EPISODE 159: LIGHT OF THE END 5
— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR 7291. SEASON: COLOR FADING.
Time… perhaps it is the most mysterious element to most. Perhaps they find it difficult to comprehend because of its intangible nature. I find it wonderful, present, and very understanding. Time is forward-thinking—it decides a plan, anticipates an event or opportunity, and then moves on as it passes. It is a dimension most Gods have only just begun to comprehend in the Astral Above. Not out of a choice or desire, but a must . For they do not exist within the same time as mortals. Yet, both rely upon one another so much.
Perhaps that is why their lives are so fleeting, so short to the Gods. Flames that burn for a single bright moment—making their make in history before ultimately being forgotten. Yet, a God is eternal—in the sense of mortality. Truly, they are anything but eternal. Gods are afraid of death, just as mortals are—only they hold the power to stave off its touch for far longer.
That’s why I like Time—it reminds them of their mortality. I… remind them of their mortality.
Dreams are coming—this time, I cannot fail to warn Him in time. But… I know not when it’s best to enter His circle, His range of vision.
…
…
…
At least I get to see her smile again.
— ??? Unknown excerpt.
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Her face was blank. It lacked any emotion of any sort as the wind whistled past her armored form. Zie pushed her…? The action was so unexpected that she hadn’t had time to react nor do anything to rectify her situation before it was too late.
Zie pushed her…
Were they not fellow students of the academy? Even if they weren’t as close, did they not share an origin that…
She let those thoughts drift away—hundreds, thousands passed through her mind in the final moments of her life. She thought of her brothers, mother, and father. What would they say? How would they react? Were they in the very audience and saw what happened to her? Who would protect them?
She thought of the academy and the friends she made along the way. What would Karla say… Simra knew for a sure fact that both her best friends were watching. What would Lawruthian think? Should she blame him? No, that wasn’t right. At any time, she could have bowed out and rejected fighting in the Challenger’s Ring. He gave them that option. Yet, as the elites of the Imperius Academy—the elite [Commoner] students… Simra and the rest held their own pride. They were better than the majority of students who attended Imperius Academy—they were literally ranked as such. Their determination, persistence, perseverance, Power, Vitality, Endurance, Mind, Self, and Intent were all better . They had proven it through raw data and facts.
The opponents they faced barely gave them trouble. Their training at the academy truly set them up for a prosperous future, no matter the profession they chose. Simra’s master was the [Sword Saint]. Having the word ‘Saint’ in your title or class wasn’t a simple thing that was given to anyone. The magi-woman was so good with the blade that the Prime System itself declared her a saint of it. Outside the Goddess’s acknowledgment, there isn’t much higher praise. Would her master be disappointed?
Simra felt indignation, rage, and hopelessness . Her quest flashed through her mind. She was the [Light of the End] but she still barely understood what that meant. And, when attempting to inquire about it, Simra’s search results had come up empty. Her dreams, futures, hopes , aspirations, all of it flashed through her mind.
Could she give up like this?
No…
She didn’t want to, she didn’t just want to give up her chance at victory. At the last moments, Simra recalled her medallion, all it would take was a single point of mana to save her. All it would take was a single point of mana to give up on her dreams. All it would take is…
No.
That was an easy way out and would cement her as a top contender in the Challenger’s Ring, but that was it. She would be discussed for a day or two. Perhaps recalled about in a tavern a few years down the line, but her story would end there . Was she satisfied?
NO.
…
NO.
…
NO.
Simra Enlar was not satisfied, not like this. She still had Hope. She still was the [Light of the End].
You have slain [Green Wolf — ★★ ]
You have slain [Green Wolf — ★★ ]
You have slain [Green Wolf — ★★ ]
SELF CHECK!
You have fallen from a tremendous height.
-500 HP.
Her body impacted through several of the [Green Wolves] before impacting into the ground—broken by the fall as she lost all of her Health Points. The snarling wolves barely noticed their brethren’s deaths as they continued to claw their way higher. The cliff face was lowering and lowering, and soon it would be low enough for the wolves to climb aboard and finish the rest of the Challengers.
As she lay among the ruined bodies of the [Green Wolves] the world began to fade into black. The fall immediately took all of her life points into the negatives, not even to zero. This was death? She didn’t feel any pain… if it was… it was… nice. Simra could let it all slip away, in that dimness as everything faded, she saw them. [Messengers] were waiting and ready to lead her soul to the Promised Land. They were beautiful men and women who smiled gently down on her. A woman with features similar to hers, reached her hand out, waiting for Simra to gently grab on. Simra looked at the final notification to appear in her vision.
