-Chapter Forty-Six-

Revelations - Part Two

The prerequisites for the innate talent Phoenix’s Love has been satisfied.

Phoenix’s Love is now taking effect.

「Phoenix’s Love」

Wounds that greatly impair or have the chance to cause permanent damage to the individual will trigger this skill and heal over a good nine-hour sleep.

The power to heal over sleep is only possessed by the Phoenix. For a human to come to possess this power, they must be the one the Phoenix blessed, at the cost of their own life. Imbued with power from the one who adored you, may you wake up from the long dream anew.

Side effect: Rekindling!

This skill heals by administering an effect similar to rewinding time. This effect however, if triggered, will affect parts of the User’s mind.

Caution is recommended!

The worse the wounds, the higher chance of triggering or increasing the intensity of the side effect Rekindling.

Alert!

Rekindling has been triggered.

Repeat, Rekindling has been triggered.

The system urges the user to protect their psyche so it may remain intact and… sleep well…

…

…

—-----------------------

“Oh please, hero. Oh please, Chosen by the Goddess.”

“Please, save us.”

“Please.”

“Please, hero.”

“Please…”

“Please!”

“Pleaaaase!

“Hero!”

“Hero!”

“Hero!”

“Hero!”

The voices chanted and pleaded, cried and begged him without end as Aelius sat on the throne at the centre of the church.

The pleading went on for hours.

“Think of our families!”

“You’re the only one who can do it!”

“They took all my children!”

“In the name of the Goddess!”

“All hail Stecia and her Envoy!”

Hours and hours.

All the while, the higher ups of the Holy church calmly tried to reason with Aelius.

“Sir hero, this time really is to put an end to it.”

“We’ve confirmed the hierarchy. All we have to do is target the castle, and we can pull the Devils out by their roots!”

“One frontal assault to end it all.”

“We already got the nest so there won’t be any new Devils. But currently, the Imperial Empire’s Royal Palace is occupied by the remaining ones.”

“Only you.”

“It’s your duty.”

“You must!”

Finally, Aelius lost it and erupted in rage.

“The last time I went, Valorie perished! Because of my insistence to attack! No, because of your insistence to attack! Why don’t you go out and risk the lives of your comrades, huh!? Instead of sitting in your comfy offices and pushing it onto me!”

Aelius waved his arm in anger at the bishops who exchanged uncomfortable glances.

“Now, now,” the Pope stepped forward with a calm smile. “Our duties lie elsewhere. We could hardly win against a single ordinary mage, let alone an entire hoard of Devils. Sir hero, you’re the only one who can do this.”

“Besides…” he continued.

“It was Valorie’s honour to die as a warrior. She gave her life for the cause she believed in, she will have died happily.”

Aelius felt rage burn within him from the Pope’s words.

“Were you there!? Were you there when she died? She died in my arms, not yours! You can’t even see her shrivelled up body because of that curse! Who are you, who the fuck are you, to say she should be honoured? Are you fucking joking? Do you think we want to fight those things? Huh!? Do you think we want to fight, just because we have a talent for fighting!?”

The Pope was silent for a long moment, before he gave a deep breath and fell to his knees before Aelius, lowering his head.

“The longer you hesitate here, the more lives that are lost every second elsewhere, and the Devils in the Palace further consolidate their power. You must strike when the iron’s hot.”

Behind the Pope, the ordinary, commonfolk rallied to their words.

The hypocrisy was revolting.

They come here to beg for his help, and as time passes, it soon evolves into demanding. The moment he does not give them what they want, they will turn on him.

Now he’s the bad guy for saying no.

Because it is his obligation to save them. His mission to save them.

What ridiculousness.

“Do you really think I can succeed?” Aelius calmed himself down and asked the Pope. “My powers are not omnipotent. The Goddess can only do so much! Attacking their castle is like suicide!”

“Blasphemy,” the Pope calmly responded, rising back to his feet. “The power of the Goddess will see us through. She works in mysterious ways. Even if you are her envoy, you cannot question her. If anything, your faith in her is the most important out of us all. As the hero, you are the only one on this planet who cannot doubt the Goddess,” the Pope explained nonchalantly. “And if you die, then so shall the rest of us. If you do not fight, we will all die. The only way we can all avoid defeat is if you attack the castle, Sir hero.”

Aelius clenched his fists.

“I can’t believe you’re roping me into this shit again…”

But he’s right. I’m the only one who stands a chance against those blood sucking monsters.

Silently, Aelius turned away from the Church hall filled to the brim with people, looking to his small bag of clothes and trusty sword by his side.

Sighing heavily, he bent over and picked them up, slinging them over his shoulder, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

“I won’t forget this,” Aelius mumbled to the Pope, giving him a glare.

The Pope simply gazed back into his eyes, unfazed and unfearing, before Aelius disappeared in a flash of blue Mana, vacating the Church with a warp spell.

—-----------------------

The heart of the Imperial Empire, the largest force of the Continent, was none other than the Royal Palace.

The Holy Empire had long since fallen years ago in an incident known as the Holy Border Spectral Crisis, and as such, the nation based on its religion of Stecia, was absorbed into the Imperial Empire that put religion on the backburner.

