Chapter 132 – The Valoran Subjugation (6)

“Damn cowards. If they’re going to try to kill me, they should at least commit. Hah… Scurrying around like rats…”

[That’s called a war of attrition.]

“I
know
that, damn it! I was just saying!” Serr spat out a mouthful of blood, kicking aside the scattered remains of…something…as she stumbled forward.

Crimson droplets splattered the ground in her wake.

“I didn’t expect…
complete
Masters… This is…bad. Very bad.”

[Those…were Erden’s creations?]

“Yes. What did you think? Impressed by the pinnacle of human ingenuity?” Serr chuckled darkly, retrieving her tattered robe and wrapping it around herself.

[…I’m…intimately acquainted…with the depths of human depravity.]

The Spirit King’s voice was heavy with sorrow. Serr clicked her tongue.

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have taken a nap and let the world turn into this mess. Are you even
conscious
?
Kuh
…
hack
…
spit
. Are you even
aware
?”

[I couldn’t have foreseen…Yggdrasil’s decline… I…apologize.]

“Apologies don’t bring back the dead. Just shut up.”

Serr steadied herself, looking up at the sky.

The once-clear blue was now a bloody crimson.

And at its center, a red moon, eclipsed by a black sun.

[The Red Moon… So, Valoran has made his choice.]

“If you’re going to be cryptic, do it internally. Don’t just…throw out ominous pronouncements. It’s irritating.”

[…Ahem.]

Serr clicked her tongue again, ignoring the Spirit King’s non-apology.

“I need to go. Is Karma alright?”

[…Not well. But she’ll recover. Eventually.]

Karma, the High Spirit Serr had sent to Rubia, had been recalled. Along with the other spirits sent to monitor the situation.

Which meant…complete Masters had likely appeared there as well. And civilian casualties…

Serr sighed, pulling out a communication crystal. It was connected to the head of the Cartia Adventurer’s Guild, whom she’d met on her way.

She activated it.

—
Serr! Are you safe?!
Vishur’s voice was frantic, barely audible over the sounds of…carnage.

The wet sounds of tearing flesh, explosions, metal clashing against metal, spells activating and being broken…and the screams of the dying.

Serr grimaced, accelerating with wind magic.

“Report.”

—
Complete Masters… Fifteen…at least… We’re…holding them back…but…not for long…

“Holding them back? What do you mean?”

A cold dread settled in her stomach. She increased her speed, weaving through the devastated streets.

Horrific scenes flashed past.

Bodies. Civilians. Faces she’d seen just hours ago, now lying broken and lifeless.

And beyond the carnage…

A crimson barrier, shimmering with white and purple light, encasing the mainland.

Rubia and Hermilla. Outside. Which meant…Noah was inside…alone.

She started to change direction, when Vishur’s voice, weak and fading, reached her.

—
…They’re…attacking…the Temple of Memories…

The Temple of Memories. Where Noah and Rubia were supposed to undergo their trial, hidden from Erden’s eyes.

It was supposed to be secure.

Had this been planned from the beginning?

“…Understood.” Serr gritted her teeth, pocketing the crystal.

A traitor. Someone within the city… Or…a Challenger…?

Too early to tell. They could have been captured, their minds…compromised.

[What will you choose?]

“Shut up.”

Serr snarled, activating the crystal connected to Hermilla.

—
Serr! Are you alright?!
Hermilla’s voice was frantic, punctuated by the roar of explosions.

“…Report.”

—
The homing orbs are gone… We tried to join Noah, but…there’s a barrier…

“Can’t you break through?”

—
It’s…impenetrable.

Despair. And the relentless barrage of explosions.

Rubia’s divine power blazed, a brilliant light against the crimson sky.

But the barrier held.

Serr took a deep breath, forcing the words out.

“The Temple of Memories is under attack. Fifteen complete Masters. They’re about to break through.”

A sharp intake of breath.

—
My…mistake…

“They could have been compromised.”

—
I…I know, but…

“Assume the worst.”

Serr pocketed the crystal, wiping her face with trembling hands.

The sounds of death echoed in the distance.

A choice.

I knew the weight of this decision. The potential consequences.

Even fifteen complete Masters…could be handled. Especially with the Spirit King awake.

And the barrier…I could break through that. It resonated with spirit energy. I could handle it.

Abandon Noah, protect the Temple.

Or abandon the Temple, save Noah.

The former…preserved the future. Allowed for other variables. A safer bet.

The latter…was a gamble. A long shot.

But…it meant saving Noah.

Serr smiled grimly, activating the communication crystal.

“I’m coming.”

And then, in a low, steady voice,

“Vishur.”

