Spoiler: RR version

The Last Sky's Rejection

Intro: A Past to the Last Sky's Rejection 10

Rewinding to a night after the day that Duwyn and her friends departed for Jelfyr's festival, into an open grassland where calming breeze flowing in this beautiful midnight, Jaino, lying on the grass, gazes at the sky. Hearing the rustling leaves consecutively stomped by someone footsteps, he waits for the two people, a man and a woman, that he recognizes, to arrive.

The veteran priestess sits on the grass while the weird man just stands and intently observes at Jaino. The veteran priestess speaks, “This place is quite comfortable, you should invite us your fellow survivors.” Not hearing a reply, she follows, “I guess, our age gap higher too much for such bonding.”

Jaino replies, “Tell me, what have brought you two here?”

And the priestess replies, “Sire, I feel so calm.”

“Cut off with the sire...”

“It seems my fate has been decided. Look at the stars... they are telling my destiny... Sire, I'll do what I must. Before I maybe had failed to protect my family, friends, relatives, tribe, and my village... but now, I'll protect this new Asteron that you had founded.”

“Why could you think so? Isn't me just dragging them to their end?”

“I've seen how these people had changed. Before they were just bandits. Now, they are living to the new life they accustom and feel comfortable, such peaceful, acceptable to dignity, and united.

“I ask you a second time, Sire, please continue your deeds.”

“...you know... I really don't know if I'd done good deeds. If I did then I can't promise such a thing. I still have my personal problems. But... I do hope I can remember your words.” And to the weird man who throws something, Jaino gazes at and catches the bottle of green liquid. He hears him speak,

“This time I feel uneasy... The liquid can paralyze any living that I'd seen had made contact. Use it well. I might just runaway when time comes. Please, protect us.”

“Sire,” has followed by the veteran priestess. “Hadn't you remembered how joyous the people in the festivals we celebrated? How happy and grateful were they not just transcending life to a new but to experience greet happiness in our simple life?”

Scrutinizing her words, Jaino sits and replies, “That was because of your religious preaches. You taught them a lot of good values.”

“I myself had witness such changes. Without their cooperation, passing my tradition wouldn't be possible. Without your instruction, Asteron that it is now wouldn't be existed... Sire, if you succeed with this operation, then the custom born within this village might scatter across Dandia.”

Jaino smiles. “Don't say me. This is my guild master operation. I'm only doing my duty. And I need the cooperation from both of you.” Gazing at the weird man, he thinks, Specially you... “But, I guess. It is not a bad idea to protect the people living here...” This might atone my sins. “I'll do my best.”

“Believe yourself, Sire. I too shall do my best.”

Followed by the weird man, “Same here. Release us from this calamity.” Strangely your kind has been long confined by this selection...

—End of Intro.

At the current time inside the cemetery of Jelyr, Hoven moves and initiates his attack.

Halting Hoven's movement, Jaino has swung his black sword. Observing at Hoven who skips one step to the left, Jaino parries the attack and he slashes his sword pushing Hoven who evades back.

Still looking for an opening as his multiple attempts resolve failures, Hoven thinks, I need to break his defense. I can't waste another of my ability. If this goes longer, I'll reach my limit and my efforts would be wasted. The mist surrounds the place as he continues his attack. Temperature... So it's battle of endurance. He steps back evading another of Jaino's deceitful slash of the sword.

Continually parrying Hoven's attacks while keeping their distance, Jaino realizes the mist cooling the place. He wants to shorter this fight, be it. I won't lost until I find the way to end this clash... Speechless, he feels his legs shaking... He suddenly kneels one knee. Seeing Hoven taking the granted chance of opening, he thinks, A fake and delayed counter —no! I can't do that. There must be another way. Dual-handedly holding the sword, he poses overhead his sword to parry from the left another of Hoven's diagonal attack.

Persistent! has thought by Hoven.

A Past, The Last Sky's Rejection

A day, a peaceful cool morning, sun rises; so, in Asteron village the people awaken and do their daily chores. Flocking of bird soars in the sky. And some of them playfully chase each other.

The people, specially women, gather in the center of village to purchase food ingredients as it traditionally becomes the market hour. Carrying-animals hunters, breeders, and livestock merchants are gathering to vend their products. Night shift soldiers are relieved by their colleague. And the breadwinners off to work for their keep.

Some people are considerate to work early and quickly and some people are lazying enjoying this fresh new day.

And...

a sudden loud bang from a collision erupts from the place. Parts of structures, houses, are colliding into the ground. So the cries from frightened people— who witness some of their villagers died with each body separated in two —are roaring the place. Terrified by this occurrence that they've witnessed each person alive tries to reach a house that their eyes are focus. Another wave thunders as set of houses is colliding into the ground.

Bells consecutively toll aloud, a sign for the people of the village to evacuate quickly in the nearest house's underground passage. To a path going to the center of the village, the third general walk and see the drill— people run going to different houses for the underground evacuation passages —has been working and so the calamity literalizes.

