Lyra struggled for air while furrowing her brows in intense concentration, massive beads of sweat rolling down her face, neck, and torso. Her mind was hazy, and her whole body felt dull—yet her spirit shone bright like never before. Her determination allowed her to tap into the deepest part of her soul, to try and squeeze as much energy as she could in order to maintain the protective spell in place.
Amidst her dizziness, she wondered just what kind of toll she would have to pay for putting such strain in her body. Though her willingness to help her brother and Lilithra strengthened her resolve, and made her strongly believe that it was going to be worth it, no matter the cost. As her vague gaze focused slightly, her eyes opened in clear disbelief.
The scene before her was both incredible and terrifying. A mass of Ian look-a-likes swarmed the entire chamber, their hideous laughter making her ears ring unpleasantly. Ah, that’s right—it was not Ian, it was Greed. Just before her eyes closed under the exhaustion, she could see a yellow smudge in the middle of the maddening landscape.
There was Ascalon, fighting against the horde of Greed with intense focus, utmost discipline, and unparalleled skill. He felt his senses heightened, a much familiar sensation guiding his actions. Fighting against such numbers was transporting Ascalon to another time, back to Excadia. He was pretty much on a battlefield now—the place where he ruled supreme, at least until the day he fought that vile demon.
But Greed was not on that level—not yet, at least. Exemplaris had pierced countless of them by now, many of their copies being sent into oblivion with every thrust. Yet their numbers weren’t dwindling in the slightest. To make matters worse, they all tried to sap his power at any chance they had, and were slowly growing in strength the longer the fight dragged on.
It was a battle of attrition, but one the knight knew he was losing. Just how much longer did he have to endure? How many more Greed must he have to slay? These doubts were pierced through by a fierce resolve, the warmth spreading from his amulet heightening his conviction.
It didn’t matter how long or how many—they had to be vanquished.
“It’s useless!” Greed’s voice echoed in the room, as multiple clones jumped at Ascalon once more. The knight met his enemies with an impassive demeanor, his lance piercing the air swiftly. Half the attackers fell, while the rest struck Ascalon with different moves. A kick to the back, another to his right leg, a punch from behind directed at his left cheek—they were simple hits, but he was starting to feel some of them, even if barely.
It was then that a resounding ‘splash’ could be heard, and Ascalon twitched in nervousness as he quickly turned to look toward Lyra’s direction. As he feared, the sphere surrounding his friends had given out, and the cat girl lay over her brother’s chest, seemingly unconscious.
“You did well, Lyra…” Ascalon whispered to himself, his tone a mix of regret and pride. He knew what was going to happen next, and it didn’t take long to occur. A multitude of Greed broke away from engaging him and set their course toward the defenseless ones.
The personal skill - Unfathomable Presence - Has been activated in the surrounding zone.
Those of vile hearts crumble to their knees, bowing down to absolute righteousness!
—Skill info—
Ascalon Rendland’s unique skill.
Rank: SSS - Level 100.
Potential: SSS.
Attribute: Holy.
Effects:
Those considered as enemies by Ascalon Rendland are burdened by his immense willpower, and are rendered unable to move momentarily.
Additional effects:
* Strong willed individuals may resist the effect depending on their combined stats levels.
* Has a 10% chance to bypass all resistances.
* Effect duration is determined by the user’s focus and the target’s level.
In an instant, Ascalon unleashed his presence, flooding the room with his overwhelming might. It was something he could’ve done from the start, but… seeing the result, he realized it was in vain. While some of the Greed had been frozen under his undeniable authority, most of them were unaffected—and the worst part was that the immobile clones started splitting up into multiple copies, shaking off his skill. It was just as he had expected.
Greed was too cunning a foe for such a simple strategy to work. There was not much left Asclaon could do. “Wait!” He exclaimed, his tone resolute but mixed with slight desperation. “I shall surrender, on one condition.” He continued as every Greed in the room perked up with insatiable interest.
“Oh! Self-sacrifice, huh?” Greed sneered, realizing what Ascalon likely meant. To confirm his thoughts, the knight spoke. “Leave them be, and you shall have all of me.” He declared, and Greed smiled gleefully under his mask.
“I mean, I could just take all of you! It’s not that good of a deal when you hold such a weak hand, ha!” Greed mocked the knight, knowing the odds were in his favor. But Ascalon’s intense gaze made him flinch, an unfathomable sense of danger overcoming his body.
“You could.” Ascalon began, his voice calm but resolute. “But know that I shall give it my all henceforth.” The knight of knights delivered his ultimatum with such conviction that it sent chills through Greed’s entire body—and not only him, but also across every one of his clones.
Greed gulped, considering his options. “You bluff…” He said with disdain, instinctively taking a step back. He looked down, raising a hand—it was shivering. “Ugh!” Greed complained, as he sized up the knight. Surely he wouldn’t just risk it all… his friends safety had been his primary goal since the fight started.
