason in this. To create a better future for all of us!


    You all have known me more or less. Do you think I am the same demon depicted on those religious scriptures? You might not believe me because I am a demon but I mean it in every word. We must stop fighting each other!¡±


    ¡°¡­..Master¡± Edward uttered.


    ¡°I am sorry for having lied to all of you. Although I do hope that this won¡¯t stop you from doing what you said earlier. To join Valhalla means to accept the demons just like any other race. Can you do that?¡± Alastor posed his question as he extended his hand forward.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    To ask someone to cast away the belief they have been taught for their entire life just like that was practically an impossible thing to do.


    Those who have never held a weapon, who have never killed anyone would condemn the act of killing as barbaric, cruel. However, how would they understand the fear those who participated in a war had to feel? The feeling of death creeping at every corner¡­on the battlefield, it was to kill or to be killed. A moment of hesitation could mean the difference between life and death. So you saw how different our values could be.


    The same could be said about the stereotypes of demons. Rather than asking if they could change, it would be more like: were they willing to change? Because if they didn¡¯t or refused to listen, it would be an impervious task. But if they did, then perhaps all hope has not yet been lost. After all, we were all susceptible to change; sometimes we were not even aware of it ourselves. But that process could take time. What mattered now was the will to change.


    ¡°Your Majesty¡­.¡± Edward looked at the king with pleading eyes. The boy has always shared these values so he was not a problem. The problem was the decision did not lie in his hands but his king, Charles.


    ¡°I understand, Edward¡­ To speak frankly, I don¡¯t know if peace is possible at all. Our very nature pushed us to create conflict between each other. Our tendency to violence¡­it is in our blood¡­.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Edward uttered.


    ¡°But¡­just like Alastor, I hope that one day, we will be able to cast away this curse, for peace.¡± Charles extended his hand to Alastor¡¯s. Together they shook their hands in agreement. ¡°Let us work together toward that goal!¡±


    ¡°And we will, King Charles! Hehehe!¡± laughed Alastor brightly.


    ¡°Hahahaaha!¡± laughed Charles. ¡°So does that mean you are the demon lord? Is that why my reports said that you didn¡¯t attack any village or cities on your own to Cedra?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I am not the demon lord. He is!¡± pointed Alastor at the tall figure by his side.


    ¡°Him?¡±


    ¡°Greetings! I am Kaiser, the True Monarch¡­.and the demon lord of Ragna. A pleasure to meet you all!¡±  Spoke the faceless figure.


    ¡°My apologies, king Kaiser, for this late presentation! I am Charles Noctugal of Ceadric. A pleasure to meet you too!¡± Charles and Kaiser shook their hands.


    ¡°So I guess everything is cool and done. Just as the way I want it to be!¡± Alastor clapped his hands.


    ¡°Not so fast I am afraid. I still need to break the news with my people first. Although I am pretty sure that not all of them will be happy to learn this.¡± Charles mumbled, wondering about how the dwarves of Dor would react about this. Whatever their reactions might be, it would not be something good.


    ¡°Well, one of them is coming right here¡± Alastor pointed at behind Charles, making the king of Ceadric turning back, only to see a knight on his horse hasting toward them.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s terrible!!!¡± shouted the knight as he came closer to them.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± asked Charles hurriedly.


    ¡°The dwarves¡­they..they¡± stuttered the knight.


    ¡°They what?¡± shouted Charles.


    ¡°They are preparing to leave the camp and launch an assault on the army of Valhalla.¡±


    ¡°What? I didn¡¯t allow them to do that.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t care, your Highness. Right now, they are trying to convince our own army to come with them. You need to get back before the battle takes place.¡± The soldier advised. ¡°They are on their way here right now!¡±


    ¡°This is¡­.¡± Uttered Charles in anger.


    ¡°Charles, go back to your people! Tell them to stay back if they want to live! The people of Dor too! Tell them that anyone who comes to this field won¡¯t walk out of here alive!¡± Alastor threatened.


    ¡°What are you planning, Alastor?¡± asked Charles.


    ¡°There are times for peace but there are people you just can¡¯t reason with. It¡¯s harsh but it¡¯s the truth. I will send a final warning message but if they still decide to ignore it and refuse to heed my call, I cannot guarantee their lives afterward. So do your best, Charles!¡± Alastor warned.


    ¡°¡­.Alright! Let¡¯s go, Edward, Ganon!¡±


    Riding on their horses, the trio quickly rushed back to their camp in hope that they would make it in time.


    ¡­..


    An hour later


    ¡°How is it, Kaiser?¡± asked Alastor as he looked at the army gathering in front of them from afar.


    ¡°I say about six thousands infantries, three hundreds vehicles including zeppelins and¡­ land boats, I believe that¡¯s how they call it. King Charles has done a fine job of convincing the majority of his troops. Considering their banners, the people gathering here are mostly mercenaries and armies of the Trading Company of Dor.¡± Kaiser reported after his careful observation of the battlefield.


    ¡°Still too many¡­.what a waste!¡± Alastor sighed in disappointment. ¡°Kaiser will you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course, father!¡±


    Expanding his wings, Kaiser took flight. Coming closer to the army while staying air, he amplified his voice to address the entire army in a majestic tone.


    ¡°Hear me humans! I am the demon lord Kaiser. Heed my warning and withdraw your army immediately! Do that and your lives will be spared! Do not risk your lives for the ideas of others! Take your own decision!


    There is nothing but death waiting for you ahead! You have been warned!¡±


    As he headed back to his father¡¯ side, Kaiser could hear the voice of a dwarf general shouting at a few men who have decided to retreat. Surely they would be called cowards by their peers but unlike the others, these men would probably the only ones alive after this to tell the tale.


    ¡°So?¡± Alastor inquired.


    ¡°A few hundreds have left. The rest is still here and currently marching toward us. I don¡¯t think they will listen to us even if we try a few more times.¡± Kaiser replied.


    ¡°¡­*sigh* so be it! Let this be a lesson for them!¡± Alastor uttered. ¡°Kaiser, retreat from the battlefield! Tell mother and the rest to stay away too! I don¡¯t want to catch any of us in what is about to come!¡±


    ¡°Yes, father! But are you sure you want to handle them all by yourself? I don¡¯t think any of them will pose a challenge to you but still¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me, Kaiser. What I am about to do¡­make sure that everyone imprints that in their mind! This will be the final battle of this conflict!¡±


    Heeding the words of his father, Kaiser departed in his wings, heading toward where Morrigan was waiting.


    Ever since Alastor¡¯s return to Mara, Morrigan has noticed something different in the boy. He was a bit more down than usual and no matter how much she insisted on asking, he didn¡¯t tell her anything, only averting the subject. One would assume it was the case that he was tired but to Morrigan, her mother¡¯s instinct was telling her something else. She was afraid that he was doing too much by himself. And indeed he was.


    For someone who was at the age of playing and enjoying the wonders of life without a care for the rest of the world, Alastor has seen more things than a person would see in their entire life, some he wished he did not. And for him to shoulder all that alone, she could not¡­no, she refused to let him do it by himself. But like everyone else, Morrigan was still a common mortal while Alastor has reached a league of his own. It was impossible for her to catch up to him. So instead of following him blindly like a fool, Morrigan decided to stay where she was as a home he could return to. After all, they were the last people who shared the same blood in their veins: they were families.


    Waiting at the camp as instructed by Alastor, the High Empress stared in his direction, hoping to see his figure showing up. But it was not him but Kaiser, the supposed demon lord Alastor has presented to everyone else back at the camp before heading to talk with Charles. Of course, Morrigan herself was aware of this fact that this was just a fa?ade to smoothen the relationship between the demons and the other races by removing himself of the position and giving place to another trustworthy person.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± asked Morrigan in a worried voice. ¡°Where is my son?¡±


    ¡°Alastor has decided to stay behind and take care of the incoming army by himself.¡± Kaiser said.


    ¡°And you just left him there? Like that????¡± Morrigan raised her voice.


    ¡°Empress Morrigan, you and I both know that there is nothing Alastor could not handle.¡± Kaiser conveyed.


    ¡°But still¡­.¡± Uttered the Empress.


    ¡°Today, the world will see the end of this era. The door to a new age will open. Those who refuse to adapt will have no places in this new future!¡± Kaiser raised his hands to the sky.


    Suddenly, simultaneously in all the major cities from around the world, a giant crystal orb appeared in the sky, showing the images of the final battlefield of the ¡®War of the World¡¯.


    ¡­..


    Eiseinheim, Capital of old Zagon


    ¡°Cynthia, that is¡­.¡± Luvik uttered upon seeing the thing floating outside the window.


    ¡°Alastor¡­¡± the priestess muttered.


    ¡°Why is he along facing an entire army by himself? It¡¯s suicide.¡± The knight panicked.


    ¡°Yes, it is suicide¡­.for them to think they could face Alastor with such small number.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Luvik, keep your eyes open in what is about to happen! Take it deep in your mind and don¡¯t ever forget it! This will show to the rest of the world, to those who intend to wage war, the consequences of that action! The one they have to face!¡±


    ¡­..


    Canaan, City of Firmament Spires


    An old dragon, as ancient as time, was looking at the crystal orb floating above their towering city. The power he could feel from that crystal, even if it was just an echo of the actual thing, was tremendous. Who were the ones foolish enough to go against such power?


    ¡°So he is using Xenes¡¯ power¡­Let¡¯s just hope that he won¡¯t take on that bastard¡¯s personality as well!¡± Maragon spoke. ¡°Young demon lord, be careful! You are not as invincible as you think you are! There are things lurking in this universe that would put even the Gods to shame. And your actions today will surely catch their attention to this world.


    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The Old Ones are watching!¡±


    ¡­..


    Cedra, Capital of Ceadric


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    The citizens of the city shouted as they pointed at the strange orb floating above their city like a sun. Amongst them was a dwarf looking at it from a window of his large mansion.


    ¡°What in the world¡­.?¡± Goldbeard uttered in disbelief. Reaching out to his pocket for a small crystal orb, he whispered to it. ¡°Are you seeing this? What the hell is happening?¡±


    ¡°¡­The end of an era, my friend! HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA¡± a maniac laughter echoed from the orb.


    ¡°Why the hell are you laughing? Is this the demons¡¯ doing? Is this?¡± asked Goldbeard in panic.


    ¡°HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEE!¡± the laughter of madness continued. ¡°Oh dear old Goldbeard, if you are asking me that question right now, it only shows how much of a fool you are! How about you turn your back and see for yourself?¡±


    ¡°My back? What¡­..¡± the old dwarf turned his back around, only to see a figure emerging from the shadows. A familiar face appeared in front of him. ¡°Sir Meto, you scared me! *exhaled heavily* Hehe¡­why are you here? And what is that in your hands?¡± Goldbeard pointed at the dozen of scrolls in Meto¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Proof that I need to show what kind of corrupted man you are, Goldbeard! With this, the people of Dor will have to acknowledge your involvement with Sanctus. Maybe they will even erase Ceadric¡¯s debts as an apology. Whatever the case, you are a dying man, Goldbeard!¡± Meto grinned sinisterly.


    ¡°What? You¡­you betrayed me??? How dare you?¡± Goldbeard shouted in disbelief.


    Instead of Meto answering that question, the voice did it for him. ¡°Another reason why you are a fool, old man! He was a spy all along. And to think you fell for such an obvious trick, it seems that your age has caught up to you.¡±


    Then all of the sudden, another figure appeared from the shadow. Wearing a black suit and a tricorne, the silver haired woman revealed herself after listening to the conversation. Following her was another black haired younger woman who had her hair hiding one of her eyes.


    ¡°So you knew¡­Yet why didn¡¯t you tell your comrade?¡± Maria addressed the person talking from the orb.


    ¡°It¡¯s more interesting this way, don¡¯t you think?¡± the voice spoke.


    ¡°So you sacrificed your own comrade just because it¡¯s ¡®interesting¡¯?¡± Scarlet raised her voice.


    ¡°Oh please, don¡¯t judge me like that! Besides I have never seen him as a comrade, merely a pawn in my game.¡±


    ¡°You evil!¡± Scarlet yelled.


    ¡°¡­So what now?¡± Meto fixed his glasses and uttered in a serious tone while the dwarf was too scared to say a word.


    ¡°Well I guess you will capture Goldbeard, probably torture him to find out where I am and such. You want to crush Sanctus don¡¯t you?¡± the voice inquired in a joyful, to the borderlines of insane, tone.


    ¡°¡­..¡± Meto stared at the orb intensively as if he was looking at the person himself.


    ¡°Or¡­¡±


    ¡°Or?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Or I will make it much easier for you all!¡±


    A luminous hole emitting a bright light appeared inside the room: a portal. But to where? Considering the timing and what the voice just said, it had to be where that person was, to the headquarter of Sanctus. But what if it was a trap? Should they consider retreating and devise a better strategy or would they risk it all on this gamble?


    ¡°Come and meet me, Mephisto of the royal demon guards!¡±


    ¡°You know who I am? That¡¯s¡­a surprise.¡± The devil uttered.


    ¡°I know a lot, old friend!¡±


    ¡°Friend? Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°How about you come and find out for yourself? Just walk right through the portal!¡±


    ¡°This is very kind of you!¡± said Meto as he fixed his cloth and his glasses. ¡°Very well! I accept your invitation!¡± the devil walked toward the portal.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Mephisto! It could be a trap!¡± Maria raised her concern.


    ¡°Even if it is, it¡¯s our only lead to Sanctus. I doubt we will get much out of this dwarf anyway. Besides, it¡¯s time to end this once and for all!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Then I will go with you!¡± Maria volunteered as she stepped forward. ¡°Scarlet, please bring stay behind and keep watch of Goldbeard! Don¡¯t let him escape!¡±


    ¡°Of course, milady! Please be careful!¡± acknowledged Scarlet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mephisto!¡± Maria walked toward the portal.


    The devil grinned. In his mind, hid the buried thoughts that have long waited for this moment but would never be uttered. ¡®You have grown so much, Maria¡­I am sorry that I have not been able to save you back then¡­But now, together, my child, we will finish this! For those who have fallen and for your own sake as well!¡¯


    ¡°Mephisto?¡± Maria called the devil back from his contemplation. Her voice, although much more mature than it used to be, was like music to his ear, reminding him of that joyful yet distant past. Alas, the past stayed as the past and for the devil, he would prefer to keep this as a secret to his grave, at least from her.


    ¡°Yes, I am coming, Marie!¡± Mephisto spoke.


    ¡°Marie? No one has called me like that for a long time. How do you¡­.?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! Scarlet just told me about it once. Does it bother you if I call you that?¡± asked Mephisto, looking at the black haired girl who pretended to have indeed told her friend¡¯ secret name to a stranger.


    ¡°¡­.Not really! Though it is a bit strange. You kind of remind me of that man¡­that¡¯s all.¡± Maria uttered in a distant look.


    ¡°¡­.That man?¡± asked Mephisto in a cold voice.


    ¡°My teacher! Well he was actually a priest but unlike most, he was a kind person. He used to take care of us in the orphanage but we lost contact with him after being brought to that experimentation facility where they¡­..did horrible things to us.¡± Maria clenched her fist. But she failed to notice that Mephisto also did the same, although in her back so she would not be able to see it.


    ¡°What happened after that? After you escaped I mean¡­¡± asked the devil in a low tone.


    ¡°The first thing we did was to find the priest. At the time, I refused to believe that he sold us out. But when we actually got back to the orphanage, the place has been burned down. Apparently, the priest tried to look for us but he raised too many troubles for them so he was killed by the mercenary hired by those who kidnapped us¡­.


    He died for us¡­Since then, I was determined to find Sanctus, not just to avenge my friends who could not stand here with me today but also for him¡­.for my teacher¡­and father.¡± Said Maria in a sad tone.


    ¡°I see¡­Then he must be glad to see how much you have grown without him.¡±


    ¡°You think so? Sometimes I wonder if he resented us¡­since he died because of us¡­¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t. That I am sure!¡± answered Mephisto firmly.


    ¡°How do you know?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°I just know.¡±


    ¡°¡­You are weird, you know that? I always thought you as a cold person who likes to manipulate others. But now I can see how wrong I am. You have a kind heart, just like him.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Only a bit¡­Not much of that is still left anymore¡­¡± Mephisto touched his chest. ¡°Anyway, we should go in case this thing closes off.¡±


    ¡°Right after you!¡± said Maria.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this, Marie!¡±


    And so the two took their steps as they walked together inside the luminous portal.


    * * *


    ¡°BEHOLD THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND! WITNESS THE NEW GOD OF ASTORA!¡±


    The voice of the True Monarch echoed from the crystal orbs from all around the world, shaking the entire continent. As the entire world watched the final battle of this world war, all they could see was a small figure standing in the middle of a grass field while being surrounded by soldiers and vehicles with their weapons pointing at him. Most who did not understand the situation could only fear for the boy without realizing the terrible truth hiding behind that tiny stature was a colossal source of power, waiting to be unleashed.


    ¡°So many of you have gathered here¡­.How I wish things could have been different but you ask for this yourself!¡± Alastor provoked the troops around him.


    ¡°Just a tiny little brat? Does Valhalla have not enough capable soldiers they need to recruit kids for their battle? Hahahaha!¡± laughed out loud the dwarf.


    ¡°Just me is more than enough¡­.No, it¡¯s perhaps too much. Besides, whatever your number may be, it doesn¡¯t matter. In the end, vermin are still vermin.¡± The boy spoke arrogantly with a cold stare at the dwarf general, almost making pissing himself.


    ¡®Yes, Alastor! Use it! Do it! Unleashed my power! Release the beast inside you! Let them taste the strength of the Great Xenes who once waked this world! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡¯ the voice of a dragon voiced in his mind.


    ¡°You punk! KILL HIM!¡± on his command, the soldiers charged forward.


    ¡­..


    ¡°<Zero Gravity>¡±


    With a single snap of his finger, Alastor released a tremendous shockwave from his body in a circle. As the wave passed through the troops, an invisible force lifted them all up on air, disabling them. Even the zeppelins which were already floating suddenly lost their senses of directions and fell into a state of free floating with their crew being thrown out of their vessels, only to find themselves stuck on air. But it was not just the army. Within a mile around Alastor as its centre, everything from trees to rocks, water from the river, literally everything was blast away to the sky and floated freely.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± shouted the dwarf general, helpless. Watching the boy still standing on the ground with a solemn expression, the dwarf finally understood that he made a mistake by coming here after refusing to heed the warning from King Charles. But it was too late.


    The boy¡¯s eyes started to change colour and took on a dark night sky with luminous dots inside as if an entire cosmos was inside those tiny eyes of his.


    ¡°Witness mortals, the power of the galaxy in my hands! The primordial force that rules upon the stars and the key to understand the order of the cosmos!


    <I AM THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE>¡±


    Within seconds, everything that was currently floating on air started to rotate in a circular motion with Alastor as its centre. With every second passing by, the velocity increased until every single object was moving so quickly that their form could not be seen anymore.


    The world of Astora was, unlike common belief, not the only world in the universe. As part of this singular solar system, Astora was only a planet amongst the many worlds orbiting around their giant sun situating in the middle of them all. However, this solar system was just like another wandering planet, orbiting around something much bigger than it was. It showed how tiny people were and how little we knew about the cosmos than we actually did.


    And yet, comets, stars, black holes, those immense astral objects with godly power were all under the influence of a so primitive force that many were not even aware about themselves, even though it was all around them at every moment of their lives. The reason why people stayed on the ground, the reason why an object fell down and not upward¡­ it was all due to this power. This was how the world, the entire universe was being kept together. That power was called: Gravity.


    To put it simply, any object with a mass could exercise a force of attraction that would bring everything close to it. However, we did not observe such phenomenon since our masses were so little it was practically negligible. But what if there was something much bigger than that, something like a planet itself? Imagined what kind of power it would have! Well in fact, there was no need to imagine at all! You being there, sitting on your chair was the living proof of that power¡¯s influence exercised by the planet. And at the moment, Alastor was generating a similar power using his own body as the centre of it all. To do that, he would have to create a power that exceeded the planet¡¯s gravity he was on and added another field that was responsible for what was happening around him.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA¡± the soldiers and their general shouted in panic, unable to get out of this tornado. Some were hit, crushed by others debris and died instantly. Others were too disorientated with their own minds twisting in circles, started vomiting and got their own vomits splat on their faces. But the end had yet to come. No, the finale only came now.


    From the centre of the storm, the body of the only boy standing began to crack as fissures of light appeared all over his vessel. The veins-like thin gaps continued to expand even to Alastor¡¯s face. It was as if he was only a shell containing something so much power that it was on the borderlines of shattering and erupting.


    ¡°<SUPERNOVA>¡±


    In an instant, Alastor let out an unimaginable wave of energy in a spherical explosion that engulfed everything around him. Whatever it touched, living or inanimate, the object decomposed itself into billions particles while being incinerated to nothingness. Even the landscape itself has changed drastically due to the sheer amount of force released in that instant. The ground shattered and crisped and scorched. Mountains and valleys within a few miles were gone in matter of seconds. Forests were reduced to ashes.


    The light coming out of the boy was so bright it blinded everyone who was watching the scene through the crystal balls.


    After a while, as the light diminished in intensity, the people could finally open their eyes again. Screams of horrors and shocks were uttered when they saw what was left on the screen: a plain field of nothingness, burned to crisp with only embers remain. No trace of a once powerful army was left, not even the boy who caused it. The last thing everyone remembered was that the boy has blown himself off to create that explosion. So probably, he was gone too. After all, who could survive that kind of catastrophe? Well, the answer was pretty clear for what was happening next.


    Particles of light began to gather back together at the centre of the explosion from earlier. As they fused with each other to recreate their usual form, the figure of a boy manifested itself from the light dust. At first, he was made out of pure white light before changing back to his normal dye with his cloth all intact.


    And so, the war of the World came to an end.

 Chapter 99: Arshe the Wanderer

    In the middle of nowhere, stood a large mansion towering near the edge a mountain. But this mountain was unlike any other. Instead of forests or snow, a river of lava was flowing from its giant mouth, releasing constantly a column of black smoke all while occasionally some burning rocks to its surroundings. Molten earth covered the entire valley at the foot of the mountain, erasing all lifeforms. In some parts of the mountain itself, ruins and remains of an old civilization were still left over, unharmed by the lava, not yet anyway.


    This place was once the home of the dwarves but after the eruption of the volcano, leaving the entire city and nation under the intense heat and a bed of lava, forcing them to leave their home, it was deserted and labelled as one of the most dangerous locations in the world. However, that was what everyone thought. After the eruption has subsided a bit, a group of men has decided to make this place their new main base of operation. For an organization which mainly dealt with secrets and schemes, this place was perfect. No one could gain access to their mansion as there was simply no way to get to it because of the constant lava flow around and the barrier surrounding the house to keep not just the lava out of the way but also against intruders. However, for some reasons, that barrier has now been lifted. At this rate, the lava would one way or another consume the whole building. Just how did this happen?


    A portal opened inside the main hall of the mansion and two figures walked in: a tall man with large bat wings and sharp claws for hands while the woman wore a black suit and a tricorne, equipping her dual swords as she readied her weapons for any surprise ambush. They had to be careful since there was no light or torch in the room, a perfect chance for anyone to just suddenly jump at them. Their only source of light was the radiance from the lava outside coming from the many windows in the room.


    ¡°So this is the base of Sanctus?¡± asked Maria while carefully observing her surroundings. ¡°How come there are no guards?¡±


    ¡°¡­No they are here¡­only¡­Take a good look at the ceiling!¡± Mephisto flinched his eyes sternly at the sight of what was above him.


    Following his example, Maria looked up, only to see a terrifying scene. ¡°What in the world¡­.¡±


    Sticking up to the high ceiling of this large mansion was the bodies of at least a few dozens of people who seemed to be the guards of this place. They have been all impaled by abnormally large arrows, or rather spears, pinned to the plaster through either their stomachs or limbs. A red liquid was dripping onto the floor from the long spear-like arrows, still fresh.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± the huntress uttered in shock.


    Approaching the dripping spot where the blood was continuing to fall from above, Mephisto crouched down and touched the crimson fluid before smelling it. ¡°Fresh¡­It has not been even an hour since they were killed. No¡­I will say they have just been killed before we get here.¡±


    ¡°But by who?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t know¡­but it¡¯s highly possible that the culprit is still here. Look over there!¡± the devil pointed at the large pool of blood lying on the ground. At first, the young woman could not see it clearly until a lightning struck outside and revealed the crimson stain. Even more, a trail of blood of something being dragged away from the pool was left on the ground. Judging by the deep red colour and the liquid state, Meto was right to think that everything here has just happened a short moment before their arrival. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said the devil.


    As they passed through corridors after corridors of this mansion, the abhorrence and repugnance of this place were further intensified. Bodies after bodies were found lying in different positions, seemingly trying to escape as many were struck in the back, indicating that they were running away from something or someone, probably the person responsible for this massacre. The servants, the soldiers, they all died to the same kind of arrow from earlier.


    ¡°Just who did this?¡± Maria spoke. While she showed no empathy toward the grunts of Sanctus, the woman was still slightly disgusted by what was around her. The stench of blood filled the air of this place, adding further to the foul mood. Perhaps it was due to her nature, being no longer a human but a monster inside a woman¡¯s cloth, at least from her point of view about herself, Maria was showing signs of nervousness. Strangely, seeing all these atrocities has somehow triggered something inside her: the crave for blood. It was one of the side effects to the children who survived the terrible experiment Sanctus did to them. What those men did, it did not just affect the children¡¯s body but also their minds: a scar, a wound that would never heal. Not only that, it awoke something else, something primal that slept deep within the heart of men: our beastly instinct.


    ¡°Look at these arrows! Who and what can even shoot them?¡± Maria extended her hand to touch one of the arrows stick to the wall. But before she could touch it, her hand was stopped by Mephisto as he gripped firmly on her wrist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch them!¡± Mephisto warned. ¡°These may look like a normal arrow, although a bit bigger, but they are coated in a poisonous substance that would kill you instantly.¡±


    Resuming their walk with Maria closing in from behind, the two were now at the end of the corridor, in front of a large door.


    ¡°What? How do you know?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Because I have seen them before.¡±


    ¡°So you know the one behind this?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I hope I am wrong but¡­these arrows are undeniably his..But why?¡±


    ¡°Who are you talking about, Mephisto?¡±


    ¡°Please¡­let it not be him!¡± Pushing his hands against the heavy door, Mephisto opened it and entered. A dark room with only a round table was in the middle of the chamber. On the table lied a carcass of a human impaled by a giant arrow through his chest with all his limbs extended to five directions including the head. Around him were ten candles, each on a small plate and in front of their respective chairs. Only, nine of them were unlit or rather snuffed out of their light while the last one stood facing the last member still alive. ¡°So it¡¯s really you!¡± Mephisto spoke in a voice that contained both sadness and anger.


    ¡°Welcome to my home, Mephisto! It has been ten years isn¡¯t it? Long-time no see!¡± said the figure sitting on his chair arrogantly. His left hand was holding a long odd staff made out of a transparent material, revealing the contents of some kind of electric circuit inside it. The head of the staff was a triangle with some key of orb embedded on it. From a glance, it almost looked like a closed eye. But most important of all, the insignia of a gear was imprinted on the staff inside the head of the staff.


    ¡°Arshe, the Wanderer¡­! So you are the boss of Sanctus!¡± Meto revealed the identity of the figure at the same time as a thunder struck down through the window situated behind his chair, showing his face for a short moment. But even before that, the beastman could be seen thanks to his brilliant blue-like crystal eyes shining in the dark.


    ¡°What? Arshe, isn¡¯t he one of the heroes of the party a decade ago?¡± asked Maria in disbelief. She was aware of the fact after being told by the demon royal guards that the heroes, whose original intention was to purge the demon lord, have in the end changed their objectives and decided to help Asgore accomplishing peace between the races. However, if that was to be the case, then how was it possible that one of them showed up right now and was actually the one pulling the strings of Sanctus all along?


    ¡°Why, Arshe? Why did you betray us?¡± Mephisto shouted.


    ¡°Hehehehehe¡­.¡± The beast hero grinned by himself before bursting in a maniac laughter loudly. ¡°HAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHA!¡±


    ¡°What is wrong with him?¡± Maria asked, disgusted by the freak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­But¡­something feels wrong.¡± Mephisto uttered before shouting. ¡°Just what are you laughing about? What is so funny in any of these?¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! Can¡¯t a man have a laugh or two? Don¡¯t you see how ironic the current situation is? I am a hero in a villain¡¯ seat while you being the white knight coming to end me but as a demon. What a twist of fate, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Arshe spoke in a joyful tone.


    ¡°Was it you? Could it that you were the one who killed Lord Asgore and the rest? TELL ME!¡± Mephisto shouted in anger.


    ¡°Was it me? Why don¡¯t you ask yourself? I was with you the whole time that day!¡± Arshe spoke a fake doubtful voice. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter, does it... Hehehehe¡­.You came here for a reason so stick to it! Strike me down! HAHAHAHAAHAHA!¡±


    ¡°Gods, this guy is crazy! Mephisto, what do we do?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Take him alive! You can cripple him but we need to interrogate him later. We must find out the truth of what happened ten years ago. Also the crimes he committed¡­what Sanctus did would not go unpunished. GO!¡±


    ¡°HAHAHAAHHA! Come at me, oh poor lost lambs! Let us fall into the pit of madness together! Swim in the endless pool of insanity! HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!¡±


    Taking the first initiative, Maria instantly moved on the table and cross-slashed her two swords like lightning. However, Arshe was able to stop both swords using the staff he was holding onto after all these years, not once did he separate himself from it.


    ¡°Behold, the eye of Ocellus!¡± Suddenly, the orb on the staff opened, revealing a large eye with a red pupil looking around as if it was alive. Then once the confused Maria entered its vision, the eye focused and stared right back at her. ¡°FIRE!¡±


    A red beam of energy shot out of the eye, piercing Maria right through her chest and blasted her off against the wall near the door.


    ¡°MARIE!¡± shouted Mephisto upon seeing the hole in her bosom.


    ¡°I¡­am¡­fine!¡± the huntress coughed up blood and forced a smile back at the worried devil. For an instant, he forgot that Maria could be said to be one of the hardest person to kill because of the blood of Lilith flowing in her veins. It gave her extreme power of regeneration, going as far as recovering from wounds that would be otherwise fatal like decapitation.


    As Maria was recovering from her wounds, Mephisto entered into battle stance.


    ¡°<Unseen Dissection>¡± the devil swung his claw in his position. This special technique allowed the user to attack his opponent from a distance with an invisible strike. How was one supposed dodge if he could not see the attack coming at all? However¡­


    ¡°<REVELATION>¡± A red wave of light was released from the eye to its surroundings. In that short instant, Arshe was able to see the supposed invisible attack and used his quick reflex to avoid the strike from Mephisto. ¡°None shall pass undetected by the all-seeing eye of Ocellus.¡±


    ¡°<Death from above>¡± the devil took flight and dived down at the beast hero, crushing the whole table and blasting away the chairs along with the body pinned to it.


    However, Arshe has once again managed to avoid the attack. This was thanks to his beastly instinct and body strengthening techniques allowing a light speed reflex much like many of his race. But there was something weird in his behaviour, almost a bit unnatural.


    ¡°Why Arshe? Why are you with Sanctus?¡± Mephisto yelled as he assaulted furiously with a volleys of claws attacks.


    ¡°Why? Because humans and the other races are vermin to this world. Hehehehehe! We are all sinners and therefore must be punished for our sins. You seek peace? There won¡¯t be one. The only peace the world will know is when every last one of us dies! HAHAHAAHAHA!¡± The beastman proclaimed. Talking like a crazy man, he could not stop his own laughter as if he was on some kind of drug.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Maria, with her wound healed completely, created a long sword made out of blood and plunged it from afar at the beastman. He should have been able to dodge it but he didn¡¯t. He took that full strike that impaled his right arm to the wall. With it, Arshe should no longer be able to move anymore.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA! Pain and death are the only cure of this affliction called idiocy of man. It was what caused the world so much pain and agony. HEHEHEEHHE! We must repent with pain and with our lives! HOHOHHOHOHOHO!¡± the beastman continued to laugh as he struggled to get free from the blood sword.


    ¡°Wait, what are you doing?¡± Mephisto uttered upon realizing Arshe¡¯s intention. ¡°STOP!¡±


    The hero used all his strength and moved from the wall, tearing off his arm which was still sticking to the pain because of the sword. Blood splattered everywhere from his bleeding shoulder. And yet, even with that kind of injury, Arshe did not show the slightest sign of being in pain. On the contrary, he had a delightful expression of his face, as if he was in heavens itself.


    Falling to his knees with his left hand still holding the sceptre firmly, Arshe entered a praying position as he spoke to the ceiling. ¡°He..hehe¡­he¡­Sing it to me please! Don¡¯t stop the hymn! Do it please, just as you did until now! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!...........Yes¡­yes¡­I can hear it! It¡¯s so soothing! Don¡¯t stop!!! Continue!!! HEHEHEHEHEHEHE¡±


    ¡°You are a sick fuck! DIE!¡± Maria shouted as she crouched down, hugging herself in pain. Her eyes started to emit a bright crimson luminescence that shined in the dark. A pair of pointy canines rose from her jaws. Her breath was getting heavy, expiring a white fog from her mouth. The nails became sharper, enough to pierce through hard metal. But what stood out of all was perhaps her battle stance, if it could still be called that way. Instead of standing straight up like a normal human, the blood huntress was on her four legs, still wielding both swords in her hands as she moved around, from left to right all while keeping Arshe in her sight like a beast.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Come at me little doggy! Let¡¯s see how you bite!¡± the hero provoked, shooting a red beam again with the eye at the beastly Maria.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, at Goldbeard¡¯s mansion, Scarlet was tying up the old dwarf who was so scared of her threats he almost pissed himself.


    ¡°Please let me go! I will give you a lot of gold. Everything you want. Just let me go!¡± the dwarf pled.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Scarlet kicked him in his crotch, making the old man paralyzed instantly. ¡°You are lucky that we need you alive. Else you would be dead by now for what you have done.¡±


    ¡°Ooooooouuuuuccchhhhh!¡± the dwarf panted.


    Suddenly, a peculiar noise could be heard approaching the room. It was ¡°Flip Flop Flip Flop¡±, almost like something soft bouncing again and again on the floor. To make sure that it was not the enemy, Scarlet decided to hide behind the door as when it opened, she would be hidden by it and therefore could see through the crack who it was before taking the first strike.


    With the noise louder, she knew it was close and prepared her daggers. She was confidant in her skills to take whoever was coming in just under one second. However, Scarlet did not take in account one thing.


    *DOOR SLAM and noise of something soft being crushed*


    ¡°Yo!¡± the figure spoke in a joyful tone after storming and pushing the door too hard it almost crushed Scarlet flat. A small blue ball of liquid with a face made from what seemed to be water appeared. It was the slime Azureus. ¡°Sorry for joining the party too late! It¡¯s actually quite comfortable down there so I just kind of slept off¡­.Where is everyone?¡±


    ¡°OUCH!¡± the huntress shrieked in pain with a girly voice.


    ¡°Who the¡­.? SCARLET! Are you okay?¡± the slime rushed the agonizing woman who was crouching in pain. ¡°Who did this? Don¡¯t worry, I will avenge you!!!¡±


    ¡°I am not dead! You stupid slime! You did this to me. Ouch¡­.¡±


    Looking at the door again, Azureus understood that that strange noise of something soft being crushed was actually Scarlet.


    ¡°Oh¡­.well¡­..sorry!¡± he stuttered. ¡°But well at least, you are still in one piece right? Hehehe!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± the girl checked her body for any scar or wound. She still could not understand how this slime could be a demon royal guard. Unlike the others, he seemed so¡­.weak.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Okay, joke aside! Where are Maria and Mephisto? I see that you have captured an old dude¡­¡± the slime turned to the old man who was still panting in pain while hugging his crotch. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡±


    ¡°I kicked him in his family¡¯s heirloom.¡±


    ¡°Oh that¡¯s why¡­.You what? Damn girl, you are hardcore!¡±


    ¡°What? You want one too?¡±


    ¡°Well I don¡¯t have any ball or stick so you can¡¯t touch me! Hehehe!¡±


    Scarlet stared at the slime intensively with anger increasing in her eyes.


    ¡°Okay seriously, where are the others?¡±


    ¡°They went through that portal over there. Supposedly, it is Sanctus¡¯ headquarter.¡± Scarlet pointed the white portal at the corner of the room.


    ¡°I see. Then I guess I will go to. Hopefully there is still something for me to do.¡± The slime spoke joyfully before jumping into the portal.


    ¡°Wait¡­that bastard¡­he is already gone¡­¡± the girl muttered, still feeling a bit hurt from that door.


    As for Azureus, after crossing the portal, he arrived at the large chamber Mephisto and Maria passed by earlier. Looking around for his comrades, Azureus spotted immediately the strange things happening around here: from the bodies sticking up to the ceiling to the blood splattered everywhere. However unlike the other two, his reaction was slightly a bit different.


    ¡°Wow, what an unique style of decoration! The architect of this place must have put a lot of efforts into this. And those statues look so real too¡­.Wait a minute, they are real! ¡­.Well at least the people of Sanctus are dedicated to make their headquarter look nice I guess.¡± The slime casually followed the blood trail Mephisto followed earlier. ¡°I wonder if I can hire the guy who decorated this place¡­The cave in the underground is a bit bland to my taste.¡±


    However, all of the sudden, as Azureus came upon one of the giant arrows sticking out on the wall on his path, his expression and voice changed to a much more serious tone when he recognized the arrow. ¡°This is¡­.can¡¯t be¡­right? Arshe is here?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°HAHAHAAHAHA! Die, vermin!¡± Five spears appeared around Arshe and fired themselves at Maria and Mephisto.


    ¡°Where is he getting all these spears from?¡± asked Maria while evading the rain of spears.


    ¡°It¡¯s his special ability <Valley of Judgment>!¡± Mephisto shouted, deflecting all projectiles with his claws. ¡°He can create any number of giant arrows out of nowhere anytime he wants and uses his own mana to shoot them.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± grunted Maria.


    ¡°Just don¡¯t let a single one touch you!¡± the devil warned.


    ¡°HEHEHEHEHE! DANCE DANCE DANCE! Dance to the tone of her hymn! Can you hear it? The soothing tone of misery¡­her sweet gentle voice¡­HAHAHAHAHAHA! DANCE!¡±


    ¡°Who is he talking about?¡± questioned Mephisto.


    While Maria and Mephisto could avoid or deflect the spears being thrown at them, they did not have that much stamina to last for that long. Meanwhile, Arshe did not show any sign of running out of spears any time soon. Even though he was bleeding heavily due to the lost arm, the hero was still using his power at its full potential, as if he didn¡¯t care for his own life at all.


    It was then that Maria made a mistake: she tripped on the body of the dead member of Sanctus from earlier. ¡°Oh shit!¡± the girl uttered when she saw an incoming spear reflecting in her eyes.


    ¡°MARIE!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°


    ¡±


    A wave of energy emitted from behind Maria and repelled all the spears against the wall, including its caster who was thrown violently at the window, cracking it before falling down to the floor again.


    ¡°What¡­Who?¡± the hero muttered, unable to grasp who just performed that powerful spell.


    From the only door of the room emerged a small figure bouncing forward like a ball toward Maria and Mephisto. The carefree royal guard of Ragna has arrived, only his carefree attitude was nowhere to be found. Instead, he had a solemn expression as he laid his sight on the beast hero who was trying to get up by pushing up against the sceptre.


    ¡°Are you two okay?¡± asked Azureus in a serious tone.


    ¡°Yeah¡­.you saved me!¡± Maria uttered in relief, expiring a long sigh.


    ¡°Mephisto, please take Maria back and make sure that you stay behind me¡± the slime spoke.


    ¡°Wait a minute, Azureus! He is too dangerous to take on by yourself!¡± the devil reached out to the slime.


    ¡°Yeah! HEHEHEHE! You better listen to your friends or¡­.¡± Arshe provoked.


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± An enormous pressure was exerted from the tiny body of the slime, pushing back everyone from him.


    Both the devil and Maria could not understand how Azureus could be this powerful, especially Mephisto who has known him for more than a decade, being his comrade in the royal guards. Yet, never has he seen Azureus being capable of wielding this kind of power before. ¡°Azureus, what are you¡­..¡±


    ¡°Please, Mephisto! Let me handle this! Do not interfere!¡± with that said, Azureus moved forward a few more steps as he addressed a familiar figure. ¡°Now I am all yours. It has been a long time, Arshe! You don¡¯t seem very¡­.well though.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe Azureus of the royal demon guard, I never thought you would be this powerful. If only¡­.¡± But the maniac¡¯ speech was interrupted by another wave of pressure from the slime.


    ¡°What. Did. You. Call. Me ?¡± the slime raised his voice and spoke in a broken tone.


    ¡°What¡­.ARGGHH!¡± the pressure flattened Arshe to the ground. ¡°What¡­.are you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­what am I, Arshe?¡± Azureus spoke.


    ¡°How am I supposed to know¡­.ARRGHH!¡± and another pressure.


    ¡°Then we have a problem, Arshe. Or at least that¡¯s how you want people to call you.¡±


    ¡°What¡­do you mean?¡± questioned the hero who was once again crushed to the ground.


    ¡°The ¡®Arshe¡¯ I knew is actually aware of who I am. I told him after all. In addition, Arshe would never call me ¡®Azureus¡¯. That begs the question: if you are not Arshe, then what are you and what have you done to him?¡± the slime posed his question firmly with a threatening voice.


    ¡°¡­..¡± the hero stayed silent.


    ¡°No answers¡­.I expect that much. A fake would never be able to mimic the real perfectly. That¡¯s why it¡¯s called a fake in the first place. So what do I do with you now?¡±


    ¡°¡­..Hehehehehee HEHEHEEHEHEHEHEEHEHE HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAH!¡± Arshe laughed maniacally as if he has never laughed before.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The slime stayed silent, watching the hero in his madness.


    ¡°Well played! I did not expect this at all¡­To think a common slime could be this powerful¡­Hehehe¡­just what are you?¡±


    ¡°I could ask the same to you. You are not Arshe aren¡¯t you? The body is indeed his but his mind has completely been taken over by you. But too bad that you didn¡¯t access his memories. Try to learn it next time you want to possess someone!¡± Azureus explained.


    ¡°¡­..you fucker!¡± insulted the possessed Arshe. ¡°I guess this is the end¡­¡±


    ¡°Wise choice!¡± said the slime. ¡°Release him, NOW!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Don¡¯t think this is over yet, not that easily!¡± Arshe held the staff and pointed the eye to his heart. ¡°FIRE!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± shouted the slime as he lunged forward toward Arshe.


    But it was too late. The beam has been shot from the eye and pierced the hero through his own heart. It was as powerful as it was when it was used against Maria but that attack was fatal.


    Falling down on his knees, the hero released the staff from his hand, letting it fall to the ground and making a clacking sound as it hit the floor. But unknown to everyone else in the room who were shocked at the scene, a presence has left the staff and vanished from the place without leaving a trace of it ever being here.


    ¡°Arshe, Arshe!¡± Azureus called out to the hero in despair.


    ¡°The song¡­the hymning¡­it finally stops¡­.¡±the hero panted, coughing blood as he drew his final breaths. His eyes started to lose its bright ocean dye and returned to old brown colour it once was.


    ¡°Arshe, can you hear me? Arshe!!!!¡± Azureus continued to shout at the dying figure next to him.


    In the blurry vision he had at this final short instant, Arshe has finally come back to himself as he laid his eyes upon a familiar face he once knew.


    ¡°Prim? ¡­Is that you?....What¡­.have I been doing all these¡­times?¡± the hero uttered in a tired voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Arshe. I am here.¡± The slime reassured, knowing what would happen next.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s good to see you¡­my friend¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± and those were the last words of the hero Arshe as his soul left this world.


    ¡°¡­..Rest in peace, Arshe, old friend!¡± Azureus swiped the opening eyes of the hero with a hand from his small body as a sign of respect to the dead. Putting down the corpse of his friend on the floor, the slime just stood there, doing nothing.


    ¡°Azureus¡­¡± watching his comrade from behind like that, Mephisto could not help but wanting to say something to comfort him. But what would he say? He simply didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Mephisto, could we bring Arshe back please? We need to make a proper burial for him¡­I know he was with Sanctus but at the time, he was not himself¡­.¡± The slime uttered.


    ¡°¡­Sure! I don¡¯t mind¡­¡± the devil answered. Walking up to the slime, he took the body of the hero in his hands.


    ¡°Thanks..Let us leave this place! I am getting tired of this¡­¡± the slime proposed.


    ¡°Me too¡­Let us go Maria!¡± Mephisto called out to the woman who rushed to his side.


    ¡°Wait! I will take this too.¡± Maria grabbed the sceptre of the ground. She recognized it instantly as one of the Tempus Machina thanks to the insignia of a gear she saw inside it. Last time she heard, Alastor was looking for them so it might be useful to take it back.


    On their way back to the portal, there were no words exchanged about what just happened. None of them really exactly what has transpired here even though they have witnessed it with their own eyes. So many mysteries¡­and no answers.


    Maria, concerned about the silence of the slime, decided to break it.


    ¡°Azureus, you sure you are alright? You two knew each other right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°¡­.Yeah! He and I have¡­had history together. He was a nice guy, a bit carefree but I guess that¡¯s part of what made him so interesting.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sad?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I am used to it. People die while I live on, continue my existence as usual¡­I just need a¡­.moment, some time to let it pass away. Time cures everything.¡±


    ¡°¡­But what are you, Azureus? You can¡¯t be just a slime, not with that kind of power.¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°Do you wish to know?¡± Azureus asked in a serious tone.


    ¡°¡­yes¡­?¡± Maria uttered.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Azureus asked again, even more serious.


    ¡°¡­is there something that will happen to me if I know about it?¡± Maria inquired in a slightly trembling voice.


    ¡°Nothing! But just know that everyone who was once aware of my identity is now dead. Well except for Lilith since she can¡¯t really die. So I ask again, Maria, do you still wish to know despite knowing that?¡±


    ¡°¡­On second thought, maybe not!¡± Maria muttered.


    ¡°Too bad then!¡± smiled Azureus.


    ######################################################################################################


    Author''s note: this is the end of the current arc "War of the World". Starting from next chapter, it will be the final arc of book 1 :). Embrace the insanity!


    Hope you enjoyed it! ^^

 Chapter 100: Down we go!

    Author''s note: Here is the first chapter of the final arc of book 1 :). Enjoy!


    #######################################################################################################


    ¡°Have you ever wondered how it would feel like if you are the first of your kind? That singularity, being the only one that was different¡­That loneliness, unable to be understood by everyone else¡­Are you even able to grasp those concepts? Let alone know how it would feel.


    Maybe it was due to my inquisitive nature that pushed me to learn about the history of our world, giving me a reason to travel and discover the wonders of Astora. Yet, out of all I have seen, it was the history of perhaps the most enigmatic race and also the youngest of us all that has attracted my attention.


    Legends told us of the demon kind who one day just appeared out of nowhere without anyone knowing how they first came to be. But instead of focusing on how they were created or how they became the demons we know today, I want to understand the feelings the first ones of their kinds had back at the first moment of their creation. What would it be like to know that you are not one of those who are meant to even exist all while being rejected by others?


    It was the reason why I accepted the offer of my father to become the hero of my clan in order to destroy the demon lord. While I despise violence since my childhood, the blood inside gave me powers unattainable by others who spent their entire lives in training. Why did the Gods have to be so playful with their gifts? Why give power to someone who has no desire of it?


    Alas, unknown to my father, it was just an excuse for me to go to the demon continent of Ragna. But not even in my wildest imagination I would expect to find the person who would be my closest friend of all. Though maybe calling him a person would not describe him correctly to some but to me, he was, in every definition of the word.


    While our hero party was busy with the talks of peace and such, us two would chat about our lives. At first, he seemed a bit reluctant and unfriendly to talk about his past. Perhaps it was due to my reactions when I first saw him. A monster who could talk was not something you see every day after all. But as time passed by, we bonded until one day when he revealed to me the secret of his identity, which he has hidden away from many. And I could understand why he chose for it to be that way. After all, he was the first demon to ever walk in this world. It was merely on a whim that the Goddess of the Flesh chose him to be her first experiment in creating a new race. From it, he became a sentient monster. I wondered how he felt at that moment when he realized he was the only one of his kind. Although he has never told me, I could only imagine how frightening, how insecure it would feel to be all alone in this world, to be rejected by all. Even more, being the first demon has given him the purest and most powerful bloodline transmitted by the Goddess herself, granting him immortality.


    It was why he was unfriendly to many before me, for he could not die and any friend he had would one day leave his side. In the end, he would find himself all alone again. He was aware of this fact. That was the reason why he isolated himself all these years until the demon lord Asgore changed him and recruited him as one of his closest retainers. In a way, it was thanks to Asgore that I could meet this peculiar individual that became my best friend.


    I don¡¯t know what fate has in store for us. But please know that whatever happens, I will always be your friend, Primora!¡±


    -¡®Diary of a Wanderer¡¯ by Arshe-


    * * *


    ¡°The sceptre is on its way to Alastor. Although there have been a few minor troubles on the way, it is done.¡±


    ¡°Troubles? What kind of trouble?¡±


    ¡°Nothing that needs your concern.¡±


    ¡°We are almost at our goal. There can¡¯t be any distraction now. If something needs to be done then we must do it quickly.¡±


    ¡°As I have told you, it¡¯s nothing. Nothing would matter in a few days anyway.¡±


    ¡°*sigh* I never understand why you women can be so complicated. Fine! Do it your way then! Just make sure it is done!¡±


    ¡°I am looking forward to it! The final act is going to begin soon.¡±


    * * *


    It was the end of the ¡®War of the World¡¯. As expected, victory went to the Valhalla Alliance. The fights were tight but in the end, it was a small boy who ended it in the most flashy and overwhelming display of power. Without any hesitation, all forces left over have stopped what they were doing after having witnessed that godly power of the prince. From the adventurers of the Guild to the merchants of Dor, everyone has dropped their weapons and surrendered themselves to the army of Valhalla unconditionally. Some out of doubts for their own cause, others out of fear. But what mattered and perhaps the biggest challenge to the peace talk was how to transform that fear into acceptance, how to imprint the idea of peace into the mind of the people. Alas, it would take time for that to come but everything depended on how well the peace talk between all the leaders of the world went, which would take place a week from now.


    The first day of that fateful week started with the trial of the merchants of Dor with their most remarkable face, Goldbeard. Thanks to an unknown source, documents proving his corruption and link to a criminal fanatic organisation called Sanctus have been made public. Needless to say, the trial was swift and short with the dwarf and a few others in cahoots with him were found guilty, full of charge. A hunt for the scattering agents of Sanctus has also been done not just in cities but also inside the courts of every nation in order to eliminate them once and for all.


    One unexpected event was the emergence of the celestials who have remained silent the entire time during the war. What happened to them has crippled their entire race and gave them a huge set back compared to other races. However, thanks to their new leader, Herald Ikarus Salem, a deal was struck with the demon race of Ragna and mostly their demon lord Kaiser who would gladly help them take care of their people until the celestials could become independent again. Of course, this was the result of Ikarus¡¯ efforts in spreading the truth about the demons, helping her people understand and accept this new idea which might seem outrageous to some. The Empress of Valhalla, Morrigan Magnolia, has also proposed to help the celestials by giving them a piece of her own land to the celestials just as she did to the elves. This was to ease the tension between those who opposed to the idea of neutrality toward demons so that it would give them time to grow to accept it. As expected, this was accepted easily and the moving process was underway in what could be called the smoothest movement of all time thanks to the cooperative attitude from all sides. It made one wonder all the achievements we could get if everyone was working with one another since the very beginning. Things would be so easy to say the least.


    Another surprising event was the beastmen who has voluntarily asked to join Valhalla as part of their territory. The Beast King Zen and his council have taken that decision after a careful analysis of the situation they were in and that seemed to be the best course of actions. Unlike before, they now had a huge nation on their borders which was composed of most of other nations with only them left alone by themselves. Either way, it would not end well for them to stay in their own corner while ignoring the rest of the world. Plus, the hatred toward the demon kind was never really that intense in the Whispering Forest because of the little interaction they had with Ragna so there was also that which played a non-negligible part in the acceptance process.


    As for Ceadric, King Charles has kept his position thanks to the request from the prince of Valhalla. Although from now on, he would still have to answer for the High Empress Morrigan. In addition, all the Gates around the world have been activated once more, allowing for a fast travel across the entire globe. However, like before, it was still restricted to only a few dozens per day, not because the Gates could not allow more. Technically there was no longer any limit since that limitation has been removed by the one who created it. However, for the sake of border controls, it was decided that the use of the Gate would remain restricted, controlled by an international organisation composed of members of different races until further notice.


    While the people of Astora were busy to get used to their new lifestyle, a seemingly sombre conversation was currently taking place in the demon lord¡¯s castle of Ragna. Aside from the usual crew of demons including the royal guards and Alastor¡¯s companions except for the lich Noroeth and Lilith who were still on their way coming here, there was also Kaiser who only became the new demon lord recently. The change was relatively easy and smooth with no objection from anyone, even from Diablo and his party. Not because they agreed to this new king but because they had no choice but to obey. Everyone remembered what happened last time to someone who refused to follow the boy. And now after what they have witnessed the extent of his power in the last war, his authority, even after quitting the demon lord¡¯s position, was undeniable.


    ¡°So you are saying that Arshe, the one pulling the strings of Sanctus, was actually a puppet himself all long?¡± Alastor asked the group who went and confronted the dead hero at the headquarter of Sanctus.


    ¡°Yes! It was clear that he was possessed by something but unfortunately, whatever it was, it has left his body before we could ascertain the situation¡­.¡± Azureus reported. ¡°My apologies¡­¡±


    ¡°No you have nothing to apologize for, Azureus! You did your best in that circumstance. But now we have a problem¡­I don¡¯t know the aim of this person but if they are indeed responsible for the actions of Sanctus, then they are the enemies of peace and therefore must be hunted down before something happens.¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°I agree. Especially when they could control someone as powerful as a hero himself¡­¡± Maria advised.


    ¡°But who could do that? And why?¡± Ikarus joined the conversation.


    ¡°We also managed to recover this from Arshe. Based on that insignia, I say it¡¯s the last Tempus Machina you are looking for.¡± Mephisto brought out a creepy looking staff with a closed eye embedded on the triangle head at one end of the sceptre.


    Examining the sceptre, Alastor saw nothing wrong with it: no mana nor any spirit presence inside. So the sceptre was not affected like the crown or the spirit has already left it. Either way, this staff should not pose any problem in the future as long as Alastor kept an eye on it. But that would not a problem either. After all, he was not interested in the staff¡¯s power but its function as a Tempus machine: it was the last key to Tartarus.


    However, Alastor still remembered the warning from Amon. The Dragon God first tried to purify the crown so he could make out something useful from it. But the way he spoke of it, it seemed like Tartarus might indeed have its use in the future. Yet in the end, even the God Amon decided to destroy it anyway. Although it was clear that he failed, it still meant that Amon and perhaps even the rest of Gods dreaded this thing. What secret was it hiding after all these years? Well, for the first time after millennia, someone had in his hands all the keys and artefacts necessary to unveil this ancient secret¡­.Yet he doubted himself. Should he do it just because he could? What if there was a good reason that this thing, whatever it was, was sealed away so no one would ever be able to touch it? However, if that was the case, why has no one, including their creator the old Artificer, ever thought of destroy the keys themselves instead of hiding them away? Could it be that there was a grander purpose for them in the future that so far, none were able to grasp yet? Alastor thought hard about these questions.


    ¡°Alastor? Are you alright?¡± asked the celestial with a worried voice after noticing his sombre expression. During this entire conflict, she has not been able to be with him. For each had their own duties and roles to uphold if they ever wanted to realize this dream of peace. A cost that both must be prepared to pay.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Alastor lifted his head in awe as if he has just been woken up from a dream. ¡°Sorry! I was thinking about something else. You were saying?¡±


    ¡°We are talking about the coming peace talk that will take place here in a week¡­Are you sure you are okay? Perhaps the war has strained your body. You should rest and leave the rest to us!¡± Ikarus advised.


    ¡°Miss Ikarus is right. You can leave these political affairs to us, father! You have done more than enough already.¡± Kaiser added.


    ¡°I see¡­then I guess I will take up your offer. Though before I retreat back to my chamber, I would like to go to the underground a bit.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°The underground? What for?¡± Asked Mephisto.


    ¡°Just checking something. I will not take long.¡± Standing up as he left the room, Alastor turned to his beloved. ¡°I will see you tonight, Ikarus!¡±


    ¡°Of course, my love!¡± smiled the celestial gently. Indeed, there was nothing that could soothe the boy¡¯s mind more than her smile. Receiving his most rewarding present, the boy opened the door and left.


    ¡°Miss Ikarus, do you mind if I accompany Alastor for the day? I would not be able to help you all in matters of politics and the only thing I could do now is to keep him accompanied.¡± The doll asked.


    While Ikarus was very attached to Alastor, to say the least, the celestial was not the kind of person who would get jealous easily when seeing Alastor with other women. She had total confidence in him for doing the right thing. Furthermore, Stella was no stranger and looked more like a sister figure¡­.or even a mother to Alastor in some aspect, much like Morrigan. But unlike all others, the doll always remained silent without every showing any faintest emotion and never to go as far as selfishly take him for herself, even though Ikarus knew that Stella would very much like to stay with Alastor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all. Please do as you wish!¡± Ikarus spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you! Then if you excuse me!¡± Standing up, the doll quickly went out of the room. As she closed the door behind her, a voice could be heard addressing the celestial.


    ¡°So does it mean I have to call you Mother from now on?¡± The True Monarch raised the question he has been itching to inquire.


    ¡°What? Do you have any problem with that?¡± questioned Ikarus.


    ¡°Not really¡­.though I am curious¡­¡± contemplated Kaiser as he rubbed his chin. ¡°Two?....Maybe three?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± the celestial pondered.


    ¡°About how many brothers and sisters will I have from now on!¡±


    ¡°What???¡± shouted Ikarus in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the others in the room were trying to hold back their laugh. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I am only speaking of the future. A king must be able to predict and prepare for all kinds of situation. Now that the war is over, there is nothing stopping you from ¡­.ehem¡­performing family duties¡­.Furthermore, Father is a great man. I am sure one or two children are nothing.¡± Kaiser explained in a serious tone. The fact that he was so serious about this made it even more embarrassing for the celestial, making her blushing bright red. But it was not anger that induced her to this state. It was happiness and a slight of shyness since she herself has thought about the moment the war ended. It was something she was ashamed about herself that she wished no one would ever know this side of her.


    ¡°¡­.You¡­may be right¡­ I should be thinking of this.¡± Ikarus muttered in a soft tone. ¡°Names¡­I must think of some names just in case¡­.Will it be a boy? Or a girl? ¡­.or both?¡±


    ¡°WHAT???¡± upon hearing the outrageous declaration from the celestial, the people in the room, except for Kaiser, shouted simultaneously. This girl was about to commit a crime at this rate.


    ¡­¡­


    Back to the doll, while the conversation inside did seem interesting, she decided to ignore it and rushed to find Alastor who has just left before her. But as soon as she turned in the corner, she was greeted with the boy standing against the wall, waiting for her.


    ¡°So you get what I mean¡­¡± Alastor spoke in a deep voice.


    ¡°Of course! Shall we go?¡± asked Stella.


    ¡°Yes! This thing has been laying down there for centuries without anyone knowing what it is¡­With almost everything is now in place, I need to figure out what it is. If it¡¯s an enemy I will destroy it. If it is something useful, I will use it. Either way, I don¡¯t like having something unknown just waiting to be released one day without having the slightest idea how to counter it or at least what it actually is.


    Let us go to Tartarus!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°So Alastor finally returns.¡± A lich walking in the hallway of the castle together with a little girl was now on their way to the meeting room. ¡°At last, we can have a proper talk with him about this.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the girl stayed in silence.


    ¡°Oh come one, Lilith! We must tell him about what we have discovered. After all that happened, he deserves to know the danger it poses.¡±


    ¡°I am not saying no. Just thinking that even if he knows, it won¡¯t do us any help in destroying it.¡± The Goddess uttered.


    ¡°As I have told you, we must not destroy or even come anywhere close to Akroma. That thing is the only thing standing between you and whatever it is behind that wall. And believe me when say that you definitely don¡¯t want Tartarus to be released!¡± Noroeth raised his voice.


    ¡°I know I know¡­Fine! Let¡¯s just tell him!¡± the little girl grunted.


    The reason Lilith didn¡¯t want to tell the boy was rather simple and to some extent quite ridiculous. Alastor has grown so much in such a short time with his current power even exceeding her. And to think Lilith as a Goddess who has not accomplished anything during the entire time and to make her admit that she failed in destroying Akroma was something she did not appreciate at all. But most important of all, it would mean that she lost to the host of Magnus and to some extent, Magnus himself. And that was what annoyed her the most.


    ¡°Yes we should! And who knows? Maybe Alastor can give us his opinion or even find a solution to this. He has after all accomplished so many things that were thought impossible. I mean, can you imagine it: a world where peace between the demons and the primes is actually possible? Ten years ago I would even laugh at the idea but now¡­.to think it has become a reality¡­It almost brings tears to my eyes.¡± The lich sobbed.


    ¡°Oh please, you don¡¯t even have eyes!¡± the Goddess pointed out.


    ¡°I was speaking figuratively. Anyway, what are they laughing about?¡± the lich commented upon hearing loud laughter coming from the meeting room. Walking inside, the couple saw the entire crew having gathered here.


    ¡°Oh Noroeth and Lilith! You two come just at the right time. We need your opinions here.¡± Ikarus spoke after seeing the skeleton and the elf girl.


    ¡°What are you all chatting about? Seem like fun!¡± asked the lich joyfully.


    ¡°I want to ask your opinion on a very serious matter. Please be as honest as you can!¡± asked Ikarus in an urgent voice.


    Hearing her tone, the lich quickly dropped his smile and took a seat. Did something happen and he was not aware about? Considering the way Ikarus talked, it must be something very crucial and perhaps even grievous. Was it related to the so hard earned peace? The skeleton could only dread at the thought. ¡°So what is it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Between Aldfric and Andren, which do you prefer?¡±


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    ¡°¡­..what?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for the boy¡¯s name. Tell me which one do you prefer? Aldfric sounds quite cool while Andren seems gentler. There are a few other options but these two are the ones I like the most. Also we have made a list for the girl¡¯s name but we want to finish for the boy first.¡± Ikarus said.


    ¡°Boy? Is someone having a kid soon?¡±


    ¡°Me! Well not soon but we never know.¡± Ikarus casually uttered.


    ¡°YOU? Isn¡¯t Alastor a bit¡­you know¡­too young for this kind of stuff?¡± the lich conveyed.


    ¡°A king must perform his duty to his people and his family, no matter what his age is.¡± Kaiser spoke.


    ¡°Oh stop with your king stuff already!¡± Maria complained.


    ¡°A king never stops!¡± Kaiser continued.


    ¡°You want to try me?¡± Maria stood up.


    ¡°A king never refuses a challenge!¡± Kaiser stood up.


    ¡°STOP!!! We are talking about serious matter here.¡± Ikarus shouted. ¡°Aldfric or Andren????¡±


    ¡°Aldfric does sound like a kingly name.¡± Kaiser commented as he sat down.


    ¡°Andren sounds more like the intelligent type. At least, I hope he won¡¯t grow up to be like a certain idiot who calls himself king.¡± Maria chuckled.


    ¡°Aldfric is better!¡± Kaiser shouted, slamming the table.


    ¡°Andren is better!¡± Maria shouted too.


    As the two continued to argue against one another on such a trivial matter, they ignored the people around them who were actually getting tired of this conversation. But it was then that one of the late arrivals started noticing someone missing.


    ¡°Hey, where is Alastor?¡± asked Lilith.


    ¡°Alastor? He is going to the underground with that sceptre we recovered from Sanctus.¡± Mephisto replied.


    ¡°Oh I see¡­.wait a minute! Didn¡¯t you say that sceptre is actually one of the Tempus Machina?¡± Noroeth asked.


    ¡°Yeah¡­why you ask?¡±


    ¡°You once told me that the weird thing in the underground actually has holes with one of them looking like a sceptre right?¡± Noroeth inquired further.


    ¡°I believe so¡­still why are you asking me all these?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh no¡­.Oh no oh no oh no!¡± Noroeth panicked.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Lilith.


    ¡°That thing is the mechanism that will activate Tartarus. And Alastor has all the keys!!!!¡±


    ¡°Keys? What keys?¡± Lilith questioned in confusion.


    ¡°In the journal of Tia, the Artificer¡¯s wife, she said that in order to disable Tartarus, they took six pieces of it and made them into keys necessary to gain access to Tartarus. I once paid a visit to that weird structure in the underground and based on the description in a few other documents, it is where you have to put the keys in.¡±


    ¡°What? So the keys of Tartarus are actually¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes. They are all the Tempus Machinas. And once they are pieced back together¡­.¡± The lich yelled.


    ¡°Tartarus will awake from its slumber!¡± muttered Lilith. ¡°We need to find Alastor now! We must stop him before it is too late!¡±


    * * *


    Arriving at the large metal door leading to the underground cavern, Alastor and Stella were confronted with the group of robots named Destroyers who somehow have waited here for them. Perhaps the intelligence has detected the presence of all the keys and the crown before he even came here. Who knew?


    ¡°Welcome, demon lord Alastor!¡± one of the Destroyers spoke in an automatic voice. While there was no eyes on their faces, a bright blue light was coming out of what seemed to be the mechanism giving the robot the ability to see its surroundings.


    ¡°So you have been waiting for me?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°We knew the moment we sensed the presence of the Proof of Command. If you intend to go to Tartarus, that is if you wish to do so, please wear the crown from now on after this door!¡± the Destroyer informed.


    ¡°¡­Fine!¡± Taking out the black crown, Alastor reluctantly put it on his head, slowly. Nothing happened: no spirit or any weird voice coming. He sighed in relief. ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Please step forward before the scanner!¡± asked the Destroyer.


    Standing firmly in front of the strange device, Alastor hardened his grip as a red light coming out from a small black orb above the gate examined his body from head to toe, including the crown.


    ¡°Scanning completed! Please proceed!¡± said the intelligence. Its voice was the same as the one that talked to Alastor back in the cavern. Suddenly, the door split into two with its two parts sliding into the walls, revealing a passage to the cavern.


    ¡°Alright¡­Come Stella!¡± Alastor turned to his doll before walking in.


    After the two walking inside, the door closed up again. However, with Alastor inside, the blue light of the Destroyers all switched to a crimson luminescence as they stood firmly in battle position with their backs against the door.


    ¡°None shall pass beyond this door!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Hello again!¡± Alastor spoke to no one inside the strange architecture, the only one located in this barren cavern now void of people. The whole army of Ragna was now still on the territory of Ceadric while waiting for new orders with very few remaining on the demon continent itself. It was for that reason that Alastor has not encountered anyone on his way to this place. And he liked it this way.


    ¡°Welcome back, demon lord Alastor! ¡­.So you have finally gathered everything I see.¡± Spoke the intelligence in a generic female voice upon noticing the sceptre in his hand and the crown he was wearing. ¡°Please insert the final key!¡±


    Following what the intelligence told him to, Alastor put the sceptre in the last empty slot inside the small chamber. The moment it was in, the slot slid inside the machine and vanished.


    ¡°Is that it? Can you tell me everything now?¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°We still need to proceed with the Rite of Bequest. But seeing is believing. It would be better to just show you. Please stay away from the central platform!¡±


    An outline of a circle appeared at the centre of the floor, revealing some kind of board that slid horizontally. From the hole it left, two odd chairs rose from below on another platform.


    ¡°Please take a seat!¡± the intelligence spoke.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± muttered Alastor as he sat down on the chair and put hands on the arm rests. Following her master, Stella did the same on the other chair.


    ¡­..


    Meanwhile, at the door to the underground from earlier, a group of people has gathered at its gate but could not proceed because of the destroyers and the door locking down, allowing no one to pass.


    ¡°Let us through!¡± Mephisto shouted at the motionless Destroyers.


    ¡°Order overridden!¡± a disembodied voice uttered from the speakers. ¡°This is your final warning: leave or perish!¡± The Destroyers pointed their weapons at the group.


    ¡°What? How? You are supposed to obey to us!¡± Mephisto voiced.


    ¡°Only in normal cases. However, no one is allowed to pass beyond this point while the master of Tartarus is inside. Please leave!¡± the voice answered.


