"Humans are just… animals..."
The Allfather's words echoed within Shin's young mind. The cloaked shadow had long dissipated into the darkness. There was no remnant aura left in the misty ravine. Neither the Tree of Illusions nor the Allfather had left a trace of their presence, making one wonder if they were in a dream sequence. However, Shin acutely knew that everything wasn't a figment of his own imagination. The Hofuku that remained was living proof of that. Everything that Shin had experienced… Shizen's death, Junius' sacrifice and the Allfather coming out of hiding… It was all real.
"Animals… huh?" Shin slowly walked over towards the sharp silver sword that stuck out from the ground. The Hofuku had lost the mighty crystal that could generate one of the most resilient barriers there was on a Spirit Armament. Once a gift to Junius, now the Hofuku was simply a piece of scrap metal that was discarded by the Allfather. It had the metal befitting that of a Legendary-Grade Spirit Armament, but to the all-powerful Allfather, the Hofuku was as useless as a blade of grass.
Not to Shin, though…
Shin's shaking fingers engulfed the soft grip of the two-metre-long sword. Much of its shagreen had been torn apart, and bits of dried blood was stuck onto its colour. However, it had been tenderly woven back together, showing the care its previous owner had for the sword. Shin put more force into his palms, slowly pulling the blade out from the ground. To many, the Hofuku was a symbol of fear and death, an Odachi that told them the end was coming. In spite of that, Shin looked at the sword with a sentimental gaze.
It was the final relic that Junius had left behind, the weapon that represented the struggle that the man had gone through. It was also the object that allowed Junius to commit to his sacrifice. If not for the Hofuku's superior material, there was no way that he could seal the Allfather's will within the confines of the blade.
Shin picked the sword up, admiring its silent but deadly beauty. The Hofuku has been used to massacre innocent lives, it had been used as a medium of war. It was, by far, one of the dirtiest blades to exist in the modern world. However, Shin didn't mind that. With Junius gone, there has to be someone that should be accountable for his sins. So, in the place of his deceased elder brother, Shin would use the Hofuku in a different way. Shin would use the Hofuku… To protect the innocent lives that the Black Masks would reap.
In the distance, Shin could see a young face staring back at him. He had brown, chestnut hair and possessed a body similar to that of a hobbit. Peaceful and serene, the young man seemed to have been merged with nature, becoming one with the thing he loved the most. Shizen's illusion stared right at Shin with a dazzling smile, as if signifying that the youth had made the right choice.
"Allfather… You're wrong..." The young man muttered under his breath. The Allfather believed that war was the only way that one could grow. He believed that the mass murder of billions was required for the birth of the next Spirit Immortal. Shin swore to prove him wrong.
"I will strike you down… I will become the next Spirit Immortal while protecting the innocent… I swear on this sword..." Raising the Hofuku above his head, Shin sent a gorgeous wave of mana into its core. In no time at all, a magnificent array of colours blasted out from the simple-looking sword. With an aura that would mystify thousands, the sword glimmered in the evening light.
"And I swear… I'll cut you down..."
❖❖❖
Ten minutes later.
Shin exited the Illusory Canyon with his elite companions surrounding him on all fronts. Bingbing held onto the young man's hand, eyes peeled and ready to pounce at any threat that might fly Shin's way. Lady Seph was standing on his left and although her Spirit was stored away, a faint golden aura could be seen enveloping her exterior. Zishen looked absent-minded as he trailed slowly behind. Still, Shin could tell that the man was examining every nook and cranny of his immediate surroundings. Even Heigui Xuegang and Venerate Maurice were on edge as they glared at the grass.
Everything seemed to have happened in a flash, and the elites had finally figured out the Allfather's motives for purging the world to chaos. In the end, the Allfather was chasing immortality, just like the rest of them. The only difference was, the Allfather was willing to annihilate the entire world's population for his goal. He was even willing to create an unstoppable genius in the form of Shin just to create a potential rival. It was all so surreal…
Walking out of the ravine, Shin could sense a few mana signatures standing still. Bingbing and Zishen, being the two with the sharpest senses, naturally were the first to notice the presences. They both raised their brows and sent all of their heightened senses towards the standing mana signatures. After a few seconds, the duo quickly dropped their guard, and small smiles could be seen on their faces.
"Yip! Yip! Shin! Let's go!" Bingbing ignored Shin's confusion and pulled the young man out of the canyon and straight towards the distant figures. Heigui Xuegang wanted to hold the Prince back lest there was any danger, but was promptly stopped by Zishen's outreached arm.
"Mmmm… Let them be… At this juncture, it's better for the Prince with friends his age." The Azure Dragon Lord thought back on the Allfather's words. There should be over a million things rushing through Shin's head now. It would be best if he had emotional support from the ones he could relate to the most. As he watched Bingbing drag Shin away, Zishen turned towards the Obsidian Gate, which was already half-destroyed. "Child of Heigui..."
"Yes?"