It was an Empire of science and technology, as much as could be. Incomparable to the Saints, but far ahead of the Church-ran countries. They believed in the power of Mana more than something flimsy like a Goddess watching over them.

Well, there are no Church-run nations left now. The Church only operates with limited influence within the borders of the Imperial Empire, and the Empire is all under the control of one Royal Family.

That Royal Family has had roots lasting generations upon generations, and it was devastating to humanity when the truth was revealed that they were hijacked by the Devils.

Well, what choice did they have? The Emperor was threatened with the life of his sweet daughter and Empress.

The Princes also had no choice but to obey, in fear of their sister and mother.

And fast forward to modern day, Year 837 of the Imperial Calendar, the Devils were blatantly enjoying their authority.

The Emperor's throne had become a playseat for the Devil Patriarch. It seems they were more of a clan than a ‘species’ or ‘country’, so for such a clan, calling their leader a patriarch seemed to be the most fitting.

Even at this moment, that Patriarch sat on the throne of the Royal Hall, threatening humanity with his very existence alone.

Said to be the strongest Devil, save for the Conjurer that Aelius had to fight a year ago, Aelius was not sure if he had the ability to save humanity.

And yet, he must try nonetheless.

—-----------------------

When Aelius arrived at the Royal Palace, he found the entrance was completely empty.

Well, it made sense. What need would they have for guards?

And the only person crazy enough to attack them was him, who had now arrived.

All these burdens, forced onto his shoulders by the weak and needy.

Aelius closed his eyes, recalling the smiles of the people he loved.

He never took up the position of the hero for the world at large. From the beginning, it was for the sake of his family.

“Hah…”

If all it takes to end this nightmare was his life, and his life alone, he’ll gladly give it.

Before he begins his frontal assault, Aelius clasped his hands together before him and dipped his head beneath the sun.

A few silent seconds passed by, only the breeze could be heard as he prayed.

Even through everything he had gone through; even suffering at the hands of the Church, he still at heart, believed in the Goddess.

And then he felt it was time, like the gears in his mind fell into place.

With a deep breath, he began to trudge forward toward the door, his gaze filled with murderous intent.

The gates were not only unguarded, but there was not a single sign of life anywhere. Though to be fair, the Palace gates were the furthest from anything within the Palace, at the very outside.

The Palace itself spanned almost a kilometre; that was the extent of the Emperor’s wealth.

As Aelius went deeper in, he began to come up on staff.

Dozens of maids, men in suits, all appearing glum. Some even wore expressions of fear.

When they saw Aelius whom they did not recognise, some went on their way but one of the maids got in his way to try to stop him.

Ignoring her warnings of leaving if he wanted to live, he continued further into the Palace.

His advance continued, that was, until he heard an outraged shout behind him.

At this time, he was in a fancily decorated corridor. The amount of distance he’s now travelled seemed to indicate to him that he was close to the heart of the Palace.

The voice that shouted was a dignified man’s voice, and Aelius turned over his shoulder to see a handsome man glaring at him.

The man was in his sleeping gown, but had thrown on a luxurious robe. He was in his fifties but still very attractive and Aelius could see his chiselled chest beneath his light clothing.

The man had a group of heavily armoured knights with him; traditional knights that wielded conventional weapons and armour.

“Cease at once!” the man demanded, and as Aelius observed the long blonde-haired man, he came to the conclusion that he was before the Emperor.

…The poor Emperor who’s had his family taken hostage in his own home. He who thought he had the world at his fingers, now reduced to a mere guard dog.

“Knights, apprehend this intruder!” the man commanded valiantly and the squad of knights began to surround him.

Aelius disinterestedly turned away, shaking his head.

“I’m not here for you.”

What a mess this world has come to… he thought as he approached the door at the end of the wide corridor.

“Attack him! We cannot allow him to disturb the Supreme Beings!”

Aelius narrowed his eyes at the Emperor’s words.

So there’s multiple of them, he sighed. Good to know.

Multiple blows came swinging toward Aelius from different directions, but the privilege of power is something normal people cannot resist.

An overwhelming shockwave erupted from his body that sent all of the knights flying into the walls. The cling and clang of their swords rang out as they crashed into the high-grade interiors, at such force there were dents left in them.

“How in the world-?” the Emperor stumbled a step back. “Where are the Royal Mages!?” he turned around to call his entourage, and Aelius narrowed his eyes as he felt his senses tingle.

Which direction was this unknown attack coming from?

Suddenly, he felt his instincts warn him to the right, and he looked to the wall just in time to see a high energy beam of Electro bursting through it.

“Weak!” Aelius shouted back and raised an earthy wall with the power of Geo. The attack was stopped dead against his barrier and he dispelled it to make eye contact with his attacker.

“Sir Kalpus!” the Emperor called out the hole in the wall and Aelius saw a mage dressed in a robe standing at the rooftops of one of the nearby buildings.

Wordlessly, the brown-haired warrior swung his sword and a slash of dimensional energy shot rapidly through the air.

The enemy mage’s eyes widened at the sudden attack and he immediately escaped with a short range blink spell - common practice for mages to dodge projectiles.

But what he did not know was that Aelius could read the flow of Mana to determine the exact location he would land at, using his skill Abstergo.

