Nama Woods, Rosendun.
7:41 p.m. 10 th Zelyr 1092.
8 Days to World’s End.
Flap! Flap!
High, in the skies above Nama Woods, a massive black silhouette darted through the clouds, its irregular movement suggesting it was a living creature. A strange giggling sound escaped the silhouette as it cut through the clouds and then sped down to meet an awaiting pale-faced man.
Rider smiled as he examined the condor wings sprouting out of Zuri’s back. The child’s Beast Assimilation skill was progressing nicely. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before she achieved Full Body Assimilation?
Zuri chuckled as she swooped around Rider. “So, where are we going now?”
“We need to see the world’s biggest pretender.” Rider ruffled Zuri’s hair and then said, “Follow me.” With those words, Rider swiftly descended, followed closely by Zuri.
Vwoosh!
Rider and Zuri cut through the dense trees and then landed in a small clearing. Zuri curiously looked around, eyes widening when she spotted Fladnag’s little treehouse. She then looked to her right. There, she saw Fladnag seated at a table with a chair opposite him. A giant treant, which she would later learn as Yanakal stood by the wizard’s side, gazing at a bird on one of its branches.
Fladnag set down his cup and then turned to look at the visitors. His bushy brows rose when he noticed Zuri. “Rider. I did not think you would come with company. Are you not the lonely type?”
“I prefer to be alone, kid.” Rider snorted as he walked over. “This is Zuri, by the way. She is a Summoned.”
“Summoned, huh?” Fladnag gave Zuri a once-over. He then turned to look at Rider with a glint in his eyes. “You chose her to be your successor? Interesting choice. I always thought you would reserve that for the champion.”
Rider shook his head. “Kashi’s path is different. I doubt he would let me influence it much.” He looked at Zuri, who had walked over to view Yanakal from up close. “She, on the other hand, has both the skills and willingness to learn.”
Fladnag glanced at Zuri. “Fine. Maybe you are right.” The wizard then fished out four scrolls from within his robe. He placed the scrolls on the table and looked at Rider. “I assume you are here for the teleportation matrixes?” When Rider nodded, he pointed, “Everything you need is here.” Fladnag separated the scrolls into two parts, in a 2-1 formation. “You should know how to use this, but just in case.” He pointed at the first pair. “These will mark and then transport a small army to the plains surrounding Oni Hill. I’ve already locked the coordinates, so do not worry about the accuracy.” He then pointed at the last scroll. “This one will send everyone marked by the first matrixes back to their point of origin. Assuming things go to shit, you can at least save the warriors for a bit longer.”
“Thanks. These will be a big help.” Rider took the scrolls and put them away. A delightful shout caught their attention, and they turned to see Zuri laughing as Yanakal swung her this way and that. A small smile spread on Rider’s face. “That’s what we’re fighting for, is it not? A future where the kids can smile in peace.”
Fladnag snorted. “Human nature dictates that another war will just spring up in the future.” The old wizard frowned and looked at the murky tea. “I’m only doing this to sock Razznik a good one. Even if just once. Well, I’ll be over the moon if the bastard croaked, but that seems unlikely.” He sighed and looked at Zuri. “At the very least, we stagnant fakes will never be capable of defeating him.”
“Maybe not, but we can raise the generation who can.” Rider’s eyes flashed as he thought of the people he had met along this journey. Aside from the obvious Sonic and Brilith, he met quite a few secret individuals, both Summoned and Resident alike. Many could give Kashi a run for his money in terms of potential and strength.
If these budding flowers were carefully raised… Well, there was no telling what they could accomplish!
Rider, thus, looked at Fladnag with a strong, confident smile. “I am certain we will see balance restored to the world.”
Fladnag sighed and then drank from his tea. “I hope you are right. We might have solved the first crisis, but if we do not restore the reincarnation cycle, this world will soon explode.”
Rider frowned. The reincarnation cycle was an essential facet of a functioning world. When people died, barring strong sentiments or special occasions, their souls returned to the Circle. These souls would then be judged and then sent to reincarnate in one of the seven planes, depending on the judgment.
