Chapter 10: My choice
After passing through the second floor of the castle, Rael pressed forward.
The grand hall before him stretched wide, its marble floor cracked with age. A massive door stood at the far end. If he walked through it, he’d reach the final room.
But he knew it couldn't be that simple.
"You know, Axis, I never thought I'd be in a place like this," he muttered, stepping forward. "I never thought my life would change so drastically overnight.
"I'm still not sure if I made the right choice… but without this, would I really have any chance of finding the truth?”
*Whoosh*
An arrow shot toward his face.
Rael didn't flinch. He had expected it.
Turning his head slightly, the arrow whizzed past, grazing his cheek. Blood trickled down, but he never took his eyes off the door.
"I was never as talented as my parents,"
"But even so… I always felt safe in their embrace. They never pushed me away.”
*Whoosh*
Rael charged forward, throwing himself to the ground, and skidding beneath them.
He drew his sword mid-motion, keeping it close to his face as he sprinted.
"After they were gone… I told myself I’d carry on their legacy. But is that really what I want? How would they see it?”
As he ran, he looked at the map Axis had created and noticed some red dots on the ground.
'Traps.’
Rael sidestepped sharply—and the floor behind him erupted in an explosion.
*BOOM*
More arrows rained down. He slashed them aside, dodging between bursts of fire.
"Coming here… I know there's no turning back. So, father, mother—I hope you'll support my decision."
He jumped over the last bomb and stopped in front of the gate.
*Sigh*
Beyond the door lay a ruined chamber, its walls lined with shattered pillars.
And in the center of the room…A figure lay motionless: A knight clad in black armor.
Its faceless helmet tilted downward, its green eyes glowing ominously beneath the steel.
Then it moved.
Slowly rising, the knight's movement echoed in the empty chamber as metal ground. Its green eyes locked onto Rael.
It didn’t speak. It didn’t move. It simply stood there, waiting.
【I don't understand human emotions, let alone the weight of their decisions. But my existence was because of people like you. So I will help you to the best of my ability】
Rael gave a weak smile and looked at the black knight.
“Then let's begin.”
-
-
Sakura looked at the arachnid monster as her eyes showed a little fear.
'Arachnis Nocturna.'
That's the creature's name. Its size easily exceeds 3 meters, and its entire structure seemed to cause instinctive fear in its prey.
*Roar*
Arachnis roared and shot towards Sakura. Its giant legs pierced the ground with every step it took.
【Sakura, dodge!】
But she didn’t move. She couldn’t.
The fear gripped her heart too tightly.
Those red eyes seemed to consume all light, leaving only a trail of blood in their wake.
*SLASH*
In a split second, the Arachnis' leg struck Sakura's stomach, sending her flying into a tree, which shattered on impact.
“Aahhhh!” Sakura groaned in pain. She touched her stomach—her hand came away drenched in blood.
Her head began to hurt; she struggled to stay conscious but failed. Her mind sank into an endless abyss.
“It's over... I really am a failure. They were right, they all were.” She muttered. Her body didn't want to respond to her commands, and her mind became too chaotic.
“I'm scared…Onee-san... Sensei…” Tears streamed down her face as her hand became soaked in blood.
While she was lost in thought, Arachnis appeared in front of her and thrust one of his legs into Sakura's hand, piercing them.
“Aahhhh!”
【Don't give up... not yet】
“It's no use, Axis. I thought you were strong enough, but I was wrong...”
【he's only strong because you're feeding him】
...
Arachnis walked around Sakura slowly; as if savoring her despair. His eyes glittered as he prepared the final blow.
【Do you remember the conversation you had with Yato earlier? What it takes to win】
“In a fight, it's not enough just to have willpower...” She muttered as she remembered the words she had heard.
In a fight, just the desire to win isn't enough. You need more than that, especially when you're fighting something stronger than you.
