I approached the Gateway with a retinue of allies in tow.
I was followed by Isabella and Cassandra. Behind them, stood Aldaril, Sato, and Nirani.
Stella was also present as I had instructed her to make a platform using her creation magic.
And she did. Stella filled in the crater, cleared the rubble, and reformed the gateway platform. Once that had been accomplished, she returned to the ship and the rest of us approached the portal.
I stood in front of it with Cassandra, Sato, and Aldaril directly behind me. Before I could act, the gateway glowed green for a moment. A figure stepped through.
It was Ranis. I'd been wondering where he was...
"Oh...hello again. I was certain Eris had killed you. I...suppose you managed to defeat her?" Ranis said.
"I wish... But no. She fused herself to me and transferred the Eye of Destruction."
"I see. Well, that sounds completely impossible, but I can't deny the evidence. Where might you be going?"
"The Central realm. Now move out of the way so that we can open the portal."
"Very well. May I rejoin your crew?" He asked.
"Sure. Just get behind me."
Ranis moved out of the way and I held my hand up to the portal. I focused for a bit and spoke to Eris.
"Now might be a good time to teach me how to use this thing, Eris."
"Okay! Just relax and think about me for a second!"
I cleared my mind and allowed thoughts and memories of Eris to fill my head. I began feeling angry as a result.
However...I felt my hand move on its own. It moved across the left side of my face and an object appeared over it.
Half of my face became obscured by a black mask with four slots in it.
The slots began to glow brightly with cyan, orange, and crimson. Moments later, I heard my own voice speak without me.
"Black Mask...I command you to open the way. Grant us passage into the Central realm!"
A black flame appeared over my hand and cloaked the Gateway. Finally, it ceased. The gateway became a perfect gray.
And with it, the Black Mask disappeared. I regained control and the feeling of Eris in my head faded.
I swore to myself that I would find a way to erase her before she had the chance to take over my body...
"Everyone back on the ship. We're leaving right now. It's time to get this nonsense over with!" I said.
"Of course, darling! Everyone, let's get a move on!" Cassandra said with a smile.
The Eye of Chaos didn't seem to affect her mind all that much... Likely because Cassandra was already quite mad.
Anyway, we got back to the ship and I instructed Rastair to fly into the Gateway.
The Cursebreaker flew into it without any issues.
But...
I turned to Isabella and Cassandra as we passed through.
The two of them looked at me as well.
Surely...they felt it, too.
We knew what was in store for us at this point, but there was no turning back. I would make sure to deploy everyone necessary for the coming battle.
Regardless, the ship moved rapidly through the Gateway and soon entered another realm.
A land spread out before us covered in dark gray sand, somewhat similarly to the Destruction Realm.
However, there were massive structures that dotted the landscape... Gigantic monoliths stood perfectly still and reached into the gray sky.
"What the hell am I looking at...?" I said quietly.
This place was barren.
Although...strangely enough, I sensed an incredible amount of power radiating from the monoliths dotting the landscape. There was one significantly larger in the distance as well.
And then...
Eyes opened all over each of them. They quickly darted towards the ship.
"WHO DARES DISTURB OUR REALM?"
A booming voice was heard inside my head. Judging by everyone's reactions, I wasn't the only one.
"Th-this is way too scary..." Rastair said, covering her ears.
Actually, several crew members seemed to be in great distress. I could tell already that their minds were being attacked with madness.
Now seemed like a good opportunity to utilize Cassandra's newest power: Mind of Chaos.
"Cassandra, take care of this," I said dismissively.
"Right away, darling!"
The Eye of Chaos flared up and everyone relaxed.
"Good job," I said.
"Yes! Thank you so much!" Cassandra said as she happily clung to my arm.
I could tell that Nirani was watching her closely. Trying to find the best way to serve and be rewarded as the others were.
Regardless, I turned my attention to the giant monoliths covered in eyes and spoke.
"We come in peace. We seek the man called Kestel, who travelled here a long time ago," I said.
The monoliths responded.
"THE ONE CALLED KESTEL IS NO MORE. HIS DIVINE PROSTHESIS HAS RETURNED TO OUR CORE."
"What the hell is a Divine Prosthesis...?" I said quietly.
"U-umm...if I may be so bold, Master... A Divine Prosthesis is what the ancient peoples of our realms called the Avatar Eyes. Some people thought the name was confusing, so-"
"Thank you, Nirani. That will be all," I said.
"I-I'm happy to help!" Nirani said.
She moved slightly closer, but didn't make an attempt to touch me.
"Master...? What's this about...?" Ranis said quietly.
"Alright...umm...monoliths? Can we have the Eye of Creation?" I asked.
