https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0DMGtgo9Vc

Part II

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Felling a Taurus Demon after a flurrying blade rush, Lima dodged cleanly to the side, right before the sharp spiked metallic tail of Archdemon Vengeance swinging vehemently across the air, slicing many of its fellow Demon cohorts instead.

Again, the Canine Demon lordress pounced, sinking energy claws upon ice, missing the leaping Lima with wings of power.

But as successful as Lima evaded the attacks, there seemed no possible way now to break the Archdemon’s stance, not to mention cracking its metallic hide. All that Lima did had not even left a scratch upon the Demon’s skin.

She needs to breakthrough, a strike like none other to penetrate the standstill—

“ Hearken, Lima!!“ The blue glowing wings cried out that very moment in grave urgence.

“ Enemy incoming from beneath…!!“

Scouring the icy floor, Lima watched intensely.

Toward, the glacier before them darkened from hither, spreading high speed to thither..

Something Huge was underneath. Moving. Fast.

The icy floor shuddered with grave vehemence that grew to a massive quake as Lima expected the Giant Canine Demon to have conjured more Dark Soul beams from beneath the glacier arena somehow, but lo, Lima was wrong.

It was something else, causing such shivering through the cold solid earth.

An ominous buzzing, frantically drilling, spinning, coming closer from in front of her—

—And Lo from the boreal mist before Lima and Elza wolf cub, a scaled burning wheel of spikes and tentacles rode out from the yonder, its circular body towering to the clouds and its shadow casting across the whole glacier field, screeching and fuming with Demonic pus as the vehicle-like being slammed its sole gigantic roller-shaped form onto the ice, twisting and spinning like a sentient wheel of doom and chaos, writhing its bloody flagella and thin grotesque arms at all directions as if in craving need of something, someone.

Lima trembled back to a stunned sitting as the mammoth wheel of Demonry turned slowly sideways, facing Lima with its side where one red dominating bleeding eye the size of its whole axis stared down with glee, with perversion, with yearning, with Want.

And it spoke.

“ …Chosen…Want…!!!!“

A chill snaked down Lima’s spine the moment the circular Demonry’s voice reached her ears.

It was like a thousand innocent weeping children begging, gurgling, drowning within its bloody spinning insides.

“ Want…Chosen…One…!!!! Bring…Chosen One…!!!!!“

— Stand up, Lima ! Rise from your Fear ! —

Like a surging force of warmth, like magnetic fields pushing against the icy floor, ethereal hands in the form of mighty blue wings and energy blades pulled Lima up to her feet, escorting both Lima and the unconscious Yuri away from the imminent fatality that is the Demon wheel, which wasted no time to seek what it came for as it dodged and turned, crushing even its own demon kind in seek of Yuri through its maddened Want.

Leaping like a darting star across the chaos, followed by storm and frenzy, Lima cut her way through as she retreated to regain posture. The Demon Canine was about to close in from the right, while the overgrown sentient wheel monster was zooming in from the left. One Archdemon is already more than Lima could handle, but now there are two of them. Lima pondered in haste, seeing with her contact of the Herunis Carna, of herself, many versions of Lima, dancing in fierce warplay against all kinds of assailing treachery. Surely, as in every possibility that she bravely withstood each and every attack, she of the Now could also prevail!

As Lima pranced and concentrated on many visions of possibilities, she saw hints of a way, scattered among multiple outcomes. The unbreakable scales of the Canine Archdemons are most fortified when condensed to each other, yet, the gaps to the vulnerable flesh could be achieved when the Demons elongate their appendages during moves of combat, stretching their arms to crush, or swiping their tail for instance, reveal the putrid flesh between the scales.

Whereas the wheel Demon has its weak points at the side, where the humongous horrid eyes reside. Seeing the weak points is one thing, to reach them is another.

The Wheel Demon is easier to deal with, Lima quickly concluded, skidding to a fast halt as she decapitated a Haiju mid-stance as she turned around.

With one horrendous scream of a thousand children in pain, the wheel Demon saw Lima pause to face itself, and it welcomed her, shooting out myriads of venomous sharp clawed tentacles from the gaps between its scaled rim and all burst down to seize the one and only—

“ …WANT…Yuri….!!!!“

“ Begone with thee!!!“ Lima shouted and with her voice she snatched back confidence, slicing and dicing those vulgar Demon hands and claws shooting all out attack.

“ Careful, Lima!“ The Blue orb’s voice echoed amongst the frenzied north winds.

“ This Demon…should not be treated lightly…It’s also an Archdemon!!!!“

“ An Archdemon…of Want…!!!!“

Lima sensed its rancor soon enough, from the sheer size and aura the Wheel Demon against her so bore,

from its terrifying ability to speak, to convey desperation;

from the sickening urge to devour all into its path with its unquechable flame littered behind its bloody trail;

Lima knew she was now facing another Archdemon.

Archdemon Want.

Long have the sense of avarice cursed many, including those of humanity, and also those after that comes to pass, especially the Mistunotami, the children of Light, who made sure they and their offsprings remember to fear and beckon the one mind snatcher, the greed bourne, sealing its memory into the one word— Arkzel Varitesawrio, Archdemon Want in its full Elden Kingword name. Sawr, again, stands for the root word for the Archdemons, yet this time, ending with the expression of –rio– as the vowel sounds and lip shapes that form a circle, mimicking the wheel demon in its primal form.

Ages after, the name slowly transformed and shrunk into the simple word Varite, meaning Want in modern Kingword, bearing the mere minimum of its predecessor term Avarice we still know and use today.

But hearken, the Archdemon of Want and longing now spews its devilish arms and tentacles towards our girl Lima in the speed of lightning from all sides!

Before Lima could defend herself from the thousands and thousands of clawed hands all at once any further, the tail, the metallic sharp tail of the canine Archdemon also came whooshing in!! Joining in the fray of chaos!!

At that moment—The six purple blades suddenly, opportunely all shot out to defend the blows, clashing and slashing everything coming towards Lima with hate and malevolence!

But then the cursed Wheel Demon rolled out in rage to the side, shooting more and more myriads of clinging sharp hands!!! Lima barely could even dodge, nor evade, fighting for life, and For Yuri!!!!

Two Archdemons, all out for the taking!

With a terrifying shriek, like the sickening laughter of long-gone children morphed with beastly hiss, Archdemon Want—Arkzel Varitesawrio— the wheel of perversion started spinning, like a tossed coin flipping its sides around as its eyes bulged, flared and a boom, the huge oval organs blasted with fiery black flame, of unsacred blood and gore, the beams shooting out of its two eyes, left and right, hurtled across the whole field of cold, burning all including its own demon kind.

Even its whipping tentacles of wrath slapped and emitted lasers of red demise out of its tips, drawing paths of destruction over the snow and frost, raising hellfire upon all that stood.

In haste, the blue wings took Lima, Elza, and Yuri once more to the skies, escaping the area attack with agility barely to spare, but the other Archdemon, the Canine of Vengeance! Leaping up like a beast catching its prey, jaws wide, teeth bare, ready to devour!

Before Lima kicked its snout at the last moment of fatality, sinking her sun blade thrice enlarged into the wrathful Demon’s skull as the wings took her down, drawing a line of flame and justice all over the beast. Archdemon Vengeance winced in rage, scarcely detrimental by the wound Lima caused, but a toothpick scaling a rock.

Not enough…!!!!

Lima gravely panicked, as more and more darkness towered upon her with powers uncouth and uncanny. She thought she could overcome them, she thought she could end the fight faster for she has now made contact with the powers beyond.

But that is not the case.

The winds bear ill, whooshing and wailing, encouraging the lesser Demons to rise and snatch and pillage.

Time also…not enough…!!!

Yuri needs the Light Blood, but the administration through the blood vessel needs a sophistic aim, something Lima could not achieve at the moment. Even escape is no option, for no path could they break through the sea of Demons, seas of hatred. Seas of greed.

And it was this panic and anxiety that gave the Demons a chance.

Out of the chaos, the tentacles rose once more, shooting out from behind and below, before Lima and her two ethereal allies could react.

“ NO!!!!!“ Lima screamed, grabbing Yuri tightly as the dozens of tentacles entangled and tightened around Yuri’s limbs and torso, pulling with rabid fervor as the vehicle-shaped Demon started to drive backward, snatching Yuri away in a blatant attempt.

Lima could not accept such treachery.

With a long desperate shout, Lima once again drew out her lightsaber and mercilessly, sentimentlessly, started chopping away the tentacles and flagella writhed around her dearest friend, bearing the screams and wails of children after each tentacle she diced.

But with each tentacle cut, the Demon shot out two in its place, covering more and more of Yuri’s body with its spiky twisted arms that pulled with immense yearning like none other.

“ Command me, Lima!!!“ The girl’s voice, the voice from all the six energy blades cried out to Lima from the beyond, with hope and power.

“ Command me, through the Ways you can now see!! Beyond!!!!“

Pulling Yuri close, Lima took a deep breath and calmed. The Powers of the Herunis Carna she almost forgot through panic, now restored, and with a powerful glance, Lima sought through the essence of Memory—and saw a way.

Quickly, with her one sun blade, she commanded the other six laser swords to glide down below afar from the contrast to defense under such demanding circumstances.

“ Higher, please!“ Lima commanded then to her blue wings, as the blue glow complied immediately, pulling them all together up higher and higher as the Demon tentacles chased on and on.

Both Demons, Want and Vengeance lunged high up, without noticing where the six blades had gone, right behind the Demon Canine, all pointing at the base of the great Demon’s tail.

Lima waited for the moment, for the tail strike move.

The wolf pulled its tail back in preparation, and with a flash, the tail shot out.

The scales pulled apart—to reveal the skin underneath.

“ NOW!!!!!“ Lima shouted and altogether the purple energy blades pierced in, sinking all at once at the basin of the great penetrating tail skin. Sizzling of Demon flesh and ripping of the tendons and muscle fibers, rippled across the field as the great canine beast howled in utter shock and stagger.

Elza, brave wolf perched upon Lima’s shoulder, whimpered painfully at the sight, shedding a tear.

Lima too shed tears of remorse, but it should be done.

“ I am sorry…Elza…“

Lima whispered, and with a strike of her blade, the six purple swords obeyed, flying in ornate traces to the fallen tail’s sides, piercing in pinning its flesh as the flying blades pulled the long armored appendage up with its ethereal strength, and with a clean dive, they send the tail down, sailing like a spear, a lance of grave multitude—

— right through the Archdemon Want’s Eye.

Like a bullet pin shooting through the middle of a coin.

Now it was the Demon Wheel’s turn to shriek in pain and defeat, tumbling down and rolling side to side without coherence whatsoever, dark blood spuing all over the ice, its burning acid foam melting the nearby lesser demons in tantamount splashes.

A chorus of pained children, younglings in suffering, wailing, echoing throughout the field.

The two Archdemons, felled, and in a staggered state.

Lima could feel her Herunis vision diminishing bit by bit after such great exhaustion just ot survive the horrors and aghast as she soared to the far side in reprieve. Yet still she could not rest, for she had to bring Yuri to safety, to bring her back—!!!!

“ Woof !!!!! Woof!!“ Elza the wolf cub called upon Lima’s shoulder, its bark muffled by the glass Light Blood Vial it carried firmly horizontally within its tiny jaws, as the courageous canine ushered for Lima to turn.

Lima made an urgent turn in the air, dodging from an attack that Elza might have foreseen.

But Lima saw of naught, turning side to side to find any trace of attack upon her and Yuri.

“ Elza, what did your canine senses see???“ Lima asked chivalrously like a strider in the air, without catching the enemy ambush. Apparently, most of the Demons had either perished or retreated due to their Archdemon leader’s defeat.

The fields around her, were empty.

Emptily uncanny.

“ Something’s wrong…Lima!!!“ The boy of the blue cried out in haste, the wide wings of blue shielding Lima from any form of demon attack.

“ The Demons may seem defeated…but their Aura…it’s still here, and Prevailing!!!“

“ Lima!!!!!“ The girl of purple then cried in realization.

“ It’s the Archdemon Want…!!!! It’s Powers over its own craving, surpasses reality, and bypasses…The Herunis Carna’s vision—!!!!!“

A glow, an ominous red glow beamed at the side of Lima’s sight.

It was the red bleeding eye of the fallen wheel Demon, bulging and watching still.

The reality is taken by its thirst and longing—

Lima made to run, but like glass shattering, the reality plane around her broke apart, revealing what the truth was!!!!

She was standing right in front of the Archdemon wheel, as the great demon wheel shot out all its Demon claws all out upon her.

And Yuri.

There is no way out now.

All Lima’s Herunis vision could see—Was Defeat—!!!!!!!!!!

“ WOOF!!!!!!“

A force not as great as a shoving effort, yet somehow enough, to push Lima aside,

as Elza the wolf cub leaped forth, and accepted it all.

Lima needed her.

This is the only way, was all that of Elza’s final thoughts.

The claws and sharp tentacles, all piercing through the tiny critter’s body, impaling the poor thing from all sides, all before Lima’s own eyes. Then as quick as they came, the tentacles all retrieved, leaving Elza to fall, dropping onto the cold icy soil.

Still, even in grave pain, the brave wolf cub managed to shield the Light Blood vial from breaking, with its own bloody, penetrated, skinned fur.

“ Woo…..“ Elza made one last whimper, before its eyes went dark.

Lima stood, nothing she could feel anymore.

But sheer rage.