With one hundred-percent certainty, Aelius fired a wave of Pyro to the enemy mage’s destination, and it swarmed him just as he landed, unable to see it coming.

To Aelius’ surprise, the mage was still standing after the flames died away, but barely alive and had no Mana remaining.

“Even Sir Kalpus cannot defeat him…” the Emperor turned his concerned eyes back to Aelius.

“Your Majesty, you must leave. This man is at the Ninth Tier,” the mage warned him through his ragged breathing.

“He is not someone our entire army could win against, if it came down to it.”

Aelius saw the Emperor’s fists clench in frustration before he finally dipped his head.

“This warrior, I implore you.”

He bowed his back to forty-five degrees, lowering his head.

“Please reconsider your attack on the Supreme Beings. The lives of our entire species are at risk from your actions.”

“No. The lives of our entire species are at risk from your actions,” Aelius answered provocatively. “All for the sake of your family’s lives, you gave them free reign over our entire continent.”

Suddenly, Aelius felt frustration stab at him.

“Tch. I’m sorry you had to make that choice, but…” he turned away to face the door. “Not all of us are so weak that we can’t resist these monsters. Don’t go deciding the fate of humanity all on your own. Arrogance.”

—-----------------------

Having left the Emperor and the Palace’s Imperial Army behind, Aelius entered into the deeper parts of the Palace.

There was no doubt that they were aware of his presence now, from the commotion earlier.

And as Aelius expected, the very first, large hall he came to had a group of five Devils waiting.

“Shit…” Aelius muttered beneath his breath, observing them.

Each of them were at the Thirtieth Mana Tier. Did he even stand a chance? He didn’t think so.

But what choice was there?

Aelius inhaled as he gripped his bloodblade tightly and lowered his stance.

Today, I stand before God, prepared to die. I have no qualms in my heart. I challenge death and I laugh in its face.

Opposite him, the Devils were so high level that they were gradually becoming human-like in appearance. For whatever reason, Devils that are high-ranking become more and more human-like.

They were even able to speak the local language.

The warrior’s eyes twitched when one of them at the front, a woman began to speak.

Like the rest of her ‘family’, she had red eyes, long claws and a radiating aura of dominance.

“You’ve broken through the Emperor’s security. What a surprise,” she smugly remarked as she tossed her black hair aside, revealing small groups of scales still on her skin.

“But this is as far as you come. We won’t let you get close to the Patriarch.”

“Try to stop me if you can,” Aelius answered.

He grimaced under his breath, knowing the odds were not in his favour.

Fighting five of them at that calibre was akin to suicide. But, that was the point anyways.

If I die here, then I hope everyone else can at least live a happy life before the Devils complete their global domination plan. Today, I stand before God.

Steeling his resolve, he flashed forward to meet their claws with his blades, dancing in a flurry-like whirlwind of Dimensional Energy while he exchanged blows with them.

—-----------------------

The fight dragged on for quite a long time before Aelius realised he was about to be defeated.

They had cornered him to the point that any one of their blows would be fatal to him.

Just as he was thinking such, a slash ran up his chest and he saw his own blood spew out before his own eyes.

One of the other Devil women pounced forward and chomped down on his neck before he could react and he roared out in pain as she bit into his arteries.

Rapidly, the world around him began to turn red as a sea of crimson erupted from his flesh, and he felt all his strength leave him.

Shit… is this where it ends for me? he thought with hopelessness when he heard a screech erupt from behind him.

“You dare!”

Aelius felt a blow send the Devil on his neck sprawling into a roll, and as he fell backward, he was caught by a pair of arms.

“Oh, my idiotic love,” a familiar voice ushered to him as he was caught and he found himself looking into a familiar pair of crimson irises.

“Why’d you try and leave me behind, to come and fight these traitors on your own?”

Aelius was unable to respond, his vision fading black and his legs losing strength. But he was able to watch as she passed him back to someone, and yet another familiar pair of arms embraced him.

Asura stepped forward between him and the Devils, and he saw from the corner of his vision a dozen figures join her.

“For once, I agree with her,” a confident voice spoke from the bearer of the strong arms supporting him. “What idiot tries to do this alone? There there, we’ll patch you back up. Leona!”

“I’m on it, right away, Captain Halona!”

Aelius looked upward as he rested on a woman’s lap, looking up at another one of the important women in his life.

Warrioress Halona, a fearless leader of a Mercenary troupe. She was top of the grade, being at S-rank, with a professional and reliable team.

But even them… can’t face Devils.

Aelius felt his wounds begin to heal from the supporter restoring his wounds, and his vision gradually came into clarity.

Halona smiled down at him from above through her fangs-like teeth, her signature scar running up her cheek sticking out to him on her darkly tanned skin.

“Wake up now, you rascal.”

Rapidly, he felt his thoughts return as his wounds completely closed up, and behind Halona, Leona, their troupe’s healer, collapsed to her knees, gasping for air from Mana deficiency.

Instantly, Aelius sat back up.

“What the hell are you guys doing here!?” he shouted when a fist came launching at him from Halona, knocking him into a roll.

“Shut up! You don’t get to leave us behind in secret! Even Asura? Really? Were you planning on coming here to die, huh!?”

Aelius grit his teeth as he pushed himself back up, and looked to Leona.