【Exactly. That's why I'm here】
「【Hyper-Focus activated】」
「【Accelerated thinking activated】」
【This will put a lot of strain on you, but make sure you put that spider in its place】
*BOOMM*
Arachnis struck the final blow, making a crater in the ground. When the dust cleared, there was no one left.
Suddenly, Sakura appeared staring at him, their eyes meeting inches apart. Sakura's blue eyes stared deeply into those blood-red eyes.
It was as if all her fear had vanished.
“Have you ever had a nightmare?” She whispered.
*Roar*
The Arachnis roared in her face as it prepared an attack, but it wasn't fast enough.
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With all her strength, Sakura punched him in the face.
*BAM!*
The creature flew backward, crashing into the trees. A trail of blood appeared on his face and he roared with rage.
Even Sakura didn’t fully understand what Axis had done. Her chaotic thoughts had vanished. Her mind focused solely on one thing—victory. The pain from her wounds faded into insignificance.
【You don't have much time】
...
“Understood.”
-
-
Steel clashed against steel as Rael and the knight dueled at inhuman speeds.
In Rael’s eyes burned an unyielding will. In the knight’s, only destruction.
Their swords clashed, their bodies moving with supernatural swiftness, neither yielding ground.
*Clank*
Rael dodged a lethal strike and retaliated with a kick to the knight’s head—but it barely budged. The knight countered instantly, catching Rael’s leg and flinging him into the wall.
*BOOMM*
The wall was destroyed and Rael fell to the ground, his body weakening. Before he could rise, the knight was upon him, unleashing a relentless barrage of blows.
*BAM!*
Rael coughed up blood. Desperate, he raised his sword to counter—but the knight shattered it with a single strike.
'The difference... is too great. I don't want to... lose here!' Rael looked at the blade pointed at his head.
“Is it with this power that you intend to avenge your parents? Pathetic.” The knight suddenly said.
Rael's eyes widened, and he looked at the knight with an astonished expression. The knight's face began to distort and take other shapes.
'Those faces...'
The faces seemed familiar to him, but his memories were too blurry.
“Ambitions without power are nothing but dreams without meaning, flames without fuel to burn. Your parents would be ashamed of you.” The Knight spoke as his face changed to that of Rael's parents in the last sentence.
“You bastard! My parents would never say that to me! No matter how much of a failure I was... they were always on my side.” Rael shouted as he clenched his fists in rage.
The knight ignored Rael's screams and brought his sword down on his neck.
'Axis, help me break this guy's face!'
【You don't have to ask】
【Hyper-Focus activated】
【Accelerated thinking activated】
'Just in time!' Rael reacted immediately as he felt a change in his body and mind. He didn't care what it was now, he just wanted to destroy that knight.
The world slowed. His focus intensified.
The knight’s blade descended, aiming for his neck—And at the last moment—Rael stepped aside.
The sword missed by mere inches. The pain vanished from his body, replaced by a singular purpose.
And then he fired a punch at the black knight's face.
*BAM!*
The knight stumbled back, an almost confused reaction.
【Remember, your mind has strengthened, but your body cannot keep up perfectly】
Rael shot forward again. The two clashed in a brutal exchange of blows—fists, kicks, dodges.
But even as Rael reacted faster than ever, something became clear — His punches weren’t enough.
*BAM!*
Rael fired a kick at the knight's belly, then walked away.
'Any ideas, Axis? I don't think we'll be able to win like this,’ He said as he breathed heavily, reaching his limit.
【...】
【Are you ready for a risky move?】
Rael clenched his fists. His muscles ached, his breath ragged—but he nodded.
【You'll only have one chance, you'll have to decide in a single blow...】
“But I'm without my sword-”
【Remember what your Sensei said. Your body must be your blade】
“...”
“Understood.”
-
-
“Haaaah!”
*BAM!*
Sakura threw another punch. Arachnis flew back, slamming into the trees.
Her breath came in gasps.
She had the advantage. And yet—she couldn’t finish the fight. Her stamina was fading fast.
*Whoosh*
Arachnis charged again. One of its legs struck out—And pierced her arm.
