Chapter 58: Flaming Star
"Agh? What the hell is that?" Groza frowned as she saw the dark dome in the distance.
She sat on the back of the pale man, her last lightning strike ending his life. He resisted, his dark spirits trying to protect him, to buy enough time until the main battle was over, but Groza and Liam’s teamwork left him no chance.
However, it was no surprise that their battle ended first. Of the three opponents, they got the weakest one, although for them, the choice was between one of the servants and Liliane, since they had no chance against Ozdor in the first place.
"Is that..." Liam shuddered. "Is that Ardur’s ability? But can Kreyn defend himself against something like that?"
He turned to her.
"Groza, I’m worried, we have to help Kreyn, not only because if he loses, Ardur will come after us, but also because we’re a team!"
She didn’t argue with the last words, but she wasn’t rushing to Kreyn’s aid either.
"Stop panicking. We finished our fight, but we spent a lot of energy and..." She glanced at Liam’s bloodied shoulder. "I doubt we can help him. Ardur will take us out with a single swing of his sword. If we go there, we’ll only get in Kreyn’s way, because he’ll be thinking about how to protect us."
Liam tilted his head as he touched his lip.
"Ah? You think he’ll protect us? Heh." Liam smirked. "Didn’t you say he was ’an evil, selfish demon who only thinks about himself’? Isn’t that right?"
In a heartbeat, Groza’s face flushed as she found herself in front of Liam, grabbing him by the neck.
"What I’m saying... is true, understand?!" She exclaimed, as she didn’t know how else to explain herself.
In response, Liam just giggled.
"Come on, there’s nothing wrong with admitting that there’s something good in everyone. You’re not the kindest person either, you know?"
"WHAT? Don’t you dare compare me to that bastard!"
A few moments later, Groza turned around as her face became more serious.
"Tsk, you’re right about something. We have to go there, we don’t know what condition Kreyn will be in after his fight."
"Do you think he’ll win?"
Groza smirked.
"Of course, otherwise we’ll all die. Death is not an outcome I want to consider, even if it’s the most likely one. Come on, we have to hurry."
"Yes!"
...
At the same time, Kreyn looked around as he saw nothing but darkness. Ahead, Ardur’s calm figure was visible as he did something Kreyn was not prepared for.
"What was that?" Kreyn frowned, his heart beginning to beat faster. "Is that your spell...?"
Ardur sighed heavily.
"It was my Order. It is a power that cannot be obtained with an Artifact or even through the highest sacrifice. It is something you must earn, just like the Epos and Record you possess."
He continued as his eyes deepened:
"You can consider this my last will, but... Why didn’t you run away? With your intellect and skills, you could have ensured that neither my family nor I would have been able to return you to prison. Why not start a new life somewhere else?"
Kreyn stretched his neck.
"Because I came to win. And enough of this talk, you would have wanted me to escape only because then your children and people would be alive. If you had the chance, you would have crushed me like a bug long ago."
"Hah..." Ardur smiled bitterly. "I suppose you’re right."
Tremble.
The dome shook when a shadow fell on Kreyn out of nowhere.
His eyes turned to the right only to see the monster’s jaws deeply embedded in his shoulder.
Slash!
With a swing of his sword, he destroyed the monster, but two more emerged from the darkness, circling him like two shadow hounds.
"Once my darkness has covered you, there is no escape. You will be devoured by my servants and consumed by my darkness. All that will remain of you is a shadow that will disappear with the next ray of light."
With each of Ardur’s words, more shadow monsters appeared as they pounced on Kreyn, who tried to defend himself, but there were too many sources of attack.
Ardur just watched as his shadows tore Kreyn to pieces, his blood spilling and shreds of his coat flying off.
’In the end... No matter what methods you use, your importance to the world is what really matters.’
...
At the same moment, a stream of flame appeared at the top of the skeleton spine that had covered Boneveil Village for many years. Even an experienced Origin would have difficulty reaching the top, but for some, it was no problem.
Step.
Merissa stepped out of the flames as her amber eyes turned toward the dark dome in the distance.
"What are you waiting for, little bastard?" Merissa smirked as she stretched her arms forward. "You knew this would happen. I told you everything this old man was capable of."
The bright flames ran down her arms, forming a great bow in her grasp that was as big as she was.
"Tsk, your heart won’t rest until you use everyone to achieve your goal, right?"
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
Due to the high temperature, the air trembled as Merissa grabbed the arrow, pulling back on the taut bowstring.
"I hate to admit it, but you’re right, it’s better to help you than to watch that arrogant old man win. His shadows are nothing compared to my light!"
The bowstring trembled as the flaming arrow flew forward with enough force to cause a shockwave.
Merissa glanced at her bloodied fingers and smirked.
"I hope that’s enough. Don’t you dare ask me for more!"
...
That night, every person in the region, whether from Boneveil Village or Varthon, watched as a bright, amber star streaked across the night sky, leaving a fiery trail behind it.
The star had only one target — the dark dome.
Ardur didn’t know this as he watched his shadows pounce on Kreyn like a pack of demons.
Only a small gap remained through which Kreyn’s black eyes could be seen.
He waited, because rushing would only lead to his demise, and he had only one goal:
To win.