When the gods fell, the Circle stopped functioning. As a result, when people died, their souls remained on the earth. As a result, an unfathomable number of souls inhabited the planet at one point. If this continued, eventually, the world would become imbalanced, which would lead to catastrophic events as it tried to repair itself. Most likely, all life would be purged in the world’s bid to become more suitable for ghost life.
Fortunately, when Syèl restored the Circle, most of these souls returned. This action returned a semblance of balance, but it was not a final cure. That was because, without Aerith, the souls were stuck in the Circle and could not reincarnate.
The Circle had a maximum capacity, almost filled to the brim from the influx of a thousand years of souls from seven planes. If it did not begin recycling these souls soon, it, like a jar forcefully filled past capacity, would explode. The resulting damage to the realms was something no one wanted to picture.
It would make the Calamity feel like a stubbed toe in comparison.
Unfortunately, unlike the other gods, Aethir was carefully guarded by Razznik himself in Hell. Figuring out how to rescue her was the one task Ferulic assigned to the Seven. It would, by no means, be an easy task.
Rustle!
Fladnag and Rider looked to the bushes, eyes widening when a brown-furred kafu stepped out from the thickets.
“Bert!” Rider exclaimed in shock. “You came out on your own?” For as long as he had known this man, he could count on one hand the number of times he met Bert awake, let alone walking around. “What’s the occasion?”
Bert had his hands in his pockets as he approached and then sat on a freshly conjured chair. The kafu took a sip from the cup of tea Fladnag handed him and then took a deep breath. He then looked at Rider and smiled. “I missed you the last time you came to visit. I felt like I should see you this time at least.”
Fladnag snorted. His judging gaze was filled with disdain. “Don’t lie. You’re just too lazy to fly to Oni Hill. You want to join me when I teleport over.”
Bert exposed a lazy smile. “I’ll be imposing on you.” He then spotted Zuri out of the corner of his eyes. The kafu’s eyes shone as he watched Zuri play with Yanakal. Zuri seemed to be aiming for a fruit held close to Yanakal’s trunk. She had to dodge the treants vines and branches as she charged at the fruit. Bert was especially pleased by Zuri’s razor-sharp reflexes and animal-like instinctual dodges. It was clear this girl had not undergone any formal training. “Hey, I—”
“NO!”
Both Fladnag and Rider screamed in unison, their gazes filled with horror. They repositioned their chairs, blocking Zuri from Bert’s sight.
“Forget it, Bert,” demanded Rider with a stern expression. However, there was a hint of fear in there.
“Yeah. No chance we’re letting you train her.” Fladnag seconded Rider’s demand.
Bert frowned. “Why are you both acting like this? I want a successor too, you know? Even Cathek has a student. I’m the only one without one.”
“That’s on you.” Rider snorted. How did this man expect to find a student when he slept all day? That said, Rider felt immense pity for whoever became Bert’s successor. Bert, to the world, was a nice kafu who offered friendly advice before sleeping.
But, among the Seven, Bert had a unique nickname, The Sleeping Mad Berserker. Bert acquired that nickname from his extreme fighting style. When he was younger, he did not possess Cathek’s natural talent, so he trained his body like a madman. Furthermore, when he fought, he put his entire body on the line like a vicious beast, often willing to trade an arm and leg to take down his opponent.
Bert, for whom the word defense did not exist, was the worst to teach a sweet, young girl like Zuri.
Rider shivered as he pictured the innocent Zuri laughing as she tore people to pieces. Nope! No Way! Not Happening! “Forget it, Bert. We can find you another student. I already chose her to be my successor.”
“Our legacies don’t clash, though.” Bert looked at Rider but gave up when he saw the determination in the hybrid’s eyes. “Fine. I will find my own student. I’m sure I will find someone suitable in this battle. Besides, it will be a nice time to check up on Kashi’s progress. I don’t know why, but I believe that child will be our best chance to defeat Razznik.”
“You think so too?” Rider looked at Zuri. “If she were alone, I probably would disagree, but he’s surrounded by monsters. I really think he’s our best bet. But, there are quite a few other candidates out there. You should visit the other regions more often. You will be pleasantly surprised.”
