An enraged shout echoes throughout the Upper Levels of Titania.
The words themselves are hard to make out, but their meaning reaches a certain woman.
She wipes the blood off of her spear with indifference, then glances at the hole far above her.
“Dragon Blade! If you want to stop me, you’ll have to do much better than that! At this rate, you’ll be far too weak to fulfill your purpose!”
“Shut up, bitch! I’ll tear you to shreds myself!”
He pushes himself off the edge of the drop with newfound energy, clearing the distance to the Professional Floor in only a few seconds.
As he lands, an ear-splitting shock wave blasts through the surroundings.
Andromeda stands her ground nonchalantly, leaning as she puts her weight against her new weapon.
“Jumping straight into the Anti-Magic Field… Are you right in the head? You weren’t even able to touch me before.”
“You beat me with a spell last time! Let’s see how you fare in these conditions! {Boost}!”
A steady pressure pours off of Ryuu’s body as he focuses on the opponent before him.
Eyes.
Throat.
Liver.
Lungs.
His pupils shrink as he falls into a trance-like state often used during his days at the Pit of Keld.
In response, the odd, liquid-like energy around Andromeda intensifies.
The identity of the energy is life force–in the literal sense–given form by the power of Heaven Piercer.
It can be thought of as utilizing the power of one’s soul, or willpower.
“Die.”
Ryuu lunges forward with a high feint that transitions into a low dive.
His opponent reads it and leaps into the air, prepared to deliver the same punishment she had in their last fight.
The Blade quickly whips around with a {Charge Point} as he pulls her into his plan, connecting with her feet in a clash of sparking power.
His technique wins out, breaking through her life force and sending her flying.
Despite that, the commander flips around in mid-air and launches her spear at untraceable speeds.
Ryuu instinctively sidesteps just before he’s skewered through the heart.
The artifact burrows into the ground next to him as blood instead pours from a missing chunk of his hip.
“Good movements. I suppose being raised in the Pit of Keld would make you almost unrivaled when it comes to battle instinct.”
“Gk… What would you know about that?!”
“A new recruit of ours happens to know all about that lifestyle. I’m sure you know him, he’s pretty charming when he wants to be.”
“Hyouma!”
“Yes, Hyouma. From what I’ve heard, you both started your real training at pretty much the same time, but you’re nowhere near his level. As much as it infuriates me, the little genius is pretty much already as strong as us commanders. I’ll praise you again for defeating Garth, but he’s just a musclebound freak who happened to be born with a good Talent. You can’t win through stubbornness alone, Dragon Blade.”
“…Are you done now?”
Ryuu moves with blinding speed after being given ample time to heal his wound.
Andromeda raises a palm and commands her spear to return to her hand, raising it with time to spare, but the force of his strike still carries her out of the Anti-Magic Field.
He then digs a strange dagger out of the ground and tucks it into his waistband as the barrier around him crumbles.
I was right that the dagger was the source!
I’m sure Leon found something similar on the roof of the event hall in Mahora!
“Now you’ve really lost it. You’re no match for a Master M’yin outside of that field, jackass!”
Andromeda traces a ring of symbols in the air, bringing out a small army of Fallen with a minimum rank of B.
“Get him!”
The fanged and clawed creatures leap at Ryuu altogether, but he’s already dual-cast his golden armaments.
He swipes through the wall of Fallen in front of him and surges through the gap.
His powerful steps carry him to his opponent in an instant, and they engage in a flurry of thrusts and parries.
Multiple lines of blood well up across Ryuu’s body as he narrowly avoids the strikes, yet he manages to slash deeply into Andromeda’s arm, causing her to loosen her grip on the spear.
He kicks it above her head and spins on his pivot foot, delivering a crushing, spinning back kick to her exposed ribs.
The membrane of life force around her does nothing to stop his talons from shredding her as she’s kicked into a building, leaving behind a trail of dark blood.
The Master rises from the rubble almost immediately, though the rest of her summoned creatures have already been wiped out.
Her target charges an immense amount of aura, then appears in front of her before she can adjust.
CRACK!
CRACK!
SMASH!
A flurry of punches and claws rain upon Andromeda while she can do little to stop it.
The Blade’s combination of spells–and his Boost technique–have powered him up enough to completely overwhelm her in close-quarters.