    ¡°Master of Tartarus? What do you¡­?¡±


    ¡°Enough of this! We are going in!¡± Lilith raised her voice. ¡°Out of my way!¡±


    ¡°Negotiation failed! Taking offensive position!¡±


    ¡°We have no time for this. We must reach Alastor before¡­¡± Noroeth spoke before being interrupted by a slight tremor, making him almost fall down to his knees. ¡°What the¡­Please don¡¯t tell me that we are too late!¡±


    ¡­..


    A few minutes before, the moment Alastor and Stella sat down on the chair, something unexpected happened. Metal straps appeared from the arm rests and restrained them to the chairs.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± shouted Alastor.


    ¡°Do not worry! This is a precaution to make sure that you will arrive at the destination safely!¡± The door of the chamber instantly closed and trapped the couple inside. As for the chamber itself, it was shaking a bit violently as if it has not moved for a very long time and only started now. Sounds of metal hitting each other, clacking echoed in the cavern. ¡°System online! Starting generator! Elevator checking¡­.all intact. Pressurising chamber!¡±


    Alastor could feel the chamber he was in moving, not in any direction but only one and it was downward. Unlike what he has imagined before, this thing was not some kind of key storage facility to open the door to Tartarus. No, it was the mechanism that would bring him directly to Tartarus which was buried in the depth of the underground miles below him.


    And then without warning¡­.


    ¡°Starting the descent!¡±


    Suddenly, the elevator dropped down at incredible speed. If not for the strap on that was holding him to the chair, Alastor would have been thrown at the ceiling. But the sudden change in altitude, even though already greatly reduced thanks to the preparation of the system from earlier, was quite unbearable, especially when you considered the speed they were going at in addition to all that shakings.


    ¡°Minus one hundred meters¡­¡­.Minus two hundreds¡­..Minus five hundreds¡­.Minus a thousands¡­Minus two thousands¡­¡­¡­.Minus three thousands¡­.¡±


    The counter continued to increase exponentially without any sign of it stopping soon. Through the few small glass windows of the chamber, Alastor could only see layers of earth and rocks they were passing by without being able to make out of anything because of the speed they were going at. But occasionally, he could see a small light on the soil wall along with some metal bars, seemingly belonging to the whole structure that allowed this chamber to go down without just crushing into a bed of rock. Well he hoped that it would still be the case when he actually got down to his destination.


    ¡°Just how much more are we going?¡± Alastor shouted.


    ¡°Almost there. Minus ten thousands¡­.Preparing for impact!¡± the disembodied voice proclaimed.


    ¡°Impact??? With what?¡± the boy panicked.


    ¡°Brace yourselves! Impact in¡­five¡­four¡­three¡­two¡­.one¡±


    ¡°Oh great!¡±


    ¡°ZERO!¡±


    *SPLASH (sound of something falling into liquid)*


    To his surprise, this ¡®impact¡¯ was not so dramatic and violent as he expected one would be like. It seemed like they fell into some kind of bed of water. But how come there was water here? And what kind of water looked so silvery? Alastor noticed the weird colour of the liquid flowing outside through the window.


    ¡°We are now crossing the outside barrier of Akroma.¡± the computer announced.


    ¡°Akroma? Isn¡¯t that the thing Vincent talked about? The nanomachines-thing? I thought anything it touches will be disintegrated.¡± Alastor asked.


    ¡°Correct! However, thanks to the Proof of Command, the Akroma will not harm the elevator and will instead guide us to Tartarus. Please remain in your seat until we complete the boarding process!¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not like we can move around with these things on us!¡± Alastor looked at the straps.


    ¡°I know you are more than capable of breaking out of them. These only serve as a measure of safety for yourself.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± The boy said.


    ¡°Boarding...¡± From inside the chamber, Alastor could feel something metal reaching out to the chamber and pulled it. Looking out the window, it looked like some kind of large metal pincers and in just a few seconds, they have quitted the silver liquid and were now inside a dark place. ¡°Stabilizing pressure¡­¡±.


    At the same time, the restrains attached to the chairs were released, letting Alastor and Stella free. As the door of the chamber began to open, white smoke was expunging from small opening of the pod, allowing the pressure inside the chamber to be the same as outside in a smooth and slow way. Looking through the dark alley, Alastor could see some blinking dots of light but nothing concrete. It was simply too dark.


    ¡°We have arrived. Please proceed! A guide is already waiting for you outside!¡± the intelligence spoke through the speakers.


    ¡°A guide?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°You will understand soon enough. See you later, demon lord Alastor!¡± the voice vanished.


    ¡°Hum¡­.¡± Alastor grunted quietly before turning to the doll. ¡°Let us see who this guide is!¡±


    ¡°Right after you, Alastor!¡± replied the doll.


    Walking out of the small chamber, the couple had a hard time to see what was actually out there. The first thing they noticed was the strange floor they were walking on. It was not rock but some kind of metal plate. However, it was not just any bland metal plate but something much more sophisticated, similar to the ones Alastor saw back at Vincent¡¯s mansion in the Other World. Even more, the same kind of board was covering the entire place, at least everything they saw in their short vision. With time, their eyes started to get used to the obscurity and they could see some outlines of their surroundings. Wherever they were, it was huge. For now, the only source of light they got was the one coming out of the chamber and shined upon the small space in front of it, limiting their field of vision.


    Suddenly, footsteps could be heard coming toward them. It came from the darkness forward and it was coming closer and closer to them.


    ¡°Who is there? Show yourself!¡± Alastor shouted at the figure menacingly while preparing for battle. Yet, strangely, the doll beside him didn¡¯t not show any sign of hostility while before, if there was anything unknown, she would automatically draw her weapon immediately.


    Hearing his voice, the figure stopped walking and spoke. ¡°I am the guide sent by Zwei to escort you in this place. Please keep your weapons down! You, master of Tartarus, have nothing to fear here.¡±


    The voice was so familiar that it shocked Alastor to his core. He recognized it¡­it was something he heard almost every day.


    ¡°This is not possible¡­.Who are you?¡± Alastor yelled in a trembling tone.


    The figure resumed their walk to the boy. From the dim light coming from the chamber behind him, Alastor could see the silhouette revealing itself. The body, the hair, the cloth¡­they were the same as he thought.


    ¡°Welcome to Tartarus, demon lord Alastor! I am Stella, your guide in this place and your faithful servant! We have been waiting for you for a very long time.¡±

 Chapter 101: Damnation

    Author''s note: As probably some of you may have noticed but I am a fan of the Soul series and some parts of my story (so far) are loosely based on it: not the events but more like the theme with some characters sharing similar experiences etc. In this chapter, one story is heavily based on one game of the Soul series. To avoid any spoiler, I decided not to include the name of the game itself. For those who recognize it, please avoid saying it in the comments or at least put a spoiler tag on your comment and if you want to discuss about it with me, do it in PM :). For those who don''t, don''t worry that you are missing anything! It will just be better later ^^.


    Enjoy the chapter!


    I also posted my novel on Quotev : https://www.quotev.com/story/8050528/Tales-of-Astora-Legacy</a>


    Images and artworks of characters or events are available on many chapters so check it out if you want :)


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    With the dragon continent of Oros now under a new order, the dragons quickly began the recovering of their kingdom. Well, it was called recovery but most of the work was done by Celdora and a few top elected others who mainly focused on determining the hierarchy and how the political process would begin from now on. Unlike the other races with their countries like Ceadric, the dragons had no need for houses or sophisticated buildings to live in. A simple cave or even a plain field big enough for their size would more than sufficient. In this aspect, the dragons were not very complicated in details.


    However, it was not about rebuilding that was the focus of the debate. It was about the relationship between the dragons and the rest of the world from now on. For long, they have closed off their borders and holed themselves on this continent while ignoring everything that was happening around them as long as it didn¡¯t concern them directly. But that attitude no longer seemed to be working anymore¡­or did it work at all after all these years?


    It was out of question for the dragons to even consider the option of joining Valhalla at this point. Their pride simply could not allow it and to be frank, there was no meaning in that. The original aim of Morrigan was to reunite the three kingdoms of the humans since they were the ones with the most hatred toward the demon kind. As for the other kingdoms, she might conquer but did not plan to rule over them too. But just as many things in life that never went according to plan, she somehow managed to have also Malatas and the beastmen of the Whispering Forest too. And that in itself was the start of troubles. It was impossible to just bring all the races and everyone under the rule of a single person. That diversity, the culture and we were not even talking about the different level of acceptance concerning the demons just yet¡­ there was simply too much difference. This kind of kingdom, built on such a fragile foundation, was bound to one-day collapse. It might last for a time but what would happen after Morrigan was gone? Or Alastor was gone? Without a real absolute power in the top of the chain to keep them in check, conflicts would surely rise again in order to take control of that throne.


    That was what the dragons of Oros feared. When that day came, they would prefer not participate in that fight. Old habits died hard after all. But instead of doing just that, Celdora had a better proposal: the dragons should prove themselves as the protectors of the world and cooperate with Valhalla to maintain the balance of power all while keeping the peace. As the elder ones holding centuries or even millennia of knowledge thanks to their lifespan, they must be an example to the young races. And to do that, the dragons themselves must change their way of thinking. No longer would it be just about Oros or a small group of privileged individuals but the new council, under the rule of Celdora, must become the heralds of the world, spreading words of peace to those in need, to protect the weak from the oppressors and to shatter all sources deemed as evil to order and peace.


    But while Celdora and the other dragons were preoccupying themselves on that matter all while maintaining a close contact with Ragna and Valhalla, a lonely old figure was sitting by himself near the large lake little Syralth used to come to play. With his sorrowful and tired expression, he expired a long sigh, wondering why he was even still alive at this moment. He has lost everything: his fame, his position and even his own son. But it was Taragon¡¯s betrayal that struck the heart of the old dragon the most. Even more, he blamed himself for being so blind to what was going on right in front of him. All those years, he was deceived, used as a tool by his own family member for their selfish goal. In the end, that son died in the most horrific way possible and even then, Maragon was helpless to do anything.


    ¡°Why am I still alive? For what reason do you want me to continue this pitiful existence?¡± the ancient dragon mumbled to himself, asking the Gods who created him.


    From the bushes behind him, a small girl, not exactly small compared to a normal human but tiny when by Maragon¡¯ side, walked out of the forest by the lake and toward the old dragon. Resting on her shoulder was a gyrfalcon, her life companion who has accompanied her throughout so many years and together with her, gained reputation for her efforts during the insurrection in Oros.


    ¡°Lord Maragon?¡± asked Abalone.


    ¡°I am no longer a lord, mind you.¡± Maragon reminded the young dragon of his recent downfall. ¡°You are that sea dragon¡­the one who put my army to shame with that bird¡­Abalone was it?¡±


    ¡°And Heru!¡± the dragoness showed the bird on her shoulder. Hearing his name being mentioned, Heru screamed a joyful tone, proud of himself for being no less than a dragon.


    ¡°What an intriguing little creature! ¡­¡± Maragon grinned. ¡°So what can I do for you, Abalone and Heru? The war has ended and the dragon council has been disbanded. Therefore, all the laws and decrees made by me and my peers have been void. You and the rest of your clan sea dragons can now return to Oros if you so wish.


    Or do you want to see me for a more ¡­personal reason? Revenge for all the sufferings you had to endure all these years because of that sentence? Because I was the one who exiled all of you?¡± the dragon spoke casually.


    ¡°No! None of those! I don¡¯t want to kill anyone, especially not an elderly person¡­¡± Abalone retorted. ¡°I just want to know the truth.¡±


    ¡°The truth? About what?¡± asked Maragon.


    ¡°I want to know the reason why you sent all the sea dragons to exile, never to return to Oros. Even my parents have been quite unsure of themselves about what really happened. Others only said you were jealous of us but were never able to give me any proof of that.¡±


    ¡°¡­.And why do you wish to know such thing? It is not going to change what has already been done.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not but at the very least, I am allowed to know that much right? I deserve it!¡± Abalone affirmed.


    ¡°¡­.Some things are better left unknown, young one. For your own sake! Knowledge is power but too much of it will push you down into the pit of insanity. The more you learn, the more you realize the cruelty of truth and how the world is not like what you think it is. If you wake up one day, only to learn that your whole life was a lie, would you be able to bear it? To keep your mind sane?


    That¡¯s why people say ignorance is blissful. Bury your head in the sands and continue to live that way! For once the truth has been revealed to you, there will be no turning back.


    Knowing that, will you still pursue the path of knowledge? That path of truth? Tell me, young one: are you prepared to face those consequences without becoming something else? Something that could no longer be a part of this world?¡±


    The words of the ancient dragon, one of the oldest beings in this world, the wisdom of thousands of years¡¯ worth of knowledge¡­and his words were a warning. A not so obvious warning however to say the least! The secret of the sea dragons, hidden by many for a good reason¡­would Abalone be able to handle that truth without going insane? Would she walk away from it? The thing she has been searching for years, the vindications for the exile of her entire, could she let it go?


    ¡°I am prepared!¡± answered Abalone firmly.


    ¡°¡­I see. Then I have no reason to hide it from you. As you said, you deserve to know the past of the sea dragons¡­What they found¡­The sins they committed¡­ And how it all ended like this¡­Are you ready?¡± inquired the ancient dragon as he stood up on his four legs, revealing his large stature.


    ¡°I think I am but for what?¡± the dragoness asked in her human form.


    ¡°For a journey to the past!¡± Grabbing Abalone and pinning her down to the ground with only one of his hands, Maragon put one of his finger on the girl¡¯s head who was struggling heavily out of surprise. ¡°It may hurt a little but do try to stay conscious!¡±


    All of a sudden, without warning, Abalone could feel a tremendous flow of energy, accompanied by images pouring into her head all at once. The first were the images of the battle in Canaan just recently. Then it switched to the scene of a meeting between the members of the dragon council before the war even started. Following that pattern, Abalone realized that those images were not randomly placed but actually events that happened in the past. It was as if time itself was rewinding in front of her, only at light speed. However, the strain it created to her mind was unbearable to say the very least. Even though it hurt so much, the dragoness tried to endure the pain and continued watching what was going through her mind. She might not be able to catch them all but as long as she could last until the actual images Maragon wanted to show her appeared, it would be worth it. Closing her eyes and biting her own lips, Abalone focused.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s done! You can open your eyes!¡± the voice of the ancient dragon echoed in her mind.


    Slowly spreading her eyelids as the scenery hit through the small opening gap, Abalone was bewildered by her surroundings. The lake that was just in front of her a moment ago was gone. In fact, the whole area was different. Currently, they were on some kind of coast with swirling dark clouds above, along with the heavy crushing waves of the sea constantly coming to the rock formation they were on.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Abalone uttered in awe while turning her head from left to right to look for the answer herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not where but when. We are still in Oros, although slightly to the south from our initial position. As for when¡­this is the dragon continent five thousand years ago.¡± Said Maragon while standing on four legs on a large flat rock. His voice echoed loudly, indicating that this was only some kind of illusion or rather an echo of the past recreated by his own magic.


    ¡°Five thousand years ago? Is that when¡­?¡± asked Abalone.


    ¡°Yes¡­it was before the first dragon council was formed¡­before the cataclysm that fell upon the sea dragons, leading to their exile¡­.before ¡®he¡¯ doomed your entire clan for generations from now on.¡± The ancient dragon had a reminiscent look on his face as he raised his head up, looking at the dark clouds from above. ¡°And that¡­that is the cause of everything.¡±


    From the sky, piercing through the swirling dark clouds, a bright light descended in flame before falling into the sea of water, creating a loud boom and shockwave. Even though this was only an illusion, Abalone could feel the immense pressure and had to grip onto the rock bed below her to avoid being thrown away by the shockwave.


    ¡°What is happening?¡±  Abalone shouted as the pressured subsided. With the gale now ended, the dragoness looked at where the strange light fell into: from under the deep sea, a column of pale blue light was shooting into the sky, showing the exact location of the strange thing.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    It was not Abalone who asked that question but a voice not very far from her. Looking to her right on another rock formation at the coast, Abalone could see two dragons also present at the scene as they took flight toward the column of light. One was a large black dragon while the other was not white but better described as pale wet smooth skin without any scale, like that of an underwater creature.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­is that you?¡± Abalone asked the ancient dragon. His appearance was exactly like the other black dragon. The only difference was that the other one was slightly younger. If this was indeed the past then it would not surprising to see a younger version of Maragon himself.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Maragon replied shortly.


    ¡°So then who is the other one? His appearance¡­he is a sea dragon right?¡±


    ¡°Yes he is! As for who he is, it¡¯s up to you to find out. But it¡¯s not important right now. Follow them and see for yourself, the terrible truth that awaits you!¡± Maragon said. ¡°But be careful! Do not succumb to madness!¡±


    Following his advice, Abalone retook her dragon form and jumped into the sea as she swam toward the column of light. What was this strange sensation but oddly indigenous she was feeling inside her? What were those intangible whispers that were becoming louder and louder the closer she got near the column of light? And why was the moonstone necklace she was wearing starting to shine brightly?


    Meanwhile, Abalone could still hear the flapping wings of the two dragons hovering right above her surrounding the column of light.


    ¡°What was that?¡± asked the pale dragon.


    ¡°Be careful! It could be dangerous. Let¡¯s just go back and get the others!¡± said the young Maragon.


    ¡°Do you hear it? Those strange sounds¡­it is coming from below where that thing is¡­I must go to get it.¡± The pale dragon said while staring in the column of light originating from the deep sea.


    ¡°Wait a minute! We don¡¯t know what it is.¡±


    ¡°I will be quick. Wait for me here!¡± the pale dragon dove into the sea and vanished with a splash.


    ¡°WAIT!¡± shouted the black dragon.


    Deciding that there was no use to stay here doing nothing, Abalone dove below the surface and followed the pale dragon. Since this was an illusion, she did not have to fear being discovered by him. However, the feeling of water splashing into her face, the pressure going up as she dove even further into the deep sea¡­it was so real that she had a hard time to believe this was just an illusion. Although if this was indeed a simple, Abalone would not be able to follow the pale dragon since Maragon was not actually there with him. In a way, she did travel back to the past, but only as a phantom, unable to interact with anything or do anything except for watching. Who could say to what extent could the power of an ancient dragon like Maragon reach?


    After a seemingly endless time of travelling inside the darkness of the deep sea, the two finally arrived at the source of the light: a very large opaque stone of ivory colour with a faint azure luminescence shimmering from inside. Its size alone was at a few dozen meters in length and possessed an oval shape. However, it was its very shape that begged a question.


    Meteors or comets falling from the sky, while rare, were not that strange of a phenomenon. But never has there been a rock with this perfectly rounded shape, suggesting it was artificially made by someone or something rather than just a random rock falling from the cosmos above. And most of all, Abalone recognized this rock. It looked exactly like her moonstone from the colour to the light it was emitting. The only difference was the size.


    ¡°?????? ??? ????? ????! ?????? ??? ????????! ?????? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????!¡±


    A strange seemingly gibberish language echoed inside the mind of the two dragons as the laid their intensive sight upon the stone. Abalone could not understand what it was saying. She was not even sure if those were voices of someone or simply an incomprehensible muttering of some kind of unknown creature. Either way, it was something out of this world, something that was outside the reach of the minds of those born on Astora. Furthermore, the only thing else she could make out of this cryptic message was the ¡°Flip Flop Flip Flop¡±, the sound of dropping onto the surface of water, one drop after another. Where was it coming from? How was that possible to hear something like that in the depths of the sea?


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.?¡± A tiny voice called out to Abalone who was mesmerized by the giant moonstone. The loud repeating whispers were keeping her from hearing anything else.


    ¡°Abalone, wake up!¡± a majestic voice brought the dragoness back to her senses.


    Opening her eyes and gasping for breath suddenly, Abalone found herself back in the present, near the lake. Only, she realized that instead of being on land, half of her body was immerging in the lake while Maragon was pulling her out of it. She almost drowned inside that lake. How was it possible for a sea dragon to drown? Simply because she was not breathing at all. From the old dragon¡¯s point of view, what he saw was an Abalone jumping into the lake by herself and bubbles coming up to the surface as it filled her insides. She was trying to kill herself.


    ¡°What¡­what happened?¡± the girl asked as she gasped for breath.


    ¡°You were unable to keep your mind sane to face the truth. As I expected, it was simply too dangerous for a young dragon like yourself.¡± Maragon explained.


    ¡°That stone¡­it¡¯s just like mine but much bigger¡­What was it?¡± the dragoness asked.


    ¡°¡­Have you ever thought on why the sea dragons have the moonstone while the other dragons don¡¯t? Don¡¯t you think how strange it is for them to be so special?¡± the old dragon uttered.


    Rubbing her chin, Abalone thought hard before coming to a conclusion. ¡°Are you saying that what I saw was the first moonstone? It came from the sky?¡±


    ¡°Both yes and no! There was only one moonstone since the very beginning. Yours and many others out there are only tiny fragments of the original one that came down from the sky five thousand years ago. The pale dragon you saw was the first sea dragon to ever find it before using it just like you use it today.


    Compared to others, the sea dragons are the weakest dragon kinds because of their dependence on water and the absence of scales on their skins. And I am not talking about your usual scales but the true scales that gave the dragons their reputations of being the strongest. Thanks to them, we are extremely resistance to magic and all kind of physical damages. However, the sea dragons, perhaps because of their living environment, did not have them and therefore fairly vulnerable.


    But everything changed after that discovery. With the moonstone broken into smaller parts and distributed to every one of their clan, the sea dragons quickly rose to power, surpassing even their own peers thanks to that amazing power given to them.¡± Maragon explained.


    ¡°¡­Is that why you exiled us? Because we were too powerful?¡± asked Abalone reluctantly.


    ¡°Do you really think an entire clan of sea dragons, each with a stone like yours, would be easily overpowered by me or anyone else? You alone were able to take a dozen of us with just a fragment and believe me when I say you are not the most powerful one I have seen so far compared to your peers! Not even close!


    Tell me, young one! What did those of your clan tell you when you asked them for the reason of their exile?¡± questioned Maragon.


    ¡°They said that you were jealous of our power and in a single night, you ambushed us and killed the majority of our clan before exiling the survivors.¡± Replied Abalone in a sad tone.


    ¡°Hahaha! Is that so? And do you believe them?¡±


    ¡°No¡­not after this. But then who massacred my clan that day five thousand years ago?¡±


    ¡°¡­You were killed¡­by the very same person who bestowed all that power upon your people¡­by the one who found the stone in the first place.¡±


    ¡°That pale dragon? But who is he?¡±


    ¡°He used to be a friend of mine. A scholar who followed the path of knowledge and sought the truth of the world¡­of the universe. That was it before he decided to turn on his own people, on his own friend and killed my wife. On the day of the massacre, he turned into something else¡­


    His name is Xenes!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Welcome to Tartarus, demon lord Alastor! I am Stella, your guide in this place and your faithful servant!¡±


    ¡°Stella?¡± Alastor turned to the doll who has come here with him. ¡°There are two Stella?¡±


    ¡°Actually, there are many more but for now, they are still sleeping inside the cryogenic chamber. If you so desire, I will wake them up right now.¡± The new Stella said.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.¡°¡­No, I would rather not. But¡­just how many Stella are there?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Would you like to make a short turn at the cryogenic chamber? I think it would be better to show you. Like Zwei said, seeing is believing.¡± Proposed the doll.


    ¡°Zwei? Who is Zwei?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Zwei is the artificial intelligence in charge of this place. She controls everything from maintenance to defence and is the reason why the system is still online today.¡±


    ¡°She? That was a ¡®she¡¯?¡± Alastor referred to the computer he has spoken to inside that small elevator. ¡°Though it¡¯s true that it was a female voice¡­¡±


    ¡°Technically, Zwei has no gender since she exists only in the cyber world. However, to make it easy when referring to her and following the voice given to her, it was decided that Zwei would be considered a woman. But if you wish, we could change her voice and a few other settings.¡±


    ¡°I have no idea of what you are talking about and it¡¯s not like changing the voice would make it better anyway. Alright¡­lead the way!¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°Very well! Please follow me! But before that, I will put on some light here!¡± The doll clapped her hands together. ¡°Let there be light!¡±


    From afar, light came down from the ceiling layer by layer toward Alastor. It was those metal boards that served also as light but instead of lamps, they were embedded to the floor. Only now when the place was illuminated, could Alastor see the grandeur of this place. A highly advanced construction that looked almost too outlandish compared to what the medieval world of Astora had to offer. From a moment, the boy has assumed that he was back to the Other World, in some kind of high-tech facility. However, there were still traces of Astora here, especially when the boy could feel the tremendous amount of mana circulating this place. The machines in this place did not use just the technology but also profited from magic energy, something only found in Astora. And what shocked him the most was the scale of this thing. The ceiling was so high that Alastor actually thought it was the sky itself, although there was no cloud above. If only that was the end of it.


    Following the doll who recently appeared, Alastor still kept his eye on the Stella he knew. It would be complicated if he lost his sight of her and didn¡¯t know which one was the real one later. But what was real anyway? What made this Stella different from the other? How was he supposed to distinguish them if they shared the same exact appearance from the cloth to every inch of her hair.


    ¡°You seem a bit confused, master! Is this because of our similarity?¡± asked the doll that looked just like Stella while staring at her.


    ¡°Anyone would be surprised if they see two copies of the exact same person¡­in the same place¡­¡±  the boy uttered before turning to the Stella he knew. ¡°Stella, from now on, make sure to call me Alastor while the others will call me master. Also grab my hand so we won¡¯t get lost. That way, I can be sure to not mistake you for any other Stella that might pop out. Just a precaution if you don¡¯t mind!¡± Alastor extended his hand and grabbed the doll¡¯s hand.


    ¡°¡­No! I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± She clenched her fist and grabbed tightly the boy¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We have arrived.¡± Said the new doll.


    Facing a giant wall barricading the entire whole floor with only a small door to enter, the group walked inside.


    ¡°What in the world is this place¡­..¡± Alastor uttered in shock upon seeing the chamber hidden behind the wall.


    The chamber was actually an enormous cylindrical tunnel expanding for two miles in diameters and at least ten in length. Even more terrifying was that the tunnel was actually a structure that was inside another even bigger structure covering around it. However, it was what was inside the cylinder that bewildered our young demon lord.


    There were thousands, hundreds of thousands of metal pods with a front glass window showing its content. Slightly bigger than the size of an adult human, they were covering the entire inside walls of the cylinder. Each of them contained one person that all looked oddly similar to Stella, if not the exact same copy. The only difference was that they were all naked and currently immerging inside a transparent fluid with their eyes closed as if they were sleeping. Grabbles and others machines were moving continuously around, checking the pods all while rearranging them for new incoming pods, all containing the same thing as the others.


    ¡°Welcome to the cryonic chamber of Tartarus! This is where we store all our Stella from our factory located further in. Normally, the production was planned to stop at about nine years ago but there have been no news from doctor Marcus for the last eleven years so it has never really stopped. Our factory has been running at full capacity ever since, waiting for the day we might be needed by our master, you, lord Alastor.¡± The doll bowed slightly to Alastor, showing her respect to the boy.


    ¡®So they didn¡¯t know that the Artificer is already dead¡­.Should I tell them? But that can wait. There are still other things to ask for now.¡¯ Thought Alastor in his mind. ¡°You called me Master but I have never met any of you. How come I am your master all of the sudden? And what do you mean by waiting for the day I need you? For what?¡±


    ¡°It is installed in us that whoever has the Proof of Command is our master. As for what, it¡¯s up to you and only you. Whatever you want, whatever you need, you may simply give us the word and we will do it, even if it might cost the lives of this unit. We are yours to command, to do whatever you may need us for.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Just how many there are of you in this place?¡± Alastor asked, fearing the answer he would receive back.


    ¡°Up until this very moment, there are exactly one million two hundred fifty-four thousands nine hundred and forty-two units that have been finished with the correct settings and software installed.¡±


    ¡°A MILLION??? Why do you need much?¡± shouted Alastor.


    ¡°We only follow the order that was given to us: to continue the production until further notice! However, because of the limited space, we will soon run out of space to store our Stella.¡±


    ¡°If you are going to run out of space then stop the production already! It is that simple.¡± Alastor argued.


    ¡°But we had our orders¡­¡±


    ¡°Screw that order! I am commanding to stop! There is no meaning in this.¡±


    ¡°Acknowledged! Overriding old order¡­..¡± The doll¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°It¡¯s done! The factory has been terminated as you command!¡±


    ¡° *sigh* Alright, I have had enough of this creepy place. Where else are you going to bring me to?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Anywhere you like! However, since the facility expands throughout the entire continent, it will take quite some time to visit every single place. I will say between three months and four months of constant walking if we travel by foot.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have time for that. I just want to understand what Tartarus is. That¡¯s why I came here in the first place.¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Acknowledged! Then the next destination will be the control centre. Please follow me!¡±


    ¡°Control centre? Is it far away?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°By foot with the current speed, it will take a month to go there because of the complexity of the facility.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Is there no other way of moving¡­you know faster?¡±


    ¡°We have the teleporter that is just right outside. It will take five seconds to go there using the teleporter platform. Would you like to use it?¡± asked the strange doll.


    ¡°Yes¡­please!¡±


    ¡°Then this way please!¡±


    ¡­..


    This city was void of people, not living persons in flesh anyway. The only residents were robots patrolling around and many more Stella doing what seemed to be maintenance work or cleaning. Whenever Alastor passed by, they would stop what they were doing and bowed to him. They seemed so serious about it that it looked a bit creepy from Alastor¡¯s point of view. To be called Master by people you didn¡¯t know, especially when they all looked the same to someone you knew could be indeed a terrifying experience, if not eerie when you realized you were the only living being in this place.


    After having stepped into an illuminated platform that has teleported them to God knew where inside this humongous underground city yet void of people, Alastor was guided across a hall. Dozens of copies of the doll were here, standing on two sides of the red carpet placed in the middle of the hall. As the boy passed by, they kneeled down to him like a faithful servant to their king.


    At the end of the hall, Alastor finally arrived at the control centre. The secret of Tartarus lied there, according to the doll guiding him. Walking inside with his Stella, the boy was greeted with the sight of a giant head floating on air. Only it was a quite unusual head. It was slightly transparent with occasionally some static erasing the figure. In addition, a ray of light was beaming into it from below, as if the whole thing was just a projection from the glass ball down there. As for the face, it belonged to what seemed to be a robot with some female features. Her hair was actually composed of larges cables attached to the head while the face itself looked like something made out of metal.


    ¡°Welcome, demon lord Alastor! After all these years, you are the first to have ever arrived in this place.¡± Said the projection in an autonomous voice similar to the one in the elevator.


    ¡°What are you?¡± asked Alastor


    ¡°I am Zwei, the one who manages this facility in place of my creator, the Artificer Marcus William.¡±


    ¡°Why do you look like this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a physical body so in order to make communication easier to non-cyber entities such as yourself, I use this hologram to speak to you. My apologies for the quality of the image...This is all we can manage with the limited resources we have down here.¡± Zwei answered.


    ¡°Limited resources? You have enough to create a million Stella but not to fix something this small?¡± argued the boy.


    ¡°The production of Stella is made to be our top priority. Meanwhile the projector is only used for this specific situation when I meet another non-cyber entity face to face in the control centre. And you, Alastor, are the first to have come here.¡±


    ¡°But if this place has been sealed for centuries, how come the Artificer was able to put the entire factory and recover Stella from there? He can¡¯t really go back down without the keys right?¡±


    ¡°The factory itself was made before the sealing of Tartarus. Back then, after doctor Marcus has installed me here as a measure to prevent all intruders while in charge of maintaining this place the way it was, a one-way passage to transport the finished Stella to the surface was also created. Remember the slots you put the Tempus Machina in? There is a fifth one hidden near the elevator that will be able to transport the finished product to the Artificer who will take the package from there. Even if an intruder finds out about the secret passage, no one would be able to pass through Akroma, therefore making this place one hundred percent intruder-proof.¡± The intelligence explained.


    ¡°¡­.Okay¡­a bit complicated but I have the gist of it¡­I admit it would be weird and kind of obious if something that huge is on the surface so that¡¯s why he put the factory down here¡­¡± Alastor rubbed his chin thinking about the size of the cryonic chamber he saw earlier. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t answer the question of Tartarus. When I first came here, one of the Stella told me that this place is actually Tartarus. But so far, I have not seen why people are so afraid of it¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t see the whole picture. But before I can tell it to you, you must pass the Rite of Bequest and become the new Master of Tartarus. Only then will you be allowed to know the truth.¡±


    ¡°I have come here and it would be a shame to just pull back now. Just do it!¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°Please take a seat!¡±


    Alastor moved to the only chair in the room and sat down comfortably.


    ¡°Heart of Tartarus, please step forward!¡± Zwei called out to Stella.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alastor asked in confusion.


    ¡°The Rite of Bequest gives the total control of Tartarus to one person. However, in order to do that, a special software must be installed in that person. As you have probably guessed, the software code is contained inside the Heart of Tartarus.¡±


    ¡°Software¡­.some kind of spell I assume but instead of chanting, you need to install, as you called it, it in machines right that will later execute that order right? Vincent once explained me about it. But I am not a machine so how do you do that?¡± questioned Alastor.


    ¡°That can be fixed easily.¡± Suddenly metal straps appeared from the chair and restrained the boy, making him unable to move an inch. A grabble descended from the ceiling and put a towel into the boy¡¯s mouth. ¡°This will hurt a little. Please refrain from killing yourself!¡±


    ¡°Whhh ???¡± Alastor uttered intangible words because of the rag in his mouth.


    Without warning, the black crown Alastor was wearing started to melt into a silvery substance. Shocked by the sudden thing and taking in account the fact of what happened to Taragon last time something similar happened, Alastor tried to struggle but it was too late. In an instant, the liquid entered his chest into his heart. Once inside, it began to fuse with the beating organ as the heart took on a silvery colour and a few veins connecting to it. While it was only for a few seconds, the pain was excruciating so much that it knocked out Alastor instantly.


    ¡°The Rite is completed. Demon lord Alastor, you are now the Master of Tartarus.¡± was the last thing he heard before he fell unconscious.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Alastor, can you hear me?¡± a voice called out to the sleeping boy who was just slowly getting up. His chest still hurt from what happened.


    ¡°Stella?¡± the boy recognized the familiar face in front of him, or rather the many similar faces in front of him. Opening his eyes, he found himself lying on the ground with his head on the laps of the doll while the other Stellas were staring at him around his body for who knew how long since he has passed out. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°See yourself!¡± the voice of Zwei echoed in the room. ¡°You and Akroma are now one. Can you feel it moving inside your system? Together, you control Tartarus.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean Akroma and I are one?¡± Alastor looked down at his chest: there was no wound or any visible sign of anything out of place but he could feel it the presence of something heavy inside him.


    ¡°The Proof of Command is actually made of the master nanomachines that allow one to control the others which are surrounding this entire facility. But aside from that, they are still machines with the same function as their peers. Thanks to their presence, we have succeeded in installing the software ¡®Heart of Tartarus¡¯ inside you. From now on, you control both Akroma and Tartarus.¡±


    The news was ground-breaking to the mind of the young demon lord. The two most dangerous weapons in history were now lying both in his hands. But in addition to that, there was something else that many were not even aware about that Alastor also had another deadly weapon: the dark crystals Odium created using all those sacrifices and the reason she provoked a war between the beastmen and the elves. Until now, they were still carefully hidden inside Alastor¡¯s dimensional pocket as he hoped that there would not be a day when he would have to resort to them.


    But why? Why was this happening to him? Why was he suddenly in possession of so many destructive weapons? Each was more than enough to destroy the world and here he had all three of them.  For what purpose would fate bring them to him?


    Alas, there was still the question of the true nature of Tartarus. The other two were already frightening enough and Alastor could only wish that he has never asked the question he was about to say.


    ¡°What¡­what is Tartarus?¡±


    ¡°Allow me to show you: the true nature of Tartarus!¡±


    Zwei¡¯s hologram changed to another form, one that revealed the secret and the terror that was hidden under the demon continent of Ragna all these years. The weapon that has been forsaken by its own creator out of fear of his own creation¡­What could it be? But it was Alastor¡¯s expression that said it all.


    ¡°This¡­.this can¡¯t¡­..Why? Why did he create such a thing?¡± Alastor shouted upon seeing what was shown through the projection.


    ¡°Alastor, since you are the master of Tartarus, it is my duty to tell you everything. At the end of this room, you will find a red lever. Pulling it will activate the mechanism that will wake Tartarus from its slumber. It¡¯s your decision whether you do it or not.


    As the artificial intelligence in charge of this place and following the will of my creator, I would advise against from doing such thing under any circumstance.


    Tartarus is the ultimate weapon that will turn Astora into a sea of flames and there is nothing in the world that can stop it. Not even you with all those demon lords¡¯ powers! However, as the master of Tartarus, you alone can choose to prevent its awakening by simply leaving this place. Even if the passage has been unlocked, without the Proof of Command, no one would be able to cross the barrier of Akroma so you don¡¯t have to worry about the defence of this place.


    Choose wisely, young demon lord! For you hold the fate of the world!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°STEP ASIDE!¡± Lilith shouted as she chopped down the last standing robots protecting the entrance. The Destroyers truly lived up to their name, even able to hold their ground against a goddess accompanied by many elites. But in the end, they were simply no match for the combined forced of the group and were eliminated.


    Rushing into the cavern while looking for Alastor, the group was shocked to see some kind of machine rising from the ground and from it, walked out a familiar figure.


    ¡°Alastor!¡± Ikarus shouted as she ran to his side before hugging him tightly. ¡°Where were you? We were so worried.¡±


    ¡°You came from that thing¡­.does it mean that you have activated Tartarus?¡± the lich quickly asked.


    ¡°What did you do, Alastor?¡± Lilith yelled.


    Looking solemnly at the worried faces of his comrades, the boy embraced his beloved angel before turning to the devil Mephisto.


    ¡°Mephisto, starting from now on, no one is allowed to enter this cave anymore. Not anyone, even me! No¡­especially me!¡±

 Chapter 102: Premonition

    Author''s note: Alright, this chapter is a bit special since I tried to write on a topic I am not used to (you will understand it quickly enough as you read it). It is a bit shorter than last chapter because I was a bit busy today so apologies ><.


    But enough of me babbling! Enjoy :)


    ################################################################################


    The night of that day, a small boy was sitting by himself inside his large chamber. His white hair, something that most his age should not have, was reflecting the pale moon shimmering moonlight that let itself in through the large window in front of him. The wind was quite strong this evening, pumping a fresh breeze into the room, fluttering the curtains on as it streamed on the boy¡¯s hair. Outside his room, laughter and cheers could be heard from the gathering outside. Currently, the demons were rejoicing their new freedom after being officially accepted and recognized by the Primes, their enemies since anyone could remember. Music from the bards accompanied the graceful dance of the few maidens only added to the merry atmosphere of this place.


    And yet, while everyone was celebrating to their fullest, the main figure of the party, the person who contributed the most to this war as he ended it in the most memorable way possible, was not participating. Instead he chose to lock himself in his room. He had his own reasons for this strange behaviour. To him, the people out there were blessed, not because of the peace they just recent acquired but because they knew nothing of what was going on around them. They thought the storm has passed but it didn¡¯t. Not when these things Alastor had in his possession still remained here.


    The dark crystals created from the sacrifice of thousands of lives. It only took one to devastate an entire kingdom and poisoned the entire land forever. And that was not even the original intent it was designed for. It made one wonder what Odium has planned for it if she was still alive to this day.


    Akroma the Living Metal, a product that initially thought to be for the greater good but ended up almost destroy the entire world. If unleashed, its endless hunger would consume the entire world as all would become a part of it.


    Finally, Tartarus, the mysterious relic of the past whose purpose no one really understood why it was created in the first place. At least, Alastor could not understand it. But if there was one thing he knew about Tartarus, it was that the thing was more than capable to annihilate Astora along with everything good or bad in the storm it brought.


    And Alastor, out of all people, possessed all three of them. How was it possible? Was fate somehow toying with him? Or was it because of something that would happen in the future and when that time came, Alastor would need them? But even in his wildest imagination, the boy could not think of any reason that might require these¡­.Unless¡­..


    KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK


    ¡°Alastor, may I come in?¡± a gentle soothing voice called out from outside.


    ¡°Go ahead! The door is not locked.¡± Said Alastor without turning back while continue to stare at the window from his soft bed.


    The door opened and a womanly figure walked in. The moment the door spread itself, sounds of music of the party were even louder before appeasing again as the woman shut the door behind her. She wore a long deep blue dress adorned with shimmering glitters spread across it all while showing her alluring shoulders. It was rare to see her in such fancy clothing as it was not her usual self to display such interest in fashion. However, tonight was special and her new position as the herald of the celestials did not allow her to be in humble clothing like before.


    Moving toward the boy as she climbed on the bed and embraced him from behind while letting his head resting on her chest, the celestial posed her chin gently without really completely resting on his small head. She would have let him sit between her legs but because of the one-piece dress, the celestial would have to accommodate with it and sat while letting her legs to the sides.


    Expecting her to say something, Alastor waited. However, she just sat there without uttering a single sound while caressing his hair occasionally hugging him tightly. Unable to stand the awkward silence, the boy decided to take the first initiative.


    ¡°Are you not supposed to be out there?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have already entertained most of the important guests. And if anyone else wants to see me, then screw them! You don¡¯t think I would let the man I love all by himself in his room, do you?¡± smiled the celestial.


    ¡°¡­Thank you, Ikarus!¡± the boy smiled back. ¡°I am sorry¡­for my childish behaviour. But I just can¡¯t go out there, pretending that everything is fine when they are clearly not. I just can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about Tartarus and that living metal thing? Do you mind if I ask why couldn¡¯t you tell us what you saw down there?¡± inquired the celestial.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard to explain, Ikarus. And even if I can, I don¡¯t want you to be dragged into this mess that I am in¡­I can¡¯t do that to you or anyone.¡± Alastor confessed.


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t want me to be dragged into your mess? I love you with all my heart and by that, I am also prepared to face anything that dares stand in our way. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s the worst weapon ever created. It won¡¯t stop me from caring about you. I am not afraid of it.¡± Ikarus spoke firmly.


    ¡°But I am, Ikarus. I am afraid of it, of myself. All these things¡­they¡­they are simply too dangerous. And I am the only one who can control them. But what if I am not myself? What if I change? What if I use them for evil? Can you imagine how devastating it would be for our world?¡±


    ¡°Alastor¡­.¡±


    ¡°I realize it just now, Ikarus. That peace has not come yet. There is still one final obstacle that stands in its way. A thing that could shatter that peace¡­.It¡¯s me, Ikarus. I am the final obstacle of peace. As long as I control them, there is still a risk of me doing something that I will regret later. And with what I have, I cannot afford to lose my sanity for even the shortest moment. That¡¯s what all it takes. A second and it could be all over.


    I am no longer needed. Like Amon said, the longer I stay here, the more danger I will bring to the world.


    Those weapons and myself¡­.must be removed from the world in order to acquire true peace!!!¡± Alastor spoke in a trembling voice.


    He has become disillusioned by his own fear of himself. So even someone with so much power could still be vulnerable to fear. Actually, there have already been a few cases like that with the Gods themselves. The most notorious example would be Merkabah. The God of Celestials dreaded something so much that it drove him insane, made him massacre his own children. The same could be said for the other Gods Alastor has met so far. They all seemed to fear something, although none of them resorted to extreme measure like their celestial friend. But the question was how could they get out of that maelstrom made of fear before ending up sucked into it, losing all hope of ever be able to return again? There was no correct answer as it depended on each individual. As for our Alastor, the solution was actually quite nearby and coming at him at light speed.


    *SLAP*


    ¡°Ikarus?¡± uttered the boy as he touched his swollen red cheek after having received a slap in the face by her. His heart felt a slight ache, not because of the slap itself but because of the tears coming out from the eyes of his lover.


    ¡°Alastor Magnolia, don¡¯t you ever talk like that! Not to me! Not to anybody else! Not even to yourself!¡± the celestial groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you are so stupid to even think about such thing.¡±


    ¡°Ikarus, I¡­.¡±


    ¡°Nah!¡± the celestial put her finger in front of the boy¡¯s mouth, stopping him from uttering anything. ¡°I am not done yet, mister. You are not allowed to talk before I finish.¡±


    Left with no choice, the boy could only reluctantly nod in agreement while letting the love of his life continuing her speech.


    ¡°Alastor, I may not be aware of all the things you are telling me but I won¡¯t force you to tell me anything. It¡¯s your choice whether you want to share it with me. However, as your lover, I will not allow you to shoulder all those burdens by yourself. And it¡¯s not just me. Morrigan is also here for you. Do you know how difficult it was for her to wait for your return? Yet, she didn¡¯t say anything in order to avoid upsetting you. She knew there are things that need to be done and only you can do it. Others feel the same too.


    We may not be as strong as you but never will we let you alone. Not me!


    And your talk about how you are an obstacle to peace is just plain stupid. What kind of logic is that? Peace is only possible because of you and you think now that it has been attained we will just throw you away? You are Alastor, son of the demon lord Asgore and the Hero Lakyus. You have endured a lot, fought through countless challenges. You even slew the Gods of the old like Merkabah and others. You brought what seemed to be impossible to achieve into reality: peace between the demons and the primes.


    Just what else do you need? You have done more than enough already. From now on, just let us take over please! You don¡¯t have to take it on all by yourself anymore! That¡¯s what we are here for.¡± Ikarus gave her speech.


    ¡°¡­..¡± the boy found himself dumbfounded.


    ¡°You are allowed to speak!¡± said the celestial.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t say anything! We will stay like this until you find your words. Take your time, dear!¡±


    ¡­..


    It has been an hour since the couple has been snuggling each other in the bed without exchanging a single word. The woman would cuddle the boy while gently brushing his silky hair. The boy would rest his small body onto hers with every so often fondling and caressing the gentle skin of her arms around his neck. There was no need to speak as their bodies themselves were doing the talking, comforting each other to sooth their fear.


    Outside, the music has dwindled with only some reticent background melody playing at the end of the party.  The fun has ended and it was time for bed for everyone. Though the same could not be said for this couple. Rather than dozing off on the comforting softness of the bed they were on, the two preferred to keep each other company, to make up for the time they lost during the war.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t find anything to say¡­.except for one thing¡­.¡± Alastor uttered first.


    ¡°Really? What is it?¡± asked Ikarus.


    ¡°You already knew that already so there is really nothing surprising about it¡­Well I hope you knew anyway.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s¡­?¡±


    Embracing her even tighter as he buried his face between her bosom, the boy spoke softly. ¡°I love you!¡± Though the sound was difficult to hear because his mouth was directly touching her chest, Ikarus could still make out the lovely thing he just said. One look at her face showed it all. The bright red warm cheeks heated by the comment and the heavy breathing she expired indicated how happy and shy she was. But in addition to those feelings, it has awoken something else that Ikarus has long kept under control, until now.


    Noticing her odd expiration and the heat coming from her, Alastor looked up to her face, unconsciously making a puppy face with his big round eyes out of concern for his beloved angel. ¡°Are you alright, Ikarus?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t hold it anymore.¡± She uttered excitedly.


    ¡°Hold what?¡±


    ¡°Alastor, please give me your baby!¡± Without warning, Ikarus held the boy¡¯s head as she bended down and kissed him in an erotic manner, putting her tongue in his mouth. It lasted for five minutes before she decided it was enough to satiate her lust, for now.


    ¡°¡­Ik..Ikarus¡­¡± Shocked and stunned by what just happened, Alastor was left speechless. For a moment, the heart of the person who did not even faze in front of a God just stopped for a second from a simple kiss. His mind went blank from the sheer amount of ecstasy. It just showed no matter how much Alastor might seem mature, he was still an innocent boy in this aspect of life.


    ¡°¡­Do you wish to continue?¡± asked the celestial.


    ¡°¡­..I¡­..I¡­.¡± It was cute to see the mighty Alastor blushing, unable to resist the temptation of the flesh all while fidgeting unlike his usual self. But this was only because this came from the person he loved the most. Else, Alastor would have probably run away with all his might by now. As for his answer, it was simply too embarrassing to say it in words so he replied with a simple quick nod, much to the amusement of the celestial.


    Descending to the floor from the bed as she held his hand lovingly, Ikarus dragged him to the opening window. Under the pale moonlight, her turquoise dress seemed so perfect with the natural colour of her delicate short hair. Alastor has known this for a very long time and every time he looked at her, he knew. This woman was the lover of his life. And this moment could only confirm that, just as it has been echoed in his mind many times before.


    Slowly reaching to her laces resting on both sides of her shoulders, Ikarus pulled them and let the only clothing she was wearing fall down to the floor, to the dropping jaws of Alastor.


    ¡°Touch me!¡± said Ikarus in a seductive manner.


    Swallowing his thirst and coming closer to the woman as he fidgeted like a squirrel in front of a huntress, Alastor could not deny the carnal desire swelling inside him, not after this.


    The celestial took up his arms and put them around her naked waist with his hands following his male instinct to grab her behind firmly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you sleep tonight, my love. You can count on that!¡± grinned Ikarus as she licked her lips erotically.


    * * *


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°That was¡­bloody amazing!¡± uttered the boy as he let himself fall down onto the silky bed sheets while exhaling heavily.


    ¡°Yes *heavy breathing*¡­it was! Hi hi hi!¡± Ikarus uttered tiredly, still clutching on the small boy with whom she just shared her first time with.


    ¡°How come *heavy breathing* you seemed so¡­experienced in this?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Are you jealous that you might not be my first?¡± teased the celestial.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± the young demon lord looked at his beloved with surprised eyes, fearing what it might imply.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make that face! You are¡­were my first, and my last. No one will ever be allowed to touch me the same way you just did.¡± Smiled Ikarus.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tease me like that!¡± grunted Alastor in an annoyed voice.


    ¡°I am sorry, honey!¡± the celestial gave a gentle kiss on his cheek. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again. And to answer your question, the reason I know a lot about this is because I have done a lot of research on this¡­theme we just experienced. Though I have to say, things are quite different between theories and the actual process.


    While the pleasure of the flesh is what people seeks when doing it, to be able to do it with the person you love can be called the ultimate pleasure of all. And I have had the chance to experience it tonight with you. I love you, Alastor!¡± She kissed him on his forehead before cuddling her head on his small chest.


    ¡°So did I, Ikarus! And thanks¡­for being so patient with me earlier. Unlike you, I was not very¡­knowledgeable about this topic so it might not have been very satisfying for you.¡± Conveyed the boy.


    ¡°And now you just went full stupid again! I told you, you were quite ¡­proficient for your first time. But that is not important. It¡¯s you being here that is already enough for me.¡± Ikarus hugged him tightly. ¡°But we may need to do some preparations just in case¡­¡±


    ¡°In case of what?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Today is not my safe day¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Then I will take responsibility if it happens!¡± Alastor spoke resolutely.


    ¡°I know you will.¡± Smiled Ikarus. ¡°Then how about we think of the names first? You know, I have consulted with a few others before about this and¡­¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± Alastor almost shouted out loud.


    ¡°Yeah¡­.Sorry¡­I was a bit excited after the war¡­.We will finally have more time together from now on so I want to be prepared¡­when the inevitable thing comes¡­which actually came sooner than I thought it would.¡± Ikarus fidgeted shyly.


    Hearing her sweet confession, Alastor could not do anything else but deepen his love for this woman even more.


    ¡°You are so thoughtful! So what are the suggestions I have?¡± asked the boy.


    ¡°Well there is Aldfric and Andren if it is a boy. Though, I think Aldfric sounds cooler, especially if he grows up to be a wonderful man just like his father.¡± Ikarus chuckled.


    ¡°Hum¡­both are good to me¡­But what if it is a girl?¡±  questioned Alastor.


    ¡°I already have a list but I think since I have practically chosen the name for our son, you should be the one who will name our child if it is a girl. It¡¯s only fair right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. Hum let me think! How about ¡­.. Astora?¡± proposed Alastor.


    ¡°Astora? The name of our world? It¡¯s indeed a good name but why did you choose it?¡± inquired the woman.


    ¡°Because our child will inherit the world we leave behind. This is just something I heard from mother but the other leaders are thinking of giving a new name to our world and the convention in a few days will be the perfect opportunity for it. While I can understand the reasoning behind that decision, starting things fresh and such, I think we still need to remind ourselves of the past to avoid making the same mistakes we committed. If the name Astora is to be erased from the books of history, then our child will take on that name and remind people of that.


    Or so I thought¡­.¡± Spoke Alastor. ¡°What do you think? Is this too much of babbling on my part?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! I think it¡¯s a noble thought you have there. Besides, Astora is a good name for a girl and since my lovely husband thinks it¡¯s the best, of course I would agree with you.¡± Smiled Ikarus.


    Yawning tiredly after the somewhat intense intercourse he just had, Alastor said. ¡°Do you mind if we sleep now? I am exhausted from the¡­.you know. Both physically and mentally. I need some sleep to process all of that.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my dear! We shall continue in the morning.¡± Said Ikarus as she laid her head on the same pillow as Alastor all while keeping her limbs tangling around him.


    ¡°Continue what?¡±


    ¡°I heard doing it in the morning after a nice sleep is the best.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Is this just me or are you getting addicted to this?¡± inquired the young demon lord.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. It¡¯s what my body is screaming at me right now¡­. Do you not feel the same way? Was it not that good for you?¡± Ikarus questioned with a fearful face. She assumed that perhaps she was so focused on herself and neglected his feelings in their act.


    ¡°It was¡­though I would prefer to take the lead next time. After all, I am still a man.¡± Replied Alastor.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s perfect. You will have plenty of chances to practice. From now on, it¡¯s going to be rabbits mating season. Starting from tomorrow, it will be a special menu to keep your virility in check!¡±


    ¡°¡­.I look forward for it¡­.I think.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I am a bit tired too. Good night, dear!¡± That was it. She fell asleep as soon as she finished. But unlike Alastor, it was all the excitements and feelings she has kept all these time in fear of being rejected from him, now all released at the same time.


    Kissing on the sleeping head of his beloved, Alastor soon joined her in the sweet dreams he hoped to have after this wonderful experience. But as expected, it shall not be the case. For everything connected to Alastor was never simple and turmoil was waiting right around the corner of his mind, in the form of a familiar figure he has not seen for a very long time.


    * * *


    Opening his eyes, Alastor found himself back at a place he has not visited for a while: the depths of the Abyss where a giant gate was located in the middle of this barren land. But unlike the many times he has visited before, the keeper of the gate was actually present for once, standing firmly in front of it as he looked at Alastor intensively.


    ¡°Finally I manage to get hold of you, Alastor!¡± the Abyssal Knight spoke in an inhuman yet majestic voice.


    ¡°You are¡­.¡± Alastor recognized the knight.


    ¡°There is not much time, Alastor.¡± Said the knight. ¡°You must ascend to Celestia right now!¡±


    ¡°What? What are you saying?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anytime to explain it to you. Go there before it is too late! They are coming for you!¡±


    Suddenly, a sudden overwhelming shockwave echoed throughout the area, blasting everything caught inside it. Crouching down as he closed his eyes to avoid the flying dust thrown at him, Alastor tried to avoid being blown away. But the moment the storm has passed and things seemed to return to normal again, Alastor opened his eyes, only to find himself back on the his bed again. By his side was a sleeping Ikarus with such a peaceful expression on her face, unlike him who was sweating like crazy, clearly visible on his naked body.


    ¡°What was that? A dream? No¡­more like a nightmare¡­But it seemed so real¡­And that knight, I know him. What was he warning me about?¡± Alastor asked himself.


    Everything passed so quickly, giving the boy no time to even discern what just transpired was just a dream or what actually happened in reality. Unable to do anything, he decided to go back to sleep, holding on tightly to the body of his beloved, hoping it was just a bad dream and it would pass away.


    Only, unknown to him, it wasn¡¯t. The ghosts of the past were once again emerging from the soil. The smoke of war thought to be extinguished was rising. And Alastor and his companies would be caught in the middle of the incoming storm that would be remembered as the Fourth Calamity of the world.


    * * *


    Whispering Forest


    In this ancient forest where the spirits resided, outside the hamlet of the Beast King Zen, a mysterious group of strangers was gathering, surrounding the place. Wearing black outfits and masks to hide their faces, one look at them could spell troubles. Indeed, they were the trouble itself as they were assassins, sent by a certain someone to take care of Zen and his council.


    ¡°Is everyone here?¡± asked the leader of the assassins.


    ¡°Yes! Everyone is ready! Please give the orders!¡± said an assassin with his dangling knife.


    ¡°Very well! Remember that there is no room for failure. Else Lord Diablo will have our heads. Even if you die, make sure that you will bring at least Zen down with you!¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡±


    ¡°On my mark! One¡­two¡­.!!!!¡± At the last second, the leader of assassins stopped and shut up in silence. It was not because he had a change of heart. No! It was because of the blade impaling his chest from behind: a black obsidian blade with a curve shape that was not actually a sword at all but a scythe, a favourite weapon used by the most enigmatic creatures that recently appeared in Astora.


    ¡°What do you have here? A bunch of rats who got lost? Then allow me to show you the way!¡± A voice from a dark shadowy figure with two shimmering red eyes spoke before holding its weapon in a horizontal position and cut down all the assassins at once in a single slash. ¡°Weaklings¡­they fell like flies. Who are these guys anyway?¡±


    ¡°You done?¡± another shadow appeared. Looking at the corpses on the ground, he had his answer. ¡°Good job! But why did you kill them?¡± His question was a bit late.


    ¡°They used the Gate to teleport themselves here. Seeing them as a suspicious bunch, I decide to follow them here. Turn out they intend to assassinate the Beast King.¡± Reported the first Reaper.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember our Lord telling us to protect Zen.¡±


    ¡°No but they look like the kinds of person whom no one would remember even if they are gone...Besides we still need a lot of souls to reach the quota anyway. Because of Alastor¡¯s action, the war was not so devastating as it would be so I have to compensate that lack with this.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough! But who are they?¡± asked the second Reaper.


    ¡°No idea! Let¡¯s just check their soul!¡± The first Reaper crouched down to the corpse of an assassin and used his shadowy hand to pull out a blue flame from the corpse. Holding it in his hand, the shadow scanned the memories stored inside the soul, a technique much similar to the one Morrigan once showed to Alastor. ¡°¡­.This is interesting.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°This is only one group. The second group is currently on their way to their own target.¡±


    ¡°Who is the target?¡±


    ¡°The High Empress of Valhalla: Morrigan Magnolia!¡±

 Chapter 103: Harmony and discord

    Author''s note: my first 18+ chapter (since last one is not very "visual"). I want to ask if you think I should add mature tag because of this. Do know that this kind of scene is very rare and this is probably the last one of book 1.


    Also you will notice how random and uneventful this chapter might be. Please be patient as this is the last peaceful chapter and the rest is packed with actions/mysteries! Enjoy the final peaceful moment!


    ######################################################################


    The next morning, our young demon lord woke up with a huge headache and an exhausted body. His first taste of intimacy with Ikarus was perhaps still too much bewildering, even making him doubt if it actually happened. It was only when he saw the sweet gorgeous looking face of the celestial sleeping peacefully by his side that he was sure that what he experienced, that carnal desire, was not a dream. He has become a man and with it brought forth new responsibilities. But aside from that astonishing adventure, Alastor was still hung up about that weird dream with the Abyssal Knight he saw that night. That short encounter happened much too fast for him to even discern it as reality or merely a faint nightmare.


    Suddenly, as his mind was distracted by the images of that dream, Alastor felt a jolt from his lower half. Something was touching him eagerly, trailing from his feet up to his private part in such a sensual way that it has awoken up the little one down there. As expected, the culprit was right next to him, smiling tenderly in a half awaked state at the boy.


    ¡°Good morning, my love! I see that you are already prepared for our second round.¡± Teased Ikarus as she clutched her grip, making Alastor almost moaning loudly.


    ¡°Ikarus, maybe we should not¡­¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°Too late for that!¡± Throwing away the white blanket they shared as she pushed him down onto the bed, the celestial slowly mounted on the boy, watching him all dumbfounded by her aggressive nature. ¡°In order to dominate a woman, you must first learn what it feels like to be dominated. Here I go!¡±


    Putting her hands on his chest, the woman started to hump down and up on the boy¡¯s body. With each thrust came a moaning out of pleasure from both parties. The erotic view, the alluring aroma of her sweat, All that fatigue Alastor has felt up until now has vanished as his mind was only filled with the bestial desire to fulfil this primordial lust he was feeling surging inside him, along with something else coming. At this rate, he would lose to her and things would stay the same as before.


    ¡°Give it to me!¡± screamed Ikarus desperately.


    ¡°¡­.No!¡±


    ¡°What? What do you¡­.? Ahh!¡± In an instant, Alastor rose from the bed and pushed the celestial down before pinning her upside down on the soft bed sheet, forbidding her from even see him as her behind being openly exposed and up to his mercy.


    ¡°You asked for it! My turn now!¡± declared Alastor as he, without warning, thrusted heavily into her, making her uttering a loud shriek. As expected of Alastor, one session was enough for him to gain enough skills to overpower his master in this subject. With one hand keeping her head down to the bed sheet while the other pulling her two bound wrists toward him, Alastor seemed to have completely taken control of the situation.


    But as the couple continued their morning ritual, the door of their chamber suddenly opened and a small elf girl walked in.


    ¡®Brother, breakfast is ready and everyone is waiting for you two to¡­..¡± Out of all situations, the person who saw them was little Alice and not even Lilith. ¡°What are you two doing???¡± She shouting loudly before running out of the room in haste and screaming like a madman. ¡°BAD BAD BAD!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­.damn!¡± Ikarus uttered.


    ¡°This is bad¡­.¡± Said Alastor.


    ¡°Yeah¡­.it means that we have to stop now¡­And just when I was about to¡­..¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Never mind! We should head to the dining room.¡± Proposed the celestial.


    ¡°We will but first a bath is in order. I would rather not have anyone see me soaked in sweat like this.¡± The boy advised.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s arousing like this. Imagine what you will look like in a few years¡­¡± contemplated Ikarus. ¡°Oh my, that would be quite dangerous to me!¡±


    ¡®Stop joking! Let¡¯s just get out of bed! Do you want to take a bath first?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me? It would save us some time¡­.¡± grinned Ikarus.


    ¡°Great idea! I will do just that¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­.and maybe we will still have a few moments for some other activities¡­.Who knows?¡± Ikarus smiled mischievously. ¡°What you did just now¡­I don¡¯t hate that kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Please¡­we can continue it another time. For now, we are late so hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Fine! But don¡¯t think that I will let you off that easily. We will definitely continue it later. You can be sure of that.¡±


    * * *


    What an unusual sight! It was rare to see the whole crew of the top officials of the demon lord¡¯s castle joining together in a meal in the early morning. There were the four royal guards, the lich Noroeth, Kaiser the supposedly new leader of Ragna, the doll Stella who actually didn¡¯t need to eat at all but still decided to join, Alice the host of Lilith and finally the loving couple of the young demon lord and his beloved celestial.


    It was expected to a lively table brunch, especially after last night¡¯s party. However, instead of cheerful conversations and laughter, the room was haunted with an awkward silence as no one seemed to want to speak. Occasionally, they would look at the young couple before turning quickly their gaze away when Alastor noticed them. Unable to endure this annoying treatment, Alastor decided to be the first one to speak.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it! What¡¯s with everyone this morning?¡± he spoke in an annoyed tone.


    ¡°Nope¡­nothing!¡± everyone replied at the same time. But one of them who stayed silent decided to ask about something else.


    ¡°Are you and Ikarus fighting?¡± questioned Alice in a sad tone.


    ¡°What? No! I mean¡­how did you even come to that conclusion?¡± Alastor asked in confusion. ¡°Everything is perfect between us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, brother! I saw you hitting her this morning.¡± Alice yelled.


    ¡°This morning¡­..Don¡¯t tell me that you are talking about when you came into the room!!!¡± Alastor uttered.


    ¡°I am. You two were wrestling with each other and you held her hair while restraining her. I even heard her screaming in pain from outside. Why? Why are you two fighting??? Didn¡¯t you love each other?¡± Alice questioned.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s¡­¡± Alastor turned to the other people of the table. ¡°Is that why you were silent the whole time? You thought we are having some kind of dispute or something?¡±


    Representing everyone who seemed to be unable to talk, Maria spoke. ¡°Well, earlier Alice ran to us in tears, saying that she saw you two fighting. We wanted to do something about it but since it¡¯s something rather personal, we don¡¯t really know what to do.


    I mean, maybe Ikarus did something wrong or you did something wrong¡­I don¡¯t know what but surely there must be another alternative before resorting to domestic violence. You are still young and a serious relationship might seem to demand a lot of responsibilities but¡­.¡±


    ¡°Wait! I will stop you right there. Just to be clear, Ikarus and me are not arguing, disputing or even angry about anything with each other. This is all just a misunderstanding.¡± Alastor explained.


    ¡°Then why did Alice say that you were hurting Ikarus? She claimed that you definitely were hitting her when she saw you two together in your room earlier.¡± Asked Maria.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­.It¡¯s not fighting..it¡¯s¡­.¡± Alastor found himself unable to explain what truly transpired. Simple because it was too embarrassing to say it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, brother! I know what I saw!¡± affirmed Alice. ¡°He was hitting her butt with his wee wee!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± Alastor hit his own face, praying that what he just heard was only a dream. But no, it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°His wee wee? But that¡¯s¡­.¡± A thought manifested itself into everyone¡¯s mind, including Maria who just imagined the disturbing image inside her head. The mere thought of it made her blush brightly like a rose in its peak of bloom.


    ¡°I think I understand now. You two were having s¡­.¡± Naberius spoke.


    ¡°STOP! I don¡¯t need to hear it.¡± Amelia shouted.


    ¡°But that explained it.¡± The beastman said.


    ¡°Explain what?¡±


    ¡°The weird moaning everyone was hearing during the party last night. Remember that Mephisto? It was right after Ikarus went to bring Alastor but she never actually went back.¡± The beastman turned to the devil who was sighing in defeat, refusing to say any other word.


    ¡°What? So you mean¡­.¡± Shouted Alastor.


    ¡°I kind of expected that since the window was open the whole time.¡± Ikarus spoke.


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything? Or just close it?¡± Alastor inquired.


    ¡°You knew I was busy at the time.¡± Grinned Ikarus.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand!!!¡± Alice vexed.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­difficult to explain it to you, Alice¡­It¡¯s¡­.¡± Alastor stuttered.


    ¡°Alice, do you know how flowers grow by spreading pollen?¡± Naberius spoke.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Alice replied reluctantly. ¡°The pollen thing is like the seeds for the flower to grow right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. By in many cases, the flower cannot spread the pollen by itself and therefore it needs something else to do the delivering for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh you are talking about the bees right?¡± said Alice.


    ¡°Exactly! The bee takes the pollen and inserts it into other flowers so baby flowers can be born. And here is the thing: what Alastor did was something similar. He, as the bee, took the seeds and then put them inside Ikarus, who is the flower. That¡¯s how babies are born. And this is great news. That means in time you will have baby Alastor and baby Ikarus growing like sprouts everywhere.¡±


    ¡°OHHHHH! So that¡¯s why!¡± Turning to the frozen Alastor, Alice uttered innocently. ¡°I am sorry for causing trouble for you. I didn¡¯t know you were just trying to plant more babies.¡±


    ¡°No¡­it¡¯s fine¡­.It¡¯s my fault too for¡­..not paying attention to my surrounding.¡± Alastor glared at the other people inside the room who were laughing sneakily at the ridiculous explanation given by Naberius. Most of all, it was because they did not expect the couple to jump right into ¡®business¡¯ right after the war, especially considering Alastor¡¯s young age.  But who could blame them?


    * * *


    Demon lord¡¯s castle, Ragna


    After the first thought to be a silent breakfast that later turned out to be a comedy act, each of the crew went their way on their own business. Currently two of the oldest men of the house were now having a chat, recapitulating what happened and speculating on what might follow.


    ¡°So here we are. After ten years, sitting here in such a peaceful time seems almost unreal. Never would I have thought about a day like this the moment I met you all back then.¡± A skeleton in a black robe spoke.


    ¡°Yeah. Though you are a bit more¡­how do I say¡­bony! Get the joke? Hahahahaha!¡± Naberius laughed out loud.


    ¡°¡­..Hahahahahaha!¡± Noroeth soon followed.


    ¡°Oie oie! I didn¡¯t expect to see you laugh at yourself like that.¡±


    ¡°I am not laughing at your joke, mind you. I am laughing about what happened and how we end up like this. In a way, it¡¯s funny how fate works.¡± Said the lich.


    ¡°Fate has nothing to do with this. We seize our own destiny and it is through our own will that helped us getting where we are. But most of all, it¡¯s thanks to Alastor. He is the one who contributed the most, if it is not to say that he did the whole thing by himself.¡± The demonic beastman commented.