“ …WANT…!!!!“

The Archdemon Want kept crying greedily, as it roamed forth, forcing Lima to face itself.

“ …WANT…YURI…!!!!“

Without any more words, Lima replied with a shouting shriek, sun blade five times ignited as she power stance forward with all her sheer might and rage, tears flowing like streams of might as Lima slew and slashed, as the countless tentacles and the spiked wheel itself spinning in counter-attack, parrying Lima’s every move, proving them futile.

“ …WANT…You…NO MORE!!!!“

Archdemon Want roared with all the souls of damned children within its armored circular hide as the demonic wheel made its iconic move, two side eyes burning and bulging, whole field-burning beams at the ready.

“ Lima, PULL BACK!!!!!“ both blue and purple soul lights cried in unison, trying all they could to pull Lima back, but too drowned in agony and vengeance Lima was, engaging in a battle she could not prevail.

The wings of blue pulled with all his might, halting Lima for only a split second. But that second was enough, for Lima to dodge one bigger, greater attack, that came from the unexpected side.

Ramming with the force of a fully charged airship, Archdemon Vengeance, Vengirnosawrine the Demon hound burst out of the cold and white, a piercing sword of rage out of the pallid waves of discourse, roaring in utmost agony as it pierced its sharp snout forth in a tremendous blunt strike, which aimed not upon Lima nor Yuri—

— but upon Archdemon Want!!!!

The Archdemon wheel tumbled and fell onto its one side, baffled and in confusion, as the canine giant sank its one great paw down, ripping one eye out of its socket with one fierce fell swoop.

“ …WHY…YOU…????!!“

Arkzel Varitesawrio, the Archdemon of Want could not comprehend, struggling to crawl back up with its own tentacles and hands pulling it back up.

“ …WHY…WHY…????!!“

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WHY…?!?!?!

Archdemon Plague immediately sensed the winds turn into sudden discourse, as the bewildered demon carrion stood face to face with its rogue emissary in a one on one standoff.

The Archdemons, Vengirnosawrine, and Varitesorio…those two are fighting against each other, disregarding the grand scheme of its Demonic purpose, at a most untimely moment as well.

WHY…?!? What is happening down there?!?!

Why are they not snatching the Herunis Carna…?!?!!?

Why are they against each other…?!?!?!

Why is this happening?!?!?!

The baffled Archdemon, befuddled and frantic at the moment, had forgotten he has been keeping someone waiting for its enlightenment.

“ So it is a ruse, then, is it?! Your words of enlightening are still lies, petty acts of stalling?!” Vernui thus struck a blow that Plague barely could defend against.

“ You sought to rule over others of the Past. Utilizing others’ cravings, others’ regrets, Love…to seek what only you think matters. But what matters is Now. The Past, The Future…It is all but nothing compared to the NOW!!!! And I Now Want to stop you—From Hurting Yuri Once and For ALL!!!!!!“

“ Then You of all existence must stop and listen to me!!!!!“

Archdemon Plague quickly responded, pulling himself together as it raised its skeletal arms high up in defending pose, letting Vernui strike his humanoid form, only to get him closer to itself, as the Archdemon whispered to the boy’s ear.

“ Listen to me…for I have a proposal only you could succeed, only you could fulfill… enlightenment that benefits not just you, not just us, Demons, ALL! Even for Yu—“

“ You keep your lies to yourself!“ Vernui sank his sword deeper and deeper as the carrion lord croaked even harder.

“ Haste Not and Listen!!! Only you…could stop the World from perishing…at the same time, save the one you Love…!! There is a Way!!!“

Plague shouted with its last perishing breath.

The sword now running straight towards his Demon Core.

“ If you End me, you shall meet with naught but a dire end, helpless, and facing the inevitable…! That Girl…can still be…if you could only…listen…!!!!“

The blade, moving forth still.

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Lima watched, rage and fury doused at that moment as she saw the giant canine beast, that was but an Archdemon chasing after them moments before, now a saddened animal, biting and bashing its gigantic claws upon the wheel of blasphemy, as them two, Arkzel against Arkzel, titans of equal strength and malice, thrashing across the icy field nonstop, entangled in a dismal fierce duet that bounds for nothing but tragedy thereafter.

Fighting to keep her stance in balance under the wreaking of havoc, also dodging from felled limbs and ripped pieces of demon swarm caught amongst the crossfire of the two Arkdemons’ savagery, Lima carefully inched forth, kneeling down with one knee to gently scoop the motionless body of the brave wolf cub up into her arms, embracing Elza tightly, fighting the tears that were already flooded at the brim of her eyes.

The great wolf demon, was no doubt, fighting out of revenge; out of sorrow.

“ WANT…You…NOT…!!!“ The Archdemon Wheel cursed with much malice at the Canine Beast opposing it’s seeking urge, shooting myriads of tentacles and dark beams all over the field of white, blasting the pale into chaos blooms of darkness.

“ WANT…SOFT…!!!! WANT…LIGHT…!!!!!“

Spinning profusely, it dashed with a boom, like a fiery comet towards Lima, while instantly the Canine Demon lunged forth and blocked the blow with both paws crushing forth, fangs and blade-like nails smashing across the spiked metal spinning scales, flames of dark, flares of marvel, spitting at all sides, lighting the Demonic standstill with appalling might.

“ WANT…TO…BE!!!! …FREE…!!!!!“

Archdemon Want accelerated its spur, grinding its slicing wheel blades upon the unrelenting claws of the Canine Demon that stood in stark defense.

Two Archdemons, clashing against each other with their full fury, pushing the standstill to a stagnating climax, that ended with a deafening shriek of sheer defiance and resolve.

With thrice fatal felling sweeps of her metallic claws, Vengirnosawrine smashed the Demon Wheel down to the solid ice, and instantly dashed forth to bite its fallen opponent by the side before with a heeze of strength like none other, the great Canine tossed the spiked wheel back, high high above, back to the fallen military base atop the mountain by the valley of snow. Such might, such anger, such sorrow.

No lesser demons remained, and the ones that did survive fled the north. Last standing was the great wolf, nearing Lima with staggering pace, wounds tainted its purplish dark metallic hide dark chaotic crimson.

Lima stayed her ground, sensing no malice as the twins of Light too remained silent, letting the wounded Archdemon hound approach them slowly.

Lima knew what the demon want, so she knelt slowly, holding Erza the wolf cub out and placing her onto the snow before its enormous kin, which with shuddering of pain, bent its huge snout down to lick the bloody fur off the tiny critter lying motionless upon the snow.

As if pulled by what seemed like gravity, of recognition of a bond long have wanned but somehow present, Lima gently reached out her hand, and placed it upon the grave Archdemon Canine’s battered skull.

The Herunis vision, with its last spark, guided Lima back to where it all began.

The School.

The Children.

Yuri.

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There, in that small castle on the hill,

where the children played and lived in short lived peace,

There was once a wolf, tamed by the old janitor.

Saved by its now owner, and kept as a close friend by the children.

Pregnant was the wolf when Lima knew her,

patted her,

talked to her.

Elza, Lima remembers calling her by name.

But when the inevitable took place,

the inhumane weapons unleashed wrongly,

The wolf mother gave its protective collar to its sole offspring,

Wishing it could outlive herself,

roam the lands,

and find its own long-lived peace.

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Alas, Peace was never meant for them all.

And the raged spirits now rose as Archdemons of hatred, of Vengeance, keeping their memories of wrath against the weapons that ended them, forcing them to be separated from their loved ones; fueled by the past that swore to break the imbalance and helplessness they once fell victim upon.

Or more so,

Following the Memory of bittersweetness, hoping to meet once again.

Hoping to never ever to grieve once again.

But futile, that wish was, now lay plain twas The Wolf cub’s immobile state.

But not so. Not even this is futile. The chance is right before them all this time.

Lima knew what she had to do.

Quickly, laying Yuri upon the snow and clearing the area of the unconscious girl’s wrist, Lima grabbed the glass vial sophisticatedly, switching open the cylinder as the long needle pierced out of its tip.

Shaking still, Lima lowered the needle down, nearly touching Yuri’s pale skin.

Too pale.

She couldn’t find…the vein…

The elbow, Lima.

As if there was a hand, a gentle, firm clasp around her wrists, guiding her forth with confident precision.

30 degrees, not too far.

Tears blurring, her vision barely clear, Lima let herself be guided by Memory, by longing, by whom she believed never had left before, being the old janitor as always to his beloved children that he had accidentally left behind due to tragedy.

She let Castiel Bradson lead her one last time.

The needle inched down underneath the flesh, and the lightfull liquid, with sentience, traveled within into the vessels.

Dim light traveled all over Yuri, racing from the puncture point sending a spark.

As Yuri’s chest gently moved upwards, breathing in a slim fraction of air.

The twin light souls sighed in great relief behind Lima, who wasn’t done yet, as she sprang up in haste before the sorrowed Archdemon wolf’s wake.

One more thing must be done, to quench another sorrow.

Quickly, kneeling back down, Lima loomed over the motionless body, of the poor wolf cub, rummaging her trustworthy handbag as she quickly produced something that sent an astonished gasp amongst the two light beings behind Lima.

There, fished out and clenched tightly within Lima’s cold stiff fingers,

was another, Light Blood Vial.

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“ Live, Lima.“

Castiel Bradson so begged,

as he held out to Lima a glass cylindrical vial,

The ultimate Light Blood vial, extracted from The Light within Yuri.

The Power of Miracles, with a grave price.

“ Keep it, Lima. And keep it well.

For in this land of peril and trepidation,

a Second Chance is more than one needs.“

“ I don't want it.“ Lima refused the Vial of Light, but the old janitor gently placed it still within the reluctant girl's hand.

“ Then keep it, not just for yourself.

For those who need it.

For those that need a Miracle. “

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“ Wait, Lima…!“ The blue wings of guidance curled behind Lima and spoke with earnest and persuading sentiment.

“ Is it not…one that is meant for you, Lima? One last Light Blood vial meant for your own. If things go terribly wrong, you could still—“

“ I know.“ Lima replied, her heart set.

“ The powers of the Herunis Carna, the powers beyond…they had shown me possibilities millions in numbers, of every way I could overcome…but none, none had reached this moment. None of my other selves in all their respective realities had faced this future.

So here, I shall mark, for all my other selves to come…that this is my choice.

Elza, I choose you.“

And looking up, at the raging Archdemon canine that had raged war against not only the Archdemon of Want, but also all its demonic kin as that had all ganged up on this great wolf, Lima knew the Wolf had remembered, breaking out of the Vengeanful souls that had blinded her sole purpose before, now seeing what matters more, now.

And Lima also realized what she must do.

“ Elza,“

Lima spoke, to the elder canine.

“ Let go of your Vengeance, for I have rescued your purpose. Your miracle shall live on…so… be at peace…Elza…!“

The needle ventured onward under all witness, as the Light Blood traversed into the veins of the tiny critter. A gentle wave of light bloomed around the wolf cub, and soon, Elza breathed.

The Archdemon canine heard it, and with a tear dropping onto the bloody ice, it gave out a howl, a long, triumphant cry to the grey heavens, its innermost enigma resolved, the darkness ignited to a fiery sun of nothingness, the black engulfing and swelled into a huge blackhole, swallowing all hatred and Demonry within its bulging force until it erupted at the last second, setting itself free from the souls of Vengeance that had trapped it for eternity.

Now, it was free.

Lima hugged both Yuri and Elza tightly, as the blue wings pulled Lima into place while the six violet sword blades struck the icy floor to secure them, while the immense force blast of a diminished Archdemon swept the field, raging a mist so high as mountains that sailed across the continent, clearing the skies of grey to a light blue dawn.

For the first time, Lima had seen an Archdemon that had sought peace, and relinquished its hatred through fulfillment of past regret. Though the souls that still bare the sentiment of Vengeance linger still, in search of a new, stronger host, they will not be able to aggregate into Archdemon form unless they find a suitable host, mayhap in centuries to come.

But that is not so of the other Archdemon that is still present, rising from the ashes of the burning military base above the cliff, Arkzel Varitesawrio, the Archdemon of Want, demon Wheel of craving and avarice! now riding down with explosions and malice, as it directed its fury upon Lima once again, who drew her saber of Light in haste, ready to defend her dearest friends to all ends.

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Archdemon Plague, on the other hand, was about to be forced into perishment, punctured nearly through its Demon core by the blade bestowed by him to his emissary that have bit his arm in raged disagreement.

But yet the blade had stopped its tip right above its core.

Waiting.

“ So…your senses had sought reason, Boy?“ Archdemon Plague croaked with slight glee.

“ The only thing stopping my blade is a choice for you.“ Vernui hissed adamantly to the carrion skull’s ear hole.

“ Withdraw the Demons after Yuri, now.“

“ ……“

Within seconds of thought, Archdemon Plague whistled through its crooked beak, the sharp eerie hollow screech echoing through the valleys, the canyons, the hollow branches and empty foundations, to the north fields of ice, where one Archdemon remained in hot pursuit of the Hernuis Carna.

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Lima pierced her sun blade forth in combat stance bravely, only to see the Archdemon wheel skid to a sudden turn, nearly crashing by its own weight as the grotesque ring of macabre twisted aside and roamed the other way, reluctantly.

“...WHY…?!?!“ The voices of confused, betrayed children moaned in unison as the Archdemon Want treaded onward down its ongoing path to the yonder slowly, its tentacles fighting to stay and snatch Yuri for its own.