I’m running out of time, but with this many injuries-!
The last of his {Boost} wears off as he shoves his hand through his opponent’s torso.
He holds her off of the ground with his arm in her chest, then brings back his other hand to finish the job.
“That was pretty good.”
Her spear suddenly flashes up and tears through his shoulder.
His arm drops limply by his side as it slides out of Andromeda’s chest, who lands on the ground as if there’s nothing wrong.
Her torso molds itself back together like she’s made out of clay, then the rest of her injuries follow suit.
“Don’t underestimate the power of an S-grade artifact. You haven’t seen anything yet. As a matter of fact, neither have I!”
She kicks Ryuu back as he heals his shoulder, then holds the tip of her spear toward the ceiling of Titania.
“Wake up, Heaven Piercer! Give me your power so that I can pierce through even fate itself!”
An impossibly heavy pressure weighs upon Ryuu when she finishes her chant.
He finds himself unable to move an inch as he’s pressed harder and harder onto his back.
Once the gravity reaches its apex, his opponent flips her spear around so that it points toward the ground, then brings it down in one swift movement.
The tip buries into the stone, and a bright light pours from the cracks beneath.
BOOM!!!
A cylinder of energy, several miles wide in diameter, splits the Professional Floor directly in half.
The floor itself tilts inward as it’s pierced through, forcing Ryuu to stab his claws into the street to avoid falling to the Middle Levels.
Since the blast damaged the floor’s flotation device, the halves slowly fall through the air alongside the ongoing destruction below.
Andromeda’s attack completely passes through the solid bedrock separating the Upper Levels from the Middle Levels, carving a path through Titania.
While Ryuu tries to figure out his next move, a deep groan vibrates his body as everything around him seems to tilt.
“Hahahahaha! This is the power of Heaven Piercer! This is the power of the Eternal Order!”
I don’t want to believe it, but that may have pierced right through all of Titania!
It feels like whatever keeps the city in the air is failing!
We probably don’t have long before it falls out of the sky!
Andromeda gracefully leaps across rubble while descending, then calls out to Ryuu as she passes.
“I still need to find the limit-breaker, so I’ll be moving on ahead! Good luck surviving this!”
The power of the artifact fuels her as she dives ahead, leaving Ryuu behind on the falling half of the floor.
Dammit!
Sherry and Isaac don’t have a clue what’s going on–they’ll be defenseless!
Lucian’s dead, and I have no idea what kind of condition Lady Evelyn is in!
This is all on me!
The enemy commander’s form grows smaller and smaller as she approaches the Middle Levels.
Don’t think.
Just move.
It’s all or nothing!
Ryuu dislodges himself from the stone and kicks off into the air.
He folds his arms against his hips and dives headfirst as he narrowly dodges surrounding rubble.
In the distance, Andromeda lands on the half-erased Entertainment Floor and dashes toward the far edge.
She pushes through crowds of grieving people and dead bodies without a care.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I’m sorry!
The white-haired Blade focuses his mind on one thing: victory.
He creates small barriers along the soles of his boots, allowing him to kick off of the air with precise timing as he descends (an idea he gained from watching Lucian earlier).
It takes little time for him to weave through chunks of concrete and crystal as he roughly rolls across the Entertainment Floor–his armaments shattering on impact–then sprints past the crumbling statue honoring those that had saved him.
More!
I need more power!
If I wanna beat a Master, I can’t stay like this!
He kicks off the ground in long strides, reaching the edge of the floor in less than a minute and leaping into the void.
After thirty seconds, he rounds a corner into a wide-open area behind tall buildings, where Andromeda faces off against his friends.
Isaac stands in front of Sherry and the civilians, while blue light courses beneath his skin.
Most of his robes are torn, and blood flows freely from a couple wounds on his torso.
“You’ve fought well, boy, but this farce ends here,” Andromeda purrs.
“I won’t allow you to harm my friend! I don’t care what it takes!”
“Do it now, Isaac!”
Ryuu shouts out as he lunges at the commander from behind.
He’s already reaching his limits, physically and mentally, but is determined to buy time for whatever Isaac has in his pocket.
“Skies of ash and hills of bone, gather my soldiers, and answer my call, as the contract between us commands! [Hell Gate]!”