"THE SERVER OF DESTRUCTION CANNOT REQUEST THE DIVINE PROSTHESIS OF CREATION. A REPRESENTATIVE OF LIGHT IS REQUIRED TO FORM A TEMPORARY TRUCE TO ACQUIRE IT."
"Isabella, you're up," I said.
"Do I really have to talk to those things...?" She said defeatedly.
"I'll give you whatever you want. No questions asked-"
"Deal!" She said quickly.
She knew a good deal when she saw one. I wouldn't doubt that this is exactly what she wanted. Isabella had a tendency to manipulate my behaviors at times using her superior intellect. She never did so out of malice, but it was always to her benefit romantically.
I was perfectly okay with it because Isabella was, after all, my favorite.
"Ahem...I am Isabella Iratus, the new Avatar of Order. I have formed an agreement with the current Avatar of Destruction. I would like to request the Divine Prosthesis of Creation."
"COME TO OUR CORE. THE TIME TO RESTORE TANAVOL IS NOW."
Isabella allowed a sly smile to cross her lips. She looked at me as she narrowed her eyes.
"Yes, you've definitely earned a reward. Now can we get on with this?" I said.
"Moving into position, but...what's our destination?" Rastair said.
"The biggest pillar, you dummy..." Virtus said.
"AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT!?" Rastair yelled.
"Uhhh...the immense energy signatures detected by the ship's scanning system? Duh?" Virtus said.
Rastair gritted her teeth in rage.
"Stop fighting! Can we get moving?" I said.
"Y-yes..."
"My apologies, captain, whom I have no romantic relationship with whatsoever-"
"VIRTUS!"
The ship began moving towards the larger monolith in the distance. From what I could tell, it was the largest one in the realm at the center.
After we reached our destination, several of us got off of the ship and went to the surface.
Aldaril, Nasuria, Sato, Ranis, Nirani, Stella, Cassandra, Isabella, and myself.
We approached the base of the giant monolith and stopped. I could feel something inside of it...
"I think I can sense the Elder Core from here..." Nirani said.
"INDEED. THE ELDER CORE IS HERE WITHIN US. WITHIN THIS UNIT. TAKE THE DIVINE PROSTHESIS AND FIND A WORTHY SERVER TO HOST IT."
There was a flash of white light as an eye opened on the front of the monolith. The eye split apart and revealed another object within it...
The Eye of Creation.
I stepped forward to take it and was pushed back by a blast of energy.
"THE SERVER OF DESTRUCTION MAY NOT TOUCH THE DIVINE PROSTHESIS OF CREATION. THIS VIOLATES THE ANCIENT PACT. THE ELDER COVENANT."
"What pact? Is it the same one that forced you to kill Hikari!?" Aldaril growled.
"THE ELDER COVENANT STATES THAT SERVERS OF LIGHT AND DARK MAY NEVER ALLY WITH ONE ANOTHER. FOR IF THEY INTERMINGLE, TANAVOL WILL BECOME ONE AGAIN. REALMS WILL FUSE, AND THE ELDER CORE WILL REGAIN SENTIENCE."
"AND WHY IS THAT SUCH A PROBLEM!? WHY DO WE HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING!?!?"
I had never seen Aldaril so angry in my life. But I wasn't about to stop him...
He had every right to be angry. He deserved to know the truth.
"Master Aldaril..." Nasuria said nervously.
He gently placed a hand on her head and ruffled her ears.
"I just want to know why she had to die..."
"IT APPEARS AS IF THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR COVENANT IS LOST TO THE CURRENT PEOPLES OF TANAVOL. VERY WELL... IF TANAVOL BECOMES ONE, THE ELDER CORE WILL REGAIN ITS WILL. THEN, IT SHALL DEVOUR THE WORLDS AROUND ITSELF IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN ITS OWN EXISTENCE. THE ELDER CORE IS THE CORE OF TANAVOL. THE SERVERS EXIST TO FIGHT ONE ANOTHER AND CONTINUE THE CYCLE OF SEPARATION. OF VIOLENCE AND DEATH. ALL OF THIS, IN ORDER TO KEEP ITS LIMITLESS POWER AT BAY."
Aldaril, Nirani, and Ranis all looked horrified at these words.
"We...only exist to kill each other...?" Ranis said.
"But...that's horrible!" Nirani said.
"Bastards...damn you all!" Aldaril said.
"I WILL NOW GIVE THE COMMAND, LEST YOU FACE THE WRATH OF OUR WARDENS. THE ELDER COVENANT'S ENFORCERS. SERVER OF ORDER, TAKE THE DIVINE PROSTHESIS. ALL OF YOU WILL SCATTER TO YOUR REALMS AND WAR WITH ONE ANOTHER UNTIL THE END OF TIME."