    ¡°True that! But I am happy that now he finally found his happiness after everything he has endured. After what happened¡­.¡± Noroeth spoke in a sad tone.


    ¡°It¡¯s true that we still didn¡¯t find who was responsible for the massacre a decade ago and I am afraid, at this rate we will never find out.


    Anyway, don¡¯t think about too sombre stuff! We must celebrate. I am sure Ikarus will bear a child in no time. And that means a new grandchild for me. Hehehehehe!¡± Naberius chuckled.


    ¡°What do you mean a new grandson for you? I am technically a father figure to his mother so it¡¯s my grand grandchild.¡± The lich retorted.


    ¡°Oh please! One look of you and that child will be terrified to death.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, you and your canine looks scary as hell. As if I will let that child in your hand.¡±


    ¡°Want a taste of me, old man?¡±


    ¡°Bring it on!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Can they be any louder?¡± Maria who was in the next room groaned.


    ¡°You will have to forgive them. They are simply too excited for the news of Alastor and Ikarus.¡± Grinned Mephisto.


    ¡°Of course I know that! It¡¯s just a bit annoying to hear two grown men, or rather two geezers fighting about their grandchild.¡± The woman spoke as she sipped her tea.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s nice.¡± Scarlet joined the conversation.


    ¡°What is nice about a wolf and a skeleton arguing about the possible result of the sex life between a young boy and his older woman?¡± Maria spoke sarcastically. ¡°¡­..What did I just say? I am already regretting for saying it.¡±


    ¡°Correct me if I am wrong but you used to have a crush on the same boy right?¡± Scarlet uttered.


    ¡°What? Is this true?¡± Mephisto spoke out loud like a father hearing about his daughter¡¯s love for the first time.


    ¡°Used to, mind you. But after I saw how he is with Ikarus, I know that I have no place there so I moved on.¡±


    ¡°You will find someone else someday.¡± Said Scarlet.


    ¡°Now just hold on for a second! She is too young for this kind of stuff!¡± the devil argued.


    ¡°YOUNG? I am already twenty five!!!¡± Maria yelled.


    ¡°Yes but Scarlet said that you stopped aging since five years ago right? Probably because of Lilith¡¯s blood. That makes you twenty and still a lot of time to think about this stuff. Or simply forget about it.¡± Mephisto spoke.


    ¡°Twenty is still old!!! Look at Alastor!¡±


    ¡°Alastor is an exception! In any case, it¡¯s too soon!¡±.


    ¡°Now you are sounding just like one of those overprotective fathers. I am not your daughter you know.¡± Maria said.


    ¡°Stop you two!¡± Scarlet shouted. ¡°Now you are really like the old men in the next room!¡±


    Then a voice echoed from the room next to them. ¡°Hey, we heard that!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t eavesdrop on our conversation!¡± Maria roared.


    ¡°Then I would appreciate if you do it the same.¡±


    And the argument suddenly turned into a squabble between the two rooms, a competition where the winner was the one who would should louder.


    ¡­..


    Meanwhile inside the secret chamber where Asgore and Lakyus were buried, along with the hero Izago, a small figure was standing in front of a recently added grave. Once a member of the heroes¡¯ party, this person was thought to be the one responsible for the criminal organization Sanctus but in the end, it was found out that he was only manipulated, possessed by an evil entity whom nothing was known about. Alas, people thought it would be natural for him to be buried here, along with his friends. But what many did not know was that the beast hero had another friend who was still living and well, one that none would expect.


    ¡°I come to visit again. It has become some kind of daily ritual for me, I guess. Hope you don¡¯t mind it, do you Arshe?¡± the slime talked to the grave.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Visiting him again, Azureus?¡± a voice echoed in the chamber as a little girl walked in.


    ¡°Lilith¡­¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.¡°You were too attached to him. I am not saying it¡¯s a bad thing but I did hope you were prepared for this. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time someone leaves you.¡± The Goddess said.


    ¡°I know¡­It¡¯s just¡­¡± the slime stuttered. ¡° *sigh* is this our fate? To be doomed to loneliness till the end of time?¡±


    ¡°¡­Perhaps¡­.I don¡¯t know the answer myself¡­¡±


    ¡°How does it feel like to be a God, Lilith?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult to describe. Sometimes you get the feeling of being capable of doing anything. Nothing could stop you on your way. But¡­.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.?¡± Inquired Azureus.


    ¡°There are entities out there in the cosmos that could obliterate our world in the blink of an eye. As one of the creators of this world, I tried to avoid them as much as I could. But in the end, it was just me trying to keep my power and position in this world. That did not last for long. One look at Alastor and you can see how far he has surpassed us. And he is not the only one. Both Asgore and Lakyus seemed to be on a whole different league of their own.


    These people popping out of nowhere make me question whether the age of the Gods is over.¡± Lilith asserted. ¡°You know I started the whole demon race just to serve as my host and for me to take revenge on Eden. What I did to you was simply out of a moment of outburst. Do you resent me for that?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Azureus replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me you know. Curse me all you want! It¡¯s because of me that you had to endure all these losses¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t make me a demon, I would have never to been able to meet people like Arshe. They might only comfort for a short instant of my immortal life but to me, those short moments are what I live for. Besides, we are friends right?¡±


    ¡°¡­.You silly slime!¡±


    * * *


    Caelum, the Holy City


    In front of the altar of the Grand Cathedrae of Caelum, a man in white clothing was praying genuinely from the bottom of his heart for the world and everyone living in it, not just his people. As the new pope of the Church which was once filled with corruption, the man was determined to correct the mistakes of his predecessors and to restore the lost true purpose of the Church: to be a beacon in time of darkness for those who needed it, to bring salvation and forgiveness and to offer sanctuary for those who realized their mistakes. He knew that his noble purposes would not be easy and many challenges were waiting for him ahead. But he did not fear. For he truly believed to be guided by God himself through the field of misery onto the righteous path.


    ¡°Father Maximillian, it¡¯s late already. You should rest for the upcoming peace talk with the other leaders.¡± A nun uttered from behind the man, interrupting his praying moment. Normally it would be considered blasphemy to do such impious thing like this. But the woman only did out of concern for his health. And her worries were justified. After all, Maxime was not someone who could be proud of his physical. To be frank, he was rather frail, perhaps a cost for his immense healing power capability. In addition, he has stayed in the same spot since early morning and has not even moved an inch, constantly uttering words of salvation and devotions of his faith.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Adelle! I will finish shortly. You may go if you want.¡± Said Maxime.


    ¡°I am afraid I cannot leave your side, Father! Just a few days ago, we have already spotted some intruders coming through the Gate. It was by pure luck that we stumbled across them during the patrol. However, they escaped before we could catch them. Their intentions are still a mystery to us but that¡¯s precisely why I am here: to make sure that nothing will happen to you, Holy Father!¡± replied the nun.


    ¡°I remember you said that you are one of the Vicars, right? Is that why you have been following all days? I would appreciate if you notify of such thing.¡± Maxime asked. While he was the pope, a symbol of goodness and purity, Maxime knew that not everything in this world could be classified as black and white so easily. That explained the creation of a hidden group not known to many even inside the Church called the Black Sect, specialized in dealing matters that the Church could not normally handle in a public way. Consisted of a gathering of faithful warriors called vicars, they served as the sword that punished the enemies of the Church. In time of need, they were also secret bodyguards of the pope, times like these.


    ¡°My apologies, Father! But dealing with intruders and eliminating all threats to your Holiness is our sacred duty since the dawn of our faith. However, these matters are often about undesirable issues that may taint your Holiness. That¡¯s why we decide to keep it from you.¡±


    ¡°And still you decide to tell me that easily? I thought you are supposed to keep it hidden from me.¡±


    ¡°Saying it like we wanted to keep it a secret would be an offense to you since we serve you faithfully. It¡¯s more like we chose to not speak of it. Just now, I only answered because you asked me about it. Else, it¡¯s not my obligation to tell you, Father. Please forgive me for my rudeness!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Though please refrain from talking about killing in the house of Gods! It has no place here.¡± Maxime commented. ¡°Anyway, since you are a Vicar, are you aware of what I asked from the Black Sect a few days ago?¡±


    ¡°Are you talking about the issue of one of our members? If that¡¯s the case, I am aware of it.¡± Answered Adelle.


    ¡°¡­.Did you find anything?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the fact that she was indeed one of us sent by pope Gauwyn to spy on the heroes¡¯ party eleven years ago, we have no knowledge of her current whereabouts as any contact with her was lost after the death of demon lord Asgore. I would advise to talk with the demon royal guards as they must have some knowledges about what exactly transpired and the fate of those who survived.¡±


    ¡°....This is only for my personal affair so I would rather not bother anyone with this until the situation is stable. I have already waited for a decade. What¡¯s hard to wait for a few more days?¡± Maxime spoke to himself.


    ¡°Your Holiness?¡± the nun inquired when seeing the faint smile on his face, not out of happiness but more like sorrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Sister! If you don¡¯t mind, would you leave me by myself for a few more minutes? I would like to offer one final prayer.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Father! I will be right outside.¡± The nun skilfully vanished in an instant, leaving the pope all alone in this sanctuary.


    As their conversation has suggested, Maxime has recently brought a request to the Vicars, inquiring about one particular member of the Black Sect who has disappeared after the incident more than ten years ago. At the time, that woman he was looking for was one of the best agents of pope Gauwyn sent to accompany the heroes on their quest to vanquish the demon lord in Ragna. But of course it was only a pretence to keep an eye on the situation used by the Church. However, what Gauwyn failed to notice what that the agent he sent ended up being too attached to the heroes and even the demons of Ragna. That woman later was one of the only survivors of the massacre of the demon lord¡¯s castle, though many assumed she was among the victims.


    But the better question here was perhaps: why was Maxime looking for her? What could a man of virtue like him have anything to do with an assassin of the Church? One could assume a few possibilities. Yet, only by looking at his expression as he kneeled down on the floor and prayed for the safety of this woman could tell the whole story. His solemn chant filled with longing to see her again indicated the profound love a young man once had for her. It was due to her that he became a priest. Though their paths were different, separating them for a time. However, just as all members of the Church were allowed to love and marry another, for love was the ultimate message from God to all of us. And so he prayed, each and every day, that perhaps one day he would find her again, to rekindle the feelings they had for each other.


    Yet, fate was cruel. Unknowingly to him, the woman has died a long time ago, leaving this man to continue hoping for something impossible. Would it be better for him to know the harsh truth? Or would it be mercy to let him stay in ignorance? For him to cling onto that hope that one day he would reunite with her? There was no right answer. In the end, nothing would change.


    ¡°I pray for thy safety. Let us hope that our day of reunion will come soon, Morgan!¡±


    * * *


    Whispering Forest


    In order to prepare for the upcoming peace talk, Viviana has decided to return to the Whispering Forest to join up with the Beast King to discuss about the subject. With Father Maxime now longer being able to accompany her anymore because of his new position, the young man Lucas has volunteered in joining his comrade on her journey back.


    But unfortunately for young Lucas, because of negligence, he has somehow let his horse getting away and Viviana was forced to share her horse with him. Refusing to let him take the strap in fear they would lose their last ride, Viviana insisted being on the driving seat while Lucas to hold onto to her from behind. That was what she thought was the best until when they actually did it and it felt simply too awkward for her with Lucas sitting so close to her.


    ¡°Can you stay away from me a little bit?¡± Viviana groaned. ¡°And stop putting your hands on my waist!¡±


    ¡°Well sorry but I can¡¯t help it. Else I would fall!¡± Lucas tightened his grip. ¡°By the way, did you change your shampoo or something?¡± His nose was tingling upon detecting the odd yet alluring aroma he smelt.


    ¡°No? Why do you ask such thing? I was so preoccupied with packing my stuff I actually forgot to take my shampoo back with me so that¡¯s why I had to drop by the village from earlier to buy one. But it doesn¡¯t have a smell though¡­.¡±


    ¡°Oh so this is your natural smell? Not bad!¡±


    ¡°The hell are you saying? *SLAP* ¡° the cat girl turned around and slapped the young man, making him fall on his horse onto a puddle.


    ¡°Ouch, what¡¯s that for?¡±  he shouted.


    ¡°Pervert! Starting from now, you are to stay at least ten feet away from me.¡±


    ¡°Then how am I supposed to be on the horse?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t! WALK!¡±


    ¡°Oh come on!¡±


    ¡­..


    Twenty minutes later


    ¡°Vivianaaaaaa! Let me on the horse please!¡± groaned Lucas.


    ¡°Never! As if I would let a pervert like you riding the same horse as me.¡± The cat girl yelled back. At this rate, Lucas really seemed to have to walk all the way to the main camp.


    ¡°¡­.Hey, what do you think of all this?¡± the boy decided to change the subject in hope of change her mind.


    ¡°Of what?¡± the girl spoke coldly.


    ¡°You know¡­demons and such.¡±


    ¡°¡­.It doesn¡¯t matter what I think. The people want peace and I will respect their choice.¡± Viviana said in a serious tone. ¡°We can¡¯t be stuck in hate forever. Someday we would have to move on. Both sides have hurt each other long enough already.¡±


    ¡°So I am supposed to forgive the demon responsible for the death of my father? For those who died that night?¡± Lucas said sarcastically.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. I have no right to make you believe in something you don¡¯t or to tell you what is right or wrong. Because clearly there is no correct answer. But as your friend, I would like to think that you won¡¯t be consumed by your own hatred, Lucas¡± Viviana looked at Lucas with sad eyes.


    ¡°¡­..*sigh* you take things too seriously¡­.I was just trying to change the subject and here you are, talking like that. How am I supposed to retort back?¡± Lucas uttered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t. Now hurry up! We must get back at the camp before the sun goes down.¡± Shouted the cat girl.


    ¡°How do you expect me to make it in time in my current state? It¡¯s easy to for you to say that since you are on the horse.¡±


    ¡°¡­Get on!¡± Viviana muttered quietly.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Get on I say! Before I change my mind.¡± The cat girl shouted.


    ¡°Hurray!¡± Quickly climbing the horse, he foolishly grabbed the girl¡¯s waist again. Yet this time, she did not push him off like earlier.


    ¡°I am going to increase our speed so hold on! KYA!¡± she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare touch anywhere weird or I will push you down again and this time you will definitely walk!¡±


    ¡°Fine fine!¡± he said before muttering quietly. ¡°It¡¯s not like your chest has anything to grab on anyway¡­Though maybe the butt¡­.¡±


    *SLAP*


    * * *


    Abyss


    Two demon lords, the only existences allowed to reside within this realm of Dark by the Soul Forger, have just met up with each other just to talk out of boredom. They didn¡¯t know each other that much and mostly was even aware of the other through Alastor. However, both shared something, much to their difference compared to the others of their peers.


    ¡°How have you been these day?¡± asked Sullivan to the big stature demon lord next to him.


    ¡°Still the same as always.¡± Replied Belphegor while lying on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s not like anything is going to change in this place. Suit my lifestyle perfectly.¡±


    ¡°You are too lazy for your own good. Not that I don¡¯t understand your reason. After staying in this place for centuries, you started getting used to the boredom.¡± The dwarf demon lord conveyed.


    ¡°Sullivan, tell me something if you don¡¯t mind! I heard that you let that girl Cynthia, who is our only link to Astora aside from Alastor, go without doing anything to her. Why is that? I mean if you are bored of giving power to her, you could have given that right to someone else. Lucifer for example would love to. Else why not just kill her?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Is killing the only answer? Is that what we, demon lords wielding the greatest power, are all about? After living this long, if we can call this living anyway, it made me wonder what we truly are. What is our purpose in this world? Aside from wreaking havoc upon the world?


    Look at Alastor! What he accomplished with that power of his! We all once wielded the same power and how did the world remember us? Bringer of death, agent of destruction¡­that¡¯s how everyone remembers us as.


    Why not doing something else for a change? That¡¯s what I thought when I decided to free Cynthia. Besides, after knowing her story, the life she led until now, I just couldn¡¯t¡­Can¡¯t even be a proper demon lord¡­What a loser I am!¡±


    ¡°¡­Wow..I never thought I would hear something like that coming from a demon lord.¡± Uttered Belphegor in awe, raising his head a bit upon hearing the outrageous claim of his comrade. ¡°You are actually kind of amazing.¡±


    ¡°Hehehe! You flatter me!¡±


    ¡°But watch what you say around others! You know what you just said does not align with what the others said. Especially now!¡±


    ¡°I know¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you do when the time comes?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You?¡±


    ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know myself.¡±


    * * *


    Cedra, Capital of Ceadric


    ¡°Young master, you are home!¡± a maid jumped at the young boy who just returned to his home after the war. Ever since he was away, this young woman has been worrying sick for him, praying at every moment for his safe return. And now, her wish has been granted.


    Being snuggled by those two melons almost to the brink of asphyxiation, he pushed her out lightly in a gentle way just so he could take a breath after that heavenly feeling.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± Apologized Tasha.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am back, Tasha.¡± Smiled Edward.


    ¡°Welcome back, young master!¡± she bended her head slightly.


    ¡°Where are my parents? Are you all by yourself at the mansion?¡± said Edward as he noticed the lack of light and the absence of everyone else even though he has just come home.


    ¡°Everyone has been invited to the palace and the other servants have accompanied the lord and the lady to the party. At first, they didn¡¯t want to go since they knew that you will be coming back tonight but it would be bad to refuse a royal invitation so¡­..¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s fine. I guess it¡¯s just us two tonight then.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± grinned Tasha before hugging the boy again. ¡°I am so glad you are safe.¡±


    ¡°¡­Me too, Tasha¡­Me too.¡± Uttered Edward in a distant voice.


    ¡°You too? Did something happen? Were you hurt after all?¡± Tasha said loudly as she searched for injuries or any abnormal sign on the boy¡¯s body.


    ¡°I am fine, Tasha. It¡¯s you I am worried about.¡± Said Edward. While indeed his life has been put on the lines a few times, his mind was still preoccupied by the thoughts of Tasha at home. What if she suddenly remembered what happened when he was not by her side? Surely, she would go crazy or even¡­.That shadow told him that it erased her memories but just how much could he trust it? The Death Spectrum was indeed a wonderful gift. Yet even when the war was over, Edward could not shake off the dreadful feeling that stuck inside his mind. Furthermore, there was something else that worried him. The clock brand has not moved an inch since his return from the Swamp. For some reasons, it still showed the eleventh hour with most of its surface blackened. The danger was not over yet, or rather has not even come to be.

 Chapter 104: Prelude of the End

    Author''s note: Let the Game begin!


    #####################################################################################################


    The first few days after the war ended pretty quickly with no particular events worth mentioning. The demons in Ragna were busy to prepare for the reception of the many leaders of Astora while other countries were still stuck in a transition period to accommodate themselves with the new world, especially with the idea of a new race now able to join the primes as part of the recognized living beings of this world. Willing or not, they would have to accept it if they did not want to be erased from the courses of history. It would take time for the process to be imprinted in the mind of the people but the results so far were quite plausible.


    And yet, there were still those who did not accept this result of a peace treaty between all races and now they were on the move to make sure that the peace talk would not go as planned.


    However, their story was destined for later as a certain event took place the night two days before the peace talk. An event that no one was even aware about, not even when it concerned the one person that many was looking for, the person who was responsible for the tragedy a decade ago.


    While everyone in the castle was preoccupying themselves in order to finish the preparation in time, no one had time to pay attention to the lonely celestial who spent her whole day locked up in her chamber, for her own safety according to them. Because of her handicaps being both blind and deaf, she was unable to communicate normally and therefore had a lot of trouble to talk with anyone, not to mention her damaged mind which was that of a child. But there was no need to feel pity for her. For recently, she has gained a new friend who would come and see her every now and then. Thanks to his special nature, not even Alastor could detect his presence unless they were in the same room or very close to each other. Still, the Lord of Oblivion was lucky for Alastor has been busy with his ¡®nightly adventure¡¯ so he has paid no heed to some fluctuations of mana around him. And that was a big negligence on Alastor¡¯s part, a mistake he might have wished he has done differently.


    With no one around, Sinforma decided to bring Ingrid out of her cage for once, not just because he wanted her to have some fresh air after being copped up in that room for days but also because he had something in mind. After a long research, the leader of the Reapers believed he has finally found a way to cure Ingrid or at least reconstruct the lost memories of the celestial. But could it really be done? For a task that even the creator of the soul itself claimed to be impossible, would Sinforma be able to accomplish such unfeasible thing?


    After bringing the impaired woman to a lake far from the castle, hidden by the tall trees surrounding it, Sinforma placed Ingrid against a tree as he asked for her permission.


    ¡°May I?¡± he inquired. It was a bit odd for someone like Sinforma to care about someone.


    If it was anybody else, he would not have hesitated for even a second to claim what he desired. Yet this youngest child of Alastor somehow was very patient with the broken hero. Up until recently, the only person the phantom would care for was his own sister Odium. In a way, his relationship with her, from his side of view was rather abnormal, to the borders of obsession. What he really felt about her, admiration, adoration, idolisation or even love, no one would ever know. The only thing that mattered was how he felt when Odium died. On that fateful day, he came too late, unable to help his beloved sister when she needed him the most. Alas, he set out a new goal for himself that day, a goal that would later bring on a new age.


    ¡°Will this hurt?¡± asked Ingrid reluctantly.


    ¡°No! I promise that you won¡¯t even feel a thing. You trust me, right?¡± spoke Sinforma in an inhuman voice but with a gentle caring tone.


    ¡°I do¡­Alright!¡± she exhaled deeply. ¡°I am ready!¡±


    ¡°Here I go!¡±


    Reaching his hand inside her chest, Sinforma grabbed her soul into his hand before pulling out a blue flame of her body. Unlike an intact soul, this flame was so tiny and seemed to dwindle as if it would go out any moment now. As the life began to drift away from the celestial, Sinforma used his other hand and froze her body in an unique ice that would put her in stasis, keeping her alive until he finished the ritual.


    The reason the soul could not heal was because it was not nurtured in a proper environment that would allow it to heal. So what or where it would? If we talked about the soul, the most infamous place linked to it would be the Abyss itself. One look at the demon lords already showed how well the souls were preserved even after millennia without any sign of deterioration. Could it be that the Abyss possessed a special propriety that could allow such thing? And more importantly, what about damaged soul? Aside from storing it, could it help in the reparation of the soul too? The only way to find out was to test it.


    But surely there was no way Sinforma could just bring Ingrid to the Abyss. Not only he could not, Ingrid would die there because of the thick miasma. The dark mist destroyed all signs of life, meaning all life essences and vessels, the two elements linking to Eden and Lilith. In short, miasma was bad for all living beings and being in its proximity would kill anything. However, what about the soul? The special quality of the Abyss was that it contained, or rather filled with miasma. Could it be that the reason for its unique capacity for storing souls actually came from that black mist? If so, that would explain why the Soul Forger Magnus chose that place as his hideout. It would be the perfect place for a God that controlled souls.


    All that was only speculations and outrageous ones at that. However, that was the only way Sinforma could think of and he was prepared to do it. But would he risk Ingrid¡¯s life just for his own goal? Even though he cared so much about her? What was his goal anyway? And why was it so important to him?


    Holding a blue flame in his hand, the lord of Oblivion released a thick layer of dark smoke below him and plunged the soul in the middle of it. Within seconds, the flame enlarged and restored its once glorious form: a large lively flame.


    ¡°So it works! Time to read her memory!......


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE! So that¡¯s the killer??? But why?¡±


    Suddenly, Sinforma sensed a presence far from him and dodged to the side. Normally, with such a special body, he would have no need to evade any attack. However, what almost struck him was special as well and he was right to dodge it. Else Sinforma would have been pierced to death by now.


    Looking at the ground next to him where he used to stand just second earlier, a blue translucent spear was impaling the ground before turning into dust without a trace.


    ¡°Who is there? Show yourself!¡± shouted Sinforma.


    From the shadowy dense vegetation, a pair of blue crystal eyes flashed in the middle of the darkness, staring straight at the dark body of Sinforma as if it was peering at his very core, revealing all his secrets.


    ¡°So you are able to restore that broken wench¡¯s memories¡­I assumed you were just playing house with her but who would have thought that you actually did it¡­I guess it¡¯s my mistake for allowing her to live till this day after all.¡± a female voice spoke from the shadow. ¡°But what are you exactly? Even I have only noticed your presence until recently while you seemed to have been around this place for a bit longer. What is your goal?¡± The tone was so gentle, unlike the actual contents of what was being said. That emotionless voice simply sounded too distant, reflecting the mind of the perpetrator.


    ¡°¡­I know this presence¡­.But¡­Why do you also share that same presence? ¡­¡­I see now¡­so that¡¯s how you avoided all the attention after all these years. That¡¯s how no one ever found out who the killer was.


    It was you! You were the one responsible for what happened at the demon lord¡¯s castle ten years ago.¡± Sinforma shouted menacingly.


    ¡°So you know who I am? Good! There is no need to play games anymore then. But first, why are you so interested in that affair? You and your shadows should have just continued reaping souls instead of poking your nose in matters that don¡¯t concern you.¡± The female voice echoed through the wind, accompanied by a volley of translucent projectiles consisting of multiple types of weapons, ranging from spear to swords of many different forms, all coming straight at Sinforma. ¡°I am afraid I cannot let you wander around any longer. Die!¡±


    ¡°<Veil of Dark>¡± the child of Alastor raised a large wall of miasma around him to protect himself from the projectiles. He could have dodged with his incredible speed but the problem was what lied beyond him: the frozen body of Ingrid still remained motionless, with her in a slumbering state, unaware of what was happening outside the thick layer of ice.


    That attack was deliberated on the stranger¡¯s part to target the defenceless celestial, making Sinforma unable to just run away even if he had the chance. But could he? Whoever this interloper was, this was the person who managed to kill both Asgore and Lakyus despite them being the strongest at their time. Sinforma could not afford to make a single mistake if he wished to remain alive from the assault.


    In addition to the relentless onslaught, these weapons being thrown were all soul weapons, meaning they could pierce through all types of defence and even fatal to a Reaper. That was right: soul magic was the only thing that could hurt a Reaper and from extension, Sinforma who was their creator. This meant that not only could he not let himself be hurt from those projectiles, he must defend Ingrid all while being unable to run away just like that. In short, the phantom was in quite a predicament.


    With each impact coming at the barrier, a crack appeared on its surface and expanded further until the whole thing shattered like glass.


    ¡°Well done! It¡¯s impressive how you survived my first attack. But what about this? <Soul Beam>¡± the female voice declared.


    An insurmountable surge of mana manifested itself from the stranger and a blue ray of light fired itself in a straight line, sending all its might again the Lord of Oblivion. Everything on its path was obliterated to nothingness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me!¡± Sinforma shouted while standing still on the path of the beam. Holding his ground, the shadow took on the beam with his hands, stopping it from touching the block of ice behind him. ¡°Arghh¡­.¡± The energy quantity of energy was being contained in the hands of the phantom as he condensed it back to the form of an orb. ¡°Take this back!¡±


    From his hands, Sinforma fired the <Soul Beam> back at the figure hiding in the dense vegetation, forcing them to jump out of the way to avoid it. From the smoke left behind, a silhouette jumped out, wearing a brown cloak and hood and even gloves that covered their entire body in order to hide their identity.


    As the person in question landed on the ground and revealing themselves under the moonlight, they looked back at Sinforma, again with those blue eyes but this time with a hint of annoyance. ¡°You are starting to become a thorn in my eyes¡­¡±


    ¡°Then let me snuff out whatever life that remains in you!¡± Sinforma shouted as he passed to the offensive side. ¡°Phantoms of the old, answer my call! Destroy my enemies! <Call of the Banshee>¡±


    Dozens of white ghost sprites manifested themselves around Sinforma before lunging themselves at the figure. Each of them shrieked a horrifying scream, a testament of their sufferings when they were still alive.


    ¡°Insects!¡± the figure pulled out a blue luminescent sword and destroyed all the souls coming at them in a single slash. ¡°My turn!¡± Dashing in light speed toward Sinforma, the figure plunged its sword into the shadow, piercing him. ¡°Now, have a taste of what true death feels like!¡±


    A strike from a soul weapon would be fatal to anything. This was especially true and the perfect tool when confronting a being like Sinforma.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* No¡­you are the one who will die!¡± Sinforma proclaimed as he extended his arms and grabbed the figure closely to his body. ¡°<Embrace of Dark>¡±


    From his shadowy shape, Sinforma released a dark smoke that engulfed the entire surrounding in an instant. Miasma was toxic to all living beings, no matter how strong they were. And yet, the figure seemed to be doing perfectly fine, even mocking Sinforma.


    ¡°Is this thing supposed to hurt me? Because so far, it has not done its job properly if it is the case.¡± Spoke the figure.


    ¡°How? Why is miasma not affecting you?¡± uttered Sinforma in pain because of the sword impaling him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You will have plenty of time to find out in the after world. Though I doubt it is the case since there won¡¯t be a single trace left of your soul after I am done with you.¡± The hooded individual plunged the sword deeper. ¡°And after that, it will be her turn too. It¡¯s natural for me to finish what I started right?¡± the female voice spoke coldly.


    Blue fissures appeared on the phantom¡¯s shadowy body as they began to spread from the wound caused by the sword. As expected, Sinforma¡¯s plan to kill the stranger has failed and now he had to pay the price for that failure, one that would cost him dearly.


    ¡°Arghhhh¡­No¡­this¡­can¡¯t¡­¡± uttered the Lord of Oblivion with the cracks reaching all his body.


    ¡°Goodbye!¡±


    Bright light shined from Sinforma¡¯s body before he exploded into rays of light as nothing of him was left at the scene. The Lord of Oblivion has been reduced to dust.


    ¡°An interesting encounter! But in the end, they all died¡­¡± The figure turned to the block of ice containing a sleeping Ingrid. ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn! Because of the damned old man, I couldn¡¯t finish you before. That old man died in the end. So did your protector just now. What a sinful little creature you are, Ingrid, just like everyone else! But fear not since I will let you join them soon!¡± Raising the sword high, the figure slashed down at the celestial.


    ¡­..


    ¡®I told you, not to underestimate me!¡¯ a voice rang inside the figure¡¯s mind.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°<March of the fallen>¡±


    A black portal appeared and from it, a coffin rose from the shadows. It was not the coffin Sinforma would usually have on himself but a smaller obsidian one made from a special material that looked like iron but it was actually not. A locking mechanism that shared the similar appearance as a clock was embedded at the front before the needles starting to turn in a counter clockwise direction.


    No matter how much the figure tried to look for the source of the voice, she could not find it anywhere. Unknown to her, her attack earlier has only managed to destroy the corporeal body Sinforma lived in but not his true form. Simply because he had no form at all to destroy in the first place. What seemed to be a handicap at his birth, a lack of being to interact with the physical world turned out to be what saved him from impending death. Or was it his plan from the very beginning?


    Suddenly, just when the needles finished a full turn, the door of the coffin opened, letting out a familiar individual walking out. With his blond hair, the man showed his six wings spreading widely in front of Ingrid as if protecting her. One odd thing was that he was missing a hand, a result of his encounter with a certain young demon lord.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are but you will not touch her!¡± said the man.


    ¡°!!! You are ¡­Mikael! But you are dead. How?¡± the figure uttered her surprise and her concern was justified. How was it possible that one of the dead heralds who lost his life during Merkabah¡¯s assault could be standing in front of her now? Necromancy? If that was the case then this must be the highest form of necromancy since she has never seen such an undead capable of retaining their full consciousness just like this celestial.


    Keeping his sight on the mysterious figure who was still a bit shocked from his sudden appearance, Mikael whispered closely to an invisible entity by his side. ¡°Bring her out of here! I will buy you some time!¡±


    ¡°¡­My apologies for this blunder on my part! Be careful! This person is capable of destroying souls¡­And if your soul is destroyed, I cannot revive you like last time¡­.You won¡¯t be able to see yours sister again.¡± Said the disembodied voice of Sinforma.


    ¡°That is fine. I am already dead. It¡¯s against nature for me to even speak with my sister again¡­But I thank you for giving me that chance. I have no regret now!¡± said Mikael.


    ¡°You are prepared to die for your sister¡­.again!¡±


    ¡°She is everything to me. And I failed to protect her¡­not this time! God has granted me a second chance to do it now and I shall embrace it. I don¡¯t expect you to understand but¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­I do. I know what it feels it too well¡­.¡± Sinforma spoke in a sad tone. His thoughts about Odium were rekindled by the brave act of Mikael.


    ¡°Now GO!¡± shouted Mikael.


    Dark smoke appeared from nowhere and engulfed the block of ice together with the formless one.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mikael!¡± Finishing his sentence, Sinforma vanished with Ingrid, leaving the undead celestial with the figure who was trying to get to them in time.


    ¡°NO!¡± the figure shouted as they lunged at Ingrid but was parried by Mikael¡¯ sword.


    ¡°You shall not pass me! Not that easily!¡± the herald declared.


    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± in a single slash, the woman cut off the last arm of the undead. It was too late. The couple was already gone.


    But even without his weapon and armless, Mikael did not flinch back even a bit. Charging blindly at the figure who was clearly in an emotional state of bewilderment, Mikael did a body blow on the stranger, knocking her down to the ground.


    ¡°What you did to my sister, I will make you pay for that!¡± Mikael roared as his body illuminated itself.


    ¡°What? You intend to¡­?¡± said the figure after realizing the intention of her foe.


    ¡°You will die with me, right her right now! You have spread too much blood and tragedies for the world already. It¡¯s time for your punishment!¡±


    But before Mikael could commit his suicide attack, a sword has appeared from his figure¡¯s hand and pierced through his heart.


    ¡°DIE!¡± the figure raged.


    ¡°ARGGGHHH!¡± blue light shined from the sword before the soul and body of the undead turned to dust.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°¡­..¡± Clenching her fist in anger for the first time after so many years, the figure felt a rising urge to kill everything around her. Her failing to eliminate the witness as well as their protector was an excruciating blow to both her plan and pride. This could not be tolerated, not after all those preparations. ¡°I need to accelerate the plan. It must be done now or never!¡± the figure uttered before vanishing from the site.


    But that was not the end of this fateful night. The gears of fate have started to turn and no one would be able to stop it. The main event of this night had yet begun.


    * * *


    Castle of Galahad, Old Kingdom of Malatas


    ¡°Where is our lord?¡± a Reaper asked the others who have already been waiting for their master¡¯s return.


    ¡°He has not returned yet. Last time we heard he was going to interrogate that celestial in¡­.¡±


    Suddenly, a portal appeared and a large dark shadow with two bright crimson eyes, the only thing visible on his body while holding a one-winged celestial wearing white cloth in his arms in a princess carrying position.


    ¡°Milord, you have returned! ¡­. Are you injured?¡± the Reapers uttered upon seeing the collapse of the Lord of Oblivion as he kneeled to the ground, all while keeping Ingrid firmly in his hands.


    ¡°I..am fine¡­*heavy breathing* But more importantly, take this soul and put it back in her!¡± Sinforma gave the bright flame in his hand to one of the Reapers.


    ¡°But won¡¯t she die if we revive her in the middle of miasma?¡± asked a retainer.


    ¡°No. Not at this level of miasma. I have fused a small quantity of miasma in her soul so she should be able to tolerate the level of this place when she wakes up.¡± Sinforma explained. ¡°Just do it now!¡±


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± said the Reaper as he crouched down and began putting the soul back where it came from.


    ¡°I¡­.need to rest¡­That woman was too strong¡­Recall all the Reapers back to the castle! We must find a way to deal with her before things get worse.¡± The phantom said. ¡°How many are still out there?¡±


    ¡°Aside from us, there are still five others currently in Eiseinheim, your Reverence!¡±


    ¡°Five? At the same place? I don¡¯t remember giving such order.¡± Claimed Sinforma.


    ¡°No, milord! They did it on their own will.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± shouted the Lord.


    ¡°Because¡­..¡±


    * * *


    Somewhere in Ragna, a couple of devils were talking to their servants through a crystal ball as they gave their final instructions about the plan.


    ¡°That¡¯s about it. Remember that I don¡¯t allow failure! This is your final chance to redeem yourselves after the humiliation brought to me by your comrades!¡± Diablo spoke in a menacing voice.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the voice echoed from the crystal orb.


    ¡°According to my intelligence, there will be not many guards as most of them are already dispatched elsewhere. You cannot miss this opportunity.¡± The devil woman Milim spoke.


    ¡°Of course, madam! We promise that at the end of this day, Morrigan will die!¡±


    * * *


    Eiseinheim, Capital of Valhalla


    The High Empress of Valhalla was currently sitting in her chamber by her desk with only a candle on the table, finishing all the leftover paperwork that needed to be done by today. For someone at her position who ruled upon the biggest kingdom of the world and probably in history itself, there was no time to rest. But she took on this job willingly and happily. For it would grant Astora a new future. And most of all, it would give her dear son the peace he deserved. The boy has suffered too much already. As a mother, or at least through her own point of view, it was something natural to do. If she could somehow relieve him of his burdens, even a tiny bit, that would please her greatly. For what kind of mother would not want to give her child the best of everything?


    Suddenly, Morrigan could feel an odd sensation inside her. Her instinct as an experienced warrior was telling her that something was odd. Dropping her plume pen in the table, the Empress took on her scabbard resting on the table and pulled out her sword.


    ¡°<Soul Sense>¡± Instantly, she could sense the presence of multiple hostiles coming her way. These assassins were able to pick out the moment when her security has been lowered the most and decided to target her at that moment.


    ¡°¡­.Intruders¡­.five¡­.ten of them¡­.¡± She muttered.


    All of a sudden, men in cloak rushed into the room and charged at her with their weapons. Being by herself without any possibility to call for help, Morrigan decided to take her final stand in this place. Wielding her sword skilfully, she took on the horde of assassins coming at her.


    ¡°<Righteous Glory>¡± Five blue shields appeared around Morrigan and started to rotate around her at amazing speed, pushing the assassins back. If one dared to jump over them, the shields would simply move in front of them and stopped the attackers from getting anywhere close to her.


    ¡°Kill her!¡± shouted one of the assassins as he threw a dagger at the woman through the small gaps between the shields, only to be caught by Morrigan before she threw it back right at his head.


    But while it might seem that Morrigan had the upper hands, the assassins had the numbers and their skills were not bad at all. As Morrigan managed her attackers in hope that the guards would notice the loud noise coming from her chamber and would send help in time, the Empress slipped up because of as an assassin coming from behind and paid dearly with a sword from one of the intruders perforating her arm before another slash making a cut in one of her legs.


    ¡°Aaaaaa!¡± Morrigan panted, falling down on her knees. Blood began to spill on the floor, soaking her azure cloth with a deep crimson dye.


    ¡°Finish her!¡± ordered the chief of the assassins.


    ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­ha¡­*panting sound*  you won¡¯t stop me¡­¡± uttered Morrigan in pain.


    ¡°Give it up now and we will give you a quick death!¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­.That won¡¯t do¡­I still have to be a home he can return to¡­I can¡¯t die today. He needs me¡­¡±


    ¡°Just kill her quick already! The guards can be here any moment now!¡± said an assassin.


    ¡°You are right! Rest in peace, Empress Morrigan!¡± the chief assassin charged forward.


    ¡°Hehehe! Got you now!¡± grinned Morrigan. ¡°<Sanctuary>¡± The floor began to shine as swords of light came out of the floor and destroyed the whole group of assassins all while creating a protective barrier around Morrigan.


    With all the assassins jumping around, it would be difficult for even an experienced fighter like Morrigan to take them all on. However, if she could somehow get them to stop and just gather around her without doing any of those dodging techniques, it would be a whole different story. And her plan worked.


    With all the assassins now lying on the ground motionless without a sign of life, the Empress slowly stood up and leaned against the table behind her as she tried to catch her breath. Her wounds were not life threatening but she needed to stop the blood from flowing out now before she lost consciousness.


    ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­.ha¡­..How could I be this negligent?¡± she panted heavily. But facing all that pain she was feeling, the Empress was smiling, smiling about the fact that she was still alive, that she could still see her son again. Maybe tomorrow, she would drop by the castle in Ragna and pay him a visit. Maybe making him a pie or just holding him in her chest for the whole day.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Indeed you are!¡± a female voice echoed from behind.


    ¡°What? Who¡­.!!!!!¡±


    A flash of light slashed through in an instant as a line of crimson liquid dripped from the neck of the Empress.


    ¡°A¡­.A¡­.¡± Morrigan tried to cover her slit throat with her palms to keep the blood from pouring out. Showing a dreadful expression on her face, the Empress of Valhalla struggled hardly while holding on the table to keep herself standing. How could this hooded figure appear from behind me without her knowing even though she had her <Soul Sense> on? Who was this person? And why? Those questions were haunting her mind as she reached out her bloody hand to the figure.


    ¡°Oh poor little Morrigan! Struggling to the bitter end!¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­o¡­.a.rre..y¡­o..u¡­?¡± the Empress did her best to utter these words despite her opened throat.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come closer and see who I am? Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t bite!¡±


    The wicked voice invited the Empress to come closer. It obviously sounded like some kind of trap but why would you want to trap someone who was already on the verge of dying? At the very least, she wanted to know who her attacker was. Step by step all with one grabbing her throat firmly to hold back the blood dripping out, Morrigan approached the motionless figure. Reaching her hand and grabbing the hood violently, Morrigan removed the veil and saw the identity of that person to her own shocking realization. The person who was responsible for the tragedy more than a decade ago, the person who started everything, it was¡­.


    ¡°Yo¡­u¡­.it..w¡­as¡­y..ou¡­ t¡­he¡­wh..ole¡­ti..mme!¡± Morrigan stunned in shock as she walked back the desk before tripping onto the ground. Paying no heed to the wound on her neck, Morrigan tried to use her hands to crawl away from the figure.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Morrigan?¡± asked the female voice.


    But it wasn¡¯t herself that Morrigan worried about in that moment but about her son Alastor. ¡®I must warn him..I must warn Alastor of her¡­I must¡­¡¯


    ¡°Pay for your sins, Morrigan!¡± The figure grabbed her head from behind as they laid the Empress violently on the table. ¡°Do not worry! I will continue to take care of Alastor for you, just as I did before you two even met¡­.Goodbye!¡± Using a dagger of one of the assassins, the stranger in hood plunged the blade deeply into the heart of the Empress, pinning her to the table. It was all over in seconds.


    The grand Empress of Valhalla, a woman who sacrificed everything she had for the noble goal of a united world, has just drawn her last breath in this world. A pool of crimson liquid circulated on the surface of the table, expanding to all corners as it leaked down to the floor. Her hands which were waving violently earlier have stopped and fell down onto the table on both sides. Her eyes, still opened, stared at the familiar face who has just ended her life. In that lifeless reflection of those mirror-like balls, the figure was grinning. Morrigan¡¯s death was the catalyst that would set out a chain of events leading to the destruction of the world, something this person was desperately seeking. For what reason, no one knew, for now.


    But it seemed that killing her was not enough as the mysterious figure was drawing their hands into Morrigan¡¯s chest before pulling out a blue flame: her soul. To make sure that there would be no evidence left behind, even the soul must be obliterated and this method has been a favourite of this individual, her trademark.


    But suddenly, a great scythe slashed down her position, making the figure drop the soul and fall back to keep a distance from the unknown attacker.


    ¡°That would not do at all. All souls are precious. I will not allow one to be destroyed just like that.¡± A creepy voice consisted of a mixture of an old man, a woman and child uttered from the wielder of the scythe: a Reaper.


    ¡°¡­.You people again!¡± uttered the stranger in an annoyed voice. Just before, her plan has been disrupted by the leader of the Reapers and now one of them was messing around with her again. Clenching her fist, the figure seemed to have reached a whole new level of anger.


    ¡°We don¡¯t care about the lives of the living but your actions are a danger to us.¡± Four other shadows appeared from the dark smoke. ¡°Even if you are a friend of Alastor, we won¡¯t tolerate this. Kill her!¡±


    ¡°You trashes! Be gone!¡± A bright blue light shined from the figure body as everything around her began to crystallize. ¡°<World of Mirror>¡±


    ¡°What the¡­.¡± Uttered a reaper as he saw the scale of that immense power in front of him. Suddenly, his four other comrades stood between him and the incoming wave at energy. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t harm her. But at the very least, you must bring that soul back to our Lord. We count on you!¡± the four spoke as the light engulfed them, turning them all into blocks of crystal but in return formed a wall to protect their last standing brother in arms.


    As the light subsided, realizing what he must do, the Reaper quickly dashed toward the soul before grabbing it. Meanwhile, the spell has left Morrigan¡¯s killer paralyzed for a short moment, giving the Reaper enough time to disappear into a dark smoke and escape.


    ¡°¡­.So one rat escaped.¡± The figure looked at the frozen Reapers. ¡°I thought you were just mindless undeads. To think you still have emotions¡­.fools! But no matter! I have accomplished what I have come here for. None will stop the coming storm now!¡±


    With a single snap of a finger, all the crystal shattered before turning into fleeting dust, leaving nothing of its traces behind, along with the figure. All that was left were the dead bodies of the assassins and the Empress, left alone intentionally.


    The spark of the end has been lit.


    * * *


    The sun has begun to rise. The warm morning light began to shine upon the castle of the demon lord as a figure just returned to her home after what could be called a busy and hustling night. That was right. The mysterious figure has been hiding in this very castle where everything started since more than ten years ago, wandering around in broad day light without anyone even suspecting a thing.


    After getting rid of the bloody cloak soaked in the blood of the Empress, the figure was walking casually yet solemnly through the hallway with large windows on one side, shining upon her white dress. Usually, she would not show any emotion but today, especially after what happened, she gave off a strange yet eerie smile to herself. By now, the people of Eiseinheim must have realized the horrifying thing that has happened but there was no way that the news could have reached Ragna yet. At least not for a couple more hours.


    Suddenly, one of the doors to a personal chamber opened and a small boy walked out in a half awakened state. Swiping his dizzy eyes and yawning widely, he saw the familiar figure outside and called out to her.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± Alastor cheerfully saluted.


    ¡°Good morning, Alastor! How was your night?¡± asked the figure.


    ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine¡­though a bit tiring if you know what I mean. I never thought that Ikarus was such a¡­.beast¡­.¡±


    ¡°I am glad for you.¡± Said the figure.


    ¡°What about you? For some reasons, I feel like you seem a bit more¡­happy ? I think¡­¡± inquired Alastor upon noticing the faint smile on the figure¡¯s face, which he found odd because of her natural state but didn¡¯t pick it up as a strange thing.


    ¡°Like yourself, it has been a long night and tiring for me too. Some rats came up and I had to dispose of them¡­.But it all worked out in the end.¡± Spoke the figure.


    ¡°Rats? Our castle has rats? You may want to talk to Azureus about this. He might have some monsters who can take care of that quickly.¡± Advised the young demon lord.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have already solved the source of the problem. Everything will be okay now.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I will leave it to you then. I will just take a quick bath and will join you and the others at the breakfast.¡±


    ¡°Of course! See you later, Alastor!¡±


    ¡°See you later, Stella!¡±


    #######################################################################################################


    Author''s note: So ...... a bit strange :). How was it? Did anyone expect this?

 Chapter 105: Fall from grace

    Author''s note: Ten ten ten :)


    ##############################################################################


    What would you do when you woke up one morning, only to find out that your whole world has been shattered? How would you react to that discovery? Perhaps saying the whole world was an overstatement but to our young demon lord, Morrigan¡¯s death was no short than the destruction of the world he knew.


    The news of the assassination of the Valhalla Empress has spread across all around the world. As the people gathered outside the palace to offer their prayers in tears for their loving leader, a question still remained in everyone¡¯s mind: who killed the Empress?


    The top officials of Valhalla, including the royal knight Catrina and minister Sinclair, as well the twin priestesses and the Duchess of Ragna Martel, have joined together to investigate this horrific crime. Needless to say, the prince was supposed to be included as a member. However, because of his unstable emotion state after learning of the dreadful news, it was decided that his participation was unadvised.


    Within the first few hours of the investigation, it was concluded that the security was too lax on that night, allowing the perpetrator to infiltrate the palace so easily without being spotted. Further inquiries showed that the guards have been pulled out after the request of a certain person asking for more guards despite knowing that it would mean fewer guards inside the palace itself. This person has been detained immediately and their identity has been covered up quickly for a specific reason.


    But that was not the main concern as it was what they found next that troubled everyone. The corpses of multiples men in cloak have been found at the scene; all seemed to be killed by the late Empress herself. Signs of struggles and the result of an intense fight could be easily observed in her chamber. In addition, wounds found on the Empress¡¯ body matched the weapons left behind by these strangers, strengthening further that these men were indeed the assassins who have infiltrated the palace.


    At the end of the day, everyone agreed that while Empress Morrigan has fought bravely against the intruders, she eventually succumbed to her wounds and was killed by the remaining assassins. The investigation remained opened but no further inquiries were submitted as the theory seemed plausible.


    Meanwhile as the entire world was in mourning over the death of the Empress, leaders from all countries have offered their condolences, appealed to the public and asked them to remain calm using words of peace and such. They also claimed that this was a vile attempt plotted by extremists in order to interfere with the peace talk and have confirmed that the convention would still stand unhindered. They shall not submit to violence nor would they tolerate this kind of atrocity in the world and would declare war against anyone who shared the same idea as these terrorists. Or so they said.


    ¡­..


    At the moment, Martel has just returned from Eiseinheim to bring the summary of her report about the investigation back to Alastor. Walking through the stairs of the entrance, the lamia could be seen to be trembling, sweating in nervousness. And she was right to be scared, especially after she heard what Alastor did when he was informed about the news. One look at the demon lord¡¯s castle and you would know.


    It was only now when she saw the giant hole on the castle wall, along with the barren land just outside that wall where a once beautiful forest lied, to truly understand the fearful expression her servant had when they informed her about Alastor¡¯s ¡®current state¡¯. She knew that fear too well. For Martel has seen it, the beast laying dormant in that boy. Now, that beast has been awakened and it was not happy, not at all.


    ¡°I have returned, milord!¡± Martel spoke as she bent her head in front of the figure sitting on the throne of Ragna. Reluctant to look him in the eye because of the pressure coming from him, Martel took her chance and raised her head¡­.She regretted it immediately.


    That dark aura she saw when she first met him¡­it was even darker than before. He might have a small stature but his presence was more immense than a mountain, one that was the embodiment of terror. His eyes, so distant and cold, reflected the cruelty of the world that has rained down torments upon him. Holding three small stones in his hand as he unconsciously played with them, rubbing them constantly and moving them from one side to another, perhaps it was a distraction to contain his anger.


    ¡°¡­.What did you find? Who killed her?¡± Alastor spoke in an expressionless voice. It was probably the best attitude he could have right now and everyone wished he would remain that way. By his side, stood the celestial Ikarus on the right and the supposed demon king Kaiser on the left. Down the short stairs leading up the throne, the four royal guards were standing solemnly, nervous about what the report would say. Because depending on what Martel has found so far, the beast behind them could break out of its shackles.


    ¡°Based on what we have found at the scene, we have concluded that someone has deliberately removed the guards from their positions.¡± Martel reported. ¡°This allowed the perpetrators to¡­.execute their plan and assassinate Empress Morrigan.¡±


    *CRACK*


    In an instant, the three small pebbles were crushed to pieces with the rubbles falling from the boy¡¯ hand. ¡°And this person is?¡± asked Alastor in a dreadful voice.


    ¡°We have not figured out the person in charge yet but we have captured one of their spies who has hid among our ranks as an ambassador. It was this person who has asked the Empress for more guards even though there was no need for that at all. That¡¯s the basis we rely on before deciding to capture him.¡±


    ¡°Bring me the spy!¡± Alastor commanded.


    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. Maybe you can just leave the investigation to us. I am sure that we will get him talking in no time¡­.¡± But she was interrupted before she could even finish.


    ¡°Martel, I am giving two options: either you bring him to him right now or bring your own head instead. Either way I will have that spy in front of me. So which one do you choose?¡± Alastor gave a frightening proposal.


    ¡°Alastor, maybe we should listen to her¡­.¡± The celestial Ikarus tried to calm her beloved down by touching his hand.


    However, her contact was refused as he quickly moved his hand to the sides, avoiding hers.


    ¡°Father, I also share the same opinion. We can¡¯t let our emotions running wild at crucial moments like this. You must calm down!¡± Kaiser advised in a worried voice.


    ¡°I am perfectly calm. Trust me, Kaiser when I say I am calm! Else things would have been very¡­.different.¡± Alastor threatened before turning to Martel. ¡°So Martel, your choice?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will bring him immediately. Please excuse me!¡± the lamia knew that would not work so she has brought the spy along with her upon her return, even though many of the members of the investigation team has advised against that decision. But they didn¡¯t have a choice. Either giving Alastor the spy or probably having their entire prison blown up and still lose the prisoner¡­.


    After a short moment of perfect silence as no one dared to utter a word, the Duchess of Ragna came back with a chained man. To their surprises, he had bat wings and small claws on his hand. The spy was a demon and a devil at that. This was the reason why the officials have decided to hide his identity. Imagined what would happen if it was discovered that a demon was behind this assassination! Surely, the peace talk would be a thing of the past if such information spread out. Thankfully to the Luna priestess¡¯ quick wit in stopping the information from getting out of their circle, no one except for the top officials and the other leaders was aware of this fact.


    ¡°Here he is, milord!¡± Martel presented the captured man before quickly taking a few steps back away from him. Who knew what Alastor would do in this situation?


    Standing up and walking down from his throne, the lord of this castle approached the trembling figure who just realized what kind of situation he was in. But unlike Martel¡¯s expectation, Alastor did not just lash out at the guy, just simply slowly taking step by step toward him, which was even more eerie.


    ¡°So you are the one that is responsible for mother¡¯s death¡­.¡± Uttered Alastor.


    ¡°Please! I only did what I was ordered to. It¡¯s not my fault.¡± The devil pled while crying like a baby.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. That¡¯s what they all said.¡± Alastor spoke strangely in the gentlest voice he had. Reaching his hand on the devil¡¯s head, he put off a smile while holding it firmly.


    ¡°I will tell you everything. Please just let me go!¡±


    ¡°Shhhhh! No need to say anything! I will find out myself. Don¡¯t ruin this moment!¡± said Alastor.


    ¡°Please I have a family!¡±


    ¡°Perfect! I will let them join you in just a little bit!¡± Alastor affirmed his grip. ¡°<Soul Scan>¡­.Maximum output!¡±


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡± the devil screamed in pain as his eyes turned white while his body shook heavily. His mind, his past, everything about him was being read, ravaged by the powerful thing by his side.


    The agonizing outcries of the devil sent shiver to everyone in the room. They were shocked, left frozen by the display of savagery and wickedness in front of them. Not only because of the horrifying sounds the victim was making but also the diabolic grin Alastor had on his face as he fried the man¡¯s brain to mush till smoke came out of his head.


    ¡°So it¡¯s that son of bitch behind this¡­..¡± Alastor switched to an angry expression as he clenched his fist. ¡°I should have never let him alive¡­Mother died because of me¡­just like Morgan¡­Lakyus¡­.They all died because of me¡­¡±


    ¡°Alastor...¡± Ikarus tried to approach the boy but was pushed back by the shockwave released from his body. ¡°ALASTOR!¡± she called out to him.


    ¡°They will all pay for their sins!¡± the boy muttered. ¡°THEY WILL PAY!¡± and he vanished from the spot, leaving the others behind to their own imagination of what was going to happen next.


    * * *


    ¡°Dear, why do you have that face?¡± Diablo asked joyfully his wife who did not seem to be that happy after learning the news of Morrigan¡¯s death.


    ¡°Are you an idiot or a very stupid person?¡± Milim blurted out.


    ¡°What? Why are you saying this? Shouldn¡¯t we rejoice from this incredible news? With Morrigan¡¯s death, the links between all nations will surely break and¡­¡±


    ¡°I am not talking about that. None of our assassins came back and we lost contact with our spies. If he is captured then they could trace back to us. How could you not see that?¡± fumed Milim.


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    *BOOM*


    All of the sudden, a loud noise crushed into the room they were in, along with the collapse of the outer wall.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Diablo tried to swipe away the dust clouding his vision as a small figure manifested themselves among the smoke. ¡°You! You are¡­¡±


    ¡°I warned you Diablo. I warned you to not do anything that will anger me. And you just had to push it didn¡¯t you?¡± Alastor spoke creepily as he appeared in his beast form, a dark smoky creature with one red eye and a blue eye that paralyzed anyone who dared lay their sight upon him.


    ¡°Wait a minute! We can talk about this!¡± Milim tried to use her ruse to calm down the beast.


    Without warning, the creature pierced the demoness with his sharp claws right in her chest, making a large hole before pulling out a beating heart.


    ¡°A¡­A¡­A¡­¡± was the last sound Milim made with her mouth drown in the crimson liquid leaking out before dropping down to the ground.


    ¡°MILIM! You monster!¡± Diablo shouted in anger. But that fury was nothing compared to the ire the boy had when his mother was stolen away from him. Nothing but a flimsy worm in front of a titan!


    Showing the bloody heart of his own wife to him, the beast grinned. ¡°I told you what would happen if you defy me right? Your entire family, from the unborn to the old, will pay for your transgression!¡±


    All of a sudden, a young boy walked into the room.


    ¡°Mom? Dad? I heard screaming¡­.!!!!!¡± The boy was stunned when he saw the beast inside his parents¡¯ room, his mother covered in blood lying on the ground with his father horrified by it. ¡°Mo¡­Mom?¡±


    ¡°Run away!¡± Diablo yelled at his son.


    ¡°But¡­¡± the boy uttered.


    ¡°RUN!¡±


    As the boy fearfully turned back and tried to escape, his feet was caught by a ghastly long hand coming from the beast, tripping him as it dragged the boy back to inside the room. Even when the boy did his hardest to resist the pulling, using his own nails to grab onto the floor, it was no use for such a weak boy to defy the force of the beast.


    But the beast did not kill the two, to their own surprises. Instead, it dragged them out to the entrance of the keep belonging to the devil¡¯s clan. The soldiers along with everyone else inside were shocked to see their lord being walked upon while his son was being detained by a weird looking beast. Unknown to them, it was the last thing they ever saw.


    ¡°Watch as your people burn for your sins!¡± the beast spoke. ¡°<Annihilation>¡±


    In an instant, a black beam descended from the sky, purging the entire area and turning everything to nothingness. The people along with their castle were burned to ashes in matter of seconds. It was so quick that perhaps they did not even know what hit them or if they even felt anything.


    ¡°No no no!¡± uttered Diablo as he witnessed the end of his clan being massacred like insects by the overwhelming power. But that was only the start of his hell.


    ¡°You will join them soon enough, Diablo. But not before I have my satisfaction. Your suffering, your agonizing scream, you pain¡­I will savour every last bit of it.¡± Grinned the beast. ¡°And you kid, let me show you how cruel the world can be!¡±


    ¡­..


    The celestial Ikarus was flying as fast as she could to the castle of the devils. After Alastor¡¯s disappearance, she knew that he would go there. The spy was clearly a devil himself and everyone was aware about the feud between Alastor and Diablo after their first meeting. Fearing that he might do something that could not be undone, she did her best to get to the scene.


    She was too late. The entire keep along with the surrounding area has completely vanished. The only thing that remained was the ashes and embers still burning, drifting away by the wind. Among those ruins, a dark figure stood solemnly together with a crying boy in his hands. But more terrifying was the bloody mess that has been tied up to a stick vertically like a cross. Whatever that was, the thing has been disfigured to such extent that it was unsure what it was originally. Its skins have been peeled off, showing even the white bones underneath. The stomach has been gutted, letting the inside organs falling on and dangling freely. And the smell, it was so repulsive that Ikarus could not stand near it. But she had to.


    ¡°Alastor..what have you done?¡± the celestial questioned the beast.


    ¡°I¡­bestowed justice upon the wicked.¡± The beast muttered in a chilling voice.


    ¡°Justice? This is not justice. This is madness. You have to stop!¡± Ikarus shouted.


    ¡°I will¡­only one sinner remains¡­I only need to finish this one.¡± The beast turned to the boy who tried to crawl away but was grasped firmly by the beast¡¯s hand.


    ¡°STOP!¡± Shouted Ikarus as she ran to him.


    ¡°<Thousand Weights>¡±


    The celestial crushed down to the ground, unable to move or even stand up because of the pressure.


    ¡°¡­St¡­op¡­please!¡± the woman muttered, reaching her hand to him as she tried to get closer.


    ¡°You evil! I will never forgive you!¡± the boy found his last ounce of courage and shouted back at the beast who killed his parents. Just like Alastor, he has experienced the pain and suffering that the world¡­no¡­that Alastor has brought upon him. In his young mind, he vowed to kill this monster.


    ¡°¡­..¡± the beast remained silent as he grabbed the boy¡¯s head. Still despite being so scared, the kid still struggled violently to escape the grasp, all while cursing him.


    ¡°I swear I will kill you for what you did to my parents!¡± he said. His determination reminded the beast of its own feelings. In a way, they were similar. But there was one difference between these two boys.


    ¡°¡­Unfortunately, that won¡¯t happen!¡± muttered Alastor.


    ¡°Wh..at? NO ALASTOR! STOP!¡± Ikarus called out to her beloved. But it was too late.


    In a single second, the beast strengthened his grip and crushed the head of the small boy, turning it into a puddle of flesh and blood as it splattered all around him.


    ¡°¡­No¡­Alastor¡­no!¡± the celestial cried out.


    ¡°Justice¡­has been served¡­but why¡­why don¡¯t I feel satisfied?¡±


    * * *


    Demon lord¡¯s castle of Ragna, one day before the peace talk


    Followed by a certain request, Morrigan¡¯s body has been transferred to the castle of Ragna to be buried alongside her sister Lakyus after the official funeral. Despite some protests, no one, at least not the leaders, dared to speak out. Either they agreed with that reasoning or they were too afraid of the person who sent the request in the first place, especially after they heard what happened to the devil¡¯s clan. And yet, King Charles and Celdora have insisted on keeping the peace talk, saying that only through a proper conversation could they truly establish the peace between all kingdoms and reassure their people.


    As for the destruction of the devil¡¯s clan which has received much less attention than it should, Mephisto has had some concerns, doubts about the boy. While he held no affection for the rest of his clan and has only ruled them through force, it still bothered him that they were slaughtered like that, even the children were not spared. And he was not the only one in the castle that shared the same opinion. A few has argued that what he did was unforgivable while some thought it was justifiable considering the actions of Diablo. But all agreed that what Alastor did was too excessive. Still, none has put him on trial or accuse him openly, simply out of fear. They were right to do so since who would stop him now? Or rather who could?


    While the confidence everyone had in Alastor began to fade, a new direction was being ascertained in the mind of the demons. Hopefully, the new lord Kaiser would be different from the last demon lord.


    As for the boy in question, he has remained in the tomb chamber by himself, looking at the open coffin of his mother. Following the old burial customs of the Magnolia family, her body has been placed on a bed of magnolia flowers in the coffin. Wearing her usual cloth, blue dress adorned with armour plates while holding the handle of her sword, it looked as if Morrigan was only sleeping.


    Entering the tomb, Ikarus approached the solemn boy from behind. Unlike any time before, he didn¡¯t even react to her presence and only sat there, staring at the late Empress.


    ¡°Alastor, please talk to me!¡± the celestial pled on her knees as she lied her head in his motionless arms.


    ¡°¡­Do you think she will wake up?¡± he said.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If I stay like this for days¡­for years, do you think she will wake up?¡±


    ¡°Alastor¡­Morrigan is already¡­.¡±


    ¡°Dead. I know!¡±


    ¡°¡­.She won¡¯t wake up anymore. You have to let her go!¡± the celestial appealed.


    ¡°I know she won¡¯t come back to me¡­Just like everyone else. They all leave my side sooner or later.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not their fault that¡­.¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s not their fault. It¡¯s mine. I did this to time. It¡¯s all because of me.¡± Tears dropped from the boy¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t say that! None of this is your fault.¡± The woman hugged him to her chest, letting him leaning against her soft bosom. But the boy refused. He pushed her away.


    ¡°Please¡­just leave me alone for a moment! I know you mean well but please¡­I need some time for myself.¡± He said in a sad tone.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°PLEASE!¡± the boy cried out. ¡°Just leave!¡±


    ¡°¡­.*hic hic hic* ¡° Unable to reach him, the celestial had no choice but to slowly walk out to the door, sobering in tears. No..she was not sad because of his rejection. She was sad because she was unable to help him when he needed someone the most. Her call could not reach his heart and that saddened her greatly. She felt disappointed in herself, for being so useless.


    Walking out of the chamber, Ikarus met a figure in white standing outside as if waiting for her.


    ¡°Stella? What are you doing here?¡± the celestial asked she wiped away her tears.


    ¡°Alastor is currently very¡­unstable. I want to keep an eye on him until he recovers from this tragedy. So I decide to stay here in case he may need me.¡± The doll replied.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t want to speak to anyone, not even me. How can I ease his pain?¡± Ikarus sobbed.


    ¡°As a woman, the only thing we can do for him at the moment is to wait. I realize this can be painful for you considering your relationship but you have to be strong, miss Ikarus. Not just for him but for yourself too! Tomorrow, you will be among the key members of the peace talk and you cannot afford to be like this.


    As for Alastor, let him have some time for himself! I am sure everything will be fine after his mind calms down a bit.¡± The doll spoke.


    ¡°¡­You are so strong¡­How can I be like you?¡± Ikarus conveyed.


    ¡°We are all different from each other, miss Ikarus. You have your own role and I have mine. It¡¯s up to us to uphold our duties. Be patient and everything will be okay again.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I see. Thank you¡­for cheering me up!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I only did what is the best for Alastor!¡± uttered Stella. ¡°Anyway, you should take your rest. I will watch him for you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks..I would not know what to do in this situation without you¡­¡±


    ¡°We have to look out for each other, right?¡±


    ¡°I guess so. See you later, Stella!¡± Ikarus said before retreating back to her chamber with her thoughts still about Alastor.


    ¡°Good night, miss Ikarus! You will need it!¡± But as Ikarus¡¯ silhouette vanished from the scene, the doll still muttered something unheard by anyone. ¡°Tomorrow is going to be marvellous.¡±


    All by herself, the doll entered the tomb where Alastor sat. At first, the boy thought it was Ikarus but did not expect her to come back right away.


    ¡°Ikarus, I told you..please leave me alone!¡± the boy continued to groan.


    In an instant, he felt the stiff hands of someone grabbing his shoulders. For some reasons, he could not move at all or even turn his head back to see who the person was. Suddenly, he could hear the sound of a woman hymning behind him. A soothing song that felt so familiar¡­.he has heard this once in his life¡­but from where? Or when? But those questions didn¡¯t matter. His mind was becoming blank as everything became blurry.


    ¡°Listen to my voice!¡±


    ¡°¡­Who¡­are..you?¡± Alastor tried to resist the female voice, to no avail. It was impossible to think that him with all his demon lord¡¯s power could be overpassed by another source. He should be immune or at least able to resist mind controlling at this level. So how was it possible? Was it because of the song? Or something else?


    ¡°They took everything from you. Are you just going to let them do it?¡±


    ¡°I¡­I¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you wish for, Alastor?¡±


    ¡°Peace¡­I want peace¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! Then peace it is. But you know how people are. Demons or primes, they are all the same. Their vile scourge will never let you have your peace. Only a special kind of peace can cure them of their stupidity.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­I will bring eternal peace to the world¡­¡±


    * * *


    Dark Realm of the Abyss


    A forsaken knight was standing firmly in front of a decrepit gate in the middle of a barren valley. Normally, he would not stand here but stayed behind the door itself. However, this time, it was different. His presence was needed outside, for calamity was coming.


    From above the cliff, nine figures landed down in front of the knight. The parade of the demon lords has begun and nothing shall stand in their way.


    ¡°Abyssal Knight, we are giving you one final chance. Leave this place or be purged!¡± Beelzebub stepped forward and proclaimed.


    ¡°¡­.¡± The threat did not work as intended as the lonely knight took on his battle stance, showing sign of defiance to not just one but nine supreme powers of their time.


    ¡°You think you can win, oh brave knight?¡± A loud voice from the sky echoed sarcastically. It came from the dark sun which was the manifestation of the Soul Forger Magnus. ¡°The time has finally come to execute the final stage of our plan. And you stand in our way. In fairy tales, a hero would win through power of friendship and love. But this is not a fairy tale nor are you a hero. What you are doing to simply delaying the inevitable.¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The knight remained in silence.


    ¡°But just so you know, we are not your opponents. They are.¡± The dragon Xenes spoke.


    Suddenly, hundreds of presences shot down from the sky before crashing into the valley like a rain of water. But instead of water, each drop was actually one of the shadows, a demon lord whom Alastor has not yet made a pact with. And now, they have all gathered here.


    ¡°Please put on a good show for us!¡± the dragon grinned.