“Thanks, Leona. I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s… okay,” she winked, clutching her chest. “Nothing to it. Just need to rest for a bit.”

Aelius turned back to see the rest of the troupe fighting the Devils.

Each of them people he had come to be familiar with. None of them, he was willing to allow die.

“You put them up to this, didn’t you? How are they to resist your orders?” Aelius asked Halona with a narrowed gaze.

“Now, now! Don’t say that, Vice-cap,” a passing voice remarked, and Aelius turned his head to see a blonde young man firing off attacks at the Devils.

“We all came as soon as we heard what you were trying to do. Of our own volition, okay?” another voice corrected him, Aelius heard from the blue haired magic caster beside him, casting barriers to protect her teammates.

“Well, there you have it, Mr Hero,” Halona chuckled as she drew her sharp greatsword. “We didn’t come here to just mess around. And you woulda really been in a pinch if it wasn’t for us. So you gonna start taking this seriously, or what?”

Before Aelius could answer her, she lunged headfirst into battle with a battlecry.

“Alright, you rascals! No dying on me today, any of you! If you die to these trash, I’ll kill you!” She laughed merrily as she tackled one of the Devils.

“How does that work!?” a voice exclaimed from and Aelius found himself chuckling as he summoned a red blade.

“I can’t believe you idiots…” he sighed.

In front of him, Asura skillfully dodged several blows, turned around, slapped Aelius across the face, and danced away again, dodging a continuous flurry of attacks.

“You’re the idiot. That blow was for your selfishness.”

“Ouch…” Aelius rubbed his cheek.

Yeah, my selfishness. I’m sorry, but I am selfish. I just didn’t want you to risk your lives in vain.

Sighing, Aelius dived into battle.

—-----------------------

Of course, this was to be expected, but a group, no matter how experienced or well-coordinated, that was only at the Seventh Tier, could not even hold a candle to a group of Twenty-Five Tier Devils, even if none of them were capable of conjuring.

Before Aelius knew it, he and the rest of his allies were all covered in scratches, some with their arms disabled from cuts, and they had been backed into a corner of the room.

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As they gradually retreated steps backward, Aelius felt his back hit the wall and he cursed.

“Well, looks like this is end of the line, huh,” Halona remarked with a huff of laughter beside him.

“You still have the nerve to laugh in this situation?” Aelius asked her and she looked to him.

“Leona! Use the rest of Mana to heal Ael as much as you can!”

Aelius felt his body lighten up with restorative energy.

“Stop it!” he hissed as the Devils approached them.

“I’m really sorry about this, Ael. I’m sorry about it all, from this to how you had to shoulder the Fate of this world. But even so, no matter what, you must never look back. You have to keep going, okay?” Halona began to speak.

“What the hell are you going on about, at a time like this-” Halona spun around and kicked Aelius in the gut, sending him backward through the door behind him.

Before he could get back on his feet, Halona picked up Asura and threw her into a sprawling roll as well beside him.

“Now! Mages!”

“HAH!” A collective shout rang out from the Mercenary troupe and Aelius sat up just in time to see a barrier erect itself around the room.

“Alright! Don’t let the Devils move a single step!”

“What are you doing!?” Aelius shouted.

Halona smiled over her shoulder, and blew him a kiss.

“Now go get them, go-getter.”

“Halona-!”

The valiant warrioress slammed the door shut, and Aelius could no longer see through into the battlefield.

“No!” Aelius ran back, banging on the door but the barrier firmly kept him out. “What sort of stupid sorcery is this!?” he exclaimed, flabbergasted at the power that could resist his attempts to penetrate it.

“It’s a spell they specially prepared for this,” Asura said from behind him, rising back to her feet. “A spell that takes advantage of the Laws of this world.”

“No way… they’re all going to die in there…!” Aelius fell to his knees, helplessly banging on the door.

“No… Halona…” His voice broke and he felt his eyes begin to sting. “Guys… everyone… Why’d you go and do this?” he sobbed.

Behind him, Asura silently watched for a moment as he began to sob, when he suddenly felt a pair of hands violently grab him by his cloak, pull him up to his feet and spin him around.

A sudden punch balled him across the cheek and he collapsed down onto the ground, with Asura standing above him.

“You look pathetic right now!”

Through his blurred, teared vision, Aelius looked up with a sob to see Asura glaring down at him.

“Pathetic!”

He could feel the disdain coming off her body overwhelmingly, like a tangible aura.

“Where has my warrior gone!? Who is this weakling before me? Stand up!”

“B-but Halona… and the troupe… they’re all gonna die in there!” Aelius reached up to wipe his tears. “The woman I love and our family is dying for me right now!”

“And so what?” Asura coldly answered. “Are you going to break down here and cry while they fight with their lives for you, or are you going to get back up and settle this?” she berated him. “How many have died already? Do you think you have the right to stop here, after all the lives that were sacrificed for you!? Who do you think you are!?”

Aelius flinched as another blow knocked him across the jaw, and Asura grabbed tightly onto his collar, genuine disgust in her glare.

“Violet died to save you. Claire died to save you. Valorie died to save you. They, in that room, are dying right now to save you! For what? All for what?” Asura pointed down the corridor. “All so that you can go down there and put an end to this!”