"Mmmm… Go find the others. Tell them that the Prince is safe and confirm the motivations of the Himmel Ancestor. The threat of the Black Masks may have disappeared, but there's no guarantee that the Himmel Empire or the Kori Federation will play nice with our Prince in just a remote location. If need be, rush them over, so that the Prince could be protected." Zishen was worried that the Himmel Ancestor would turn heel and kidnap Shin while he was far away from home and the nearest Lantis Republic's Spirit Saint.
"... Understood." Heigui Xuegang bowed once before turning into a ray of light that sped for the heavens. He knew what dangers lay ahead if the Himmel Ancestor decides to act. Just as the poor Obsidian Gate that fell just as quickly as it appeared.
While his bodyguards were busy worrying about secondary affairs, Shin continued to be led by Bingbing towards the hazy figures. Now that they were closer, Shin could sense the familiar aura of his fellow comrades. Kanari and the twins were there, all in the pink of health. Even Elrin and Isadore, two mana signatures that he hadn't felt in a long time, were present in the group. Shin's frown quickly turned into a beaming smile.
Due to the mayhem, Shin wasn't able to confirm the return of his two bosom pals, but their auras did prove to be a delightful surprise. It was precisely what he needed in this time of darkness. He had just lost Shizen and Junius… It was good to rekindle some old bonds to ease the unease that pricked his heart.
Alas… It wasn't to be.
"T-this is..."
Before Shin could even put on a smile to embrace the friends he held dear. One odd detail caught his attention. All of his five friends were wearing sombre faces, void of any emotion. No, if there were any emotion, it was one of grief. Universally, their eyebrows and lips were arched downwards, and the atmosphere that surrounded them was extremely heavy. So much so that even though Shin was a few kilometres away, he could feel their anguish.
Isadore and Elrin, the two faces that should be jovial about their reunion, were both grim. They saw Shin running at them, but they couldn't smile. How could they? After what they've just experienced… The twins were in a similar state. Their eyes were hollow, and their faces aghast. It was as if they had just entered into a human slaughterhouse and witnessed the most obscene evils one could inflict on another.
However, the one that stood out the most to Shin among the elite group wasn't the twins, and neither was it the two friends he hadn't seen in god knows how long. It was the black-haired woman that he loved and took as his partner. The beautiful features that would bring down a nation were on full display, though not in the way that Shin had hoped for. Her eyes were fully reddened up, and her complexion greyed. After sleeping next to her for over three years, Shin could tell… His woman had been crying.
Why?
Because of the child that rested peacefully in her arms.
"Kanari… That..." Shin was no idiot. He didn't bother with the useless question of whose child was that? Or what happened to them? Just one glance and he could infer everything. That infant that slept comfortably next to Kanari's bosom… was Junius' child.
"Shin… I'm sorry..." The black-haired beauty thought that she had cried her all, but once she came face-to-face with Shin once more, her eyes began to swell once more. "We tried to stop her… We tried to stop Shia… We tried to stop her from taking her own life and the child's, but…" Unable to complete her sentence, Kanari dropped her head and glanced down at the poor parentless child.
"..." Shin was two steps away from Kanari and the child. He could see the adorable features of the infant, chubby cheeks that was no different than mochi and eyes that sparkled like the stars of the night sky. No parent in their right mind could ever abandon such a lovable creature.
"What about the rest of the Awter Clan?"
Isadore took a step forward to replace the sobbing Kanari. "Those that were affected by the Allfather's mana… All exploded. Those that weren't… Slit their necks the moment we got there. The child was all that we could save. The child is… the last remaining survivor of the Awter Clan."
One could only imagine the grief that Shia was in to end her own life and leave behind her only kin in the cold and isolated world. She had even tried to end her own child's life after learning about Junius' death. If not of Vellan's plea and Kanari's timely arrival…
"I see..." Shin was unable to chain together thoughts as he gently caressed the infant's face.
"Yiia! Yiia!" The baby chuckled as Shin's touch tickled its body. It was as pure as white and as innocent as a virgin's smile. Seeing the baby giggle caused Shin's heart to ache. How was it possible that this child was going to suffer the same fate as Shin and the other orphans? To grow up parentless and in the home of his parent's murderers?
"No… I can't let history repeat itself..." Shin shook his head as he gently placed his finger near the baby's hands. Feeling Shin's grief, the infant gently squeezed onto his finger, as if trying to console the young man and assuring him that everything was going to be alright.
Shin let out a self-deprecating smile and said: "Will you be able to smile the same way if I told you I killed your father?"
"Shin?!" Kanari wanted to retort but was stopped by Shin's authoritative hand. Instead of looking at his lover, the young Prince gazed right at the twins.
"Ella, Ema… I won't let this child suffer the same fate that we did. I won't let him grow up clueless about his parentage. I won't... follow in the footsteps of the Frie Clan. Once he's fully grown, I'll give him a choice."
Shin and the orphans knew firsthand how irresponsible it was to hide the truth, particularly from an orphan that he sought to take care. He looked at the child, forcing back the tears that were rising up like a high tide.
"Child… No, my child… I swear… That I will… Do you right."
✵✵✵
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