[…So you’ve chosen…the future.]

“Don’t be absurd.” Serr disconnected, smirking at the Spirit King. “I chose…because I
believe
.”

She looked towards the crimson barrier.

“I believe in Noah. I believe…my friend…will win.”

[…Hahaha! AHAHAHAHA!]

“Now…lend me your strength. Fifteen is…a bit much, even for me.”

[Gladly, my child. Wield it…without restraint.]

The Spirit King’s laughter faded.

And then…billions of stars bloomed in the crimson sky, raining down upon the ravaged earth.

***

The world, inverted. Sky and earth, a tangled mess.

I stood…or floated…or sank… I existed. I didn’t exist.

“I doubted the god I worshipped. I defied the heavens.”

My existence…denied.

“And so…I fell.”

Time…lost all meaning. My mind, a fog. Cartia’s voice, a distant echo.

“Whether I brought down the heavens…or fell from them…my kin followed. And together…we achieved a feat worthy of legend.”

My thoughts, fragmented, incoherent. My body, heavy. My senses, dulled.

“But those legends…those victories…they’re gone. Erased. Don’t you find that…strange?”

CLANG!

“Gah…”

His movements, effortless. The impact, devastating.

“Have you ever wondered…where those ancient races went? The ones whose stories are lost to time? Where their history disappeared to?”

His movements weren’t fast. Or frantic. Just…light. Fluid. A dance of death.

But each strike—

CLANG!

—each impact—

BOOM!

—sent ripples through my mind.

Memories, fragmented and strange.

Angels and Demons.

Elves and Dwarves.

Spirits and Beastfolk.

Humans.

Endless war.

Dragons, waiting at the edge of the world.

The End.

And then, again.

Angels and Demons.

Elves and Dwarves.

Spirits and Beastfolk.

Humans.

The first despair: the Beast of the End.

Dragons.

The End.

Again.

Angels and Demons.

Elves and Dwarves.

Spirits and Beastfolk.

Humans.

The first despair. The second.

Dragons.

The End.

Again.

And again.

And again.

“I questioned…and I understood. We are…but a single step…in the cycle.”

The End.

“Erased. Consumed. By the End. That is why…no trace remains.”

Valoran’s presence washed over me, a swirling vortex of images. Countless eras, rising and falling. Souls trapped, eroding, within the endless cycle.

Chaos, pure and unadulterated, threatened to consume me.

I unleashed my power, every fiber of my being, meeting chaos with chaos. Twisting, turning, merging.

“They were heroes. Legends of their time.”

Our Wills clashed. The first, an Elf.

“They ended wars.”

Blades met. The second, a Demon.

“They achieved vengeance.”

Power surged. The third, an Angel.

“They saved their kin.”

Fists collided. The fourth, a Beastfolk.

“They reached the edge of the world.”

A voice echoed. The fifth, a Human.

“But they could not…surpass the End.”

My mind reeled, overwhelmed by fragmented memories.

“But in the fifth…a variable emerged. Two souls…persisted.”

Complete victory. Absolute victory.

A desperately sought victory.

“And a path…was opened.”

Cartia Frey.

The relentless dance of blades ceased. The swirling energies settled. The crimson rain from the moon froze mid-air.

“Adversary. What form…did the End take…for
you
?”

At first…it had been formless. A vague, undefined threat.

But with each era…it had taken shape.

“I could not see it. Nor could the heroes before me.”

And what was finally revealed…

…was still formless.

White.

“But
you
have seen it. Felt it.
Shaped
it. And so…you can reach it.”

Crack.
The crimson moon fractured. Light poured from the black sun.

“Imprisoning me…wasn’t such a bad idea. It’s been a long time…since I felt…this clear.”

The greatsword lifted. The stagnant energy shifted, swirling. The crimson rain resumed its fall.

“Thank you, Cartia. Truly.” Valoran smiled, a genuine, almost…peaceful expression.

“Adversary. One final question. Will you be…the greatest good…or the greatest evil?”

I tightened my grip on Frey.

“Will you follow the heavens…or defy them?”

I unleashed my power. Bloodlust surged. Icy chill spread.

“Will you be…the end…or the beginning?”

The crimson moon set. The halo shattered. Broken wings fell to earth.

“At the final moment…what choice…will you make?”

The black sun, having consumed the crimson moon, cast its dark light upon the world.

The greatest.

The worst.

Submission.

Rebellion.

End.

Beginning.

The End.

“At the final moment…” True Energy surged, overflowing, surpassing even my amplified Will.

“…I will save Rubia. That…is my choice.”

In the heart of despair, bathed in the black sun’s light, my resolve burned bright.