Reis sat with the others. It had roughly been two days since Reis infiltrated the Severing. It was currently nighttime and everyone was discussing their next course of action.
"Do you really intend to go through with this? A one on one battle against Erikkus Di Devilli?" the other guild members were worried about Aurora's safety.
"Yes, if it is the only way" Aurora said with determination.
"How confident are you in your abilities?" they questioned Aurora out of concern.
"I've been training with Reis for close to a year and a half now, and I still have the experience I gained from my time with Sir Jinrai" Aurora said.
"In the meantime though we've got to do something for the other guilds. I'm sure the enemy might have commenced his hunt by now" Sir Raphael said.
"Sabre-fang" Reis called silently.
"I can see all the guilds Reis since they thrive hidden within nature itself and I already know what you intend to ask me. I have asked the trees to suffuse the air with a more concentrated amount of natural air. That should mask the guilds from the probing eyes of the Wyverns" Sabre-fang said.
"It looks like Sabre-fang has already taken action. He's masked the supernatural aura of the guilds with a great suffusion of natural air. That should buy us some time. The main problem here is that the Wyverns are invading Novatio so we've got to act fast" Reis said.
"Compared to such a large Wyvern army, we're far fewer in number" the guild members said worriedly.
"Which is why settling this in one on one combat might be the best way to settle things" Aurora said.
"But though I suggested this I must be quite frank. You're not quite ready to challenge Erikkus Di Devilli just yet" Reis said.
"Then why did you even suggest it Reis" Kyla looked like she was on the verge of losing her patience.
"So in the end we're still going to have to fight a war after all?" Darak asked.
"Nope, we're still challenging him to battle and Aurora's still going to be the one to fight him" Reis said seriously.
"What do you really have planned Reis?" Shin asked.
"The Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style. A battle style passed on from generation to generation by members of the Dragonhaӓrt family. A great number of its battle techniques are mastered through training but the core of the style itself is rooted in the virtues and before one can claim to be a master of the style, the final secrets of the style are communicated directly from the soul of the master to the soul of the student through the unleashing of the style's final forte named 'With my Life'" Reis said.
"What a weird name for a forte. What's it supposed to mean? An acknowledgement of a battle with your life on the line or something like that?" Darak asked.
Reis shook his head.
"That's only a part of it. It's a forte forged around the principle that life itself is a battle that places itself on the line and experiences are weapons. What the forte does is to merge all of life's experiences into one great weapon so contrary to what you might have been thinking it's not about throwing your life away" Reis said seriously.
"Why are you bringing this up now?" Shin asked.
"I intend to pass this forte on to Aurora. It is my role as her teacher" Reis said.
"So you are a master in the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style?" Darak asked with a sceptical look on his face.
"No I'm not. My grandfather taught me everything I needed to know about the core and practical aspects of the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style however he said the rite to pass on the final forte belonged to my father so he never passed it on to me" Reis said.
"I see, so you intend to master that final part of the Dragonhaӓrt Fencing Style from your father" Shin said.
"But Sir Jinrai…" Aurora looked concerned.
"He is in Benedict's Ark. I think he has been waiting for me all this time. It's finally time to awaken the forte 'With my Life'" Reis said seriously.
That night, he shut his eyes and fell asleep. Within his dreams, Alpha appeared once more. Alpha seemed very happy.
"You triumphed over the Severing. I'm glad Reis, very glad" Alpha said.
"But now we are in an even more perilous situation Alpha. Erikkus Di Devilli has decided to invade Novatio with a Wyvern army" Reis said worriedly. "It's literally Armageddon for us".
"Do you recall what Armageddon said to you as you battled him as the Golden Drakengaӓrd?" Alpha asked Reis.
Reis thought back to that moment.
"You are only prolonging the inevitable. The very thing you are fighting to protect is that which gives me life. Know this Dragonhaӓrt! I will have you…and when I do, ALL OF RYUGAEIA…IS DOOMED!" Reis recalled Armageddon's threat.
"He said the very thing I'm fighting to protect is that which gives him life" Reis said with a worried look on his face.
"Armageddon has another name. A name that has been forgotten amongst man but known only to the Dragons and Drakengaӓrds. It is a name that describes his nature and the reason he keeps telling you that 'the very thing you fight to protect is that which gives him life'. That is true for Armageddon is also known as 'The dragon that lives within man'. But it is precisely because of this nature Reis, that you could say that he has already been defeated" Alpha said.
"What do you mean?" Reis asked.