An imposing gate of dark mana rises from the ground with thick chains wrapped around it.
The chains rattle as the door is hammered on from the other side, then Isaac palms his forehead and keels over.
“Isaac! Are you okay?!”
“I’m fine, Sherry! More importantly, Ryuu needs your help! Cast your spell on him!”
“But if I remove it from you now, you won’t be able to handle the backlash!”
“I’ll figure it out!”
Sherry squeezes her eyes shut before aiming her palms at Ryuu, who is quickly being driven into a corner by the mysterious woman.
“Ancient streams, flowing through the unseen plane, lend me your wisdom so that I may create your champion! [Max Mind]!”
Ryuu feels his focus rapidly recover as a blue light settles around him.
It arrives just in time for him to cast [Piercing Claws] and block a thrust from Andromeda.
“Saved by the bell, little dragon.”
“Your time’s up, Eternal Order!”
They push off of each other with her back to Ryuu’s allies.
The chains around Isaac’s spell burst apart as the gate swings wide open, releasing an endless swarm of unidentifiable shadows.
They lack any real form, but move with purpose toward the spear-wielder.
“Shit. You’re a summoner too? I guess I’ll get serious,” she mutters.
“Feast upon their flesh, corrupted remnants of past lives, you are beckoned by your master. [Monster Horde]!”
Dozens of shadows litter the ground around Andromeda and gradually widen.
Fallen of different shapes and sizes rise from the depths, with the final one giving off a particularly dreadful sensation.
“Let’s see whose army wins in the end, you annoying edgelord!”
“Huff. I’m not going down until I’ve won!”
Isaac stands shakily while holding his head, yet refuses to lower to the ground.
The darkness and Fallen smash into each other, turning it into less of a fight, and more of a competition of mass.
Ryuu casts [Shredding Talons] to complete his set, then pulls the enemy’s attention back to himself.
Although he lacks the energy to heal any of his wounds, none of them are deep enough to impede his movements.
Clang!
Skrrt!
Screech!
Golden armaments and a flawless spear collide in a rapid chain of attacks.
Ryuu strikes with purposefully mistimed swipes, while his opponent deftly leans out of his reach and responds with calculated thrusts.
The exchange goes on for a short while, with nobody drawing blood, until Ryuu comes to a realization.
She hasn’t summoned any Fallen to trip me up!
It’s possible that she doesn’t create them, but keeps a storage, and she emptied it out dealing with Isaac’s spell!
He switches to a more aggressive approach, driving in close with a mixture of light-to-heavy combinations.
Andromeda manages to block any real damage, yet the difference in close-quarters skill quickly becomes apparent.
Her spear is eventually swatted to the side as a set of talons tears through her chest and face, but her artifact’s power keeps her moving.
Blood barely drips from her wounds as they seal shut.
“Is that the limit of what you can do?”
No.
Sherry’s magic can push me further!
They called her the limit-breaker, so obviously I should try to make use of that power myself!
He leaps into the air, blasting off several half-loaded [Charge Bursts] as he approaches.
They’re all dodged or slashed, then Andromeda meets his flying kick with the artifact’s shaft, carrying him in a circle before throwing him to the side.
Ryuu cuts the throw short by propelling off of a barrier mid-air, then thrusts both sets of claws into her torso as he crashes into the commander.
They burrow a tunnel through the street as they slide, while the Blade digs his magic in deeper and twists to immobilize her.
As soon as they come to a stop, Andromeda tries to push him off, but he casts [Draconic Presence], making her pause for just a second.
Ryuu then slams his forehead into her nose and yanks the spear from her grasp.
“Dammit, no!”
He whips it around and stabs it through her head, twisting the artifact deep into the ground beneath her before standing.
Dark blood freely pools around her fanned-out hair, verifying the damage.
“Well, that takes care of that.”
The army of Fallen clashing with Isaac’s darkness doesn’t disappear, but he had pretty much expected that.
“Will today ever end-”
Shnk.
Andromeda rises from the ground with the spear buried through her skull.
She wrenches it out with a sickening crunch, and twirls it by her side as her head reforms.
“A shame. You shouldn’t have stabbed me with my lifeline.”
Ryuu moves to intercept her again, but his knees give out as his vision doubles.
Why?!
Why can’t I move?!