“ WHY…?!No…WHY…?! WANT…ONLY TO GO…BACK….WANT…ONLY TO BE…FREE…!!!!“

And in silence, Lima, and the two sentient light souls watched the Archdemon roll off into the icy smog, along with the dwindling remaining lesser foes and demonry, scampering down the horizon.

Panting slowing, Lima let out a long sigh of relief, as the wings blue, the blades violet lowered at ease, essence spreading.

“ …It is time…“

Chilling the wind snaked to Lima’s heart as the blue orb’s words passed through her ears, as they faded before her eyes, the two emissaries of Light. Moments before Lima had distrusted them, attacked them, but now, after feeling the surge of Light from the Herunis Carna, having granted contact to its miraculous machinations, Lima felt the tearing longing as if parting those she had known for years.

“ Our time is up, Lima…Thank you…for trusting us…“ The violet orb gently bid farewell.

“ The process…is secured.“

“ Wait…!“ Lima called out to them vague dim glows fleeting with the snow.

“ …Will we ever meet again…?“

The two vanishing lights chuckled in answer.

“ We came back…because of you, Lima.“ The blue Orb replied in peace.

“ You saved us…so we can save you.

Surely, This journey has just begun—

Thank you——Lima—“

And as the petals of white landed gently upon glacier, the glow diminished.

And Lima was again, alone. But this time, feeling stronger at heart.

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“ So…Are you not pulling thy blade out yet, boy?“

Archdemon Plague asked after a long silence, waiting for Vernui to confirm that his order for Yuri’s safety has been passed down unaltered.

“ No.“ Vernui replied tersely.

“ I need one more thing from you.“

The blade, unmmoving, rested upon The Archdemon’s core.

“ You spoke of a way to not let the world perish, at the same time keeping Yuri safe from harm. Is there truly a way, or is it but a ruse to snake your way out of my blade, that you undoubtedly cannot escape?“

Archdemon Plague took a deep breath, to then gave out a sigh, a breeze that blew the ashes of the field all the way to the oceans to bury.

“ There is, such a way,“ Plague responded.

“ to go back to the Age of man through the Herunis Carna, WITHOUT the girl involved.“

“ How?“

“ To be the Host of the Herunis Carna yourself, boy. You, with the Memories you have taken from Yuri the One via my schemata, You can try to understand, and decipher the codings of the Herunis Carna, breach it, and harness it in your beloved’s stead.

Only You could do it, and only through this path, can your Yuri be out of the picture, at the same time, giving us forsaken Souls a chance…to Go Back, Home…!“

With those hollow eye sockets of its carrion skull, Archdemon Plague fixed its gaze upon his trusted emissary, with intentions lay plain.

“ What, Say, You…BOY?!?!?!“

A long, long pause it was.

And just as the blade was slowly exiting the skeletal cage, a low moan, an immense rumbling, shuddering sky, and earth and stars,

as a huge, long Being of Dark emerged from the heavens, slithering down from above under all witness.

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Darkness swarmed and gulped the gray as the skies densed and morphed, sinking into void as from the depth, the gaping hole above all, swam out slow and eerily, the spiked horrid form clad in unbreakable stone stakes of none other— Than the Archdemon of the demised, harbinger of destruction, Archdemon Death.

Eyes that stun those that bear witness, striking to the light soul with its red gleam of despair; fumes of demonic chii vaping out of the chasm between its blade-teethed jaws; long and crooked were its stalactite fins, trapping carcasses of fallen ships, shards of the defeated upon its indestructible hide.

It groaned, and the earth answered in global tremor.

Lima quickly raised her saber up high once again, yet the light beam shivered, wavering, as her courage shrank more and more as the great serpent loomed nearer and nearer, closer and closer down upon her and Yuri.

Amongst a stormy chaos roaring in her mind, Lima had only one notion in mind.

RUN.

“ …Run…“ Lima gasped to herself, her heartbeat pumping each syllable she blurted as she tried to pull her legs to flight, pushing her golden armored suit to activate and flee as far away as the armor could take her.

“ Run…must take Yuri…away…HURRY…!“

Lima’s cries powered naught even her courage to move. Her legs trembling and senseless.

A sense of gravity, of reality, gone. All of a sudden.

Light that should have dawned from above, all but diminished in a blink of an eye.

And the world around her plunged to pitch black

Despair was no stranger to Lima, and throughout her times of strife, it fueled her courage even so.

But not this time.

Grabbing tighter to the golden necklace she wore, which emanated as the sole light yet glistening upon her chest, casting the golden protective armor upon her fragile form, Lima prayed to all that had come to pass, to all that had gave her memory strength, to those she remembered still with her memories cherished, to grant her strength, valor, and resolve to shield Yuri from this formidable entity that had come to reap the final gain. Lima won’t allow it, never.

She would not give in to any threat or foe.

And tall and brave Lima stood, trembling but still stancing her saber forth as she was taught, before the calamity and the storm.

Archdemon Death sensed the fear hiding underneath, and from high above, it slithered down in grave augustusness.

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………

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“ Why is that Archdemon closing in still?!“ Vernui stirred his blade deeper towards the cowed Archdemon Plague's heart in anger and distraught.

“ Plague!! Have you not heard me?! Withdraw the Demons after Yuri, now!!! Or I perish Thee with me!!!!“

“ Cease thy haste, Boy!! Reasoning, I beg thee!“ Archdemon Plague squawked in frantic utterance.

“ That be not any other Archdemon, that is The One without harness, The One without reason…! Aggregate Souls of the unrelenting, But a Shroud of the unknown. It is Death, and Death heeds no soul.

It ventures per its will, per its countless vacuous thoughts trail its gargantuan body.

I cannot speak to it, nor can it speak to any other. Trapped in its own machinations, and the only way to cease its hover, is to Fight it!!!“

“ Then You shall follow my stead and fight it.“ Vernuii commanded with high resolve.

“ I’d rather you stab me through.“ Plague grumbled in grave reluctance.

“ Death…is an Archdemon of a higher existence. Eons before have I tried to commune with it, and almost cost my entire essence to pull myself out of the conflict. It cannot be reasoned, nor can it be stopped. We Demons too, are under its mercy.“

“ But Archdemon Death surely freed you and your Demon legion from the North, did it not?! Blasting the North Line by deflecting a grave beam, did it not?!“ Vernui argued to unveil the lies Plague tried to fabricate but were true nonetheless.

“ It was an act on its own. You were the one I was counting to set us free, but apparently, an unreadable serpent excels more than a rebellious emissary.“

“ Save your uncouth mockery. I am going to save Yuri from this rogue Archdemon!“ Vernui with the blade still stabbed through the carrion lord, drew his Dark Unerva armored wings wide and soared high and mighty, despite Archdemon Plague’s earnest disapproval.

“ Rogue indeed...“ Plague gravely warned his Emissary.

“ It may still see what all of us beings of the Nanomic origin see. But it seeks a way unlike ours…unlike mine…His goals, are out of my reach…“

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Days before when Yuri had brought the children to the Starship Betelgeuse, when Archdemon Death first came to assail them with berserk fervor, Lima remembered how she had saved the others and the starship crew from a bloody battle, by firing a Light beam lance to distract the mighty Archdemon successfully.

There is still a chance, Lima planned carefully, as she mustered the last portion left in her powerful golden necklace, her last power stored in her golden marble.

Just enough to fire one more Lance of Light to distract the Archdemon serpent.

Then they’ll escape, down the glacier field to the far end where canyons and hills of ice loomed not far yonder.

Lima switched the necklace open, grabbing tightly the golden marble in her palm as she raised her fist high, sheer gold blasting out of the fissures between her fingers.

One chance left. One chance she must take.

And she hurled, tossing the light the marble incurred, speeding out in the shape of a long blinding spear, shooting far to the yonder, hoping the doom dragon would follow it as it did before, permitting them a narrow escape.

But despite it all, despite the ploy succeeding before, The Archdemon Serpent, its grave augustusness budged not, nor did its red beady eyes steer once at the flying lance zooming ahead.

Lima felt like a fool at that very instance.

Archdemon Death had played her like a damn fiddle!

Lima should have known, that even a mere beast cannot be fooled by the same trick twice, but her sense of resolution had lowered her vigilance to ultimately choose the wrong path of action, which Lima immediately regretted at that stark moment.

For reasons hereby unknown, The Archdemon stayed, chasing the light not.

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

Yet, The Archdemon of Death did not charge forth, nor devour them all in an instance.

It just watched, as its jaws opened to inhale, slowly, gradually, sucking in more air as the world started to shudder as more and more waves of wind and flow it sucked into its gaping mouth and between its throat scales as if it was swallowing the world with its one Augustus inhalation.

Lima grabbed on tight to Yuri and Elza as the three skidded reluctantly closer and closer to the gaping mouth above their minuscule presence as the tantamount being abruptly stopped, and as much as it sucked in, the Archdemon let it all out, all of it all in one grand roar, a defining sound no beast could make, no living entity nor nonliving could rival, a cry that the spread through the horizons, not a single corner of the planet did unhear the ferocity, the dastard chilling moan of the grand hollow, the despair of ages that had come miserably.

Anguish, was the word Lima felt to the core as she faced the erupting roar firsthand. She was not afraid of it, nor did she fear being blown away or eaten later.

There was also immense sadness in the intensity, the forlornness of the never to be, of what should have been, an emptiness that could never be fulfilled.

Loss.

Regret.

The Archdemon serpent too, like the Archdemons before it, had something in mind, that both Vernui and Lima, hearing the roar miles apart, sensed it thorough.

And within all that sorrow, an immanent force rumbled from deep down, an eruption ready to implode, breaking out of its deceased husk.

Resolve.

Resolution.

Before Lima realized soon after waking from the short trance of despair under the spell of the grave deafening roar, the Archdemon serpent had grown, larger not in mass, but in scale, for the unbreakable shards of hide curling to form its dragonic physique shattered with ferocity, cracked and misshapen into long crooked spikes and rigged stakes of stone, revealing the insides of dark and red, fuming with an unstoppable force beyond Demonry, but something more…Lima could not put a word upon it, but it is not of Demon origin; Something else, writhing with brute force, barely trapped in that Archdemon soul and form, is a raging eminence struggling to break free, and the source of it all, blazing in that one position of sheer monarchy, staring down undeterred, were the eyes of the serpent, transfixed at the one and only

Yuri.

Something had surely awakened the Demon, and it so seemed the grand serpentine god had been waiting for this moment, as if…Lima could but sense not determine, that the Archdemon Death had foreseen it all unravel before, knowing how it would all play out, how the North Line would be breached, how Yuri would make her way across various places in the world, facing perils and demons, challenges and danger, to eventually come to this. This very moment, where Archdemon Death could finally be before Yuri, seemed to all be part of the serpent’s meticulous orchestration.

Lima doesn’t know why, but she feels it so, deep in her heart that beats still, the Demon seeks this moment in all of time throughout,

Just to be with Yuri.

The fiery eyes of the beyond speak for itself.

Lima wished, at that moment, that she still had the two ethereal aids at her side, explaining at least what is going on, what should be done? Run, or fight? Or…wait and see what unfolds?!

Her heart racing, as Lima watched the Archdemon slowly, very slowly, lower its augustusness down, its humongous skull nearing them.

Lima tried to utter a word, but none of her actions could change the tide, for the sheer greatness of this sole being before her, negated any resistance the world had ever in store, a monarching excellence upon the world silencing all opposition did such aura exert, bursting out between the fissures of the cracking hide it so elude.

Stand

down,

such a deep grave voice did Lima feel with each cell of her body, asking her to let go of Yuri, which she could but obey despite her soul inflicting her actions.

Yield.

“ No…“ Lima could but whisper in weak exertion.

Then Fall.

The voice thus spake.

And Lima fell, sitting hard to the glacier floor. Stunned, as the beast neared, its flame lurking out and like a dark sun the serpent had become, its rays of energy sparking and reaching like arms, yearning caressing arms that snaked further towards Yuri.

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Shocked and bewildered, Vernui struck the ground mid flight, sinking through a deep fissure his Dark Unerva armor so carved through the fall.

A fall demanded by the force of unrivaled augustusness.

“ How is this…possible?!?!“ Vernui croaked as he staggered to his knees in wonder.

“ How could it…?!?!“

“ I told you so.“ Archdemon Plague crooned irritably.

“ That serpent, that…That is No common Demon…! That is…MORE…!“

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Lima tried to scream, but could not. Lima tried to stand up and pull Yuri back, but could not. Lima tried whatever, but still could not!

NO!!!

NOOOO!!!!

Not like this—NO! ! !

Lima resorted to her last option, to one last resort all sentient beings would resort to in face of devastating doom—to hug their loved ones close.

Arms locked around Yuri, huddling close for one last warmth, Lima hugged, tying herself in tight embrace, as the world around them slowly sank in Dark.

For All I have tried—For all we have struggled—It should not come to this—!!!!

Someone—Anyone—!!!!!

Please…Help…!!!!!!

And Lima prayed, her eyes tightly shut.

And then, Lo,

Lima saw it with her own eyes, though shut. Through the darkness, Light.

Through the eyes beyond vision, a Way.

But a stream at first, which grew and bulged and neared, until it bloomed and released all splendor,

Light, like none other.

Like how her senses first linked with the Herunis Carna, her visions guided by yonder powers of miracles, she saw a guiding flare, millions of it all, flashing and accumulating in an instance, as all visible possibilities unfold before her like during her battle against the wolf demon minutes afore, yet all those possibilities converge into one path, no, not a path before her, but an entity, a figure, a person, a persona in white, a being of radiating elegance, glistening with many colors but white as main, standing then and there before Lima and Yuri.