She turned away, leading the charge to the final room, with a harsh click of her tongue and Aelius slowly picked himself up, wiping his nose as he stumbled after her.

Leaving a trail of wet spots on the ground, he tried to stifle his cries to no avail.

“I’m sorry, guys. All because I was too weak, you all have to go to such great lengths for me,” he sobbed.

—-----------------------

The two were left only in each other’s company now, as they pushed on in advance deeper and deeper into the castle.

Until finally, they arrived at yet another long hall with a heavy, pearly door between them and their final destination.

All the while, they had walked in silence. But as they drew closer to the door, step by step, Aelius felt his body freeze and all the nerves in his body begin to tingle.

All the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, for he could sense a domineering presence suppressing him.

In front of him, Asura came to a stop, and he saw her clench her fists.

“I always knew that we’d meet again,” she spoke angrily, turning away from the door and returning to Aelius.

He saw as she approached his fear-stricken body, she was unaffected by the overwhelming presence.

“It’s okay. His authority is nothing to mine. The hierarchy of laws dictate it.”

She reached forward and gently touched his forehead, and instantly, he felt relieved of the chest-crushing pressure.

Immediately, Aelius gasped for a breath, looking at the doors in bewilderment.

“What the hell… was that?” he asked, clutching his chest before he began to follow behind Asura.

“It was killing intent,” Asura said. “What you felt just now is the same thing other’s feel when you direct my killing intent at them.”

Aelius kept close as she began to push open the door.

“And now, everything from all those years ago, the beginning, is coming to an end,” she spoke idly to herself.

So the being beyond this door, the so-called “Patriarch” of the Devil clan, is capable of affecting me with its killing intent?

Aelius swallowed down a nervous ball of saliva as he followed Asura into the room.

Unlike him, she fearlessly kept her head held high, and narrowed her crimson eyes as she entered.

Upon stepping in, they found it was a humongous, luxurious bedroom, large enough to be a dining hall or even a full sized basketball court.

At the opposite end of the rectangular room, was a bed.

As he observed the room, he heard the crinkling sound of chains and glanced down to one end, his eyes widening in shock to find a figure anchored to the wall, in a bloody mess.

It was none other than the Imperial Princess, left naked and dirty, chained up against the wall. Her hair was ruffled and red marks ran all over up her body.

She looked to Aelius with a pleading in her eyes, and his gaze widened in shock.

Whatever it was that happened to her, clearly something had its way with her.

“Mmm…” A deep voice groaned from in front of him and he turned his head back to the bed, seeing one of the two figures lying in the bed begin to stir.

Asura and Aelius watched from afar, as the figure sat up, revealing a completely humanoid man, in his late twenties in appearance.

But as he opened his eyes, Aelius saw they also glowed a predatory crimson.

Beside the freshly awoken man, the second, stirring figure woke up as well, and Aelius gasped to see it was none other than the Empress, naked in bed with the crimson-eyed man.

“What the hell is going on here…?” Aelius mumbled in bewilderment to himself.

“As expected, it was you,” Asura spoke and the man’s eyes focused, meeting Asura’s red irises.

“You…”

He narrowed his voice, rising out of the bed, fetching a cloak and pulling it over his shoulders.

“It’s you two again!” he began to cackle, stepping forward to them. “Welcome back, Princess. I never expected you to come crawling back for revenge after all these years!”

The humanoid Devil laughed loudly with his arms flung out to his side.

“Have you come to taste defeat again? You’ve come at the worst time. The calamity is just about to begin. Somehow, whenever my plans are coming to fruition, the two of you manage to crop up. I should’ve foreseen this. That the predator hunting our species all this time was you!”

The Devil Patriarch pointed an accusatory finger at Aelius.

“What?” Aelius was confused, his eyes darting between Asura and the enemy.

“You’ve lost your power though. Both of you. You couldn’t win against me when this all began. What makes you think you can win against me now, when I’ve already stolen your powers, Princess?”

The man summoned a ball of crimson blood in his hand, and Asura begrudgingly observed the power.

“We’ll see about that. In my eyes, you’ll always be but a mere insect,” the Crimson Queen answered.

“Ah, I’ve missed that arrogance of your family. That arrogance was your very downfall. But now, you no longer have the power to back that up!”

The Patriarch flashed forward, faster than Aelius could keep track of and he quickly drew his blade.

With Abstergo active, his eyes flashed around the room when he sensed an attack coming from behind him.

Spinning around, Aelius parried the Patriarch’s claws with his crimson blade, but his weapon immediately shattered from the impact.

The Patriarch slashed his claws again, and Aelius successfully dodged a step back, but he was unable to foresee that with each slash, the enemy Patriarch also fired out waves of blood flashing forward.

Aelius’ body uncontrollably convulsed and flinched from the impact, and the blood tore straight through his flesh, sending him flying through the air backward.

Asura took no moment to hesitate. She immediately barged into the Patriarch, sending him flying into a nearby wall, but not before Aelius took two gruesome slashes.

“Damn it! Aelius!” Asura called out in concern.

The pain was unimaginable, flaring up Aelius’ body. Whatever blood attack hit him had left his skin searing and sore from some sort of burning.

He gasped for breath through the dust, pushing himself to his feet.

Though the pain was unbearable, he pushed forward regardless.