Bert shook his head. “I’m good. That’ll cut into my training.”
Rider’s eyes twitched. This kafu took too much bullshit from Razznik. One of the worst was this sickening training ethic. Believe it or not, Bert trained in his dreams. That was the reason why he was always asleep.
Rider looked at Fladnag and then Bert. The hybrid shook his head. He needed to get out of here before he was contaminated with crazy. “Zuri!”
“Got it!” Zuri cried, overjoyed as she ran up to Rider with the fruit. She grinned as she presented Rider with the yellow, basketball-sized fruit. “Hehe, what do you think, Gray Ojii-san?”
Rider’s brow shot up in shock. He jerked to look at Yanakal, who responded with a wooden smile. “Haha! You scored big, Zuri.”
Zuri cocked her head to the side. “What?”
“I’ll hold onto this for now. I’ll let you know the best time to eat it.” Rider laughed and ruffled Zuri’s hair. “Alright. Let’s retrace our steps. We’ll go deliver these scrolls, and then wait for Kashi to meet us.”
Zuri bounced up and down, eyes wide in excitement! “Kashi’s coming!?” Poof! A pair of beautiful, raven black wings sprouted from her back. She jumped and then hovered over the clearing. “Come on, Ojii-san! Kashi’s waiting for us!”
“That’s not what I—Never mind.” Rider chuckled. He bade goodbye to Bert and Fladnag and then took to the sky, joining the rambunctious child.
Bert watched the figures disappear into the horizon and then turned to look at Fladnag. “How do you feel? We might meet Razznik very soon.”
“Might?” Fladnag snorted. “Fate is a cruel thing. I am certain Razznik’s summoning will be successful. But, we need to buy time to reverse the summoning, or failing that, Kill Him.”
“In the end, that’s what you really want, is it not? To kill Razznik.”
Fladnag frowned. “You’d think I would get over my anger after one thousand years. But, it’s only gotten worse. I will not rest until Razznik is dead.”
Bert revealed a bitter smile. “I often wonder why I was chosen. I seem to be the only one who does not hate Razznik. Perhaps, that is why. I still find it hard to believe he is as evil as you all make him out to be.”
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Did he not kill your mother?”
“How many people’s mothers and fathers have I killed?” Bert sighed and shook his head. “I cannot justify my hate when I have committed the same crime. Besides, he acted on Aethir’s orders. He was nothing but the sword.” For a moment, Bert’s eyes grew wild and hot as a terrifying pressure escaped his body. “If there’s anyone I should hate, it would be the goddess who swung that sword to protect herself.” Bert’s expression relaxed, and he closed his eyes.
“Ironic, isn’t it? You are now sworn to rescue her from Razznik.”
“Ironic? Yes. It is indeed, ironic…”
Dorun, Merriheim’s East Claw.
8:21 a.m. 11 th Zelyr 1092.
7 Days to World’s End.
A massive shadow zipped over the small village. The villagers, of whom most were felur, trembled under the immense pressure exuded by the terrifying lifeform. However, despite their fear, the felur warriors picked up their weapons and readied themselves for a terrible fight.
“Stand down!” Just when tensions were at their peak, a calming voice shouted from within one of the mud houses. The felur looked at Brock, who wore a small, bitter smile. “He’s not an enemy.” Well, he’s not a friend, either. Brock looked up at the dark silhouette. “I did not realize you had such a playful side to you…”
The silhouette suddenly descended. Since it no longer blocked the sun, the felur could make out the terrifying, red-scaled Elder Dragon. Nornesh shrunk to his hume form and then landed in front of Brock. The Elder Dragon frowned as he gave Brock a once-over. “Was it you? Did you send that kid?”
“Kid?” Brock recalled the daeben who proclaimed he would somehow convince Nornesh. His eyes widened in shock. “It can’t be. Did Kashi really recruit you?”
“Recruit?” A fire burned in Nornesh’s eyes as if insulted by the very claim. “You think a mere hume could recruit me? We merely struck a deal, a mutual agreement that benefits us both.”