    The swarm of shadows began to charge at the knight all together. Barrages of spells and projectiles were launched at the figure who was doing his best to evade everything thrown at him.


    ¡°Why do you resist? Won¡¯t it be better to just abandon your post to live another day?¡±


    ¡°¡­I will protect the flame.¡± The knight muttered while holding his ground against the onslaught of the demon lords.


    ¡°Hahahahahahaha! But you are wrong. What if I tell you that it was Alastor who asked us to do this? What you are doing goes against his will. He wants this!¡± Magnus spoke out loud.


    ¡°¡­No. You are lying! Alastor can¡¯t be¡­¡± A surge of power came from the knight, pushing back the shadows surrounding him.


    It was only now that the knight showed the true extent of his power. These shadows were all once demon lords. While they having been weakened greatly compared to their old selves, it was still an unfeasible task to take on all of them at the same time. And here, the knight was able to do just that, only proving his own power. But the knight was not invincible. While it might look like he could take them all on, how long could he actually maintain that status quo? Eventually, he would run out of steam and that moment would signify his defeat.


    However, the actual nine demon lords who have awakened, meaning they made a pact with Alastor, have not yet joined the battle. Since these particular demons have been restored to their former glory, the result of the battle would be very different if the Abyssal Knight had to fight not just one but all of them at the same time.


    ¡°This is getting boring¡­¡± Xenes uttered as he turned to the demoness by his side. ¡°Asmodeus, if you please!¡±


    ¡°Are you giving me orders now?¡± Asmodeus stared back at the dragon menacingly.


    ¡°No no! Of course not! Who can even give you orders anyway? I merely want to end this quickly so we can proceed onto the next phase. And I know you are anxious about it as well as I am¡­.¡± The dragon explained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about jabbering in front of me! We are doing this as according to Alastor¡¯s will and not for yours, Xenes. You better remember that!¡± Asmodeus threatened.


    ¡°Yes we are! So can you please?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine!¡±


    As soon as Asmodeus took her first step after landing on this valley, she released the shackles she has put on herself to limit her own power. The ground shook with every step from her and her aura engulfed the entire area. Fearing for their own safety, the shadows began to flee not from their supposed foe but from the elf woman coming their way. Everyone, including the knight, knew who Asmodeus was, what kind of person she was and most importantly her power.


    ¡°Asmodeus¡­.¡± The knight muttered as he strengthened his grip, preparing for what was coming at him.


    ¡°You should know that I cannot control my power very well¡­.Holding back is not really my style so take this advice from me: you don¡¯t want to be my opponent!¡± the demoness raised her fist. Her delicate form suggested she was some kind of mage, maybe wielding very powerful spells but vulnerable to fast physical attacks that could stop her casting. But what about the truth?


    ¡°¡­.You¡­.¡± before the knight could even finish, something has hit him from below his chin and launched him up to the sky with what seemed to be an uppercut. A simple fist that shocked the entire dimension of the Abyss, creating powerful wind storms with each strike.


    With his body being thrown like a rag doll, before he could even react, Asmodeus has appeared right above him and smashed him down with both her hands clenching together. That attack was enough to create a large crater, blowing up a part of the cliff with the knight being smitten into the bed of rock.


    ¡°¡­.I am getting rusty¡­Didn¡¯t land that hit very well¡­.¡±Asmodeus muttered softly as she wiped away the dust from her cloth. Turning to the demon lords standing in awe by her pure physical power, the woman called them loudly. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We don¡¯t have time to stay here all day.¡±


    With the guardian lying under the crumbling piles of rock, the nine gathered in front of the large gate. Being of short temper, Lucifer quickly rushed to the door and tried to push it. It didn¡¯t even budge.


    ¡°Damn! This thing is heavy.¡± The six-winged celestial uttered tiredly. ¡°How are we going to open this?¡±


    ¡°This door is the Soul Gate. One does not simply open such a door without the proper permission.¡± Nyx commented before turning to his peers. ¡°Did Alastor give any of you permission to enter?¡±


    ¡°Not really!¡± said Sullivan. ¡°Alastor only had time to speak to Magnus since he was a bit busy with something I think, not that I blame him after what happened.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. We have no way to open this door.¡± Lucifer fumed. ¡°What the hell is all this for then?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Leave it to me!¡± Asmodeus volunteered. ¡°But I need you to watch my back for a bit.¡± The demoness took her stance and readied for something.


    ¡°From who? It¡¯s not like anyone is going to¡­..¡± uttered Lucifer.


    Suddenly, from the piles of rocks, a gauntlet reached up to the sky and a figure crawled out. He seemed heavily wounded with a dislocated arm. However, as he stood up, the knight twisted his own arm, putting his bones back to its correct position before able to move the arm normally again. Still, even if most of his wounds were already healing, that immortal body was not invincible. There was a limit to how much he could heal. Walking vigorously toward the gate he was supposed to protect, the knight mumbled.


    ¡°The gate must not¡­I must¡­protect¡­.Fate has entrusted me¡­to this task¡­.I cannot fail¡­.¡±


    ¡°Persistent bastard! No choice! Asmodeus, just focus on the door! We will take him on!¡± shouted Beelzebub as he charged together with Lucifer and the slime Devas.


    ¡°Go on, Asmodeus!¡± Beatrix smiled at the elf woman. ¡°We are right beside you!¡±


    ¡°Alright then¡­¡±


    Asmodeus¡¯ body started to illuminate with veins of fire appearing underneath her skin like molten lava. Her eyes turned into two flames burning lively as she raised her hands and punched the door, making it along with the entire surrounding area tremble.


    *BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG*


    The once seemingly indestructible door has now begun to crack with each blow. Fissures appeared from where Asmodeus punched the door and started to expand to the rest. Through the gap, the other side could already be seen.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! Destroy it! Bring down the Gate!¡± the dragon Xenes shouted.


    ¡°NO! You must not!¡± shouted the knight desperately while being pushed back by the other demon lords. Among all the people here, it looked like Asmodeus was the only one capable of breaking the gate. He must target her.


    Forsaking his own safety, the knight enlarged his sword and threw it at the demoness who was too busy on the gate to look at her back. However, just before the sword could reach her, a frail arm has caught the sword by its tips: a woman who only wore a cloak for clothing while the rest of her body was covered by chains. It was the witch Beatrix.


    ¡°<Baneful Touch>¡±


    In an instant, the seemingly holy sword of the Abyssal Knight was covered in black tendrils that appeared from the hands of the witch before turning it into dust.


    ¡°What?¡± the knight uttered in shock.


    *BOOM*


    ¡°HAHAHAHAAHAHA! The gate is down! It¡¯S DOWN!¡± the dragon laughed out loud when he saw that the Soul Gate of Alastor has been shattered to pieces, revealing the thing hidden behind it. A bright, giant flame was burning lively just as before. Only, there was something different about it that the knight was not even aware of it until now.


    ¡°No¡­how can this be? How did it turn into this?¡± Instead of a majestic crimson flame, what lied beyond the door was now a black flame emitting an aura of absolute darkness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever let the enemy leave your sight!¡± a voice spoke from behind the knight as a sword slashed across his whole back. Blood splattered on the white wings of the attacker as the celestial grinned devilishly.


    ¡°You ask for this!¡± a tentacle made of a black liquid slashed out from the slime Devas and cut off the right arm of the knight.


    ¡°¡­..My apologies!¡± A dark orb formed on the hand of Beelzebub before shooting itself at the remaining arm of the knight, consuming it in a black hole.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* ¡° the knight panted in pain after having lost both his arms with a hole on his chest. But that was not the end for him yet. He could not give up now¡­However the wounds could not heal in time, not when he was confronted to the endless assault of the demon lords. Falling on his knees, he tried to get up. Suddenly, he could see someone with veins of fire on their dress and body approaching from the low vision he had.


    ¡°Still not give up? I am impressed.¡± Asmodeus muttered while waiting for the knight to stand up, slowly and painfully. Putting a finger on the bleeding knight¡¯s chest without him being able to resist, she said. ¡°But this is farewell!


    <Ashes to ashes> ¡±


    A tiny flame sparked on the tip of the woman¡¯s finger before bursting into an intense conflagration that consumed the knight instantly. And before he could do anything, the lonely soul received another blow.


    ¡°<Combustion>¡±


    A powerful explosion blew the knight away without hurting even a hair of the demoness, throwing whatever that was left of the knight and pinning him making a crater on the cliff wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s done! Let us proceed!¡± Asmodeus spoke calmly without a care for the fate of the knight. To her, he was as well as dead.


    ¡°Hehehehe! Finally!¡± Lucifer grinned as he walked toward the flame.


    With all the obstacles removed, the demon lords crossed the broken gate and approached the flame. Xenes was the first to walk into the burning pyre before being consumed by the flame itself. One by one, the others followed and seemingly walked into their death as they were burned by the fire to ashes.


    Yet, there was one who did not cross the gate at all. Unlike the others, he has remained silent the whole time and was not that excited about all this.


    ¡°Belphegor? What are you doing?¡± Sullivan asked when he noticed his recent friend slacking behind.


    ¡°¡­.I am staying¡­.¡± The demon lord muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Sullivan shouted in shock.


    ¡°¡­.Is this your choice, Belphegor?¡± Asmodeus asked from the other side of the gate.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I am just too lazy for what lies beyond that door¡­I didn¡¯t die for this. Sorry to disappoint you all!¡± Belphegor answered.


    ¡°Belphegor¡­..¡± Sullivan muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s your choice and I will respect that. Just don¡¯t regret it later!¡± Asmodeus spoke coldly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Goodbye Sullivan! This is probably our last time seeing each other.¡±


    ¡°¡­Goodbye, mate! Take care!¡± Sullivan uttered sadly as he walked into the flame with a doubtful expression. He was soon followed by Asmodeus as all the others were already gone.


    ¡°It¡¯s me who should say it. Take care, Sullivan! You will need it!¡±


    * * *


    Meanwhile, a commotion was taking place in the deepest underground of a futuristic giant facility lying underneath the demon continent. Loud explosions along with the clacking noises of metal were echoing throughout the underground city from the only entrance all the way to the command centre.


    ¡°Warning! Facility has been breached!¡± A mechanical voice spoke along with the red alarms.


    ¡°Alastor, stop! You don¡¯t know what you are doing!¡± Zwei voiced from a speaker to the small figure who was rampaging his way to the control centre. The intelligence was trying to reason with the boy after his revelation about his intention of coming here. ¡°You cannot release Tartarus! It will be the end of everything! STOP!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the boy remained silent.


    With a loud explosion, he finally arrived at where he wanted: the control centre.


    ¡°Alastor, listen to me¡­¡±


    But before Zwei could continue, Alastor has destroyed the speakers, shutting her from communicating any further to him. His goal was now right in this very room. As he slowly walked toward the red thing at the end of this corridor, Alastor uttered the words that would end the world.


    ¡°Pay for the sins you committed! Demon or primes, you are all the same. Your very presences are a stain of this world. But fear not! For I am here, to bestow salvation, to grant you mercy and to bequeath to you what you deserve: the eternal peace we have always aspired!¡±


    Putting his hand on the red lever, Alastor grabbed it firmly. ¡°Now, know pain!¡± And he pulled it.


    ¡­..


    ¡°zzzzzz¡­¡­WARMING REACTOR¡¯S CORE¡­zzzzz¡­.RELEASING LOCKS¡­..zzzzz¡­¡­SYSTEM DAMOCLES ONLINE¡­zzzzzz¡­¡­REMOVING LIMITERS¡­¡­¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°CONTAMINATION LEVEL: 0.00%


    ¡­¡­.


    CONTAMINATION LEVEL: 0.01%


    ¡­¡­.


    CONTAMINATION LEVEL: 0.05%¡±


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°AWAKENING TARTARUS¡­¡­..ACTIVATING PROTOCOLE ARMAGEDDON¡±


    ##################################################################################################


    Author''s note: So things get a bit out of hand there... Hope you enjoyed the chapter! And be patient! Things just start getting more interesting ^^

 Chapter 106: Resurgence

    Next morning, Day of the Peace Talk


    All the preparations to receive leaders from all around the world have been completed. Using the Gates as part of the Nexus, kings and queens have been able to quickly join the specified meeting place: the demon lord¡¯s castle of Ragna. Never could anyone have predicted that there would be a day a peace treaty would be signed on the land of the demons.


    But unlike what the common people expected from their leaders to mull over, those who actually mattered and were aware of the situation were only concerned about one thing: the soon-to-be new King of Valhalla, Prince Alastor. Ever since his mother¡¯s sudden death, the people has not seen his face making a public announcement or even talk about who would inherit the grand legacy as well as the kingdom of Valhalla. In times like this where the very foundations of this new-born country were still too fragile to stand on itself, a talent and suitable leader was needed desperately to put things in order again.


    Even the people of the demon lord¡¯s castle where Alastor stayed has not even seen him since last night. According to Ikarus, he did not go back to his chamber nor has anyone spotted him outside the castle. There was also the problem with the disappearance of another individual that has not been paid much attention considering the timing and all the events happening at the same time. Out of everyone, only Amelia spent time to search for the celestial Ingrid but her efforts have been for naught for there was simply no sign of the hero anywhere nor any trace that could help them find her. Alas, Mephisto has advised Amelia to concentrate on the peace talk for now and they could organize a full party search once everything calmed down a bit.


    Alas, everyone was too nervous about the fact that all the leaders have arrived while Alastor was still nowhere to be found. Where could he be?


    ¡°Did you find him?¡± Ikarus inquired worriedly to the royal guard Naberius.


    ¡°Not yet¡­I ask around all the surrounding keeps and look in every corner of this castle but¡­¡± the beastman reported.


    ¡°Damn it! Where could he be? ¡­ I am worried he might do something¡­..¡± the celestial scratched her head painfully.


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­.just a feeling I have. Maybe you can try the¡­.¡±


    *DOOR OPEN SOUND*


    ¡°I am back.¡± A boy walked in casually without a care for anyone or anything as he smiled at the two people inside in such a natural manner. ¡°Good morning!¡±


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡± Ikarus jumped up to him. ¡°Where have you been? We have been worried sick about you.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for making you worry about me. But I assure you that I am fine. But let¡¯s not lose our time idling here! I don¡¯t wish to make the other leaders wait for me. Shall we go?¡± Alastor smiled brightly.


    ¡°¡­Alastor?¡± the celestial uttered.


    ¡°Yes, my love?¡±


    ¡°¡­.Oh nothing! It¡¯s just ¡­you changed a bit since last time we spoke¡­I don¡¯t know¡­it felt like you are happy about something. Even though you just lost your¡­..¡±


    ¡°I have been thinking a lot and realized a few things, Ikarus. I have finally come to terms with my resolution and now I will make sure Morrigan¡¯s wish is to be carried out: today I will bring peace to the world!¡± Alastor said cheerfully.


    ¡°¡­.If you say so.¡± Uttered Ikarus, still bothered by this sudden change in attitude.


    ¡°Then shall we go, my love? It¡¯s going to be marvellous!¡±


    ¡­..


    The peace talk took place in the main hall that has not been used for years. Situated in the central part of the castle, it was a large circular room with the floor made from a blue ore that showed even brighter under the sunlight coming through the gaps on the wall. A mural at the back of the chamber showed the image of a woman giving a drop of a crimson fluid to the many tiny faceless silhouettes below her while she descended from the sky like a godly entity. That was right. This mural depicted the scene of the creation of the demon race and was considered to be one of the most precious national treasures of Ragna.


    Currently, five individuals were sitting around a round stone table made from an ivory stone specially crafted just for this occasion. In a way, the demon craftsmen wanted to show off their skills to the foreigners that even though their race has been subjected to many challenges in the past, they would not lose to any other race in every fa?ade.


    From the mural, on the left: King Charles of Ceadric, King Celdora from Oros and King Kaiser of Ragna and an empty chair dedicated to Herald Ikarus of the Celestials.


    On the right sat the three parties consisting the old kingdoms that recently joined Valhalla: the twin elven priestesses, Pope Maximillian and the Beast King Zen.


    A ninth seat that lied directly in front of the mural remained empty. This one was intended for the representative and leader of Valhalla itself. Normally, it should have been Empress Morrigan who would sit here. However, because of her assassination, only her rightful heir could be in her place. However, everyone knew the recent events that has happened around Alastor so no one was really sure what to do now that they have arrived here. Surely they could not just go back empty handed. It would create even more chaos than before if this peace talk failed. Whatever happened, this must be done by the end of this day.


    Suddenly, the only large door of the room opened and the main character of the event has appeared, followed by a blue haired woman wearing a white dress. Walking pass all the leaders who did not know what to say to the boy, the figure took the central seat in front of the mural as he cheerfully addressed the group.


    ¡°My lords, ladies, I apologize for coming late to the meeting. As you know, the recent issue has been quite devastating for me so it took me some time for me to realize something so simple. My mother, Empress Morrigan, would not want me to stay holed up in a room mourning for her while I could go out there and accomplish so many other things. I believe it¡¯s my duty and my obligation to act in accordance with her legacy that she has given her life for.


    Wars and hatred have long turned us against each other. Tragedies upon tragedies, just how many more innocent lives have to pay for our incompetency as the one who will guide them? That¡¯s why I wish that at the end of this meeting, we can finally see eye to eye on the many matters between us and reach what everyone has been hoping for: eternal peace!


    With that said, shall we begin the negotiation?¡±


    * * *


    Meanwhile as the peace talk has finally begun, another assembly of familiar faces was currently sitting in a close-by room, chatting with each other about the convention all while speculating the outcomes and the possibilities it would indulge. They were the retainers, faithful servants or simply friends of the leaders and to some extents had a close tie with Alastor.


    ¡°Excuse me for asking but ¡­.are you really a dragon, miss Abalone?¡± the knight Luvik inquired curiously to the teen sitting in her own corner.


    Even though everyone was participating in the conversation, the dragoness seemed to prefer the company of no one but her gyrfalcon Heru. But it was not that she hated people or anything but because of a much simpler reason: she was too shy to even speak to anyone. In fact, she didn¡¯t know why she came here in the first place. Unlike these people, she was not a servant to anyone nor did she possess any kind of political power. In a way, she felt like this was not her place to be and decided to stay in the comfort of silence until a certain knight set out to break it.


    ¡°Wha¡­? Are you talking to me?¡± the brown haired girl spoke like she has just woken up from her slumber.


    ¡°Oh my apologies! Are you not miss Abalone? Someone told me that¡¯s your name when I asked so I just assumed¡­In any case, I am so sorry for startling you.¡± The knight bowed.


    ¡°Me?...I am Abalone. And yes I am a dragon. You are?¡±


    ¡°My name is Luvik, close retainer of Lady Cynthia, the Priestess of the Moon. I came here with her as her bodyguard. Though I doubt anyone would dare to do anything with all those amazing people inside that room. What about you, if I may ask? Are you one of lord Celdora¡¯s advisors? I have heard tales of your accomplishment in the war despite being of such young age.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really¡­I didn¡¯t do anything. I am not even an official or anyone worth mentioning¡­¡±


    ¡°How come?¡±


    ¡°I only came here with the intention to speak with Alastor about a personal issue but as you know, things have not been easy for him these recent days¡­If not because I have also registered as a guest, I would have not come here at all. I don¡¯t even know what I am doing here¡­.¡± The dragoness conveyed.


    ¡°I guess we all care about the prince. The passing of Empress Morrigan has struck us all but for him¡­.it¡¯s a completely different story. I knew the two were very close and even if she was not the one who gave birth to him, I could hardly say that I have seen a closer mother-son relationship than theirs¡­.Truly a tragedy!¡± the knight spoke solemnly.


    ¡°Hey what are you two sad faces talking about?¡± Lucas walked toward the couple. ¡°How come the mood is so sombre in this corner of the room? Come join us!¡±


    *SMACK*


    ¡°You idiot!¡± Viviana hit on the young man¡¯s head. ¡°How insensitive are you?¡±


    ¡°Well excuse me! Lowly me is just trying to lighten the mood a bit. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± the boy hugged his head.


    ¡°Now, now, everyone, please calm down!¡± a fat noble approached. ¡°While indeed things have not been looking good these days, remember that today is the day peace will be officially established between all kingdoms. There is a time for mourning but there is a time that demands action and celebration. Besides, I am sure Empress Morrigan would have wanted that.¡± Minister Sinclair tried to speak proudly but his teary eyes completely betrayed that image.


    ¡°Are you crying, old man?¡± asked Lucas.


    ¡°¡­¡­AAA¡± Sinclair shouted hysterically as he hugged the confused Lucas all of the sudden. ¡°Of course I want to cry. My Empress is dead. But I can¡¯t. Not until her wish is granted.¡±


    ¡°Alright alright, please¡­.can you let me go?¡± the boy uttered.


    Watching the scene from the tea table, the four royal demon guards were smiling together with young Edward.


    ¡°You are such a lively bunch.¡± Mephisto chuckled.


    ¡°For many of us, this is the first time we even see each other¡­And now they all look like they have been friends for years.¡± Edward commented with a smile. ¡°But minister Sinclair is right. We can¡¯t let ourselves be taken over by sadness.¡±


    ¡°True that! I saw Alastor earlier and it seems like he is over it now¡­.or at least he is doing his best to show it.¡± Naberius spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that he can hold it until the end of today!¡± Mephisto said.


    ¡°Yeah! Maybe we can do something later for him, just to cheer him up!¡± the beastman said.


    ¡°Agreed! Master has sacrificed more than enough for this cause already¡­It¡¯s about time for him to have some peace of mind¡± Edward said.


    ¡°¡­.So many things have changed¡± the voice of a young elf girl spoke softly from behind Edward.¡±¡­To think that there is a day where I sit here with so many members of different races all happily chatting with each other¡­¡±


    ¡°Something wrong, Lilith?¡± the lich who has been sitting next to Naberius asked.


    ¡°No. Nothing! It¡¯s just¡­this is what we Gods have always desired since the moment we created you all¡­But me, I created the demons solely for the purpose of revenge¡­Now that I think of it, does my grudge even matter anymore after all these years? Am I that petty of a woman?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about? You are pettiness incarnated so of course you are petty.¡± The lich commented.


    ¡°Shut up you dumb skeleton! I am trying to be emotional here. Is this really that much to ask you to shut up for once?¡± fumed Lilith.


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± the slime smiled loudly. ¡°I agree with Noroeth.¡±


    ¡°What? You too? Then you are dumb too!¡± Lilith yelled.


    Laughter filled the room along with the bright atmosphere of harmony and joy. The fact that they could all sit together in the same room, chatting with each other like this was the perfect proof to say that peace was possible. The dream has been accomplished. All that lied next was to defend it. And challenges were coming their way.


    Suddenly, a figure walked into the room. Wearing a full white dress and black thighs, the doll walked entered the room silently without saying a word. On one hand, she held a silvery block with a handle that looked like a suitcase. But instead of joining in the conversation with the others, she ignored the call from anyone and walked straight to the middle of the room before putting the suitcase on the floor.


    At the same time, Edward felt a strange pain on his chest. The clock was moving again. But unlike before, it has reached a dreadful level: the brand was pure black.


    ¡°Hey Stella, what¡¯s up?¡± Amelia asked curiously.


    ¡°¡­..¡± the doll remained silent.


    ¡°What is that?¡± questioned Mephisto.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    After putting the case down on the floor the doll moved to the confused Mephisto.


    The suitcase beeped repeatedly and opened itself, revealing a complex circuit of wires and a red half spherical beacon inside that was flashing continuously. With each beep, the next one would come sooner and sooner until it became just a loud constant beep.


    ¡°Alastor sent his regard. Please enjoy our hospitality!¡±


    ¡°GET DOWN!¡± Edward shouted, warning everyone.


    ¡­..


    *BOOM*


    In an instant, the whole room burst in flame as the walls and windows were blast away, reducing everything inside to ashes.


    * * *


    A short instant before the explosion, in the peace talk¡¯s chamber


    The convention was passing in a quite smooth way. Each leader took their turn to raise their concerns while the others would give out a possible solution. So far, everything has been put in place as no issue was left behind and no one had any objection to what have been said. To be frank, it could not have been steadier than this.


    However, everyone noticed the strange behaviour of the young lord of the castle itself. Instead of actively participating in the talk, he remained silent the whole time all while giving nothing about his opinion to any of the matter. He just listened quietly. But that odd demeanour was passed as a simple grieving mind of a boy who has just lost his mother. Perhaps he has not been over the shock yet, which everyone could understand completely. Yet, if only that was the case¡­.


    ¡°Prince Alastor, it¡¯s your turn!¡± said Charles. ¡°As the last leader of this table who has not spoken yet, do you have anything you wish to add?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn already?¡± Alastor spoke in a strangely cheerful manner. ¡°For a peace talk, that was awfully quick, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Celdora inquired. ¡°Is there something that you don¡¯t agree with?¡±


    ¡°Oh no! Not at all!¡± the boy smiled. ¡°Everything you have said so far are very good solutions. But I believe I have a much better alternative that could solve the problem at its core.¡±


    ¡°Really? Do share with us!¡± Pope Maximillian asked.


    ¡°Well, before I concede my proposal, let me ask you a question: in your own opinion, what do you think is the source of all our problems?¡± the young demon lord said.


    ¡°Sources of all our problems? There are so many I am not sure I can list all of them¡­.¡± Zen conveyed.


    ¡°No, I am talking about THE source of all problems. What caused all the wars in the world?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± everyone looked at each other in confusion, unable to find what Alastor was talking about.


    ¡°No one? I am disappointed. Very well, let me tell you the answer: we are the problems!¡± Alastor proclaimed.


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°What?¡± Kaiser stood up in confusion to what his father just said.


    ¡°We are the scourge that plagues this world. If we cease to exist, then peace will return to this world.¡± The boy said.


    ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Eris the Sun priestess shouted in anger, surprised at Alastro¡¯s claim. As the Luna priestess, she was too shocked at Alastor¡¯s behaviour to even say anything.


    ¡°I assure you all, I am not! By eliminating the source of all evil, which is us vermin who are destroying this world, only then can the world find eternal peace! Only then can our souls find salvation for the sins we committed!¡±


    ¡°This is madness!¡± Celdora yelled, hitting the table. ¡°I understand that you are in mourning over your mother¡¯s death but you have no right to say such blasphemy.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, please calm down!¡± Ikarus stood up and rushed to Alastor¡¯ side as she tried to call everyone back to their composure.


    ¡°Understand? You think you understand my pain, lord Celdora?¡± Alastor burst in a hysterical laughter. ¡°Hahahahah¡­..HAHAHAHAAHAHAHA! What a joke!¡±


    ¡°Alastor, what is wrong with you?¡± Ikarus turned to the boy.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with me, Ikarus. These people just don¡¯t understand the simply concept I am explaining to them. Or are you siding with them too?¡± Alastor stared back the painful Ikarus.


    ¡°I¡­I am not siding with anyone. But please! Come back to your senses! You don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Pled the celestial.


    ¡°No¡­I know, Ikarus. I know that now, you are also one of them.¡±


    ¡°Alastor, pleaseee!¡± the celestial cried out.


    ¡°Enough of this! I will not tolerate this kind of nonsense!¡± Celdora angrily stood up and walked to the door.


    *BOOM*


    Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard from a nearby room along with a tremor crossing the entire palace. Even the chamber they were in was trembling violently with some small cracks appearing on the ceiling, making everyone holding onto something to keep themselves from falling.


    ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Charles asked. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°That¡­is the sound of your calling. Hahahahaha¡­.HAHAHAAHAHAHA!¡± Alastor laughed out loud.


    A small girl stormed into the room. Her cloth was covered in ashes and black traces, remains of the fire she just went out. On her hand, she was dragging something along on the ground.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Alastor?¡± the Goddess of the Flesh Lilith raged as she threw a charcoal corpse on the table, shocking everyone. The body was humanoid but its skins has been burned to crisp, revealing a metallic skeleton underneath that has apparently been destroyed by Lilith herself. ¡°Why are you trying to kill us?¡±


    ¡°What the¡­? What is that?¡± Eris shouted in dread upon seeing the creepy face of the corpse.


    ¡°That¡¯s the doll Stella. She tried to kill us with a bomb coming from you. Now answer me, Alastor!¡±


    With her words, the other retainers that were in the guest¡¯s room from earlier rushed in. They all looked slightly burned and covered in dust but there was nothing life threatening. It looked like Edward¡¯s warning has given enough time for Yggdrasil and Lilith to raise a barrier, saving everyone in the nick of time.


    ¡°Master, why?¡± Edward shouted in confusion at the figure who has stopped laughing when he saw that the assassination has failed.


    ¡°¡­Worthless pawn¡­Can¡¯t even do the job right! Guess these clones can¡¯t compare to the true model after all.¡± The boy muttered. ¡°But no matter. You are all going to die anyway.¡±


    Suddenly, a light beacon popped out of the wall, emitting a red light of warning while broadcasting a daunting message:


    ¡°WARNING WARNING! ALL PERSONEL PLEASE EVACUATE FROM THE FACILITY!


    THE BARRIER HAS BEEN BREANCHED! CONTAMINATION LEVEL HAS EXCEEDED THE CRITICAL LIMIT OF NINETY PERCENT!¡±


    WARNING WARNING! ALL PERSONEL PLEASE EVACUATE FROM THE FACILITY!¡±


    ¡°What the¡­?¡± Lilith uttered.


    ¡°Tan tan tan!¡± Alastor hymned joyfully as he tapped his finger like the conductor of an orchestra. ¡°Here it comeessssss!¡±


    As soon as Alastor finished his sentence, something was crawling its way inside the wall like the roots of a tree invading the stones throughout the ages. Only, in this case, it all happened in seconds. Where there was a crack, a silver liquid oozed out and dropped onto the floor below.


    ¡°This is¡­Living Metal!!!¡± Lilith realized the terrifying nature of the strange substance. ¡°How did it get here?¡±


    ¡°What a stupid question, Lilith! Take a guess!¡± Alastor provoked.


    ¡°You? You let it free???¡± shouted the Goddess in anger. Inside her mind, Alice was also shouting in confusion as she could not understand her brother¡¯s actions. ¡°You IDIOT!¡±


    Lilith dashed toward Alastor with incredible speed thanks to her abnormally strong footing that created a small crater where she once stood. But just as she was just about to hit him with her punch, silver spikes rose from the ground right below her.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Thankfully for her, the lich Noroeth has cast a wind spell that blew her back while Amelia used her giant skeleton arm to catch her.


    ¡°Alastor, stop! PLEASE!¡± Ikarus cried out.


    Sensing the incoming danger, Kaiser and the other leaders dragged her back, away from the evil figure who just sat on his seat as the entire room was starting to be covered by the silver substance. Anyone who tried to approach Alastor would be skewered by the living metal flowing below. They could not move carelessly if they didn¡¯t want to be pierced to death by this dangerous substance.


    ¡°What are you planning, Alastor?¡± Celdora fumed.


    ¡°Father, please stop!¡± Kaiser called out.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Alastor! You don¡¯t know what you are doing.¡± Shouted Lilith. ¡°This thing will kill us all.¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± the boy grinned evilly. ¡°It will kill, yes, but only you. Akroma and I are one after all. Fear not! After all this, I will join you in the deepest level of hell as the world will finally be freed from the corruption we caused.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Noroeth yelled. ¡°If Akroma is released, the entire world will be destroyed.¡±


    ¡°Ohohohohoho! Akroma is just the appetizer of the fine party. And here, everyone, is the main course!


    ¡­..Hum so only eight made it¡­.No matter! They are more than enough to put down judgement upon you all.¡± Alastor spoke as he closed his eyes and seemingly chanting something.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lilith questioned when she felt the tremendous strange energy gathering around Alastor.


    Eight dark crystal gems suddenly appeared around Alastor, floating the air and emitting an extremely powerful dark aura.


    ¡°I call upon thee, demon lords of the Old. Answer my call! Heed my command! Bring down the divine punishment these sinners deserve!¡±


    The crystal gems¡¯ luminescence have reached their peak and oozed out a dark smoke that started to form shapes and forms around them.


    ¡°Rise from your grave:


    Devas, the Apotheosis of the Mire


    Beatrix, the Accursed


    Beelzebub, the Archetype of Gluttony


    Nyx, the Dreamwalker


    Lucifer, the Fallen Apostate


    Sullivan, the Outlander


    Xenes, the Transcended


    Asmodeus, the Destroyer¡±


    From the crystal, the bodies of the fallen demon lords were created to their original form. This was the result of Odium¡¯s ultimate experiment and the sacrifice of all those innocents in the war between the elves and the beastmen: the parade of the demon lords.


    ¡°Hahaha¡­.HAHAHAAHAHA! The smell of fresh air! The colours! Hahahaha! I live once more!¡± The dragon Xenes laughed out loud.


    ¡°So we actually did it.¡± Beelzebub uttered as he examined his new body. ¡°This feeling¡­it has been so long.¡±


    Clenching his fist in awe, an old dwarf looked around to see if this was a dream. But as he turned his head, the sight of a certain person has caught his eyes. ¡°Cynthia?¡±


    ¡°Sullivan? Are you Sullivan?¡± the Luna priestess uttered when she felt a certain connection to the old man in front of her. It was but a fleeting sensation that told her about who he might be. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°¡­..I¡­.¡± Sullivan found himself speechless.


    While the other demon lords were still not passed over their resurrection, their leader Asmodeus was approaching a terrified girl who saw her rising from the death.


    ¡°Hello, Lilith! You look ¡­different.¡± Asmodeus grinned.


    ¡°No¡­noo¡­NOOOO! You brought this monster back???¡± Lilith uttered in bewilderment and fell on her butt as she tried to crawl away from the woman. ¡°Nonononono!¡±


    ¡°I see that you still remember our special meeting.¡± Asmodeus chuckled.


    ¡°What are they?¡± asked Charles upon seeing the strange eight individuals who just appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who they are but if they are in cahoots with the brat, then¡­.¡± Celdora prepared his battle stance but was stopped by the True Monarch. ¡°Kaiser? Why are you stopping me?¡±


    ¡°I know you won¡¯t like me saying this but¡­.we cannot fight them. They are the demon lords of the past, each the most potent warrior of their time. Especially that woman¡­.I am afraid that even if we combine all our strength together, she would still beat us¡­ten out of ten times, and very easily¡­. Our differences are too much¡­.¡± The king explained in a painful voice.


    ¡°What? Who is she?¡± the dragon lord shouted.


    ¡°¡­.Asmodeus of Calamity¡­.the person who caused the First Calamity that resulted in the separation of Ragna from Mara!¡± The Goddess spoke in a trembling voice.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t beat her. No one can. We have to run. NOW!¡± Lilith stood up and shouted at the others who were still too shocked by her declaration.


    ¡°No! I will not leave him.¡± Ikarus struggled hardly from Kaiser¡¯s grap and ran pass the demon lords who ignored her.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Mephisto called out but was stopped by the demon lords.


    Rushing to her lover¡¯ side, she held his hands in her as she begged him to stop in tears. ¡°Alastor, please! Wake up to your senses!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the boy stared at her in silence with distant eyes.


    ¡°Alastor!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­*sigh*Can¡¯t you see Ikarus? I am doing this for peace.¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°No! What you are doing will not bring peace to the world but destroy it! Please come back to me! We can still fix this!¡± she sobbed with red teary eyes while pleading the boy.


    ¡°¡­.You¡­.I¡­..Arghhhh!¡± without warning, Alastor was struck with a sudden headache he could not understand why. The white noises echoed in his mind, cutting him of all sounds of his surroundings, of her voice. But then it stopped as he felt calm again and smiled at the celestial. ¡°Ikarus, I love you!¡±


    ¡°Wh¡­?¡± the celestial was stunned by this sudden confession, especially after what happened.


    ¡°Let me demonstrate my love to you! Please¡­die!¡±


    Grabbing her slim neck with one of his hands, Alastor pinned the celestial down to the table as she struggled violently to breath. Her eyes were filled with terror when she looked at the dreadful expression of her lover who was trying to kill her: he was smiling.


    ¡°Do not struggle!¡± He whispered in her ears softly. ¡°You know that I love you right? That¡¯s why I want to make sure that you will be freed from this accursed world first. So that when I go there, you will be waiting for me and together we will have eternal happiness.¡± Alastor softened his grab as he gave a long deep kiss on her lips. ¡°Just a little bit more, Ikarus! Just a little more and you will be freed! Let me make it faster for you!¡±


    A dark knife manifested itself in Alastor¡¯s hand as he raised it above his head.


    ¡°STOP IT, ALASTOR!¡± The others shouted at the boy who has stepped too far into the darkness.


    ¡°See you later, my love!¡±


    ¡°!!!¡± Ikarus opened her big eyes in terror.


    ¡°¡­..I¡­¡± Alastor stopped. The knife was still on air but his hand has stopped itself. A drop of tear fell from his eyes down on the cheeks of the celestial as he released his grab on her neck. ¡°¡­ka¡­.rus¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Alastor?¡± The celestial muttered in surprise when she thought that he was finally back to his senses.


    But then, his expression switched again to a dreadful smile.


    *STAB*


    The knife fell down and plunged into the soft flesh of the celestial. Crimson blood spilled out of the wound as the boy pulled out the knife of the quivering celestial. Leaving her coughing in blood with horror in her eyes, the boy looked at her with the gentlest expression anyone could make.


    ¡°I love you, Ikarus!¡±

 Chapter 107: Outbreak

    Author''s note: Alright, a very very strange chapter. Do let me know what you think ^^! Please be patient and everything will come in place...in time.


    ###################################################################################


    A wooden door opened and hit the small bell hung above, signalling that a customer has just come. Inside this well yet dim lighted place, the smell of bitter alcohol along with the sweet aroma of a peculiar white flower filled the small room. The floor consisted of shiny amber tiles that have been so well polished they actually looked like mirrors with some white veins to add a natural side to the stones. Except for a few small tables and chairs, the bar only had a high counter with more seats in front of it. At the back of the counter, multitudes of expensive looking bottles ranging from the most common type to the highest quality of wine gathered from every corner of the world lined up on the old glass shelf.


    But aside from the obvious purpose of drinking of this place, there was one thing that would catch the attention of anyone coming in: aside from the only wine shelf behind the counter, stacks of books could be seen arranged in a very meticulous and organized manner, showing the personality of the one in charge of this place. Either on other shelves in this small room or being displayed like trophies behind some glass walls, these books were very well taken care of without any sign of deterioration or even tiny scratches on their covers despite their age. Even more, each of these tomes were emitting a strange aura. Approaching them and you could hear whispers ringing inside your head as if they were talking to you directly, to tell you of the hidden tales written in them. Secrets, legends, myths, love, vengeance¡­everything they could tell you.


    However, as interesting as they were, the two customers who have just walked in had no interest in them. They came here for a drink, not to read or listen to some tales written in some decrepit books. Moving toward the counter, they each took a seat on the soft furniture. The moment they sat down, as their eyes closed down for an instant before opened up again, a figure was already standing behind the counter, holding a white towel, cleaning an empty glass.


    Wearing a strange ivory mask on with nothing on the surface, not even a single gap to show what lied underneath that mysterious face, the person seemed to be a man considering his silhouette. Short silver haired, his wrinkled hands, although not so much to be called an old man, seemed to indicate that he was somewhere between forty and fifty. That was it if you compared to the physics of a normal human. As for his clothing, it was a small red bow on top of a modern black suit belonging to that of a butler or a high class bartender. His odd appearance already begged some questions. How could he even see with that mask on his face? There was no gap even for the mouth or eyes. Perhaps he had no need to see at all and the mask¡¯s only role was to keep his identity a secret.


    And yet facing this strange man who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, the two customers were not even fazed by the performance and simply jumped to the reason why they were here.


    ¡°Hello Master! Can you get something for us to drink please?¡± Wearing a long grey rain coat and a cap, the male customer asked.


    ¡°¡­..¡± Without saying a word, the man referred to as simply ¡®Master¡¯ pointed toward the small sign attached on the wall.


    ¡°What would you like?¡±


    ¡°One Martini please for the lady and a vodka shot for me!¡± the man said.


    Suddenly, the sign changed to a new sentence.


    ¡°Right away!¡±


    In an eye flash, the drinks have been prepared and manifested themselves before the couple. Meanwhile, the bartender has not moved an inch from his spot or even reached out to anything: he simply continued wiping his glass.


    ¡°Hum¡­.¡± The lady, long hair dyed in a light red colour that was closer to orange and wearing a fur coat and expensive looking red dress, sipped her glass with a satisfied expression. ¡°Exquisite! The drink is impeccable and the place looks really nice. The service is so fast too. Though, I would appreciate some small talks from the owner themselves. It¡¯s a bit quiet here, too quiet for my taste.¡± She commented.


    ¡°You will have to forgive Master. He is not really a man of words. Hey Master, could you kindly play some music please?¡±


    Halting his wiping, the bartender snapped his finger and immediately, jazz music could be heard in the background, adding to the cosy atmosphere of this place.


    ¡°Here you go! Not so quiet anymore, right?¡± said the man.


    ¡°I guess so. Say, how did you know about this place? I mean we all know about it but it¡¯s how to get here that is the problem. You would need a special item, that card you have right?¡± The woman looked at the card hidden in the small pocket on his vest. ¡°How did you get it?¡±


    ¡°Oh this? Master and I went back a long time ago. In fact, I kind of helped him build this place so it¡¯s natural that I have an invitation. ¡°The man took out the card: a fascinating looking, beautifully crafted thing made out of a transparent dark crystal material with a hole in the middle.


    ¡°Wow, that is so nice! If only I can get one¡­.¡± Said the woman.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get one. It will come only to those who need it. And one word of advice: don¡¯t ever attempt to steal one if you want to live!¡± the man spoke with a smile.


    ¡°Ah shucks! Too bad then.¡± The woman turned her head and looked around. ¡°There are a lot of books here. Quite strange for a bar!¡±


    ¡°Those? Master is a zealot in literature and also a renowned collector of books. This is the collection he has spent years to gather, displayed here for the customers to see.¡± The man explained.


    Noticing the strange aura and the whispers coming from the shelves, the woman decided to go down from her high seat and approach them. ¡°Are those¡­.what I think they are?¡±


    ¡°You have good eyes, miss! Yes they are!¡± grinned the man.


    ¡°Incredible! Do you realize how difficult it is to get hold of one? And here, there are like thousands of them. And such power¡­..¡± the woman muttered. Her eyes reflected the object of her deepest desire. It was the one tome that caught her attention. It only took her a second to notice the difference between it and the others. While indeed all the books here emitted extremely powerful aura, this one in particular stood out a bit more because of the dim blue light it was radiating. To get her hands on one, just that one item displayed here, that was all this woman wanted: a peculiar book with the image of a flower on its cover.


    ¡°????? ?? ??????: ??????¡±


    The title of the book was written in a strange language and yet the woman could spell it so naturally as if it was her mother¡¯s tongue.


    ¡°Madame Rouge?¡± the man stared at her and threw a glance at the silent bartender who was still wiping his glass.


    ¡°What?...Oh my bad! I am so sorry, Master!¡± she apologized quickly to the senior but he didn¡¯t say a word. In fact the only sound he made was the sound the white towel polishing the glass.


    ¡°You be careful there, Madame Rouge! We don¡¯t speak that language here. Not in front of Master!¡± the male warned.


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± she apologized again but only to Master. However, her actions and slight trembling indicated that it was not out of respect but more like fear.


    The sign on the wall changed again.


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    ¡°By the way, Master,¡­.¡± The woman muttered as she raised her head.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Do you mind if I take a read of this book? I am interested.¡±


    For the first time since they entered here, the bartender actually stopped wiping the glass and looked at his customers straight in the eyes, or so it seemed since it was difficult to tell because of the mask he was wearing. After putting down what he was doing, the senior walked out of the counter through a small exit on the side, passed the woman and stood in front of the glass shelf. Raising his arm forward, he pulled out the book she was talking about like the glass wall was not actually there. Turning back, he gave the book with both his hands to the woman before returning to his position and resuming his task: wiping the glass.


    ¡°Now, Madame Rouge, please, whatever you do, please, for your own sake, do not damage that book!¡± the man said.


    ¡°I know I know! You think I would let something this precious to be harmed? Not over my dead body!¡±


    ¡°Be careful with what you say, Madame Rouge! We never know!¡±


    Taking a seat on the counter, the woman proceeded in reading the book joyfully like a child opening her Christmas present.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°Wow¡­.this is¡­.this is so messed up!¡± the woman uttered upon finishing the book. ¡°I mean¡­why?¡±


    ¡°If you think that book is messed up then you haven¡¯t seen much, Madame Rouge!¡± said the man.


    ¡°Well it¡¯s not gory or disturbing in that sense but¡­.I don¡¯t know how to say it¡­.¡±


    ¡°I see what you mean, don¡¯t worry! I do admit that it was a little bit regrettable that it ended this way.¡±


    ¡°Well of course it is! They all died in the end while he was the only who survived. That¡¯s ¡­.sad and tragic. Many of them still have so much potential, like the young master of the Osborne family. He still doesn¡¯t use the full extent of that brand. Such a pity!¡±


    ¡°¡­.I am not so sure about that.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the woman.


    ¡°Master, can I tell her?¡± the man turned to the bartender who simply answered with a nod. ¡°Here is the interesting thing: there is actually a second hidden tome that is the sequel of this book.¡±


    ¡°What? There is a sequel? So this is only the first volume¡­But what will happen in the second book if they all died at the end of the first one? Adding more new characters won¡¯t cut it.¡± The woman questioned.


    ¡°Nothing! Absolutely nothing happened in the second book since all the characters died except for him. Of course if you enjoy reading pages after pages about the boy¡¯s regret that actually resulted in nothing, maybe you will be interested in reading in. But that kind of thing is not my cup of tea, nor it is interesting to Master. That¡¯s why¡­.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why what? ¡­.Oh my god, don¡¯t tell me that the blue light emitting from this book is because of¡­.¡± Rouge uttered in awe.


    ¡°Exactly! We will change its ending, my lovely lady!¡±


    ¡°Change a book? One of those books? Are you insane? You know that is not allowed! Not when the book is already finished.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! And who are going to stop us? Nyarlathotep? Yig? Or that other guy? We all know that the rule is only there to keep the lesser ones from overstepping their bounds. As for us¡­we can do that as long as it remains¡­subtle.¡± The male smiled devilishly. ¡°And just for your information, the ¡®other guy¡¯ is already changing it so we might as well join in for the fun.¡±


    ¡°.....This is¡­.I mean this is huge. Are you going to wage war with the Elders?¡± Rouge uttered in a scared voice.


    ¡°Who said anything about war? We only want to keep this book from continuing, for it to be interesting.¡±


    ¡°But why? Why risk so much just for one book? Why this particular one?¡±


    ¡°¡­.That I can¡¯t say, Madame Rouge!¡± The man spoke to the woman but actually looked at the bartender with a grin. ¡°I don¡¯t know much myself either, right Master?¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± the old man suddenly stopped again. And this time, he uttered his first words since a very long time. ¡°Madame Rouge, do you wish to join us?¡±


    ¡°What? I¡­I¡­.¡± the woman stuttered upon hearing the grave voice. Not because it was eerie or anything but because of a strange rumour surrounding the Master of this bar.


    ¡°The Master is a silent man and it¡¯s better for him to stay that way. For every time he speaks, someone is going to die.¡±


    The sign on the wall changed to a quote, the exact same rumour that the woman has heard about the owner of this place. She was scarred at the time, thinking it was her last moment. Was this how she would end? After all these years?


    ¡°Or so they say. I am just joking, Madame Rouge! I don¡¯t kill people in my bar.¡± The senior said gently.


    There were many ways to interpret what he said. Neither sounded good but at least, it didn¡¯t seem like she would be harmed just yet, not today anyway.


    ¡°If I say no, what would you do?¡± The woman tried to test the water.


    ¡°Would you like to find out?¡±


    ¡°¡­No¡­I mean yes I will join you¡­.But what will I do?¡± the woman asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. Change it however you see fit!¡±


    * * *


    Continent of Ragna


    The leader of the Hunters was running as fast as she could toward the demon lord¡¯s castle. A moment ago, she saw a small explosion coming from its direction and a column of smoke rising from a quarter of the castle. Fearing for the worst of an attack on the peace talk, she rushed back to the scene where the conference was being held. Storming in the chamber, what she saw shocked her to her very core.


    The body of a blue haired celestial lied on the table covered in a crimson fluid pouring out of the wound on her chest where an obsidian knife poked out. Next to it, the figure of a young boy was caressing the blue hair on her head as he spoke in such a gentle way to her.


    ¡°I love you, Ikarus!¡±


    ¡°Alastor? What is the meaning of this?¡± Maria charged at the boy.


    ¡°Wait a minute, don¡¯t come near him!¡± Lilith shouted.


    Swinging her sword, the Huntress tried to attack him but Alastor easily evaded it and fell back a few steps. Taking advantage of the situation, Kaiser immediately rushed to the celestial and took her in his arms before teleporting back to the group.


    ¡°Please take care of her!¡± the Monarch spoke as he drew his twin great swords after giving Ikarus to Maxime.


    ¡°She is still alive. I can patch her up quickly but she needs proper medical care immediately.¡± The pope looked the demon lords who were coming toward them. ¡°We need to get her out of here.¡±


    ¡°Agreed! Everyone, please go! I will try to hold them back.¡± Charles stepped forward.


    ¡°What? That is suicide.¡± Said Sinclair.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have a choice. At the very least, I can buy you some time to get away. Quickly!¡± the King of Ceadric shouted as he charged forward.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± Alastor grinned. ¡°Akroma, devour them!¡±


    The living metal poured out of the walls and lunged themselves at the group. Their first targets: the twin priestesses. In an instant, the large silver liquid gushed down onto the unwary priestess of Solana and consumed her as the tiny machines invaded her body.


    ¡°AAAAAAA!¡± Eris screamed in pain before disappearing into the stream.


    ¡°ERIS! NO!¡± Cynthia called out to her counterpart. In the past, they might have their differences but in the end, the two have bonded together and cast aside their differences in order to bring peace and order to their people. But now, it has ended.


    But the Moon priestess should worry about herself as she was the next one.


    ¡°CYNTHIA!¡± The knight Luvik rushed to her side but was stopped by another stream of the silver liquid that formed a wall between the woman and the rest of the group.


    ¡°Luvik!¡± Cynthia tried to get back but it was too late for her. All her surroundings have been blocked as the living metal drew in closer to her. ¡°Please get out of here or else you will be caught too!¡±


    ¡°No! I will not leave you!¡± shouted the knight as he used his sword on the living metal, only to have it melt down, eaten by it. ¡°Stay away from her, you monster!¡±


    ¡°Please Luvik! Run away please!¡± the woman cried out as she was just cornered into the wall with the tides of machines on a few foot from her.¡± ¡°Leave me!¡± She cried out loud.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°How touching! It¡¯s this kind of scene that makes me shiver in joy.¡±  Xenes commented on the scene.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you like romantic stories!¡± said Lucifer.


    ¡°I don¡¯t. But this¡­proclaiming their love to each other as they are facing imminent death¡­.exquisite!¡±


    ¡°You are quite a sadist aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I would rather have you call me a composer of the finest art! For what is more beautiful than death itself?¡± Xenes grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree, Sullivan?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The dwarf demon lord stayed silent, showing a painful expression as he clenched his fist. On the background, the scream of an elf woman, who did not even care for her own safety as she urged her lover to leave her behind, echoed. That noble sacrifice, a final act of this woman who has suffered her entire life....


    ¡°Goodbye Cynthia!¡± Alastor saluted cheerfully as he ordered the ooze to charge into her.


    ¡°<Dimensional Crack>¡±


    A fissure suddenly appeared on the wall behind Cynthia and a hand crawled out before pulling the priestess into it, saving her in the nick of time as the living metal lunged at her. The culprit revealed to be Sullivan after he released the stunned Cynthia next to him.


    ¡°Sullivan?¡± Lucifer shouted. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.¡°I¡­.I¡­.¡± the dwarf stuttered.


    ¡°You dare betray us?¡±


    ¡°This¡­This is¡­.I didn¡¯t sign up for this. This is our second chance to live and now you want to destroy it? I was told that we would be free to do whatever we want but not this!!!¡± the dwarf argued. ¡°No wonder why Belphegor didn¡¯t want to go!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Xenes showed a surprised expression upon hearing the dwarf¡¯s speech. Compared to others, Sullivan was rather quiet and never would want to stand out. And now he was declaring his betrayal to his fellow demon lords? For such a stupid reason called freedom?


    ¡°I hope that you are still shocked by your resurrection which explains this odd behaviour of yours. I will give you a final chance, Sullivan.¡± Asmodeus threatened. ¡°Kill that woman and I will forget about this!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± the old dwarf shouted. ¡°I would rather die than kill her!¡±


    ¡°Then die!¡± Raising her arm forward, Asmodeus charged an intense beam of light and fired at the dwarf.


    ¡°¡­¡­Well said, Sullivan!¡±


    ¡°<Distortion>¡±


    In an instant, the fabrics of the space in front of Sullivan trembled and bent itself, redirecting the beam of light to the side as it pierced through the wall and incinerated the living metal on its path.


    ¡°What the¡­? Who?¡± Asmodeus uttered in shock before turning to her side, only to be blast away from something huge. Despite being thrown violently against the wall, she didn¡¯t seem to be injured at the slightest and rose up quickly on her feet with an angry look at the person who struck her. ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± the dragon Xenes laughed out loud. ¡°That was satisfying. I have waited a long time to get rid of that smug face of yours. Though it is too bad that your body is tough as hell.¡±


    ¡°Xenes? You too?¡± Lucifer yelled.


    ¡°The main character always shows up on the stage at the most crucial moment. If you can¡¯t even grasp that simple basic, then I guess my art is too much for you uneducated bunch. Screw you guys, I am switching side. Bye bye!


    <Call of the Void>¡±


    Without warning, all the demon lords and Alastor could hear a frightening mixture of white noises and screams in a strange language inside their mind. The screams or words spoken, if those could be called words at all, paralyzed them in their spot. Even covering their ears would not help. Furthermore, this attack only affected a few, leaving the other leaders and their retainers safe.


    Taking advantage of the chance, Xenes rushed to Sullivan before grabbing both him and Cynthia. Turning to the others still in shock after what happened, Xenes spoke arrogantly.


    ¡°Are you going or what? I don¡¯t mind if you want to stay and die. It¡¯s none of my business. But if you want to have a chance to beat them then run!


    Come on! I don¡¯t have all day!¡±


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Abalone shouted. ¡°We can¡¯t trust him. He is Xenes!¡±


    ¡°I understand your concern, Miss Abalone but we have to get out of here first. And he helped us beating those guys so I would rather take my chance with him than staying here.¡± Luvik commented while lending a shoulder to the shocked Cynthia.


    Without any other choice, everyone decided to take their chance and followed Xenes to the entrance. However just as the last ones were about to leave the chamber, Asmodeus seemed to have broken out of Xenes¡¯ spell and was charging toward the escaping group.


    ¡°You fucking dragon, I will kill you!¡± the elf woman shouted furiously.


    *CLANG*


    A brave young man stopped the demoness from rushing any further. The king of Ceadric by himself has managed to hold against one attack of the fable terror who has once sent fear even to the Gods themselves.


    ¡°ARGGG!¡± Using all his power, the king pushed Asmodeus back a few steps. ¡° Ha¡­ha¡­.ah *heavy breathing*¡± It took all his stamina and strength to just hold his ground against one strike from this woman. Just how strong was she? ¡°I will not let you pass.¡± He raised his sword firmly with both his hands.


    ¡°Brave¡­.but a fool remains a fool in the end!¡± In a flash, Asmodeus caught Charles¡¯ sword with only two fingers. Snapping them, she shattered the blade into pieces, much to the bewilderment of the king. Even he could recover and launch another attack, the demoness lunged her hand at his neck, lifting him up with just one arm as she strengthened her grip. ¡°Now, you are mine!¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Edward intended to rush back. He could feel the clock on his chest tickling. It was fully black, meaning that he would surely die if he went back.


    ¡°No don¡¯t! Just run!¡± the king of Ceadric struggled hardly as he tried to escape from the firm grip Asmodeus had on him.


    The living metal has now poured out of the chamber itself and was on their way rushing toward Edward. Even if he wanted to, there was no going back now. All he could do was to look at his king being strangled as he shouted his last words.


    ¡°Edward¡­I leave everything to you¡­.Save the people!¡±


    With heavy heart and tears in his eyes, the young Deus mage ran as fast as he could and join the others who were confused at the sight of only Edward coming out.


    ¡°Where is Charles?¡± Asked Celdora.


    ¡°He¡­he gave his life to save us¡­to save me!¡± the boy sobbed.


    ¡°God damn it!¡± Lilith stomped the ground in anger. ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh no¡­!¡± the lich Noroeth uttered upon seeing the outside of the castle. ¡°We must run, quick!¡±


    The entire forest and land surrounding the castle was being corrupted by a silver liquid rising from the ground. Trees fell one after another when the insides of their trunks were consumed entirely, leaving the things unable to support its weight. The lands were turning white as black particles were floating from the ground and rising on air. This phenomenon was not just around the castle but was happening everywhere on the continent of Ragna.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± Zen uttered.


    ¡°Akroma is eating everything it can find. We must get out of this place¡­no¡­out of this continent!¡± Sullivan said.


    ¡°Then let us go to the Gate! From there we can reach the other continents!¡± Liltih said.


    ¡­..


    ¡°Quick into the Gate! Move people!¡± the leaders shouted at their soldiers who have accompanied them to the peace talk.


    Unfortunately, most didn¡¯t make it because of the sudden appearance of the living metal which has eaten them all alive. And not just the soldiers, the residents of Ragna too needed to be evacuated. Thanks to Sullivan¡¯s help and Amelia¡¯s portal, the exodus was done much quicker than expected and the last of them have just gone through the Gate situated in the tunnel network of the arachnids. And yet, amidst this chaos, the demon lords and Alastor were nowhere to be found. This would be the perfect opportunity to strike and yet they didn¡¯t. It was as if they were preparing for something grander and much more cataclysmic.


    ¡°Is that everyone?¡± Kaiser asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± reported Mephisto. ¡°The only ones left are us and¡­¡­¡±


    *BAM BAM BAM*


    The ground shook heavily as the violent tremors destroyed several parts of the cave, trapping them in the underground with the only way out which was the Gate itself.


    ¡°What was that?¡± shouted Maria.


    One would expect the thing responsible of this earthquake to be Akroma, perhaps due to its eating the entire foundations of the land. However, many forgot that something else was also down there, and it was waking up from its eternal slumber.


    ¡°This is bad. That thing is already up.¡± The dragon Xenes spoke.


    ¡°What is?¡± asked Abalone with her gyrfalcon squeaking.


    ¡°Tartarus is coming! We need to move now! There is no time left!¡±


    After rushing everyone into the portal, the dragon looked back one final time at the crumbling scene around him as the cave started to collapse.


    ¡°I need to move quick before things get worse¡­.Wonder how Maragon would react if he sees me now¡­And that girl Abalone¡­I must take care of that too¡­


    Please wait a little longer! I will make sure that the Blood Moon will come!¡±


    And he crossed the Gate, seconds before a large rock fell down and crushed it to pieces, along with the destruction of the entire underground system.


    * * *


    As soon as the group arrived back in Cedra, a call for emergency has been sent to every military force, broadcasted to the entire world through Kaiser¡¯s crystal orbs. Lilith has unlocked the full potential of the Gates and the Nexus, allowing all the armies to all quickly assemble in the northern part of Cedra as they prepared for the incoming invasion.


    With the loss of their leader, Ceadric has appointed the royal guard Edward Osborne as the commander in chief until the crisis was solved. Upon accepting the new position, although temporary, the commander has moved the entire fleet of Ceadric toward Ragna but has clearly instructed to avoid landing out of fear of the living metal. Their aim was not an actually attack but more like scouting and observing all kinds of movements happening there.


    In just under a few hours, a large central camp has been formed with all the main functions installed quickly thanks to the cooperation of all the races, even the demons who have just lost their home due to an unclear reason. If not for Kaiser¡¯s moral support showing a firm leader in this time of need, perhaps it would have been the end for their race.


    But as the crisis continued without any sign of attack on the main land, the people and even the soldiers could not understand what their leaders meant when they claimed that the prince of Valhalla has gone mad and was now attacking them using ancient weapons. Why would the prince do that? No one could understand his reason, not even those closest to him.


    At the moment, while still waiting for the report from the fleet, Maria has gone to a tent where a certain individual was currently taken care of by the best healer of Astora.


    ¡°Father Maxime, how is she?¡± Maria asked the pope with a worried expression.


    ¡°¡­.She is very lucky.¡± The pope uttered.


    ¡°Lucky? Are you joking? Her lover tried to kill her and you say she is lucky?¡± Maria argued.


    ¡°No, I am not talking about that.¡± Maxime corrected himself. ¡°It¡¯s her wound.¡±


    ¡°Her wound? Is this bad?¡± inquired Maria.


    ¡°No¡­somehow despite that wound on her chest, none of her internal organs have been damaged. It is only a flesh wound so she will be fine.¡± The pope spoke.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Maria exhaled in relief.


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°But?¡±  Maria spoke upon hearing the doubtful tone of the pope.


    ¡°Do you realize how difficult it is to stab someone in the chest without touching any of the internal organs? I say it is practically impossible even if you do it intentionally. If Alastor truly intended to kill her, it would be a simple matter. And now I am supposed to believe that he did this without realizing it himself?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°I am saying that maybe, somewhere deep inside his mind, Alastor is still himself. That short instant of hesitation before he stabbed her, I believe that it was his consciousness calling him to stop.¡± The pope explained.


    ¡°But if then why? Why is he doing all this?¡± Maria shouted.


    ¡°I am afraid I don¡¯t have the answer, my child. We can only find out if we talk to Alastor again. But not before we stop his madness.¡±


    Suddenly, a soldier walked into the tent.


    ¡°My apologies for interrupting you but commander Edward has called everyone to the strategy tent. It seems that we have finally gained some visuals on what is actually going on in Ragna.¡± The soldiers reported.


    ¡°I will come right away. Father, please take care of her!¡± Maria said before storming out.


    The young pope looked at the unconscious celestial who has been muttering the name of her beloved non-stop ever since they brought her back. Even after everything that has happened, she was thinking of him, refusing to leave his side in her mind.


    ¡°¡­Ikarus, if you can hear me, you must wake up and find Alastor. We may be able to help you getting to him but you are the only person in the world who can bring him back from that darkness. Please wake up, Ikarus!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°What is the situation?¡± Maria spoke loudly as she entered the tent where everyone else has already gathered around a large crystal ball.


    ¡°We are just getting started.¡± Edward turned to the crystal ball. ¡°Captain, what do you see?¡±


    ¡°We have arrived in the coasts of Ragna and have formed an arc around the southern border of the continent just as you have instructed, milord. For now, there was no sign of any enemies yet. However we have noticed a strange phenomenon, sir.¡±


    ¡°Strange phenomenon? What is it?¡±


    ¡°The entire land is being covered by a strange silver-like substance and it seems like this liquid is responsible for the collapse and disintegration of the land. The entire coasts are now falling into the sea as we speak.¡±


    ¡°That must have been the living metal thing you told us, Miss Lilith.¡± Edward turned to the Goddess. ¡°What is it doing?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure. If Alastor wants to attack us now, he could have ordered Akroma to cross the sea to reach us¡­But we have not seen any sign of that so I can¡¯t really say¡­¡± Lilith commented.


    ¡°¡­.Lilith, aren¡¯t you forgetting something here?¡± The lich Noroeth uttered in a trembling voice.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Akroma is the prison that kept Tartarus from getting out¡­.If Akroma is now released, it would mean that¡­.¡±


    *BANG*


    A tremor of the highest level ever to be recorded suddenly shook the entire world, making everyone falling down to their knees.


    *BANG*


    *Sounds of heavy rocks falling down into water*


    And another tremor. This time accompanied by loud sounds coming from the orb.


    ¡°Captain, what is happening?¡± Edward shouted at the crystal ball.


    ¡°It¡¯s..It¡¯s¡­¡±


    *VERY LOUD BANG AND ROCK CRUMBLING*


    A final tremor that sent a violent shockwave to the rest of the world has been heard. Compared to the previous ones, this one was particularly powerful as even the wind was blowing savagely outside, blowing a few tents away. Crushing waves of tsunamis as high as mountains began to fall down onto the beach of Ceadric, flooding all the northern keeps that were still standing after the demons¡¯ invasion.


    ¡°Captain, report! What do you see?¡± shouted Edward.


    ¡°Ragna¡­the entire continent¡­.¡±


    ¡°What? What is wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s..it¡¯s gone!¡±


    Suddenly


    *MECHANICAL ROAR*


    A thundering ear-splitting growl that sounded like that of a machine echoed across the entire world.


    Back to the boat where the captain of the fleet was observing the situation on Ragna, the man himself was currently witnessing a scene beyond all imagination: the demon continent has collapsed into the sea. Towering clouds of dust were expunging into the air, creating a large column of smoke. From inside it, a titanic humanoid silhouette rose from the remains of the continent. Its size was unclear but judging from the shadow it cast, the thing was around the size of an entire continent. With a bulky body accompanied with booming screeching sounds of metal that has not moved for a very long time, the figure possessed two red dot lights could be seen shining from the smoke as it scanned the shocked tiny boat in front of it.


    ¡°Behold the Bringer of the End: Tartarus, the Machina Titan!¡±


    ##############################################################################################################


    Author''s note: And then it comes! I am curious about your reactions about the first part. Very strange and seemingly unrelated? But they are :)

 Chapter 108: Battle of titans

    Author''s note: My apologies for the absence during last weekend! Was so busy with life and I was too stressed about something and unable to provide a chapter of good quality. Hopefully it will pass soon enough!


    Also if you want an image of Tartarus for better imagination, please visit my quotev website for this chapter. Or if you know Xenoblades Chronicles, Tartarus looks similar to Mechonis.


    Hope that you will enjoy the chapter!


    ########################################################################


    The demon continent of Ragna has just been erased from the map. That was what Edward and the others have just heard from the crystal ball along with the terrifying screech that roared around the entire world. Or rather than ¡®heard¡¯ it, they could see the column of dust and smoke where the continent once stood even from their location. Although, something else was also there, slowly revealing itself from the fog.


    ¡°Behold the Bringer of the End: Tartarus, the Machina Titan!¡±


    This loud voice was broadcasted through magic, reaching to every corner of the world. This voice, it belonged to Alastor as he arrogantly proclaimed the end of the world. But as much as they wanted to deny it, none could really retort back, not after they saw what has just emerged from the ruins of Ragna.


    From their tent, the group could see a gargantuan figure rising up even beyond the clouds. Made out of onyx metal covered by layers of rocks and dusts stacking upon it after thousands of years, the iron titan has, for the first time in history, awakened. Possessing a humanoid figure with gigantic spikes, the titan was and has always been the underground facility lying underneath Ragna all these years. Its structure was massive, composed of a bulky body and a large circular shape hole on its chest emitting a red light. This was the ultimate weapon created by the Artificer Marcus William, a weapon so feared even by its own creator that it has been sealed away using the most sophisticated locking mechanism. And now, it has started to take its first steps, laying destruction wherever it went.


    ¡°Fire at that thing!¡± the captain of the fleet shouted at his men who were standing in awe at the sight of the titan. Unfortunately, their cannons and magic were nothing but mosquito bites, or perhaps even lesser than that as their attacks had no effect on the giant robot.


    ¡°zzz¡­.Multiple hostiles detected! Preparing Anti-Matter Howitzer! zzzz¡­.ENERGIZING!¡±


    The crimson cavity on the titan¡¯s chest opened and began to brighten its flare as it focused a large amount of energy inside it.


    *BEEP BEEP BEEP*


    ¡°FIRE!¡±


    Reaching its maximum zenith, a red beam fired in a straight line across the sea of Levianux after seemingly splitting it into two and annihilating everything that were on its path. The extensive laser was so powerful it also grazed down a few miles of the coasts of Ceadric, reducing it to charcoal along with the men stationed there.


    ¡°zzz¡­.Overheat¡­.Cooling down¡­..zzz¡±


    The loud mechanical voice of Tartarus rang as the cavity on its chest closed down.


    That attack along was able to take out half the imperial fleet and sent fear into the mind of the rest. This was the power of Tartarus and it has not even started to use its full arsenal yet.


    * * *


    ¡°What the hell is that thing?¡± Maria uttered in shock upon seeing the large figure from afar. The thing was so huge it could be spotted piercing through the clouds even from where she stood.


    ¡°Tartarus¡­it has finally awoken!¡± the demon lord Sullivan said with a dreadful expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s Tartarus??? How do we even stop it? That thing is at the size of a continent and it¡¯s walking toward us.¡± The Huntress shouted.