“I’m okay, Asura,” he mustered, leaning on his kneecaps. “Watch out for him…”

Asura turned away, seeing the enemy Patriarch rise from the collapsed wall without a single scratch.

“You can rely on physical strength all you want. No material in this world can harm this supreme body of mine,” he smugly boasted, the barefoot man stepping back forward onto the polished-stone flooring.

Aelius reached into his dimensional subspace inventory, retrieving a sleek, metal blade.

If blood doesn’t work, I doubt this will. But it’s better than nothing.

The blade in his hand was smelted from an exotic black metal, shaped thin and sleek, designed perfectly for slashing.

As Asura and the enemy Patriarch began to exchange blows, Aelius rapidly fired out Dimensional slashes at the Devil.

“Asura, dodge!” Aelius called and she quickly dove to the side, giving the Patriarch no time to react as the slashes hit him head on.

But to Aelius’ dismay, the enemy Devil who did not bother dodging, received the attacks head on.

There was a blinding flash of light as the two powers clashed, and then when Aelius’ vision readjusted, the Patriarch stood without a scratch.

So even Dimensional energy is unable to harm him?

“Let’s see just what Mana Ring you’ve refined up to.”

Aelius activated the skill Abstergo and gasped.

Truly worthy of being the patriarch for the Devil clan, the Devil opposite him had refined a jaw-dropping Fifty Rings.

The strongest opponent Aelius will ever face.

—-----------------------

The battle was fierce, and with the injuries Aelius sustained before the fighting even began, as well as the first blow he took, they had even lesser chances of winning against the monstrosity before them.

Somehow, Asura’s power excelled more than it ever had before this opponent. This was her at her best, and thanks to that, they were able to barely hold on for some time.

But Aelius was unable to find a way to damage their enemy at all. He was just being dead weight…

Never did he expect his opponent to be so strong.

Divine power, nor Dimensional energy, nor Asura’s Authority of Blood was strong enough to damage it, let alone his own Mana spells.

There was nothing he could do.

As the fight dragged on, Aelius grit his teeth, feeling frustration well up within him, dodging blow after blow and then watching Asura fight the monster head on.

There’s gotta be something I can do!

He angrily asked himself, when he heard another voice speak in his head.

Aelius! Can you hear me? Listen closely!

It was none other than Asura, and he looked to her in surprise, noticing her glancing at him as she fought against the Patriarch.

Is this the connection between me and Asura? Aelius asked himself in surprise.

My brave fool, only you have the power to kill this fiend for good. Do you understand? she calmly asked him.

How though!? I can’t damage him! Aelius answered worriedly.

Your own power. Not a power that is derived from outside forces, but a power from within you. Have you forgotten? The same power that made this traitor into this state all those years ago. The only thing he fears, Asura explained.

I don’t know what that is! he exclaimed back.

How have you forgotten? It’s your Path. Use your Path to deal the final blow to him!

Aelius’ eyes widened.

It’s true. The Path skill one day appeared to him like a miraculous miracle. But he’s never used it often.

Would it really be strong enough to damage him? he asked back.

Idiot prince! Are you trying to get your beloved killed right now? I can’t hold on for much longer. Now’s not the time for this. As you are, you can’t hurt him with your Path alone. But I’m going to create an opening for you to attack. As soon as I give the signal, commence your attack. It’s going to be the only chance we have so make it count. Leave nothing behind, Asura declared.

Okay, fine. I’ll do just that, Aelius answered.

Though he was still unfamiliar with that power, how to use it came to him instinctively everytime he desired to wield it.

Appearing discreet, Aelius began to gather the odd, unnamed power within his body, summoning it from deep within himself.

I shall begin soon, my sweet. Asura told him. I hope you’re prepared.

I’m ready, Aelius answered, his eyes widening as his concentration was broken when the Patriarch quickly turned his red eyes onto Aelius, and pounced forward.

“Shit!”

Aelius ducked, dodging a swing and then fell onto his rear.

Another blow came from overhead and Aelius scuttered backward, barely dodging the attacks again until he suddenly felt his back hit the wall.

“Aw shit.”

Looking up, the Patriarch had managed to corner him, and he flung down with a thrust aimed directly at Aelius’ chest.

All of his cells immediately screamed at him to dodge away and he summoned his strength to, narrowly rolling aside and successfully dodging the thrust that cracked the wall behind him.

Rolling back upright, Aelius gasped for breath at the fatal blow he had just narrowly escaped, looking up at the Patriarch.

“Aelius, well done,” Asura spoke from behind the Patriarch, and Aelius’ eyes darted to her.

Something was odd though, he suddenly noticed.

Her entire being was glowing red and rapidly turning white, as she grappled onto the Patriarch’s arm.

Energy began to ascend around them, and if Aelius were to describe it, it was as if Asura’s very existence was winding up.

“Asura?”

“You ready, hero!? Come on! Finish what you started! It’s time now!” she provocatively shouted at him, and he heard a whirring sound pick up in his ears.

“You psychotic wench!” the Patriarch screeched and it all happened in a matter of seconds.

From within Asura, an explosion of red and white erupted, blinding Aelius’ eyes.

