Humans are strange creatures. They laugh when they are happy, get angry when they are mad, and cry when they are sad. And yet I, a being born to be the strongest in existence, never understood any of it. In the human world, I held the Identity of Elrick Clover, a young Magus with magic power on par with some of the most powerful in the world. At least, that was one of the rumors I heard. My real name was Lucius, emissary of the goddess and the Celestial Dragon.
The Heros of the world were chosen by the goddess Celestia, my creator. Some of them were brought over from another world, while others received prophecies in the form of dreams. At first, I questioned her methods. Why, out of all people, would she choose humans that have never held a sword? They were thrown into a world unfamiliar to them and told to protect it, to die for it. However, I never really told her how unreasonable it was, since I was just there to enact her will.
After a while, I managed to make a name for myself and was invited to join the hero's party. In traveling with them, I realized how naive and stupid they were. They never minded their own business--even when told not to. In time, I learned to ignore their idiotic actions and just accepted them as they came. The only one that kept them in check was princess Talia. Despite not being a hero herself, she was already a full-fledged knight by the age of fourteen. Her level of mana control and battle prowess far exceeded most holy knights; earning her the title of Sword Saint.
The battles were long and arduous; many fell victim to the Demon Lord's army. Even in those hard times, Talia was the one to raise everyone's spirits. Eventually, the time came to face the Demon Lord himself. The battle ended in our favor, but the Demond Lord still had one more trick up his sleeve. He managed to find and reanimate the corpse of an ancient god known as Philos, The Abyssal Lord. The hero's powers were no match for that of a god, so I decided it was time to take action. Using my true form, I engaged the former god in combat.
At that moment, the Demon Lord took advantage of the opportunity and attacked the already weakened heroes party. Although badly injured, they managed to push him back once more, pushing him into a corner. I defeated the ancient god's corpse and regrouped with my comrades. By the time I arrived, the deed had been done. The Demon Lord's head had been severed from his body; the god's body laid beside him. That was when I did something I never should have done. I let my guard down.
Using the remaining mana in his body, the Demon Lord transferred his soul to the corpse. He then began to absorb the surrounding mana into his new body at an alarming rate. By doing so, he planned to blow himself up along with everyone in the vicinity. His plan ended in failure, however, the price paid was too great. Talia, using the royal family heirloom, the relic of protection, used her life save everyone. The relic of protection was created by the first king Isera. It uses the life of the user and casts an impenetrable barrier around those the user deems worthy of protecting.
In the end, everyone mourned her death... except me. I could have prevented her death... I could have saved everyone. I've told myself that it was because of my duty, but that would just be a lie. The knights rushed through the battlefield to witness the end of the war, only to find that their princess had been killed in the process. The citizens of Isera were outraged and in anguish. The princess had been a shining ray of hope to everyone and was said to be the next in line to succeed the throne. Now, it had felt like their future had been stolen from them.
Right after the war had concluded, talk of peace treaties had already begun between Isera and nearby nations. There was one factor of concern in each of those meetings, and that was the emissary of the goddess. The neighboring nations feared that I would be used as a weapon by the kingdom of Isera. At the end of negotiations, they all agreed that I should be sealed. I, of course, had nothing against this. My duty had been completed. Humanity was safe. Those reluctant to the idea were the heroes themselves; especially Medea, the Chaos mage. Or at least that was what she called herself. She often came to me not for advice, but for someone to listen to her worries. In time, we would often talk about magic formulas and the like.
Our leader, Ray, understood what had to be done. Although reluctant at first, he put the safety of everyone else above his own judgment. Old man Val never said a word, only smiled. Seraphina was the last to see me off. She was the backbone of our group. She always smiled and tried to be optimistic when things got rough.
Since then, It's been a long time in this vast and empty void. A world covered in white that stretches for what seems like an eternity. The seal makes it almost impossible so that nothing can come in or escape. Only those who created the seal could undo it.
Until now, it's just been me and my thoughts. I sometimes replay those memories in my mind; they are the only thing keeping me from going insane. Sometimes I wonder if this was my punishment for failing to save them. If only I would have realized just how important they were to me. They were more than just some party... They were friends and more importantly...family.
"...Lu.c..ius.."
"I know that voice..."
A small light appeared before me, growing bigger and bigger until finally manifesting itself in its true form.
"It has been quite a while, Celestia," I said with a relieved expression on my face.
She takes a while to gather her thoughts before finally speaking.
"...First, I would like to express my sincerest apologies for not coming for you sooner."
"It's alright," I replied.
"Being here has made me reflect on myself and what I should truly value. So, there is nothing you should apologize for."
"I see... If you believe that this has been a valuable learning experience, then I will not object. So let me be the first to tell you... well done."
She gently placed her hand on my face, gently caressing it like a mother to her child. I could feel my body being filled with energy.
"...How long has it been?" I asked.
"Judging by the nature of the spell, I believe that one day in this space is equivalent to ten days in the outside world."
"So, how long has it been, exactly?"
"As of right now, five hundred years have passed in the outside world."
"I see... Then the others..."
"Unfortunately, most of the former hero party have long since left the mortal world. The only remaining member is Medea."
"But that's impossible... She was only human, after all."
"Since you left, Medea has managed to find a way to prolong her life beyond her normal human lifespan. As for how she did it, I do not know."
In a way, I feel relieved. My friends have finally moved on, which makes my mind at ease. However, I am concerned for Medea. For her to be prolonging her life like that, there must be something wrong.
"What is she doing now?"
"Right now she is working as head researcher at the 'Solace Insitute of Magic'. It would be better for you to enlist in their upcoming entrance exam."
"Wait. You don't mean...?!"
"That's right. From this day forward, you are free... Thank you for preserving the peace that I've wished for. ...Now go forth, my child. Explore this world to your heart's content. See and judge the world that you fought soo hard to save. If you so wish, you may rebuild it in any way you see fit, for I shall allow it. After all, you have the power to do so. That is my final request to you."
Suddenly a smaller crack began to form in the dimensional space. Little by little, I could feel the dimension falling apart.
This time for sure. I won't stand by and watch those that I care about die before me again. Even if it means becoming an enemy of the entire world, I will come out on top.