Between them, and Death.

Light, barging the way of Dark, shielding away the craving forces of Demonry. An aegis before the uncouth doom.

A pure form of bliss, Lima could but fix her gaze at the shimmering figure, empowered with glowing soothing warmth, wielded in Starbreaker armor of sheer pallid vibrance, a prototype armor unlike any Lima had seen of Caesar’s designs or from elsewhere. Like a silk cloak, the hair of the being swayed long and blue, flowing curls along the breeze pristine and ethereal hailed by its very existence, of utmost purity and transcendence.

And as it stood, snow, blue, starry, radiating essence, started to fall all around them. Gentle rain of comfort, falling slowly as time staggered to a stagnant halt; Healing tears of the skies beyond, cleansing the dust-filtered realm to clean bright; Memories whispering and chattering in each glistening dew, echoing and calling onto Lima from all around her.

And Lo, the pure white figure of excellence spoke.

And she spoke to the Archdemon serpent, with words of power Lima could not comprehend, gentle yet powerful, in articulation of such grace and tenderness that softens the tension, while also with strength that brings warmth to the heart; each vowel each pause harbors will and dominance. As the heavenly being’s cadence alleviated all frustration upon those who heard, Lima listened, feeling no need to hide, no need to flee, only using her all to listen attentively, eager to know, eager to understand.

Eager to comprehend what this unexpected figure had been conversing so, that even the great serpent with such urge and ferocity could be halted.

How the Archdemon stayed its ground, Lima could never know, but she was sure their savior was who she should thank.

Regaining control over her own body, Lima hurried at once to Yuri’s side, to see with elated surprise that Yuri had finally awakened, gaining consciousness ever so slightly, eyes slightly open, caught still in the verge of fainting, gazing dreamily at the pure white Starbreaker prototype shielding them from shadow.

“ Yuri…!“ Lima pulled Yuri close in tight embrace, to quickly realize that Yuri heard her not, for those dreamy eyes stared yonder, unrelentingly fixed at the mythical figure before them in conversation with dark. Yuri, in a stupor-like daze, reached her hand yonder, and the one word Lima could barely hear in a gentle whisper, a faint but sure word Lima did grasp—

“ ……●●…●●……“

Peace lasted for no more than they could cherish.

And Lo, at the next second, the skies erupted with rage and explosion.

Lima sprang up, only to see the skies aflame, the clouds racing, and above the mirky grey, were sparkles of Gold. Sheer gold flashed through the sky as fire and lightning crashed down from the beyond like meteor showers. Visions were shaken and all sank to a blur as the pale figure of protecting warmth slowly dispersed.

The Archdemon serpent reared with an unrelenting roar, breaking free from silence yet the fires, Golden rockets and missiles and fury of the lit sky pushed it back, countless forces like shimmering sunlight rays blasting at the serpent’s wake, as the world shifted back to reality, time moving at sure but fastening pace, as the world, filling with more light more flare, more hope, along with golden light and dazzling thunder, brought Lima to a nauseous confusion. Chaos ensued further, as her world slowly vagued and swirled, entering to pale white.

Then it all dived black.

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Long had he sat, this augustus pillar of humanity's pride, master of his legion of Starbreakers, solemnly, in solitude, resting upon the stairs to the crumbled throne after climbing back up from the dark depths of the sky of sky, up to the halls that belonged to Skylord Caesar Skyman of the gravely wounded, being hoisted by his drone servants to hospitality but some minutes prior.

The coup of Captain Bradson, Captain Valentine Vanodai and Captain Delprim Jargo shall forever be remembered as the biggest fiasco in Skyworld history, resulting in two deceased captains and one captured Delprim Jargo who refused to admit his involvement even after stark proof of firing the airship harpoon of the Delphalak ship through the Skylord’s chest.

Fools, they all are.

Eyes closed, Solo took in his deep breath, broad chest lifting, and after at ease, a sigh of grave reluctance.

As a Bradinn, as Solorum Verdamus Bradaperegna, he could but now sit, and accept that Yuri of the Herunis Carna had fled.

It disturbs him, but not greatly.

For either The Herunis Carna falls into the Demon’s grasp or stays within the chosen girl, it is but a matter of Time he brings the miracle engine back to this court. Whoever takes it now bothers this Bradinn naught, for he is sure as he steps forth one step, he is closer to it, closer to accomplishment.

What troubles him slightly though, is the way that Yuri used to escape due to his micalculations.

That Yuno…With Her outlandish Starbreaker Rune…defeating me already before…?

Impossible. I have not yet been defeated by anyone aside from Caerlia, and V■■■d■… then how did this Yuno…Impossible.

Unthinkable, therefore, thinking of it now yields no solutions. I must act.

And Act this Bradinn shall.

Rising from rubble, Solo ascended to augustus moving, setting off to vanquish all before his decisive path.

But Lo!

“ Stop!“

A voice did call.

A low voice, mealow yet stern, gentle yet unyielding called from an arm’s distance behind our Bradinn, echoing throughout the vast crippled hall to the Vedamus’ ears.

“ Stop, Solo of Bradinn, Second of the pillars of the Bradaperagna, Stop your marching and turn back now.“

The calling did work, temporarily, as the Bradinn did stop, turning around his right so slightly.

“ Who are you?“ Solo demanded in questioning intonations, repressing his augustus boom with no ease.

“ Who are you to call upon this Bradinn me to stop and expect this me to actually stop?!“

Valid question, validly asked.

And the voice behind him replied with warm earnest.

“ I am the voice of your Maker, the hider underneath your shadow.

You may know me as the janitor of thy school, the protector of the children.“

And lo behold, out of the curtains of light beaming askew from the cracks above, formulating out of hovering slowing dust and debris, it was Castiel Bradson, Captain of the Betelgeuse ship; no blood, no wound, in one.

No more did he seem perished.

Speechless at first, Solo realized with a narrowing glance that what he was discerning was a ruse. A petty ruse, more like a curse born from his being.

“ I saw you perish. I made you perish.“ Solo uttered with scoff.

“ You are but a mere vision hiding behind my eye, no less a desperate apparition haunting my wake.“

“ Yay.“ The vision of Bradson concurred.

“ For long I was planted as a fail-safe in you, at the birth of the seven pillars of The Bradaperegon. I watched what you saw; listened to all that you thought; witnessed all that you did. And again, as the watchmen of your designer, as he who was there at the time of your creation, I must advise you: Stop.“

Solo fumed quietly, disappointment written in those curled eyebrows.

“ You are not the only voice that calls in me.

Humanity too. They cry to the dark and hollow, they shout with hope and despair;

They call by one my name—Bradinn, Save us!!!!

For I am their Vedamus.“

“ And I, your Jiik Von Reckoning.“

“ Silencio!!!!“

Solo boomed, his cry thundering the world as Skyworld shook.

Both Bradinn and the vision stood, eye to eye, tension high.

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.

Here one must pause to explain some contexts, for the word Vedamus used here is an ancient Kingword only seen in the Elden texts on Kingdeniom History such as The Book of Neliya or Le Teragrama Luckexia, mainly describing a figure of utmost importance close to holy; one that commands definite respect, and can only be referred and spoke to from below not above.

Whereas The vision of Bradson was most interesting. For it is verily transcribed from the original texts from the KoKingji, The Old Kingdeniom Lore, which the God of earth Brad spoke in old Kingword that goes as ““Ir du’es Le Jiik Von Reckoning!”” Which vaguely means “ I am your Jiik Von Reckoning“ which historians have been arguing might mean something such as Judgement or Nemesis of Evil, persay. But whatever it is, is lost in time and can only be speculated and interpreted whatever the general readers feel it should be.

Silencio, however, is not a spell, but the actual reply of the God Bradinn giving his reply with utmost contempt, asking for silence and referring to Bradson to Shut up.

Let us continue.

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A temporary silence loomed over the concave dome as both men, real and surreal stood face to face.

“ Solo,“ The vision finally spoke at length, his voice deepened by guilt and gravity.

“ What you are about to do, and whatever you will achieve, nothing will change what has already passed. I plead to thee, I beg to thee, as a humble maker…

…Please, stop. Solo.“

The proud second of the seven Bradinns looked up to the skies behind him, the vast grey and dull blue carved by the cracked shards of the torn dome meters above, clouds rushing, winds dishonest.

“ No.“ Solo thus spoke.

“ No, I will not stop. For it is you who have planted in me at my birth, you who have coded in me—The Salvation of Man! No!!

For as long as my mission lays unaccomplished,

For as long as my failures stand before my eyes, I Will Not Stop!

Begone!!!“

And Solo, Solorum Vedamus Bradaperegna left, leaving the ghost alone under the dilapidated throne room, that once belonged to Caesar Skyman. His Will is resolute, his mind absolute.

His power unfathomable.

He shall achieve what he deems, as long as he wishes.

Against the tide of the grand orchestration, he moves against, unwavered.

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………

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Dark were the days for the children under captivity, cielinged skies of steel shrouding their dreams; Sadness drowning their once optimistic virtues.

Word of their Illusive Sensei being the gentle Captain Bradson in disguise, protecting them and saving them all through their journeys spread soon enough and the children prayed for his soul to rest. Many wept for the benevolent Captain, while more tried to remember his grace, passing tales and speaking of his heroic deeds.

But times of sadness come with graver circumstances, for now after the coup of Captain Bradson and co. had failed utterly, the children present were all deemed accomplices and sent back to house arrest, locking them poor children in their dorm building with their windows shut allowing only meager light, giving scarcely distributed light food decreasing to just one meal per day, and no electricity and power of usage.

Life was dire, and the children’s spirits were close to breaking.

“ Courage, my folk!“ Brave child lead Neo beseeched to all the saddened-hearted and weary.

“ I will find a way out and break us out of this captivity! Let hope not be lost, sisters and brethren, for as long as we persevere—“

“ Sensei is no more!! And the Skylord is upon us!!“ A kid at the back groaned with desperation and defeat.

“ The walls are all guarded by the Lord’s droids! No Light, no food, no water, The Skylord wants us all perish! And we ARE going to perish!!“

“ Hush thy ill fated words—!“ Neo tried then to usher confidence, but No Confidence.

What the kid at the back just hollered was what most of the children now felt—Impending Doom.

“ The Skylord forgives no one!! His wrath unmerciful and unlimited!!“

“ If your brother Rio the imbecile hadn’t interfered Sensei Castiel, then the Sky princess and Skylord would have been stopped!! Where is he?! We shall beat him up!!“

“ Hearken!! Hearken!!!“ Neo cried, trying to stay patient amongst the exasperated children.

“ Unity is key in times of peril! We need each other! I need my brother, and we all do! We have faced more dangers and turmoil than this, and we have overcome! This is but another hurdle we must plow through! What say you, folk??!“

They have faced Demons, endless fear in the night, terrors of beasts without mercy, but none more terrible than the depravity of resources and water, not to mention the quality of life. Even in the vast fields hiding in caves, they feel they are safe with each other’s company. But now, trapped in an iron cage, their hopes and dreams have turned malnutritioned, and are close to dwindling.

Even so, Neo never stopped a day without hacking the walls and window panes that barb his clan; never had he skipped a day preaching for hope and strong will. For he had seen it firsthand.

Neliya was close to perishing, being shot through the vitals by Neruko cat girl on that fated day, but somehow, a miracle happened amidst the chaos, and the powers of Hope brought Neliya back to him. Hope has aided him in one way, now is his turn to give it to his folk, though most of them hear him but grumble.

Gravely perturbed as our child lead was, seeing the walls were as unbreakable the day he started chiseling, and facing the moans and morose remarks from his kin, he returned always to his corner with gratitude, where Neliya the quiet and endearing would always wait for him and back him up.

“ I am back, Neliya…“ Neo sighed this day late to the night after yet another dismal day of the wall still unyielding, to see that Neliya was there on the floor crouched on all fours, staring close to the dim ground carefully, her one dextrous hand scribbling nonstop.

Neo peered close.

Lo, on wrinkled parchment and wasted paper, were written the abstract artistic runes and marvelous symbols and letters, all from the Book of Sensei that was destroyed days before, now reforged and rewritten by the hands of clever Neliya, through her writing we trust. Though rugged and sometimes drawings askew, it was, as Neo so beheld, the very drawing and runes Sensei so left behind, wonderfully preserved.

“ Though we still can’t understand what Sensei was trying to convey…“ Neliya whispered as her hand never stopped.

“ …Perhaps, maybe…someone could one day. So…I must write it all down, while I still remember, for the Future…for the future…“

“ …Our Future.“ Neo whispered, his embracing arms already curled around Neliya’s thin nape.

Pulling back the tears, they both smiled, at each other.

“ NEO!!! Neo of the Lead!!!!“ Voices of disgruntled children hollered after what seemed like shouts and cries of dishevel outside their corner of rest.

“ Neo!!! It’s your brother Rio the hated!! He’s been beaten up!!!“

Rushing off to the thundering news, Neo was off, with Neliya close behind. At the center of the barren lobby, there was a crowd surrounding the conflict, and in the core of it all was Rio, on the floor, being at the bottom, while unexpectedly, it was Lucky, the red hair girl with the jeweled crown, that was brawling our loathed boy. Lucky was the only one throwing hands, fortunately, but sadly no one stopped the conflict but watched.