Her chest convulsed violently and her arms flung to her side as the blast sent her floating into the air, her hair majestically spread out in all directions and a tidal wave of energy surged outward before Aelius’ vision was lost.

He heard the sound of everything around him crumble, and the ground beneath him disappear.

Still without vision, he felt his body plummet to the ground and he fell for quite a ways until he hit hard stone and felt something sharp pierce through his leg.

“Gah!” Aelius coughed blood up from the pain, feeling several of his ribs break and puncture his lungs.

His mind quickly began to fade away from the pain, but he screamed at himself to get it together.

Repeating in his head was Asura’s message.

He has to still deal the final blow. This is where everything matters.

“LIGHT!” Aelius waved his arm and a ball of Pyro manifested beside him. His vision quickly returned and he found himself in a dark pit, with a stray piece of debris poking through his calf.

Opposite him, he expected it, but still grimaced at the sight of the Patriarch who fell down as well.

The Devil was still alive and on his feet, but the exterior surface of his hardened, reptilian skin had been burnt off by Asura’s attack.

“You wench! You actually self-destruct to kill me!? How petty can you be!?”

He knew it. Aelius knew it. That final attack was a suicide attack. He could no longer feel any connection to Asura.

Tears stung his eyes at the realisation, and he wanted to do nothing more than break down and cry in that moment.

Asura was the one person who was his life long companion.

But this fight was not over yet.

Before the Devil regenerates his outer layer of skin, Aelius will deal the final blow.

“Arghhhh!” Aelius summoned his resolve and pulled the debris through his leg, freeing it before he pushed himself to his feet.

Putting weight on the leg sent immense pain through his body, and he heard the gruesome sound of blood bursting out of his exposed flesh, but he stumbled toward his enemy nonetheless.

This was it.

It all began from Alea’s death so many years ago. The next was Violet, who died as a result of the Forbidden Order. And then Clara who became scapegoat for the Devil’s scheme. And now, even Asura.

The monster before Aelius had taken everything from him.

“I’m… gonna! Fucking! KILL YOU!”

Aelius sprung forward with his arm outstretched, speedily closing the distance between him and the Devil, who tried to take a step back but stumbled on the uneven ground.

Finally, for the first time in their fight, Aelius got close to the Devil, and placed a palm up against his gut.

User has activated the skill Path.

「Path」

???

???

“Nooo! Not again!!!” the Devil roared as a purple beam erupted from Aelius’ body.

The recoil tore his entire arm apart, but the beam the size of an entire semi-truck, shot into the Devil’s body, through him and into the wall of the pit behind.

It continued for a hundred metres, obliterating everything in its wake, until it died away and Aelius fell backward, feeling his energy desert him entirely.

Looking down, he saw one final hole in his chest, and looked up to see the Patriarch’s outstretched arm poking through him.

Even through all that, the Devil had gotten an attack in.

No way… Aelius collapsed onto the ground, looking up in a pathetic struggle. There’s no way it’s not over after all this.

The dust began to settle, and Aelius observed the still unmoving figure as the air cleared, and it revealed a charred, burnt black figure that also quickly toppled over moments later.

“Hah- haha,” Aelius laughed and suddenly coughed up a mouth full of blood. “Ah shit…”

“Noooo-” a voice croaked, and Aelius turned his head to see the corpse. “My clansmen. Everyone… nooo… If I die…”

“Hahaha-” Aelius coughed blood again. “Fuck your clansmen! Do you think us humans haven’t felt the same pain!? What you feel right now, millions have felt cause of you!”

“Why did you do this? Do you know what you’ve truly done!?” the croaky voice admonished Aelius.

“Shut the fuck up!” Aelius answered through his coughs.

“You do not understand! If we’re dead, none of you weaklings can resist the coming calamity!” the Devil’s remains hissed at him.

“Your species can barely resist us, do you think you can survive the true cataclysm!?” Aelius found himself being questioned.

“What? What the hell are you talking about!?” he demanded from the Devil, pushing himself upright.

“We were amassing our power to protect this star, protect this planet that belonged to us, yet you killed off our clan! Let’s see how you resist their power when they arrive!”

“WHO!? Answer me!” Aelius shouted.

“The Grand Horizon! It’s the Grand Horizon, you ignorant cretin! Even as we speak, a Datenshi is opening up the Path to the Grand Horizon…” the voice began to fade. “When hundred of Immortals descend upon our plane of ordinary men, do you think you can resist them? Forget about the power of Fifty Rings, these Immortals are true Gods, they can create stars and planets with a breath. You fool… you fool…” the Patriarch weakly let out a final breath, and Aelius saw his head drop.

“N-no…” Aelius clutched his chest. “He has to be lying…”

If so, then what were they fighting for all this time? What has Aelius been taking revenge against, exactly?

“No…”

Asura was dead, and Aelius himself was on death’s door.

The power of a Phoenix cannot regenerate fatal wounds, only severe wounds.

The gaping hole in Aelius’ chest was going to finish him.

What about Halona, though? Maybe they’re alive? It won’t be too much to hope, right?

Summoning his remaining strength, Aelius rose back to his feet and looked up the pit.

Even though his wound will kill him if he doesn’t get it treated, he is still at the Ninth Ring. He can survive for another hour, at least.

