KEIICHI MIURA
My attire lay in tatters, evidence of my arduous battle with Indikar, blood seeping from wounds inflicted by his relentless assaults. The passage of time had become nebulous in the heat of our engagement, my efforts barely keeping pace with Indikar’s astonishing velocity. He had transformed into a swirling vortex of purple mist, his form merging with the tempestuous chaos.
While my mastery over lune granted me the power to neutralise sol, it was far from an all-encompassing dominion. One could still evade the effects of my enigmatic black mist as long as they avoided its embrace.
In the fray, Celina and Chandler were similarly entangled, struggling to fend off the surging tide of void creatures along with the resilient paladins and valiant Venturers who remained. Their efforts appeared to be slightly in their favour, yet the battle was far from its conclusion.
Indikar’s spiralling form surged towards me, a menacing tornado in his wake. I leapt skyward, narrowly evading his onslaught. My command over the mist coalesced into numerous spears that streaked towards the vortex, piercing its ephemeral depths. The tornado shrank in size, its frenetic motion decelerating.
Seizing this opportunity, I adjusted my trajectory in midair, driving the Sablethorn downward, aiming to strike at Indikar’s ethereal manifestation. However, the tornado still held the advantage in speed, and my dagger met empty air instead of the swirling haze, creating an opening in my offence.
Exploiting my momentary vulnerability, Indikar materialised from the dissipating mist, poised to deliver a fatal blow to my exposed back. Reacting with split-second timing, I rolled aside, narrowly escaping the impending strike. Though I managed to evade the brunt of his attack, the blade’s poisoned edge scraped against my skin, tearing away some flesh.
The venomous poison, a product of sol-weaving, was nullified by the pervasive black mist that permeated my being, flowing into every nook and cranny, neutralizing its harmful effects.
Indikar’s figure came into focus, the toll of our battle etched upon his form. The once-light purple skin was now marred by charred black, with disintegration revealing glimpses of his inner flesh. My powers had not been in vain; they had inflicted substantial harm on him.
"It’s time to call it a day." He murmured as his eyes flashed, and he dashed towards me.
Closing the distance with astonishing speed, he appeared behind me, the pain from my back wound robbing me of the ability to evade. Left with no alternative, I met his impending attack head-on.
Our weapons clashed, the impact sending shock waves through my weary frame. Seizing the moment, Indikar capitalised on my diminished agility, delivering a devastating uppercut that sent me reeling.
Blood spewed from my lips as my vision blurred, my consciousness teetering on the precipice. I swayed, my stance faltering, on the verge of collapse. Indikar’s triumphant stride drew him closer to the crystal cavern, its enigmatic contents calling to him with a promise of power.
My life seemed to be reaching its end, with the weight of fatigue and injury pushing me to the brink. Yet, even as darkness threatened to claim me, a fierce determination stirred within.
In that very moment, a faint voice echoed within the recesses of my mind.
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[Do you wish to attain the title ‘Herald’?]
"Ahahahahah! This is blackmail!" I’d be slaughtered if I didn’t say yes!" I burst out laughing like a madman. The choice presented felt more like coercion than a genuine option. Swiftly, I mentally confirmed my response with an emphatic "Yes."
Abruptly, a luminous column of ethereal white light enveloped me, suffusing my being with an immense surge of energy. It was as though my very essence was being inundated with power, coursing through my form and revitalising my senses.
Although my wounds remained unhealed, a brief interlude of respite washed over me, accompanied by a profound sensation of empowerment. I sensed an increased potency within myself; my connection to the fragment’s aura was more pronounced, akin to a beckoning call.
Indikar, perceptive of this transformation, exhaled in exasperation. I don't have the time for this. The fragment shall be mine!" With resolute intent, he lunged towards the crystal cavern.
Anticipating his course of action, I swiftly launched my weapon towards him. This time, its velocity exceeded all prior limits, with the resultant sonic boom a testament to the weapon’s newfound speed and a direct consequence of the overwhelming surge in power accompanying my elevation to the Ninth Herald.
Indikar evaded the lethal trajectory by a hair’s breadth, yet the dagger found its mark in his leg. Upon impact, the obsidian blade erupted in white flames, consuming his flesh with corrosive intensity that spread like wildfire. His swift reaction culminated in the complete severing of his leg with his own sword, the dagger relinquishing its claim on his flesh as it reappeared within my grasp.
His condition was already compromised by my anti-sol influence, which disrupted the harmonious flow of sol within his body. The expanding corruption, aggravated by the dagger’s insidious flames, left him with little recourse but to squarely face me, our confrontation now inevitable.
With an intensity bordering on desperation, he channelled the depths of his power, his eyes aglow with a newfound ferocity. His gaze transformed into a titanic serpent, an ethereal viper of violet mist, adorned with twin crimson orbs that burned with malevolent intent. The serpent’s form materialised, its translucent fangs bared, a manifestation of unrestrained might hurtling towards me.
Yet I, too, bore the scars of our prolonged engagement, my injuries a testament to the fervent struggle that had unfolded. A decision crystallised in my mind, propelled by the surging energy coursing through my being.
A veil of furious black mist emerged from me, a manifestation of terrible power more fearsome than ever before. The black mist engulfed my surroundings, becoming the spectral form of a huge reaper carrying a scythe that radiated an aura of impending doom. This obsidian form loomed behind me, larger than the approaching serpent.
A swift motion of my hand initiated a sequence of events. The spectral reaper, an embodiment of my lune’s essence, obeyed my command. In synchrony with the viper’s lunge, my hand descended, an echo of a grim cleave. The colossal scythe followed suit, plummeting with supersonic velocity. In an instant, the viper’s head was severed and its form cleaved asunder.
The dark mist dispersed, ending its brief life. Indikar’s badly weakened form was revealed when the purple-hued snake quivered and disappeared. His physique bore the scar of a sinister wound, a pitch-black wound at his neck, its corrupting power creeping through and ruining his body.
His body began to slowly disintegrate, beginning with the skin and moving on to his organs. It was as though the lune was eating away the essence of Sol inside him.
"Consider this retribution for Baek!" The declaration escaped my lips, resolute and unyielding.
Indikar’s existence succumbed to nothingness, a sigh of catharsis escaping me. In swift succession, Chandler and Celina rallied, their triumph over the lingering void creatures apparent. The remnants of Venturers and Paladins joined the approach, a sense of accomplishment and sombre victory permeating the air.
The battlefield bore witness to the unsettling aftermath. The void creature remains dissolved into ethereal nothingness, the scene tainted by an eerie, lingering ambiance. The once vibrant assembly of Venturers and Paladins lay strewn across the expanse, casualties of a relentless conflict. Those who endured numbered scarcely fifty souls among the remnants.
"In the birth of a new hare, the dawn of hope emerges!" Chandler’s exuberant proclamation reverberated, embodying the collective sentiment of triumph. He advanced with joy, his path converging with mine. The battle, arduous and unrelenting, had reached its denouement. We stood victorious.