“ Calm now!!! Both of You!!!!“ Neo roared, pulling Rio back from under both arms, while Neliya and Feira, and some other girls pulled the fuming Lucky to the far corner, tears shedding all over the mattresses.

“ We are not the same!!!“ Lucky screamed with much grimace and fury.

“ You doomed us all, then own it like a man!! Don’t bring Kiro into this!!!“

Neo was perplexed by the accusations.

“ Rio, explain yourself!! What is the meaning of this?!“

Rio heard his brother not and answered the raging loli with more words of hurt.

“ Yeah?! Kiro was taken by Demons for what?! For trying to get you out of the Demons’ mouth! I would have done the same for My Sora, All men would for their love!! You brought doom to Kiro, what makes you more noble than I?!?!“

Enraged was the girl that was humiliated in front of all that gained power through the shame, dashing out of her friends’ arms, as the girl set sail a hard billowing slap that thundered upon Rio’s already bruised cheek like lightning striking the waves discourse.

Though hated by all and mostly by Lucky our red head, one must not ignore the nobility in Rio for not throwing hands against a fellow girl slightly younger in less than two years than he.

“ Enough!!“ Neo had to barge in and step between the conflict.

“ Rio! Bringing sorrows of the past will only get you beaten up. Keep quiet and stay at that corner of the room!“ Neo pointed to the other side of the dingy lobby and Rio obeyed, trudging grimacely.

Neo turned back to Lucky.

“ Lucky, Rio is lost and cast under much hate, turning him sour and bitter. I will speak to him and make sure he apologizes rightfully for the hurt he caused. But still, no anger can justify an act of violence. The situations of now are disheartening to you and all of us, but it is times like this that we must not lose ourselves.“

“ Speaking for yourself!!!“ A kid at the back of the small crowd hollered at the most untimely moment of all seriousness, breaking Neo’s cool.

“ You’ve already lost yourself for forgiving Rio the traitor!!“

“ Dare you not call my brother a traitor! You!“ Neo shouted at the kid at the back fiercely, defending with all his might.

“ He may have wronged, but he is still my brother, and a trusty comrade no less! Had he not diced them Demons while we retreated through the hazardous gorge?! Is it not Rio who stood at the back so we could go forth?! Put your words of ingratitude upon Rio back into your pockets, for I tolerate them no more! Foul mouth this Neo all you want, but don’t disgrace this brother that had helped us all in the darkest of hours!“

To shield his brother from more enmity and deriding, Neo had turned the hate tide towards himself, something Rio never asked him to do, which put shame in the younger brother’s Light heart. And from shame brews such anger towards Neo which deep within, hiding in Rio’s spite, was truthfully the anger upon himself for being such a disappointment of a brother.

Now that the hate tide has turned, the rage of the children welled out like the raging flood breaking the cracked old dam.

“ You too have wronged, Neo!! For you were there, standing by watching Rio hindering Sensei’s path to save us all!“ The loathing children had had enough, letting it all out in this moment of despair.

“ You love a nefarious brother, more than the well-being of us all!“

“ Neo is not like that…!“ Neliya tried to protest and speak for his love and admiration, but Neo gently put a hand upon Neliya’s arm and shielded her behind his brave form to accept all the mockery.

“ Ballooney, Neo!!“ The angry children continued with ferocity.

“ We are all about to perish and here you still speak of forgiveness! What have you been doing to right your wrongs to us?!“

“ Nothing!!!“ another unscrupulous kid helped ignite the flame.

“ We are trapped here and will be trapped here for eternity! Our bones will be dug up with the ash after millennia to become decorations for The Skylord’s villa to taunt our greatest mishap—that is nominating you, Neo, as Child Lead in the first place!!!!!“

“ True!!! Too true!!!“ echoed the unruly voices of disgruntled young folk.

“ Biased you are, Neo! Protecting your close kin but letting others drop and fall! Biased and Partial! Crooked and dishonest!!“

“ Hey!! That’s load of crap!“ Feira, sister of Finnir and close friend of Neliya and Lucky could no longer stand by and watch this upheaval cook itself.

“ Neo led us through cold and hot, drought and flood! You’re all foul-mouthing just for foul-mouthing's sake!“

“ If foulmouthing is true, then it is cold hard facts!!!“ retorted the kid at the back that is most vocal at denouncing Neo these past days throughout.

“ The ship is sinking, and its crew drowning. Who else to blame but its Captain?!“

“ Neo!!! Neo to blame!!!“ The disgruntled voice gained the main volume of the scene.

“ Our perishment is all on Neo!! It is Neo who marked our fall!!! Neo, thou art our Doom!“

“ Nay Doom!!!!!“

Out of the chaos, like rays out of the grey, a horn of reason thundered at the children’s wake.

“ There is no Doom, and We Will Certainly Not Perish.“

Stepping out towards the center, edging forth to the dim light shafted through the thin specs between steel plates barred upon the glass windows, was a boy whom the crowd silenced and made way for him to pass.

“ For we now stand here, yet moving yet speaking, is solid proof of our Hope yet to come.“

Spake Kai the composed, close advisor and once bosom friend of Neo, standing before the crowd that listened to his speak.

Shunned this Kai was for being blamed for shanking the book of Sensei while all were asleep, but many who had listened and seen firsthand of Kai’s resolve and virtues started to speculate that he must have been framed by someone else.

“ What do you mean, Kai?“ asked the children, baffled by his speak.

“ What do you mean there is proof of Hope in this dire lobby of hate?!“

“ See The Skylord with his armies of Starbreakers and sea of droids? His fleets of starships and turrets of cannons?“ Kai asked them all.

“ See not how the Skylord swoops and thrusts with his powers omnipotent and omniscient? If this Skylord wants us perish, we would already be cooked to crisps no doubt.“

“ Then why leave us here?! Why not off us quick and swift?!“ The children asked.

“ I surmise, either the Skylord is a sick sadist who wants to see us turn against each other and perish in the long grueling process, or…He Needs Us.“

“ He Needs Us?!?!?!“guffawed them all in newfound enlightenment. Neo too had not thought of this possibility.

Kai continued his deduction.

“ The Skylord is wounded gravely for I have witnessed in the coup, so mayhap he is healing. And as he heals, he will punish us for siding with the coup, but surely…there is reason that he needs us present. Though the food has become scarce, there is still food coming each day. He doesn’t wish for our perishment. He wants us to last, and be challenged. And become our own enemies. We must not fall into the Skylord’s trap, folks!!!“

And the children unanimously agreed.

“ Hearing this Kai is like seeing the sun rise again.“ commented the kid at the back now benign and approving.

“ The book of Sensei incident is foul play. I’ll root for you, Kai.“

“ Kai is good. And he is handsome.“ Some lollies vouched for Kai as the once disgruntled folk now satisfied, all adjourned to their meager lodgings.

Neo, however, wished to thank Kai for his resourceful aid.

“ Kai, wait—“

But Kai, without a word, raised but a hand, palm facing the bewildered face of Neo.

“ I am tired, Neo. Perhaps tomorrow.“ And Kai begged his leave.

If it truly is him being exhausted, Neo will never know, but one thing he is certain, is after the shanking incident of Sensei’s book, their friendship would never be as pure and firm as the same.

.

.

On his way back to find a spot to rest, Kai noticed a figure of a loli, crouched at a desolate corner far away from the others, huddled and shivering. Soft sobs slightly audible in the still night.

From the silhouette and the emerald green hair of the sobbing girl, Kai immediately recognized who it was.

“ Tricia, are you alright?“ Kai inquired softly with care and sincerity.

Tears reflected the dim moonlight like diamonds at the brim of her cheeks, as Tricia the silent, wise girl without voice, turned away from our gentle boy, unwilling to show herself.

But Kai is a persistent young man.

“ Show me.“ Kai whispered, his hands upon the sad girl’s wet warm cheeks, as he turned her to his side, observing closely with care.

And their eyes finally met, and to Kai’s astonishment, something was wrong with Tricia’s eye.

They used to dazzle with bliss and twinkle light blue with lively grace, like juvenile stars showing their first light to the void. But now, only one of her eyes remained, while the other was dimmed, and dark, as if the eye had lost its ability to be a part of such a delicate sweet child.

Kai looked closely, trying hard to figure out how an eye could be turned off like this, as if a light bulb has—but before Kai could make any more assumptions, Tricia pushed him away with timid bashful parry, sinking back to slouching melancholy.

“ Those eyes…“ Kai reminisced hard and deep.

“ Those twinkling eyes full of wisdom and worlds unknown…only one other person I know has those eyes. It was Sensei. Sensei had those eyes like yours…like the one you lost.“

Kai feared what he was about to unveil.

“ Is it…because of Sensei’s unfortunate passing? Is your eye diminishing of luminance linked with the tragic end of our mentor? Either way, tell me, show me! In what way can I help you, and cease the tears that drown your saddened demeanor?“

But Tricia refused to elaborate. Not that she could not speak, for she had many ways to communicate to her fellow child folk, but she was unwilling to share.

Unprepared to share the secrets hidden behind her dimmed eye, the key to her unbeknownst origin. The light to her mystery, she must keep silent, as long as she remains.

But Kai would not have that.

.

.

.

And as Kai so predicted, the day of outer contact arrived.

The children were spooked that morning by the wheezing of the main gates of their homeroom rolling to the sides, now wide ajar after three grueling days of dark despair.

Light like a beam shooting through to the depth of the rugged quarters, thickening, and fanning out to a bloom where a new shadow emerged from yonder.

Sharp of edge and limb, sleek of form, and armored with majesty, there stood the royal android of Skyworld, cloaked in valorous purple from the waist down whilst its metallic broad chest reflected forlorn gazes before him. sentimentlessly the royal droid’s eyes scoured the room and rows of flabbergasted children stared with eyes wide like saucers and paused stiffly in mid motion.

“ Children…Misguided sheep of bold naivety, I have come to announce.“

And the royal droid thus announced.

“ The Skylord, after hours of grave contemplation, has decided, to come to bargain.“

“ Fooey!!!!“ Was what the children said first before anything else.

“ Who cares about you!!“

The children all, disheartened and agitated, shouted foul words along tossing rubbish onto the stoic automaton.

“ Get lost you robotic junk! If the Skylord does want to bargain, he should have brought peace and at least—Foodings for us!!!“

“ Yeah yeah!! Get his ass here instead of a robotic churl!! And where’s the foodings!? Skylord promised us a safe stay! Is this his style of hospitality?!“

And more and more, grumbles and complaints of dismay grew into a tide of ferocious animosity that the children started climbing up the android’s arm and legs to break them with sheer force!

But Lo!!!!

The Android shook them children off its steel hide.

“ Backen, I say.“ The robotican spoke with a tone like none others, and its armor cracked, its hard exoskeleton peeling and revealing, and out of the metallic gear-solid body,

rose the Lord of Sky, Caesar Skyman himself, ascending out of his android shell.

“ For it is I you’ve asked, thus I, Caesar Skyman, shall provide. With Bargain.“

Lo, the King was half naked, a hole there was in the center of his bosom, from the wound of the harpoon that Captain Delprim Jargo the utter fool had fired days before during the failed coup, where wires and additional metal pieces were attached to prolong his excellence.

Though a hole there situated in the center of his chest, this Skylord was still masculine and full of power and will, with biceps shimmering and muscles hulking. His long hair untied, untidied, and unchained, flowing like a king beast’s mane, glistening with empiric sparkle.

Such a sight of a Lord, did struck fear into the light hearts of the children before him.

Shuddering and backening at once, the children scattered and fled to all corners of the room, hiding behind dingy furniture, whining except a selected few, who stood their ground, bold enough to face this tyrant eye to eye.

And Neo was one of them emboldened child, for he is the child lead, and courage is not what a child lead lacks.

“ You speak of foodings.“ Caesar Skylord pointed at the heavens.

“ Let there be foodings.“

And immediately, silver saucers carrying round buns of dazzling light flew in by themselves and landed safely in the middle of the room, before all the hungered children’s presence.

Crawling cautiously, the children were pulled slowly closer to the mysterious light substance, forgetting the heinous Lord was the producer of said light bun.

“ Hearken!!!! Le food might be poison!“ Neo shouted before the children even had the chance to touch the bun.

“ Le food is nothing but Light!“ Caesar Skylord clarified with power.

“ I manufactured it through Light Power upon my providence, so I call it Manna, thy energy source.“

And Caesar Skyman took a Light bun Manna and ate it in front of the bewildered young folk.

“ This bun can be any shape or form, for it is nothing but Light, with every right and power to be whatever it should be through my command, And I command it to be a bun. Fear not!! For it is the mere Light that powers your Hearts and Minds. Chew.“

The Skylord munched on the Manna Light bun and swallowed it thoroughly in front of them all.

“ Take it, consume it, and be reminded, that the Skylord has come to Bargain with good intent.“

Lo, despite Neo’s disapproval still, the children could not resist any longer, and soon, all of them partook in the light bun.

And it tasted good.

So good that the children were in tears, savoring each morsel.

And Neo could not help it and took a bun. It was exquisite to the tongue, like nothing Neo had ever had before.

One after another, the children stuffed the bun, munched it, and gobbled with glee and satisfaction until they were all full yet the silver platters of Manna kept coming still.

“ Wait!!“ Neo cried out, after finishing his fifth Manna Light Bun, standing up to the Skylord who sat before them staring at them all with a condescending gaze of boredom.

“ What is it you want from us?! Surely, your motives are not just to please us, are you?!“ Neo questioned, and the children cautiously put down their buns, nodding in unison.