"Like hell. You realize my wife is the Avatar of Order, right? I'm not about to kill her for your stupid war," I said.
Isabella enclosed the Eye of Creation in a barrier and gave it to me. I stored it and prepared to destroy the monolith.
"IRRELEVANT. YOUR RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. WE WILL SIMPLY HAVE TO RESORT TO VIOLENCE."
The monolith seemed to ripple as multiple machine-like soldiers emerged from it. Each of them resembled the one we killed back in the Order realm.
I could already feel my body weaken because of their energy...
And yet, I could still fight. I looked down at my hand and raised it towards our enemies.
The threads of magic attempting to bind and cripple us were being pulled from the monolith itself and then through the Wardens. It was directed towards us from them.
I couldn't help but smile...
"Child's play..."
I severed the threads connecting the Wardens to the monolith and they collapsed.
Rather, it was more accurate to say that I erased those threads completely.
"INSOLENCE! PERISH, SERVER!"
I felt myself assaulted by invisible magic. It was repelled instantly by Isabella.
"Do not presume that I have any intention of letting you live after attacking my husband..." Isabella said in a low tone.
"All forces, prepare for battle!" I said.
Multiple Wardens appeared and attempted to cripple us again.
Their powers worked on Aldaril, Nirani, and Ranis. The 'pure' avatars. But the best of us were unaffected.
I summoned Vengeance in the shape of a staff and channeled magic through it. I blasted the Wardens with lava magic and melted them where they stood.
Isabella summoned her armor and disappeared.
She reappeared behind several Wardens and they fell to pieces.
Cassandra and Nasuria both leaped into a group of Wardens and slashed them to pieces.
After that, they stopped appearing.
"I SEE. THE NEW SERVERS RESIST OUR POWER. THEN WE HAVE NO CHOICE... WHAT ARE YOUR DEMANDS?"
"Give us the Elder Core," I said.
"WITHOUT THE ELDER CORE, TANAVOL HAS NO SOUL. IT WILL CRUMBLE AND FALL INTO RUIN."
"Then it's impossible, Mizik. We should go ba-"
I held up my hand to silence Ranis.
"I don't care. One more world falling into ruin because of me? Irrelevant. I'm so close to victory now that I can almost taste it. Give me the Elder Core!"
"MIZIK!!! DON'T FORGET THAT MY PEOPLE LIVE ON TANAVOL IN THE LIFE REALM! WOULD YOU TRULY THROW ALL OF THEIR LIVES AWAY LIKE WORTHLESS RUBBISH!?!?" Ranis screamed.
I turned to him and smiled, ignoring the pain in my head.
"Did you forget what they call me? Cassandra, inform him."
"Gladly, darling! Ahem...introducing his Majesty, Mizik Iratus, the Destroyer of worlds! The ultimate King of annihilation and the only one capable of stopping the Corruption!"
I wasn't sure where she got 'ultimate King of annihilation', but I wasn't complaining. If anything, it only further established my point.
Ranis stepped back and Cassamdra prepared for battle.
"We may have a mutiny on our hands..." Cassandra said.
She looked back at me expectantly and I nodded.
I wasn't about to risk anything.
Cassandra lunged forward and took his head off using her dagger within an instant. She kicked it towards me and I caught it in my hand. I reduced it to dust and clenched the Eye of Life in my hands, destroying the soul within it.
No one else said a word...but Nirani smiled.
"Ah...finally! That annoying pest is no more! Thank you, Master!" She said.
"It was my pleasure. Excellent work, Cassandra," I said.
Cassandra smiled and reverently crouched to her knee in front of me.
"It is my pleasure to execute your enemies, darling. I will forever serve faithfully!"
Then I turned back to the monolith and held out my hand. I stepped forward and touched it.
"Now...SHATTER!!!"
The monolith cracked and split apart before me...the pieces crashed down all around us, but Isabella protected us with her barriers.
Finally, I saw an orb the size of an infant hovering in front of me. It was dark gray with patches of black on it. The surface was covered in small spikes.
As soon as I touched it, I felt immense power course through my body. The spikes retracted and eyes opened all over it. They seemed quite dull and lifeless...as if this thing wasn't fully aware of its current situation.
Which was good...considering that the Elder Core was technically sentient.
And as I did this, I felt another presence nearby.
On instinct, I transferred it to my inventory.
However, since this would sever it from Tanavol, I cast a small spell to connect it with the ground, even from my inventory.
Moments later, a Void eye appeared before us.
It opened and several people emerged from it. They took up a position immediately.
I heard clapping as the final two members of the group walked out and the eye disappeared.
It was Difar and Valtheim.
Difar gave me a wide smile as he looked condescendingly at our group.
"Hey there, old chum! Did you miss me?"