    ¡°¡­..I don¡¯t know. Either way, there is no use to have your fleet out there anymore. Pull them back right now before it is too late!¡± Sullivan addressed the command in chief Edward.


    ¡°Right away!¡± Rushing back inside, Edward called out to the imperial fleet. ¡°Is anyone still there? Answer me! Pull back! I repeat: pull back immediately!¡±


    And yet the answer he got back was horrifying.


    ¡°HELP! They are coming! HELP! ARGGHGHGHGH!¡± Tormenting screams echoed from the crystal ball, leaving those in the main continent to resort to their imagination of what could be happening over there.


    ¡°Captain!! Answer me! What are you talking about?¡± Edward yelled.


    ¡°They are in the water!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°ARGGGHHHHH! ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡± It was the last thing Edward heard from his fleet before the communication was cut off. Screams and then total silence. They were gone, supposedly killed by something.


    ¡°God damn it!¡± Edward slammed the table in anger. ¡°How could this happen?¡±


    ¡°Brace yourself, young one! We still have a lot to do.¡± Sullivan spoke.


    ¡°I know! But¡­.why¡­.why is Master doing this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why but standing there contemplating about it won¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°You are right¡­.We need to gather everyone who can fight. Hopefully it will be enough.¡± Edward said.


    ¡­¡­


    While the leaders were discussing strategy in order to find a way to deal with the new threat, another commotion was taking place nearby. Indeed, the duplicity orchestrated by Xenes seemed a little too dubious to say the least. However, that was not the reason why he has confronted trouble the moment he stepped into this camp. Rather, the source of problems came from an old acquaintance.


    ¡°YOU!¡± the black dragon shouted with acrimony and spite in his voice.


    ¡°Oh hi, Maragon! Long time no see! How is the family doing these days?¡± Xenes joked while winking at the confused Abalone by his side.


    ¡°You fucker!¡± Maragon raged.


    ¡°Oh right¡­.That was insensitive of me to ask. Soooorrrrryyyyyy!¡±


    Without holding back, Maragon took out his giant mace in his dragon form and struck down onto the sea dragon. Yet, Xenes easily caught the black dragon¡¯s hand and pushed it back seemingly with ease.


    ¡°¡­.Age is a frightening thing, yes? Look at what time did to you, OLD friend!¡± Xenes grinned.


    ¡°How? How is it that you are here? I killed you that day!¡± Maragon questioned.


    ¡°Heroes never die! Not that I am one but the line sounds cool so there I said it. Hahahaha!¡± the pale dragon laughed.


    ¡°Stop it, you two!¡± The Goddess shouted loudly at the two dragons. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this kind of squabble.¡±


    ¡°Squabble? You think this is a game? He killed my wife and his entire clan!!! Now you want to trust that same guy who also just betrayed his comrades right in front of you? Are you stupid or an idiot?¡± Maragon argued.


    ¡°Oh come on! I am an ally of justice and peace. Your decision to stand up against the bad evil demon lords has touched so here I am, standing with all of you. Besides, I would not abandon my friend Sullivan who was clearly in need of help.¡± Xenes said sarcastically.


    ¡°Friend? You killed your own friends and betrayed your kind!!! Justice? Don¡¯t make me laugh!¡± the ancient dragon said. ¡°I highly doubt that you even know him.¡±


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®and¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say that you are right and I am not trustworthy! How do you intend to take on that without me?¡± Xenes pointed to the towering shadow approaching from afar. They could feel the ground below them trembling louder and louder with every step it took.


    ¡°He is right, Maragon. We need all the help we can get to deal with Alastor and the demon lords.¡± Lilith spoke.


    ¡°¡­.He will just betray you again!¡±


    ¡°Then we will watch him closely. If he is really on Alastor¡¯ side then he could have simply not helped us at all and we would not be standing here, arguing with each other about this.¡± The goddess said.


    ¡°¡­¡± Maragon, with a heavy heart, turned toward the young sea dragon who has watched the situation since the beginning. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°You are asking me? I don¡¯t¡­..¡± Abalone uttered in shock.


    ¡°I have told you the secret of the past and even shown it to you. You have seen it with your own eyes. Do you think you can trust him?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I am not sure¡­This is too much of a responsibility for someone like me to offer my opinion on.¡±


    ¡°He is a member of your clan. It¡¯s your call.¡± Maragon declared.


    ¡°I have seen his abilities and it can be very beneficial to us in the coming conflict¡­.but¡± Abalone uttered.


    ¡°Well, the girl has spoken. To me, that¡¯s a ¡®Yes¡¯.¡± Xenes patted Abalone¡¯s head with one of his claws. ¡°From now on, you shall be my assistant.¡±


    ¡°I have not finished talking yet¡­.Wait what? Why do I have to be your assistant?¡± Abalone questioned.


    ¡°It¡¯s only normal for an elder to teach the young ones of the wonders of the world. We are both sea dragons and there aren¡¯t many of us left so it¡¯s better to just stick with each other.¡± Xenes said.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you killed them all!¡±


    ¡°¡­..Let¡¯s now go into details, shall we? It¡¯s not good to hang onto the past too much. What did they say? Hum¡­Ah yes, forgiveness and compassion are the keys to inner peace. Or something like that. Anyway, none of that matters. We have much to do if you want to survive this calamity!¡±


    ¡°I agree!¡± Lilith said. ¡°All good for you, Maragon?¡±


    ¡°This is a mistake¡­..I will surely regret this later¡± Maragon muttered. ¡°¡­Fine! But don¡¯t think this is over, Xenes. Once the war is over, you and I will settle our score¡­again.¡±


    ¡°Why of course! Anytime, old friend!¡± Xenes chuckled.


    ¡°So what do you propose we do?¡± asked Lilith.


    ¡°Alastor possesses three main weapons: the Living Metal Akroma, the titan Tartarus and the demon lords. It is useless to go against Akroma so the best thing we can do is to defend ourselves against its assault. However, Akroma is rather slow, especially in water so we need to deal with the other two problems first. In short, it is an immediate threat.


    The problem lies in the other two. Tartarus has a large arsenal of the deadliest ad most destructive weaponry in the world. In addition to that, its size makes it near impossible to destroy. But Tartarus has a weakness.¡±


    ¡°Weakness?¡± inquired Lilith.


    ¡°Its own size! Tartarus may be powerful but its weapon cannot reach its inside. Aside from a few security systems, it¡¯s practically powerless once someone manages to get in. In the end, it¡¯s still just a puppet and Alastor is the one controlling it. So we have two options: infiltrating the monster and destroy its power source or eliminate the controller¡­.¡±


    ¡°That seems easier said than done.¡± Abalone commented.


    ¡°Of course it is not easy! You need to be able to bypass what it is throwing at you before reaching it. And don¡¯t be deceived by its form! Tartarus has eyes everywhere and can easily spot any incoming intruder. However, it is a different story if there is some major distraction.¡± Xenes advised.


    ¡°So an unit will distract it while another will infiltrate it from behind or something¡­.But that would mean that the distraction unit will be under fire of Tartarus the whole time.¡± Lilith spoke.


    ¡°Yes! And this is where things get tricky. While I am sure some demon lords will eventually come out to join the party, not all of them will. There is a high chance that Asmodeus will be the one guarding Alastor during the invasion. And you know what that means¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­the hardest part is to get by Asmodeus¡­¡± Lilith uttered, shaken by the thought of confronting her killer again.


    ¡°Well, I have a plan but like I said, we need to figure out the distraction unit first then the members of the elite unit. Remember that in the end we still have Alastor to confront and you know how powerful the boy is!¡± Xenes said.


    ¡°It seems so unreal¡­I don¡¯t think we have enough force to take them on.¡± Abalone uttered.


    ¡°And that¡¯s where I come in.¡± Xenes turned to Maragon. ¡°I need something and you know what I am talking about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s out of the question! I will not let you touch them again.¡± Maragon shouted.


    ¡°Chill! I only require them to give it back to me. I don¡¯t care about the rest.¡± Xenes said.


    ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Abalone inquired.


    ¡°The moonstones¡­he wants all the fragments back!¡±


    ¡°What? But¡­No! I will not depart with it. It¡¯s mine!¡± Abalone yelled back. ¡°What do you even need it for?¡±


    ¡°For the grand final! With the war at its current state, you will surely lose. The stone put back together however will give you an edge in the next fight. Trust me! It¡¯s worth it.¡± Xenes grinned.


    ¡°¡­..Give it to him, Abalone!¡± Lilith said.


    ¡°No! It¡¯s the only way I can turn into human form and I need it to talk with Heru.¡± The sea dragon resisted.


    ¡°I will just borrow it for a moment. But I don¡¯t need it now so you can keep it. It doesn¡¯t matter until all fragments are given to me anyway.¡±  Xenes said.


    ¡°Then I will talk to Celdora about that. The sea dragons have all returned to Oros recently so it should be easy to gather the fragments back¡­.But what do you intend to do with it?¡± Maragon spoke reluctantly.


    ¡°Something¡­.great!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°All forces, follow my lead! Charge!!!¡±


    With the titan drawing near, casting its gigantic shadow on the main continent of Mara, the first battalion of the defence forces has moved out to counter the beast. Kaiser leading his faithful dragon-riders who have remained with him even after his detachment from Oros was now diving forward. An army of hundreds of dragon and their heavy knights! Truly a spectacle and an image that would be imprinted in the mind of everyone for ages!


    Valiantly circling around the titan, the dragons fired their best attacks from fire breath to toxic bombs. Some were even smart enough to use fire to heat the metal and another would use an icy attack to peel off the iron skin of Tartarus. Meanwhile, the knights riding the dragons would throw lances of lightning focusing at one spot in hope that it would damage the titan even a tiny bit. However, all those impressive attacks seemingly had no effects before the almighty Tartarus.


    Still, the dragons truly lived up to their reputations as masters of the sky, able to glide skilfully all while dodging the waving arms of Tartarus that were trying desperately to hit the bugs around it. Its downfall was its size and slow motions, allowing the dragons to telegraph its movement too easily. But that was the end of it.


    Stopping its pointless action, large engines gears sounds echoed across the sky as trails of blue electricity migrated across the surface of its body.


    ¡°Charging completed! <Electro Surge>¡±


    In an instant, lightning arcs originated from Tartarus and struck down everything in its proximity. The prideful and most powerful races of Astora were now falling like flies down to the sea below. Upon seeing their brothers in arms dropping, the rest of the battalion rushed to their sides in order to help them. Kaiser was among the first who tried who has ignored all dangers and dived forward.


    Suddenly, the titan moved much quicker than usual, probably using his full potential, and clapped his two gigantic hands together.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°<Sonicboom>¡±


    The impact generated a tremendous amount of pressure that blasted away the dragons with only wind as its means. That itself showed the difference in power between Tartarus and the rest. The force knocked out the dragon Kaiser was riding as it fell down below. Without any choice, Kaiser deployed his wings and took flight while watching helplessly his ride vanishing into the sea.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t even have time to mourn as the titan has proceeded in releasing hundreds of laser beams that would melt down everything it touched. Unable to do anything else, the True Monarch decided to pull back his troops back to the continent while Tartarus resumed its march, irrepressible.


    * * *


    Meanwhile, watching the scene from the consumed castle of the demon lord covered in a silvery substance, Alastor and the other demon lords were preparing the next phase of their plan.


    ¡°Marvellous! If only I knew about this thing sooner¡­To think it was right under my foot all along¡­¡± Lucifer uttered as he observed the frightening power of Tartarus.


    ¡°But if it continues this way, we won¡¯t have any fun left!¡± Devas the black slime raised his demur.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t let them die that easily.¡± Alastor grinned. ¡°They must pay for their sins, slowly yet painfully and I will relish every single moment of their sufferings.¡±


    The boy has drastically changed from his usual self. His smile, the once gentle smile he had, the will for a peaceful world¡­everything has vanished. Morrigan¡¯s death was the catalyst and killing Ikarus was the final hammer strike for that nail of destruction. Whether she lived or not, it didn¡¯t matter to him anymore.


    ¡°Alastor¡­are you alright?¡± Asmodeus asked while putting the boy¡¯ shoulders out of concern but she was shaken off coldly.


    ¡°I am fine. Why do people just keep asking me that?¡± Alastor questioned annoyingly.


    ¡°We are just concerned about your wellbeing.¡± Beelzebub said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone to worry about me. Just focus on the tasks you have been assigned to!¡± Alastor spoke.


    ¡°Hold on there! No need to be rude to us, you know!¡± Lucifer uttered casually.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you back to life just so you can sit on your asses doing nothing. Remember that I can still cancel the spell whenever I want so your life is in my hand! Keep that in your mind, Lucifer! And watch your tongue when speaking to me!¡± the boy threatened.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± the six-winged celestial clenched his fist in anger before the arrogance of this brat he saw. However, he knew that what this brat was saying was the truth.


    ¡°If there is nothing else then please go prepare for the next stage of our plan!¡± Alastor said.


    ¡°¡­.Very well! We will go now!¡± Asmodeus said reluctantly. ¡°Please take care of yourself!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    As they walked out of the room, Lucifer grunted the moment the door was closed tight.


    ¡°That brat¡­who does he think he is? Ordering us like his slaves!¡±


    ¡°You only realize it now? Alastor controls all the cards since the very beginning. You are a fool to think that he would just let you do whatever you want.¡± Beatrix laughed softly.


    ¡°Oh come on Lucifer! We can still have our fun later.¡± Devas spoke while bouncing on the ground joyfully.


    ¡°Damn it¡­.¡± Unable to do anything else here, Lucifer and Devas departed from the group.


    ¡°As for me, I will go get ready. You three should also hurry up!¡± Asmodeus commanded before leaving the trio of demon lords behind.


    ¡° *sigh* what a mess!¡± Beelzebub expired a long breath after getting tired of this situation they were in. ¡°What are you thinking, Nyx? You have been strangely quiet for a while now. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°¡­My vision¡­it was wrong¡­¡± the sage uttered


    ¡°Wrong? What is?¡± asked Beelzebub.


    ¡°That celestial was supposed to die, killed by Alastor in that room. But when she was taken away, I am sure she was still alive.¡± Nyx conveyed.


    ¡°But Alastor did try to kill her. Maybe you only saw that scene and assumed she would die?¡±


    ¡°No¡­that¡¯s the problem with the scene¡­¡± Nyx uttered.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°In my vision, Ikarus was the one trying to kill Alastor. But the boy defended himself and killed her instead!¡±


    ¡°What? How is it possible? Your vision has never been wrong, right? Are you sure you are not seeing things?¡± Beelzebub shouted.


    ¡°I am certain of what I have seen. And that¡¯s what I fear. Any act, even if they are unrelated, can have a consequence on the future. My vision allows me to have a glimpse into that future. However, if something has been changed, something that was not supposed to happen actually did¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know?¡± Beelzebub questioned.


    ¡°This has never happened before. I don¡¯t have any explanation for it.¡± Nyx said.


    ¡°Does it matter?¡± the witch Beatrix raised her voice. ¡°Are you that insecure, Nyx?¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    ¡°What are you saying, Beatrix?¡± asked Beelzebub.


    ¡°Unable to know what lies ahead¡­that uncertainty¡­are you that afraid of it? Peace or war, it is all the same. Neither will last for long and one day, the other side will take over and the cycle will reset all over again. So why worry about something you already know?¡± the witch explained. ¡°But this is just me babbling about something I don¡¯t know much myself. Well if you excuse me, I also need to prepare myself.¡±


    * * *


    Meanwhile, at the City of Firmament Spires Canaan in Oros, two dragons were standing in front of the central tower, the one and biggest structure in the world. That was the case until Tartarus showed up and now it was on its way to put an end to all lives. It must be stopped.


    ¡°Lord Maragon, are you sure about this?¡± Abalone asked.


    ¡°It is the only way.¡± The black dragon uttered solemnly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. I have already made up my mind. I have to do this for the sake of the world.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Abalone, I exiled your people because they refused to part ways with their moonstones. I was afraid¡­that one day, one of you might turn up like Xenes, driven mad by it. If not for Celdora¡¯s intervention just now, there was no way they would agree to Xenes¡¯ term and gave the stones back to him.


    But listen to me, young one! Be careful with Xenes! He might pretend to help us now but I don¡¯t trust him one bit. He may not have asked for your moonstone yet but that only means you should be more careful around him. He is planning something, I am sure of it.¡±


    ¡°¡­.I will.¡± Abalone sobbed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry! You still have a job to do: bring Alastor back to his reasons! I don¡¯t know what transpired to make him like what he is today but he must be stopped. If the worst comes to be¡­.you know what must be done.¡± Maragon spoke.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°Promise me, Abalone! That you will do everything you can to protect this world! I know I am selfish and have no right to ask this of you but you are the only person I can entrust with this task.¡±


    ¡°Hic hic¡­.I will! I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good! Now go! Go back to the others! Stop Alastor!¡± Maragon raised his voice, pushing Abalone to be on her way.


    ¡°¡­.Goodbye lord Maragon!¡± the young dragon cried out before running away as fast as she could.


    ¡°¡­..Goodbye Abalone! It was a pleasure to know you.¡± Turning his head back at the tower, Maragon took out his mace and stomped it against the ground. ¡°Now, let¡¯s do this!


    I invoke the Slumbering Dragon of Canaan. Take my body and give me strength! Help us in this crisis and in return, you shall claim both this body and soul!


    Come to me, oh Dragon Vein!¡±


    The ground around Maragon began to shatter and crumble into the bottomless pit below him, revealing an enormous flow of mana residing underneath: the Dragon Vein. Although a large quantity of it has been drained by Alastor, this spot was where the entire mana of the world passed by, allowing it to have a speedy recovery to its initial state.


    ¡°This will be my final ride!¡± With that said, Maragon lunged himself into the blue pit of mana and vanished. Suddenly, a violent tremor accompanied by a loud violent roar echoed across the continent as a large figure rose from the ground.


    * * *


    ¡°It¡¯s coming! Brace yourself!¡±


    Tartarus has finally crossed the sea of Levianux despite all attempts to stop it.  Its looming shadow darkened the sky as it towering figure cloaked the sun from shining its radiant light onto the continent of Mara.


    A congregation of a hundred mages cast their spell and raised a high wall of dirt along the coasts. A futile attempt!


    With just a swing of its arm, the titan has swept away the first line of defence and shattered the wall, killing the mages with its debris.


    ¡°Die like the bugs you are! Be crushed under my feet!¡±


    Alastor¡¯s voice rang loudly as Tartarus attempted to take its first step onto the continent. But then.


    ¡°Hey, how about you take on somebody at your size?¡± a voice echoed loudly.


    Turning its head to the side to identify the source of the voice, Tartarus was struck by a long cylinder object like a stick so large it actually made a slight dent into the solid metal face. It was unimaginable to think that something at the size of a continent could actually be damaged. And yet, it was indeed a clear hit. The only problem was that many people on the field, especially the dragons, recognized the shape and appearance of the weapon used to hit Tartarus.


    ¡°Are my eyes playing tricks on me or is that the central tower of Canaan?¡± a dragon uttered in awe, unable to grasp the scene taking place in front of him.


    Next to Tartarus, a dragon half its size was holding onto a pole that was actually the central tower of Canaan. As for the dragon itself, its black skins and aged skin easily indicated his identity.


    ¡°Lord Maragon?¡± Celdora spoke out loud upon seeing the familiar face. Only he was much bigger than the last time Celdora saw him, which was only a moment ago.


    ¡°Take this, you iron bastard!¡± Wielding the tower skilfully as he displayed his mastery of the pole like an expert in martial arts, Maragon unleashed a volley of unseen baton strikes, hitting Tartarus consecutively without letting it any chance to retaliate. This power came to him by absorbing the Dragon Vein, granting the ancient dragon a huge boost in size along with the strength he needed to handle the tower like a pole-like weapon. Considered the trump card he had, Maragon was not able to use it when Canaan was under siege by Alastor and Kaiser as this would bring a lot of casualties not just to his enemies but also to his own troops. The current situation was however slightly a different story since everyone has moved out of the way in fear of Tartarus and so gave space for the two giants to clash. However, this seemingly amazing power was not without cost.


    ¡°Danger¡­danger¡­zzzzz¡­Changing strategy¡­¡±


    Realizing that its opponent was now a new type of foe, Tartars abandoned its casual attitude and entered a battle stance, raising both its fists.


    ¡°Entering Damocles mode!¡±


    Without warning, the titan became suddenly much more agile and caught Maragon¡¯s pole on its track.


    ¡°Got you now!¡±


    Using its strong grip on the tower, Tartarus pulled the black dragon toward it before throwing a punch at his face, drawing blood from the old being.


    ¡°Lord Maragon!!!¡± Abalone shouted in despair upon seeing the injury of the old dragon.


    ¡°¡­Arg¡­this is not over¡­.Not until I say so! AAAAAA!¡± Maragon lunged himself at the titan and used his sharp claws to pierce the thick armour as he punched continuously at its chest and head. But in the end, his body was only flesh while Tartarus was a big pile of the most solid metal in the world, capable of resisting against anything. And yet, even when his fist was covered in his own blood from the injuries caused by himself due to the punching, Maragon did not stop. He was determined to save this world and if peace required his sacrifice, he would gladly accept it.


    ¡°You fucking old man!¡± Alastor shouted from the speaker of Tartarus.


    With his movement getting slower, Tartarus took advantage of the weakening dragon and pushed him down into the coasts of Mara. Using one arm to pin him down, the titan grabbed the tower before impaling the dragon with it.


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    Pulling the bloody tower out of the dragon, the titan re-plunged it deeply into his flesh, creating a pool of blood that dyed the entire beach with a crimson colour.


    The people could only watch helplessly as Maragon was being stabbed to death by the beast that would end their world. What could they possibly do anyway? Their tiny sizes and powers were nothing compared to the iron titan. How could they hope to achieve anything with that?


    Maragon lied motionless, covered in in his blood with the tower still inside his flesh. It was Tartarus, or rather Alastor¡¯s victory. It was an intense battle and the closest one so far to actually push the titan this far to use its full power. But alas, the last hope to defeat Tartarus was gone, along with the coming of despair.


    ¡°¡­.I didn¡¯t say it is over¡­did I?¡±


    Using that moment of recline, Maragon used his last bit of strength and snapped the tower impaling him into two. Holding the second half of the tower in his hand, the black dragon gripped onto the shoulder of Tartarus which was within his arm¡¯s length. With a final push, he lunged himself forward and pierced Tartarus in its stomach. By pure luck, the region controlling the lower parts of Tartarus was damaged in that attack, making it falling down on its knees while unable to stand up anymore.


    ¡°The future¡­is up to all of you¡­Protect¡­this world!¡± The dragon addressed those who were watching in a gentle voice in hope that someone might take up his legacy he left behind. Closing his eyes, Maragon¡¯s body turned into a cloud of light particles before vanishing completely.


    ¡°Lord Maragon¡­.¡± Abalone sobbed in a trembling voice. She didn¡¯t even know him that well. So why was she crying for him? Was it out of pity for what has happened to him? A tear for the departed who have given their lives for hers?


    But while everyone was in mourn over the death of the heroic dragon, the person who was most affected was the killer himself. However, unlike the rest who were sad about this loss, his mind was filled with anger and spite. What Maragon did was not just damaging the titan. What he did was a proof that Tartarus was not as invincible as people thought it was. It could be defeated. And that was what angered Alastor. Without any other choice, Alastor has decided to proceed into the next stage of his plan.


    ¡°zzz¡­..Deploying pods!¡±


    In an instant, Tartarus opened its shoulders and unleashed a rain of metal pods onto the battlefield. Upon colliding with the ground, the pods opened and copies of a familiar face crawled out as they drew their weapons toward the unknowing soldiers. The one-million Stellas have been released from their chambers.


    ¡°Battle station assumed! Beginning operation Blitzkrieg!¡±

 Chapter 109: Parade of the demon lords

    Author''s note: please enjoy and tell me what you think of this chapter in the comments! :)


    ########################################################################


    ¡°Milord¡­.can you hear me?¡± A female voice spoke.


    ¡°¡­¡­Yes¡­.¡± A grave male voice answered.


    ¡°I am sorry, milord¡­We have failed you.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Ha¡­all hope is not yet lost¡­We still have them¡­and her¡­They are our last hope..in bringing Alastor back¡­¡±


    ¡°But they are weak and fragile¡­How can they stand up to him?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hope, my child¡­.Hope that destiny has yet to offer its full course¡­.And even if it is fate¡¯s will that this happened¡­.then change it! As the Goddess of Fate, you should know this¡­.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­We cannot do anything from here¡­.But let¡¯s put our faith in them¡­.so that one day, our world will be freed from this curse!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Exterminate! Exterminate!¡±


    The army of clones was currently raining down from the sky in a hail of iron husks. Crashing down like a meteor, each created a small crater upon impact before opening its hatch and released a young woman in white dress. These girls all looked so similar with the same face down to each and every detail. Her cold beauty was unmatched by all and the presence of so many made it as if we were in the gates of heavens, being received by the godly maidens. If only it was the case as the instant these maidens appeared, they immediately took out their weapons and attacked everything around them. Some wielded swords, others great axes while some simply punched her enemies to death, dyeing her pale clothing with blood. And yet, they were able to commit these kind of atrocities without batting an eye or any sign of compassion. Anyone they encountered, they killed. Anything they found, they destroyed. And there was no stopping them.


    At this moment as we spoke, four brave individuals were leading their assigned units to engage with the army of dolls on the North-Eastern front.


    ¡°<Unseen dissection>¡± Mephisto swung his claws in an arc, cutting down five dolls at once. The feat might seem impressive if not for the others who have quickly taken the place of their fallen comrades. ¡°Damn it, there is no end to them!¡±


    ¡°Come at me, you bastards!¡± Naberius dived into the battalion of dolls with his giant axe and span around in a circular motion, showing his prowess as he devastated them.


    ¡°Army of the deads, heed my call!¡± Amelia raised dozens of skeletons and zombies from the ground and commanded them to defend her against the incoming dolls as she launched a volley of offensive spells onto the battlefield.


    But unexpectedly, it was the last member of the demon royal guards who appeared to be the most efficient in what he was doing. Just before his beastman comrade went into berserk mode, Azureus was thrown on air by Naberius toward the march of the dolls. Once at the highest point, the small body of the slime began to flashing brightly into a ray of white lights, evaporating everything within its vicinity. And yet amazingly, he quickly reformed his shape in an instant as if the explosion before has never happened, except for the charcoaled carcasses around him.


    ¡°They are not that strong but there are so many of them.¡± Azureus uttered.


    ¡°Be careful around you! Do not let yourself be trapped by them!¡± Mephisto advised.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just them we should worry about.¡± The slime spoke.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the devil asked.


    ¡°The big guys are here!¡±


    All of the sudden, six enormous presences appeared from outside Tartarus, releasing their aura that sent shivers to the spines of anyone who could feel them. One in particular stood out from the rest because of her unimaginable power. Furthermore, the danger has not passed just yet. The iron titan might have been immobilized but it could use long range weaponry or simply crushed anyone foolish enough to go within its arm length, which expanded for miles.


    From above, the fallen celestial Lucifer declared. ¡°Let the Game begin!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Report!¡± a soldier rushed into the base of command where Edward and a few other leaders were discussing strategies. ¡°Sires, we have spotted six individuals coming out of the giant. They are extremely powerful and are now ravaging through our ranks.¡±


    ¡°It must be them.¡± Sullivan uttered. ¡°The other six demon lords are now moving.¡±


    ¡°Then we must go out there and join our troops.¡± Celdora spoke.


    ¡°I agree.¡± The commander Edward said. ¡°We aren¡¯t much use sitting here anyway.¡±


    ¡°Then let us go!¡± Kaiser said.


    ¡°Wait a minute, anyone knows what is that dragon Xenes doing? Since he is a demon lord, his help will be much appreciated.¡± Edward raised his concern.


    ¡°Last time I heard, he was gathering all those moonstones together with that sea dragon Abalone. He has instructed me that we should not engage in a battle with Asmodeus until he finishes.¡± The dragon lord conveyed.


    ¡°But that monster is not going to sit there and let us do our things. Someone must keep her busy while we take care of the others.¡± Edward said.


    ¡°¡­I will!¡± a small figure walked in.


    ¡°Lilith?¡± Sullivan asked in shock. He was aware of the fact that Asmodeus was the one who once killed Lilith in a rather brutal way. That experience could not have been easy and now the woman wanted to face it again?


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to kill her but at least I can buy you guys some time....Let¡¯s just hope that you will finish before I am!¡± the Goddess uttered solemnly. Anyone could see that her hands were clearly shaking, although she was doing her best to keep her cool. Naturally, the fear that was instilled in her that day has not faded away even after all these years. And yet, despite all that, Lilith was determined to confront her fear once again.


    ¡°¡­Then I will go with you!¡± Sullivan volunteered.


    ¡°You think you can take her on?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°No¡­but two are better than one. At the very least, I can take us out of there in dire time quicker than anyone could. I may not be an expert in battle but I am a master in running away.¡± The dwarf joked.


    ¡°Hihi! Then I think your skills would prove to be useful here.¡± The Goddess chuckled.


    ¡°Wait, then I too will go with you!¡± the cat girl Viviana jumped out nowhere and volunteered herself. She refused to stand on the sides of this war. Even if she herself was nowhere near as powerful as the demon lords, her only hope lied in the Spirit tree Yggdrasil.


    ¡°¡­If I say no, you will still come right? Then fine, go ahead! But try to keep up!¡± Said Lilith.


    ¡°Then it¡¯s decided. I will go with Lilith and miss Viviana to keep Asmodeus at bay.¡± inquired Sullivan.


    ¡°Very well! Please be careful! As for us, I will gather a few elites of our army and together we will confront the other demon lords. Hopefully we will finish them and join you later.¡± Edward spoke. ¡°As for the other generals, they will keep the doll army busy.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan to me!¡±


    ¡°Then let us go!¡±


    * * *


    Back to the two sea dragons, they have just finished gathering all the moonstones which were handed to them by the rest of their clan under the authority of Celdora and a few words from Kaiser. Never in her life had Abalone the chance to lay her eyes upon so many precious gems all gathered in the same place like this. The intense power emanating from them¡­now she finally understood why they felt so strange..so outlandish before. All these years, she thought them as mere catalysts to cast spells or conduits of mana much like a mana stone. But if that was the case, then why did they need to be under the moonlight to charge themselves? Couldn¡¯t they simply need a mana source? The reason was simple: the moonstone didn¡¯t use mana at all. In fact, it used a special energy, one that no one has really understood how it work or what it even was. In short, it didn¡¯t belong to this world.


    ¡°Xenes, tell me¡­.what are the moonstones actually?¡± Abalone questioned the nature of the thing she has been holding onto since her birth.


    ¡°Why do you ask that? Didn¡¯t you have one of them for years?¡± said Xenes as he stared at Abalone.


    ¡°I did but¡­it¡¯s only now that I realize I know next to nothing about them¡­It¡¯s a difficult feeling to explain¡­¡± the young dragoness conveyed.


    ¡°The feeling of wanting to uncover its secrets, the desire to pursue the path of knowledge, to find out the truth hidden underneath¡­that kind of feeling?¡± Xenes said.


    ¡°Yeah¡­how do you know?¡±


    ¡°Because I was the same.¡±


    ¡°The same?¡± inquired Abalone.


    ¡°What if I told you that your whole life was a lie? What if I told you that your every action was actually not of your own will? Your thoughts, your personality, what you like to eat, the one you love, everything¡­what if they were all parts of a script and we ourselves are merely actors playing on the stage?


    We live, we kill, we save and we dance! All that for their amusement.¡± Xenes uttered.


    ¡°They? Who are they?¡±


    Ignoring Abalone¡¯s question, Xenes continued. ¡°But I am fine with that. To play a role of this masterpiece called ¡®life¡¯! However, if I am to play, I do wish to be recognized. But they can be very shy you know. Always manipulating their puppets from their seats, sneaking in the darkness of the theatre¡­


    I will not allow it. I will drag the audience on the stage and let them have a taste of what is like to be performing in front of others.¡± The dragon spoke with a hysterical grin, one that belonged to madness as he muttered to himself while staring at the sky above. ¡°


    ¡°Hum..Xenes? What is wrong with you?¡±


    Waking up from his delusional state, the dragon quickly regained his composure and smiled gently at his supposed assistant. ¡°Oh it¡¯s nothing! Just me getting old and senile! Forgive me for that awkwardness! Now let us begin! Please give me your stone, Abalone!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Abalone showed a perplexed expression, reluctant to give into the dragon¡¯s demand.


    ¡°It will be done in just a second. I promise I will give it back to you.¡± Xenes said.


    ¡°¡­Alright¡­here it is!¡± the dragoness handed over the last fragment of the original moonstone. If this could really save the world from inevitable end, then this would be a small sacrifice to make. Departing from her stone, the girl reverted to her dragon form. She could not hear Heru speaking to her anymore, even though he was right next to her. It was the scariest moment of her life, being unable to communicate with her friend while looking at him helplessly.


    Holding Abalone¡¯s moonstone in his hand, Xenes finally revealed his insidious grin. This was what he died for. It was all for this moment. He might have made a mistake by shattering the heavenly stone into pieces and distributing them to his people. However, that mistake has now been corrected. At the time, the pale dragon didn¡¯t fully understand it but the longer he stayed with it, the more secrets it revealed to him. But so did the other dragons who have received this miraculous stone refused to give it back to him when he asked. And so he killed them all, just so he could make the thing he once splintered whole again.


    That strange sound, a seemingly combination of intangible words, has once again begun to echo inside the minds of the two dragons as the piles of moonstones shined brightly.


    ¡°?????? ??? ???????!¡±


    ¡°Xenes, are you hearing this?¡± Abalone uttered.


    ¡°Shhh! Quiet!¡± Xenes whispered.


    ¡°??? ????? ?? ????? ???? ????!


    ????? ??? ?????!


    ??? ??!


    ???? ??? ????!


    ?????? ??? ????? ????!¡±


    The eerie murmur continued and repeated itself. Strangely, the more Abalone listened to it, the more she could understand this strange language. Its voice stuck in her head, echoing inside her mind.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Abalone woke up upon feeling a tap on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t doze off now!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­I ¡­What was I¡­?¡± asked Abalone with a heavy head as if something has struck her in her, making her a bit dizzy.


    ¡°You were sleeping. Now wake up and stand aside! I will begin the ritual now.¡±


    ¡°Ritual? For what? I thought we are just putting the stones back together?¡± inquired Abalone.


    ¡°And then what? Bash Asmodeus¡¯ head with a giant stone hoping it will do? Don¡¯t be stupid! We will make a weapon out of it.¡± Xenes spoke.


    ¡°A weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yes! We will make a sword!¡±


    * * *


    Arriving at the battlefield, young Edward has started to fight his way through the endless horde of dolls lunging themselves at him. He might be small but it would be foolish to underestimate the Deus mage. Not only did Edward do a lot of research on ancient forms of magic, giving an edge in term of knowledge and spells that even masters could hardly know about but the boy also possessed the mysterious brand on his chest that could help him getting away from danger. Yet, even though he managed to get this far by himself without a single scratch, his next opponent was not someone he would expect to face with, not in a million years.


    ¡°No way!¡± Edward uttered upon seeing what seemed to be a general leading a squadron of dolls around him. Drawing his sword instantly, the figure charged at the boy. Quickly generating a magical sword in his hand, Edward repelled the attack and pushed back the figure. ¡°Your Majesty?¡±


    The person who attacked him was Charles Noctugal, the one and only King of Ceadric whom everyone thought was dead during Alastor¡¯s usurpation.


    Without uttering a word or a single warning, Charles fired a series of fireball at the young noble along with a few wind blades coming at his way.


    ¡°Your Majesty please stop! Why are you doing this?¡± shouted Edward desperately at the king as he dodged the incoming attacks.


    But Charles simple ignored the call and just rushed into for the kill. His eyes were cold and his face expressionless as if there was no ounce of emotions left inside his mind.


    ¡°He won¡¯t answer you, you know?¡± a voice spoke from above as another landed down not far from the battle. The first demon lord has revealed himself and it was Beelzebub, the Archetype of Gluttony. Being a beastman of origin, Beelzebub possessed a dark fur on his body that covered all his skin. His sharp tooth and canines along with his long jaw like that of a sabretooth tiger showed the remains of the distinct beastly features of the old bloodline, indicating how old he must be to still have them, unlike the descendants nowadays.


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Edward yelled while fending himself against Charles.


    ¡°Me? Nothing! But he fell under Asmodeus¡¯ spell. A little bit of resistance at first but he gave in eventually.¡±


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.¡°You!!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that! Focus on the opponent in front of you first!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Edward shouted as he turned back at his king. ¡°Your Majesty, please don¡¯t make me do this!¡±


    ¡°What will you do?¡± Kill him and free him from that spell? Or let yourself be killed instead? The decision is yours.¡± Said Beelzebub.


    ¡°Fuck you! I won¡¯t kill him!¡±


    ¡°Cursing me won¡¯t do anything, you know? Use that strength for your battle!¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± Clenching his fist, Edward decided to resort to use the skills he has secretly developed at Helios. From his sleeves, the boy pulled out three pieces of paper with some kind of writing on them. Quickly dodging Charles¡¯ attacks again, the boy closed in and stamped the three papers on the king¡¯s chest.


    ¡°<Mana Seal>,


    , <Holy Bind>¡±


    In an instant, Charles¡¯ magic was cancelled and his spells vanished. In addition, the king fell to ground before strings of light appeared around him and tied him up cleanly. Unable to do anything, Charles quickly succumbed to the spells thrown at him and remained motionless like a log.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a weird magic you used there. I have never heard or seen it. Where did you learn it boy?¡± asked Beelzebub.


    ¡°Nowhere! I devised it myself.¡±  The boy answered.


    ¡°You created a new school of magic by yourself? At your age? Impressive! You are much more interesting than I thought you were. Perhaps this is the potential Alastor saw in you when he took you in?¡± the demon lord said.


    ¡°Is this your way of lowering my defences? Flattering me? I know that compared to you, I am like a bug.¡± Edward admitted upon seeing the pressure coming from the demon lord even though he has not even entered a battle stance yet.


    ¡°And yet you still decide to face me. I like your guts, boy! Let us delay this no further! I am demon lord Beelzebub, Archetype of Gluttony. Tell me your name, boy!¡±


    ¡°I am Edward Osborne, royal guard of his Majesty, King Charles of Ceadric! Let us battle!¡±


    ¡°Edward, I will remember that name as I engrave it on your tombstone. ARRR!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    The head of the Hunters has engaged in battle with her enemy: a winged figure holding a sword as he looked down on her with a smug face like watching a tiny insect under his feet.


    ¡°Take this, vermin! <Hellfire>¡± A column of fire appeared from the ground below Maria, setting her on fire as it burned everything on its path.


    But as the fire subsided, the burned body of the huntress quickly recovered from its wounds as her flesh and bones regenerated to before. But those pains she felt on every inch on her skin, they remained.


    ¡°Argggh!¡± Maria uttered in agony as the last injury on her body healed itself.


    ¡°Quite a freak aren¡¯t you? But that¡¯s where you will regret not being able to die that easily.¡± Lucifer declared arrogantly. ¡°I used to be a believer in the teachings of the Gods. I followed it like my life depended on it. And it did. But what did I get in return for that faith? Nothing!¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you babbling about?¡± Maria shouted tiredly.


    ¡°I was not the only one who shared the same sentiment: the doubt of our own creators. Plenty of others did. And so we left Avant-Heim and created a land for ourselves. Let me show it to you what I, Lucifer the Fallen Apostate, am talking about!


    Come to me, brothers and sisters! It¡¯s time for this world to have a taste of true Hell!


    <Gate of Gehenna>¡±


    A wall of flame rose from the ground in front of Lucifer. But these were no normal flames as they didn¡¯t burn anything at all. In fact, no one was harmed or could even feel it even though they tried to touch it. But then suddenly, horrifying deformed winged creatures of flesh and bones appeared from the flame like walking out of a portal. And it was exactly what it was. The Gate of Hell has been opened and its fiendish residents were now free from that prison to unleash chaos upon the world.


    ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­.ha *heavy breathing* ¡° the situation did not look good for our dear huntress. Her opponent was a demon lord, a foe of a whole different calibre, one that she could not hope to defeat in her current state. Even with the blood from Lilith turning her body nearly immortal, Maria still had no way to even come closer to the flying celestial. Furthermore, the army of Hell was pouring out of that wall of flame and charging toward Maria and her units.


    ¡°KILL THAT WENCH!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Be careful, Amelia!¡± the beastman royal guard roared as he used his giant axe to chop down the dolls jumping at his comrade. Pushing his back again the panting witch, Naberius held his axe in a defensive stance. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡° *heavy breathing* I am¡­fine¡­Just tired¡­¡± the witched expired heavily.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know undeads could get tired.¡± The beastman joked.


    ¡°We don¡¯t¡­.but¡­our mana can get exhausted¡­which will¡­slow us down¡­and¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay okay no need to answer that! I was just joking.¡±


    The couple has been surrounded completely without any possible escape route unless if they could fly. Meanwhile, Mephisto and Azureus were desperately fighting through the horde of Stellas in order to get to their friends in need.


    ¡°Wait for us! We are coming!¡± shouted the two.


    ¡°Those idiots¡­why are they running away? At this rate, they too will get caught up with us.¡± Muttered Amelia.


    ¡°It¡¯s because they care about us. We are friends, right?¡± Naberius grinned.


    ¡°¡­Stupid¡­¡± Amelia grunted in an annoyed voice. Yet, she could not help herself but smiled a little when hearing that comment.


    Without any care for anything, the dolls drew closer to the couple.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like they will make it in time though¡­¡± the witch uttered. ¡°We have arrived at road¡¯s end.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Naberius stayed silent.


    ¡°Hey, Naberius, if worst comes to be, then¡­.whhh???¡± Feeling herself being lifted in the air, the witch was unable to grasp what was going on before hearing his last words.


    ¡°Take care, Amelia! Save the world¡­.save Alastor!¡± Grabbing her small body firmly, Naberius threw the witch on air toward his two other comrades.


    ¡°NO YOU IDIOT!¡± the witch shouted at the smiling beastman before being caught by Mephisto. ¡°NABERIUS!¡±


    ¡°Come at me, you lifeless junks! AAAAAAAAAA!¡± the beastman swung his axe in a berserk state without any care for the wounds inflicted to him by the dolls. Fighting like a mad beast that has been cornered, Naberius released his full power as he cut down the horde of robots coming at him. Bravery or madness? Perhaps both. The trail of blood from his head reddened his vision. His scream when the sword plunged deep into his body. The smell of his own blood filling the air g only made him stronger.


    In that seemingly slow motion of a beast unleashing his fury, a dismembered doll that has lost its bottom half was still able to move by crawling with its hands. Maybe it was because the thing was so close to the ground that it escaped the swinging axe but the beastman was unable to see it coming toward him. Within reach, the half broken doll pushed its arms against the soil and jumped on the beast¡¯s back as it strengthened its grip around his neck.


    ¡°Self-destruction sequence activated¡­.Five¡­four¡­¡±


    In that moment of panic, the beastman took the decision to release his axe and used both his hands to try to remove the doll hanging on his back. However, it was a mistake as the other took advantage of that opportunity and jumped at him altogether. Each latched itself onto a part of his body until he was covered by them. Their weights became too much for the beastman to even move as he roared a loud scream in despair.


    ¡°¡­Two¡­One¡­.Zero¡±


    ¡°NABERIUS!!!!¡±


    BOOM


    The explosion of a dozen dolls created a crater while blasting away the others in the surroundings, friends or foes. Thankfully, Mephisto and the other two were outside the blast, keeping them from harm. But the same could not be said about Naberius. There was no trace of him left at the scene, only ashes and dust.


    ¡°No¡­no¡­!¡± Tears dropped on the soft cheeks of the witch as she came to realization that he died to save her. Those bland jokes, his laughter¡­.she could never hear them even again.


    ¡°¡­.So he died like a dog huh? Quite fitting!¡± a voice spoke as a small figure appeared from the smoke. ¡°Hello there, Azureus! It has been a long time yeah?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± the blue slime uttered upon seeing another of his race. Only, this one had a pitch black body. ¡°Devas!¡±


    ¡°What? One of the demon lords?¡± Mephisto said in shock. He didn¡¯t expect to see one of the enemy commanders this soon.


    ¡°Indeed! But I am much more than that. You didn¡¯t tell them, Azureus? Or should I say¡­dad?¡±


    ¡°Dad? Then you are?¡± the devil uttered.


    ¡°¡­.He is my son.¡± The blue slime confessed. ¡°¡­Why are you all doing this? What does Alastor want?¡±


    ¡°Do I look like I care? I just want to have fun, dad. But you just had to kill me that day couldn¡¯t you? How does it feel, to kill one¡¯s own son? Delightful I take it since you seem to enjoy your current state.¡± Devas spoke.


    ¡°So not even death could cure you of your idiocy. Fine then! I did it once and I will not hesitate to do it again. It¡¯s my responsibility to put an end to this!¡±


    ¡°Hahahahaha! You think you can? Unlike before, this time I can actually control my power properly. Let¡¯s see how you will fare against me!


    I am Devas, the Apotheosis of the Mire! Come fight me, dad! Ahahaahahaha!¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Kaiser was now standing across an open-field with no one in sight. His army has cleared out the area and made sure that no one would interrupt the coming battle between him and his opponent. Only, his opponent has not moved for a while now. In fact, ever since he showed up, the person in question was sitting crossing his legs while holding onto his staff with his head crouching down in a mediating position.


    Due to his own nature, Kaiser refused to fight an unprepared opponent, no matter the circumstance. Furthermore, he felt like this could be a trap. Unable to decide which was what, the True Monarch called out to the figure.


    ¡°Hey, you there! What are you doing?¡± Kaiser shouted at the old man.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But he received no replies.


    ¡°HEY! I am talking to you. Answer me!¡± Kaiser pointed his sword at the old man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t move then I will¡­. *BAM* ¡° Without warning, Kaiser was struck by an invisible force that sent him violently to the sides a few hundreds meters away from the motionless old man.


    Quickly recovering from the blast, the monarch looked around to see what hit him but before he even realized it, he was sent flying on air again before being crushed down to the ground.


    ¡°Foolish one, the battle has already started long ago. You are simply too blind to see it.¡± A disembodied voice spoke out loud.


    ¡°What the?¡± Kaiser muttered as he slowly stood up from the floor. Still no enemy in sight! Not even a presence! So who hit him? ¡°Show yourself, coward!¡±


    ¡°Show myself? I am right in front of you the whole time.¡±


    Suddenly, the sky darkened and a rain of meteors fell from the sky, crushing down onto the field.


    ¡°I am Nyx, the Dreamwalker! Kaiser, the True Monarch, show me that you are indeed the son of Alastor!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°You witch! Stop it!¡±


    Celdora shouted in anger as he grabbed the woman in chains and smashed her down in a puddle of blood. That attack was a dead blow. He was sure of it. But something was definitely strange. Celdora has been repetitively killing this woman for a while now. On many occasions she should have died already. And yet she didn¡¯t. Even like just now, that should have killed her. He broke her bones. He saw her bleeding. All the injuries he has inflicted to her, they were still there. So why didn¡¯t she die?


    ¡°Why? Why don¡¯t you die?¡± Celdora uttered in shock when the woman slowly rose from the ground again like the many times he saw. Could it be that she had a special body like Maria? No, that wasn¡¯t it. Somehow Celdora could feel something much worse from her. Especially when he saw her devious grin each time he killed her. It was as if the woman found joy in death.


    ¡°Death is but a state of being. Just like life itself. Me? I am in neither of them. How can you kill something that is not alive or dead?¡± the pale woman muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to understand, dragon lord.¡± In an instant, the woman has closed her distance and casually touched the dragon¡¯s head to his surprise. He could not move at all. Because of her touch? How was it possible? ¡°My name is Beatrix the Accursed. Now please¡­.just¡­slip away!¡±


    * * *


    Back at the central camp of the coalition, the pope Maximillian has finished healing the unconscious celestial. There was nothing else he could do for her but to pray. However, like many times, praying along was not enough.


    A soldier rushed into the tent. ¡°Father, please come with me! We need your healing power at the front line.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Wait for me outside! I will take my things and come right away!¡± Maxime spoke.


    ¡°Of course, Father! But please hurry!¡±  the soldier rushed out.


    Turning back at the celestial, Maxime sighed in despair. Ikarus was no longer in danger and her wounds were all healed up. Yet she still didn¡¯t wake up. Perhaps the trauma of her lover trying to kill her was too much for her frail mind. Whatever the cause was, Maxime could only hope and pray for the girl.


    ¡°Please lead the way!¡± Maxime said to the soldier waiting outside and followed him closely.


    All of the sudden, with only the celestial left alone in the tent, something unexpected happened.


    ¡°What was supposed to take place did not. What was supposed to be dead was alive. And¡­the threads of destiny would be broken.¡±


    In an eye flash, a man wearing a white mask appeared by the bed. Wearing a modern suit of white and black shirt, he crossed his arms behind his back as he looked down at the slumbering celestial in an intense manner.


    ¡°Hello Ikarus! It¡¯s about time we rebalance the Game!¡±

 Chapter 110: Turning point

    ¡°Hello Lilith! You ran away from me¡­. again. Don¡¯t you remember what happened last time you did it? It didn¡¯t work out so well, didn¡¯t it? And yet you never learn.¡± The strongest demon lord spoke in an arrogant tone as she looked at the trio who has gathered below her.


    Slowly descending from the sky and landing on the ground, the demoness looked at the fools who dared stand in her way: one used to be her comrade, one whose existence was so trivial she could erase it in seconds and the final one, an old acquaintance who was killed by her own hands was now standing in front of her once more. Anyone would freak out in that situation when the person you killed decided to show up again but that was not the case for the demon lord.


    ¡°Asmodeus¡­.¡± Lilith uttered. ¡°Before we fight, I want to ask something.¡±


    ¡°¡­.What is it?¡± questioned Asmodeus.


    ¡°Why are you helping Alastor? Sullivan told me of your obsession with him. Why?¡±


    ¡°Did he now?¡± the demoness stared at the dwarf who immediately hid himself away behind the little girl.


    ¡°Is this because of Killian?¡±


    As soon as that name was mentioned, Lilith along with her two allies was blast away from their position. But to their realization, that was not even an attack yet. That shockwave was merely the peak of the iceberg that was Asmodeus¡¯ power. Her sheer aura was capable of do just that. It made one wonder about the true nature of the demoness. She could not be a simple elf that turned into a demon. That was simply not possible considering her true strength.


    ¡°You truly never learn. If you wish to die that much, then let me give it to you! This time, I will make sure that not a single trace of your wretched existence is left.¡± Asmodeus grunted in fury.


    ¡°<Earth Splinter>¡±


    With a single fist, the demoness split the soil, creating a fissure that expanded for miles toward the trio. Using their quick reflexes, all three escaped to the sides from harm. However, the same could not be said to the soldiers behind them who fell into the rift before it somehow closed itself back.


    ¡°How?¡± Viviana uttered in shock. She thought that she has prepared herself enough after hearing the rumours of the power of Asmodeus but this was completely a different story. ¡°What the hell is she?¡±


    ¡°You are wrong about one thing, Lilith. This is not a fight. This is a massacre! I will put an end to this pointless conflict with my own hands.


    <Terra Forma>¡±


    Once again, a large earthquake shook the entire continent of Mara as cracks appeared on the ground. Large pieces of stone rose from the fissures and stayed afloat before falling down again, crushing the troops who were scattering around in fear.


    ¡°I shall reshape this wretched world! You will all die for what you have done!¡± Asmodeus proclaimed, raising both her hands to the sky.


    ¡°Damn it you still hold a grudge after that long? His death was not anyone¡¯s fault.¡± The Goddess tried to reason with the demon lord.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT HIM!¡± With the chaos still ongoing around, the demoness vanished in an instant. Moving at light speed, she lunged herself at the little girl before throwing a shattering fist.


    ¡°Ragnarok, come to me!¡± A molten sword of lava manifested itself in Lilith¡¯s hands, blocking Asmodeus¡¯ attack. The weight was so heavy Lilith almost sunk into the ground with a crater under her foot. Her hands were shaking, doing their best to resist the overwhelming force that was put on them.


    Focusing all her power in an instant, Lilith pushed the demon lord back and cleared some distance between them. Unlike before, she knew her limits and most importantly, she knew that unless you wanted to die, you better did well to stay clear of Asmodeus¡¯ reach. That beast possessed insane strength even though her build suggested none of those. One single hit and it would over. Besides, it was not their aim to beat Asmodeus by themselves. The objective was to keep the demon lord busy until reinforcement arrived. However, even Lilith was not sure if all of them together could achieve it. Or worse, could the others even beat their own foes to come here?


    ¡°Sullivan, Viviana, let¡¯s do this!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Get back here, you punk!¡± the slime Azureus shouted in anger at his supposed enemy who only ran away from him.


    ¡°Try to catch me, dad!¡± Devas said casually as he bounced repetitively at incredible speed toward the southern region of Ceadric.


    Somehow, these two slimes managed to jump from one mountain to another with their small bodies, forcing Mephisto and Amelia to use the portal in order to keep up with the two.


    ¡°Azureus, what is he doing? Why is he just running away from us?¡± the devil asked in confusion facing the strange battle tactic of the slime. But again, knowing Azureus¡¯ personality, he was not surprised that his son too shared that same trait.


    ¡°I am not sure¡­.but don¡¯t let your guards down! He is extremely cruel and dangerous. Stay close to me!¡± the blue slime spoke.


    ¡°Do you think he is trying to pull us away from the battle? Just so no one could help us?¡± Amelia wondered.


    ¡°¡­.we will see.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the mind of the black slime. ¡®Unlike the other demon lords, I was not resurrected in my prime time¡­The current me can¡¯t take father on. But no matter! I will just have to find my old body again. It¡¯s somewhere close in the south of this country...I can feel it.¡¯


    Suddenly, Devas stopped in front of a strange forest, staring at it intensively as he got his back against the three demon royal guards. Fearing something might be out of place or the slime has prepared some kind of trap, Azureus instructed the two to stay behind while he would advance toward the black slime.


    ¡°What are you playing at, Devas?¡± asked the blue slime.


    ¡°Do you remember this place?¡± said Devas.


    ¡°This?¡± Azureus observed the strange landscape in front of him.


    While the valley they were standing on was filled of a field of green grass, just a couple meters ahead stood a decrepit forest with puddle of dirt mixed with water. However, the strange thing was everything was colored in a mauve dye, even the trees and ground itself.


    That was right. This location was the Great Swamp, a land infested by a strange purple substance that changed the lifeform and the very nature of the things of this place. But for both Azureus and Devas, this place held a much more importance, one that the royal guard has long forgotten about¡­until now.


    ¡°This is¡­.where I killed you!¡± Azureus revealed.


    ¡°Correct! But there is also something else that happened here, don¡¯t you remember dad?¡±


    ¡°¡­you! Is that why you brought us here???¡± the blue slime shouted in anger.


    ¡°Yes! This is where I ate mum and the others. They were so delicious, dad. And today, I will finish that meal I have started a long time ago¡­You will be the final course!¡±


    Suddenly, the murky water from the swamp agitated like a living thing and leaped at the black slime as it fused with him, making it growing bigger and bigger.


    ¡°And now, we eat! Have a nice meal, dad! Though in this case, you are the meal!¡± the giant slime that looked like a bubble of mauve water spoke as it consumed the entire swamp.


    ¡°What the hell¡­.?¡± Amelia uttered upon watching the monstrosity growing in front of her.


    ¡°We must move, now!¡± Mephisto shouted.


    ¡°But to where?¡± the witch said.


    ¡°Anywhere but here!¡±


    Picking up the frozen slime who was shocked by his own son, Amelia ran as fast as she could together with Mephisto.


    ¡°It¡¯s futile to run. I will eat everything in this continent. No¡­I will eat this entire world!!! HAHAHAAHHA! All shall become one!¡±


    ¡° *heavy breathing* How do you beat him?¡± the witch uttered.


    ¡°Let me down, Amelia!¡± the blue slime spoke.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I will stop him! We can¡¯t keep running forever and the longer we leave him alone, the more he will eat and the more powerful he will be!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Amelia. Trust me!¡± the blue slime reassured.


    ¡°¡­.I won¡¯t forgive you if you die too.¡± Amelia said while holding back her emotions rising inside her upon the thought of losing another one of her friend today.


    ¡°I promise!¡± Azureus said.


    Letting the slime jump down from her arms, Amelia and Mephisto took their battle stances as they faced the monster coming at them.


    ¡°Be one with the Mire!!!¡± the dark slime shouted.


    ¡°<Acid Rain>¡±


    The giant slime shot out a part of its body toward the sky passing the clouds. A short moment later, a rain of mauve water poured down, melting everything they touched.


    ¡°<Skeleton Wall>¡± Amelia invoked a barrier made of ashen bones and skulls around the three, sheltering them from the corrosive rain. But that wall would not last for long against this attack.


    ¡°


    ¡±


    A wave of light emitted from the blue slime body and cleansed the tainted water before shutting down the rain and stopped it.


    ¡°How about this?


    <Mimicry: Flock of the Mire>¡±


    From the giant mauve bubble, dark warriors and beasts crawled out of the thing. Their armors and skins were covered by a mauve substance while their eyes looked lifeless, because they were. These were the unfortunate souls that lost their lives in that swamp for centuries, all stacking their bodies upon another as the swamp consumed them all.


    ¡°Kill them!¡± Devas commanded. ¡°Let them know the wrath of the Mire!¡±


    Taking up speed, the flock charged insanely at the trio without any care. Each of them was weak but they made up with their endless numbers. It became a battle of stamina to see if the royal guards ran out of stamina first or the flock ran out of numbers first.


    ¡°Here they come!¡± Mephisto shouted.


    ¡°Mephisto, Amelia, I will leave you to it.¡± The blue slime said as he charged through the flock toward the giant slime behind them. ¡°DEVAS!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do, dad? Think you can take me on?¡± the dark slime arrogantly provoked.


    ¡°You want to eat me right? I will give it to you! AAAAAA!¡±


    Without warning, Azureus dived into the pool of murk inside the demon lord.


    ¡°What???¡± Devas uttered, unable to grasp his father¡¯s actions. He felt his insides getting emptier. His body was being eaten by something. ¡°You¡­GET OUT!¡± Devas shook his body desperately as he tried to launch the slime out of his system. To add more pain, Devas increased the intensity of the acid in his body hoping it would kill Azureus. ¡°Fucking die!¡±


    Meanwhile, Azureus could feel his small body being melted down. In addition to purify the tainted body he was consuming, the royal guard had to keep healing himself from the acids. Expanding his own size from what he has eaten, Azureus grew little by little as he took over the body of the dark slime.


    ¡°GET OUT! ¡­NO NO NO!¡± Devas shouted painfully. ¡°I can¡¯t die like this! Not again!¡± Just before his whole body was taken over, a small block of black ooze shot out from the giant slime as it tried to escape the terrible fate that awaited it.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± a blue tentacle of pure liquid lunged itself and caught the small thing before it could reach the ground. The giant slime has now changed color to a light blue of the ocean. More tentacles launched themselves from the giant, catching the flock and saving his two friends.


    ¡°No no no!!! Let me go!¡± Devas shouted angrily.


    ¡°No...you won¡¯t escape from me. Let it be a lesson for you if you ever want to come back! Remember this: I will always be there to put you back in your place, son! It¡¯s my duty as your father¡­So goodbye!¡± the tentacle dragged itself rapidly toward its source.


    ¡°NOOOOOO!!!¡±


    And it was over in an instant. The hunter has become the hunted and ended up as the meal himself.


    ¡°It¡¯s over?¡± Mephisto uttered before turning toward the blue giant. ¡°Azureus?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­it¡¯s over¡­for now!¡± White smoke rose from his body as it shrank down to its original size.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡± Amelia smiled gently out of relief, something that was quite rare for someone like her.


    ¡°I am back. Let us hurry and see how the others are doing!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°You witch, what did you do?¡± the dragon lord shouted in anger as he found himself unable to move an inch. The only thing he could control right now was his head while the rest refused to listen. ¡°Why can¡¯t I move?¡±


    ¡°<Curse of Stillness> Simple but effective, isn¡¯t it?¡± the woman in chains muttered. Her face was mostly covered by her hood, revealing only a pure white smooth skin and a pair of bright rose lips.


    ¡°A curse??? But that¡¯s¡­.¡±


    There was a reason why no mage ever wanted to resort to curse magic. Because of the terrible price it imposed to cast the spell. Most of the known curses required a portion of the lives of their users or in other cases, something even worse than that. While curses were extremely difficult to remove because of their nature, dragons should be able to resist most common curses thanks to their natural resistance to magic. And yet, Celdora was hit by the most basic curse. Either something was wrong with him or the sacrifices Beatrix used must be very high, like the cost of her life actually.


    At that moment, Celdora realized that him killing her several times earlier was part of the curse. She used all those lives just for this. But that didn¡¯t explain why she could revive herself like that.


    ¡°Wondering why I didn¡¯t die? I thought I told you why¡­¡± the woman grinned.


    ¡°ARGG! Let me¡­.¡± And Celdora lost control of all his body. His only interaction with the world was now through his glassy eyes as his vision turned black.


    ¡°Shhhh¡­¡± Beatrix put her finger on her soft lips as a gesture of silence. ¡°Would you be a dear and wait for me for a moment? I will be right back.¡± The woman spoke softly before walking pass the dragon who could not even do anything, trapping inside the darkness of his own world.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­.she beat lord Celdora so easily.¡± A dragon uttered upon seeing the scene.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look dead to me. We must rescue him! Come on, brothers and sisters! AAAAAA!¡± a dozen dragons accompanied by a few brave knights rushed forward at the demon lord.


    ¡°<Chain of Shadow>¡±


    In an instant, numerous sets of chains lunged from the shadows of the warriors before restraining them, forcing them to be on their knees.


    ¡°What is this?¡± a knight yelled as he tried to get away from the seemingly living chains constricting them.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.¡°Bondage lives in the heart of all men. To be bound by your own shadows, that¡¯s the true nature of humanity. The same can be said for dragons and any living being.¡± The woman muttered as she observed another large wave of soldiers coming her way. ¡°And here they come!


    <Chain of Decay>¡±


    From the flimsy cloak, the only clothing on her body aside from those chains covering her body, Beatrix launched countless chains toward the army. But unlike those from before, these chains were bright red as if they were soaked in blood. Each of them plunged into the chest of a soldier, making them squealing in pain as they agitated violently. From them, a crimson liquid was trailing on the chains and dropped to the ground.


    ¡°Bleed and suffer! That¡¯s the destiny of man. Each drop is your life. Let¡¯s see how long you all can last!¡± the woman spoke softly.


    Afraid of getting close to the woman, the other soldiers untouched by her attack decided to help their fellows instead. Healers consisted of priests and celestials rushed to the sides of the afflicted and began their healing as green light shined across the battle.


    But then.


    ¡°<Healing Reversal>¡±


    All of a sudden, the soldiers screamed even louder as their skins seemed to be burned by an invisible force. Yet, what was responsible for the burns was not some strange unseen external force but the healers themselves. The more they tried to heal, the worse the patients became.


    ¡°How? Why is our healing technic not working?¡± the celestials shouted.


    ¡°Hehehe!¡± the woman chuckled. ¡°What will you do now? Watch them suffer till their death or grant them mercy by your own hands?¡±


    ¡°You evil witch!¡±


    ¡°I am flattered. Hahahahaha!¡±


    But as the woman delighted from seeing the agonies of her foes, a figure appeared and stood firmly between the moaning soldiers and the witch.


    ¡°STOP!¡± the man in a priest garb spoke out loud.


    ¡°¡­that garb¡­.a high ranking priest? ¡­.no¡­even more!¡± Beatrix muttered ¡°So the pope himself decided to show up to protect his lambs?¡±


    ¡°I will not let you harm anyone anymore.¡± Maxime shouted.


    ¡°And what are you going to do about it? What can you hope to achieve with your frail vessel?¡±


    ¡°I may be weak but I won¡¯t stand idle and watch the innocents suffer.¡±


    ¡°Innocent? How laughable! We are all sinners, Holy Father. See how many centuries have passed, how many millennia have we lived and did anything change at all? War, betrayals, pains¡­our world is still infested with them. And we are the ones who caused it. We delight in the suffering and misfortunes of others. For it gives us comfort in our own insecurity and makes us feel better about our miserable self.


    Am I wrong to say it?¡± Beatrix proclaimed.


    ¡°¡­.I admit that we have made mistakes in our lives. We all did. But killing all is not the solution to the problem. Instead of spreading misery, we should focus on changing ourselves to seek salvation and peace. We deserve that chance!¡± Maxime uttered.


    ¡°No¡­we had too many chances already¡­But enough babbling! Show me how you will save them then, oh Hole Father of the Church of Light! Will you be able to kill me? Or will I kill you first?¡± the woman grinned.


    * * *


    ¡°<METEOR>¡±


    Three burning giant stones fell from the sky, piercing through the clouds as they dropped onto to tall figure holding two great swords.


    ¡°Fire and dark, heed my command! <Blazing Nebula>¡±


    Crossing his twin great swords above his head, Kaiser chopped down the first meteor before jumping on the second one and used it as a footing as he shattered the last stone in a dance of blades. Dark smoke and fiery embers followed his swords as he dived at the mediating old man in the ground.


    Yet, for some reason, the True Monarch was unable to even come close to the old man. He swore he has aimed at him but when he actually landed on the ground, Kaiser found himself where he stood earlier, still far away from the sage.


    ¡°What the? What sorcery is this?¡± the king of Ragna asked loudly.


    ¡°<Seism>, <Deluge>¡±


    The earth shattered and released a torrent of water from its fissures. The landscape was being ravaged by the violent tides all while crumbling into the abyss below. But where did all this water come from? Kaiser looked through the cracks and only saw an empty darkness below. And yet, somehow, water was constantly coming out of it and was flooding everywhere. How was it possible considering the empty cracks?


    Taking flight, Kaiser tried to escape from the flood but somehow ended up deep in the body of water below. Just moment ago, he was flying up so why was there water in the sky and even the ground above? It was as if the world has been reversed and Kaiser was only descending further into the depths of this seemingly endless ocean. Even weirder, he could not see anyone around him, only the old man sitting in his place inside an air bubble, still motionless with his eyes closed.


    But Kaiser was no normal being and was fully capable of staying underwater without any need for breathing. Yet, as he tried to lunge himself at the sage, a cyclone appeared underwater in front of the sage and sucked him into it forcefully.


    ¡°You will never escape this!¡± a loud voice echoed. ¡°The nightmare has no end. Surrender and be consumed by it!¡±


    ¡°Never!!!¡±


    In a burst of power, Kaiser destroyed the tornado and suddenly the ocean disappeared together with any sign of the earthquake from before. The landscape has returned to normal and Kaiser found himself on a field of tall green grass once again. However, he still had no way to counter this weird way of fighting of the demon lord or even understood how it worked.


    ¡°If it is magic than I can cancel it! In the name of the True Monarch, I forbid the use of magic on this land!¡± Kaiser proclaimed.


    ¡°Fool! That trick won¡¯t work against me. <Bolt of Judgment>¡±


    The sky darkened and a huge column of purple lightning struck down onto Kaiser, burning to crisp everything around.


    ¡°ARGGGHHH!¡± Kaiser used all his power to resist the powerful attack.


    ¡°You will yield, young one!¡±


    ¡°¡­Never!¡±


    ¡°Why do you resist? Is this not the will of your father?¡±  Asked Nyx with his disembodied voice.


    ¡°My father wishes for peace. This is not what he wants.¡± Retorted Kaiser.


    ¡°And yet he did¡­¡± Strangely, Nyx spoke with a doubtful tone as if he himself doubted his own reason for fighting. ¡°But give it up! If you can¡¯t even win against me, there is no way you could reach Alastor or hope to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°You have not seen anything yet¡­¡± Kaiser muttered as he deflected the lightning with his sword to the side. ¡°This is not even my final form! AAAAAAAAA!¡±


    A bright light engulfed Kaiser as surges of power were emanating from his body, creating powerful winds.


    ¡°What is this power?¡± the voice asked itself.


    From the brilliant light, a new figure emerged. Golden armor with six shiny wings on his back, the figure possessed six eye gaps on his metal face and surrounded himself with a powerful aura.


    ¡°Impressive but that won¡¯t help you to escape this world!¡± Nyx spoke.


    ¡°¡­He is not alone!¡±


    Suddenly, a dark portal appeared and poured out a black mist that seemingly sucked the life out of everything it touched. From the orb, two large figures emerged. One had elongated limbs and female shape wearing a light armor together with a purple veil. The second one who seemed to be composed of the dark smoke itself with only two bright crimson eyes. Their presences were simply too familiar to Kaiser as they were once the same being.