“ Ikanimo.“ Caesar Skyman replied in plain Japanese of the Elden age of man, which could be transcribed into the word ‘Indeed’ in the old English tongue.

“ For it is as I have said for the past five minutes since my arrival, I Have Come To Bargain.“

“ Then there is something you want?! From us?!“ Neo questioned further, tension rising slowly but surely.

“ Yay, but not just from you. For I have needs that require all your assistance. As you can see without my armor, there is a hole in the middle of my chest.“

Caesar Skyman tapped the metallic parts around that gaping grotesque hole in the bosom.

“ I need time to recover, and time to rebuild my empire, my Monarchy. So…I will provide All that you want, in exchange for thy assistance. That is Le Bargain.“

“ Sounds Sussy!“ Neo stepped forth, pointing an accusing finger at the Skylord’s nose.

“ How can you possibly provide All that we want?! And What do you want us do exactly?! How can we trust you, who has planned and murdered our Sensei?!“

“ You have asked three questions, And I Will Answer them All. First, let me elude to you with an example of my power.“ Caesar Skyman was serious, and his gaze panned to the side of the room, where his glance stayed at the one lone character at the far corner of the quarters.

“ Rio.“ The Skylord called out to the lone boy abandoned by his clan.

“ I know what you want most. And I can give it to you now. Here. Now.“

“ Huh?!?!“ Rio felt disturbed that all the attention was now on him.

“ What do you know of my Want?!“

“ You want my Daughter, The Princess of Skyworld, Sora, to be by your side.“ The Skylord spoke, a truth that all could have deducted with some simple clues.

“ And She is YOURS.“

“ HUH?!?!?!?!“ gasped Rio, red in the face, with all the other children, shaken by the utter zero reluctance in the Lord’s cadence.

“ Yes. Yes, Rio. Future Prince of Skyworld. My Daughter’s hand belongs to yours.“ Spake the Skylord with little to no emotions whatsoever, continuing with the segment as his eyes scoured the hall of amazed, intrigued children.

“ Now, who else has needs?! Who else has Want that needs to be known?! For I Shall Surely Provide!!!“

The children murmured amongst themselves, planning as this great opportunity to grant a grand boon is before them, a chance to gain the impossible is now but a hand’s reach.

“ No…!!“ Neliya sensed an unease in this stunt, clinging onto Neo to hold his guard.

“ The Skylord cannot be too easily trusted…!“

“ If so…!!!! Skylord!!!“ Suddenly, from behind Neliya, a girl cried out to the Lord, and it was none other than Lucky. Lucky the redhead with the princess crown of red jewels.

“ Skylord, you claim to be omnipotent. Then…I want Kiro!!! I want Kiro Back!!! Can you do that?!?!?! I know you Can’t!“

Kiro, the kid that had sacrificed long long before, whose light heart had been lost to Demons, can he too be brought back to the plains of reality?! Can Caesar Skyman perform such a miraculous deed?!?!

“ Hoh…“ Caesar Skyman mused with growing interest.

“ So you have stated…So I Shall Provide!!!!!!!“

And before all eyes behelding, The Skylord’s palm erupted with Light, a sheer blinding bloom of excellence and pale dominance that engulfed the room and the whole children’s quarters. And with but a second passed, the glow vanished.

And in the Skylord’s palm, was a ball of Light.

Sheer Light.

“ Here.“ Caesar Skyman handed the ball of Light to the dumbstruck Lucky.

“ Here is the Kiro you want.“

The ball, like a yolk condensing the watery light essence membraned within, slithered out of the Lord’s fingers and sludged onto Lucky’s palm, rippling slightly left to right.

Lucky, and all the others, stared with eyes wide, and appalled.

“ The Demon that has consumed Kiro’s Light heart has been hunted down by my Starbreaker General. And from the Demon Kiro’s Light was extracted. And now it is there, in the palm of your hand.“ The Skylord explained, clarifying much yet the children could not contain.

“ ……But……He is just a ball… of Light…“ Lucky stammered, terrified. Uncertain. At the verge of nauseating.

“ Exactly.“ The Skylord concurred without sentiment.

“ That is what you asked for.“

And before Anyone could react, Lucky began to scream, letting out a long forlorn shout of defeat, devastation, and despair, clinging to the wet blob like it was the only thing that meant to her.

The whole clan of children flipped and started to attack the Skylord with furious words and trash.

“ Now that you have seen what I can do!!!“ Skyman hollered louder than any child could shout their distrust, overpowering their revolt instantly.

“ It is time YOU provide thy worth!!!!! Lucky!!!!!!“ And from his one point, from the tip of the Skylord’s finger, a beam of lightning zapped out with fury and rage, electrocuting the poor desperate redhead in a flurry of torturous surges and trapping her in an elemental cage of villainy.

The children could but watch and do nothing to help, terrified for they are powerless in front of a Lord of Sky, a Lord of Light and Star.

“ Lucky, I gave you a Light Memory of a kid you have lost, You Deserve to be my slave!! Go!! And clean up the Laboratory gutters!!“

And with his power of Light beams of pain, Caesar transported the poor wailing girl to the depth of his cruel lab of uncouth experiments, without sentiment.

“ RIO!!!“ The Skylord then turned his finger on the kid who thought he was the luckiest boy in the world just some seconds ago.

“ You shall be my Eyes and Ears!!!“

And immediately, dark purple metallic armor pieces flew out from nowhere and attached themselves upon Rio’s limbs, torso, and all parts of Rio’s flesh, cladding this unfortunate boy in a heavy shroud of a shrunk Starbreaker, with a sharper, crueler appearance, and with less honor than those a glorious Starbreaker armor so harbors.

“ This armor upon you, Is A Starchild. The descendent armor and upgrade of the Starbreaker, designed to counter their wake. You shall now Hunt, for the one target I craveth most—YURI!!!!!!!! And you are not alone!!!!!“

“ DAMN YOU!!!!!“ Neo, seeing all this treachery, flew his punch forth with sheer rage, neglecting Neliya or anyone’s call to calm his rashness. And he was met with retribution soon enough.

“ Fool of a Neo!!! I have been waiting for this!“ Caesar Skyman caught the flying punch in this muscular grip with glee and sadism.

“ You too shall Bargain with me, whether you want it or not!!!!“

“ I Will Stop YOU!!!!!!“ Neo drew out his rock slab sword from his other hand and slashed towards The Skylord’s nape—only for the Skylord to zap the stone slab blade into smithereens with the light beams shooting out of Caesar Skyman’s two eyeballs of hate.

“ NAY!!! I Will DOMINATE YOU!!!!!“ And Caesar Skyman Slammed Neo to the floor, like a toddler smashing his favorite doll into the solid concrete out of joyous fun, leaving a cracked dent in the floor of the quarters.

Children shuddered and scattered in panic. None could stand against such utter tyrannic violence.

“ Neo, YOU ALONE are the easiest to Dominate!!! Listen Here!!!“ The Skylord yanked Neo’s head up, grabbing the bleeding boy by the hair.

“ See Neliya over there? I will destroy her, burn her to a crisp with me eye beams if you do not obey me!! And any children you claim your clans folk!! I will burn them all!! And Also here is the Light of your Sister Nia!!!!! Also Collected by my Starbreakers!!!! I will squash it to nothing if you dare come against me!!!! Now KNEEL!!!!!!“

The Skylord shouted, forcing Neo’s face back to the ground with a tremendous smash, forcing the poor boy to kowtow despite him ordering a kneel.

Lastly, The Skylord placed the Light ball of Neo’s sister Nia on top of Neo’s head, ironically, like an insult as Caesar stood up straight once more, straightening his attire while scouring the circle of terrified children hiding far, their eyes full of disgust and hatred.

“ You’ve all eaten my Light Bun, My Manna, HAVE YOU NOT?!?!?!“

Caesar Skyman barked at them all abusively.

“ That—Is made from Delprim Jargo!!!! That Fool I cooked and baked his Light Soul into the foodings you consumed!!! Don’t Believe me?!?!?! JUST WATCH!!!!!!!!“

And from underneath the sleeve of his long robes, Caesar Skyman produced—the severed head of said Captain Delprim Jargo, Captain of the starship Delphalak, with an expression mangled with pain and bewilderment carved upon the grotesque demeanor.

“ I can do this to you all. I can Cook you all and fuel my Empire whenever I want. For you are all nothing but FUEL to Me!!! Nothing but humanoid batteries!!!! For My Exhaustion!“

And his rage was so great that the Skylord had to sit down and fume to catch a breath, for his chest had lost a hole and he needed his meds.

“ But I am merciful, and a man of my word.“ Caesar Skyman promised after catching his breath for a couple of seconds.

“ I said I have come to Bargain, so I will Bargain. State all that you want, and you shall provide me with thy assistance. May it be cleaning the sidewalks of my beautiful World, or increasing my fleet by building me Arks of military augustusness! Anything, I shall provide…while you give me your whole…“

Panting as he rested and waited, still, no child approached him with any wishes whatsoever, for they only wished to leave at once, which will never be granted.

But then, one child stood up, and faced the Lord head-on.

“ I have one thing in heart, and one thing only that you should not resist, Skylord.“ The kid of bravery spake with grave courage, standing before what no one dares and speaking what no one dares speak.

And it was Kai. Kai the wise, the brave. The untarnished.

“ I, Kai of the my folk, Wish for Your FALL!!!!!“

And Lo!!!! Before anyone could react or realize, before the Skylord could register what the kid was raving about, Kai had already made his move!

The severed head of late Delprim Jargo the Lord just tossed was there on the ground, right where Kai’s foot was—just swinging down as he just spoke.

And at the next second, the head was off, like a meteor dashing towards the Skylord, aiming nt at the shocked Lord’s nose or face—but towards the hole, the gaping hole where all the mending machinery twisted and turned. And the head thudded in the hole, the withered mustache of the bewildered morbid head stuck with the engines grinding for Caesar’s life.

The Skylord thought he was about to perish for a split second.

“ KAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!“ The roar was real, for it was a shout of utter hatred and fury, as Caesar Skyman, as a Lord, the sole human being standing upon this earth, could not accept such shameful humiliation upon his absolute monarchy.

And with a pushing jolt of his jest and an explosive cry out of his mechanic lungs, Caesar Skyman’s chest cavity shot out a beam of heat and hatred, blue green purple red and gold, black and white lasers spitting after, the humongous beam sailed through the ceiling throughout the roof, zapping sideways, horizontally, and unpredictably, with anger and pain.

Screaming children huddled and scampered in fear, terrified that the sky is about to fall. And at last, after a flurry of beam shooting and grotesque shouts, the chest beam of Skyman ceased, leaving the child quarters scorched by deep thick lines of burnt hate runes across the room walls.

“ …Kaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiii….!!!!!!!“ Caesar Skyman fumed, staggering up from erupting his rage as his long crooked monstrous hand zoomed through the smog and ash, seizing amongst all, the nape of Kai, hurtling the courageous boy high up above his anguished face, mouth wide, teeth bearing, like a beast ready to devour a helpless prey.

“ You got balls, Kai…….“ Caesar acknowledged, panting, whereas no helping in dousing the hate fire in his heart.

“ But Not as Much balls as I, a REAL HUMAN BEING!!!!!“

But to all the present children’s shock and disbelief, Skyman Lord put Kai gently down, without harming a hair on this boy’s face.

And the Skylord flew back, sitting himself in a pose, elbow rested upon his thigh as the rested arm supported his cheek with devilish ease.

“ No. I will not kill you, Kai. But I will shame You!!“

And the Skylord pointed his shining finger at none other than the near-fainted Neo, gently caressed in the caring arms of the weeping Neliya on the side.

“ Neo yo.“ The Skylord so spake with power and tyranny.

“ Go and punch Kai for me, in the nose.“

Silence, drowning them children in drear despair. Tension suffocating their last hopes for a bright future.

“ Neo. Go and punch Kai! Or I erase everyone else in this room!!!!“

“ YOU!!!“ Kai rushed forth for one last strike, one last pursuit to end the age of dark, grabbing one sharp shard of Neo’s shattered boulder blade forth to King Slay—

— Only to punch Kai through the nose, by the one and only, Neo, of the child lead.

Flipping ten summersaults through the room, as if Isekaied by a fully loaded truck of malice, Kai fumbled and crashed to the wall, nosebleed nonstop that instance.

Neliya’s eyes went blank.

Feira and the others could not even gasp, their light hearts weren’t even beating at that instance out of shock and despair.

Treize and the boys could not cease their streaming tears, seeing two best friends now drenched in tragic bloodshed.

Rio, fist wrenched in regret and anguish, could but watch under those heavy unbreakable armor.

Tricia, unable to scream, unable to cry, wished to turn away from this scene so heart-wrenching, yet still deciding to watch to the end, wishing somehow to share Kai’s pain, his burdens.

Finnir’s face was in shadow, knowing pretty well, Neo had saved Kai from instant demise, and also secured the safety and temporary future of the child clan, by sacrificing…Kai. It is, fately, the only way out of this now.

Lucky, facing the floor, still lay motionless.

“ Now, punch him again, Neo.“ Caesar demanded with snide once again, feeling ecstatic out of all the happenings, only for Neo to strike again because the first punch happened too quickly.

Opening his eyes, dazed as his world swirled, blurred in white and grey, Kai knew it was Neo.

But even knowing Neo’s strength firsthand as he was closest to the child lead in combat and ventures throughout the lands, he was not prepared for what came to his face. His cheek steamed, pulsating, throbbing, and before he could estimate the damage outcome—

Another came.