Before he’d realized it, Sherry’s stamina had run out, causing him to push himself too far.
“Magic burnout. A sad way to go down, Dragon Blade. It definitely makes things easy for me, though.”
She struts over to Ryuu and swings her spear in a downward arc.
The Blade’s back is torn apart as the tip of the weapon slashes through him, and he falls forward in a bloody mess.
“Sir Ryuu!!!”
Sherry tries to run forward, but Isaac holds his arm out and stops her.
“How dare you… How dare you!”
His eyes glow with a dark power as mana further condenses around him, then he collapses as his mind is stretched too far.
“Wow, it’s a burnout bargain sale! That just leaves you, Limit-breaker.”
“W-wait just a second!” Sherry cries out.
“Why are you doing this?!”
“For my boss’ dream. I won’t ask you to understand.”
Run, Sherry!
“Why me?! Why cause all of this tragedy just to take me?!”
“There’s no point in playing dumb, Limit-breaker.
Or would you rather I call you Lady Shirley, second princess of the royal family?
…What?
“H-how did you know..?”
“Oh please. You should be worrying about a lot more than that right now.”
Andromeda picks Sherry up by her braid and slams the butt of the spear into her stomach.
The young woman passes out with a light sigh, while her two friends lie helplessly on the ground.
Isaac’s darkness fully fades as he loses consciousness, prompting the commander to send her army back to their pocket world.
The light-haired beauty paces over to Ryuu and throws Sherry next to him, then crouches down close to his face.
“This is the real world, little dragon. You skated far enough on potential and luck, but all the fighting experience in the world can’t save you when confronted with overwhelming strength. Do you remember those cities I mentioned before? I just got a report that all of our raids have been successful. You know what that means, right? The dawn of a new age is about to rise over the Northern Reaches! The Eternal Order will take hold of the land and return it to its proper glory from a thousand years ago!”
“That’s far enough.”
A commanding voice travels directly through Ryuu’s mind and washes over him with impeccable clarity.
“You’ve wreaked havoc inside my city for more than long enough, young intruder. You may believe that your organization has won, Eternal Order, but there are some powers that rule over all.”
A glowing figure slowly descends through the hole between levels above.
As they do, the city of Titania lurches once its systems fail, and it begins to fall out of the sky.
Ryuu floats in the air as the city picks up speed, hurtling straight for the ground hundreds of feet below.
The glowing figure speaks again, revealing herself as Lady Evelyn. Find the original chapter at g.com.
“The conditions have been met. I shall perform my duty as Duchess of Titania. Sorry, Lucian.”
She clasps her fingers in a simple hand sign that bridges her hands together, then a maelstrom of mana swirls around her, akin to the birth of a galaxy.
“Manifest my desired future. [Diverged Destiny]”
******
Ryuu opens his eyes to a white expanse of space.
He hovers in place among the nothingness, then someone appears across from him in a flash of light.
Lady Evelyn materializes with him in this world where only they exist.
“W-what just happened? It sounded like you used the spell from back at the storm region…”
“…So you remembered that, did you? I hadn’t intended on sparing your memories at that time, but perhaps you carry a power that defies fate itself, young one.”
“What’s going to happen, Lady Evelyn? Can your spell really turn the tides at this point?”
“There’s no point in worrying about that right now. I’ve pulled you here with me in order to finally have a chance at talking alone. I wish I could have done this earlier, but the time was never right.”
The duchess floats aimlessly through the void, while a mysterious gravity pulls Ryuu along behind her.
She continues to drift like this as she closes her eyes and gathers her thoughts, as if she’s been holding onto them for so long they’ve been buried.
“Where do I begin… I suppose with the situation at hand. My spell will resolve all of the conflict that occurred inside of Titania today. Any of our own that died will be restored, and all of the damage will be completely reverted. As for the invaders, the dead will stay dead, and the living will be sent somewhere far from here. I wanted to retrieve the artifact, but its power denies my magic.”
“Does that mean… Lucian…”
“Yes, Lucian hasn’t passed on just yet. Not on my watch. As for the aftermath of all of this, only him and you three trainees will retain your memories of what happened here. The rest of Titania, as well as the enemies, will remember a scenario where you all fought valiantly to protect the city, then defeated the intruders while Lucian led the way. Things will be easier like this.”