"Tch—!"
Sakura gritted her teeth. Pain flared, but she didn’t falter. She kicked its leg away, making it stagger.
She went for another punch—But then her body froze.
A thick web wrapped around her arms and her legs, trapping her completely.
“What?!” She tried to break free, but her resistance was useless.
'Danm it!'
The Arachnis approached Sakura, walking through the webs. With every step the Arachnis took in its web, Sakura's consciousness died. Before long, she could no longer keep her eyes open. She was overwhelmed.
...
'All my life, people never expected much from me. I was like a shadow... invisible to many.'
Her body sank into the “abyss”. Plunging into endless darkness.
'However, a few days ago, I met people who put their trust in me... somehow.'
The image of Yato came into his mind. That sarcastic smile, but confident at the same time...
'In his eyes, I could feel that I was special and irreplaceable. He saw me... in a way that was very different from them.’
And then the image of her sensei popped into her head. They had been together for over a month. Somehow, her sensei always said that they were alike.
'But how?’
'"Sakura, I remember that I used to be just like you when I was younger. A dreamy girl... hungry for “stories”. Remember, dreams are the engine of achievement. Never give up on them.”
'Ah, that's it... dreamy people. If only I could...'
Her eyes opened, and she saw a “flame” in the middle of the endless Void.
'If only I could...'
Her hands reached out, refusing to give up.
'Be like you.’
“AXIS!” She was back.
The real world came into focus.
【Maximum capacity activated】Axis, who was rescuing her consciousness to the best of her ability, spoke.
She only had one chance, just a few seconds.
That “flame”, which she had longed to conquer... was now within her reach.
She could have any “color” she wanted in a world of endless possibilities.
image [https://img.freepik.com/vetores-gratis/tinta-aquarela-desenhada-a-mao-manchas-leves-textura_1409-2560.jpg?t=st=1740008311~exp=1740011911~hmac=136df850826c1d358eada4f84968b3ed1da185528697e255e46d685e2e46eff1&w=1060]
She finally knew... what ETERNIUM was.
In her hand, an indescribable energy hovered, with infinite potential for change. At that moment, she felt as if she could do whatever she wanted.
So he decided to burn away her nightmare.
-
>>
-
Rael opened his eyes, the knight's blade right his neck, but he didn't care.
“So that's Eternium.” He muttered with a smile. His bare hands stopped the knight's blade coming towards his neck.
“You said that ambition without power is nothing, right? Very well, I'll kill you with one blow.” Rael's eyes narrowed.
image [https://i.pinimg.com/736x/91/75/f8/9175f8be886e84e773b3a61c13cfa61c.jpg]
He stretched out his hand; and a sword of energy formed, extending into the sky.
The knight was horrified and backed away, but Rael held his body.
“Dad... Mom. I wish you... were with me now.”
The sword energy emitted a heavenly glow, preparing to destroy anything.
-
>>
-
At the same time—Sakura’s body ignited with flames. The webs burned instantly, turning to ash.
Arachnis screeched, trying to escape—But it was too late.
“I finally understand... sensei.”
As the flames converged, a single point formed, and then— two voices emerged.
“Disappear!” 2x -Rael and Sakura
*BOOMM!*
A cataclysmic explosion erupted.
Ashes remained where the forest once stood, and the castle lay in two pieces.
-
Rael flashed a smile, and his consciousness disappeared completely shortly afterward.
“I did it, Dad... Mom.”
-
>>
-
Sakura looked around, seeing everything reduced to ashes. Arachnis' body had been completely burnt, leaving nothing behind.
Sakura stood still, looking up at the sky. His attack had also burnt much of her skin, but despite the pain, she smiled.
“I hope you're proud of me, Sensei.”
【You did very well, Sakura】
She smiled as she heard Axis' words.
“It's captain, Axis.”
And then she fainted.
Just before impact, someone caught her. Wrapped in warm arms.
A familiar voice. Gentle and Proud.
"I’m proud of you, my little one."