Striking down Kai’s jaw from his left, shattering what Kai thought could make words out through speaking, to no avail now affront desparic violence. Violence that could not be averted. Violence that could save the others, only for now.

Violence under oppression. Heeding only to the strong and gun-wielding…Violence only to their fellow brothers and sisters, which should have been posed towards the Wrong, the Tyrant…!

Obedience cannot stop this, it will only fuel The Skylord’s cruel obscenity, it will doom us all…!

Kai, despite his face numbing and Deprived of sense and solidity, tried to sit up, to reach out to Neo, to shout out his words of Light Heart, his words of help, to help, to save his kin and their Future...

Fight back, Neo!!!! There is still a way…Obeying this Lord will come to nothing, only more and more oppression…! Neo…Your fist shall be pointing towards—

“ Again.“ The Skylord crooned, sneering ear to ear

And again, coming like a wrecking ball, a punch it was, sinking into Kai’s zygomatic bone, shattering the hardened parts which are now all soft and mushy.

Ahh, Kai uttered, coughing the blood out of his mouth along with the broken tooth smeared in saliva,

…Neo…You coward…

And Kai turned his right cheek, shielding his already crushed left side, for yet another strike, which came still, one heavy blow after another. The hot bludgeon of Neo’s fist, pulverizing his mentality, so as his skull.

Neo could not hear any noise. All he could see, could feel, was the tepid blood smothered all over his eyes and his fist.

He could not do it. He could not stop.

Too many things weighed upon him. Too many things he held dear. But no choice was left for him.

Arm up, fist down. Arm rising once more, fist falling yet again.

His knuckles, no longer feel pain, for the nerves and tissue exposed were already too damaged to feel.

He was a doll, while The Skylord, his puppeteer.

And the Children, but standing in horror, guilt, despair, could but helplessly watch, and even dare to move a muscle. In the end, The Children all sought their own safety, craving for a sense of security through subjection.

The Skylord needed that mentality, for it is the foundation of his everlasting rule, over lesser beings of his creation.

And After what seemed like an eternity to the children in tears, Caesar Skyman stood up with a clap.

“ I craveth my bed, for the day has been long, and the show intriguing.“ Caesar scoured the disheartened folk, meeting no eyes that dared stare at him with opposition.

“ As I have proclaimed, I am a merciful man. And as long as you obey me, there will be endless Manna for yall. I regard Bargains very highly in my fief. So, Rio!“

The Lord motioned to the armor-trapped boy, snarling silently under the shadowy violet helm.

“ Rio, would be Prince of My Monarchy, I Hereby order thee to lead a squad! A team of twelve, consisting 6 boys and 6 girls to hunt down Yuri and seize the Herunis Carna back to my court！“

Why Caesar Skyman so ordained specifically 6 boys and 6 girls to finish the job is beyond any scholar that studies the ancient texts and runes of Lore's imagination, and all we could do is guess, mayhap this could be part of his sadistic and intricate plan that is lost forever in the passage of Time.

The Skylord turned to the rest of the children, coldly, and Kingly.

“ The rest of yall shall build me Arks, my Fleet of Arphamaegedon! Under the supervision of my Droids that My Eyes See! Honest work, hence honest pay! Your days of service shall start soon after. So Long!!“

And laughing maniacally, The Skylord left the room, his armor donning upon him as he walked higher and higher into the air, god-like, back to his grand abode.

No child dare look up at his wake, as Caesar Skylord has proved strongly of his Vedamus over them poor minors, In fear he'll strike them down with his eye beams with but a stare.

But there were other set of eyes spying closely upon this pompous Lord of Sky, observing his moves and actions with grave interest.

“ He seemed unable to sense us, sis.“ Yuka, Starbreaker of rain and the electric blue so stated, feeling the power ripples through the vapors moving in the air.

“ Should I strike him from here?”

Sensing us not doesn’t mean he will never sense us coming, Yuno brooded gravely, knowing pretty well the Skylord has his eyes and ears everywhere, especially times like this after Yuri’s escape, and as soon as Yuka’s blade enters critical range, The Skylord will sense them all, and all cost of ambush futile.

Yuno, leader of the sisters and Starbreaker of the formless flow sighed without sound, touching her shattered lungs cautiously as the wound mended slowly through bluish light inch by inch, not enough to seal the whole cavity of gruesome aftermath.

Even with a hole in his chest, Caesar Skyman can pull off a grueling fight. Not that they’ll lose…But the dethroning of Skylord is not paramount. For now.

“ Leave him be.” Yuno decided at length, turning away as she summoned a circular warp disc of transport.

“ The Plan…Our objective cannot wait.”

( But…but the children…?)

The youngest, timid sister, Starbreaker of mist and fog, Yun of the serenity asked, worried and reluctant to leave as of now.

For amongst the Starbreaker sisters, it was Yun that is most fond and protective of the children, often staying close by in her unseen shroud, guarding outside their quarters without being seen. She would have broken the locks of the children’s prisoning establishment if Yuno had agreed.

( Can we…at least help them…?)

But Yuno’s sight is to a purpose far greater than caretaking children she had no connection with, in this particular time and age.

“ We cannot save everything, Yun.” Yuno was determined. It was time to leave.

“ But we can, as soon as we fulfill ‘Mother’s wish’...Our Mission. Yun, Yuka, let not the lesser misgivings hinder the grand scheme. We have a place to be. Come.”

And holding out both hands, Yuno sought to bring her sister abroad her hovering disc of flight. Hesitantly, Yuka took it first.

But still, Yun was reluctant.

And under the pressure and the pain. Yuno’s patience failed to withstand.

“ Yun! They don’t even know you! You mean nothing in their memories! Nothing! Snap out of it! Don’t you wish to be recognized by your own…?! No…?!”

And to this, Yun silently replied, wrenching her light heart with guilt and regret.

(...To me…They are the same. They mean everything in my Memory…And even without being recognized or being seen, I am content to be able to help them…So, Sister…Please—)

“ No.” Yuno placidly rejected. Her thin slit eyes slightly opening, deep sparkling purple, devoid of sentiment.

“ There are more memories, more poor children I can save, as soon as we fulfill our Promise. Countless Memories awaits, Yun. We must let go. Now come. Yuri needs us.”

Hesitating for a long while, Yun could not make up her mind.

And so Yuka, the second sister approached forth, plucking one among many of her rain daggers from her shoulder, and set it aflight, sailing down and through the clefts of the barred window of the child quarters, piercing into the floor of the back where no children have yet noticed the weapon present.

“ I hereby bestow a blessing of my creation,” Yuka whispered gently, smiling down at the one child who had suddenly noticed the watery dagger sticking out of the floor.

“ My rain dagger that can break every wall in this Sky city.”

Seeing this, Yun was enlightened and ripped a small piece of her violet veil and blew it down, swiftly sailing through the cleft and falling gently right in front of another child’s sight.

( This blessing I shall leave behind…my veil of absolute invisibility. No eyes on Skyworld shall see through it.)

And seeing the two doing acts of sheer kindness, Yuno gave in at last, tossing down one of her many arsenals down to the quarters where no child had noticed yet.

“ A Shield to deflect every blow it counter, a blessing I bestow upon whoever finds it.” Yuno sighed in whisper.

“ Use it wisely, or you’ll hurt yourselves.”

And with that, the three Starbreaker sister went on their way towards the far beyond, heading to seek their most wanted sister at the moment—

— Yuri.

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What could be a dream, may be of a past deranged in form and mangled with many other memories of the bygones. For of all the things Yuri had experienced through blurred rushing of scenes and happenings, Yuri was sure it had all happened.

For a second she saw her younger self, chasing other young children in the wreaked backyard of a bricked establishment, and the next she was being rushed through a faint corridor on Lima’s back chased by demon swarms; she thought she was there with all the others in a crowded noisy classroom full of friends she knew and loved, but then realizing she was lying still on a hard desk while Lima seemed to be having hot conversation with two flaming balls of light.

What is happening right now…? What is real, and what shouldn’t I believe?

Yuri wasn’t sure, but certainly, all through this long two-episode run, her conscious remained intact, though befuddled and drowned in mirky feverous scenes of the past and present, not knowing when is where and how.

Now, after all that chaos and running, Yuri finally felt at ease. Only after something had left can one realize it was once there. To Yuri, it was the pain in her lower abdomen that had tormented her before Yuri’s mind went adrift. As if a dread weight was pulled out of her body, a small part of her lower part felt light and empty. At least the pain has stopped, Yuri sighed, slowly realizing her consciousness has also slowly regained clearance.

Feeling her hands and limbs were intact, Yuri sat up, and finally, from blurry and dense darkness, she opened her eyes, setting herself free from the unseeing imprisonment.

But what she beheld was not something Yuri would ever want to encounter after awakening.

It was Death.

Archdemon Death, curled around the tail with its head reared high, staring down upon her with eyes blazing with chaos and red darkness; breathing black flame as it inhaled and exhaled slowly, majestically, and devilishly.

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Long have the people of Kingdeiom revered this creature of paramount longitudes, citing its name from the origins even long before the age of the coming of either the children of Light or the children of Star. Some historians suspect the name came from the elden prehistoric age where a certain civilization loomed but had vanished in the Black Nano Scourge; some say it came from those who saw its terrifying sight and gave it a name worthy of its visage. Whatever it came from, the folks of Kingdeniom call upon this Serpent the harbors perishment— Le Arkzel Dessmosawriag. Archdemon Death, as transcribed.

Being the one beast that devours Light Hearts of those that had perished and sends them back to its origin to be birthed again in another form, the Light people sometimes jokingly phrase those that have deceased to be ‘caught by the tail of the Dessmosawriag’, which later transformed into a modern term frequently used by juveniles these days as to shorten any long form of vocabulary into time-saving idioms, leaving just the last letter of the name and simply abbreviating it into ‘G’.

For example, sentences like ‘My dog G’, is, and will appear in some other Kingdeniom-based literature later on, simply put ‘My dog died’.

There you have it with the lore. Carry on.

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Yuri leaped to her battle stance through instinct and months of Starbreaker training, summoning her sword that never did come to her call. Yuri summoned once more but no matter materialized to her hand.

That was when she noticed her set of armor was dim and heavy, without linings of Light runes that should have been during activation.

She was alone.

But strangely, the Archdemon did not strike.

In haste, Yuri scoured for places to hide or retreat, to see that she now stood at the center of an endless plain, a pallid field that drew no line between the horizon and the edges of the surface. She was here before, and no place in memory did she know where she was now.

All corners were unblocked, but nowhere to go; trapped in limitless space, and time.

“ What do you want?!” Yuri quickly deduced this must be the Archdemon’s trick to her senses.

“ Is it…Is it My Memory you seek?! Then come with all you’ve got!! For I won’t give it to you that easily…!”

It is mother’s Memory…My Memory…!

Even if this is how its taken…I won’t just stand idle!

I’ll Fight thee!!!!!

I will Fight thee, DEATH!!!!

Raised her fists Yuri did, mustering all her courage and inner strength to her clenched palms, Yuri prepared for what may come that she must brace with all her might.

But it did not come.

The Archdemon, remained calm.

Fists still clenched, Yuri dared not let her guard down. She knew how dangerous those who seek her memory could be.

Caesar Skyman traversed into the realm of her mind and Memory, intruding the the brim of the center of the Hernuis Carna kept dormant in her head. And the Skylord’s servant, Bradinn…

…He who massacred Grandpapa Bradson…for the Hernuis Carna…

Someone Yuri would never forgive in any version, any possibility of her existence; the one that Yuri swore to beat and destroy when the time comes for their fateful reunion.

But putting that all aside, she still needs to find a way to get out of this Archdemon serpent’s trickery.

What will it do to take my Memory? Is it waiting for me to exhaust my strength…to let down my guard…? But I don’t have any strength left to exhaust anymore, not to mention any power to guard myself.

It can come at any moment and it will succeed, no matter what I try to perform. Then…why is it not coming forth? Why is just staring at me, without even trying to make an approach? I must observe…like how Firren taught me to observe the enemy…there is a flaw and weakness in every enemy, and as long as we observe long enough we may find a way to conquer it.

I must calm down and watch closely…watch…very…closely…

And Yuri did watch, locking stares with the grand majestic being in intervals of time that exceeds counting. And in all her observation, Yuri saw that the Archdemon was not in the best of shape either; Its hide seemed to have broken not long ago, with clear deep cracks like wrinkles streaked hither and thither throughout each rocky segment; and from the cracked crevices, flame of colors aside from Demon ooze lingered, seeping minuscule amounts of what seemed like a blaze more complex than just Demon excharge. The serpent’s insides hold secrets unlike Demon origin, but from which Yuri knew nothing of.

Yuri remembered when the Archdemon serpent broke up into smithereens, only to become a million shards to shoot out a devastating beam that pulverized the North Line from its core…That core, it had the same colors and flame as the essence seeping out of its cracks. What does that mean, a demon having a core whose blood contains not just darkness, but of different color? A black chasm that flickers a foreign Light?

The longer Yuri observed, the more she saw of the battered form of this enormous beast; the more she felt of a hardened past the Archdemon must have endured.

According to Commander Firren and Grandpapa Bradson’s teachings during her early days on the Betelgeuse ship, Demons feed on the Light of the people’s hearts.

And that Light, according to her friends on Skyworld, Yun, Yuka, and Yuno, were Memories.

So the Demons feed on Light that are Memories. They consume Memories as food, as fuel.