But what if…? Greed couldn’t help but doubt, especially under such a powerful gaze. What if the blonde unleashed all of his might? Greed would have no chance at all—not yet. As his mind raced, he came to a favorable conclusion, a sly smile spreading across his hidden face.
“Okay! I’ll take it!” Greed finally accepted the deal, while Ascalon let out a quiet, relieved sigh. “Swear an oath before me.” The knight commanded, his solemnity echoing through the room. Greed barely resisted the urge to snort at his words. “I swear!” He answered, clearly lying.
But the Ascalon knew the truth—this whole conversation was meaningless. It was clear that Greed wasn’t going to uphold his end of the ‘bargain’. But Ascalon needed to buy some time for his friends, and to think of a way out of the situation. There had to be a bright path at the end of all this!
With both wariness and resignation, Ascalon let go of Exemplaris, and extended his hand forward. The real Greed smirked beneath his mask, and advanced toward the knight as his clones swarmed him. Every part of his body was seized by the malevolent copies, and his body began to radiate an incandescent green.
Then, to seal the deal, Greed clasped Ascalon’s outstretched hand. Both of them clasped gripped tightly, as an ecstatic laughter escaped Greed’s lips. “Yes. Yes!” The man shouted, his words shaking with pure delight. “This is… incredible… this is what I always wanted… such… raw… power!” Greed continued, gasping for air as his strength steadily rose.
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For the first time, Ascalon began to feel his power dwindling—slowly, barely perceptible, but clearly being drained away. But he had no time to dwell on that, as he had to think of a plan! Yet before he could fully focus on his thoughts, he sensed something off about Greed.
“Ugh… s-so strong, haha!” The masked man stammered, rejoiced, though his whole body shivered. Ascalon raised an eyebrow, seeing the man, and even his clones, were struggling more and more. It was then that a spark of inspiration hit, the warmth coming from his emblem furiously expanding, as if urging him into action.
“If you want it all, are you willing to pay the price?” Ascalon questioned, his voice brimming with both resolution and confidence, while Greed tilted his head in confusion.
Blessed be the knight.
He carries the weightiest burden, a celestial might to vanquish evil!
—Skill info—
Ascalon Rendland’s unique passive skill.
Rank: Not applicable - Not applicable.
Potential: Not applicable.
Attribute: Celestial.
Effects:
Ascalon Rendland calls forth divine aid to bolster his stats immensely and add the celestial attribute to all of his skills.
Then, divine light surged through the knight’s body, the will of the heavens manifesting within him. The green glow was replaced by a radiant white, as his aura of goodness spread in pulsating waves. At first, Greed was simply taken aback, somewhat confused. But at some point, his draining skill dared to touch the blessing.
“W-What is this?!” Greed cried in clear shock, his words filled with pain. “Gah!” He muttered, his body trembling as he absorbed an unending, celestial will.
⌠ “You are unworthy to shoulder this burden, heathen!” ⌡
A womanly, blissful voice echoed in Greed’s head, as incandescent light burned through his eyes, pouring furiously through the mask’s eyeless sockets. “W-wait!!!” He protested amidst infinite pain, the wrath of divine retribution surging through his body and rejecting his existence, tearing it apart.
Ascalon watched in awe, as his gamble had actually paid off. His emblem stirred uncontrollably, trying to break free from his pocket, while the clones started to spontaneously combust one by one. Divine light spread in all directions, its soothing warmth gently permeating the air—though for Greed, it felt like burning in the deepest pits of the hells.
In the distance, the two girls slowly rose up, their bodies feeling lighter and fresher as heaven’s blissfulness reached them. “Ian…?” Lyra asked meekly, her eyes tearing up at the sight. Lilithra clutched her head, feeling dizzy, her eyes locked onto the divine scene. Just what had they missed? The thought crossed both their minds.
Greed screamed in agony. The will of the heavens proved too great a burden for a simple mortal—and beyond deadly for one as corrupted as he. To Ascalon’s surprise, Greed’s own mask started screeching, seemingly sharing his pain.
“N-no… not… yet…” Greed stammered, his voice growing weak. “My… goals… no!” He continued, trying to break free from Ascalon, but it was far too late. “Wrath… Lyra…!” His final words echoed through the room, as every single clone vanished, and Ian, who called himself the seat of Greed, collapsed into a charred husk.
Ascalon let go of the lifeless hand, sighing with relief and exhaustion. Greed had been a vile, yet worthy foe. Just before Ascalon could drop his guard and rejoin his friends, a familiar voice seeped out from the mask.
“Incredible…” Wrath’s raspy tone invaded the room, causing Ascalon to perk up in vigilance. Lyra and Lilithra, even from a distance, flinched at the incoming malice. “To witness it firsthand… I can finally attest to your might, ‘Sir’ Ascalon.” The mask continued as the knight narrowed his eye in suspicion.
