As soon as Casper touched the blue core of the Energy tower, a shock wave was sent through his body.
His mind went blank for some seconds, and he woke up just in time to see the huge explosion caused by Nach's device.
Although it was a painful experience, that shock wave was harmless. Casper did not feel any difference in his body, just his mind felt a bit dizzy, but it was getting better with time.
That tricky state nearly made him fell from the tower when it leaned like the Pizza Tower, but he could maintain his focus and grab onto the platform edge.
That shock wave could possibly have done nothing to him, except for brief symptoms, but what it did to the rest of the city in a matter of seconds was a different matter.
Now, the city was filled with lights. Not even when the sun was still to settle the city was so bright.
Nobody could say that the city was beautiful. The traces of poverty, misery, and now war, were still there to be seeing. But, before that sight of the lamps, buildings, and all kinds of technology imaginable lighting up, was impossible to not be amazed.
However, Casper could not pay attention to those lights. He could just climb again the now inclined platform and then go down the tower structure, which was an easier task because of its current position.
The adrenaline was leaving Casper's body completely. Now, he could feel all the harm his body suffered through that intense battle that took hours. He almost fainted again but kept forcing himself to walk towards the crater.
Each step he did on the ground, the more real the situation was. The pain served to remember him that it was not a dream, nor a nightmare. He was not sleeping or hallucinating.
Casper was real, everything around him was real… and what happened minutes ago was just the cruel truth as well.
He kneeled at the edge of the crater, looking towards its center, where Sionnach once was before that tragedy.
"You are kidding with me… right?" He mumbled, talking with her… or so he thought.
"Hey, Sionnach, you are just joking around… right? I… I didn't fail again, right? Not like I did in that house when I was running of those archers… I… I made it just in time, didn't I? You will appear at any time and laugh at my face, will you?"
Casper did not receive any response from her.
The city kept silent, as if everyone was joking around with him, or just giving a moment of silence to the fallen noble Ridire.
After some minutes though, a spirited war cry could be heard crossing the entire midwest region.
Now, the energy tower was on.
The devices could be used.
It was time for the counterattack. The Ridire were raising from the ashes again.
Casper remained looking at the crater, processing the situation, with his mind sinking little by little.
…
Somewhere far away from where Casper was, more precisely inside of the castle of steel, a man that looked more like a giant because of his good bodybuild was staring through one of the windows.
A woman came walking beside him. She was so sneaky and silent that looked more like a cat.
"You look so manly when you are so serious, y'know?" She teased him, with a honeyed tone of voice, giggling after.
"Shut your mouth."
"Eeh!? Why are you so angry? It was a joke, just a joke, y'know?"
The huge man remained silent, with his fists clenched and his jaw stiff.
He was looking so intently at the battlefield down there that it looked like he was going to jump from that window and go there at any time.
The woman also realized it and giggled once more. It was a scene she would laugh her ass off if she saw him doing such a thing.
"You are not funny at all." She pouted. "What good it will do, huh? Keep looking out there like this…"
He ignored her once again. She sighed, stepping forward and taking a glance at the streets as well. It was being a while since the lights were turned off.
"Y'know that they have a reason to accept all of it, right? Like, I know we could have sent one or two people to fix that problem in the tower, but it wouldn't make things go according to the plan, y'know?"
All of that "y'knows" that she was doing was making the man going crazy.
"You are a pretty tough guy in battle, but when it comes to being a real cold and responsible warrior you take a step back. I wonder why, y'know?"
"Wanna start a fight here and now, Brenna?" The man, that had a war hammer in his back, held its grip in a threatening way.
"I am always ready if you are willing to, honey." She said in a lovely, yet sarcastic tone, tilting her head to the side.
She was with her hands on her back, but the man knew what she was wielding.
He snorted, letting go of his war hammer and looking forward again.
"I just don't like that they are using my men like objects. And… that plan they made… what kind of people they really are?"
"They are doing this for the district's sake, y'know? A hard time befell here, y'know?"
"But… what those people down there have to do with it? Nothing! I repeat, nothing!" He snapped.
Brenna shook her head.
"Everyone has something to do with it, willing them or not. We aren't in a time when we can afford ourselves to choose between the evil or good options, we need to take what works better."
"I don't care. For me, those Jarls can go to hell."
"And that's the difference between them and you; they are willing to go to the hell if it means to save their district from the war."
She turned her back to him and then walked away from that corridor.
The huge man sighed, shaking his head to brush off all of those thoughts that were making him go crazy.
He slowly reached his mask with his hands, removing it from his face. He looked intently at it.
"I don't know anymore in what I believe or not."
Suddenly, a strong glow reached the window, followed by a thunderous explosion that made the floor shake almost imperceptibly below his feet.
He put the mask on again as fast as he could and looked once again through the window.
All the midwest region's lights were lightning up at an incredible pace before his eyes. He looked at that amazed and did not believe that the Ridire troops could break in through the complex and activate the tower.
However…
"How the hell they could do it!? How could they even get close to the Energy core? Was there a General or even an Aesir among them? No… That's impossible…" He thought, frantically. "But, on the other hand, it's still impossible to activate that tower without them…"
Relieved because that carnage would finally end, but also puzzled because of how the events turned, the man ran to the main hall of the castle. The Princess should know that the plan could not be 100% successful.
…
Casper stayed in the same place for several minutes after the lights got lit up.
The realization of what had happened took too long to come. And when it reached him, it was like a cannonball.
Casper did not accomplish his goal 100%. He could save the Ridire and make them be able to retaliate the rebel attack. But he could not do it in time to assure the safety of his only comrade.
Sionnach and Casper could have met on that same day, but he already considered her as a comrade, at least.
But now it was pointless. He could not be strong enough to do that. He lacked the energy, he lacked ability, he lacked everything he needed to climb that tower just in time.
He stood up with difficulty, never looking away from the place that now would be Nach's grave.
He did a steady salute, full of will and honor.
"Rest in peace, soldi… warrior." He sighed hard, closing his eyes while clenching his fists. "I couldn't be strong enough to help you. I couldn't be brave enough to put my life into this gamble. I couldn't be an excellent warrior as you were…
"But, give me your strength, your bravery… And I will do what I can to become stronger."
Just as he had finished his salute, he heard heavy footsteps coming from the entrance he had created in the west wall of the complex.
Five people were walking towards him. All of them with just one-half of their faces covered by a sad mask.
They carried all sorts of technological weapons and devices. One or two of them have one or more limbs substituted by a prosthesis. Others had exoskeletons reinforcing their physical capabilities.
Casper knew what they wanted to do.
"I will not let those bastards even touch this tower. Even if I got dozens of holes in my body."
He moved hastily in front of the inclined tower, looking at them.
They looked back, but, as soon as they did, their faces became pale and they stopped to walk, aiming their weapons towards Casper's direction.
Casper noticed a strong red light behind him.
He looked back in confusion, and then three more figures appeared from that light.
Three men with a nordic warrior's suit were standing there and, along with them, a beautiful blond lady, with an aura even more imposing than Sionnach had.
She wore proudly a golden crown on her head.
One of the men said with a deep, husky voice that seemed to shake the floor.
"In the name of the great Odin, I announce the arrival of your highness, the princess!!"