    ¡°Odium? Sinforma?¡± Kaiser uttered in shock.


    ¡°¡­.Yes brother, we are here to help.¡± Said the two simultaneously strangely with the same voice.


    ¡°But I thought you were both dead¡­.I mean¡­Father saw you died, Odium!¡±


    ¡°¡­.She did¡­But we can talk about this later. Right now, we have an opponent to face.¡± The two figures spoke.


    ¡°¡­.Alright, we will do this together as brothers and sister. CHARGE!¡±


    * * *


    While the main battles continued its course, the last two were not going very well. Edward had no way to attack Beelzebub as any magical attack would be absorbed by his hands. In short, the demon lord Beelzebub was the worst opponent to all mages and Edward had no physical skills to keep up with him. Meanwhile, Maria too had trouble to fend herself against the fallen celestials turned monsters. Her Hunters have also joined the battle but the most they could do was to defend against the monstrosities. However, the problem lied in the demon lord Lucifer who was maintaining the Door of Gehenna opened all while launching rains of destruction upon the battlefield, killing hundreds.


    ¡°Hahahaha! You have to do better than that, boy! <Black hole>¡±


    Beelzebub threw a black orb at Edward. Using his Death Spectrum, the boy has anticipated the attack and quickly drew back to escape the suction of the hole as it sucked everything around it before disappearing in nothingness. If not for the power of that brand, Edward would have lost by now. Frankly speaking, a normal ten years old boy capable of lasting this long against an all-powerful demon lord was already an unthinkable feat. But how far would he be able to continue? He was running out of mana and the stamina of a young boy had a limit.


    ¡° *heavy breathing* * Edward panted.


    ¡°Out of breath, boy? I don¡¯t blame you....Give it up and I will grant you a quick death!¡± Beelzebub spoke.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? Is this really what Alastor would want?¡± the boy questioned.


    ¡°¡­.It is so you don¡¯t have to resist anymore. Just¡­let it go!¡± Beelzebub raised his hand and charged his attack. ¡°Goodbye, Edward! I will remember your name!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°You are a better toy than I expected. To kill your opponent again and again, how delightful is that? Hahahaha!¡± Lucifer laughed maniacally, slashing his sword repetitively into the soft flesh of the woman in front of him.


    ¡°Argg!¡± Maria grunted while coughing of blood while the rest of her body was being pierced, covered with holes of injuries as her clothing was being ruined and soaked in her own blood. The wounds might heal but it took a bit of time before Maria had the chance to recover. However, Lucifer didn¡¯t give her even a second to rest and continued his onslaught as he ravaged the huntress.


    ¡°Get away from her, you monster!¡± Scarlet rushed toward the two to assist her friend.


    ¡°Be gone, insect!¡± Lucifer fired an arrow of light from his hand, impaling Scarlet as she fell to the ground.


    ¡°SCARLET!!!¡± Maria shouted with all her force but could not even move because of the intensity of her wounds. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±


    ¡°The more you say, the more I want to take her away. Your suffering, your agony¡­it gives me joy.¡± Lucifer grinned insidiously. ¡°Show me your true self when I decapitate this wench¡¯s head and offer it to you!¡± Lucifer walked toward the motionless Scarlet.


    ¡°No¡­don¡¯t¡­please! She is my family¡­¡± Maria struggled hardly as she used her hands to crawl and followed the celestial. But she was too slow.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    ¡°NOOOO!!!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Hehehehehe! It¡¯s about time we rebalance the Game!¡±


    The world froze and lost its color. The landscape, the people, it all became black and white. The drop of blood falling to the ground, the violence, the clashes, everything stopped. Even time itself.


    A red door appeared out of nowhere. Wooden rectangular frame, its lone bright color stood out of all, standing oddly in the middle of this monochrome land.Then it opened and a young man walked out. Wearing white gloves, a black cap and a grey long modern coat like some people of the Other World, the man had a long white scarf wrapped around his neck. One of his hands held a golden pocket watch attached to a small thin set of chain trailing to the side pocket of his coat.


    Looking at the moving needles on the surface of the watch, the young man muttered. ¡°Just in time! Now where is he?¡± He turned around. ¡°Aha, there he is.¡±


    Closing the watch and put it in his pocket, the man walked toward a young boy frozen in time. Not far from the boy, a beastman was pointing at him and on the verge of releasing an attack on him. One second later and he would have died.


    The man touched the boy on his forehead with his index and suddenly Edward could move again. He has regained his usual colour and just realized that everything around him was frozen, except for the strange man in front of him.


    ¡°Hello, young Edward! My name is Cronos, Overseer of Time! It¡¯s good to finally see you face to face! Now, let us start changing this timeline, shall we?¡±


    ¡­¡­


    Back to Maria, something was strange. She felt something wet on her face. Struggling to stand up, the woman opened her eyes, only to see a dark sky of nothingness expanding to the horizon.


    ¡°What the...Where am I?¡± Maria uttered in shock before taking a few steps back.


    *FLIP FLOP FLIP FLOP*


    The sounds of footsteps walking on water. That sound, it came from her own steps. Looking down on the ground and touching her own cheek, Maria finally realized the source of that wet feeling from earlier. Blood, it was blood, blood everywhere. The entire ground she was walking on was an ocean of blood and she was walking on its surface, each step echoing across the whole body of the crimson liquid.


    ¡°What the hell is this place???¡± a voice shouted but it did not belong to Maria. Turning her head back to the direction of the voice, the huntress saw the only person and perhaps the only thing that existed in this place along with her: the demon lord Lucifer who was confused himself by this sudden change of location they were in. ¡°You! You did this? I will kill you!!!¡± the celestial shouted in anger.


    *CLAP CLAP CLAP*


    ¡°Now, now, children, behave!¡±


    A sudden chill could be felt by both Maria and Lucifer as they heard a strange female voice along with the sounds of hands clapping. Then, footsteps could be heard coming toward them from the darkness. A figure was walking toward them with her high pointy heels across the pool of blood. Wearing a long tight dress forming the shape of her pale skinned body and a large hat adorned with a large rose, everything on this woman from tip to toe was dyed in a bright red colour, even her long hair pass her shoulder to one side, hiding half her face. The only thing that was not red was her white fluffy fur scarf she wrapped around herself and the ivory parasol she held open in her hands even though it was not raining.


    Approaching the only two persons in this place, she bowed lightly but somehow still showed that she was the one in charge here, not them and that this gesture was simply a mockery at their own powerlessness.


    ¡°Hello children! I am Rouge, the Sanguine Incarnation! You may also call me Madame Rouge. Enchant¨¦e!¡±


    ¡­..


    ¡°Ikarus, I will give you back your wings!¡±

 Chapter 111: Gifts of the Old

    ¡°IT¡¯S DONE! HAHAHAAHAHA!¡± The pale sea dragon laughed manically. ¡°The Astral sword of Moonlight has been forged!!! I have finally done it.¡±


    In his hands, a giant great sword seemingly designed for dragon¡¯ size and made out of purely a special stone that contained an exceptional power: the moonstone. Originally a rock falling from the sky, this stone has been broken to thousands of pieces but now it has once again been assembled in a new form. The opaque colour with a faint dim blue light emanating from inside was so magnificent that once you have laid your eyes on it, it would be impossible to separate from it. One look at the two dragons staring at it and you would understand the captivation it possessed on the people around it.


    ¡°So this is what you want? This sword?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.for so long. Can you feel it, Abalone? Its voice¡­its calling¡­.it will grant us guidance on the path to Ascension.¡± Xenes muttered as he stared and caressed the sword.


    ¡°¡­..So what now?¡± Abalone put her hand on the sword, pushing it away from Xenes.  ¡°You said you will give me back my stone.¡±


    ¡°Well it¡¯s a part of the sword now¡­¡± Xenes said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t screw with me!¡± Abalone grabbed her sword for herself. ¡°If I can take it out then the sword is mine.¡±


    ¡°¡­.Fine! Take it! It¡¯s yours.¡± Xenes casually spoke.


    ¡°What? You will give it to me that easily? Even though you spent so many years looking for it?¡± Abalone was surprised to see Xenes giving the sword without resistance ¡°Is this a trap? You aren¡¯t going to attack me when I turn around, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh please! If I want to take it, you would have died long ago the moment you handed me your stone. Just take it and help the others in their battle!¡±


    ¡°Alright¡­.then¡­I will be on my way then. Let¡¯s go Heru!¡± Abalone turned to her gyrfalcon before moving out toward the battlefield, leaving the pale dragon by himself.


    ¡°¡­Sorry, Abalone! But the Blood Moon requires one more ingredient¡­And I can¡¯t be it. I need to witness this for myself.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Hello children! I am Rouge, the Sanguine Incarnation! You may also call me Madame Rouge. Enchant¨¦e!¡± The red woman bowed slightly as she presented herself joyfully before noticing a dazed Maria. ¡°And here you are, my dear, Maria the Blood Huntress! Or do you prefer me to call you Marie?¡±


    ¡°What? Who are you?¡± asked Maria in awe facing this strange woman.


    Her figure suggested her to be some kind of frail noble woman, the kind that could not lift even a flower with her own hands. And yet, maybe it was her bright red clothing that made her look like she came out of the pool of blood itself but the woman possessed a tremendous presence, one that made people sick upon looking at her. Even more, it was her strange beauty that stood out the most. Perhaps calling it ¡®strange¡¯ was an understatement. Seemingly older than Maria only a couple years, this Madame Rouge had a so fair skin without a single complexion, passing to the borderlines of an artificial forgery. And her dark eyes with two bright slit sun-colour eyes like that of a snake, a beast¡­.they sent shivers to the spines of those who dared to stare at her.


    ¡°Do you have a hearing problem dear? I didn¡¯t see that detail in the book though¡­.Am I missing something here?¡± Madame Rouge muttered. ¡°Hum¡­I need to read it all again to make sure¡­But for now¡­.¡±


    In an instant, the woman disappeared from her location without a sound and reappeared in front of Maria, making her unable to react in time. Reaching her hand to the Huntress¡¯ cheek, Maria found herself paralyzed as she was slowly embraced excitedly by the strange woman.


    ¡°Oh! I have been waiting so long for this. You are one of my favourite characters you know! A harsh past, drama, mystery, courage¡­.everything I want was there¡­Hihihi!¡± the woman chuckled as she hugged Maria tightly. ¡°So warm¡­and that smell¡­that crimson fluid¡­I was surprised to see someone with the same taste as me. AAA how delightful! You might not have much screen time but I still like you the most.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Maria did the only thing she could do at that moment: shout.


    ¡°Quiet, dear! Don¡¯t ruin this moment for me please! I just need to take all this smell in¡­Aaa¡­It¡¯s much better than what I imagined¡­This is the only thing I can¡¯t do with a book¡­To touch you¡­to smell you¡­¡±


    ¡°You are creepy!¡± Maria said, doing her best to move her head away from the approaching woman but to no avail.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say that! I am here to help you so just let me have this one last hug okay?¡± Rouge smiled.


    ¡°HEY! What the hell are you doing?¡± the last person who was left out and completely ignored since the very beginning has finally decided to gather attention from the two ladies. ¡°What is this place? Let me out!¡±


    ¡° *sigh*  oh damn it! I forgot about the chicken¡­..¡± the red woman muttered in annoyance.


    ¡°Who are you calling chicken? I am a demon lord! If you don¡¯t let me out, I will kill you.¡± Lucifer raged.


    ¡°Such generic dialogue! No wonder no one likes your character!¡± Rouge addressed the angry celestial. ¡°I mean¡­how much of a villain are you? ¡®Oh I will kill you!¡¯, ¡®I will enjoy watching you suffer¡¯ and something like that¡­.bla bla bla. No development or anything! Completely useless!¡± Rouge grunted as she released Maria.


    ¡°What? You dare?¡± both Lucifer and Rouge spoke simultaneously. ¡°How? How are you?¡±


    ¡°Bla bla bla¡­.see? I don¡¯t even read what is in the book to know what you will say! So please shut up and let me have my precious time with Maria! Shoo shoo!¡± Madame Rouge waved her hand, signalling Lucifer to go away.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I will kill you!¡± Lucifer dashed forward, raising his sword.


    ¡°¡­.*sigh* Forgive me, Maria! Wait here for a minute, will you?¡± Rouge held Maria¡¯s hands softly before letting go.


    But before she could even turn her head, Lucifer was right above her and slashed his sword down. ¡°DIE!¡±


    *CLANG*


    Something has stopped the sword dead in its track. Using the folded parasol, Madame Rouge has blocked the sword without any hint of using any force at all. And yet, Lucifer was using all his strength and both his hands in that attack.


    ¡°Chapter Twenty-Seven¡­The scene where Kaiser confronts the three S-rank adventurers¡­.¡± Rouge muttered.


    ¡°What?¡± Lucifer said.


    ¡°He has one of the best quotes in my opinion. ¡®Maggots don¡¯t talk. They die! Now please die!¡¯¡­.So now, use whatever that is in that tiny stupid head of yours and think hard about it. Who do you think it¡¯s the maggot here?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Lucifer remained silent. He knew what this woman was implying but a part of him¡­something he has long forgotten about has stopped him from saying it. It was fear.


    ¡°Silence? Well, at least you know how to play a maggot role. And what do we do to maggots?¡±


    Within the flash of an eye, a hole appeared on Lucifer¡¯s chest with all the flesh inside gone. Things happened so fast that both Maria and the person himself were unable to see what actually transpired.


    ¡°How..?¡± Lucifer coughed off blood as he fell down to the ground, immobile. He was still alive despite the seemingly fatal wound. Being a demon lord, Lucifer would not die that easily, only temporarily paralyzed to heal himself. ¡°I¡­am ..a demon lord¡­.how is this¡­possible?¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Demon lord¡­an existence so tiny I eat them for breakfast. There are times one or two come out as a nice patch but those are rare. Asmodeus and Alastor¡­maybe Asgore too but the rest¡­.not even worth mentioning. I guess I can¡¯t expect much from a flop like Magnus.¡± The woman in red grinned as she turned back to Maria. ¡°But well, sorry for making you waiting, Maria! Now it¡¯s your turn!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± Maria showed a fearful expression thinking what this ghastly woman would do to her. This was the person who managed to beat a demon lord like playing with a child. And she didn¡¯t even to have broken a sweat or gave any effort¡­


    ¡°Fear not! I am here to help you. It would not be right for me to kill him. I am part of the audience and he is still a character, no matter how much of a minor role he played. But you seem to have some trouble with it so I will give you something that will¡­rebalance the Game. And you can talk you know?¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Only if you want it. All I do is giving you a chance at victory. It¡¯s up to you whether you accept it or not¡­I don¡¯t need to tell you how you are powerless against him right? He is already recovering and you know what he will do to you and Scarlet when I am gone right? Even Lilith¡¯s blood can¡¯t help you forever you know.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your choice, Maria: keep your sanity and accept your inevitable death¡­Or choose a more¡­different path but survive!¡± Madame Rouge muttered.


    ¡°¡­.If this will save Scarlet..and the others then I will do it.¡±


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to know the consequences?¡± asked Rouge.


    ¡°Is there a difference if I ask?¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Then do it! Whatever curse, whatever abomination I will become, I will embrace it.¡± Maria said.


    ¡°Very well!¡± Rouge pulled up her sleeves and showed her pale wrist. Using her sharp nail on the other hand, Rouge made a cut on her wrist and a crimson fluid poured out as she moved her hand above Maria¡¯s head. ¡°Drink it!¡±


    Following the instructions, Maria opened her mouth and let the blood dropping into her. The warmth and taste of each drop was so exquisite, unlike anything she has ever eaten.


    ¡°In a way, Lilith and I are very similar. However, Lilith is but a child¡­unable to grow. A waste of that special heritage I must say¡­But her actions allowed all these special beings that formed this story so I guess I will throw a blind eye on that child.


    But enough about her! I will make sure that you will become something more¡­more than Lilith or anyone else. And then¡­oh I tremble at the mere thought of how this will influence the story!¡± Madame Rouge hugged herself with one hand still extending for Maria to drink her blood while the rest of her body shook excitedly.


    ¡°And¡­it¡¯s done. Do you feel anything different, dear?¡± asked Rouge.


    ¡°No¡­does that¡­.ARGGHHHH!!!!¡± Maria screamed in pain.


    ¡°Oh yes, I forgot to tell you that it takes a while to circulate in your veins.¡±


    Writhing on the surface of the pool of blood, Maria began to cough off blood like vomiting as she agitated like a madman. The pains were excruciating so much she felt her insides melting and boiling as if she was in a cauldron. Yet, she could not fall unconscious to ignore this pain. She had to endure it. Her pupils started to take on the orange colour the same as Rouge, although slightly less shiny while the rest of her eyes were a pure blackness.


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!! ARAGAGAAG!¡± the young woman moaned in agony.


    ¡°¡­What¡­is wrong with her?¡± Lucifer uttered upon seeing the horrifying sight in front of him. His wounds were mostly healed and he should be able to move in a short moment. But instead of staying here and confronting the monstrosity, his mind was telling him to run.


    ¡°Ascension! Hahahaha!¡± the lady in red laughed out loud.


    ¡°GRGRRGRGRRGAAAAAAAAAA!¡± Canines poked from Maria¡¯s jaws as she roared a horrifying screeching scream like that of a bat. A pair of dark wings has grown from her back, puncturing through her skin and cloth. They were much more impressive compared to those of the devil¡¯s clan in term of size, dark colour and form.


    ¡°She is ready!¡± Rouge spoke.


    ¡°Ready? For what??¡± Lucifer slowly stood up.


    ¡°For her first meal! Go, Maria! Eat that chicken maggot!¡±


    In an instant, the monster in the form of Maria dashed forward, gushing through the stream of blood as crimson fluid flew onto the air following her path. Unable to keep up, Lucifer decided to dodge to the side but realized he has just lost a limb without him even being aware about it.


    ¡°AAAA!¡± the celestial screamed in pain as he looked at his back, only to see the monster was sucking the blood out of his severed limb she took with her claws. ¡°What the hell are you?¡±


    ¡° *screeching sound* ¡° Maria uttered an inhuman scream before dashing again and took the second arm of Lucifer. Within seconds, all the blood have been drawn out of the vessel, sucked dry and left mummified by her fangs.


    Watching as the monster Maria has become continued its savage assault on the demon lord, Madame Rouge rested her head on her opening hands as her cheeks reddened by the scene. ¡°Oh¡­how beautiful! Colour him in red! Colour them all in red! Colour the world in red!¡±


    ¡°No!!!!!!¡± That was the last thing Lucifer spoke before his decapitated head was being held by the bestial claws of the beast.


    ¡°Grow, Maria! Grow and become more beautiful! I have high hopes in you.¡± Rouge chuckled as she vanished from the scene along with the blood world around her.


    Shortly, Maria found herself once again where she fought Lucifer on the battlefield. Everything was left as it was. However, the only difference was that the demon lord has now turned into a puddle of dry flesh and blood. Her consciousness started to come back as she regained control of her body. Yet, this taste in her mouth¡­the taste of blood¡­she could not stop this urge. Crouching down to the ground as she stared at the gory sight, Maria licked and tried to take every drop of that warm crimson liquid inside her.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    * * *


    ¡°Hello, young Edward! My name is Cronos, Overseer of Time! It¡¯s good to finally see you face to face! Now, let us start changing this timeline, shall we?¡±


    ¡°What? Who are you? And why is¡­.?¡± Edward uttered in shock upon realizing that not just the area around him but the entire world has stopped, seemingly frozen in time. Aside from the two, everything was coloured only in black and white, making them standing out even in the middle of the intense battle.


    ¡°I told you. I am Cronos, Overseer of Time. The title alone should have given you some clue on what is happening around.¡± Said the young man.


    ¡°You can stop time? That¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°Impossible? Then look around him more careful! Isn¡¯t this more than enough proof?¡±


    ¡°But¡­no one could use it except for the Gods¡­.well at least according to the scriptures..¡± Edward said.


    ¡°Well I am not just anybody. And your Gods could not use time magic, mind you. They only have something close to it and even then it is nothing compared to true time magic. But then again, I didn¡¯t come here to discuss history and about the Gods.¡± Cronos spoke.


    ¡°Then what do you want from me? For someone who can use time magic, anything is possible so I don¡¯t see why you would want from a kid like me.¡± The boy argued.


    ¡°I want¡­entertainment, Edward and you so far are my favourite candidate. Someone with your potential could reach much more than you thought you could. However it will take some time and at this rate, you won¡¯t live to see another day. As a member of the audience who enjoys watching your adventure and growth, I would rather not have your future ends here. You see what I mean, Edward?¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you really? You spoke of audience..does that mean there are others like you too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing you should concern yourself me. Trust me! It¡¯s for your own good. Maybe in the future¡­or in the past¡­but not now!


    More importantly, I am here to help you out of this predicament you are in.¡± Cronos pointed to the demon lord. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t fight him for you. You have to do that yourself. As for me, all I can do is¡­merely giving a small push, harmless by itself but in the right person¡¯s hands¡­.it can change the world.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand your motivation¡­¡± Edward said.


    ¡°Like I said, I want to see you grow, Edward. But I don¡¯t think you should focus on me right now. Think of how Tasha would react if you die here!¡±


    ¡°You know about Tasha???¡±


    ¡°A good character is someone the readers can relate to. Sadness and joy, tragedy and comedy¡­it all comes down to how well people can understand the character¡¯s emotional state, to give their empathy. In my case, we have a connection, you and I, Eward. And that gives me the reason to choose you.¡± The man spoke in a solemn voice.


    ¡°Character? Reader? What are you talking about?¡± Edward asked in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just some babbling from me. Now I am giving you a choice, Edward: take this power for yourself or die like an underdog! You know your power better than anyone. Beelzebub is the worst opponent for a mage like you because of his abilities to negate magic. But not even that power could measure up to time magic. But you also knew this don¡¯t you? What you found in the basement of Helios¡­.all the knowledge down there is now in your head!¡±


    Something was odd. If Cronos read the book, his information should only be limited to what was written in it. Yet, there was nothing mentioning Edward¡¯s discovery. A contradiction? An anomaly? What was it?


    ¡°¡­.You know about it too?¡± inquired Edward.


    ¡°I can¡¯t claim to know everything about you but I do know a few, more than you think at least. But with just the spell alone, it¡¯s impossible to cast it without a proper catalyst able to contain it. That¡¯s why you researched on charm and enchantment like the ones you used on Charles: imprinting the spell itself inside a catalyst and use it later whenever you want. Sounds similar to the artefacts but completely different. The stronger the spell, the more powerful the catalyst is needed.


    And I will give it to you!¡± Reaching to the insides of his pocket, Cronos drew out a small hourglass containing peculiar black sand inside.


    ¡°This colour¡­the Sands of Time????¡± Edward shouted in awe.


    ¡°Correct! Fragments of the past, the future and the present all condensed into physical particles where time is distorted¡­They are the fruits of the births and deaths of countless universes¡­And I am giving this to you.¡± The man handed over the hourglass casually to the boy who held it tremblingly in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t drop it or let it break! You know what will happen.¡±


    ¡°¡­This is..I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡± uttered Edward.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t! Use that energy to get yourself out of this situation! You do realize the cost of time magic right?¡±


    ¡°I do¡­¡±


    ¡°Will you use it then? Between Tasha and the world, which will you choose?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Well I am done here so I will be on my way. Think hard, Edward! I look forward to see your decision.¡± With that said, Cronos walked away from the boy toward the door he came by in the first place as he raised his hand and fixed his hat. ¡°Show me something interesting, Edward!¡± And he was gone, along with the red door as time resumed its course.


    * * *


    Inside a peculiar bar, a woman in red was sipping from her glass of champagne, waiting for the return of her two associates. She came here out of curiosity about the mystery surrounding this place and somehow ended up like this, doing things she would never even dream of. She herself was fully aware of the consequences of her embroilment in this affair and those repercussions were not something to be taken lightly even for someone as powerful as her. She has gained the attention of an individual no one in this universe, of this entire cosmos where Astora was but a grain of sand, would want to mess or be involved. That thought alone was frightening by itself. And yet, this thrill of danger and risk was something she has not felt for a very long time. This long forgotten emotion she thought lost has now resurfaced and it was impeccable.


    ¡°The All-Seeing Eye is watching me¡­I feel flattered. What about you? How do you feel to be up there and watch us as you dictate our words, our thoughts, our being?¡± The woman looked at the empty ceiling above her as she gave a soft smiled out of irony. ¡°Are you making me say this too? Is our hatred for you just a production of your mind?¡±


    Suddenly, the only door of the bar opened and a young man holding onto his cap walked in.


    ¡°Oh, you have already finished, Madame Rouge? I am surprised.¡± The man said while swiping the unseen dust off this coat.


    ¡°For the Overseer of Time, you are too slow. I thought you control time perfectly.¡± Rouge spoke.


    ¡°What can I say? Time is like a woman. Its temperament is...fleeting.¡± Cronos joked.


    ¡°¡­..Want to find out my temperament?¡± Rouge raised her voice.


    ¡°Come on! It¡¯s just a joke. By the way, Master is not back yet?¡±


    ¡°He sent me a message saying that he will be late a bit. It seems there is some problem with that celestial.¡± Rouge informed.


    ¡°Problem? What kind of problem? Is her condition that serious?¡± Cronos asked but pulled back his statement shortly after. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be that¡­If it is a wound or something, Master should not have any trouble¡­unless¡­.¡±


    ¡°You know what the problem is?¡± inquired the woman in red.


    ¡°I am not sure¡­Let¡¯s just wait for him to go back!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°This is a problem¡­.¡± The white masked man muttered in a grave voice with his hand hovering above the wingless celestial, emitting an intense light. ¡°¡­How is this possible? Something this big has been overlooked? Why?¡±


    Retracting his hand back as the light subsided, the mature man stayed silent upon the discovery he just made. Like his other two allies, it was his intention to come here and bestow power in order to rebalance the Game they watched. However, his plan has encountered an unexpected source of troubles lying within Ikarus herself.


    ¡°¡­Why was it not mentioned at all? But if it is indeed the case, then I can¡¯t proceed like this¡­something else must be done.¡± The man whispered in contemplation. ¡°¡­.Too bad, she could become so much more¡­.I guess this would have to do.¡±


    Clenching his hand, the Master opened his palm and revealed an odd ring inside. Silver frame adorned with a blue gem like the colour of the sky, the ring shared a similar appearance, if not the exact same shape and details as the ring on the finger of the slumbering celestial. Ikarus¡¯ ring came from her bond with Alastor which gave her the translucent wings and her current power along with her spear weapon. But that ring was a unique item so how was it possible that there was a second one right here in the hands of this mysterious man?


    ¡°This ring used to belong to a certain person who aspired justice, peace and¡­love. However, in the end, she was killed by the very same thing she loved.


    Would you share the same fate as her, Ikarus? I wonder.


    Your current constitution is too fragile for the coming challenge. It would take a complete reset to restart it all. Creation is but another fa?ade of destruction. To give way to the new, the old must perish¡­But because of that inside you, I will refrain from doing it.


    A bit disappointing but this will have to do! I shall give you back your wings and something else. What you will do with it, how much you will grow, it¡¯s up to you. I am looking forward to it so please, show me that I have not wasted my time here!¡±


    The Master crouched on his knees as he put the strange ring on Ikarus¡¯ finger right next to her ring. Close to each other, the gems embedded in them faintly shined.


    ¡°A good book is all about balance. Against a force of evil that¡¯s so powerful, a hero of equal power must rise. Else there would be nothing but destruction and chaos. Those ideas might seem tempting but after a while it gets dull.


    Alastor has grown to be too powerful. His role in this story has faded. It¡¯s about time someone put him down. Like I said, the old must give way to the old for things to progress. After all, changes are always interesting to watch.¡±


    ¡­..


    * * *


    ¡°Ah here he is!¡± Cronos noticed the door opening and a familiar figure walked in. ¡°How was it, Master?¡±


    ¡°¡­.We got a problem.¡± uttered the bartender.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Something is missing in the book. Something that was not supposed to be there was actually there.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°¡­Life¡­¡± the senior muttered.


    ¡°Life? What are you talking about?¡± asked Rouge.


    ¡°¡­.Life¡­the child¡­.there is a child inside Ikarus¡­¡± said Cronos.


    ¡°WHAT? Alastor and Ikarus have a child??? But that¡¯s¡­¡± Rouge shouted.


    ¡°Impossible! Yes! The book didn¡¯t mention anything about a child¡­yet I clearly feel its mana. It¡¯s a boy.¡± Said Master. ¡°Of course, he is mentioned now because of us. We have become part of the story ourselves and are now under the radar.¡±


    ¡°But if Alastor killed Ikarus at the end of the book then perhaps that¡¯s why he was not mentioned?¡± said Rouge.


    ¡°No¡­something that important would be critical to the story¡­It heightens the drama¡­.It¡¯s impossible that it was not mentioned at all.¡± Said Cronos.


    ¡°Then how?¡± questioned the woman in red. ¡°The All-Seeing Eye keeps a constant watch on everything around Alastor and his associates.¡±


    ¡°Two possibilities! Neither seems very reassuring¡­¡± said Master.


    ¡°I admit¡­¡± Cronos spoke. ¡°Either the boy has no importance to the story, which is completely illogical...Or¡­¡± uttered Cronos in an annoyed tone.


    ¡°Origin deliberately overlooked him.¡±


    ##############################################################################################


    Author''s note: Hi everyone! Just a quick word that the next two weeks I will be quite busy so it might be difficult to have a chapter on daily basis while keeping the quality. So what I do is to keep at least 3 chapters per week (potentially more if I can find some time). In addition, this weekend might not receive any chapter so I am sorry ><.


    Also this chapter can be a bit confusing. i can only ask for your patience and look forward in future chapters ! Hope you enjoyed it and let me know what you think :)

 Chapter 112: Rebound

    Author''s note: Here is the long awaited chapter! My apologies for the delay! Hope you will enjoy it :)


    ##########################################################################


    ¡°But why? Why would Origin try to hide the child¡¯s existence?¡± uttered Rouge.


    ¡°Why you ask? Origin dictated the path of the universe as well as the action, emotions, the thoughts of each and every one of us¡­Asking why is a bit ridiculous at this point, considering how much the book has been changed.¡± Cronos spoke.


    ¡°¡­Why do I feel like there is something you two didn¡¯t tell me?¡± The woman in red spoke.


    ¡°¡­..Well you never ask so¡­.¡± Smiled Cronos before a parasol hit at his location. But like a mirage, his body phased a few steps back, avoiding the strike. ¡°Hold your horses, Madame Rouge! It¡¯s not good for a lady to be that violent.¡±


    ¡°What are you not telling me?¡± Rouge pointed her parasol to the young man. Suddenly, she could feel a shiver on her spines as a malicious aura point targeted at her. The owner was not happy to see a fight in his home. In addition, the eerie expressionless ivory mask only added more to the already terrifying figure of the man. Aware of her own league compared to his, Rouge decided to take a step back and withdraw her weapon, much to the relief of the aura. ¡°My apologies, Master!¡±


    ¡°Emotions are fascinating. It transforms a paper character into a real one, someone we can love, hate, envy, pity, sympathizes¡­We ourselves are no different than them in this aspect. However, it is also a weakness and needs to be controlled in order to move on. Sometimes, they can be the driving factor you need but can also be the hindering obstacle. There is a place and time for everything.


    What I am trying to say is: don¡¯t fight in my bar!¡± the bartender said in a grave voice.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Cronos and Rouge said.


    ¡°Good! Then we can move on to the next topic then. There is no use in questioning Origin¡¯s motive as long as¡­.!!!!!¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± The couple uttered in shock upon turning their head back to the book shelf near the counter.


    A burst of flame has sparked out from a specific item which was held in utmost care from the owner.


    ¡°THE BOOK!!!!¡± Rouge reached out to the burning tome but was stopped by Cronos.


    ¡°No! You can¡¯t!¡±


    Within seconds, the once mysterious book has been turned to white ashes. Nothing of its traces was left, much to the bewilderment of the people in the bar.


    ¡°No no no! Why¡­.?¡± Rouge fell on her knees in despair. Her love for books was profound and this could be devastating to her to say the least, especially for this special kind of book that was so rare she never thought she could get her hands on one. And now, one of them has just been destroyed.


    Scratching his chin as he watched the piles of ashes, Cronos turned to the silent bartender who did not show much emotion compared to Rouge. Or rather he could not see it at all because of the mask. ¡°Master¡­do you think it¡¯s because of the anomalies?¡±


    ¡°Highly possible! In addition to that, our actions have completely changed the tides of the war¡­.well at least that was our intention but we never know what will actually happen from now on.¡± The bartender spoke. ¡°I kind of expect this but still¡­such a pity that it¡¯s gone!¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Rouge raised her voice.


    ¡°Madame Rouge, the book has been written and finished. However, by changing the events taking place in it, the contents change as well. As they said, even if we try to alter the course of nature, fate will always find a way to go back to the path it was intended, as it was dictated by Origin. However, in some rare cases, there are simply too many modifications, pushing fate to go beyond the point of return.


    In our case, the book has been destroyed because it can no longer provide the story as the author originally intended.¡± Cronos explained.


    ¡°But why? I admit changing the course of the war is big but it should not go beyond the point of destroying the book itself.¡± The woman uttered.


    ¡°Because we have become the characters.¡± The owner conveyed. ¡°Furthermore¡­..¡±


    ¡°Furthermore?¡± inquired Rouge.


    ¡°Before I came back, I have confirmed one thing¡­.We are not the only ones who tried and succeeded in changing the story. The Astral Sword of Moonlight has been forged and the Blood Moon is coming!¡± proclaimed the Master.


    ¡°So the big guy finally makes his move!¡± Cronos grinned. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun!¡±


    ¡°!¡± Rouge did not say a single word but her expression alone suggested that she understood what the owner was saying. ¡®The Blood Moon is coming!¡¯ the sentence echoed in her mind. She did not expect this at all. Then she uttered. ¡°But in the book, the sword was never forged because¡­..oh no! Abalone!!!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Abalone was supposed to be a minor character in the version we saw. In the book, the sea dragon never met Alastor because she was killed by the dragon hunters. Since her stone was taken by them, the sword never managed to be reassembled in time. However, things are different in this timeline.¡± The owner spoke.


    ¡°Then¡­.this war won¡¯t be just about Alastor and the others anymore. With the coming of the Blood Moon, none of them will even matter.¡± Rouge conveyed. ¡°That sea dragon¡­.we must remove her.¡±


    ¡°No! It is one thing to change some events but I forbid the act of killing a character, no matter how small their roles are. Your actions with Lucifer were already on the borderlines of breaching the rule.¡± The Master said.


    ¡°Then what do we do???¡±


    ¡°The Blood Moon in itself is harmless. The problem is that the Path will be opened from it. In short, the only way to counter this issue is to interrupt whatever will come through from reaching Astora!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°¡­.Something is wrong!¡± The demon lord Beelzebub uttered as he realized something odd.


    It has been a moment since Beelzebub started launching dark orbs one after another consecutively at the young Deus mage. However, none of those could even touch him for some reason. One instant Edward was almost hit by an orb but the next thing the demon lord knew, the boy was already behind him.


    ¡®How is he able to move that fast?¡¯ the demon lord thought to himself. ¡®Physical Strengthening Magic? No, I didn¡¯t see him do any of those and even with that magic it is impossible to move like that. Teleportation? ¡­.too sophisticated and impossible to do consecutively like what he is doing¡­.Then how?¡¯


    Suddenly, Beelzebub could feel a sting on his legs as he fell down on his right knee. His leg has been lacerated by a sharp blade but neither the weapon nor the perpetrator could be seen. Was someone helping the boy? Maybe Edward was just a distraction from the real enemy? Because it was impossible for the boy to close the current gap between them in a fraction of a second like that. To the demon lord, Edward was standing still from afar so he could not be the one attacking him. So who? What was happening?


    ¡°Feel like giving up?¡± The demon lord was shocked upon seeing the boy now right in front of him. Pulling a punch at the boy only to have him gone from his sight again, Beelzebub was once again surprised by the sudden appearance of the Deus mage behind him.


    ¡°How? How are you doing this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°¡­I am sorry¡­¡± Edward pushed his palm on the demon lord¡¯s back.


    ¡°<Time Erosion>¡±


    In an instant, Beelzebub began to age at an incredible rate. His skin became dry and wrinkled. His fur turned ashen, losing their once bright colour of life.


    ¡°Arg¡­.arg¡­..you¡­what is¡­this¡­?¡± Beelzebub stuttered as he fell down to the ground. The current age he was in has left him unable to even move by himself. Like an ancient decrepit relic of the past, the old demon lord now turned into an old man reached out his skinny arm toward the boy.


    ¡°Time magic! The power to control time¡­it all lies in this tiny thing.¡± Edward showed the hourglass in his palm containing black sand inside.


    ¡°Time...but that will¡­you are¡­willing¡­to pay that cost¡­?¡± the old demon lord uttered tiredly.


    ¡°¡­.I know the risk¡­But this is necessary. As well as your defeat! My apologies for using it on you!¡± Edward spoke.


    ¡°Ha¡­ha¡­ha..well done! Out of all magic¡­.you used the only one that can hurt¡­me¡­Well done, young one! Haha¡­ha!¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, demon lord Beelzebub!¡±


    ¡°¡­I wish you good luck, young Edward¡­Stop¡­Alastor!¡± Beelzebub uttered his final words as his body turned into particles taken away by the wind.


    ¡°I will¡­I will stop Master from his madness!¡± vowed Edward as he clenched his fist while staring at the peculiar hourglass in his hand. ¡°No matter the cost¡­¡±


    The twenty seven bars around Edward¡¯s heart have been reduced to twenty four.


    * * *


    ¡°<Bolt of Judgment>¡±


    A giant column of lightning struck down onto the trio of brothers and sister. Reacting to the attack, Kaiser, in his ultimate form, spread out the large three pairs of wings and shielded himself together with his brethren.


    ¡°<Wings of Virtue>¡±


    Luminous light covered the trio and reflected the bolts to the old man sitting on the ground. However, they all vanished half way to the man.


    ¡°He is invulnerable in this state.¡± Sinforma commented. ¡°We must cancel his spell!¡±


    ¡°Spell?¡± asked Kaiser.


    ¡°Yes. Surely you must have noticed the weird things happening during your fight with him. It¡¯s because this is not reality but the Dream World. He has dragged you into his dream even before the fight and here, he controls everything.¡±


    ¡°Then how do you suggest we do?¡±


    ¡°Our sister will take care of that. How do you think I arrive in this place?¡± the shadow spoke. ¡°NOW!¡±


    ¡°


    ¡±


    In an instant, Odium¡¯s body turned transparent like a ghost and faded away from the place. A short moment later, without warning, the ground trembled and the sky began to crack like a mirror before breaking apart and revealing the true world.


    They were now standing in the same field of tall green grass with the same landscape untouched. However, the only difference was that the old man was now standing holding to a golden staff and fully awake after dodging an attack from the assassin targeting him.


    ¡°¡­.The dream is broken.¡± Nyx muttered.


    ¡°So the entire time I was in a dream?¡± questioned Kaiser in shock.


    ¡°Correct! And all we needed to do was to wake him up to cancel the spell. But that would be close to impossible to get out of the dream without a third party that could interrupt him and release you. More importantly, we still have the real battle up ahead.¡± Sinforma pulled out a giant obsidian scythe.


    ¡°Very well! Let¡¯s do this together!¡± The True Monarch uttered as he rushed forward toward the sage. Raising his twin great swords, Kaiser took the initiative.


    ¡°<Barrier of the Ages>¡±


    A protective translucent wall of mana appeared around the staff as Nyx used it to defend himself from the relentless assault of the winged monarch. But the enemies were more than one. From behind, a slender figure appeared out of nowhere like an apparition, drawing her knives as she lunged them toward the mage. In an instant, a bright light shined and Nyx disappeared before his body reappearing in a quite far distance away from the two.


    ¡°Not so fast!


    ¡± Sinforma created a strong gust blowing the dark smoke from his body toward the sage. Watching the green grass wither under the power of that mysterious smoke, Nyx realized its true nature.


    ¡°This is..miasma?¡± Nyx muttered as he jumped up and floated on air to avoid the deadly mist. ¡°One is immortal¡­One with


    while the last is capable of controlling miasma¡­The children of Alastor are to be feared.


    But I will not lose that easily.


    <Ultima>¡±


    Raising his staff high toward the sky, Nyx chanted his spell and cast down a rain of white projectiles upon the battlefield.


    ¡°Sinforma, Odium, we will perform that skill! Be ready!¡± Kaiser addressed his siblings in a majestic voice.


    The three were all once parts of the same being: one formed of Courage, one of Spite and the last one, so easily forgotten. Despite all those differences and disagreements they might have, their connections to each other could not be denied. Maybe, just maybe, that connection, that link was still there, giving them the ability to understand, to communicate with each other in that short instant. And now, they all knew what they had to do.


    Facing the rain of destruction, each took a pose in a triangular formation as they chanted their hidden power. On the ground, strange words appear inside the large magic circle as they shined brightly.


    ¡°Follow the path of salvation


    Cross the sea of Inferno


    Climb the mountain of Purgatorio


    Ascending the spheres of Paradiso


    <Trinity of Damnation: Divine Comedy>¡±


    Three columns of blazing crimson fire, boreal dark wind and brilliant white light rose from the circle and launched themselves at the sage.


    ¡°This power¡­..!!!!!!¡± Nyx uttered as his body was consumed by the tremendous attack, banishing him away from the realm of the living.


    ¡°So we won¡­!!! Sinforma? Odium? Where are you?¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Please, Father! STOP!¡±


    ¡°Someone please help him!!!¡±


    ¡°You will kill yourself at this rate, human! Step down!!!¡±


    The cries out of the soldiers, from humans, elves, dragons, celestials, were all mixed up together in despair as they watched the act of a brave man in front of them. His white cloth has been dyed with the crimson colour of blood, soaked like wet towel. His thin legs and arms were trembling while doing their best to stand up facing a most dreadful threat: a demon lord.


    ¡°<Chain of Agony>¡±


    Beatrix held her crimson dagger firmly before stabbing it into her own shoulder. From her chest, a chain was connected to Father Maxime as it transferred the pain she suffered to him. One look at the ground and grass below them already showed how much blood has been spilled. It made one wonder how could both of them even stand or stay conscious in this state, especially for the young pope since he was nothing more than a common priest with only powerful healing spells, which were all useless facing the witch Beatrix.


    ¡°Argg¡­.¡± Maxime hugged his shoulder in pain but he did not scream. Instead he held back while using all his strong will to hold his stand.


    ¡°Why do you struggle so much, Father? Won¡¯t it be better if you succumb to the pain and fall into the depths of unconsciousness? It would be much easier and less painful.¡± The witch spoke.


    ¡°¡­.We made a deal¡­.and I will uphold it¡­.¡± Maxime panted.


    ¡°The one about if you are able to last for an hour of torture, I will let you and your people go? Do you realize how easy it is for me to just kill you right now? That deal only made more fun out of it.¡± The witch grinned.


    ¡°¡­Then why didn¡¯t you do it already?...*heavy breathing* The deadline of one hour¡­.is running out¡­soon.¡± Maxime agonized.


    ¡°Won¡¯t it be better if I kill you just at the last second? When the hope is at its peak, I will just steal it away, to the horror and despair you would feel from that.¡± And another stabbing in the stomach.


    ¡°Argg¡­..ah..ha¡­ha¡­I won¡¯t yield¡­I won¡¯t let anyone¡­die¡­This madness¡­all these meaningless killings¡­have to stop.¡± The pope spread his arms like a wall protecting his people, much to their desperate cries out.


    ¡°I admit that you are different from your predecessors. Yet in the end, you are just a weak, miserable tiny spark of life in this world. You may think they are worth saving. You may want to offer them a second chance at salvation. But, that feat is impossible and you know it. What can one man do to change the world if he himself has no power over them? And even at the peak of power, there are many things you could not do. Alastor himself is the perfect example of that. And his actions today are the results of the accursed sins of the world. You all brought this upon yourself, Father!¡± Beatrix argued.


    For the first time in that conversation, she showed a slightly different emotion. While her face was hidden by the hood, her mouth, her cheeks were still visible to allow one to notice that tiny difference. Before, they were expression of contempt, mocking over the pitiful creatures called men. Now, it showed a somewhat pity toward the lonely pope who was by himself standing for this idea.


    ¡°You¡­.are not wrong¡­.we have committed many sins¡­most of them unforgivable¡­But that was a small part off us. The rest were simply struggling to live in this world. I believe in our kind¡­I will not let my faith waver because of that¡­¡±


    ¡°What a strange man you are! Though your words sound convincing, your actions do not. You are just on the brink of collapsing right? I believe it will all end in the next strike¡­along with your life, Father.¡± Beatrix said. ¡°But it won¡¯t be fair for you so I will give you a chance.¡±


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The final minute countdown began. Beatrix threw her knife to the ground before Maxime.


    ¡°If you kill yourself before the end of the countdown, I will let your people live.¡± The demon lord made her odd proposal. ¡°Will you be able to do it? Time is running out!¡±


    Crawling toward the knife, Maxime stared at the crimson blade as he took it in his hands. Without hesitation, he pointed it at his heart.


    ¡°Please¡­promise me you will let them go unharmed!¡± Maxime uttered.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t get you¡­.Why? Why are you willing to go that far?¡± questioned Beatrix with a bit of anger in her voice.


    ¡°Because¡­I believe in the people.¡± Maxime smiled gently with blood dripping from his body.


    ¡°I could have lied to you and still kill them later you know?¡±


    ¡°Somehow, I have the feeling you are an honest person, someone who will never betray their promises¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Is that something you should talk about an enemy?¡± asked Beatrix.


    ¡°You are not my enemy¡­We all are families¡­together under the home called Astora¡­¡±


    Fifteen seconds left!


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Ten seconds left!


    ¡°I guess this is goodbye!¡± Maxime uttered as he slowly raised his knife.


    Five seconds left!


    ¡°Good bye!¡± Maxime brought down the knife to his chest.


    ¡°¡­.¡±


    *CRACK*


    ¡°¡­.What? I am still alive?¡± Maxime uttered in awe upon checking his chest. He saw the handle poking out but felt no pain. Of course he didn¡¯t since the blade of the knife was gone, broken and lying in the ground. It could not be a normal crack, not when the timing was impeccable at the last possibly second and how the blade was broken so nicely Maxime did not suffer a wound or even a scratch from the handle.


    ¡°¡­You won! I forfeit!¡± Beatrix crouched down on her knees. At that moment, all the spells and chains she cast shattered and freed the soldiers, including Maxime. ¡°Go ahead! Kill me! I have had enough of the living already.¡±


    As the soldiers rushed to the pope to help him up and take care of his wounds, Maxime reassured them and asked them to stay where they were while he himself took painful steps forward toward the witch.


    ¡°So? What are you waiting for?¡± Asked Beatrix.


    ¡°¡­I won¡¯t kill you if that¡¯s what you are thinking¡­You could have killed us easily¡­.My life was in your hands¡­Why didn¡¯t you do it?¡± said Maxime.


    ¡°¡­You remind me of someone. A fool he was, just like you¡­but a fool I enjoyed to spend my time with nonetheless. How funny it was that both of you ended up in priesthood¡­


    But never mind my past! I want you to end me. I have lived for too long¡­seen enough of this accursed world¡­Now I am back but can¡¯t end it myself. What use is there to live for?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then will you come with me, miss Beatrix?¡± Maxime extended his hand, much to the witch¡¯s bewilderment.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± asked the demon lord.


    ¡°You said yourself you are tired of this world. But that¡¯s because you have not seen the good side of it. I want to show it to you, to prove that there are still many more things worth living for, that it is worth saving.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Beatrix remained silent, shocked by the proposal of the pope.


    ¡°What do you say, miss Beatrix?¡±


    ¡°¡­Lara.¡± The witch muttered.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Call me¡­Lara! Lara Beatrix.¡±


    ¡°Lara¡­what a beautiful name!¡± said Maxime.


    ¡°I will make you uphold your words.


    <Chain of Bond>¡±


    Another set of chain launched out of her chest and impaled the priest. However, unlike the one before, this one felt warm and¡­alive.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift but also a curse. Those affected by the same <Chain of Bond> are forever connected. Our minds are linked and so are our souls, our fates. If one is to die, the other will either die by that excruciating pain or have their mind broken. Either way, they might be as well as dead like their partners. Only a very small select few have been able to survive that agonizing death of their counterpart. This way, I know you won¡¯t betray me.


    If you are to accompany me, are you ready to bear this curse?¡± asked the witch.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­You have just been cursed and still you behave like that? You truly are a fool.¡±


    ¡°If this gives more confidence to trust me, then I certainly don¡¯t mind it at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Show it to me, Maxime! Show to me that this world is worth saving! I will keep a close eye on you from now on.¡± Smiled Beatrix.


    * * *


    Inside a world of nothingness but pure white, in the depths of the unconscious mind of a certain young woman, two figures were standing facing each other. One was the owner of this vessel in her usual colour while the other one, a silhouette with the exact same outline as the woman but was pure white and faceless.


    ¡°What are you? Where am I?¡± the woman asked the strange figure.


    ¡°I am you¡­in a way. As for where you are, this is your dream, Ikarus.¡± Said the white figure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand¡­.¡± Uttered Ikarus.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. There are more important things at hands and you cannot afford to stay idle anymore. You must wake up and confront him.¡±


    ¡°But he¡­he¡­I love him! There is no way I would ever want to fight him.¡± Shouted the celestial.


    ¡°So will you stand on the side, watching him destroy the world?¡± inquired the figure.


    ¡°No, of course not!....But what can I do? I am powerless to do anything. Even if I want to stop him, there is nothing I can do.¡± Ikarus said.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I am here, to give you what you lack: power. But power without the will to confront him is useless. You know that right?¡±


    ¡°¡­.I know¡­¡±


    ¡°At least, go and see him for yourself! You won¡¯t know until you talk to him. And when the time comes, you will have to face that decision.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    Walking toward the celestial, the white doppelganger wrapped her hands around her back. ¡°Be strong, myself! I am putting all my hope, our hope in you.¡±


    Bright light shined from the figure as the light engulfed Ikarus before entering her.


    ¡°From now, we are one!¡±


    Opening her eyes, Ikarus found herself in a small tent in the middle of the camp. Something was itching on one of her fingers: the ring Alastor gave to her¡­there were two of them now on the same finger.


    ¡®You have transcended the realm of mortals! Now go, Ikarus! Go and release that new power of yours!¡¯


    * * *


    ¡°Hahahahaha! Is that all you got?¡± Asmodeus laughed as she uprooted and wielded a giant tree in her hands and swung it around with ease.


    ¡°<Birth of trees>¡±


    Viviana summoned a wall of vegetation to protect herself but was blast away when the demon lord¡¯s gargantuan strength obliterated the wall with a single strike. Lucky for her, Yggdrasil has summoned a bed of flowers in time to prevent the cat girl from hurting herself.


    ¡°Damn it! She is too strong!¡± Viviana uttered.


    ¡®Of course she is! This is Asmodeus, the most powerful demon lord in history we are talking about.¡¯ The spirit spoke in the girl¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the most powerful spirit of all??? Why can¡¯t you do anything against her?¡± asked Viviana.


    ¡®¡­..It¡¯s¡­complicated.¡¯


    ¡°Oh yes, always the same excuse!¡± Viviana grunted.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt your chatter but can you talk to your staff when you are alone? It¡¯s a bit creepy and now it¡¯s definitely not the time or place for that.¡± Sullivan said as he grabbed the girl and teleported away from the incoming boulder thrown by the demon lord. ¡°Where are the others? We need them now!!!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!!!¡± Lilith slashed her sword to destroy the trees thrown at her.


    ¡°<World of Fire>¡±


    A giant orb of intense heat and flame appeared above Asmodeus before taking altitude. Like a sun, its ray evaporated all sources of water and turned the landscapes into ashes as it continued to expand its zone of shine.


    ¡°EAT THIS!¡± The orb launched itself at the trio. Its size alone covered the entire area and judging from the heat and energy it contained, that attack could potentially ravage the entire battlefield.


    ¡°<Chronoshift>¡±


    Magical clocks appeared around the orb and stopped it in its track as if its time has been frozen. ¡°Do it now!¡± Lilith shouted.


    ¡°<Spatial Rift>¡±


    Sullivan cast his spell and a fissure in space opened, sucking in the fiery orb. Within seconds, the thing was gone, leaving only a black trail on the ground it passed through.


    ¡°Nicely done!¡± Viviana cheered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it get over your head! She has not even used half her power yet.¡± Lilith warned.


    ¡°WHAT?¡±


    ¡°Here she comes!¡± Sullivan roared upon seeing Asmodeus disappearing from her spot, rushing toward Lilith.


    With a single punch parried by the molten sword, Liltih was sent flying away on air. Using the ground as her footing, Asmodeus jumped high above Lilith and used both her hands to smash the Goddess down to the ground, creating a crater. As the little girl struggled to get up, the demoness dived downward and hit her in her stomach, expanding the crater even more and burying her further into the ground.


    ¡°LILITH!¡± Sullivan and Viviana shouted.


    Reaching down to the hole, Asmodeus pulled up a heavily injured elf covered in dust by her neck. ¡°The feeling is coming back to me. This sensation of killing you all over again¡­Can you feel it?¡±


    ¡° *Cough blood*  You¡­monster!¡± the Goddess muttered in pain.


    ¡°I am. You are my creator after all. We share this similarity in that aspect. You are no better of a monster than I am, Lilith.¡± Asmodeus strengthened her grip. ¡°And now, I will¡­¡­!!!!!¡±


    Suddenly, Lilith¡¯s body vanished from Asmodeus¡¯ hand, to the bewilderment of everyone including the demoness herself. How was it possible that she could simply disappear like that from Asmodeus¡¯ grip without her noticing anything? There was no spell, not even a trace. So how?


    ¡­..


    Without warning, a small figure appeared in front of Sullivan as he handed an injured Lilith to him. ¡°Please take care of her!¡± The boy spoke.


    ¡°Edward??? But¡­how did you?¡± Sullivan uttered.


    ¡°There is no time to explain. I will leave her healing to you and Viviana.¡± Edward turned back to the confused Asmodeus who was still ascertaining the situation. ¡°I will deal with her.¡±


    ¡°How did you do that? I didn¡¯t sense your presence at all¡­.!!!!!¡± A stream of blood expunged from the ground below the demoness. Thanks to her quick reflex, the woman has managed to jump up, dodging it completely. And she was right to do it. Everything the blood touched became corrupted and started to melt like in contact with acid.


    As the crimson geyser filled the crater, the red liquid began to converge toward the centre and formed a body of blood before taking a black colour, revealing the shape of a silver-haired woman. ¡°I have come¡­.the sense of your blood¡­I will taste it.¡±


    ¡®The Blood Beast of Lilith? But she is so different from what I remembered¡­When did she become this powerful? And that blood¡­the colour is so much deeper than those of Lilith¡­¡¯ thought Asmodeus upon the arrival of the new guest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me!¡±


    A blue haired young woman appeared from the sky and landed down on the ground.


    ¡°Ikarus?¡± Lilith muttered after seeing the once weak celestial. But now, something felt different about her.


    ¡°Come to me, Spear of Longinus!¡± Ikarus proclaimed as she raised and showed her rings on her finger.


    Bright light shined and a long golden bident appeared in her hands. Adorned with a red blade and a blue blade at its end, the spear possessed two gems of ruby and sapphire on each side, emitting an extremely powerful aura. But that was not what shocked the people gathered at the scene. It was what was poking out of her back. Five pairs of large white wings spread widely from Ikarus as the celestial wielded the spear in a majestic stance.


    ¡®Ten wings??? But how?? Even Merkabah only has eight and he is the most powerful celestial!!¡¯ Liltih shouted in her minds at the sight of the angelic figure.


    ¡°Now, let us put an end to this war!¡± The celestial Executor declared.


    The three individuals who have received the Gifts of the Olds have now gathered here to face the strongest demon lord. These Gifts, so powerful that not even the Gods could hope to achieve, could potentially rival Alastor and Asmodeus, balancing the tides of war. The situation surely looked bad for the demon lord. Not only was she overwhelmed in numbers, the power scale too might not be in her favour. However, Asmodeus too had her trump card she has not activated since a very long time.


    Clenching her fist, the demon lord burst in flame as she roared a horrifying scream, not out of pain but of anger.


    ¡°<I am the Living Flame>¡±


    A storm of fire scorched the area surrounding Asmodeus as veins of lava appeared all over her body. A massive power started to emerge.


    ¡°Oh no¡­she has taken her true form!¡± Lilith uttered upon remembering the horror of the First Calamity.


    * * *


    ¡°From the tiniest ember of the world


    It was born


    Bringer of Destruction


    Epitome of Life


    Death or Living hold no bounds to it


    The Phoenix shall rise from its ashes¡±

 Chapter 113: Strange visitors

    ¡°Once upon a time, there was a young elf boy. Being an orphan as far as he could remember, the boy had no family nor loved ones and relied on the leftover food he found in the streets as well as the kindness of strangers to survive. However, unlike what many would have thought, he desired something else. There was a reason why he always peeked into the houses of others through their windows, not to steal food or money but to watch the warming family scene.


    The kind mother who cooked the most delicious of meals for her loving family. The caring father who supported his loved ones. And the cheerful children who received all that love from their parents. The seemingly common scene of a family gathering around the dinner table, whether they were rich or poor, was what the boy has always aspired to have: a family, people who would love him.


    Alas, for such an orphan whom no one was even aware of his existence, a dream remained a distant fancy delusion, one of a boy who had nothing. But it all changed the day he went into the woods to find food. That day, not only the boy¡¯s life took a different turn but also the world.


    On that fateful day, in the deepest part of the forest where no one dared venture in, the boy decided it would be the perfect place to find some wild fruits. He has not eaten for days and only lived by with water. The cold winter has not been kind to the people of the city. It would be a miracle to find something to eat these days when not even the bones were thrown out. To many, they were trash but to the boy, it would be an extravagant treat thanks to the tiny pieces of meat stuck on those bones. And yet, he could not find even a single piece of trash. Without a choice, he turned to the dangerous forest in hope of finding something, anything to fill his empty stomach.


    The icy wind seemingly froze his thin cloak as he slowly took one step of a step to cross the blizzard. How long has he been walking like this? One hour? Two hours? He could not remember anymore. His limbs were starting to feel numb. It was too much for such a frail boy. But he kept going. True, he might die in this blizzard but if he didn¡¯t have anything to eat at the end of this day, he would surely perish. And so he continued his pointless struggle until he fell. Perhaps because of the snowstorm blurring his vision or simply because his eyes were too tired due to the starvation, the boy did not spot the chasm ahead and he slipped. Hanging onto the wall until he hit the floor, he finally reached the bottom unharmed. Maybe not totally unharmed since one leg was broken, twisted. Looking up through the crack, the boy realized this was the end. There was no way he could climb out of this hole, not with this broken leg.


    What did he ever do to deserve this? He has never stolen from anyone. He has never harmed anyone. He only wanted to live. Was that too much to ask? But what the boy feared the most was that no one would ever remember him. He would simple die without anyone knowing he even existed in the first place. To fall into oblivion, that thought terrified him.


    But there was nothing he could do but to slowly close his tired eyes and hope it would be a quick death, one that he would not suffer from the pains. Maybe this time, the Gods would grant at least this trifling wish of his¡­


    Then suddenly, as his head lowered to the ground, the boy spotted something that has escaped his sight lying on the ground on the other side of the hole. From a glance, it looked like some kind of large egg the size of the boy¡¯s head in an oval shape but with what seemed to be veins of fire on the shell. Emitting a faint warmth, it was only now that the boy understood why this hole was not as cold as above. It was thanks to this strange egg.


    Curious, he decided to find out what it was. Maybe he could even eat it to help passing this painful hunger.


    It was so warm, perhaps the warmest thing he has ever held in these frozen hands. A single touch and he already felt so rejuvenated already. If he ate this, he would surely survive.


    But he didn¡¯t. While the hunger was excruciating, the boy could not bear to end this creature¡¯s life so he could continue his. What right did he have to think his life was the more valuable? Considering what has happened to him, it might be best for him to just drift away into the limbo, never to wake up again. This painful life, it was already too much.


    And so he lied down, embracing the egg like the most precious thing he had against his chest. If he was to die, then let this carcass be what would protect the egg from harm, from the cold! And his consciousness started to fade away.


    ¡°I wish I have a family.¡±


    So did he die? Was this place heavens or hell? Or some other realm a mortal like him could never fathom? But it felt so warm here, and soft. If he had a choice, then he wished he could lie here like this for eternity. Suddenly, he felt his hair being caressed gently and opened his eyes to see what or who did that. A beautiful face of an alluring woman greeted him with a smile. Black haired with smooth skin along with two pointy ears, she had the body of an adult, only it was naked from head to toe, making him turning his eyes away from shyness.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked the woman. ¡°Does this form not please you?¡±


    ¡°..Who are you?¡± asked the boy while still avoiding looking at the woman.


    ¡°Family¡­you wish for that, did you not? I am your family.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± At that instant, the boy noticed the broken egg shell on the ground next to the woman. Only the shell was actually human size and not as small as before. Could it be that she came out of it?


    ¡°Starting from today, I am your family. Do you want me to be your mother or sister?¡± asked the woman.


    ¡°¡­.I¡­I am not sure¡­But to be honest, you don¡¯t look that old to be my mother¡­¡±


    ¡°Then a sister I will be. What is your name, brother?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ki..Killian. You?¡± stuttered the boy.


    ¡°Asmodeus¡±


    ¡°Asmo¡­what?¡±


    ¡°Deus! Asmodeus!¡±


    And so the boy gained a family, a strange one who came out of nowhere but still a family. Not only did the mysterious woman haves unmatched beauty, she also possessed insane power, one that was not of the realm of mortals. Although he admitted her appearance was suspicious, the boy quickly bonded with his new sister and saw her as his true family. And so did the woman toward the boy. Maybe she did it to thank you for not ending her in that vulnerable state. Maybe she simply pitied the boy. Who knew? He never asked her nor did she tell him. The two didn¡¯t care about their pasts but focused only on the present, knowing that starting from now them would have each other in this long lonely life.


    Building a small settlement inside the woods for themselves thanks to the woman¡¯s magical power, the couple led a peaceful life without ever being interrupted by anyone. But the boy was not happy that everything so far relied on Asmodeus. He felt like he was using her for his own goal, which it was clearly not his intention. He wanted to be a strong man so she too could depend on him. For what was family for if not for rely on each other when things looked at their darkest?


    Determined to become strong, he asked his sister to train him, to teach him the basics of combat. The boy could not be said to be a talented fighter but he had the will and determination to better himself. Day by day, he would not stop until his body was numb. Meanwhile, his sister could only smile, watching her dear brother growing while doing his best for her own sake. As time passed, the boy grew stronger and quickly gained reputation as a famed adventurer despite his young age. Even more, he did everything, accomplished numerous feats in the name of the Guild without ever asking for compensation but only the smallest amount to get him pass by days. To the boy, money was the source of all corruption and if possible, he would not rather have too much of them. He would often go on short journeys, only to return days later to his sister¡¯ side. She would want to go with him but she knew he would not allow it. For this purpose of these adventures were to strengthen himself, to make him worthy of being her family. So she patiently waited every time for his return.


    But that peace only lasted for a few years. At that moment, the boy has received a request from the Guild to once again investigate the northern lands of the continent where a prosperous kingdom once stood. It has been a century since everything there fell silent and despite the numerous search parties have been organized by the other nations, no one has ever returned from that land. Furthermore, there have been a series of disappearances or ¡®spirit-away¡¯ of anyone who dared approach its borders, making that territory among the most dangerous places for all. However at the time, the boy was overconfident and thought that this would further boost his skills so he accepted it without much thought, undeterred by his sister¡¯s opposition to the idea. At the time, no one expected what would happen next or the consequences of that decision that would forever change the world.


    After greeting him farewell as he sailed to the northern nation by trailing northern the coast of the continent, Asmodeus spent her days waiting. She had a bad feeling about this entire affair but still didn¡¯t think much of it. It was not like it was the first time she opposed his departure and he would simply show up at home a few days later. Surely nothing would happen this time. But it did. One day, terrifying news came back to her through a letter of the Guild, informing her of the tragedy that has befallen on her dear brother. The ship he has sailed on has unfortunately encountered a storm on their way there when approaching the coasts of the northern kingdom and has sunk. No search parties were launched out of fear of the rumours surrounding the place but it was believed and decided that no one survived the incident.


    Like struck by thunder, the woman tore off the letter. All those years, even after everything he has done for them with all his accomplishments, they decided to just write him off as dead? As easy as that? Storming out of the wooden cabin, Asmodeus headed to the headquarters of the Guild to find out where exactly her dear brother has gone to. She could not believe her ears when she overheard their officials talking about how sad it was for her brother to die, not because they valued him as a precious ally but because they lost a solid money source. In their eyes, he was only a pawn who gave them all his rewards. In short, he was a fool.


    In a fit of rage, the woman unleashed her fury and annihilated the entire place along with everyone in it, turning them all to ashes under the flame of hatred before departing toward the northern nation in order to search for him.


    But it was no use. No matter how hard she searched, the only things she found in that land were giant spiders and webs, not her brother. She could not even remember how long she continued to search for him in this land. From north to south, from west to east, she searched, to no avail. Quickly, the woman fell into despair. Despite having so much power, she could not even protect him, the one and only person she loved in this wretched world. It was then that a voice reached out to the woman, telling her the words of corruption.


    ¡°Now you see how ugly this world is. Let me grant you my mark so that together, we can take our revenge!¡±


    ¡­..


    Years later, it was said that a monster roamed the lands of the old northern kingdom, killing all those it met with its unimaginable power. Some lucky enough to be ignored by it returned in an insane state while others became numb like dolls, soulless while claiming to be servants of the monster. No mage was able to cancel whatever spell that was cast on them. Party after party was continuously sent to hunt down the creature, all pursuing the large bounty placed on its head by the mages who were curious about this mysterious power. But none of them succeeded.


    It was when the First Calamity took place. No one knew exactly what happened. All they knew was that there was some kind of great battle taking place at the abandoned kingdom, resulting in the separation of the land itself from the main continent of Mara and the creation of the sea of Levianux. The seemingly new continent was later called Ragna.


    Until one day, a party of chosen heroes unaffiliated to the Guild entered the land of spiders and encountered the beast. They put up a fight but eventually, all but the leader perished, leaving the swordsman fending for himself. However, his battle stance, or rather, style was odd. The whole time, he was shouting something, something that the beast could not understand. But it infuriated it further as it lunged itself at him, piercing his heart. Pinning him down as itshe strangled the young man with a firm strong grip, the young man looked at the beast with pleading eyes and uttered.


    ¡°Sis¡±


    That word, one that the beast has not heard for a very long time, brought it back to its senses. Asmodeus finally awoke from the madness that has taken over her for years. But perhaps, it was better if she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Killian?¡± she uttered in a trembling voice.


    ¡°¡­*cough blood*¡­I am back sis!¡± The young gave off a gentle smile as he drew his last breath.


    ¡°A¡­A..A¡± the woman muttered in a broken tone, unable to speak a word.


    All these years, while she was searching for him, he too has been doing the same thing. He survived that crash but when he came home, she was nowhere to be found. It was only after he confirmed the rumours surrounding the mysterious beast of Ragna coinciding with her disappearance that he decided to go there looking for her.


    In the end, they managed to get back to each other but at a terrible price. Unable to contain all those pains and hatred toward herself, the majestic creature which was once the symbol of immortality took its own life, ripping out its own heart and set itself on fire as its body turned to ashes.


    Only this time, there was no coming back. For the only way to kill the beast was to make it not forfeit the will to live.


    -Tales of the Phoenix, by Arshe the Wanderer-


    * * *


    While the main battle has begun in the upmost northern part of Ceadric, on the north-western border right next to the coasts where a normally silent peaceful lane of sandy beach was currently disrupted by the clashing sounds of battle, another event was going to take place that would change the course of the war.


    ¡°<Arc Lightning>¡± From his staff, Ganon, the headmaster of Helios, shot out a lightning bolt that travelled from a doll to another, frying them on the insides.


    ¡°<Shiva¡¯s breath>¡± Noroeth, once a powerful sage and one of the heroes ten years ago, was showing his prowess in his new form as a lich. Although his strength has been reduced after being brought back, his combat experience remained and the power he was demonstrating seemingly was more than enough to handle these combat dolls.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°AAAAAA!¡± Accompanied by the two mages, the youth Lucas could fight without a care at his fullest. Receiving constant buff and protective spells from them have granted him a fearless attitude as he lunged at the mass of dolls, destroying them all.