“What powerful magic… I now see why you said you can’t imagine losing.”
“Hehe, well, I may have spoken too soon. I’ll consider this time a draw, but you will need to be stronger for what’s coming in the near future, Ryuu. The S-grade artifacts are being hunted, which means it’s likely that the Chosen are as well.”
“Artifacts? Chosen? This is a whole lot I don’t understand.”
“What you need to know is that the five S-grade artifacts are treasures left by ages of the past, with powers that exceed what any modern person can achieve on their own. They’re indestructible and unimaginably potent, but that kind of treasure comes with a catch. Their true powers can only be unleashed when wielded by a Chosen. Just so you’re aware, the woman that took Heaven Piercer is one of them.”
“Really? How could you tell?”
“The fact that she was able to pierce through the entire city told me enough, but even before that, her physical features had me thinking along those lines. That’s why I hesitated when she broke into my room.”
“You hesitated?”
Lady Evelyn drifts to a stop and turns to face Ryuu.
Her hand slowly rises to her face and removes her floppy hat and veil, revealing light blonde hair and startling blue eyes.
Now that Ryuu’s able to get a clear view of her face, he sees a striking resemblance.
“You see, I, as well as Ilene, am a Chosen. Our appearances are what mark us as worthy wielders of the sacred artifacts.”
“Ilene too?! Doesn’t that mean she’s being targeted by the Eternal Order?!”
“I’m afraid so, which means your fates have been intertwined since before you even met. How wonderful our world is.”
I think she’s lost it a bit.
“Back to the point,” she continues, “If the Eternal Order is hunting S-grade artifacts, then they must also collect Chosen to wield them. It’s possible they already have what they need after seeing that woman…but Chosen are exceedingly rare, despite how many you’ve met. You need to track down the Eternal Order as fast as you can. You’re likely to find Chosen along the way, whom you can dissuade from following the enemy’s path.”
“Hold on a second! Why are you pushing this on to me?! I get that I’m somehow involved in all of this, but two months ago I was just living my everyday life! I can’t take on an organization capable of attacking every major city at the same time and winning!”
“You doubt yourself, Dragon Blade?”
“Of course I do! I’ve failed to beat a commander twice now, and people have continuously died because of me! Everyone’s depending on me to somehow figure everything out, but I can’t live up to their expectations! I don’t know why I’m able to pick up skills so fast, and I don’t know why my Talent is wanted by the Eternal Order! All I do know is that I’ve met people I want to protect, who make me want to grow stronger both for them and myself! I want to change!”
The duchess smiles.
“Isn’t that your answer? If you want to protect them, then you must grow stronger. No matter how much you want to change, no matter how determined you are to go down a certain road, the only way to get there is to move forward. As you grow, you’ll change into the person you’re meant to be.”
“What if it’s not in time?! I can’t keep failing… I can’t! At this rate, I won’t be able to face everyone!”
“Do you think they consider themselves free of guilt? If you care for them as much as you say you do, then you should recognize that the other three will feel just as much regret as you for failing to save the day. Nobody is pushing all of the burden onto your shoulders, young Ryuu, but you must also face your destiny. I trust you’ve heard of the ancient history regarding the Sacred Land? It’s a story of three heroes and a fearsome dragon king. It’s said that the conclusion of their battle has shaped the world into what it is today.”
“What’s that have to do with me?”
“I wonder… I can’t give you all of the answers you seek, but you should take Sherry along with you once you leave Titania.”
“Huh? Why?”
“Surely you remember what the enemy mentioned? Sherry’s, or rather, Shirley’s identity is known to them. She was hiding here for reasons I can’t share with you in good faith, but as the second princess of the royal family, she cannot fall into their hands.”
She heard that part from so high above us?
Ryuu furrows his brows as he recalls something else Andromeda mentioned.
“Oh yeah, they were calling her the “limit-breaker” too. Do you know what that means?”
“It’s in reference to her Talent. Princess Shirley was born with the power to temporarily increase one’s potential to the next tier, roughly. I’m sure you’re already aware of the other unique aspect of her Talent, but the drawback is that it scales with compatibility. If she doesn’t truly want to support her target, or if her resolve wavers at any point, everything crumbles apart. That’s why she was sent out into the world by the king.”