—-----------------------

After escaping the pit, Aelius returned to the room in the Palace where Halona had pushed him away to hold back the other Devils.

When he arrived, he found the barrier that kept him out had already dissipated. It could mean one of two things.

As Aelius pushed the door open, his eyes widened at the sight before him.

Not a single inch of the room was left over undyed crimson.

“Nooo. Nooo!” Aelius shaky voice began to wail as he entered, and tears fell from his eyes. “Noooooo!”

He stumbled forward, finding Halona’s desecrated corpse leaning up against a back wall.

Corpses lay all around him upon the ground, as he silently gazed at them.

Halona. Leona. Jack. Gabbie. Francis. Poly. Edward. Harry. Shiyana. William. Maria. Cory.

Aelius clenched his fists, feeling tears stream down his cheeks.

“Hic… hic…” he sobbed helplessly.

I’m no hero. What sort of hero would do this? I’m a coward.

A powerless coward!

I sacrificed your lives because I was too weak! I left you here to die because I was too weak! I didn’t deserve all of you to follow me into battle. To follow me into your deaths..!

“Aghhh-!”

At that moment, Aelius had never hated himself more.

Even Asura is gone now.

There’s no one else. No one left.

I’m the only one left!

His mourning for his lost comrades was interrupted when the ground suddenly began to shake violently, and Palace around him began to collapse.

“Noooo!” The shaking sent him stumbling out the door, back into the corridor, towards escape. “You won’t even let me give them a proper burial!?”

Aelius wanted to go back, but as he watched the ceiling collapse, he realised he would die there with them if he did.

“...”

Clenching his fists, he spun away and began to hobble down towards safety.

“Forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me. I’m sorry, everyone. Please forgive me. I’ll follow you soon! I swear, we’ll reunite soon!”

As Aelius escaped the Palace, he felt his strength begin to diminish, and his vision began to fade into black.

But he held on.

He has to tell the world about the coming calamity, at least, before he dies.

The Grand Horizon.

Just hold on, Aelius. A little bit more, and then you’re good to go. Good to go.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of hustling down with his broken leg, Aelius burst out of the Palace into the open, back to safety.

He gasped as soon as he looked up, a sky full of millions of colours lighting up his eyes.

It was as if the sky was tearing apart right before him.

“Has it already started?” he wondered through his harsh breathing. “Then… am I too late anyways?”

Suddenly, his head felt light and he saw the world spin around him.

“Huh?”

Immediately, he felt his back hit the ground, all his strength gone completely.

“Oh… looks like this is it for me,” Aelius realised as he looked up at the sky.

Oddly enough, just as his vision was fading, he saw a single figure flying in the air, conducting some form of odd ritual.

Is that it? The Datenshi that the Patriarch talked about?

From where he looked, Aelius barely made out long raven hair and a pair of pink eyes, with white skin, waving a set of flags in a dance.

Pink eyes… just who is she? Ah, not that I can care anymore.

Aelius looked back to the sky.

Well, it’s not too bad to die getting to see a view like this, I guess.

Since I gave up everything and still couldn’t stop all this from happening… I hope they thoroughly destroy this world.

I want everyone to feel the same pain as I did.

We’re a pathetic species.

Ah, I’m so tired.

Life is a cruel joke and fate has a twisted sense of humour…

To live is to suffer.

Those that are truly blessed are only the ones who were never born to see the sun.

I’m so tired.

After everything that happened, I’m so tired.

I never want to go through those things again.

I just want to rest now.

To me in the future, don’t ever forget this.

Remember. I must remember.

Remember the feeling of your heart shattering.

Piece by piece, your limbs are torn from your body.

You fall apart. Your mind dissolves in fire.

Because you cannot stop. You keep going, and keep going.

But what was it worth in the end? Hah.

In order to save the world, I sacrificed all of my loved ones, and even my own life.

What was it worth, when none of us survived?

Alea, you seem so distant to me now. Nothing but a fading memory.

Violet too, I miss you. I miss you dearly.

And Clara… I failed you.

You were always so good to me, and I failed you.

Halona… what have I done?

You faithfully followed me into battle, and in the end, I let you die in my place.

How could I have done that? I was supposed to protect you.

Even you, Asura. I sacrificed even you in the end.

My Asura, my one and only.

My indomitable Queen, even you fell at the hands of Fate.

If I survive this day, future me, please never forget.

Never forget the hatred in my heart this moment. The suffering I had to go through, that all meant nothing in the end.

It all meant nothing.

In his final moments, as his blood bled out, covered in soot and dirt, with not a single soul around him to witness his death, Aelius’ eyes grew emptier and emptier.

Overhead, the sky glowed up in a myriad of colours, rainbow, purple, neon pink, ocean blue, green and yellow, as his world, the world of Vertex, was torn apart at the seams.

He was just witnessing the beginning of it.

The pool of blood grew larger and larger, and his mind faded.

With a single tear falling from his cheek, his eyes slowly, very slowly, fell shut.

To never open again.

Rekindling has ended. The skill Phoenix's Love has successfully rejuvenated all wounds.

Determining efficacy…

The user’s psyche is…

DESTROYED.

Zero integrity remaining. The system recommends the user to 「ERROR」. System unable to find recommended solution…

The Dream has now ended.

Welcome back to the real world.