You Have Died.
“ No ,” she said, voice barely a whisper. “ I Have Not. ”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Whose voice spoke?
[Light of the End] has resisted {Death}.
It was getting harder to see, the blackness covered her vision and continued to dim everything, even the [Messenger] waiting for her to take her hand.
Light.
Simra wished she had light to see by.
“ Oh… But I Do Have Light. ”
There it was again… that voice.
The dim, blackness in her vision began to recede and Simra could clearly see the [Messenger] who floated above her, her hand outstretched. The [Messenger] held curly hair like her own. Her features were similar to Simra’s, curly hair, shorter and thicker stature, everything was similar, all but one feature. The [Messenger] watched Simra with red-gold eyes. Of all the magi, there was only one clan with eyes that were red and gold.
Simra’s hand reached up, seemingly about to grab the [Messengers]. She swiped her hand through the air, batting away the Messenger’s hand.
“ It Is Not My Time, Not Yet. ”
She was curious, the voice held familiarity to it, but she just wasn’t certain.
The [Messenger] removed her hand, the smile still present on her face despite Simra’s rudeness. She drew back and nodded. Simra focused, her body was still broken from the fall, and unless she fixed it, she wouldn’t be able to move.
[Light of the End] has resisted -500 HP.
Simra’s body, which once lay broken by the ground beneath, her blood seeping through her armor and absorbed below, began to rearrange itself back into proper shape. The snarling wolves, all attempting to climb higher, were left none the wiser as the young woman behind them fixed herself. Simra groaned, her arm snapping into place. She’d broken several parts of her body and perhaps since she died, the Prime System hadn’t shown the several de-buffs affecting her body. No matter, it was all reversing as she lay there.
“ Get Up. ”
There was that voice again… who was that?
Her body wasn’t ready yet, the Life Points she held before her fall had returned, but it was still taking time for her body to heal. She lay there, light flooding her surroundings. The [Green Wolves] forgotten.
What was the [Light of the End]?
Simra wasn’t certain. In fact, even after reading the system's notification with its description and sole function, Simra still wasn’t certain. No matter, she would find out.
“ Get Up. ”
Again, there was that voice, urging her to stand. This time Simra complied, not out of a desire to follow the order, but to discover the speaker.
She looked at the [Messenger] who still appeared through the bright light. The woman or woman appearing [Messenger] watched her with curiosity.
“ Is That You… ,” she asked, her voice trailing off.
The [Messenger] shook her head, although both she and Simra knew the answer to her question.
“ That… Is… Me…? ”
Her voice was… amplified—if that was the simplest term Simra could say for it. It sounded like multiple of her spoke at once. She didn’t know what to think of it at first… but if anything… she was starting to like it.
Simra clenched her fists and reached for her weapons. Her eyes remained locked on the top of the cliff face. She looked around at the [Green Wolves] who were now distantly surrounding her.
“ Light of the End… ”
She didn’t truly know what it meant, but… it was time to find out.
“CAN IT BE,” roared Announcer Zuud in a questioning voice. He stood from his seat, grasping the handles of his chair in astonishment.
“Simra has survived her fall.”
“More than survive,” Demigoddess Camilla said with keen interest. “She is Titled, but… impossible —they are all dead.”
She turned and gazed at Prince Lawruthian, a pondering expression on her face. The young prince’s eyes remained locked to the closest screen, which only displayed a single figure. Simra shone with a bright white light that seemed to extinguish all shadows. It drew the eyes of every member of the audience, regardless of whether they wanted to view her or not. Prince Lawruthian’s eyes narrowed and next to him, Allura stood there confused. They were in the middle of a conversation—one that very well may dictate her future. Yet now, that was pushed back at the revelation of Simra living.
Just before the indignation could grow, Prince Lawruthian slightly turned back to her. “I apologize, but this matter is highly important to Edryan. I will help you, but we cannot discuss it here, not now, but after this, you will have your chance.”
Princess Allura calmed a bit, but she still held a jumble of emotions in her heart. She would have her discussion with Prince Lawruthian—just… not now. She closed her eyes and mentally checked herself. Once she was certain her roiling emotions were under control, she reopened them. Like the Prince of Edryan, her attention turned to the closest screen at hand.