“That’s two Greed you’ve taken from us… but at least Ian proved to be far more valuable than the last one.“ He scoffed, chuckling. “Show yourself, you evil puppeteer.” Ascalon commanded, his authoritative voice sending shivers through the distant Wrath’s body.
“Ha… a clever proposition. But no.” Wrath answered in a composed voice. “It’s a pity, but we’ll have to think of a different approach now…” He continued cryptically, and Lilithra felt increasingly uncomfortable, as if being watched. “What is it you want?!” Ascalon demanded an answer in frustration, his anger palpable. But Wrath ignored his question.
“But it matters not… a few detours won’t change our final destination.” Wrath chuckled, as a mass of darkness began surrounding Ian’s body, just like Ascalon had witnessed the day they tangled with the Flaming Fists. The tendril-like shadows wrapped Ian neatly, and began to pull him down into a puddle of pure blackness.
“Until we meet ag-” Wrath began, but was suddenly cut off by Ascalon. The knight lunged at the former Greed’s body, claiming him with a most powerful grip. Effortlessly, Ascalon pulled back, prying the corpse away from the dark tendrils. “Wha-” Wrath muttered, as Ascalon stomped on the malicious energy, dissipating it completely.
With a firm expression, Ascalon brought the mask to his eye level. “Know that I shall find you, Wrath.” The knight declared with the utmost confidence—his words resonating with inevitability. The real Wrath, far beyond the mask, took a step back under Ascalon’s overwhelming intensity.
“I shall make sure you rue this day—the day you dared put my friends in danger.” The knight’s voice boomed with an otherworldly echo, causing Wrath to recoil in shock. Suddenly, the malicious presence vanished. “He severed the connection, the spineless wretch.” Ascalon complained aloud as he carefully removed the mask from Ian’s face.
He inspected it for a moment, feeling none of the demonic energy that had enveloped the whole fight. Perhaps the mask itself was only a receptacle for whatever rite or unholy spell Wrath was casting. Still, Ascalon realized he had to be wary. He would dispose of it later, nonetheless.
Leaving his promise to find Wrath aside, Ascalon had no idea where to begin. He was at great disadvantage, since Wrath already knew about him, and implied he knew a lot about Lilithra too—yet they didn’t even have a clue about Wrath’s identity. He sighed in resignation, knowing there was no point in dwelling over the matter at present, he stored the mask in his inventory, and hurriedly went back to his friends.
Lilithra was standing up, a flushed smile on her face. Lyra, on the other hand, was helping Levi steady himself on the floor, seemingly unable to stand. “Serves him right!” The small Felinae growled, a pained expression flashing on his face. “T-take it easy, big brother!” Lyra reprimanded him, but hugged him tightly.
“Uuugh… I can’t… breathe…” Levi complained to his sister, who quickly released him from her embrace. Ascalon smiled at the peaceful sight, when a pair of familiar presences stepped into the room. He glanced over their general direction and saw Escarlata and Selorien walking toward them, the latter clearly exhausted.
“Hey…” Selorien raised a hand and waved weakly, his face showing a regretful grimace. Escarlata simply nodded, her usual composure and elegance completely restored. Lilithra rushed to the elf’s side, her brows furrowing as she showed a worried expression.
“You okay, Selly?” She asked as she slowly patted her friend’s body, and he chuckled in response to her actions. “Yeah… but I was out of it for a while there.” Selorien replied as he scratched the back of his head, causing Lilithra to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
Ascalon remembered Selorien’s odd behavior, and wondered if that’s what he meant. But before he could join his friends, a feeble hand gripped the hem of his cloak. Looking down, he saw Levi staring up at him.
“Thank you.” The cat boy exclaimed, his now lively eyes burning with appreciation. Ascalon smiled reassuringly and nodded, while Lyra giggled, teary eyed. “Thank you as well, Ascalon…” She joined in, bowing slightly, her cute ears twitching. Ascalon patted her head once, and then approached Lilithra and the rest, leaving some space for the siblings.
As he arrived at their side, Escarlata cleared her throat before producing a couple of flasks from thin air. They were filled with a deep crimson liquid, almost resembling blood. “These are…?!” Lilithra suddenly perked up in excitement, peering at the vials with clear interest.
“Restoration potions.” Escarlata remarked, shyly presenting them to Lilithra. Ascalon raised his eyebrows in surprise, as the sight of the maid being compassionate, toward Lilithra of all people, was quite shocking. Selorien smiled knowingly at her side, so perhaps he had influenced the sudden development.
Lilithra took the flasks carefully, her eyes glistening as she was overcome with emotion. “Thanks!” She replied with both admiration and glee, before clumsily making her way to the siblings, eager to share the potions with them. She was still frail, yet her very first thought was to go and help her friends. It was a most warming scene.
Ascalon glanced at Escarlata, who locked eyes with him and blushed slightly. Whatever had prompted this change in her demeanor, Ascalon thought it was for the better.
For the moment, matters had been settled, and Ascalon could enjoy a brief respite.