“Are you serious?! What kind of dad kicks their daughter out for a reason like that?!”
“Hahaha, oh, you’re certainly special.
Even in this space, I could never consider talking about the king in that fashion.
However, I agree, which is why I allowed her to stay in my palace as a “maid” for the time being.
Only Lucian and I knew her true identity.”
“Are you sure it’s okay to just take her with me? We’ll be putting an even bigger target on Mahora, and obviously her identity will be at risk of coming out.”
“Forgive me for being so blunt, but I want you to do this because Titania cannot take another attack. Now that the artifact is gone, they’ll have no reason to return so long as the princess isn’t here.”
“I would call you selfish, but you did just save everyone… Fine. As long as Sherry agrees, that is.”
She nods.
“That’s all I ask. Now then, it’s time I return you to your body. Remember, you must find the Eternal Order before they can accomplish whatever it is they’re planning.”
Ryuu’s figure begins to fade as he’s pulled out of the empty space.
“Wait! Do you at least know where the other artifacts are?!”
“Outside of the two we know of, there is a third residing in the Sacred Land. Its current wielder is a member of the Swords of Harmony, so it’s probably fine, but…”
Her words trail off as Ryuu’s consciousness fully drifts out of the void and returns to his body.
******
He finds himself sitting at the dining table inside of the Mystic Palace with a plate full of steaming food in front of him.
After a moment’s pause, he looks up to see Isaac and Sherry sitting across the table with quiet, shocked expressions.
One moment, they were being torn apart by that powerful woman, then the next, everything was fine.
It’s unexplainable.
“You guys… You’re okay?!”
Sherry jumps up from her chair with a quivering voice and pulls her friends into a hug over the table.
Ryuu and Isaac struggle and lightly pat her back while she spends a few minutes sobbing with them.
“I thought everyone was going to die! What happened?! Am I dreaming?!”
She finally releases them once Isaac slips out of her hold and adjusts his hood.
“I don’t think it’s a dream… The backlash from my magic is still lingering in the back of my head.”
Before Ryuu can consider telling them anything, a panicked voice pushes through the entrance to the dining hall.
“You three! Come, quickly!”
Ryuu turns to see Lucian with a concerned look on his face.
They don’t waste any time dashing behind him down the main hall, following all the way to the residential wing.
Don’t tell me…
They skid to a stop just inside of Lady Evelyn’s chambers, where she lies covered in her bed, unconscious.
Lucian kneels down at her bedside and presses a couple of fingers to her neck.
He then sighs after a few moments and turns back to them.
“There’s still a pulse, thankfully. She must have used her magic to save us. I remember losing my magic, and a hot pain, but after that…”
Ryuu steps forward and explains a bit.
“That woman, Andromeda, belonged to a group called the Eternal Order. It’s obviously the same group that attacked Mahora, and now we’ve learned that they’ve also attacked all of the major cities in the Northern Reaches.”
Sherry and Isaac exchange glances behind him as he explains, clearly unaware of what they’ve gotten involved in.
“When things looked hopeless, Lady Evelyn saved us all with her magic. I have no idea what happened to her after that.”
Lucian nods and turns to his master once more with a pained expression.
He remains motionless for a long while before eventually standing and wiping under his glasses.
“As much as I would love to go out and slay every last member of the Eternal Order, Titania will need someone to keep things running in my lady’s place. I’m afraid I won’t be able to leave here for the foreseeable future, nor will I be able to pay the three of you much attention.”
He turns to Ryuu with a level stare.
“As such, you are dismissed. I won’t be able to drive you, but you should be more than capable of making the journey back to Mahora on your own now.”
“What?! That’ll take forever.”
“One week, to be exact. And that’s accounting for interruptions.”
“Ugh…”
“What about us?”
Isaac speaks up to Lucian as he bickers with Ryuu.
“You’re free to do as you please. Titania is your home, but you’re also your own people. Make your own decision with the knowledge you now hold.”
Lucian dismisses them from the room as he prepares to care for Lady Evelyn’s unconscious body.
Once the door shuts behind him, his true thoughts surface with a silent, seething rage.
“Eternal Order… For what you’ve done to my most treasured person… You’d better pray we never cross paths again. Next time, I won’t make the mistake of letting my guard down for a single moment.”