A massacre was taking place. Both above on the ever-descending cliff and below as Simra defended herself from the wolves. Perhaps an apt description would be the [Green Wolves] defended themselves from Simra’s onslaught.
The woman moved with startling efficiency and with every swing of her blade, one of the [Green Wolves] was slain. Some had their heads directly chopped off, others were completely split in half. The young woman’s glow only grew brighter as the audience watched. A strange but pleasant feeling emerged in their hearts as they saw her.
Prince Lawruthian finally tore his gaze away from the screen, and he focused on the audience members. His sharp vision was easily able to make out the faces and actions of the audience, even from his higher vantage point. Some held their hands together, their eyes glued to the screens. Others made signed symbols of Goddess Madris, their fore-knuckles touched over their chest. Some stood, in shock, unable to tear their eyes away.
Prince Lawruthian continued to observe the many members of the audience. And, through this observation, he noticed many things. Yet, the most prominent was the light that reflected in the eyes of the people. There was meaning behind that light, and he didn’t understand exactly what it was. He turned to Demigoddess Camilla, who remained watching like all the rest. Her earlier words were caught by him. He just found himself still in a state of shock and was unable to respond.
“Demigoddess Camilla,” he began, drawing the demigoddess’s attention. “…do you know what is happening?”
Demigoddess Camilla pursed her lips, then nodded. However, she didn’t speak, instead, she just glanced at Princess Allura who stood not far from the Prince.
He understood and nodded. He would have some answers to his question, just… not now.
Before he could say anything else, he felt a change in the atmosphere as fluctuations appeared before him. Pink light appeared in the air and Princess Allura stepped back, and Chine Redsan moved to stand next to her. There were a few of the [Dustguards] present but down below. No matter, even Chine Redsan wasn’t certain if they could escape should anything happen. Especially now that Edryan’s first demigoddess in centuries appeared.
Queen Titiana smiled at her son as she floated gently in the air. The yorimen stared, this was their first time meeting the Queen of Edryan, and both were impressed.
Queen Titiana’s beauty was unmatched within Edryan and as the aura of a demigoddess invaded their space, that beauty only became more prominent. The two women truly understood the rumors around her and the desire some held to conquer her.
The Queen smiled at her son, before turning her attention to the screens. The audience didn’t seem to have noticed her appearance, even as she floated visibly before a vast majority of them. The yorimen wasn’t certain whether this was through her powers or because the attraction to the screens was just too strong for the magi.
Before the demigoddesses and Prestiges could stand, Queen Titiana waved them down and continued to watch the screens. No one could decipher the expression on her face.
Simra Enlar felt powerful , but that wasn’t the only emotion she was feeling currently. She flowed easily through the [Green Wolves] slaying them with maximum efficiency as her blade easily found weak spots and critically struck the creatures. Not that it was necessary with the current level of power she was displaying. Her Life Points continued to rise, far past what was her norm. A part of the sole function she held for [Light of the End].
The second emotion she felt was vengeance. Zie Breaker would die today should she get her hands on him. It was perhaps that rage, that frustration, that added to her efficiency when slaying her opponents. The [Green Wolves] continued to attack her with abandon. They were what was in her way and scaling to climb the cliff face. Although at the rate things were moving, the cliff may be completely level enough for her to get atop it.
The light from her body hadn’t stopped, and it only grew stronger. A bright white light that filled her with strength and resolve to do what needed to be done.
It took several minutes for her to finish clearing the last of the wolves. At least those who dared to face her. The rest finally seemed to understand they were not her match, or perhaps they retreated under the orders of the [Dungeon Master]. It didn’t matter—what mattered was Simra’s freedom to climb the cliff face. Not that she’d do much climbing. Only about ten meters of the cliff face remained—a distance Simra easily scaled.
“THE FINAL BATTLE IS HERE, AND OUR UNEXPECTED CHALLENGER, SIMRA OF IMPERIUS ACADEMY, MAKES HER RE-ENTRANCE TO PROVE HERSELF THE SUPERIOR WARRIOR! HOW WILL THE REMAINING THREE CHALLENGERS FACE HER? WHAT WILL HER FELLOW STUDENT ZIE THINK AS HE SEES HER RISE FROM WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CERTAIN DEATH!”