Cautiously walking heading to the center of destruction as the opponent assumed as unseeable by the eyes, his eyes glimpse at something and he gazes at the sky, countable fireballs are about to rain down.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

And so, the third general rises his hand and calls of the dark clouds gathering in the sky.

Above the rooftop of a house, the two survivors of the previous disaster, the veteran priestess standing and the weird man hunkering, witness the fireballs burn houses followed by the rain loosens by dark clouds.

...this is your capability, has thought by the weird man. And the other one?

In the central south of Asteron village — seeing any frighten person runs in any possible nearby house, Jaino, dragging a huge sword while feeling the cold pain stinging on his heart, he smashes the huge sword to a ground. Argh... This is painful... I feel like I died a hundred times... added by the cold rain hiding his forceful tears flowing from his eyes, his chest shakes. Needing to move forward heading to the center of village, he gazes at the path and continues to walk. Again, he smashes the sword, shattering the nearby wall, just to relieve the pain. I have to move forward. I need to reach central quickly.

Debris are scattered everywhere and another set of houses collides into the ground. Disoriented dead bodies— some are severed in two and some are thrashed and enclosed by broken walls— are everywhere. Feeling the malicious aura surrounding the place, the third general pauses, observes, and investigates the source of destruction. A sudden wave from an unknown collision bursts nearby. He hears from a far, Jaino speaks,

“Sire! Be careful! At 3 o'clock far from your location! Our opponent is standing!”

The general gazes at Jaino, with legs and hands trembling, swings his huge sword. A sudden wave bursts once again. The general gazes at the stated location — he has seen nothing. He hears Jaino speaks,

“Sire! Believe me!”

And a message without voice has been realized by the minds of every living nearby, I, servant of nature, first of the norim races, voice of our races, selector to a person befit for a champion from my own flesh, I hereby announce: surpass my persisting wrath, and a path shall open for the preservation of our kinds.

The third general yells, “You talk like a god and assume yourself as our origin! Is it reliable to kill your children!”

For the champion shall fight the full authority and preservation of our world, and terminate the known two calamities that devour, fuse, kill, and collect the very living and dead they've seen; this chance is a path of your salvation either your end.

“Hey! Listen to me!”

Be victorious and pass this selection.

Hearing the consecutive rushing of footsteps, the third general bare witness at in front of him, Jaino stabs the huge sword into the ground and leans a palm into the huge blade. — The huge blade deflects the sudden burst of reddish beaming light that shimmer through the drops of rain. He hears Jaino speaks,

“Sire, don't bother to reply. This monster is repeating what I had hear before. We need to get rid of him as possible.”

After the attack, a shock wave from a far is expanding and sweeping on the horizon. Houses and buildings crumble into the ground. Not wasting the efforts done by Jaino, the third general gathers water surrounding the source of shock wave and calls forth lightning to strike in the said location, followed by a sudden wind bursting outwards, and continued by the late series of thundering. “Boy, how is it?” he has asked to Jaino.

“Sire... He's still alive.”

Their surrounding changes to darkness and the drops of rain disappear. The liquified and gaseous dark colors hover in the place. From behind, they hear the voice of the veteran priestess, “I have finished the ritual. Make haste, this place is not good for our health.”

Jaino runs. Arriving nearby the priestess, he shields the huge sword. Aloud bang thunders and Jaino grits his teeth as he preserves his endurance against the heavy strength from their invisible-foe's attack. “Sire!”

“Close your eyes! Boy! Both of you endure the deafening thunder!” From above, a flash of lightning strikes to the front of Jaino and followed by a loud bang of thunder.

The heavy strength, barred by Jaino, retreats tardily. Grabbing a bottle from his pouch, Jaino throws and shatters it to his front. Using the huge sword to shield him from splashing droplets, he scrutinizes. Moment later, he thinks, It doesn't work, as another message conceives to their mind,

Child, you're all expecting of my arrival. Means, you meet Ka'el Em'tis. Provide me details of his whereabouts.

“Shut up!” has replied by Jaino. “Is not like we all gonna silent after what you've done!” Too late to act, Jaino gazes at the third general. Forcing to move his body, he begins to run. His arm stretches and his hand wants to reach something, warn someone, either create a barrier. Jaino witness the third general's stomach has holed from a stab.

Enduring the pain, the third general grits his teeth. Both hands he holds to something near his stomach as he struggles to speak, “boi, survive...” and to someone he speaks, “God, let's die...”

Jaino has stopped and he watches, sudden lightnings fuse around the third general and the assembly detonates.

