CHAPTER 130: REQUIEM
XENON WINGATE
PRESENT DAY
Ampherius Deo was not fazed by our display of tactics and power. He must have known that everything he can do, we can do better; as long as Dragonis Empyrio Quinella is active. The Nexus Link we had on the enemy can never be severed even with god-like powers. This magical authority is exclusive only to the Dragon Queen's knight in a Vesryn Pulse.
However, Ampherius Deo would never back down in a fight. He spread out his right hand, and a golden astral sword materialized. I can feel almost-infinite energy on his sword as if this is his trump card. The sword itself is not created by Forge magic. It is something else otherworldly as if he's maintaining an astral projection of the sword that does not exist.
"So you have narrowed me down to a corner, huh…" Ampherius Deo muttered to himself. "This alternate-reality castle is quite problematic. I'll have it destroyed immediately."
The god-like zombie entity arced his hand and charged sparkling golden light on his astral sword. Particles of white light gathered around and rotated on the blade as he shouted out his another ultimate attack with full force!
"Dracaryx: Activate Requiem Aeternam!!!"
A pillar of light was formed from the sword, and energy capable of banishing anything's existence has been created. With a swift turn, Ampherius Deo unleashed a powerful golden shockwave aiming at the central ceiling of the Dragonis Empyrio Quinella.
"I won't let you!!!"
Serena cried as she activated her ultimate Elform at this moment. Her skin became covered with a tight white bodysuit with golden linings. White wings sprouted on her back, and on her head is an angel-like winged tiara. With a gentle tap of her white boot, she ascended towards the ceiling with a white sword in her hand.
"Requiem Aeternam!" Serena unleashed the very same existence-destroying shockwave in the same manner.
The clash of the two attacks made a blinding flash of light. It was fast and silent, and there were no ear-deafening blasts. It's just a single long beep.
When the light faded, the alternate-reality throne ceased to exist. We are back in the Elder Ancientech Dragon's stomach that looked like a wide ruined throne room. There is a gigantic crater on the floor where the planetary explosions collided.
"I have won." Ampherius Deo laughed. "I have destroyed your spell-copying mental landscape. You have-!!!"
"We're not finished yet!" I cried out loud as I boosted forward and slammed my shield on the enemy's face. The bash was so powerful that his teeth were shattered and I heard the cracking of his frontal skull.
It's true that our Dracaryx has been nullified, but it does not mean that we've been completely defeated. My heart still beats. My body still functions. I can't let him go away after our trump card has been relinquished!
"Why you-!!!"
"Hraaaaaaagh!!!" I shouted out loud as I revealed my other hand, which is holding Alphonse's chains. With my right palm, I slammed the chains on the enemy's upper chest. The chains immediately wrapped itself around Ampherius Deo's body, completely restraining his movements. I also exerted natural magical energy of Elform to seal any magical leaks on his body, preventing him to cast any magic.
In such a short moment, I withdrew my left hand and reverted my shield back into a glove. With such a free hand, I stabbed my fingers straight towards the central chest of the enemy where the God Core is located. With my tight grip, I tried to rip the core away from his chest.
"Get your hands off from my God Core!" Ampherius Deo cried as he forced his arms to move. With his sheer willpower, he made a left and right hook towards my face. I felt that my wisdom tooth has been shattered by his punches, but even with such pain, I will refuse to let go of the God Core.
The golden orb that I have been struggling to remove from him continues to flicker, like glow and fade. It indicates that he's trying to use the God Core's omnipotent powers to control reality, but since my fingers are also wrapped on the God Core, he can't use it freely. It's as if the core is struggling to choose the command of its possessor, for both me and Ampherius Deo are holding it at the very same time.
Ampherius Deo's decaying hands strangled my neck, trying to squeeze out all the air I had. I couldn't breathe, and a few more force would crush my windpipes. But even so, I refuse to give up the God Core!
"Ack! Grrh! Aaaack!" I cried out loud.
"Get away from me!!!" Ampherius Deo cried.
"Grrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!" I roared like a dragon to focus all my strength on my left hand. I tried to draw the God Core away, but it's stuck!
"Get away from my Xenon-senpai!!!" Serena cried out loud.
When we looked upward, we saw a flying goddess descending at a rapid speed. Her wings folded like a dart's feathers to help with the aerodynamics, and with such great velocity and force, she made a kick straight towards the enemy's face. There was a shockwave upon the impact. That kick was so powerful that I suspect it can destroy a city block right away.
"Aaaargh!!!" Ampherius Deo fell on the floor, his God Core ripped away from his chest. Now there is just a large hole in his body. I can no longer feel any magical presence on him, not even a life force.
When I looked at my left hand, I saw the golden glowing orb. Since the God Core has been ripped off from him, the Elder Ancientech would cease to continue living as a dragon. It will revert back into an island, like the way it was for thousands of years.
The ground shook, and the whole throne room trembled. Debris from the ceiling started to fall, signaling the true end of this war of the Psychic Amplifier.
"X-Xen… We did it… We did it!!!" Serena jollily cried.
"Yes! We won… We won, Serena." I smiled back at her and patted her head.
Suddenly, our small celebration halted when we heard a weak cough coming from the dying enemy. Ampherius Deo's decaying body is now evaporating at a faster rate, with each and every cell of his body starting to convert into the black dust that mixes with the air.
"You have won... Xenon Wingate... Serena Maizono... You have won…" Ampherius Deo muttered. "You have saved the world… But there is a cost for everything."
Serena and I approached the enemy who was on the brink of his last breath. Only his chest, neck, and head are still intact, and the air is continuing to erode his molecules. At that moment, we had a very good chance to hear his last words and prophecy.
"One of you will die. And one of you is destined to be the world's enemy for eternity. The Dragon Queen and the Necross Messiah are never meant to be together. That is the fate that you cannot avoid."
At that moment, Ampherius Deo finally evaporated.
I had doubts about the enemy's last words. None of the words he made makes perfect sense, so I quickly considered his talk a complete hoax. That's how most people with god-complex do when they are defeated. They always wanted to trouble the victor's minds with nonsense gibberish.
I held my chest and felt the strong beating of my heart. It's completely healthy even though the Dragonis Empyrio Quinella has long been gone. The side effects of the Dracaryx stopping my heart should be in effect by now, but my heart still refuses to stop. I'm completely fine, and I can still feel my spare magical energy.
I looked at Serena who was turning her back at me. I immediately called her attention.
"Serena, my heart's still beating. I survived the Dracaryx, Serena! I survived!" I celebrated.
The smile on my face faded when Serena made a slight glimpse to me. She has completely disabled her Elform, and she's back on her battle kimono and long black silky hair. However, her complexion on her face surprised me. She's pale, and there's a set of thick eye bags. There's also black blood flowing from her lips.
"T-That's good to hear, Xen~" Serena made an innocent smile. "That just means it worked perfectly."
"W-What worked perfectly, Serena? W-What's the matter?" My jaw trembled as I asked those questions.
My tears fell down the moment I noticed the severed connection of the Vesryn Pulse.
A severed connection of Vesryn Pulse only means one thing…
Serena's heart is no longer beating.
"I'm sorry, Xen."
That's the last sentence Serena said before she collapsed on the floor.