"You should be able to see it Reis. After all, it was through you that Arӓlpheisl manifested in Ryugaeia that dark day. You should be able to see the 'Dawn' and you should also be able to see the overwhelming assistance with which you have been provided" Alpha said.
"I only understand vaguely" Reis said.
"All is as it should be. For now, you are left with one final task. To expel the Darkness that infiltrated the allegorical Benedict's Ark" Alpha said.
"You mean Galigaos don't you?" Reis asked.
Alpha nodded.
"Yes" he said.
Reis shut his eyes.
When he opened them, he found himself in a room. It appeared to be a classroom but it wasn't his. He found himself surrounded by Zan, Ryu and some other students.
"You sure have some nerve showing your face here Honours Rep" Zan said with a threatening glare.
"Take it easy on him Zan. I'm sure there's an explanation" Ryu said with a laugh.
"Actually…I have no idea how I ended up here" Reis said with a nervous laugh.
"Don't cause such a fuss Zan. I'm not going to help you if you get yourself into trouble" another boy with silver hair said.
"Fine then" Zan gave up. "Next thing you know they'll be saying I'm Zanfar" he muttered angrily.
"What's Zanfar if I may ask?" Reis asked.
Zan laughed.
"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked in a creepy way.
Reis nodded.
"He's the darkness of my homeworld. He's also the manifestation of mankind's collective evil" Zan said.
"The dragon that lives within man" Reis muttered.
"So did you defeat him?" Reis asked.
"He was not the kind of evil a single person could defeat but by the collective actions of single people that formed a multitude, he was defeated" Zan said with a laugh.
"How?" Reis asked.
"We feared him for so long but defeating him was actually quite easy. To defeat the collective evil of mankind requires the collective good of mankind. All it took was for mankind to be good and he lost" Zan said.
"By the way, you are Reis Dragonhaӓrt, the prefect of the Class Of Honours right? Would you happen to have someone in your class…I don't know…maybe who is searching for someone? I've been feeling like there's someone I need to find" the other boy with silver hair said.
"Could he be the one Andrea is searching for?" Reis wondered.
"Yes in fact I do. A girl named Andrea Rayne" Reis said.
"I'd like to meet her. I'm willing to come with you whenever you're ready" the boy with silver hair said. "Call me Rai by the way".
Moments later, Reis was in the Class Of Honours with Rai. Everyone was excited to see him. He greeted them and introduced them to Rai. Then he noticed Andrea's absence.
"Has anyone seen Andrea?" he asked worriedly.
"Not for a while now no" Atlanta said with concern.
There was a frown on Rai's face and it seemed to intensify with every passing moment.
"I know where she is Reis. Leave her to me and go face your nemesis" Rai said and walked towards a teleportation crystal. "I think I am also beginning to understand how it is that part of my memories are missing" he said.
"An unknown force just challenged you didn't it?" Reis asked.
"I don't know about unknown but I know it is the darkness of my homeworld. It's about time we settled things Daemon King!" Rai declared and disappeared.
Reis walked to the teleportation crystal.
"Delay long enough and I will begin to attack students aboard Benedict's Ark" Reis recalled Galigaos' threat.
"For now I will grant you access to the protocol 'Excalibur' which will allow you to expel this foe from the Ark when you come into contact with him" Reis recalled the Academy Director's words.
Reis selected the location 'Sanctum Of The Water Kings'. He placed his hand on the teleportation crystal.
"It's finally time to end this" he said and disappeared.
He appeared in a hall with walls that appeared to be made out of ice crystals. Rivers flowed everywhere and one of these rivers flowed from the entrance of the Sanctum to its heart. On top of the rivers were bridges made out of gigantic water lilies. Reis walked on the lilies into the heart of the Sanctum.
There, he found Galigaos.
"I've been awaiting you for a while now" Galigaos said calmly.
"You didn't have to get any of the students involved" Reis said calmly.
"I thought I'd give you a little motivation. I know that by now you've garnered the means to expel me from the Ark so I thought I'd make things a little interesting. I challenge you to a battle. Technically, a battle of swords, a duel could be considered an exhibition of talents am I right? Whoever loses will be expelled from the Ark" Galigaos challenged Reis.
"You can't be serious" Reis scoffed in disgust.
"Oh but I am" Galigaos said.
"That is an interesting challenge but he won't be the one you will be fighting" a voice suddenly said from behind Reis.
It was a voice so familiar it evoked so many feelings. Galigaos on the other hand seemed shocked at first and then he began to chuckle in excitement.
"I too have been waiting a long time to finally settle things with you Galigaos!" the voice declared.