‘Yeah, that sounds just like recruitment.’ Brock did not dare speak his mind. First, a dragon’s pride was legendary. They had no qualms destroying cities to soothe their ego. Brock could not afford to annoy Nornesh. At least, not in the village.
Secondly, Brock was, quite frankly, scared of Nornesh. Even among the Transcendents, Nornesh was on a different plane of strength. This dragon was the sole reason the Chaos Orders’ Transcendents could not run amok.
“I suppose that is the only way.” Brock agreed. Judging by Nornesh’s relaxed brows, it seemed the flattery worked. Brock breathed a sigh of relief and then pointed to the mud house. “The others await you inside.”
Nornesh wrinkled his nose. “I will never understand why you choose to live in such squalor.” Nevertheless, the Elder Dragon crossed his arms at his back and then followed Brock through the door.
The entrance opened up to a small room. A small, round, wooden table sat at the center with five chairs surrounding it.
Nornesh’s gaze traveled to a straw mat on the floor. “Really.” He spat, but it ultimately was not his place to judge another’s lifestyle. Thus, he turned his attention to the three men sat at the table.
Naturally, Nornesh spotted the most flashily dressed man first. Damah Dumm, dressed in his trademark purple doublet, placed his goblet on the table upon seeing Nornesh. “Incredible. I never fathomed you of all people would show up.”
Nornesh’s eyes narrowed. He did not like this Damah Dumm. Mostly because he did not know a damn thing about the man—aside from the fact that he was anything but human. No human could live for as long as Damah Dumm.
However, the fact that Nornesh could not sniff out the merchant’s original race was a worry in and of itself. Interestingly, Damah Dumm protected Ederwood.
“You’re telling me. Who woulda thought there’d be a day the great Nornesh would grace one of our meetings with his grand presence.”
Nornesh turned to look at the green-haired cerulean who spoke. “Watch your mouth, Tritan.”
Tritan was a muscular man who looked to be in his late forties. His seaweed-like, green hair was held together by a headband, which the old man occasionally toyed with. Nornesh knew this man well. Tritan was one of those renegade men who liked to explore the world, be it via land or sea. The man was rarely in one place, but his official ‘home-zone’ was the chaotic Monoch.
Nornesh ignored the angry Tritan and looked at the final Transcendent: a child who looked to be in his early teens. The cute, skinny boy was dressed in white priest robes and permanently had his eyes shut. Nornesh heard it was because the child did not want to be contaminated by seeing the world’s sin.
Nornesh could not ascertain how accurate the rumor was, but he did know one thing. Palu Sails was as much an oddball as the rest of the Transcendents. To be fair, though, one needed at least a few loose screws to attempt breaking past Level 199.
“Hooh.” Nornesh let out a pleased sound as he took a seat. “It seems everyone is here. Do you gentlemen truly rate this danger that high? This is not the first time the Order has attempted something big. What makes you so sure that they will succeed this time?”
“This is not about whether the Order succeeds or not.” Damah Dumm frowned as he tapped the table. “The winds of fate have been billowing ever since the Summoned arrived. Just their presence alone is enough to consider this a major threat.”
Paul sighed. “Is there no end to the pointless bloodshed?” His soothing voice was akin to singing clarinets. It warmed the soul. “The Summoned have incurred great karmic wrath. It only makes sense that the world seeks to cull their numbers. We are but collateral damage.”
“I don’t know why you’ve got your panties in a twist. Who cares if the Order wins?” Tritan snorted and then rested his legs on the table. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Razznik gets released,” answered Brock as he took his seat. “The results would be catastrophic.”
“So says some fancy fortune teller.” Tritan snorted. He then recalled something and looked at Paul. “No offense.”
“None taken.” Paul smiled. “Lady Sayen can indeed seem like a common fortune-teller to the world. But, as someone who has served by her side, I assure you, her fortunes, if not deliberately avoided, always come true.”