As the third general burnt body has slammed into the ground, Jaino runs and cries. The priestess just silences and gulps. Arriving nearby the third general's lifeless body, Jaino swings his sword. The wave cracks the land surface and those small parts rise from the ground. He swings again. As he can hear the footsteps rush faraway, he grounds the huge sword. He sits. “Sire, wake up! Sire! Sire! A lot of people still need you, sire! Sire!” He punches the ground. “Ah! This is all my fault!” His tears river from his eyes. He punches the ground again. “What should I do?” Feeling the cold pain in his heart and enduring the heaviness of his head, his vision dims slowly. Sire, our guild still needs you. A conversation of him and the third general, he remembers, “Listen, if you feel melancholic and think about our purpose to life it brings you no good into our work. What's natural, is we can eat every day to live. That doesn't mean we can't protect our farmers to some evildoers.”

Suddenly, he hears the flashing sound and he turns his head to see, the veteran priestess has struck by the beaming light. Two legs are left and fallen down into the ground. Losing hope, he becomes dumbfounded, yet he remembers the last night with the priestess,

“It seems my fate has been decided. Look at the stars... they are telling my destiny... Sire, I'll do what I must. Before I maybe had failed to protect my family, friends, relatives, tribe, and my village... but now, I'll protect this new Asteron that you had founded.”

“Why could you think so? Isn't me just dragging them to their end?”

“I've seen how these people had changed. Before they were just bandits. Now, they are leaving to new life they accustom and feel comfortable, such peaceful, acceptable to dignity, and united.

“I ask you a second time, Sire, please continue your deeds.”

“...you know... I really don't know if I'd done good deeds. If I did then I can't promise such a thing. I still have my personal problems. But... I do hope I can remember your words.”

“Sire,” has followed by the veteran priestess. “Hadn't you remembered how joyous the people in the festivals we celebrated? How happy and grateful were they not just transcending life to a new but to experience greet happiness in our simple life?”

Scrutinizing her words, Jaino sits and replies, “That was because of your religious preaches. You taught them a lot of good values.”

“I myself had witness such changes. Without their cooperation, passing my tradition wouldn't be possible. Without your instruction, Asteron that it is now wouldn't be existed... Sire, if you succeed with this operation, then the custom born within this village might scatter across Dandia.”

His vision grows dimmer, Jaino thinks, I guess this is the end of me. And a message conceives on his mind, Tel... Tell me... Whe-where is Ka'el... Slowly, Jaino's consciousness fades...

Yet, his body isn't falling, however...

it rises, as the heaviness of the gravity, surrounds the place. His laugh echoes with malice as he has stood. “I'm hungry.”

Y-you... child... had become a calamity... itself. Y-you aren't permitted to live.

And Jaino face gazes at the source of heartbeats, to where the weird man stabs his hand to the air and speaks, “Al'terr Del'mar, you're wide open. Ha ha ha! This is your end!” Smokes are emitting and another creature reveals, not a norim, however a humanoid with metallic scales.

Y-you... Ka'el... Traitor... Tch, don't ever think I'll die so easily.

There Jaino smiles as he sees his prey. As his feet calibrating for a long skip, the heaviness of the gravity triples its increment. Both the metal-scaled humanoid and the weird man begins to evade. So, Jaino holds the metal-scaled humanoid's face and he knocks his head to the ground.

The astounded Ka'el has witnessed Jaino rips the arm of the humanoid.

Curse... you. M-my... duty... hasn't... done yet. I-I'll... drag you... to... my... death.

Rays of light skip to the cracking body of the metal-scaled humanoid. And so Ka'el drags Jaino, and they both vanish in the place. — followed by the lights turning to dark, a loud explosion erupts while the place brighten by fluorescent light.

To a wide grassland, Ka'el punches Jaino's face twice. Noticing Jaino's hand trying to reach his face, he grabs that arm and throws Jaino into the ground. There he punches the chest, where the heart resides. Maintaining his awareness, he watches Jaino coughs and coughs and totally loses conscious. Being relieved, he breathes in and gasps. He stands erect. And gazes at the sky. “You should be grateful child. You have potential so I leave you alive.

“Also, this is the end, the long struggle of your race through generation to generation...

“However...

“By the time, the calamities, and other high races, them turn insane. I'll seek for the champion of our land myself.”

Through the long dream a nightmare— where he Jaino is criticized by his guild master, Ka'el Em'tis and the veteran priestess, his relatives, family, the lightning clan, and people he knows, and finally Misisa and Judith, —he awakens. What a dream. His eyes ogle and see the arching-land-underground ceiling and wall. He sits and notices a person he recognizes as male warrior watches at him.

“You're finally awake. Are you fine now?”

Jaino mumbles, “I'm alive...”

“Yes, you are. Continue to rest. I'll be here if you need anything.”

“...Well, can you give me another three days? I'm still confused... I'm, sane, but... It's just... I need time...”

“Feel free. I'm encharge for your recovery, though.”

“...thank you...” I'm alive... Does the god keeping me alive? Or, I was... I was saved by someone... Dammit, I... we... we didn't even stand a chance.

Sanity cures insanity

thru knowledge, attachment, practice,

relation, gains, self-will, etc...

.

 image text [https://i.postimg.cc/X4gPL8h6/sp04-04-11-The-Last-Sky-s-Rejection-1.jpg]