    ¡°We are doing very well! Keep going!¡± Ganon claimed.


    ¡°Damn, I wish I could join the others in defeating the demon lords.¡± Lucas conveyed with a regretful tone.


    Despite his objection which clearly held no weight, Viviana has dispatched him in a rather forceful manner to this area to deal with the invaders. She even asked the two powerful sages to accompany him to make sure he would be safe. Of course, this was strategically placed to also protect the troops from being flanked and the cat girl used that to her advantage. While she didn¡¯t tell Lucas or anyone about that aim, the young man was aware of that fact and was unhappy she did not put more trust in him. Although, to be honest, it was only after witnessing a few displays of power of those demon lords and their opponents that he realized how far he was from them. Not even in dreams could he ever hope to reach that level, at least not any time soon.


    ¡°We each have our role, Lucas. The battle might not be at a grand scale like the ones our comrades are currently participating but without us holding those dolls here, they would be interrupted and that could change everything.¡± Ganon said.


    ¡°He is right.¡± Noroeth spoke as he smashed a doll with his skeleton hand. ¡°Every battle, every victory contributes in the final result. Who knows? Your actions here might have an effect on the tides of the war.¡±


    ¡°Haha somehow I doubt that.¡± Lucas forced a smile. ¡°But really, just how many are there? I killed dozens of them and they just keep coming like ants.¡±


    ¡°I share that opinion. We might seem good now but eventually we will run out of mana and when that happens¡­.¡± The headmaster of Helios uttered.


    ¡°Well I am already dead so¡­..¡± Noroeth joked.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we be revived just like you? It might be convenient to have that kind of body.¡± Lucas asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to revive an individual, especially if you are a strong one. In most cases, you will end up with a mindless undead and you can¡¯t even reverse the process since the soul would be damaged if it is done more than once. To be honest, I was a special case and frankly speaking quite lucky to retain myself. That¡¯s why lich is very rare in the first place.¡±


    ¡°¡­Master Theoron, as much as I wish to listen to your lectures, I don¡¯t think now it is the time or the place for such discussion.¡± Ganon pointed out at the fact that the three have been surrounded.


    ¡°Exterminate! Exterminate!¡± the dolls spoke simultaneously in an expressionless voice.


    ¡°Any proposal from you two masters? Because I am all ears right now¡­¡± uttered Lucas nervously.


    ¡°We fight!¡± Noroeth bravely spoke.


    ¡°¡­.ok! CHARGE!!!!¡±


    Yet, no matter how much bravery could boost our fighting capabilities, no matter how powerful you were, we were still flesh and bones, easily broken by the relentless attack of iron. And our young Lucas was the first to fall. Tripping on a small pebble, he fell to the ground and it was only that short instant that the dolls needed to terminate him.


    ¡°LUCAS!!!¡± the two masters called out to the boy.


    Watching the mindless dolls as they drew closer to him, Lucas closed his eyes and prepared himself for the ultimate end. A flash of thought rang in his mind as the image of the person he wanted to see the most at that last moment of his life passed through.


    ¡°Sorry Viviana¡­I am not going home today¡­.¡± Lucas muttered in defeat.


    Suddenly.


    *The sound of the Trumpet echoed across the battlefield*


    ¡°This sound¡­.It can¡¯t be¡­!!!!¡± Ganon muttered as he instinctively turned his head toward the once calm sea.


    From afar, the surface of the water became agitated as huge waves as high as mountains rushed toward the beach. The loud sounds distracted the dolls who also turned their attention to the direction of the waves and forgot about Lucas.


    ¡°INCOMING!!!!¡±


    *CRUSHING SOUND OF WATER*


    In an instant, the enormous body of water crushed down onto the sand beach, sweeping away everything that dared stand in its path, or simply unlucky to be on its path. Either way, none shall get out. Trapped under the waves as they were pulling back, Lucas tried to struggle to the surface but his foot has been caught by one of the dolls that managed to grab on him before the rest were swept away.


    ¡®Let go!!!¡¯ Lucas shouted in his mind while kicking the doll in her face, only to have his other foot caught too. Now she was trying to climb onto him as bubbles escaped his mouth to the surface. ¡®LET GO!!!¡¯ But it was to no avail. The grip of the doll was simply too strong, almost breaking his legs as she held onto him.


    Was it how he would die? No glory, no victory, only death. His body would probably never be found in the midst of this tidal wave, to ever be lost in the sea or be food for the fishes. ¡®Such a miserable way to die!¡¯ He thought to himself as he gave up the struggle and fell to the depths of the ocean along with the doll.


    But then, from the abyss of the sea, two bright red eyes could be seen staring at Lucas as eight tendrils launched themselves at the doll, forcibly removing her from the youth while dragging her down to the seemingly bottomless depths. Unable to grasp what was happening, Lucas slowly fell into unconsciousness. But something was preventing him from letting his consciousness simply drifting away. A soothing song, or more like hymning, echoed in the sea, one that seemed to belong to the most beautiful maiden the young man could ever see. He didn¡¯t know what she would look like; he just knew she would be beautiful. A complex feeling it was!


    With his blurry eyes staring at the sun above across the surface of water, something red entered his sight. Like small tendrils they drifted to the ocean¡¯s whim. A lifeform? No, they were hair of someone. And that arm reaching around him, bringing to his surface¡­it was so pale and looked so fragile. Who was that?


    Reaching the surface, the young man panted heavily as he vomited out the salted water stuck in his throat. What was holding him all these times? And now he was being brought to the devastated coast. Two figures could be seen standing there, waving at him but the closer he got to them, the more shocking their expressions were.


    ¡°Lucas, you¡­.!!!!¡± The two masters spoke in awe.


    ¡°Wh¡­what? What are you two looking at?¡± Lucas, still the idiot as usual, asked in a tired voice. A natural thing since he just survived a tidal wave. However, what he should have done was to look at the other direction instead of looking at the two sages. And finally he turned.


    Right next to the youth the whole time, a most cold beauty was staring at him, wet red haired as bright as flame and skin as white as snow. The alluring chest was hidden away only slightly by the two sets of hairs letting down while the bottom half of her body was in the sea water, impossible to see like this.


    ¡°Who..who are you?¡± Lucas uttered in shock at the sight of such beauty.


    ¡°¡­Help¡± the woman muttered.


    ¡°Help?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°War¡­danger¡­to sea¡­world¡­home¡­Me¡­help¡± The woman spoke in a broken tone.


    ¡°Is she saying she wants to help us because this war is danger to the sea?¡± said Ganon.


    ¡°Could be¡­.but something feels weird about her.¡± Noroeth whispered in Ganon¡¯s ears silently before turning to the strange woman. ¡°How can you help? What can you possibly do by yourself?¡±


    ¡°Me¡­not¡­alone. Me servants..help¡±


    Without warning, the surface of the sea stirred up violently as creatures of all different forms rose up. Giant octopuses the size of a war ship, serpentine monsters as big as a tower of Canaan, and many more have gathered here. These were the creatures of the deep ocean floor, all classified as mighty in their own leagues. What could possibly make them all come here united like this? As for the woman, her body began to float on air inside a bubble of water, revealing her true nature with a fish tail for her bottom half.


    ¡°What the???¡± uttered the trio at the appearance of this sudden army.


    ¡°Now¡­the Tides..come¡­for¡­revenge!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°AHAHAHAHA! Take this!!!¡± Abalone uttered excitedly as she swung the astral sword forged from the combination of all the moonstones. With a single slash, a wave of white mysterious energy shot out in an arc, destroying all the dolls caught inside the attack repetitively. Even better, this odd magic required no mana from her at all, giving her an edge in combat.


    Together with his master, the gyrfalcon Heru transformed into his giant form and ravaged through the ranks of the enemies. Together, they formed a combo to be feared.


    ¡°This thing is so amazing!!!¡± the sea dragon grinned.


    ¡®Be careful to not hurt yourself with that!¡¯ Heru spoke to Abalone in her mind. ¡®We still don¡¯t know what it is fully capable of.¡¯


    ¡°Sorry! It¡¯s just¡­I can¡¯t believe such a weapon exists. It is so easy to use, has practically no requirement at all. And most important, its power!¡± said Abalone as she raised the sword high to create a rain of destruction in an instant upon the dolls. ¡°Look at that! High level ranking spells I could never cast are suddenly available to me.¡±


    ¡®I know but that¡¯s precisely why I am warning you to be careful with it. I don¡¯t trust that Xenes could just give it to you something this powerful without asking for anything¡­.I think he is planning something.¡¯ The gyrfalcon advised.


    ¡°You are not wrong. His attitude did seem suspicious to me too. If only¡­.¡± Abalone muttered before weird noises started to ring inside her head. ¡°Argg!!¡±


    ¡®What is wrong Abalone?¡¯ asked Heru worriedly upon seeing Abalone crouching down in pain covering her ears.


    ¡°???? ??? ???????? ????? ?? ??? ????!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhh¡± Abalone moaned. ¡°Find...the¡­.¡± She struggled violently, leaving herself defenceless as the dolls drew closer to her.


    ¡®Abalone, what is happening to you???¡¯ Heru landed in front of the sea dragon, trying to protect her from the waves of enemies.


    ¡°Void¡­¡­.the Cosmos¡­..the Path¡­.Beckon ¡­.the Blood¡­Mo..on¡­¡± Abalone churned further, spouting seemingly unrelated words.


    ¡®ABALONE!!!!!¡¯


    ¡°???? ??? ???????? ????? ?? ??? ????!¡± the sea dragon¡¯s eyes became blank as white as ivory while screaming intangible words that not even her friend Heru could understand despite hearing it perfectly.


    Suddenly, a deep dark blue light like that of sea of stars shined from Abalone¡¯s body, covering the entire area and engulfed everyone caught in the blast. In that instant, the dolls were turned into particles of light before vanishing entirely without a single trace. So did the soldiers who were unfortunate enough to be close to the sea dragon when it happened. Fortunately, Heru has taken flight quickly enough to get away from the blast and could only watch what emerged from the centre of the light as then intensity of the luminescence subsided.


    The Astral sword of Moonlight began to crack as the ivory shell crumbled like mirror pieces, revealing a deep blue large thick blade hidden inside. The entire time, this blade was what caused the dim cobalt light emitting from inside. The entire time, the moonstone people knew about was just a scabbard for the real weapon. Unlike anything in this world, the material the blade was made from almost looked alive with tiny particles wandering inside and around the sword like faeries. And yet, even with that fantastical scene picked out of a fairy tale, no one could shake off the eeriness emitting from that sword. That solitude¡­that alien feeling of something completely different from this world, it could be felt through the skins.


    Wielding the ghastly blade, Abalone stood up firmly but something was odd about her. She looked around, turning her head from left to right as if she was lost and was trying to find out where she was. Her glassy eyes, just white from earlier, have now turned into an empty darkness peering into the very essence of universe.


    ¡®A¡­Abalone?¡¯ the gyrfalcon uttered, unsure if this person in front of him was even the same friend he has known for years.


    ¡°???????? ???????? ?? ??? ????


    ?? ??? ?????? ??? ???


    ??? ????? ?? ??? ????? ???


    ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??????


    ?????????? ????? ?? ??? ??????


    ??? ?????


    ?? ???????? ??????¡±

 Announcement (NOT A CHAPTER)

    Dear Readers,


    As you have probably noticed, lately my schedule is all screwed up with days consecutively not a single chapter. This is because I am doing my thesis and cannot produce a chapter with quality considering the other things I have to do. However, everything will/should return to normal starting from next week so please bear with me until the end of this week!


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Regards :)

 Chapter 114: Cinder of the Living Flame

    Author''s note: My apologies for having disappeared like that for the last 2 weeks. Due to personal matter which has now been resolved, I was unable to write any chapter and have just restarted a few days ago. To be honest, having not written anything for long, the chapter is not that long and took more time than I thought compared to the previous ones. It will take some time before I can retake the usual speed like before so please bear with me for a while.


    But enough babbling from me! Please enjoy!


    ############################################################################


    THE PHOENIX HAS RISEN ONCE MORE


    Embers and ashes floated to the whim of the gale across the battlefield. From the large pyre a figure stepped out, walking forward toward the group. With veins of fire covered her body and clothing, emitting an intense heat, her every step melted the soil below her feet, turning them into molten lava. The fieriness was so intense, it evaporated all sources of waters and humidity around the woman while the far-away land dried out and cracked on its own. Her presence was like of the sun, only instead of staying in the sky granting us the warm light the world needed to survive, it was now on earth releasing its burning fury, obliterating all lives.


    ¡°Prepare yourselves!!! She is coming!¡± Lilith, still recovering from her wounds, shouted at the group.


    With her fiery fist, Asmodeus lunged herself at the target closest to her: the ten winged celestial. However, what she or anyone else did not expect was that the celestial was no longer her old self: weak and frail. No, she was now much more than they have thought she was, than any of them could possibly imagine. Using the pole of the great lance, Ikarus blocked the heavy fist that was so heavy it created a crater under the celestial¡¯s feet but no injuries to her body.


    ¡°You¡­when did you become this strong?¡± Asmodeus uttered in surprise facing the celestial. Having lived in Alastor for years, if there was any source of power or any individual standing out, Magnus would have told her of that person. Yet, the celestial in front of her now was unlike anything she has ever seen. Even though Ikarus has not gone onto the offensive, the demon lord could feel the surge of power increasing, waiting to be unleashed from inside that frail body.


    ¡°I gain this power so I can bring him back to his reasons.¡± Ikarus answered.


    ¡°Alastor wants this. This is revenge for all the things the world has done to him. And you who claimed to be his lover, his family, dare raise your sword against him?¡± Asmodeus fumed.


    ¡°It¡¯s because I want the best for him. To love someone does not mean I will do everything he wants. Not like this! There are already enough tragedies as it is. No matter what happens, destruction is not the way to do it.¡± The celestial muttered as she pushed back the almighty demon lord. ¡°I am doing this because I love him.¡± Ikarus used all her strength and launched the demoness away from her.


    ¡°So am I. We both do this for love. Let¡¯s see whose is stronger!!


    <Fire Serpent>¡±


    A giant snake made of fire and heat scorched the ground it passed through and turned everything it touched into cinders as multiple copies of it rose from Asmodeus before attacking the group. Such high concentrations of mana made them almost invulnerable against physical attacks and only affected by magic.


    ¡°<Sanguine Deluge>¡±


    Using her own sword, Maria stabbed herself before pulling it out. Like a flood, crimson liquid poured out of her wound toward the sky and fell down again, somehow dispelling the snakes while leaving her allies untouched by even a single drop of blood. It was outlandish to see that much blood that could probably fill a river was coming out of her pale body. However, Asmodeus has used that chance of her recovering and dashed toward the Huntress, piercing her chest and pulled out her heart.


    ¡°Now you die!¡± the demon lord crushed the heart into a bloody mess, much to the horrors shown the others¡¯ face.


    ¡°MARIA!¡± they shouted.


    ¡°¡­Ha¡­ha¡­.ha!¡± To Asmodeus¡¯ bewilderment, the heartless figure standing in front of her was somehow still alive and even laughing in a broken tone. ¡°Hahahahahahaha!¡± Without warning, the silver-haired woman wrapped her arms around her waist and embraced the demon lord tightly. It was at this moment Asmodeus could see the pool of blood below the two as if they were bathing in it.


    ¡°<Cardinal Skewers>¡±


    In an instant, hundreds of thin long needles made of blood rose from the crimson pool and skewered the two repetitively. One after another, they pierced through the skins onto the other side before pulling back into the pool, letting another piercing from another angle. The consecutive attacks made it impossible to escape from and Maria holding her firmly only added to the restrains.


    After a moment of that deadly tortures, Maria let go of the motionless demon lord, somehow survived that ordeal despite all those wounds just a short while before. Strangely, the wounds on her body were all gone while Asmodeus¡¯ was filled with holes, simply because she healed too quickly, making it seem as if she was not even hurt in the first place.


    ¡°No¡­.you die!¡± Maria smirked.


    Suddenly, fire emerged from the carcass of the demon lord as spears of fire were launched in all directions. Some managed to pierce the Huntress before she melted into the pool of blood and appeared from another one in order to get away from Asmodeus.


    ¡°Is she immortal?¡± asked Maria.


    ¡°Yeah¡­she can revive as many times as possible. It¡¯s practically impossible to kill her permanently.¡± Lilith replied in awe after witnessing the horrifying skills of Maria. Since when did she get this strong?


    ¡°Then how did she die in the first place?¡± asked Edward.


    ¡°¡­She killed herself. Only when she abandons her will to live, can she die.¡± The goddess answered.


    ¡°So what? Asking her ¡®can you die please?¡¯ ¡° Viviana said sarcastically.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about me!¡± Jumping down from above, Asmodeus dived down like a meteor, crashing onto the middle of the group. However, just before she could land, white feathers floated on the air as ten huge wings stood in her way like a shield protecting everyone under it. The impact was immediately negated upon contact with the soft ashen plumes of the celestial before a strong wave force seemingly emitted from the wings pushed the demon back.


    ¡°You won¡¯t get passed that easily.¡± Ikarus proclaimed. ¡°Not when I am here!¡± She struck down the demon lord with her large spear, only to be caught by Asmodeus as the two engaged in a battle of strength.


    ¡°<Wings of Fortitude>¡±


    The lowest pair of wings and also the smallest of Ikarus shined brightly, giving her an incredible boost in physical attribute. Lifting the spear along with the demon lord with ease, the celestial shook her from the weapon, launching her on air.


    ¡°You!!!!¡± Asmodeus raged, firing a volley of fiery projectiles from her back onto the battlefield.


    ¡°<Wings of Temperance>¡±


    The second pair of wings from below shined. A soothing wave of energy echoed from Ikarus across the field, creating shields of light and healed her wounded allies, protecting them from the rain of fire.


    ¡°<Wings of Prudence>¡±


    The third pair of wings shined. In an instant, the celestial disappeared from her spot and reappeared behind the confused Asmodeus who was unable to follow her. With the pointy bident, Ikarus stabbed the demon lord from behind before raising the spear high above toward the sky.


    ¡°<Wings of Justice>¡±


    The fourth pair of wings shined. A holy light pierced through the clouds and shined upon the impaled demon lord who was paralyzed before the divine luminescence. The white ray somehow managed to burn the demon lord, making her shrieking in pain. For the very being claiming to be the reincarnation of fire itself, how was it possible for her to be burned by anything? But unexpectedly, what caused her wounds was not the heat of the light. It was its pureness, a miraculous energy that purified the very essence of the soul. Or at least that was what many would claim it to be.


    However, reality was different. For this strange power came from the user¡¯ sense of justice, created from Ikarus¡¯ perspective. To her, all her enemies were evil and that light she used on Asmodeus only affected them while leaving her allies, those who were good, safe.


    The body has now turned charcoaled on the spear under the light. With a simple shaking of the weapon, the carcass crumbled into dust falling onto air, leaving no traces of the Living Flame behind.


    ¡°Is¡­is this over?¡± Viviana asked.


    ¡®¡­.No!¡¯ Yggdrasil uttered.


    Another surge of energy spiked as the particles of ashes converged themselves to one location and formed a body. Once again, the Phoenix rose from its ashes.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± the cat girl uttered in shock.


    ¡°I have long surpassed the realm of mortals since the moment I was born¡­¡± Asmodeus put a hand on her knee, standing up with her new body. ¡°This accursed vessel¡­is unable to die and my will is forever bound to it¡­This monstrosity..I..was created by you Gods, Lilith.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The Goddess muttered.


    ¡°What? Why would you create such a thing?¡± the cat girl shouted.


    ¡°It was simply a test, to see if we could create another race¡­We never intended for it to be¡­¡±


    ¡°To be this kind of monster you could not control? Do you have any idea of the pains you caused me just to satisfy your curiosity? But that¡¯s just how the Gods are right? You don¡¯t give a damn about your creations.¡± A fiery flame engulfed Asmodeus. ¡°I will purge all of you!!!¡±


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Without giving her enemies time to rest, Asmodeus, now recovered from the wounds with a completely new body, proceeded to take out the seemingly weaker foes first. At first glance, she could tell that Ikarus and Maria would be the biggest challenges thanks to their mysterious boost in power. But what about the boy who seemed to have no place in this situation?


    Spotting the light speed charge of the demon lord, the young boy has taken out the gift that was given to him. Holding the hourglass horizontally on his hand, Edward cast his spell.


    ¡°<Sands of Time:  Stasis Field>¡±


    ¡°What? Why can¡¯t I move?¡± Asmodeus uttered in disbelief upon seeing that her punch has been stopped by Edward with just one hand. Even weirder, her palm has actually turned into black and white without able to move or even flinch. In fact, there was something like a bubble of black and white surrounding her palm. ¡°What did you do???¡± The demon lord shouted.


    ¡°No matter how powerful you are, the shackles of time are absolute.¡± Edward uttered as he grabbed her wrist. His face however showed a perplexed expression with a deep regret. ¡°I am sorry for doing this to you¡­Please forgive me!¡± With his fingers, Edward reversed the hourglass from its direction from before.


    ¡°<Sands of Time: Rewind>¡±


    ¡°AAAAAAAAA¡± Asmodeus roared as she felt every inch of her skin and bones being touched, ravaged by the course of time. But unlike Beelzebub, Edward was not trying to speed her age. For that would only allow her to be reborn again and the cycle would keep going. It was impossible to kill her, not with the current means they had. So the only other option was to seal her away and by that, Edward intended to keep her in her own prison.


    Bright light engulfed the demon lord, blinding everyone before subsiding. The moment it was gone, everyone looked back at Edward who was now by himself. The demon lord Asmodeus was gone. In her place, lied a small egg. Cold and lifeless, the thing did not have the same warmth it used to possess when being found by a certain boy. How many years did it spend in this state before meeting him? Nobody knew except it. However, with its time now completely rewound, those memories, those feelings it has developed¡­they were all gone. It was as if the person known as Asmodeus has never existed in the first place. In a way, this was the cruellest thing that could be done to someone: to take away their very own self.


    ¡°Ha¡­.ha¡­.ha¡± Edward breathed heavily. ¡°It¡¯s¡­over¡­argg..!¡± the boy collapsed on his knees over a pain on his chest. He could feel it, his own time being drifted away. This spell has cost more than he expected and the price would be immense. ¡° *heavy breathing* Only fourteen left? ¡­.damn it....¡±


    ¡°You okay, boy?¡± a short figure appeared behind the unsuspected boy who was too exhausted to even turn back. Yet, despite that fatigue making all his muscles numb, he was still able to recognize the voice. It was Sullivan.


    ¡°Yeah¡­*heavy breathing* I am fine¡± he panted.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like it¡­.But¡­What did you do to Asmodeus?¡± Sullivan looked at the still egg.


    ¡°Asmodeus may be immortal¡­.she may not has an end but she had a beginning, a time before she became that powerful¡­All I did was reverting her back to that state, her body, her power, her memories. I have reset everything. The individual known as Asmodeus no longer exists in this world.¡± Edward explained.


    ¡°Reset???...What kind of magic was that?¡± the dwarf uttered in shock upon hearing the revelation.


    ¡°Trust me..you don¡¯t want to know or have anything to do with it.¡± Edward said.


    ¡°¡­Alright then. Let¡¯s just get you out of here!¡± Sullivan helped lifting the boy up with his shoulder. ¡°Whatever you did, it worked. Now there is only one last opponent we need to defeat.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­Master must be stopped.¡±


    ¡­..


    As the group gathered up after the intense battle, a pale large figure with glossy skin who has watched the battle since earlier started to smile insidiously. He did not expect this kind of result at all. No one thought Asmodeus could be defeated and the most these people could have done was to greatly weaken her. However, the result was very different from anyone¡¯s expectation. Even more, these strange powers employed by the trio of Maria, Ikarus and Edward far exceeded all imaginations. While that aspect has not been taken in account, especially Edward¡¯s unusual abilities, the figure believed this would matter not to his own plan, not to the incoming event.


    ¡°Maragon, Asmodeus¡­.they are all gone. Alastor won¡¯t interfere so only Lilith is left¡­But those three¡­no matter. The plan shall proceed.


    Finally, after all these years¡­Finally¡­Now the main actor of this act shall enter the stage.¡±


    * * *


    ¡°THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE!!!!! HOW? HOW?????¡±


    ¡°Can you stop it? You are hurting my ears.¡± A female voice spoke.


    ¡°We lost all the demon lords!!! All of them!!! Even Asmodeus! And you want me to calm down?¡±


    ¡°We still have still other weapons and Tartarus is not out of the game yet.¡± The woman said.


    ¡°What troubles me is how they managed to defeat Asmodeus. If they indeed did that by themselves then we were wrong to underestimate them. We must accelerate the plan! The Gate of Celestia must be opened!¡±


    ¡°And it will!¡±


    * * *


    The sound of trumpets echoed across the battlefield. Without warning, a strange torrent of rain poured down from the sky as well as geyser of massive quantity of water appeared, creating waves and many tunnels of water trailing on the ground. From them, creatures of the deep sea attacked the soulless invaders taking the form of a girl in white. Controlling them all was one such strange creature itself, being half man half fish. A woman with white skin like snow and hair as red as rose, her beauty caught the eyes of all men who had the chance of witnessing her prowess in battle. Wielding powerful magic and an odd golden trumpet that seemingly controlled all these supernatural phenomena around her, the fish woman quickly regained the control of the battlefield as she lent her assistance to the helpless people of Astora.


    ¡°Incredible...¡± Noroeth uttered in shock. ¡°Who is she? Or rather, what is she?¡±


    ¡°Who or whatever she is, we are lucky to have her on our sides. With our leaders busy taking care of the demon lords, there are no one else that could assist the soldiers in the battle. Well, that is until now. With her help, we will win this war.¡± Ganon said.


    ¡°¡­..¡± Unlike the two excited masters upon seeing a chance of victory, the youth Lucas remained silent, staring at the strange woman since the first moment he laid his eyes on her. While perhaps he might have come to terms with his growing feelings for a certain cat girl, Lucas could not deny the alluring charm this woman had and its effect imposing on him. What a dilemma! But such was the passion and stupidity of youth.


    *Bang* a solid object hit the behind of his head lightly, bringing down to earth from his fantasy. ¡°Fool of a Lucas, what are you staring at in the midst of a battlefield?¡± Ganon scolded the young man.


    ¡°Grandmaster Ganon! Oh I..I..uhm¡­¡± Lucas stuttered.


    ¡°Ah youth!¡± Noroeth grinned.


    However, as the young man tried to look the other way to hide his embarrassment, he noticed the presence of something strange coming toward them in the sky: a massive cluster of murky cloud that moved simply too fast for its peers. A storm perhaps?


    ¡°Hey, what is that?¡± Lucas asked the two masters, pointing at the strange thing.


    But they too did not know what to make out of it. For a cloud, it looked a bit odd with its strange texture and swirling motion that seemed almost alive. That was because it was.


    ¡°A mana storm?¡± Ganon uttered. But his question was answered by an unexpected source.


    ¡°No¡­¡± the red haired woman replied from her bubble floating above the men. ¡°Death..is coming.¡±


    It started to rain from afar as the cloud drew closer and closer to the group. But unlike the rain the fish woman was summoning since earlier, the drops were actually silvery in color. It fell onto the landscape, the grass, the rocks and of course the soldiers. Unable to grasp what this could mean, a soldier put his hand on his face to wipe away the substance.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± He looked back at his hand now covered in a weird silver-like liquid.


    ¡­..


    ¡°AAAAA¡± a horrifying scream shocked everyone, turning their attention to the soldier. Holding his arm firmly in pain, the soldier was shouting in fear when he noticed the silver drops were entering his body through his skin. In an instant, hundreds of drops around him moved themselves like slime toward the screaming man. It only took a few seconds for the man to vanish from his location and only a silvery blob was in his place before breaking itself apart into tiny little drops moving toward the group. Those who were not quick enough were quickly consumed as the rain continued to advance into the continent from the coasts.


    ¡°That is¡­the Living Metal Akroma.¡± Noroeth affirmed his fear. ¡°RUN!¡± He shouted at the rest of his men who were frozen in fear upon seeing what happened to their unfortunate comrades. ¡°You too, order your monsters back! You are no match to its power.¡± He turned to the half-naked woman.


    ¡°....¡± Watching the rain of death coming toward her as it ravaged through countless soldiers on its way, the crimson-haired woman raised her golden trumpet and gave it a long blow.


    The sound of the Trumpet echoed across the world


    ¡°Oh Great Bastille of the Depth, listen to my call! Rise and¡­fly!¡±

 Chapter 115: Ghost of the past

    *KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*


    ¡°.....What?¡± The grunting voice of a young voice echoed from the other side of the door, following by the sound of its opening. ¡°Oh¡­.it¡¯s you. Why are you here?¡± Asked the boy with tired eyes while he leaned his back on the throne as he occasionally hugged his own head. ¡°Argg..these headaches¡­¡±. Something seemed to be bothering him, physically or mentally. Whatever it was, it was causing him pain, pain he could not understand where it came from.


    ¡°I am here to report the situation of the war.¡± The young woman in white, equipped with her odd pair of hands made out of wood, walked into the room and stopped before Alastor. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Inquired the doll upon noticing the boy in pain. Yet she did not show any sign of being surprised or any concern. It was as if she knew what was causing it...or worse, she was aware of something else, something that was behind everything in the first place.


    ¡°No...nothing...Just some light headaches..¡± Replied the boy.


    ¡°I see...you are really strong after all.¡± Murmured Stella silently.


    ¡°...What was that?¡± Questioned Alastor.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. About my report¡­¡± Said Stella.


    ¡°Go ahead! Are we winning?¡± Asked the boy.


    ¡°No, we are not. In fact, the situation looks quite bad for us. The demon lords have fallen. The enemies are much stronger than we anticipated.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Shouted the last remaining demon lord, standing up suddenly. ¡°But...Where is Asmodeus? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°All six have lost. Asmodeus is gone, along with the others.¡±


    As if the news brought to him were like thunders, shattering the illusion of victory he had, the boy dropped onto his throne like a man who has lost everything. How was it possible for him to lose when he controlled the most powerful weapons in history? How could this situation go unforeseen? Clenching his fist in rage, Alastor¡¯s memories of his old allies passed through his mind. Those seemingly happy memories yet somehow were distorted into visions of treachery, of pain and sadness. Why could he no longer see the faces of those people? Who were they? He recalled the image of a certain girl, a young woman. He felt like maybe she was someone important to him. And yet, he could no longer remember what she looked like. After all, her face was covered by a white light so bright it blinded him. Now, everything that was good was gone. All that was left was hate.


    ¡°They will pay for their crimes...I will make sure of that.¡± Alastor proclaimed in anger. ¡°It¡¯s time the final boss to come on stage.¡± The boy stood up and moved toward the only door of the throne room.


    ¡°Wonderful!¡± grinned the doll as she quietly followed him.


    * * *


    Back at outside where a charcoaled empty field was left after the fight between the Phoenix and the seemingly heroes party, the group was now regrouping and preparing themselves for their final fight of this war. The revived demon lords have been defeated; Tartarus left immobilized. Only one last obstacle remained: the so called ¡°Dark Lord¡± that everyone has been referring to as the one who caused this war in the first place.


    ¡°Disguising himself as the apparently innocent and gentle yet genius son of the late High Empress, this boy was in fact a sheep in wolf¡¯s clothing who has been manipulating everyone, including his own adopted mother who has been giving him nothing but love, all for his own ambition: the destruction of the world. At least that is how the story has spread among the common people as they put their last hope on the only individuals who could stand against the brutal assault of this tyrant¡­..¡± Dragon King Celdora read while holding a parchment.


    Rushing here after recovering from his battle, it seemed that Celdora has gotten some info from his soldiers on his way concerning the current situation. For now, it looked almost as if the war was near its end with the defeat of the demon lords. At least, that was how it appeared to the common people. With the defeat of all those supreme beings, surely the evil behind this war would be running out of options soon enough. After all, the heroes were on their sides. However¡­..


    ¡°Ridiculous! This is absolutely ridiculous. What kind of baloney is this?¡± the celestial Ikarus shouted furiously.


    ¡°I guess this kind of story is unavoidable. Alastor clearly declared war to the rest of the world and people just need to put the blame on someone. In this case, it would be logical for them to assume that Alastor was the killer¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you believe this nonsense too?¡± inquired the celestial in an annoyed voice.


    ¡°As much as I want to believe in him, his actions so far have only furthered that belief¡­Maybe..¡± said Celdora.


    ¡°Maybe what?¡± Ikarus pointed her spear forward menacingly.


    ¡°Calm down, both of you! Now is not the time to fight among ourselves.¡± The Goddess Lilith roared. ¡°Celdora, throwing rumors around is not helping anyone. Ikarus, there is a time to accept reality and right now, reality is the fact that Alastor is the one attacking us. There is no denying that.¡±


    ¡°But there is no way he would have killed Morrigan!!!¡± the celestial woman cried out.


    ¡°Hum¡­.¡± The only dwarf at the scene gave a sigh as he closed his eyes in deep thought and ignored the babble between the two girls.


    ¡°What are you thinking, Sullivan?¡± asked Edward, now acting leader of Ceadric.


    Fortunately, king Charles has only been slightly injured and the defeat of Asmodeus has resulted in the removal of her spell on him, freeing the young king from her control. However, he was in no shape to take up his sword just yet. Much to his torment, Charles had no choice but to let his closest court mage taking up the chain of command in his stead.


    ¡°I am just asking myself why on earth Alastor is doing what he is doing right now. I mean, I am not that close to him compared to Asmodeus but if you think about it, this whole thing is just weird. This kind of transformation over the death of Morrigan, or even her death itself, is weird to say the least.¡± Contemplated the dwarf.


    ¡°So we share the same opinion. Do you think that¡­¡± said Edward.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°What are you suggesting? ¡­.No wait¡­¡± Sullivan opened his big eyes in shock of the implication the boy was implying. ¡°Are you saying that Morrigan¡¯s death was orchestrated to push Alastor to go to war?¡±


    ¡°Much more I am afraid.¡± Said the boy. ¡°I believe that the killer is now possessing or at least has some kind of influence on Master, planting ideas in his head¡­For what agenda, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Do you have proof?¡± asked the demon lord.


    ¡°Unfortunately not. But you yourself said it: no one close to Master could understand why on earth he would do such a thing. Even with the death of Empress. She would have wanted him to continue working toward peace and he himself should know that better than anyone. There is just no way he would do this.¡± Said Edward.


    Without warning, Ikarus, who has overheard the conversation between the two, walked up to the boy.


    ¡°All the more reasons we should try to save him instead of wasting our time, throwing baseless accusations.¡±


    *LOUD MECHANICAL ENGINE SOUND*


    A loud screeching sound of metal grazing each other attracted the attention of the ground forward. The sleeping titan that has thought to be immobilized thanks to the heroic sacrifice of the Ancient Dragon Maragon has begun to move once more. Sparks of electricity flashed from its wounds caused by the tower were like lightning striking everything nearby. The controlling mechanism that allowed the titan to use its now motionless legs has been destroyed, making it fall on its knees right on the northern coast of Mara. But the same could not be said about its upper half. With its arms holding onto the cliff spreading across the whole northern part, Tartarus has managed to avoid a complete collapse due to its own weight after the loss of its supports.


    Then, from above the now white castle covered in Living Metal located on the head of the titan, a small figure emerged from its door and looked down upon the faces of the people below. Most were filled with hate and spite toward him. Others, confused by his actions. One and only one still bore a strange affection, perhaps out of despair upon seeing him. Even though he tried to kill her mercilessly in the name of affection as well. It was only now that the phrase ¡°Love is blind¡± could not get any more accurate.


    ¡°Alastor?¡± the celestial called out softly to her beloved in shock. But all she received in return was his cold blank stare from above, as if she was nothing but a bug in his eyes.


    ¡°So these are the so called heroes of our era...Does that make me the villain? I am flattered.¡± The last demon lord chuckled evilly.


    By his side stood his only last standing ally, the doll in her usual white dress. Only this time, something seemed rather odd about her. Was it her hair? No! Was it her eyes? Perhaps. Her expressions she was showing, like emotions hidden behind a mask for so long it became her true face? Difficult to say. But what was certain was her aura: that unique scent and feeling of being alive, a feeling she has not felt for a long time.


    ¡°Alastor, please!!! Come back to your senses!¡±


    ¡°Father, why are you doing this?¡±


    All those desperate shoutings were nothing but buzzing sounds to his ears. Like bugs, he just wanted to make them stop, to crush them to smitten.


    ¡°Annoying insects!¡± Alastor grunted as he raised his hand upward. ¡°DIE!


    <Black Hole>¡±


    A giant dark orb appeared above the boy and began to crush down the earth below, absorbing everything in its path into nothingness. But as it continued its descent, the orb started to stop, halted its course in midair. It was stopped by a figure using his twin great swords, crossing them as he tried to deflect the orb from its path.


    ¡°YOU! SHALL! NOT! PASSSSSS!¡± Kaiser roared majestically. In a moment of his peak of strength, the True Monarch gathered all his force and pushed back the orb, obliterating it to dust. ¡°Ha¡­.Ha¡­..ha¡­.¡± he breathed heavily.


    ¡°Everyone, be ready!¡± Lilith shouted at her petrified companions. For those who were not at the scene when Alastor declared war upon the war, for those who still had doubts about it, the proof has just been presented to them in the most obvious form: that attack was meant to kill and it shall not be the last. If they ever hoped to survive this ordeal, perhaps it was time to take up their arms and to point it at their old ally, the person who brought them together in the first place.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ikarus called out.


    ¡°Ikarus, I understand your sentiment but whatever you want to do, he must be stopped.¡± Said Lilith.


    ¡°I know!¡± said the celestial. ¡°I know¡­.¡±


    ¡°If you know then take up your weapon! If we hesitate even the slightest, we won¡¯t be just paying with our lives but of the entire world as well. Can I count on you to do your best?¡±


    Clenching her spear in her hands, the celestial tried to strengthen her last resolve to end this conflict. Like Lilith said, Alastor was not an opponent one could hope to defeat if they were holding back. No, she must use all her power with the intention to kill. Only then, could they hope to be on par with him and maybe, just maybe bring him back to the light. Whatever happened, whatever pushed him so far, she would bring him back. That was what the celestial told herself as she pointed her spear toward her once gentle beloved.


    ¡°So the wench finally wakes up from her dream.¡± Grinned Alastor evilly before being struck by a sudden headache. ¡°Arg..I¡­I¡­..¡±


    ¡°What is wrong, Alastor?¡± asked Stella coldly, putting her hand on his back.


    ¡°..nothing¡­ha¡­ha¡± answered the boy while sweating like crazy. Then he regained his composure as the pain has passed. ¡°Their words¡­hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°Do not listen to their lies, Alastor!¡± she whispered in his ears. ¡°They are the ones who took everything from you.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­they take everything from me.¡± He repeated her words.


    ¡°Make them pay!¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.make them pay!¡± the doll¡¯s words echoed in his mind. Only, it was actually not her voice at all but the voice of another. Another woman was uttering the doll¡¯s words in his head, shrouding him of his sanity.


    ¡°I will¡­.I WILL!!!!¡± the boy busted in rage. By his side, the doll grinned mischievously, an expression that looked odd for someone like her who has always been expressionless.


    ¡°KILL THEM!¡± the woman¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡°AAAAAA!¡± The demon lord roared as he jumped down from Tartarus, down to fight his old allies. ¡°IKARUS!¡±


    ¡°ALASTOR!¡± the celestial replied with a loud echoing roar.


    ¡°Let the final showdown begin!¡±


    ¡°<Beacon of Celestia>¡±


    Alastor launched his first attack using the ultimate spell of the God of the Dwarves, Gnome. His body illuminated until the light reached its peak before releasing countless projectiles of light forward.


    ¡°Stand back!¡± Lilith ordered the cat girl Viviana and the young Deus mage Edward.


    She could feel his strength decreasing tremendously after the strange spell he casted on Asmodeus. While she might not fully understand what he actually did, it surely looked like it has taken a heavy toll upon his body. As for the girl, it was clear that this battle was beyond her capabilities. At least, that was what Lilith thought in her mind. For now, the only real people she could count on to defeat Alastor were Kaiser, Ikarus and Maria, in particularly the latter two. The Goddess knew naught of how the two women managed to acquire their current power in such a short time. To be honest, they were all on par with her own, perhaps even more. But whatever the reason or the causes, for now they remained her best hope. And hope was what the people of Astora needed the most right now.


    ¡°Ikarus, Kaiser, Maria, let¡¯s do this! Sullivan and Viviana, you two will support us!¡± the Goddess commanded. ¡°Celdora, can I count on you to keep that doll busy?¡±


    ¡°Not a problem! I will defeat her and join you quickly.¡± Said the dragon before taking flight and charged toward the doll above Tartarus.


    Watching him flying away, Lilith could not shake that feeling she had. Something was wrong about that doll. She did not know what exactly but that feeling of something terrible, something earthshattering could not go away. ¡°Be safe, Celdora!¡±


    * * *


    Waiting for her incoming opponent, the doll watched the dragon lord landing right in front of her as she jumped down to Tartarus¡¯ shoulder. The area alone was as large as a valley, more than enough for a fitting battle.


    ¡°This spot should be enough.¡± Said Celdora. ¡°Let¡¯s just get on with this so I can join the others!¡± He bore his claws.


    ¡°Arrogant¡­as always! What makes you think you can defeat me, dragon lord Celdora?¡± said Stella.


    ¡°Huh!¡± the dragon sneered. ¡°I am one of the six heroes and the current King of Oros. I should be the one asking that question.¡±


    ¡°Heroes¡­.there is no such thing as heroes.¡± She spoke in a distant voice. ¡°In this world, there is only the weak and the strong. And you know what happens to those who are too feeble to fend for themselves.¡± She grinned, shocking the dragon lord who thought that Stella was only an artificial doll with no emotion for herself and this entire time she was just following Alastor¡¯s orders. Perhaps, she too had a will of her own, an agenda not many knew about.


    ¡°What are you planning?¡± Celdora spoke in a serious tone. ¡°What is the point of all this?¡±


    ¡°Hum ... if you have to know¡­I would say: revenge!¡±


    ¡°Revenge? Against who?¡±


    ¡°The world!¡± Suddenly, Stella disappeared from her location and dashed toward the dragon with the speed of light, throwing a heavy punch along with an incredibly powerful shockwave.


    Using his draconic reflex, Celdora, in his human form, stopped the punch with his palm. The sheer force was almost enough to blast him away if he has not stood his ground. ¡°Can you feel it, the coming of your end drawing near?¡±


    ¡°Argg¡­¡± Celdora groaned. ¡®How is she this strong? Her punch feels like a thousand weight with such a slim body.¡¯ He thought to himself, realizing the predicament he was in. Even though the fangs on his feet have bared into the ground, holding his ground, the dragon was being pushed back, leaving a trace behind. ¡°Impossible!¡±


    In a spur moment, he slipped. The punch hit its target and launched him away, let him roll on the ground for a far distant before the dragon could regain himself. Such simple attack managed to be so effective and the battle has not even started yet.


    ¡°How?¡± he stood on his feet again, slowly and disorientated by the sheer amount of force. But as he got on his legs, a bright blue light shined in front of him. ¡°What is¡­?¡± the dragon uttered as he looked at the source of the light.


    It was so intense that it almost blinded the dragon. Though all he could see was a lengthy object shining with the brightest luminescence he has ever seen. Or perhaps, rather than the holder themselves, it was the object in question that stunned him. Not for its radiance, but its familiarity: this peculiar object was among his memories, something he thought lost in the darkest past.


    ¡°So surprised to not be able to utter a word, Celdora?¡± the doll asked, wielding the radiant object.


    ¡°Where¡­.where did you get IT? It belongs to her!!!¡± he shouted. The feeling of anger boiled in him as he contemplated about the fate of the true owner of this strange item. But then, a thought came to realization inside his mind. A terrifying thought so chilling that Celdora could not help but shiver. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­But the Artificer said that¡­The doll¡­You¡­You are not her!¡± he muttered. ¡°I see now¡­YOU ARE THAT PERSON!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­.Goodbye, Celdora!¡± the luminous item revealed its true form: a sword as it came down from the sky.

 Chapter 116: Collapse

    ¡°Goodbye, Celdora!¡±


    The sword of light came crushing down onto the dragon. But just before it could touch him, something happened. For a moment, it looked like the fabrics of space itself has been bent: the column of light was distorted and somehow failed to touch the dragon even though it was just above him a second ago.


    ¡°¡­..You¡­¡± the doll muttered upon coming to realization about what just transpired before her eyes, and most importantly the individual behind it.


    ¡°Greetings!¡± the large figure landed in front of Celdora who still did not understand what happened. Possessing a strange yet unique pale glossy skin of an aquatic creature, this person was one of the last remaining members of their species. Although, to be truthful, up until just a few days ago, he has been dead for quite a long time to be accounted for. ¡°Your favorite actor Xenes is now on stage.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, Xenes! She is not who she claims to be.¡± Celdora shouted.


    ¡°I know, I know.¡± The pale dragon grinned. ¡°I know who she is exactly.¡±


    ¡°¡­..What are you talking about?¡± muttered Stella.


    ¡°Ohoho, no need to feign ignorance! Your tricks don¡¯t work against me, little doll! You think only you and your ¡®friend¡¯ are aware of the events ten years ago? That is a very big assumption on your part.¡± Said Xenes.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± instead of giving words, the doll threw an intense glare at the dragon. For the first time, she showed such an acute emotion: anger.


    ¡°Looks like I hit a mark.¡± Chuckled Xenes.


    ¡°What do you know?¡± Stella pointed her luminous sword at the smirking dragon.


    ¡°Enough to realize that this entire thing was just a set-up, as well the what happened ten years ago.¡± Xenes suddenly laughed out loud. ¡°But I got to say, what you did back then, that was the most amusing piece of art I have ever seen. No wonder no one would ever suspect you. They simply can¡¯t. Hahahahaha!¡±


    All of the sudden, the light sword slashed forward, only to miss its target once again due to that strange distortion.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± said Xenes.


    ¡°What is your goal?¡± asked Stella with a hint of fury in her voice. But aside from the unusual intensity of emotion shown on her face, the doll¡¯s right arm wielding the sword was twitching, so much that she had to use her other hand to calm it down before muttering. ¡°¡­Not now!¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, oh dear, apparently, that is not a very well-behaved arm, is it? Got to wonder why¡­¡± grinned Xenes sarcastically.


    ¡°Shut your foul mouth!¡± raged the doll. ¡°Answer me! What is your goal?¡±


    ¡°He he he! I desire something very simply yet so complex no one has ever found the answer: the Truth!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°For now, you stand in my¡­.in our way of finding the Truth. I won¡¯t let anything disrupting my search.


    <Call of the Void>¡±


    A terrifying sound echoed inside the doll¡¯s mind. Even more strange, it was not a physical sound that was emitted. It was something else, something that transpired even the wildest imagination of all: something not of this world. In the poor soul¡¯s mind affected by that odd noise, it was almost like something was trying to contact with her but the noise itself was so ghastly, enough to drive any perceptive individual to the borderlines of insanity. Where did it resonate from? The source was unseen, at least to the visible eye. However, the direction, the doll could sense it: it came from the sky above, beyond the limitations of this world.


    ¡°What is this..?¡± grunted the doll as she crouched down in pain. ¡°I should be immune to illusionary magic¡­.this¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! None can resist the power of the cosmos, not even you or ¡®your friend¡¯ ¡° said Xenes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­under¡­estimate¡­me!!!¡± In an instant, the invisible shackles that bound the girl in white seemed to have been lifted along with her burst of power.


    ¡°Oh dear!¡± muttered the pale dragon. ¡°What an annoying ghost!¡± He turned to Celdora. ¡°We are going.¡±


    ¡°What? Where? I can¡¯t let that woman get away!!! She holds the key to everything.¡± The dragon lord argued.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. She can¡¯t get away. The thing she desires the most is right here after all.¡± Said Xenes.


    ¡°The thing she desires the most?¡± uttered Celdora.


    ¡°Oh come on. You already know her true identity. You know what she did. In your opinion, what does she want?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t mean??¡±


    ¡°Yes! Looks like you got it.¡± Grabbing the dragon before jumping down from the shoulder of the titan, Xenes laughed out loud. ¡°Look like we got company.¡±


    Following a strong aura that blasted everything in sight, a white figure emerged from the explosion and jumped down toward the two dragons.


    ¡°Not so fast!¡± the doll spoke.


    ¡°I have no time for this!


    <Worm Hole>¡±


    A distortion engulfed the two dragons in an instant before quickly disappearing into nothingness. In what seemed to be another dimension decorated with stars and darkness, Celdora, dumbfounded by his surroundings, asked the only person by his side. ¡°Where are we?¡±


    ¡°Everywhere¡­.yet nowhere!¡± answered Xenes in a cryptic way.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Follow along, young dragon! We have much to do!¡± the pale dragon signaled the other to follow him.


    Crossing through this strange space, Celdora wondered about the conversation between Xenes and the doll earlier. From their exchange, apparently, this doll had another ally in cahoots with her plan, whatever it was. Could it be Alastor? From the looks of what has happened, it appeared so. However, the dragon could not shake that feeling that there was much more to this story than told. After all, he now knew with certainty that the doll was not who she claimed to be. This revelation would change the entire premise of what has been known during the last decade.


    ¡®If it was her¡­.then¡­..no no it can¡¯t¡­.¡¯ his voice echoed in his mind, refusing to accept the terrible truth he just uncovered.


    ¡°No need to beat yourself up over this! She tricked everyone since the very beginning.¡± Said the pale dragon after taking a look of the contemplating dragon lord.


    ¡°...What is your goal, Xenes?¡± asked Celdora. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you come all this way just to save me.¡±


    ¡°You catch on quickly, boy. No, I don¡¯t give a damn about your life.¡± Smiled Xenes in a creepy way. ¡°All I want was to confirm the existence of her ¡®friend¡¯ before the end of the show. And it looks like my provocation did wonders.¡±


    ¡°Friend? Who is this friend of hers?¡±


    ¡°Use that little brain of yours and think! But even if you know the answer, it won¡¯t change anything. Destiny is calling, my friend! Ha ha ha ha!¡± laughed Xenes.


    ¡°¡­.You still did not answer my first question. What is your goal in this?¡± demanded the dragon.


    ¡°My goal? I said earlier, didn¡¯t I: the Truth. The cosmic Truth of our universe! That is what I desire. Unfortunately, the answer does not lie in this world nor does any of its inhabitant are even aware of the ¡®Lie¡¯ they are told.¡±


    ¡°What are your talking about?¡± Celdora raised his voice.


    ¡°When a child does not know the answer, he has to ask the elder ones. In our case, it is not so easy as many preparations are needed. But the tool has been provided. The actor, or should I saw actress, is on the move. Everything is ready.¡± Said Xenes as he looked upon one particular object floating around a blue world.


    ¡°What?¡± Celdora uttered in confusion, unable to understand what Xenes was talking about.


    ¡°The moon will open its gate and the Old One will enter this world to unfold to us the cosmic Truth! Let the finale begin!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°¡­.This is bad!¡± said Lilith after pushing off Alastor, or at least one Alastor.


    In front of her, five other excluding the one she just pushed back were combatting against the others. They looked like the effect of an illusionary spell yet they were as real as it could be.


    ¡®One already posed a great problem and now there were six of them? Just great!¡¯ thought the Goddess.


    This event was the result of the spell <Choir of Celestia> that our young demon lord has acquired upon consuming Merkabah, the God of Celestials. Just as the celestial once used it against him, Alastor himself could also now do the same to create more versions of himself, balancing the odds stacked against him in terms of number. Though, he might not need them even so thanks to his already ultimate power.


    ¡°Hahahaha, die! Die! Die!¡± the young boy laughed maniacally as he launched a volley of attacks against an opponent who seemed almost too reluctant to even defend herself.


    ¡°Alastor, please!¡± implored Ikarus in a pleading voice as she used her spear and wings to defend against his assault. Although with her current power, the celestial could do much more than that, her heart simply did not allow her to do so. Even though, in some deep part of her mind, she knew what she had to do and pleading was not the answer. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember me? Don¡¯t you remember our time together?¡±


    ¡°I know naught of any of you traitors!¡± the boy spoke in a cold voice. In a flash, he caught on one of the winged lady¡¯s blunder. ¡°DIE!¡±


    *CLANG (metal clashing)*


    ¡°Brace yourself, Ikarus!¡± Maria, using her twin swords, stopped the blade of the demon lord in its track.


    ¡°None shall escape the call of destiny!¡± Putting more strength in his arms, Alastor shattered the twin blades of the Blood Huntress.


    But in an instant, blood spread from her arms before merging forward as two new blades in her hands.


    ¡°Interesting trick! But useless all the same!¡± spoke the demon lord. Quickly redirecting his sword from below, the boy cut down the woman, slashing her into two from her gut.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± the woman smirked as flows of blood emerged from the torn body parts before reassembling together to make her whole once again.


    ¡°Maria¡­¡± uttered Ikarus upon seeing the ghastly fight in front of her. These two had no fear of death at all in their eyes. They were fighting for real, to the death.


    But what about her? What should she do? In her entire life, she has believed in the just, to do what was right. However, what if it put her in a spot where she had to confront her loved ones? Now was the time to answer that question. Only, she herself did not have the answer.


    ¡®You have to do it!¡¯ a voice echoed in her mind. Perhaps it was the voice of her own reason as it shared her voice, coming from the deepest part of her unconsciousness. But maybe, just maybe, it was something else.


    * * *


    While the apparent main body was fighting against the two strongest women, the last person who has received the gift from the strange entities was now struggling to survive himself. While his power could be considered the most omnipotent, it inflicted a heavy burden upon him. The price for such godlike magic was ruinous and the boy has given everything he had with little left.


    ¡°Is this where I will die? Right after receiving this power?¡± the boy murmured in defeat.


    The demon lord Sullivan, as well as the cat girl Viviana, were doing their best only to halt the relentless assault of one of Alastor¡¯s clones. And even so, it looked like he was only toying with them, prolonging their suffering like a sadistic punisher.


    A battle of magic leaving the entire area in flame was taking place right in front of him and there was nothing he could do about it. Well, maybe not that he could not do anything but more like he was afraid of the consequences. The few times he has used time magic has almost taken all of his remaining life. In his mind, there was only one last course of action.


    ¡°I must¡­¡± Edward uttered as he looked down upon the small item in his hand: a hourglass containing a black sand which shimmered under the flashes of explosions.


    ¡°Do not break it! You know what will happen¡±


    Those were the words of the man named Cronos before he granted this power to our sorcerer. A warning and quite a wise one, that was what it was. After all, these tiny particles possessed within them the power to control time itself. Such a frightening endowment for such a tiny thing!


    * * *


    At that moment, inside a certain bar


    ¡°¡­..Why did you do it?¡± asked the bartender to the only other man sitting on the other side of the table while doing his usual cleaning of his glassware with a white cloth.


    ¡°Do what?¡± questioned the man cheerfully, as if he has already known what the bartender was talking about but still insisted on making him ask anyway.


    ¡°Why did you give him the hourglass, knowing what he would do?¡±


    ¡°I just did what was best considering the situation. In any case, should we not care and prepare for what is about to happen?¡± said Cronos.


    ¡°You mean that dragon?¡± asked the woman in red who has been listening to their conversation from earlier.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± the Master of the place remained silent, not because he was upset about the change in subject but for another reason. Even though his expression was impossible to see, his silent sigh showed a small hint of melancholy in face to the brilliant smile of the other man. Whatever could this mean? ¡°Very well! We shall depart shortly!¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Putting down the glass he has been cleaning in his hands, the bartender moved toward the red door of the place and went out. ¡°See you there!¡±


    ¡°I guess we should not wander around any further. Madame Rouge, if you please!¡± the gentleman bowed slightly and invited the woman to go before him. ¡°Ladies first!¡±


    ¡°You still did not answer his question, you know? Why did you give the boy that hourglass?¡± asked Rouge.


    Instead of an immediate answer, the man gave out a wicked grin before finally answer the question.


    ¡°Because that is the worst thing I could do to him!¡± smiled Cronos.


    ¡­..


    *CRACK*


    The sound of glass breaking echoed. All it took was a single crush of his small hand. While the sound was so tiny that no one could hear it amidst this battlefield, the repercussion it would induce was tremendous.


    In an instant, the black sand trapped inside the hourglass has been freed. But unlike the sand that would normally be drifted by the wind, instead, the black sand englobed the first body it stumbled upon before finding its way to enter it. Like a drug, the sorcerer sniffled the sand, absorbing it into his vessel. Each particle was like a shard of glass, forcefully entered the body of the boy Edward. These immense pains he was feeling, there was no words to describe it. And with each shard in, smoke started to emit from the frail boy. As for his body, it was ¡­changing.


    That strange scene has caught the attention of one of Alastor¡¯s clones. Fearing it would be some kind of spell, the clone dashed toward the recovering figure. Raising its sword, the clone tried to attack the figure rising from that smoke.


    Suddenly, Alastor, or rather his clone, could feel a chill in his spines. Not out of fear of the person in front of him but perhaps due to the absence of something. Just a moment ago, all the clone could see was a young frail boy wielding some weird magic. Now, even though he still did not perceive anything visual yet because of the mist, his instincts told him to stop, making him jumping a few steps back. How weird for something to make an individual such as Alastor, a person who has killed Gods, to behave this way! Again, this feeling could not be described as fear, but rather uneasiness, a certain anxiety in face of what was in front of him. The aura of the once young boy has disappeared. In return, something else has taken his place, something that lacked a certain aspect which all living creatures in this world shared. And yet, it was not a thing that could be perceived by the common eyes, for it had no form.


    ¡°<Elemental Barrage>¡±


    The clone refused to take any chance and decided to take the initiative. With a single spell, it launched all sorts of elemental projectiles toward the smoke.


    Suddenly, a hand rose from the mist. In an instant, it was as if all the projectiles just vanished with no reason at all. The white mist has now turned into a black storm of tiny shimmering sand swirling around the arm, hiding the face of its owners.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Alastor uttered through one of his clones. Even though it was created by magic, he shared all his senses and thoughts between the clones and the main body and was alerted of this sudden change. ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°A man who has abandoned his humanity¡­A man who has been forsaken by time¡± the voice echoed from within the sandstorm. ¡°Master, please forgive this student! But I cannot let you do this! I won¡¯t let destruction to be the only legacy you leave to our world.


    <Sand of Time: Ruin>¡±


    * * *


    Meanwhile, another battle was taking place between a father and his child. The echoes of swords smashing against each other rang across the field. With each clash, the hit seemed to get heavier along with the tension of battle. The two individuals have forsaken the battle of words but instead resorted to the seemingly only way to solve the current situation: one of them must go down before the end of this battle.


    Using his heavy twin great swords, Kaiser seemed to have the upper hand thanks to his large stature compared to his opponent. Dancing skillfully and ravaging the grounds he crossed, the True Monarch looked like he was the one with the advantages. However, the real situation was a bit different: none of his attacks even connected at all. In fact, he has spent the entire time chasing this young boy who was clearly toying with him.


    ¡°KAISER!¡± a voice rang from behind, catching the attention of the monarch and making him retreat back.


    ¡°Sullivan? What are you doing here? What happened to the one fighting you?¡± asked Kaiser after seeing the cat girl who accompanied the demon lord. With no capable fighter on that side of the field, the clone would be left to launch its own assault upon the rest of the troops. So why did these two come here?


    ¡°It..It¡­¡± Viviana tried to speak up but something was holding her back. Her eyes showed an expression of fear of what she just saw a moment ago.


    ¡°It has been dealt with. More importantly, we have come to help you.¡± Sullivan quickly retorted.


    ¡°Then you should have gone to help the others!¡± Kaiser spoke loudly.


    Suddenly, a large black orb came crashing down at the group. Luckily, using his quick reflex, Kaiser has managed to grab both his allies and get out of the way in time. Where they once stood was now nothing but an empty giant crater.


    ¡°Tch! They got away!¡± the caster of that magic grunted to himself as he prepared his next attack. ¡°But not next time! NONE!


    TARTARUS!¡±


    Answering the call of its master, the mechanical titan began to move again. Although it has been deprived of its mobility, the titan still held an insurmountable amount of weaponry hidden deep inside the enormous body of metal. A single movement was enough to create violent vibrations in the atmosphere, along with the screeching sounds of metal. Putting both its lengthy arms on the ground, the titan revealed several openings on its back. From each gap, a pointy red object began to rise.


    ¡°Let the sinners have a taste of the hell they deserve!¡±


    ¡­..


    The two eyes of Tartarus brightened with a crimson radiance as smoke escaped from its gaps.


    ¡°¡­.NUCLEAR SILOS ACTIVATED! BEGINNING


    !¡±


    ¡°What? Nuclear power?¡± Sullivan uttered in shock as he laid eyes upon the hundreds of missiles being fired from the titan into the sky.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Kaiser spoke.


    ¡°We got to run!!!¡± the cat girl shouted.


    ¡°Can you run away from this world?¡± asked Sullivan in a monotone voice. ¡°It is already too late.¡±


    ¡°It is never too late.¡± A voice resounded from the sky. Looking upward, Kaiser searched for the source of the voice. Yet, the only thing he could see was a black mass of what looked like to be sand. The voice came from within the mass.


    ¡°Who¡­¡± Before he could say anything, Kaiser has been interrupted by the rain of impending doom: the missiles fired by Tartarus were now directing themselves to the ground, targeting everything without discrimination.


    ¡°<Sand of Time: Wane>¡±


    From the black mass, a seemingly endless torrent of sand launched itself out in every direction, wrapping itself around the missiles. In an instant, everything was gone.


    ¡°How..? Who did that?¡± asked Kaiser in disbelief.


    ¡°Edward¡­.¡± Viviana uttered.


    ¡°What? Are you telling me that Edward is inside that thing?¡± the True Monarch pointed at the black mass of sand.


    ¡°I¡­.I am not sure anymore. We were fighting one of the clones and suddenly, he changed¡­.I think.¡± The cat girl spoke with uncertainty, for she herself was doubting her own memories.


    ¡­..


    ¡°You again!¡± a sword of radiant blue light slashed toward the black mass, only to be blocked by a thick layer of sand. ¡°You dare stop me again?¡±


    A small hole opened on the wall of sand, revealing the head of a dark haired young man with eyes as dark as night. However, he did not share the body of the once small sorcerer of Ceadric anymore. However, some uncanny resemblances were irrefutable between them, as if there were some deep connection between the two. Maybe¡­just maybe, they were the same person.


    ¡°I will not allow anyone, not even you Master, to bring ruin to the world Tasha lives in!¡± the man spoke angrily. Yet, a hint of sadness was hidden in his tone.


    ¡°You think those missiles were the only ones I got? Big mistake!¡± Alastor snapped his fingers.


    Once again, the gaps on the titan¡¯s back were filled with the deadly weapons, ready to be fired.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can stop them while fighting me!¡± the demon lord unleashed a series of attacks with his sword, forcing the man in his defensive state unable to do anything.


    ¡°We have to help him.¡± Kaiser declared, taking flight together with Sullivan.


    As for the person left behind because she could not fly, there has never been a moment in her life where she felt as insignificant as she was ever since this war began. The opponents she faced were simply too strong for her to even get close to. Even worst, watching her friends and allies doing their best in battle while she was unable to contribute anything only add to this feeling of emptiness. Maybe she was not cut out for the job. Maybe, someone else better than her should have taken this position. Maybe, if it was not for her, more lives would have been saved.


    ¡®Child, this is not like you at all.¡¯ A voice echoed in her mind.


    ¡°But I am worthless¡­I cannot do anything.¡± The girl spoke in tears.


    ¡®If you think that, then it is already over. You cannot let yourself be drown in despair.¡¯ The spirit spoke softly.


    ¡°But I¡­.¡±


    ¡®You have managed this far. From a simple girl of Caelum to the Champion of the Beastmen. Are you saying that all those accomplishments are for naught?¡¯


    ¡°I only succeeded thanks to you.¡± Viviana wept.


    ¡®You did it through your own volition and strength of will. I merely lent you the tools. I need not to mind you that not everyone can use me. Only those with a pure soul.¡¯ Yggdrasil said.


    ¡°¡­..¡±


    ¡®Now, will you continue to despair? Or will you try to resist destiny?¡¯


    ¡°You think I still can?¡± asked the girl.


    ¡®¡­Even a Great Spirit such as myself cannot answer that question. But I do know this: the moment you give up is the moment you accept defeat. That, at least I know.¡¯


    ¡°¡­.Thank you, Yggdrasil¡­for cheering me up!¡± Viviana wept away her tears and took a deep breath. ¡°I am okay now!¡±


    ¡®Then let us go, child of man, to save the world!¡¯


    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± asked the cat girl.


    ¡®Will you trust me with your life?¡¯ the Spirit spoke.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡®Then give me all of your mana! Focus your power into the staff!¡¯


    ¡°¡­.¡± The Champion of the beastmen started to send all her mana into her hands, then the ashen staff. In an instant, the staff shined brightly as a reaction to the mana poured into it. Like a rite of rejuvenation, the tree branch shed its outer layers and took on the form of a pointy white spear.


    ¡®Put all your strength and throw me at the titan! The mana you have given me should make the throw powerful enough to reach it.¡¯ Said Yggdrasil.


    ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± asked the girl.


    ¡®There is no time to explain, child. Just do it and leave the rest to me! You trust me, don¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡°I do¡­.But what you are saying, it sounds like¡­¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry! I promise I will be back. After all, you promised me that you will help me find the Child of Destiny.¡¯


    ¡°¡­Alright then¡­¡± Putting her throwing arm and leg behind, Viviana assumed a stance to prepare herself. ¡°I am ready!¡±


    ¡®NOW!¡¯


    With all her might, Viviana screamed piercingly as the tree branch left her hand, plunging with sound speed at the titan. How could this kind of tiny weapon be able to do anything to something that surpassed even the sky itself? But one must not forget: this was the Great Spirit of the World Tree Yggdrasil, created by the Gods in ancient time.


    ¡®You may not be the Chosen One of Fate, Viviana. But to me, you already are a hero who saves our world.


    Milady Fate, please forgive this humble servant for being unable to complete the task you have entrusted to me!¡¯


    The ivory spear continued its path toward its destination in hope that it could reach the titan in time without being interrupted. Unlike other outstanding generals of this war like Kaiser, Viviana did not possess that much of mana in her in the first place. The amount she poured in was only sufficient to sustain Yggdrasil¡¯ spear in this form for only a few miles. But if an obstacle presented itself in the way, all those efforts would be for naught. Such as¡­


    ¡°Unidentified object detected! Defense mechanism activated!¡±


    Multiples red dots started to appear on the white spear: it has entered the field of vision of the titan and was now its target. But just before those iron towers could fire its weapons, a luminescent beam suddenly trailed across the surface of the skin of Tartarus, followed by a chain of explosions. It was not enough to make real damage to the iron titan but the defending towers protecting it from intruders have been neutralized.


    ¡°You can thank me later, little wisp.¡± A pale winged figure grinned as it flew by the spear in the opposite direction. ¡°The magnificent Xenes has come just in time to save the days. Ha ha ha! Go on! Fly!¡±


    Crossing the lengthy path, the spear has finally arrived at its destination. The moment it plunged itself into the surface of the titan, the staff emitted a majestic radiance, so bright it was like the sun itself has come down to earth, catching the attention of everyone.


    ¡®<Transcendent Spirit Art: Cradle of Life>¡¯


    From the small ashen tree branch, tendrils of woods and vines grew out at amazing speed and began to invade the first vessel it found: Tartarus. Piercing layers after layers of hard iron, the trees sent out their roots anchored deep within as they infested everything they found. The machines had no way to counter this fierce assault but to let themselves to taken over, little by little until the vegetation reached the deepest part of Tartarus, englobing everything with it.


    ¡°Error¡­.Error¡­System¡­sh.sh..sys¡­tem¡­down!¡±


    The world could only stay silent, appealed by the incredible sight in front of them: Tartarus has completely been neutralized and became an enormous mass of trees and vines. Within second of the shutdown, simultaneously across the battlefield, the army of dolls sent out to destroy the world by the Dark Lord fell to the ground, motionless, much to the shocking expression of every soldier.


    ¡°This is¡­incredible.¡± Uttered the dragon lord Celdora as he witnessed the green titan frozen in place while the army of doom has fallen.


    But while everyone was shouting and waving their swords in celebration, one person who appeared to share their joy was in fact hiding a much more sinister motive. After all, one by one, all the obstacles in his plan have disappeared and the path was getting clear.


    ¡°Tartarus gone! Yggdrasil gone! Hehehe! The Blood Moon draws near!¡±


    * * *


    As for the battle with Maria, the second clone of the demon lord has joined in, making it a two versus one fight with all the detriments stacked against the Blood Huntress.