Brock nodded. “We’re not here to debate the veracity of Razznik’s return. Need I remind you all that the Order’s Transcendents did not make a move when the daeben army was decimated. Yet, this time, I’m sure you can sense them. All ten have gathered at Drakase. They are going on the offense. That, alone, should put us all on guard.”
Tritan’s eyes shone with glee. “That’s what I’m saying! Since they’re all here, why don’t we go wreck their home base a little? I’ve always wanted to wipe that smug grin off Sly’s face.”
“Sure. If you are tired of living.” Nornesh, surprisingly, killed this plan dead in the water. Four pairs of curious eyes prompted the Elder Dragon to explain. “I took a stroll to their island before coming here. There is a terrifying presence hidden there. One which even I do not dare provoke. Whatever that thing is, it marked that island as its territory. It will obliterate us the second we near that place.”
“There’s something you find terrifying?” Tritan’s gaze narrowed. It had to be understood that Nornesh alone was worth 6 Transcendents. This was why the delicate balance remained. Yet, there was someone this dragon found terrifying?
“There are countless beings multiple times stronger than us,” said Damah Dum. The others did not react pleasantly to this claim, causing the others to frown. The mertian, however, did not care and instead continued, “Besides, there is no reason to believe attacking their home base will cripple the Order. They have survived through the eons by being extremely intelligent and adept at splitting up their forces around the continent.”
Paul agreed. “Aethir’s Mercy. Now that I think about it, this is probably the only time in history that the Cardinals and Primates are together in one location.”
“Ha!” Tritan loudly snickered. “I love how your cute cheeks scrunch up whenever you say Cardinal. Does it piss you off that much?”
“Sram’s Wrath.” Paul shook his head. The anger in his heart did not pierce his doll-like pretty smile. “It certainly angers me that this heretical organization dared to sully the church’s good name. I—”
“Y’all had to change your designations, didn’t you?” Tritan’s wolf-like grin greatly unnerved the young man. “Well, don’t worry. Once we kill the Order’s Transcendents, y’all can have your names back.”
Damah Dumm shook his head. “Our objective should not be extermination, but delay. We just need to prevent the Cardi—Chaos Transcendents from attacking the regular army. Speaking of which—”
“How exactly are y’all planning on transporting the common folk?” Tritan questioned Brock with a raised brow.
Brock chuckled. “I do not know how.”
“What!?” Tritan shouted, eyes wide in shock. “How can you not know!? What good will we be if the Chaos kids can just go ahead with the spell while their Transcendents hold us back?”
“Mera’s Gift. I agree with Tritan.” Paul looked at Brock. “We cannot risk our lives without a solid plan. Needless bloodshed is needless.”
“Exactly!” Tritan seconded. “You die when you are killed, you know!? Shit hurts! I’m not planning on doing that a second time!”
Brock laughed and then looked at Damah Dumm and Nornesh, who did not seem surprised by his confession.
Nornesh broke the silence. “It’s Kashi, is it not?”
“Certainly.” Damah Dumm wore an enigmatic smile. “From what I’ve learned of him, I can think of two or three ways through which he could transport troops.”
Tritan looked at the three men who were happily flaunting their connections. Tritan frowned. “Hey! It’s not like I can’t grow my own networks, too, ya know!? I just like exploring the ocean! I could learn about this Kashi dude in a snap if I wanted!”
Paul, however, was more direct. “Chisoa’s Wisdom. Please, who is this Kashi character? The children at my temple often whisper his name in secret. They call him Demon Lord, and they say he has a hellhound by his side.”
“I do not know about a hellhound, but I can see why they would call him a demon lord.” Nornesh shook his head. “There’s something different about the child.”
Damah Dumm nodded. “Indeed. If I had to guess who amongst the Summoned could possess a threat to our positions in the future, Kashi would top my list.”
“Be that as it may, we require his help to pass this crisis.” Brock sighed and tapped the table. He then looked at the gentlemen around the table. “So, I take it we are in agreement, then? We will hold the Transcendents in place while Kashi and his troops do their best to prevent the summoning?”
There was a pause. And then four voices simultaneously agreed. “We are.”