They need Memories.

So this Archdemon needs hers, just like Caesar Skyman does.

Then why does it not make a move…?

Curiosity taking the lead, Yuri moved forth, approaching the Archdemon serpent first.

And as soon as she entered attack range of the formidable beast, she was struck.

Not by any attack, nor ambush of any harmful kind, but Yuri had encountered a sudden wave of unseen force; a pressure that swept through her the moment she stepped near The Archdemon’s domain.

It pained her not, but the wave of force did its purpose.

LISTEN

Yuri was sure she heard, no, she Felt the Archdemon communicate to her, through a sensation unbeknownst to Yuri, yet working properly as it should. Yuri got the message the Demon inclined to offer.

Stunned by her own discovery, Yuri begged for more.

“ State it! I am all ears!” Yuri called back, fear ushered aside by growing curiosity.

GIVE UP

“ …I am not doing anything, I am just listening.” Yuri asked, baffled.

“ You want me to not listen and give up communicating with you??”

GIVE UP THE HERUNIS CARNA

Lost of words, Yuri stood still, face to face with the Demon Serpent in momentary silence.

GIVE UP THE HERUNIS CARNA

YURI

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The world accelerated as in Lima’s perspective as soon as the golden hussars arrived, ripping the skies of grey and allowing rays of gold to conquer the fields of cold and dismay.

Myriads of missiles landed all onto the grave serpent Archdemon which stayed its air-ground like an immovable force, as if the Archdemon was sending a word, sending a message through its glaring stare upon Yuri, who was carried in haste by knights appearing out of the midst, escorting Lima and the wolf cub’s body all onto an escape pod shaped as a winged rocket, plated in gold, per usual.

Without time to comprehend anything that was happening to them three, Lima watched as she silently allowed the golden people to take them far far away from the scene further and further away from the Archdemon as possible. Sitting with the Golden armored beings rushing around, Lima observed quickly of these Starbreaker-like beings, donned in shimmering armor unlike those designed from Skyworld where Yuri’s originated from. They looked more pristine, flat-topped with small spade-shaped visors, long sleek arched arms and legs with anchor-like feet; thin chests with extravagant ornate runes of class and artistry, which Lima thought to herself seemed superfluous for an outfit designed to slay Demons.

But whatever design choices they had, Lima was grateful for their help as she knelt next to Yuri, who was placed in the middle ground of the rocket escape pod where a hospital bed was situated, as the golden knights hustled front to back, hastily in preparations to maintain Yuri’s vitals.

One of the Golden space knights spoke to the other in question, speaking frenziedly in a language Lima knew she had never heard before.

The other golden space knight replied tersely, also in unknown speech, presenting an infusion set along with a pack of dextrose saline, ready to inject the contents into Yuri’s bloodstream.

Lima freaked out.

“ STOP!!!!” Lima screamed, pushing the IV pump set away from Yuri.

“ She can’t use that! Her blood isn’t…isn’t like ours—”

The medic golden space knight looked to its cohort in mild confusion, seeking advice with a quick question in their own foreign tongue.

“ It’s alright.” Finally, a voice speaking Lima’s language answered to the two confused space knights from behind Lima.

“ The solution won’t hurt her circulation.”

The voice’s owner was of a woman, translating what she had said to the two space medics to continue the process as she moved closer, and closer, to Lima’s side.

Lima didn’t look up at the person that had just explained to her, for her eyes and attention were onto Yuri, and the two golden armored medics performing further procedures upon the unconscious girl.

“ Don’t worry, Lima.” The woman in armor comforted the young girl, placing her hand gently onto Lima’s shoulder.

“ The surgery will be over soon.”

That was when Lima finally looked up, mortified.

“ What surgery?!?!” Lima demanded, panicking as the medics began switching on gears of incision.

The woman in golden armor jolted slightly in a mild gasp of surprise.

“ But Lima…” The woman thought for a split second to find the words to best convey the overall chaotic situation at hand.

“ Your friend…She is pregnant, and about to give birth—”

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“ ……Why…?” Yuri finally asked after a long pause to accept what she had been told by the Demon Serpent King.

“ I have finally grasped…I think I have grasped parts of the Powers My Mother had left in Me! Powers that can go back in Time! Powers that can save others, save my friends, my family…Save this World even, if it is What Mother wishes! I Need The Herunis Carna! And it is not for you to consume…No!!”

She stepped back, leaving the domain of communication to focus on summoning the Powers within her that might break this useless conversation. Demons can’t be reasoned with after all…Yuri tried hard to summon, trying hard to link with the Herunis Carna once again to reach the place, the realm Beyond, where all possibilities are achievable— only to realize she was not in her domain since the beginning of her wakening.

Before her, the plain of white turned and transformed like a melting curtain of wax as the pallid sky and horizons panned to a view of the sun, which Yuri thought as she stared straight at a ball of sheer Light and Power, a luminating excellence that exceeds vision and can also be seen by the blind and unseeing, a blaze that emanates from the unphysical, from the Light Soul.

A blooming essence in the center of nothing.

“ …What is this…? What are you showing me?!” Yuri asked the serpent Archdemon, knowing pretty sure this was one of the Demon’s tricks to succumb her.

THIS IS THE FATE OF EACH PASSAGE YOU CHOOSE

THE ENDING THE HERUNIS CARNA SO CURSES UPON THEE

“ Liar!” Yuri rejected furiously.

“ This is what you want me to believe, a makeshift horror!”

A CALCULATED AFTERMATH

FOR IN THE HERUNIS CARNA’S END

LIES A PATH

WHERE NOTHING MORE SHALL REMAIN

The Archdemon replied without sentiment.

“ How?!” Yuri demanded explanation, doubting in question though her Light Heart sensed an unease. The more she saw in this sheer planetarium of beaming souls, an ominous sense of dread Yuri could barely palpate through the lingering within the umbra of this growing entity of Bright. Something indeed was wrong in this everlarging eminence.

“ How…is this a curse of the Herunis Carna…?”

MY EYES BELONG TO THE NANOMIC MOTHER

TO THE SIORUN THAT FORSEES THE WORLD THROUGH NUMBERS

THE LIGHT SOUL GROWING AMONGST YOUR KIN

SHALL BE VESSELED BY THE HERUNIS CARNA TO ETERNITY

WHICH WOULD NEVER FADE

“ My kin…You mean my friends?! Lima, Neliya, Lucky…all their Light Hearts are carried in the Herunis Carna?”

LIGHT IS MEMORY STORED IN THE VESSEL INFINITELY

OF ALL WITH LIGHT HEARTS

MEMORY TRANSPOSES TO POWER

AND POWER THE HERUNIS CARNA HOARDS

SHALL LEAD TO ITS ULTIMATE IMPLOSION

Yuri’s jaws slowly dropped ajar, seeing as the scene before her, of the growing ball of Light consists not just of pure white glows, but of multiple, endless memories swimming and flashing within all its surface. Memories of old, Memories of alternate worlds, Memories Whatever that each and every being with Light Blood flowing in their veins, their Memories all stored in the Herunis Carna.

And it is breaking the engine of miracles from the inside, as the outer surface cracking as the whole sphere continued to bulge. Memories endlessly building and building and building nonstop.

Clearly, with her own eyes, Yuri could see her own memory, the ones of her being a Starbreaker, and venturing throughout the morbid world, making friends with the children and fighting for what she believed is right, all of them, reflecting upon the cracks amongst infinite others that swelled the sphere in a painful manner.

The Herunis Carna can achieve many, Yuri has so learned, but now she has seen firsthand what the Herunis Carna cannot withstand. Itself.

THE IMPLOSION OF THE HERUNIS CARNA IS THE END OF THIS WORLD

AND YOU WILL EITHER BE A SAVIOR

OR JUST ANOTHER DESTROYER

Yuri stepped back, fear mustering within her enlarged pupils as the sphere container of the Herunis Carna began to break, and Light, like sparkling blood, started gushing out like hoses from all sides..

“...No…!” Yuri could but make out a weak forlorn gasp of terror, watching the turmoil unfold.

“ This can’t be the end…! There must be a way!! There should be a way!!! IF there is a way, I WILL DO IT!!! I MUST SAVE THEM!!!!!”

YOU CAN NOT

The Archdemon gave its answer.

UNLESS THE HERUNIS CARNA AND ALL THE LIGHT IN ITS CORE

BE ERASED ENTIRELY BEFORE THE TIME OF ENDING OCCURS

“ NEVER!!!!” Yuri shouted, but at that precise moment, a pulverizing pressure erupted from within her, sending an agitating jolt throughout Yuri’s core, an unexpected rumbling that forced Yuri to her knees.

Her world swayed. The visions, the Archdemon serpent, the breaking engine of miracles, all of it blending slowly into a murky blur.

But the deep foreboding voice echoed still in her head.

THE EVAPORATION OF ALL IS IMMINENT

AND THE TIME SHALL COME

WHEN YOU WATCH AS IT BURNS ALL EXISTENCE

OR GIVE IT UP NOW

YURI

OUR TIME IS COMING TO AN END

I CAN LEAD YOU TO ITS GATES

IF ONLY YOU COULD FOLLOW—

“ She needs not follow any guidance from thee Duplicated Kind.”

Yuri gasped as the pale void dimension turned even whiter than it could even become and from beyond the dimensions, from above her and the Archdemon, a blinding light dawned down to their presence, descending right between Yuri and the great serpent.

Squinting with great effort to see from her obscuring sight, Yuri barely discerned a figure, a woman in armor of some kind of primitive type Starbreaker Yuri had never seen for a long time, but couldn’t remember where she saw it first. The helmet was missing on this blazing entity, and the hair, long and curling of beautiful strings of silky light danced under the magnificent soothing breeze emanating from this unknown Starbreaker.

The voice was like none other, still it was one Yuri surely knew she had heard before.

It was someone there, someone from her past standing before her.

Someone she had met, someone who had spoken to her,

Someone she was supposed to know.

“ The Path no matter how dread or bleak, is of her to face. Deprive you shall not of her path beyond. No.

For It is My Works that lies in her hands,

and my utmost faith in her, to save us all.”

And Yuri immediately understood who it was that was standing before her.

The rippling curly hair, the countenance hidden in light revealing only slight silhouette, the armor that belonged long long ago in an age before Yuri’s time, and the voice that had echoed through and through in her ears whenever she had dived to see her past—

— The words naturally came to Yuri’s lips, as she whispered in astonished gasps.

“ …Mo…ther…?????”

Yuri asked, at long last.

The figure slightly turned around.

But all of a sudden,

the white skies were torn apart, as ceiling light blazed throughout above. Equipment and monitors rattled and buzzed the dimensions out of existence as a transparent cage shattered with magnitudes of power raging all over from the beyond. Noises and loud horn-like honking drowned any trace of sound from the person before Yuri's eyes.

Aching for just one more second, yearning just one mere moment of confirmation from this person before her, Yuri leaped forth with all her might, fighting the pain and aching, her hand reaching out as the whole pale scene of endless white dispersed, melting as if washed away by the flames that taketh all from elsewhere. The Golden ceiling lights now conquered the plane of thought, and before Yuri realized, she had never been on her feet this whole time.

The pain of reality struck her once more, pulling her back onto the ground where her head rested among Lima’s embracing arms.

The pain in her lower abdomen reaching its breaking point.

And Yuri’s world dimmed, her senses abandoning her, as she tried with every waking consciousness of her mind, to keep the smile on the mysterious figure’s face

close in Memory.

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The medics on the escape pod both hollered in ecstatic cheer, as the surgery closed to a successful end.

The maneuver was complete. Three lives were saved.

“...Three…?” Lima looked up at all the towering golden space knights that beamed down proudly at her and Yuri, taking off their visors to reveal humans underneath the helm, sweating profusely after the tiresome procedures.

One of the medics remarked at something without marvel and disbelief, shaking his head in awe as the other came to Lima and the woman knight with something large wrapped in a warm blanket, eager to show them both.

“ What did he say…?!” Lima asked impatiently, reaching to take hold of the ‘thing’ wrapped in the blankets from teh medic’s hands.

“ Yuri’s safe, right?!?!”

“ Your friend made it.” The woman bent down as she joined Lima to see what was within the wrappings.

“ Our medic…he said he had never seen anything like this before.”

Lima looked down.

Warmth emanated the moment the blanket was raised and Lima felt an embracing heat hugging her from all sides, stretching out from the center in Lima’s arms.

Lima forgot to blink.

There, in her arms, was a solid elliptical egg, larger than the ones Lima remembered ever reading of ostriches in books about creatures of the past.

Weighing upon Lima’s hand with appropriate weight and feel, sliding her palm alongside the cool smooth surface, when her fingers felt warmer curved thin lingerings runes upon the oval surface.

Lima turned the egg around slowly as all the crew on the rocket pod watched with held breaths.

Upon the shell, were runes, twin runes, illuminating both colors of blue, and violet, entwined and separate at the same time, each color posing at one side. The blue rune-like curled wings, while the violet one shaped like blades of six.

The egg suddenly gave a slight jumping jiggle that scared not just Lima, but all the knights standing behind her, gasping in shock.

“ Not you two…” Lima sighed in whisper, lips curling to a weak smile.

Somehow, Lima believed though she hadn’t fully comprehended all that happened during this one long long day and episode, she was certain,

she was closer to the core of its presence unfold.

BEFORE LIGHT

THE FINAL RADIANCE

Chapter 18 : Strifen

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[...to be continued……]