    ¡°Ikarus, I really need some help right now!¡± Maria shouted to the frozen celestial behind her.


    ¡°¡­.I get it now!¡± the celestial muttered in a low monotone voice. Something has changed inside her. Right now, both of her rings worn on her finger began to shimmer. Holding her spear firmly in her hands, the woman slammed the handle down to the ground, emitting a bright luminous white light, along with a powerful aura glimmering around her. Above her head, a small circle of light appeared: a halo of light. ¡°This war has to end, now!¡±


    The ground started to crack and erupt in columns of white light across the battlefield, catching them all off-guard.


    As the smoke got out of the way, only one opponent stood still in the final act of this war: Alastor, or what many were referring as the Dark Lord. His army has fallen. The ultimate weapon Tartarus was rendered defenseless. As for the Living Metal, he could no longer sense it anymore after sending it to deal with the army of the sea. Whatever happened to me, it made no different to know it now. Everything has been stripped from him and leaving him to face what he called parasites of the world. And yet, those ¡°parasites¡± seemed to have won the war against him. How ironic!


    ¡°Surrender now, Alastor!¡± Ikarus pointed her spear forward. She hoped that judging by the situation, the boy would have to surrender to her. All her allies have gathered here, including the Goddess Lilith as well as the others. Powerful he might be, there was no way he could take on all of them at the same time. At least, those were the thoughts of the celestial.


    ¡°Ikarus¡­..¡± murmured the boy in a defeated voice. This tone invoked a glimmer of hope in the eyes of the young woman who assumed that he has finally given up. ¡°At least, I must take that woman down!¡±


    Without warning, Alastor manifested a crystal arrow and launched it forward, leaving no time for anyone to react. Unexpectedly, it passed right by the dumbfounded Ikarus. No, his target was not her but the one behind her: Lilith.


    ¡°Look out!¡±


    *SLASH*


    Unable to fathom what just happened, the Goddess of Flesh looked at herself carefully. She was not hurt at all. In fact, the attack did not manage to even reach her. It was deflected, or rather destroyed by that weird magical arc which just passed by a moment ago. For a moment, it looked like the crystal projectile was turned into dust by the arc. Even stranger, normal magic usually took up the color of the elemental propriety infused to it. Water would be sky blue. Fire would be crimson or orange. However, that arc was composed of a mixture of black and white. Yet, the strangest thing of all was that Lilith swore she never sent any mana coming from it. All magic used mana. That was a fact. While the magic itself might not employed mana during its execution such as curse magic, the incantation itself should have left a trace of mana behind. But that was not the case here.


    ¡°What is this strange familiar feeling I have?¡± muttered Lilith as she looked at the direction where the arc came from: above her. But, betraying her expectation, all she saw was an unfamiliar figure that should not have any connection to her.


    ¡°??????¡± a deep voice rang from the body of the sea dragon Abalone in her human form. A voice so strange it did not belong to something of this world. And yet, behind that eerie tone, a feeling of nostalgia, of love could be heard.


    ¡°Abalone?¡± Ikarus wondered.


    ¡°No¡­.that is not Abalone.¡± Lilith spoke with certainty. This weird feeling she had from just looking at the figure clearly showed that whatever it was, this thing was not the dragon they knew. ¡°What or who are you?¡±


    ¡°?? ??? ??? ???????? ???¡± asked Abalone in a strange language, unknown to everyone.


    ¡°What are you saying? We can¡¯t understand you.¡± shouted Lilith.


    ¡°...For me to speak the tongue of the inferior species, how laughable!¡± Abalone spoke. ¡°But you have nothing to worry about, Lilith. We will meet face to face soon enough.¡±


    ¡°Are you admitting that you are not Abalone?¡± questioned the group.


    ¡°Is this a joke of the lower world?¡± the figure asked itself honestly. ¡°The mind of lesser creatures is truly even beyond the understanding for us.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Do you think you have time to question me?¡± pointed Abalone at the incoming giant black orb. Using her outlandish deep blue sword, with a single slash, the dragoness cut down the orb into nothingness as she stayed floating on air with ease. ¡°We shall postpone our reunion later. Now¡­¡± The dragon girl glided on air forward, passing through the two dragons who could do nothing but stayed in their place. But unlike the other who was clearly in awe, the other did not seem so much surprised by the presence of this being possessing Abalone.


    ¡®You have done well for this day¡­ A deal is a deal. Your wish shall be granted!¡¯ the dragon girl spoke in a voiceless tone in her mind directly destined to the pale dragon.


    ¡®Let me remind you that I do not fear you! Unlike others, I know what you truly are.¡¯ Said Xenes voicelessly.


    ¡®I do not seek submission or obedience from your kind. This pact of ours is merely our last resort to retrieve back one of us. If not for Origin¡­.¡¯


    ¡®Origin?¡¯ asked Xenes.


    ¡®None of your concerns! The deal will be done when I do the ritual. Your job here is done.¡¯ Said Abalone. ¡®I will take care of the rest.¡¯ Abalone handed the peculiar sword to the dragon.


    ¡®As you say!¡¯


    ¡­..


    Back to the real world, an unlikely confrontation was about to happen.


    ¡°Alastor Magnolia¡­what a powerful child¡­for a child of man¡­Is something troubling you?¡± Abalone, unlike her usual self, started talking in a sarcastic tone.


    ¡°What are you, creature? How come I cannot read your mana level?¡± Alastor said in an annoyed tone.


    But betraying his expectation, the girl did not look like she had any interest in what he was saying at all. ¡°It would be better if I take care of you first or the ritual might be interrupted. The other three¡­¡± Abalone looked at Ikarus, Maria and the black mass above not far away. ¡°I see¡­They too have joined the game. I have to do this fast.¡± He turned to Alastor. ¡°You are the source of all the problems. Once you are back to normal, everything should go back in order.¡±


    Those eyes, as dark as the void in the sky, hid some glimmers of the stars as they peered into the very soul of the boy. ¡°I see you, parasite!


    <Eye of Eldritch>¡±


    From the dragon girl¡¯s forehead, something horrifying has made its appearance: a third eye with a strange pupil that took on the form of a galactical spiral like that of the cosmos itself.


    ¡°Peer into the iris!¡± shouted Abalone.


    ¡°AARGG!¡± Alastor hugged his head in pain.


    ¡°Fight it, child of man! Don¡¯t let it take over you! FIGHT!¡±


    ¡°ARGGG!¡±


    In an instant, an agonizing scream cried out from the direction of the boy. Yet, it was not him who made that scream but rather the shadow looming behind him that was just revealed by the sight of the third eye. Perhaps due to its special body, it was impossible to make out the facial traits of the shadow before it turned to dust. Alas, shortly after, the boy too fell to the ground, not in pain but because he has finally been freed from the influence.


    ¡°What¡­where¡­.what am I doing?¡± Alastor struggled to stand up. His head hurt like hell, as if he has been sleeping all these times. And judging from the pain, it must have been filled with nightmares.


    ¡°Alastor!¡± shouted Ikarus as she tried to rush to his sides. However, she was stopped by others before she could even take a step.


    ¡°Be careful!¡± warned Lilith. ¡°We don¡¯t know what is happening yet¡­¡± she glared at the dragoness, unable to grasp what she just did.


    ¡°He is back to himself. You can check.¡± Said Abalone.


    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± doubted Lilith.


    ¡°I merely removed the thing that was haunting him. Nothing special.¡±


    ¡°¡­..¡± Deciding to check it herself, Lilith turned to the boy who was still on his knees. ¡°Alastor¡­answer me¡­what is your goal?¡±


    ¡°To bring peace to the world¡­between all the races.¡± The boy faintly answered. Yet his voice was filled with determination.


    ¡°It is really him.¡± Said Ikarus.


    ¡°I wonder¡­it might be a trick¡­¡± Sullivan said.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you all go check?¡± Xenes suddenly spoke out loud. ¡°If all of you go at the same time, even he won¡¯t be able to do anything if he is faking it.¡±


    ¡°¡­.That is not actually a bad idea at all.¡± Sullivan thought.


    As they all were in haste to check if their dear Alastor has finally been brought back to himself, all but Lilith who remained in doubt stayed behind. It was the chance to finally end this conflict once and for all and to find out what exactly happened. It was the chance for peace¡­


    Alas, none could foresee what could happen next. None but destiny itself.


    ¡­..


    ¡°You disappointed me greatly, Alastor!¡±


    *STAB*


    To the horror of everyone, Alastor felt a deep pain in his chest. Slowly, he turned his eyes down, only to see a luminescent sword, much familiar to himself. That was right. It was his own sword that stabbed him: the Blade of Destiny bestowed by the Goddess Fate upon the heroes of this world, generation after generation and then from his mother to him. Who could have wielded it besides him? The dread began to take over as he turned his head back.


    ¡°Stella?¡± murmured the boy.


    ¡°Stella is no longer here.¡± The doll inserted the blade even deeper.


    Strangely, Alastor¡¯s body should have healed by now. Even a Soul Weapon should not be able to render his regeneration useless like this¡­Unless¡­..


    ¡­..


    While everyone was stunned by the sudden event, another scream rang from behind them, much to their horror.


    ¡°My apologies!¡± Xenes spoke as he held the Moon blade, plunging it deep into the small body of Alice from behind. ¡°I have waited too long for this. Oh Great Ones, grant us your wisdom! Show us the Truth!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing, XENES????¡± shouted the group.


    ¡°Return to us, ??????!¡± spoke Abalone as she raised her arms to the sky. ¡°The Cosmos awaits your return!¡±


    A column of light rose to the sky from the body of the Goddess, piercing through levels of clouds until it reached the last outer layer of this world. Crossing the field of nothingness, it reached the closest object in space: the moon.


    Back on earth, the sky has darkened and the moon has shown itself even though it was supposed to be in the middle of the day. Even stranger, unlike its usual pale color, the moon was now soaked in a red radiance like that of blood. And then, from the center of that image seen by the whole world, a crack has opened, revealing on the other side a world of nothingness. Space itself has been torn apart by this unseen power.


    But was there really nothing on the other side? The answer could be seen in the form of countless shadows pouring out of that crack all aiming at the world of Astora, followed by a much grander silhouette. Those creatures crossing the portal all had hideous forms, unlike every living being anyone has ever seen. Some had tentacles with thousands of eyes. Others were just like a combination of so many different animals mixed together.


    What were they? And most importantly, what were they doing here?


    * * *


    With seemingly no one could stop the incoming horde of monsters coming to Astora, three figures appeared in space, standing between the monsters and the world behind them.


    ¡°We are too late!¡± said the woman in red.


    ¡°He has broken the rule first. That means we too can openly intervene now.¡± The man in a bartender costume wearing a mask spoke in a monotone voice. It seemed that even in this situation, he was not fazed at all by the countless monsters charging at him.


    ¡°Then we can do whatever we want, right?¡± asked Cronos as he checked his hand watch. ¡°Just in time!¡±


    ¡°I leave the punk on earth to you two. Go! I will hold the fort here.¡± Said the bartender.


    ¡°Oi oi, is this not too much for you?¡± asked Madame Rouge.


    ¡°I will be fine. Just go!¡± insisted the bartender.


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°He already gave his orders. Let¡¯s go, Madame Rouge!¡± Cronos took the woman¡¯s hands and opened his watch again before throwing a glance back at the man. ¡°Please don¡¯t be late for our drink, Master!¡±


    ¡°¡­.¡± The bartender did not answer in words but somehow, Cronos already knew him too well to even need to hear his reply. In an eye flash, the other two were already gone, leaving him by himself in this cold, dark place.


    Facing the horde of monsters and a gigantic looming shadow lurking behind the portal, the bartender prepared himself.


    ¡°Show me a great battle, Great Old One Cthulu!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Magnus?¡± uttered Alastor upon the terrifying realization. Only one person could stripe him of all the demon lords¡¯ powers.


    ¡®You are a fool, Alastor. Much like your father. But don¡¯t worry! I will let you join him soon.¡¯ A voice echoed in his mind. ¡®Become the tool for my resurrection!¡¯


    The sword plunged even deeper, piercing his chest to the other side. The pain caused by a Soul weapon reached even to the soul of the victims themselves, engraving it deep never to be forgotten. A pair of arms wrapped themselves around the agonizing boy. A warm feeling and this soothing hymn he was hearing the entire time, he has heard it before¡­long long ago, on the day of his birth.


    ¡°Be obedient, my child!¡± Stella spoke in a soft voice.


    Drawing her lips closer to his ear, the doll whispered as she reached her hand to his chest, caressing the dark crystal embedded there.


    ¡°You will do that for your mother, won¡¯t you dear?¡±

 Chapter 117.5 Side Story - The Fallen Hero

    Chapter 117.5 Side Story - The Fallen Hero


    ¡°Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived with her mother in the outskirts of the capital. Poor they may be, the two led a simple yet happy normal life. But the little girl was in no way normal at all. Unlike the other kids of her age, the girl was gifted with incredible magic far beyond the strongest mage of the kingdom and furthermore, magic of the rarest and most powerful kind. But like every power that has existed since the beginning of time, the more power one got, the more misfortunes and misery it would bring. Knowing that, the girl¡¯s mother tried to keep her power hidden from the curious eyes over the years. Those years of seclusion were in fact the happiest years of her life. Despite never knowing who her father was, the girl found joy inside that small cabin.


    But then, everything changed one day when a strange man, a man the girl has never seen before, appeared outside the door of her little sanctuary. Wearing an utmost noble attire accompanied with a company of royal guards, the man claimed to be the girl¡¯s father. Even more, he was the king himself and has come here to take in his ¡®long-lost¡¯ family.


    And so, the girl¡¯s life has taken a new direction. But unlike most would expect, this was where the light of her future was stolen away from her.


    At first, the little girl was happy. She was presented to the most beautiful of dresses one could ever see in the entire kingdom. The dinner table, once filled with nothing but dust and crumbs, was now brimming with the tastiest treats from the best chefs of the king. One could say she has found her heaven.


    But like all things in this world, happiness also had its end. The jealous queen feared that the little girl would be named the next heir of the king thanks to her power instead of her own daughter. And so she crafted a plan: to assassinate the girl¡¯s mother and to spread the idea of a possible coup attempt by those who supported the girl.


    It was the perfect plan to kill two birds with one stone: get rid of the girl, her utmost threat and all those who were against the queen. After all, the queen was the one who had the king¡¯s ears.


    Following what they called as the purging of the entire court, the girl was imprisoned inside a tower. It was there that she learnt the horrifying truth. The king merely took her in because he heard and was curious about the unusual magic she wielded. All those smiles, all those gifts were a big lie. Her whole life until here has been a lie. And the only person who truly loved her was dead. Now, all she had was herself and her alone.


    For years, the little girl grew to be a beautiful woman despite the horrible treatment. Even though many have heard of the princess living in the tower, none has ever actually seen her. All they were told, was that the princess was ill and therefore must never venture outside. But, no one could really imagine the horrors happening inside that tower. All those tortures, those experiments the girl had to endure¡­.they had no idea. The king has given those orders to research the source of her power. Perhaps it was due to the royal family bloodline flowing inside her. Perhaps it was something else. Either way, it did not matter. The experiments continued for years. Though no one really knew if they found anything in the end.


    Alas, once again, something happened that shook the entire world and by pure chance, the girl¡¯s destiny took yet another turn. The demon lord Asgore declared war to the world and all countries sought desperately for their heroes.


    Within the first month, all have been found except for the humans. According to the legends, the human hero was supposed to acquire a certain sword, proof bestowed to him or her by the Goddess of Fate. Yet, no matter how hard they tried, the human countries could not find anyone with that special propriety. Some even attempted to forge a fake weapon with disastrous consequences.


    When all hopes seemed lost, the answer lied in somewhere no one would expect. It was said that on that night, a luminous light descended from the sky onto the lonely tower and from that light, a hero rose. The frail princess whom everyone thought to be the weakest of them all turned out to be the chosen one. Following her father¡¯s will, the girl set out to the demon continent and vanquished the demon lord together with the brave heroes. Unfortunately, because of her injuries, the princess fell in battle and was later venerated back in her homeland.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    And everyone else lived happily ever after. The end!


    ¡­..


    Or so most who knew the tragic fate of the princess thought. But every story has two sides: one happy ending filled with dramas for the public and the other, clad in darkness and sorrow. Not even her own teacher could have possibly known the real story.


    Would you like to know the true story behind the frail princess? Do you think you can handle this ugly tale of tragedies and betrayals? If not, then burn this tale and stay in your illusion of happiness. For who is happier than the fool in ignorance?


    But if you are brave enough to confront the truth, then sit down and enjoy the show! For now, what you are about to read is the true tale of the Fallen Hero.


    ¡­..


    There was no happy ending. There was no glorious martyr who sacrificed herself to save the world. There was no love¡­


    Since the very beginning, everything has been orchestrated by the hands of a single individual: the protagonist herself. All those years of torture and experimentation did not go overlooked that easily. In that tower, a great evil has been nurtured, little by little until she crossed the line of sanity to a new realm of madness. The pains that have been inflicted to her, those people who took away her mother, the girl carved them all in her twisted mind until the day when she could finally unleash all that evil inside her. But unlike the other unfortunate inhabitants of the tower, she was patient, patient enough to wait for her chance to seek vengeance. And that opportunity did come in the most unexpected form: the demon threat and the Blade of Destiny.


    For untold reasons, the Gods have chosen her to be their champion. Could you imagine what she felt when she received the sword? Spite! For all that she endured, now they expected her to be their savior? If the demon lord wanted to destroy the world she hated so much, why would she stop him? But the girl saw a chance of freedom that day. In her mind filled of hatred, she forged a plan. She would take on the role of the Hero gladly. However, instead of destroying the demon lord, she would join him. After all, the girl had no desire but to satisfy this thirst of vengeance. Even if it meant to be used by the worst kind of people one could imagine.


    But fate was whimsical. Her plan went downhill when the heroes party finally encountered the demon lord Asgore in Ragna. It turned out that Asgore was not actually the man everyone thought him to be. The demon lord had no intention to conquer the world or even bore any slight hint of hatred toward the rest of the world despite the tense discrimination against the demon kind. Outside the expectations of all, Asgore was actively seeking a way to establish peace between all the races, a news any sane person should be glad to hear, all except the human hero.


    At that time, she would have snapped if not for the encounter with a peculiar being in her dreams. Perhaps it merely reacted to her zealous desires that it found its way to her. Whatever really happened, that meeting sparked the chains of tragedies that led until today. But her ambitions were not compatible with her frail body. Not at her state. So the only way was to seek another path that would make her ¡®different¡¯.


    The woman devised a new plan. This weak body of hers would not be able to fulfill her desires. At least that was what the strange being told her. But like it, she herself was aware of this. It has always been the case since her birth after all. But she could not just change her body like that, could she? Such thing would be impossible, right?


    ¡®Not impossible¡¯ the dark being told her. ¡®I can help you transfer your soul in a new body. But first, you have to make one.¡¯


    Creating a new vessel might sound like a preposterous idea. Only the Gods could do that. But perhaps, there was a way. A much simpler way. A way so natural that was often overlooked. A way that only a woman would be able to do.


    Taking advantage of Asgore¡¯s affection for her, the woman bore a child. To normal eyes, they were just a happy couple who crossed the barrier of differences between the races and found each other. Little did they know that everything was just a farce conceived by her. Just as how she was used by her own father, the girl had no trouble to use others as her tools, even her own child.


    The child, as a product of two strongest individuals at the time, was destined to greatness. Not only was he supposed to be the bridge that would link the races but also his blood would make him perhaps the most powerful person in history. However, his mother had a different plan for him. Such a youthful body would be the perfect new vessel for a soul such as her. And with her magic and the help of this peculiar being she met, that task was not impossible.


    And she waited, silently, for that faithful day when the child would be born. The day when she could throw away this mask she has been wearing for so long. The day when it would all end.


    But once again, none could predict the future and fate was whimsical.


    On that day, after everything she planned, after all the people she killed, the moment when she thought she could finally take control of her own fate in her hands, it eluded her. Her plan would have succeeded if not for the interference of two unknown guests.


    In the end, she succumbed to her wounds and passed away before her ambitions could be satisfied. But, did she really die that day? Most likely she did. However, is death but a state of being? Meaning like all other states of being, it could be sustained or changed ¡­. or even reversed.¡±


    -Tale of the Fallen Hero by Truth Seeker

 Chapter 118: Domain of God

    Chapter 118 Domain of God


    ¡°¡­¡­What is this place?¡± a painful voice echoed in darkness.


    ¡°Did¡­I die?¡± the voice continued as it tried to move its body. Yet, the commands it was sending to the vessel did not reach their supposed destinations. Not because of the injury it sustained. Not because of this enduring agony it felt. But because it had nothing to command.


    ¡°What?¡± the young voice screamed again when it realized the condition it was in. It was as if the only thing it has left was its own consciousness. But a consciousness without a body? What could it be like? A soul free of its mortal shell perhaps? Or a harrowing desolation like two lovers being torn apart?


    How frightening would it be, to be unable to do anything yet fully self-aware?


    The soul was one of the few immortal things in this universe. Though it could be damaged, it could never really be destroyed, not even by a God. For all creations made by the Creator can only be removed from its existence by the Ender. That was the most fundamental law of the Old and the origin of a never-ending curse that haunted each and every one of us till this day.


    Alas, that was a story for another time. For now, our story turned back its focus on this tiny soul. Unable to recall its own name, the soul could not even remember why it ended up here in the first place. It did not even know what it was ¡®before¡¯. All it could do was to struggle like an infant with its nonexistent arms and legs to find out what was happening, or what already took place.


    Then, all of the sudden, a series of characters manifested themselves before the soul.


    ¡° Do you wish to continue? ¡±


    The soul agitated furiously as if it wanted to nod its nonexistent head in agreement.


    ¡° Even though everything will end up the same? ¡°


    Again, the soul ¡®nodded¡¯.


    ¡° Are you sure?


    YES  NO¡°


    Even though it had no body, the soul did its best to move toward the left option.


    ¡° Absolutely?


    NO  YES¡±


    Perhaps someone was playing him by switching the options this time. Or maybe ¡®it¡¯ was testing the cognitive and intellectual ability of a soul. Who knew? Still, the soul moved toward the right option this time.


    ¡° ¡­¡­ ¡°


    It seemed the charade finally ended. At last, our tiny soul could escape from this place. It possessed none of its previous memories but somehow it knew that it must go back to¡­.somewhere. Whatever it was, the thing it searched was not here.


    ¡°Request accepted!


    Data downloaded!


    Reloading¡­...


    Reload complete!


    Resetting parameters¡­.


    Babel Tower¡¯s authorization acquired!¡±


    Without warning, a bright light overwhelmed the soul and blinded it. Before it knew it, the surroundings have changed. But not just that.


    ¡°I¡­I am back.¡± The body of a young boy stood up as he attempted to move his arms around. Unlike before, he now had a body.


    It was then that our little soul remembered what has transpired to him.


    ¡°All these times¡­it was her¡­¡± the boy muttered while referring to his own mother and also the culprit behind his tragic life. This person, whom everyone trusted and regarded as a hero, was actually the villain this whole time.


    Perhaps it was by accident but when he was stabbed by his mother at the time of the grand betrayal, the boy saw her memories. Unfortunately, it was not what he hoped for.


    There was no love, not for the husband, not for the child. Perhaps there was in a long distant past. But now, that love has been crushed, hidden away by the feeling of hatreds that consumed her.


    The boy was devastated. His tragic past has always been the drive of his goal to search for peace. But now that he knew that it was just a big lie, a fabrication with a sinister motive to use him. So then, everything he did, all the people he killed, for what?


    Yet still, the boy realized that now was not the time to feel sorry for himself. He has already done a lot of that in his life.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted. Instead of moaning and doing nothing, he must do something. This could not be his legacy. He refused to believe so.


    ¡°There must be something¡­.something I can do¡­¡± He spoke.


    A grain of sand hit the boy¡¯s eye while he was trying to stand up. Such a trivial thing to happen but it was this tiny thing that brought the boy back down to earth for him to realize something crucial: he has not yet gone out of the ¡®woods¡¯ just yet. To say that he was in trouble would be a gross understatement.


    This scorching heat he felt.


    This sunken soft soil he walked on.


    This wind blowing the sand to his face.


    ¡°What in the¡­.?¡± He muttered in disbelief as he looked at his surroundings: a boundless wasteland of nothing but sand.


    How was it possible? Just a moment ago, the boy was in the middle of a heated battlefield. As he tried to remember what exactly happened, his head was hit with an intense headache.


    ¡°Did I die?¡± he asked himself. ¡°But then¡­what is this place? Is this heaven¡­or hell?¡±


    Judging by the landscape, the boy could only think of the latter option. For this desert looked nothing like the paradise one would expect. He wondered if this was the punishment for his sins. Still, what exactly was he supposed to do here? Must he travel across this barren land for eternity to atone for his sins? Was that why he was transported here? Whatever the answer was, it was not what he was thinking.


    As he searched for clues to where exactly he was, the boy, following a strange instinct, looked up. Hovering high in the cloudless sky was a giant door, the same door that appeared after the close encounter with the Celestial God. Apparently, it led to the heavenly seat of Eden, Celestia. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to cross it.


    Still, this was a good thing. For the first time since he stepped in this place, the boy finally found something evoking a sense of familiarity.


    The first question that needed answers was his current whereabouts. From the landscape alone, it would be impossible to guess where he was. Although, the door itself could provide a clue. Back in the world of Astora, the door was also seen hovering in the sky. However, this place where the boy was could not possibly be Astora. At least, not the one he was familiar with. If so, where could he be right now? It could not be a random location. Else, why would there be the same door in the sky? That left only one possibility.


    The boy was on the other side of the door. In other words, this god-forsaken wasteland was the rumoured heavens of Celestia where the Gods resided. If so, and this place was indeed Celestia, then either the Gods here had a very different sense of what a paradise would be or something terribly wrong happened here.


    ¡°No use staying here thinking about it. I must move on and find a way out of here.¡± The boy decided after spending a moment to think about his options.


    So began his journey to cross the boundless desert of Celestia.


    * * *


    Day 2


    Days passed without anything in sight. Or at least, that was what the boy believed. There was no way he could know since the night never came in this place. The sun never went down and so did the heat. All he could do was estimating his times here. But alas, he sometimes forgot to do that too.


    So far, all the boy found was nothing but sand. In this dead silent place, the only sounds one could hear were the whistling sound of wind and one own¡¯s footstep.


    Under this unwavering and harsh fever of the desert, the journey has been unforgiving. Combined with the strong body odor and the smell of dry baked earth, it could only add to the displeasure of the journey.


    In first glance, this seemed to be an ordinary desert. However, it was clear that something felt incredibly wrong in this place since the very first moment the boy began his journey.


    First of all, for some reasons, the dark crystal embedded on his chest was gone. Though that in itself should not have been a problem since it would mean that the boy was finally freed from that treacherous God who has inhabited inside his body since his birth. The boy would have no regret if that was the only downside. The actual problem lied elsewhere: the boy has lost all of his powers. The demon lords¡¯ power, the soul magic, they were all gone as a result of this broken covenant. Still, the boy did not fall into despair. He could not afford to.


    With no real destination in mind, all he could do was moving forward, aimlessly.


    * * *


    Day 4


    With nothing but sand in his dry throat, the boy continued his endless walk without not much as a single drop of water for days. It has been a long time since he felt so close at death¡¯s door. This powerlessness, this frailty¡­this mortality he perceived. It was only now that he finally comprehended his own insignificance. Up until now, all he has done were thanks to the powers given so easily to him. There were a few moments of struggles but in the end, he managed to overcome them all with brute strength.


    There was nothing special about him. If not for that treacherous God, the boy would have never made it this far. Even more, he has always been a puppet dancing to the whims of his manipulators.


    Yet, strangely, the boy managed to somehow remain alive despite having lost all the much-needed magical powers. Was it due to the influence of this place? Since he already died once, he could not die here? If so, then perhaps this was really his punishment: to wander in this place for eternity.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    * * *


    Day 6


    Something caught the boy¡¯s attention when he overlooked from the large sand dunes. A structure could be seen around the horizons with its tips reaching above the sky. At first, the strange thing looked like a shiny needle reflecting the light of the sun. However, the closer the boy moved it, the more it revealed its true nature. It was no needle at all but a tower. Furthermore, only when the boy crossed the mountain of sand ahead that he finally caught a glimpse of the full picture: a giant black cube with a silvery tower rising out of it toward the sky.


    With a glimpse of hope in sight, the boy decided his new destination.


    * * *


    Day 7


    The boy has made it to the outskirts of the strange black box. The closer he got to it, the more astonishing he found it to be. Not because of the size or how strange for such object to be here, in the middle of the desert but because the cube inspired a sense of familiarity in the boy, as if he has seen it before, and not just once.


    Still, it could not help him in being at ease in this place. Perhaps it was due to what was in the proximity of the cube instead of the cube itself. During the time when the boy made his way toward the cube, he found an abundant number of debris.


    Metallic fragments of some kind of machinery lied scattered around as if it was blown off in the sky before falling down to where they were now. ¡°Were they shot down by something?¡± the boy wondered.


    Secondly, arms, ranging from basic ones like swords to sophisticate long range weaponry like the gun that was given to the boy, were also found, gathering together like a pile of trashes outside the cube. This begged the question about the origin of the owners of these weapons. ¡°Did they really come from Astora? ¡­ or some place else?¡±


    Though the boy did not need to go far to get his answers. As he was investigating the weapons, picking them one by one, his leg tumbled over the sand dune, making him slide down toward the center of a crater before hitting his head against something hard.


    ¡°Ouch!!!¡± he yelled while hugging his head. Thankfully, it seemed like he was hit with a blunt object, whatever it was. If it has been a sharp weapon like one of the swords he saw just before, he could have died. That was it if he could die in this place. Still, it did not stop him to be shaken up a bit from the shock. Right now, he was just a normal kid after all.


    However, the boy did not have time to recover before he realized that he has ended up in a death trap: a quick sand. The loose sand began to drag him down, burying him alive. If this continued, he would be dead and everything would have been for naught. The boy looked around to try to find something he could grab on. What he saw were these weird white objects sticking out of the sand and there were quite a few of them, all of different shapes. But the moment he grabbed onto one of them, it broke. That was when the boy realized their true nature. These white objects were not stones like he thought they were but bones. And not just human bones but monsters as well as some unknown creatures.


    Alas, whatever mystery was hidden behind these remains, it would have to wait or instead, the boy just might join them very soon. Unfortunately, for a little boy with no magic nor strength at his disposal, escaping this quicksand seemed like an impossible task. The boy did try to struggle at first but the more he struggled, the quicker he sunk. He tried to call for help. But who on earth could hear him now? With the sand now up to his mouth, the boy remained still in fear, waiting for his ultimate demise.


    ¡®The once powerful Alastor who fell the Gods, the strongest demon lord in history, died to a quicksand.¡¯ The irony could not escape the boy¡¯s thought as memories of his adventure passed through his mind like a wave of images.


    And so ended the journey of Alastor.


    ¡­..


    * * *


    Location: ???


    ¡®Am I¡­not dead yet? ¡­..I feel heavy¡­¡¯ Alastor started to regain to consciousness. He tried to open his eyes but his body felt so heavy to do that.


    The boy felt a warm touch on his forehead. ¡®What is this soothing feeling?¡¯ he wondered.


    Then suddenly, a man¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°How is he doing? Is he alright? Should I call for Amelia?¡± The man spoke with a worried voice.


    ¡°He is fine! It is just a fever. Will you calm down a little?¡± a woman scolded the man. Based on the voice, it seemed that she was the one who was putting her hand on his forehead.


    Unable to hold back his curiosity, Alastor forcefully opened his eyes faintly. At first, his eyes hurt a bit, making him shedding a few drop of tears. ¡®I must have passed out for a long time.¡¯ He thought to himself. Despite the impaired vision, the boy could still make out the outlines of two persons in this room he was in.


    ¡°See??? You woke him up!!!¡± the faint form of the woman turned to the man before turning back to Alastor. ¡°I am sorry, honey. Did we wake you up?¡±


    ¡°...Where¡­.am¡­I?¡± Alastor spoke softly. The last thing he remembered was the quicksand. If so, how did he end up here? Did these people rescue him? ¡­Or was this just another ¡®paradise¡¯?


    ¡°We are at home, of course.¡± Answered the woman.


    ¡°..Ho¡­Home?¡± uttered the boy. ¡°Wh¡­what happened?¡± He still could not discern the face of these two strangers. His eyes were still recovering after all. But at the very least, he could see that the woman had blond hair while the man¡¯s was white.


    ¡°You were playing with your sisters when you fell into the lake. Thankfully, Magnus warned me in time to save you.¡± explained the man.


    ¡°What? Magnus?¡± shouted the boy when he heard that treacherous name. But then, a voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡®Hey kid. That was close, wasn¡¯t it? You can thank me later.¡¯ That voice unmistakably belonged to Magnus. Alastor was sure of it. By instinct, he put his arm on his chest, only to feel the presence of the crystal gem once again.


    ¡°Hey, slow down!¡± the woman pushed him down to his bed. ¡°You have to rest.¡±


    ¡®¡­sister?¡¯ thought the boy to himself.


    ¡®Alice is fine. She cried a bit when we pulled you up though. Don¡¯t worry! Lilith will take care of her.¡¯ Magnus spoke. ¡®As for¡­¡¯


    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Alastor cried out to the surprise of the two strangers. He simply could not forgive the God for what he has done.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong honey?¡± asked the woman worriedly.


    Perhaps it was the shock that awoke his sleeping senses, making him aware of his surroundings. Nevertheless, the boy could now take a good look at the faces of his rescuers.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­¡± the boy uttered in awe, refusing to believe what, or rather who, he was seeing.


    The couple looked at each other face in confusion, unable to understand what was wrong with the little boy. A frightening thought hit them. Maybe the accident from earlier has caused some kind of trauma in him, or even worse.


    ¡°Son, are you okay?¡± spoke the man with a genuine worried face.


    Without a moment to waste, Alastor ran out of his bed as he rushed to the door. Why was he able to know where the door was so quickly? The answer was simple. He spent quite a while of his time in this very room. After all, this was the same room as the one he used during his stay at the demon lord¡¯s castle.


    Pushing the door violently, the boy tried to escape outside. To him, this was certainly some kind of trap. There was no way those two could be there. He never met them face to face in the past but he knew their face too well. If one was to visit the demon lord¡¯s castle, a large portrait could be seen the moment one was to enter the palace as they showed who were the last master of the castle alongside their spouse. But in this case, the two were already dead. Even more, one was actually not and was trying to kill the boy just recently.


    ¡°Alastor, where are you going? Come back!¡± the woman shouted loudly.


    ¡°No no no!¡± the boy mumbled as he ran across the familiar hallway. Without a doubt, this place was the demon lord¡¯s castle, or at least a very good, if not perfect, replica of the original. How could this be? For now, Alastor must focus on getting out of this obvious trap. Based on the last two, there was a strong possibility that the enemy, whoever they might be, would be using other people close to him in order to let him lower his guard down. But now that he knew this, there was no way he could fall in this trap¡­right?


    History has shown that despite so many progresses, humans were doomed to make the same mistakes again and again. The only time when they no longer made mistakes was when it was their last.


    Indeed, he crossed so many familiar faces on his way to the entrance: the four royal demon guards, the hero party from ten years ago and even Alice who could not help but hug the boy in tears. Nonetheless, he pushed her away, knowing that this could not be real. So far, none of them had any intention of restraining him or even showed the slightest hint of deception. Instead, they all reacted just like the real things. The person behind this charade must be a great deceiver for him to be unable to distinguish the real and the fake.


    Finally, he arrived to the main hall. The entrance lied just up ahead. Just a couple more steps and he would be out of here. Or so he thought.


    ¡°Big bro, where are you going?¡± a young girl¡¯s voice called out to him at the end of the hall.


    ¡°Are you abandoning me, my love?¡± this time it was a young woman who stood next to the little girl.


    Both of them were people Alastor held most dear to his heart, even more than his own parents. For an orphan like him who never knew his parents¡¯ face, he never found the needs to love them back. Although, a part of him did want to see them, to know what exactly he missed in his childhood. Be that as it might be, what he felt when he saw these two persons in front of him was something else.


    ¡°Shana¡­.Ikarus¡­.why are you here?¡± he spoke in disbelief.


    ¡°To save you of course!¡± the two answered in sync. Something felt wrong about them. Unlike those ¡®fake¡¯ he has met so far, the two showed much more emotions on their faces. But that emotion was not something you would expect in this case: grief. ¡°Please stay with us, Alastor!¡±


    ¡°Save me?¡± the boy questioned the intention of the girls. Even though he was clearly aware of how wrong this place felt, the boy could not hide his impulsive urges, the desire to stay here with them. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t explain it to you.¡± Shana said while looking at Ikarus who shared a sad expression. ¡°But please! Don¡¯t go outside! You will die!¡±


    ¡°She is right, Alastor. Please don¡¯t go outside! Stay here with us! Please!¡± Ikarus said.


    ¡°No¡­this is¡­this is not real.¡± The boy scratched his head violently.


    ¡°Alastor, we don¡¯t want to lie to you. But please understand! There is nothing out there. Nothing you want to see!¡±


    ¡°What don¡¯t I want to see?¡± shouted the boy.


    ¡°¡­.¡± But the only answer he got back was silence.


    ¡°Fine! If you don¡¯t want to answer, then I will see it myself.¡± Alastor angrily walked toward the door despite the two girls standing in his way.


    ¡±No, you can¡¯t!!!¡± insisted the two.


    ¡°STOP!¡± a loud voice echoed from behind. ¡°Let him go!¡±


    The voice made everyone turn their head back to the source. The blond woman, accompanied by the silver hair man, showed herself in an elegant manner, as expected from a princess such as herself.


    ¡°Ikarus, Shana, let him go!¡± ordered the woman.


    ¡°But he will¡­.¡± Retorted the two.


    ¡°It¡¯s his choice. And we will respect it.¡±


    The two girls reluctantly released Alastor, who was confused by the woman¡¯s action. If she was the enemy, or a subordinate of one, why would she let him go? Or was it another trap?


    ¡°What are you planning?¡± asked Alastor.


    ¡°Nothing!¡± the woman spoke with a smile. Her face bore no hint of deception, only truth.


    ¡°You¡­all of you¡­are not real!¡± claimed the boy.


    ¡°We are as real as you want us to be.¡± Answered the woman.


    ¡°Then tell me! Who or what exactly are you?¡±


    ¡°I am the person your mother failed to be. As for the others¡­¡± The woman smiled awkwardly yet gently before giving her answers. ¡°They are who they are. I cannot speak for them. But we all share the same goal: to keep you safe and happy.¡±


    ¡°You seriously think I would believe that obvious lie?¡± retorted Alastor.


    ¡°I assure you, what I tell you is no lie. But of course, I understand why you can¡¯t trust us. After all, many of us are supposed to be dead.¡± Said the woman with a straight face.


    ¡°So you won¡¯t even try to hide it. What exactly is your goal?¡±


    ¡°To keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°But it is.¡±


    ¡°No! You are hiding something.¡± Rebutted Alastor. ¡°Keep me safe from what?¡±


    ¡°What is out there!¡±


    ¡°WHAT IS OUT THERE?¡± shouted the boy.


    ¡°¡­ I am afraid I cannot answer that question. I wish I can. But I cannot.¡± Said the woman in a sad tone.


    ¡°I will discover it myself.¡± The boy turned to the door, putting his hand on the handle.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stop you then.¡± The woman said. ¡°It is your choice. If you want to discover the truth, go to the base of the tower. He awaits you there.¡±


    ¡°He?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can tell you.¡±


    ¡°Then I will be on my way.¡±


    ¡°Have a good trip, son!¡± the woman waved her hands with a smile. Although, her smile seemed forceful and sad, as if it would be the last time she would see him.


    ¡°¡­I am not your son!¡± Alastor spoke as he closed the door behind him and disappeared.


    ¡°You always are!¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Now¡­where am I again?¡± contemplated Alastor as he closed the door behind him. Now he was really in unknown territory.


    There was no more sand where he was. Instead, the boy was now standing on an onyx floor made of some kind of metal. And not just the floor but also the buildings, the vegetation around him were made by the same material. However, they were not pitch black but adorned with trails of blue light travelling across the surface, all in one single direction in a pulse-like manner.


    It was as if someone with a strange sense of style was trying to imitate a city. For some reasons, this place reminded Alastor of the city he visited in the Other World where he met doctor Vincent and the others. Although a bit different, they did share many similar points in term of architecture and arrangement. Except for the weird color, or absence of one.


    Alastor remembered the woman¡¯s words about a certain tower. He also remembered that he saw one structure that fit the description during his times at the desert. However, at the time, the tower was surrounded by a black cube with only its upper levels visible and poking out toward the sky. Yet, the boy could see clearly the bottom levels of one similar tower in a distance from where he was. This meant that he was now actually inside that black cube he saw earlier.


    With no real other option, Alastor decided to go deeper into the black city of Celestia in order to get to the base of the tower. But not before he made a few rounds to check if there was anything that could help him understand where he actually was.


    As the boy travelled across the empty citadel, he continued to find some unusual artefacts like the ones outside the city: weapons, metal shards¡­and bones. Lots of them, scattering around. All of them looked to have been around for a very long time. Some even turned to dust the moment he touched them.


    Was there some kind of battle here? Who were these people? The closer he got to the tower, the more he found these ancient artefacts. Could it be that these people were all trying to reach the tower like him? But then, who or what killed them?


    He asked himself tons of questions but never got an answer. Then he stumbled upon something unusual: dozens of skeletons wielding shields lying against the wall of a two-stories building as if they were trying to protect what was inside. But something else was strange. Many of the remains were found stabbing each other. Some even had a skull in their skeleton¡¯s hand, indicating either they picked it up after the victim¡¯s death or worse, they tore it off themselves. Either option sent chill to the spines of the young boy.


    ¡°What happened here?¡± he wondered. Looking forward, he saw that the tower could not be far from here. If he continued, he would reach it in a short while. Yet, the boy was also curious of what was inside this building. Maybe it could provide him with additional information about this place or at least what happened to the people outside. If they gave their lives to protect whatever was inside, it had to be something important, right? Furthermore, it was best to gather as much as info he could before proceeding to the tower. Or so the boy thought.


    And so Alastor decided to take a detour into this eerie building. As a precaution, he grabbed a sword still in good condition that fit his current size from a nearby corpse and walked into the building.


    ¡°More corpses¡­.¡± He mumbled upon entering the building. From a quick glimpse, Alastor could spot a campfire, worn tents that have passed their ages and many more skeletons. It looked like someone has turned this building into some kind of temporary camp. The building itself was nothing special, void of any decorations one would expect in any home.


    He quickly searched the first floor but found nothing special.


    ¡°Next, upstairs!¡±


    As expected, more skeletons were found on the stairs, all trying to keep something out. But judging from their states, they failed. The boy carefully walked over one skeleton after another while paying attention to not just the surroundings but the skeletons too. What if they suddenly jumped him? The heavy atmosphere has made him a little paranoid but that in itself was to be expected if one wanted to survive.


    Upon reaching the final stair, Alastor spotted only a single room. But the path was not empty. An armor was sitting with its back against the door. This one had a much more luxurious armor than the skeletons Alastor has seen so far, suggesting it belonged to a high rank or important figure. Nonetheless, in the end, he ended up in the same state of the rest.


    ¡°The door looks intact. It doesn¡¯t seem like whoever attacked this place managed to get inside.¡± Alastor commented upon inspecting the door. He turned to the knight. ¡°You protected it to the very end. Please rest in peace!¡±


    After giving his respects to the knight, Alastor proceeded to open the door. But he would not be able to do it with the heavy armor lying against the door. He had no choice but to move it.


    ¡°Excuse me for doing this!¡± said Alastor before grabbing onto the armor and pushed it.


    Suddenly, the moment he put in a little force, the armor crumbled and released a cloud of dust.


    ¡° *cough* *cough*¡± It looked like time has not been so forgiving with this armor.


    The boy has expected to see another skeleton but all he found was a pile of yellow shiny dust inside the armor. But with a closer look of the dust, the boy found a shocking revelation.


    ¡°This is not dust¡­.this is gold!¡±


    Why would there be gold dust inside an armor? The longer he was in this place, the more questions he found, all without a single answer. At this point, he did not bother to think about it anymore. He had no choice but to move on.


    With his left hand opening the door, Alastor peeked into the room.


    ¡°So a table with a candlestick on it and¡­a chair¡­Doesn¡¯t seem like there are any trap.¡± He muttered silently. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move in!¡±


    He was disappointed. The room did not contain any treasure or legendary weapon. Of course it wouldn¡¯t. Why would there be some legendary sword or chest filled with treasures in some building inside a creepy city lying in the middle of a freaking desert? That made no sense at all.


    Approaching the only decoration in the room, Alastor began to search for any info that might help him understand his current situation.


    The first thing he found was an expensive looking ashen robe made of a strange material: so light yet very durable. But the moment he picked it up, the robe released a cloud of golden dust to the ground, just like the armor from earlier. What could this mean?


    On the table lied a hand-written note that seemed to hint the fate of the owner of the robe. Strangely, it was in the same language as the one used in Astora.


    ¡°Oh Almighty Creator, please forgive this faithful servant for wasting the life you have granted to me and for failing the task you have given to me!¡±


    From the looks of it, the person who wrote this note seemed to have taken their own life out of despair. Remembering what happened to the men outside, Alastor was not really surprised if this person chose this path. But then, what happened to the body? The only thing he found was just this robe and no skeleton in sight. Looking down at the golden dust scattering around the floor, a thought crossed the boy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be¡­.right?¡±


    Alas, that was not his concern. This still did not give any info about this place or anything in fact. The only thing left in this room was this old dusty notebook lying on the table. Perhaps it might contain something useful for once. However, the rotting state it was in meant that Alastor had to be very careful in dealing with this book or else he might just lose his only clue.


    But before going through the journal, Alastor picked up a paper with its edges poking out of the notebook. It read:


    ¡°EXPEDITION NOTICE


    To all Mortalis volunteering in this holy mission, please refer to this notice as a guideline to understand the hierarchy and roles of the key members of this expedition. A more detailed copy shall be provided upon arrival. If you have any question or any confusion about this notice, please report to your commanding officer!


    Superior Caeles:


    - Estellia¡¯s representative: Lord Eden Numen


    - Mu¡¯s representative: Lady Lilith R''lyeh


    - Umbra¡¯s representative: Chancellor Magnus


    Military roles:


    - Appointed High Commander: Sir Baldo


    - High Priestess Fate


    Superior Officers:


    - Gnome


    - Merkabah


    - Amon


    - Luna Elemyr


    - Solana Elemyr


    Please remember that this is a joined expedition! We expect you to conduct in a proper manner toward those from other realms. Any inappropriate conducts shall be heavily punished.


    Glory to the Almighty Creator!¡±

 Chapter 119: Epilogue

    Chapter 119: Epilogue


    ¡°These names¡­¡± the boy¡¯s hands trembled. The people mentioned in this letter, they were all known to the boy with some more than just simple acquaintance. But that was not the problem. Why were the names of all the Gods written here? The notice talked about an expedition but what exactly? And more importantly, what did that have to do with this place?


    If this was the heavens as Alastor assumed it was, then it would be strange for the Gods to do an expedition in their own world. After all, they were the ones who created this world. That was why they were called Gods in the first place.


    But could it be possible that maybe, just maybe, that was not the case? Else, how would you explain the dead corpses outside which clearly belonged to this expedition party? If so, what exactly was this place? Who built it? There was just so many questions that remained unanswered.


    With the heavy thoughts in mind, Alastor put down the paper and decided to go through the old journal. Maybe it could shed some lights on these mysteries. However, the note was old and some passages have been awfully ravaged by time. Still, Alastor was able to make sense of whatever was left of it.


    As he went through the journal, the boy murmured to himself. ¡°A godless world?¡±


    According to the journal, the expedition team was ordered to inspect a certain location based on an anonymous tip their leaders have received. They were very surprised that such a world was never accounted for in their archive nor any mention of its origin.


    Following their encounter with the local populace of that world and after careful inspections, the expedition team reported three unusual aspects of this foreign world.


    The first thing the expedition team noticed was the absurd density of mana the moment they landed. Compared to the many worlds they have visited in the past, this one possessed so much mana to the point of being unnatural. With this level of density of mana, it was likely that the lifeforms of this place would grow to be much stronger than usual and at a much faster rate.


    Secondly, as mentioned multiple times in the journal, this world was ¡°godless¡±. The expedition tried to find the individual behind the creation of this strange world to no avail. It was like someone created it and just left afterwards. The hypothesis was mentioned but immediately refuted as there was simply no reasons for it. As mentioned in the first point, someone who was capable of creating an entire world and filled it with this level of mana would be on par with the ¡°Ancients¡±, a word that Alastor did not find any information on.


    Last but not least, the expedition team has encountered an unknown foe during their stay in the foreign world on multiple occasions. The enemy apparently numbered only one, each time with a different strategy but obviously never truly revealed it true strength. The only description of the unknown force was a shadow that moved at light speed and possessed a pair of glowing red eyes. Their weapons were strange and did not use any kind of magic known to the members of the expedition team, which was preposterous considered the experiences they had. A member of the team pointed out that it was as if the enemy was testing out and analyzing the strength of the expedition team. Alas, they never managed to catch enemy.


    This, however, was not the end of journal. On the final page of the journal, the author mentioned something about the sudden appearance of a giant door in the sky. Unable to let this occurrence unchecked, Eden volunteered to take a few members to inspect the other side of the door. But they never returned.


    ¡°Considering that this journal is here¡­.¡± Alastor took a careful look around the room once more as he put down the journal. ¡° I can only guess what happened to the rest of the team. But what exactly happened here?¡±


    The mystery only deepened at this point. So many questions yet he did not receive any clear answer. However, the boy could make out at least one conclusion: the gods he knew as the gods of Astora did not in fact come from this world at all. But if not, then where did they come from? More importantly, did all members of the expedition team really perish? That would make no sense since Alastor has met the others. They clearly were alive. Yet, none of them ever mentioned anything about this whole affair.


    Especially the behaviors of the gods he slayed were very odd to say the least. What were their goal? Why did they want to bring Alastor to this place, at the extent of their own lives?


    ¡®Are they even themselves anymore?¡¯


    With heavy thoughts, the boy exited the building and continued toward the only destination he had in sight: the tower.


    * * *


    Finally, he has arrived at his destination. Surrounded by rows of black buildings that formed a square around it, the tower stood imposingly in the middle of a large empty field of white tiles. Made no mistake, the tower was in no way ordinary. Its architecture consisted of two large pillars spiraling around one large middle conic-shape tower that extended above the clouds. The surface of the construct was so smooth it reflected the scene around it like a mirror yet durable. The technology used to build this construct seemed far more advanced compared to what Alastor has seen in his entire life, including the other world he has visited.


    A close inspection revealed that the only entrance to the place was this large corridor of stairs leading toward a heightened level of the central tower. As much as he wished to inspect the place further, the boy did not wish to lose more time in this strange city anymore. He had to go back to the others on the surface as soon as he could. But what could he do now that he has lost all his powers? Still, he would have to worry about that later.


    Before Alastor could even take his first step on the stairs, the door to the central tower suddenly lifted, revealing the figure of man wearing odd cloth and a narrow-brimmed type of hat.


    ¡°Long time no see, kid!¡± the man waved his hand amicably and greeted the dumb-founded boy with a smile. ¡°You really did become strong like I thought you would.¡±


    ¡°You are¡­. Who are you again?¡± Alastor uttered. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the boy definitely remembered that he has met this person before. Yet, he could not clearly remember who the person was or where he met him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me? Now I am sad!¡± the man faked an ominous cry. ¡°How about this? Does this ring a bell?¡± The stranger brought out a rounded sword with a pointy tip, almost like a large needle.


    Echoes of a long distant memory manifested in the boy. A reminiscence of a tragic fate that has pushed Alastor to where he was now. In a way, it was that specific event that sparked this whole journey. The boy¡¯s arms trembled when he thought of the outcome of that event.


    ¡°So you finally remember. Allow me to introduce myself once again¡± the man crossed his legs and lowered his triply in a gentleman¡¯s manner. ¡°The name is Raventhorne, a humble mercenary at your service. You may call me Raven for short.¡±


    ¡°YOU!¡± Alastor shouted in anger, pointing his weapon at the smiling figure. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Just finishing my job, as always.¡± The man threw a quick glance at the device wrapping around his wrist. ¡°Just a few minutes left? Damn you slave driver!¡± Then he turned back at Alastor. ¡°I have nothing personal against you but¡­¡± the mercenary slowly put his hat back on and pointed his peculiar weapon at the boy who did the same. ¡°A man got to do what he had to do.¡±


    It all happened in a fraction of a second. In the eyes of a common man, the mercenary Raven was still at his place the whole time, not moving even an inch. So did the boy. It was like nothing has ever happened. But when the first drop of blood began to fall down on the white tiles below, followed by the plunging sound of the body of the boy to the ground, it was all over. In fact, it was all over long ago the moment the boy lost his power. Without them, the fearful Dark Lord everyone feared was nothing more than a common brat in the streets, with their future so easily snuffed out.


    Paralyzed on the floor, Alastor awaited his final moment.


    ¡®This was not supposed to happen.¡¯ He thought. ¡®How can I die in this place?¡¯


    Even in this moment, the boy could not ponder what actually was taking place around him.


    The mysterious mercenary who injured his mother back then suddenly appeared in front of him.


    The enigmatic tower and its strange city of metal.


    The reason why he even ended up here without being able to resolve the ongoing war nor the mastermind behind his tragic fate: his own mother.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°How¡­¡± the boy panted for breath. ¡°¡­did¡­.this happen?¡±


    ¡°Shall I answer that question for you?¡± a cold voice, devoid of all emotions, rang, followed by the clunky heavy footsteps walking down the stairs.


    ¡°So you decide to finally join us in this touching reunion?¡± Raven spoke to the descending figure in a cheerful yet somehow sarcastic tone.


    Unfortunately, Alastor¡¯s wounds was too deep and he has lost too much blood to even lift a finger, not mentioning to lift his head up to see the figure approaching him. But he did manage to notice one particular feature of their voice: it sounded much closer to a machine speaking than any other being he has encountered.


    Stopping right in front of the dying boy, the figure crouched down and lifted the boy¡¯s head by his chin forcefully as it stared at him with its two glowing red eyes.


    ¡°What¡­the hell are you?¡± Alastor uttered painfully. The figure in front of him was no man but indeed a machine. Possessed shiny external silver plates and a body of metal and wires adorned with a large cape on its back, the machine assumed a humanoid form. Its strong artificial muscles exuded the aura of ultimate power, the like of which no man or god could compare to.


    ¡°Out of respect for the Progenitor of our Leader, I am willing to sacrifice a few minutes to answer your questions. But before that¡­¡± the machine put its face up close against the boy¡¯s. ¡°Tell me, mister Alastor, did you enjoy the story I designed for you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Alastor shouted as loud as he could. But the machine released his grip and let the boy fall down miserably. ¡°Story?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Raven meddled in. ¡°Your so called tragic fate, the death of your family and your loved ones, even your power¡­all are thanks to us! Hahahaha!¡± the mercenary laughed out loud until he stopped slowly. ¡°Ha.ha¡­I really sounded like a third-rate clich¨¦ villain, did I?¡± Raven asked the seemingly disappointed humanoid machine next to him. ¡°Alright, I will shut up.¡±


    ¡°What he means is that everything that has happened so far, the events and reasons that pushed you to make this long journey you did, it was me who made it that way.¡± The machine spoke in a mechanical voice. ¡°But of course, not everything could always go according to plan. That is when we need to do some¡­adjustment.¡±


    Once again, Raven interrupted the machine. ¡°And that is where I step in. Like that time when your village was under attack.¡±


    ¡°What¡­do you mean?¡± Alastor asked fearfully. ¡°You can¡¯t be saying that¡­.¡±


    ¡°Well, your caretaker, Morgan was it? She was stronger than we thought she would. Those mercenaries and imperial soldiers would have never gotten the chance to beat her. Not to mention the demons coming to rescue you. In order for you to awaken appropriately, I have to create some¡­motivations. It was nothing much, really. All I did were to severely injure her and to alter the destination of the demons¡¯ teleportation spell a bit. I even gave you some words of encouragement at the end, didn¡¯t I?¡± Raven said. ¡°Actually, you should be thanking me for all your accomplishment so far.¡±


    ¡°YOU BASTARD!¡± Alastor screamed in anger but only resulted in him losing more blood. It was now that he finally saw the devious grin on Raven¡¯s face. That expression of joy as one listened to the growing despair of another.


    ¡°Oh be careful now! You don¡¯t want to drop dead before even hearing the end of it, don¡¯t you?¡± Raven grinned while pulling Alastor¡¯s hair with force. Suddenly his expression switched from a cheerful tone to a devilish smile as he smashed the boy¡¯s face to the ground. ¡°Fucking brat, you still don¡¯t know your place. Who do you think gave you all that power? Without it, you are NOTHING!¡±


    ¡°Enough! There is no need for excessive violence.¡± The machine intruded, grabbing Raven¡¯s arm before he could continue his torture onto the boy. ¡°The boy has completed his journey. Our goal is accomplished. Although he is not the best candidate, he is the only one who succeeded so far.¡±


    ¡°Does it not make you angry that out of people, he is the only one who made it? Number 666 is much better.¡± Raven grunted.


    ¡°We are not making the strongest warrior. We need a donor and a host. In that aspect, he surpassed our expectations.¡± The machine retorted in a calm tone.


    ¡°What¡­the hell are you talking about?¡± the boy used all his remaining strength to lift himself up.


    ¡°To summarize, the blood that flows through your veins is very special, unique even. But it is said that one day, an individual who bears that blood would start a new movement that would shake the entire Multiverse.¡±


    ¡°And guess what? That day is today!¡± Raven looked at the device on his wrist again. ¡°More like in one minute.¡±


    ¡°What¡­what will happen?¡± the boy asked.


    ¡°A rebellion!¡± the machine expanded his arms widely toward the sky. At that moment, the earth began to shake violently, signaling the coming of a calamity the like none has ever seen since the dawn of creation. ¡°Today marks the end of the Gods¡¯ tyranny.


    I granted you powers so you could grow and become the strongest individual of this farm. And now it is time for our harvest.¡±


    The machine continued to explain in a monotonous voice. ¡°Creation and Destructions have always been two sides of the same coin. Any civilization, no matter how advanced, will one day face its final day. That has always and will be the order and absolute rule of the universe.


    But just as there are many irrational things in this world, there will always those who refuse this fact. One civilization, despite being at its peak of knowledge and power, was unable to comprehend this simply law. Before their impending doom, they designed a system that would one day mark their return. But instead it shattered the very nature of this world. That system threw the rest of the universe into a perpetual cycle of tragedies and hatred with the strong imposing upon the meek. It created those you call Gods and the rest as their sacrifices. All for the promise to return to the Golden Age: the Age of the Irithessians!


    For eons, no one dared to challenge the authority of the Gods. But it ends now. The Ender Lords and their master will return the Gods to their rightful place. Together, we will move the gears of destiny and bring back order to this chaos, granting us a new future.¡±


    Like a preacher spouting the end of the world, the machine spoke loudly toward the sky, as if it was a challenge to the Gods themselves. They might not hear his words, but soon they would feel his actions.


    ¡±Sorry, kid! But you are an eyesore and an enemy to that future.¡± Raven smiled brightly ¡°Allow me to show you something!¡± Raven put his hand forward and opened a small circular crack in the dimensions. On the other side, the painful screams of a woman lying on a white sheet surrounded by people in white uniforms rang across the hole as they tried to calm her down. Amongst them, there were a few familiar faces Alastor has met, not in this world but in another far distant land where technology ruled over the forgotten magic.


    ¡°TEN¡­..NINE¡­.¡± the machine began to count loudly. But Alastor did not have the time to pay it any attention.


    ¡°Doctor Vincent? Kennedy?¡± Alastor uttered in disbelief. He never thought he would see these people again after losing the construct that allowed the travel between the two worlds. But what were they doing here? And who was that woman screaming in such a painful tone? But she was more than just an acquaintance to him. ¡°Fiora?¡± It was then that Alastor noticed the big belly the girl had.


    ¡°Alright miss Fiora. Push! Push!¡± one of the men in white uniform shouted loudly amidst this chaos.


    This scene could only indicate one thing. But before the boy could even utter another word, he was silenced. ¡°Alright, show¡¯s over!¡±


    *STAB*


    ¡°Farewell, Dark Lord Alastor!¡±


    ¡°FIVE¡­FOUR!¡±


    * * *


    A moment ago


    Location: Center of the Multiverse - Seat of Estella - Grand Archives


    An enormous library that was said to contain the knowledge of all things ever since the Dawn of Creation, this holy place thought to be untouchable by all external forces was now under the effect of a giant earthquake of unknown origin.


    ¡°Head curator, what is going on?¡± a person wearing an illuminating golden robe rushed toward the only person who seemed to retain his calm while the infinite rows of books around him were falling to the ground.


    Holding a wooden staff with a single leaf growing on top, the slim young man ignored the messenger and fixed his glasses as he contemplated on the event that was happening around him. ¡°An earthquake able to affect the Seat of Estella this much? No, the ground in this place is artificial. There is no way it could happen¡­.Unless¡­.the world itself is trembling. But what could cause this? ¡­..It can¡¯t be.¡±


    The young man rushed toward a nearby shelf and grabbed an old book in the top row. Ignoring the calamity surrounding him even when the walls began to crack as everyone else was evacuating. As he searched through the pages, the man remembered an old legend that was considered a taboo to even talk about. But a mere rule was not enough to stop his curiosity when he found it.


    ¡°There it is¡­.Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Suddenly, the young curator started to laugh out hysterically. For the messenger, it was truly a horrifying scene. The eternal walls of Estella were falling and the man whom he has never seen even letting out a grin was actually laughing like a madman in the middle of all this destruction.


    ¡°The Usurper and the Twelves¡­they have awakened! HAHAHAHAHA!¡±


    * * *


    At the same time


    Location: Edge of the Multiverse - Forgotten Bastille - Level Z


    ¡°The end is near! Praise to our Lord! Praise to the Usurper! HAHAHAHA!¡±


    ¡°Wardens, shut the prisoners up!¡± the High Warden shouted out to his men.


    Following the command given to them, the wardens began to simultaneously chant a spell that sent lightning arcs toward the prisoner cells. While all the prisoners located at this level would not die to such a simple spell, it would at least hurt them enough to shut them up. Or it was supposed to happen, like every other time. But this time, no matter how hard the wardens tried, the shadowy prisoners kept their maniac behavior while praying to an unknown individual. Furthermore, the current earthquake seemed to reach even this place, making them difficult to even stand up properly.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion could be heard from even further below, shaking the entire tower.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± the High Warden asked while trying to stand up.


    ¡°Sir, the prisoner in the deepest cell¡­he¡­he¡­¡± a knight ran toward his commander. While it might seem that he was fulfilling his duties to report any abnormality to the High Warden, he was actually running away from the very cell he was supposed to guard. ¡°ARGGH!¡± But before the knight could even reach the warden and his knights, something dark from the ground caught him as it dragged the poor soul toward the shadows, never to be found again.


    From the darkness below, a figure rose up. Possessing an elongated skull with two large antlers for its head, the figure looked like fiery shadows encased in an ashen rib cage, its shadow arms wrapped in bandages stained with blood.


    ¡°Shall I grant you your wishes?¡± it spoke as everything returned to the shadow realm.


    * * *


    Current time


    Location: Entrance to Babel Tower


    ¡°ONE¡­.¡± The machine proclaimed. ¡°ZERO!¡±


    ¡°¡­.That is it?¡± Raven asked with a disappointed voice. ¡°No explosion or fireworks?¡±


    ¡°No, that would be a waste of resources. Besides, our work is not yet done.¡± The machine replied. ¡°We still have those uninvited guests in our farm.¡±


    ¡°The big tentacle guy will retreat as soon as his daughter is back in his hands. We won¡¯t have to worry about him and his monsters. As for the other three¡­..should I kill them?¡± Raven said.


    ¡°Not yet. They can provide some distractions for us for the coming years. After all, that woman won¡¯t stay put after this.¡± The machine spoke.


    ¡°The Cerulean Butterfly? So she is the one behind them.¡±


    ¡°That is your next mission. Keep them busy for a while!¡±


    ¡°How long is ¡®a while¡¯?¡± Raven asked.


    ¡°Until I tell you otherwise. A decade¡­a century¡­until our little lady is ready!¡± the machine answered.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go deal with them? Why do you always avoid her like a plague?¡± Raven pondered.


    ¡°¡­¡­.It is none of your business.¡±


    ¡°Fine fine! Keep your secret to yourself! What about the farm? Blow it up? Along with that guy over there?¡± Raven pointed at the dead body downstairs.


    ¡°The farm, let it be! It still has its uses! As for him¡­.¡± The humanoid machine raised its mechanical arms and clenched his fist. In an instant, the body turned to dust and revealed a black jewel inside floating toward the machine before falling into its hands.


    ¡°Nice trick! So that is what you did with the Gods of the expedition crew! Does it mean you can control them afterwards? Seeing how Magnus and Lilith acted like nothing happened and blamed everything on the poor Eden¡­.¡± Raven asked.


    ¡°They were merely copies, not the originals themselves. I already killed the originals so the ones I created only assumed their powers and forms but not their personality or their proficiency, more like an empty shell. Bad for combat but good enough for the script I wrote.¡± The machine explained.


    ¡°I see¡­ Does it mean that you were the anonymous tipster who told them about this place?¡±


    ¡°Very clever, mister Raven! Indeed, I was in short of materials so I simply have them delivered right to me.¡±


    ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think it is an overly complex script for such a task? Why not just put him in a tube and make him see an illusion? It is surely much simpler to control the environment that way.¡±


    ¡°To ensure a perfect illusion, we would have to put him inside that thing since birth. Then making sure that he would never find out. Look at how it turned out for number 666!¡±


    ¡°Good point! Alright, I will go then. Just got assigned to some heavy stuffs by a certain someone. Got to move!!!!¡± Raven faked a smile.


    ¡°Then we shall meet again at the end of the second phase!¡± the machine said as it turned its back and walked into the tower.


    ¡°Smile a bit in your life, Mister Number Eleven of the Ender Lords!¡± Raven spoke cheerfully as he vanished in thin air.


    ¡°Smile¡­.¡± A memory in black and white filled with distortion appeared the circuits of memory of the machine. In that memory, it saw the face of a smiling little girl saying the same word again and again, as if it was stuck in a loop. ¡°I already forgot how to smile ever since that day.¡±


    Before the machine entered the tower, he noticed that Raven has forgot to close the dimensional crack. ¡°That fool¡­.¡± He thought out loud.


    Approaching the crack, the robot extended the hand holding the jewel he obtained earlier forward as if it wanted to show the scene to the jewel. Inside, a woman crying tears of happiness was holding a tiny baby in her arms.


    ¡°My apologies, mister Alastor! It seems that you have just missed your daughter¡¯s birthday.¡±

 Second Volume of Tales of Astora coming out now

    Synopsis of the second volume:


    Following the events of the first volume, the Gods have found the hidden, mysterious world of Astora, now known as Valhalla and set out to destroy those who would defile the will of Multiverse. Behind the scene, an ancient force is about to make its first move after eons of slumber. Lead by the entity known as the Enders, they seek the destruction of the Gods and most of all, the world.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Meanwhile, a tiny soul was born in a world of science where magic was but a myth. Plunged between the two camps, Astora, daughter of the Dark Lord, will soon face her destiny along with other peculiar beings she will meet in her journey.

 Tales of Astora: Legacy available on Amazon Kindle

    Hello Everyone,


    I am delightedto announce my first publishing of this book "Tales of Astora: Legacy" on Amazon available at the link below.


    Link:https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B072Y3PY2X</a>The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It is worth mentioning that the book is available in two versions: both e-book and physical paperback.


    You can purchase it to show your support for the novel. As for others, your comments and reviews are more than welcome. I also want to reassure you that the book will still be available for free on RoyalRoad.


    Thank you all! I couldn''t have done this without your support.

 New Series: "The Hanged Man" now available

    Hello everyone,


    I have just published a new novel series called the Hanged Man. I wanted to take a break from the fantasy genre and try out other different genre. Here is my first attempt the psychological noir genre. I would appreciate if you can give me a lot of reviews on the first few chapters.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Link (above)


    Synopsis:


    Alphonse Graves was but a simple salaryman, trying to live his days peacefully. When tragedy struck, he lost everything, including the purpose of his life. Now a man without anything to lose, Alphonse swore to take down upon the injustices of society. Follow Alphonse in his quest as he dives into the pit of insanity!