Reis turned around and saw a man with long silver hair and strong blue eyes but at that moment, his eyes were sparking threateningly. Reis was surprised to discover how much he resembled the man.
"It's been quite a while Reis, my son. I knew you'd make it here. Well done" the man said.
"So the Principal Guiding Force finally shows his face. Jinrai the Lightning Blade, no one's actions have ever blinded me as much as yours!" Galigaos declared.
"If that's the case then I'm very satisfied because it means Aurora and Jared are still safe" Sir Jinrai said.
For a while, there was a stare down between the two arch rivals.
"You intend to challenge me to a duel again Jinrai? Have you already forgotten how our last duel went? You ended up trapped in here while I was free to wander the world. Doesn't that tell you a bit of the power balance between us? While you've been stuck in this peaceful place, I've been traversing a world in turmoil. I have fought countless battles, even wars. That should tell you that compared to the last time we fought I'm many times stronger" Galigaos bragged.
"You talk too much" Sir Jinrai said.
"I must say though it certainly is an idea filled with merit that I trounce you in the presence of your son" Galigaos declared.
"After all this talk I certainly hope you are not disappointed" Sir Jinrai said with a slight chuckle.
Galigaos withdrew his sword.
"All these years, there is one thing I've only ever dreamed of. Delivering an utterly crushing defeat to that overly inflated pride of yours" Galigaos said as he rushed to attack Sir Jinrai.
Sir Jinrai parried his attacks with little effort but Reis could clearly see that Galigaos was aiming for a deathblow.
"If my pride is overly inflated, then I suppose yours is tremendously inflated" Sir Jinrai said with a slight chuckle.
Galigaos leapt back.
"Why are you not attacking, Jinrai?" he asked.
"I'm holding back for your own sake" Sir Jinrai said.
"How naïve do you think I am?! If you're not going to take this fight seriously, then die holding back!" Galigaos roared as he assumed the fighting stance of Irik the Devil.
Sir Jinrai sighed.
"I'm not bluffing you know?" he said.
"I've faced Irik the Devil's fighting style twice now and I used it once when Armageddon took control of me so I know how it works. It is a battle style that focuses primarily on dealing deathblows. The vitals are the prime target. But precisely because the users of this technique are so focused on dealing deathblows, you can predict where their attack will be aimed at and parry them" Reis thought to himself.
Galigaos stomped the ground and charged with amazing speed towards Sir Jinrai. Sir Jinrai took in a deep breath and the force of his presence began to permeate the Sanctum. In an instant, he had phased past Galigaos and sheathed his sword. Galigaos had an astounded look on his face. A moment later, his blade shattered in half and a terrible wound appeared across his chest. He fell to the ground, bleeding.
"H-How is this possible. You've been in this peaceful place for a long time so how could you possibly be stronger than I am?" Galigaos questioned Sir Jinrai.
"I guess that's what happens when you're stuck in a peaceful place surrounded by students each with the capacity to defeat the darkness plaguing their worlds. You underestimate this place Galigaos. Each of the students here is just about as strong as you are if not many times stronger and you did call this tussle of ours an exhibition of talents right? Well guess what happens when you can 'exhibit such talents' in a duel against such strong people with a timespan that exceeds centuries after all this place isn't subject to time" Sir Jinrai said. "I suppose you will be the one to leave Benedict's Ark…permanently!" Sir Jinrai said as his eyes reassumed their threatening glow. "I'll be taking this" Sir Jinrai said as he reclaimed his Crystal Key from Galigaos.
"I Reis Dragonhaӓrt, student aboard Benedict's Ark invoke the protocol 'Excalibur'. Target; Galigaos!" Reis declared.
A bright light surrounded Galigaos and in an instant he found himself back in prison. His spirit was broken after he had discovered that his arch rival was many times stronger than he was. He would never attempt to escape again.
Meanwhile back aboard Benedict's Ark, Reis was so glad to have finally met his father after a long time.
"It's been so long, my son" Sir Jinrai greeted.
"Dad" Reis shed tears.
"Don't cry. Not when you're so happy to see me. I understand that this was difficult for you, our separation that is, however…it was necessary. We needed to keep the ones that would be instrumental in Armageddon's defeat separate from one another for two reasons. The first was so that they would not all be discovered at the same time and the second was so that our enemy would not discover what we were up to. I decided this with my wife, your mother and my father, your grandfather. Your mother took charge of raising Reia, your sister separately, your grandfather chose to raise you and I chose to protect and raise the heirs to the Saggeesian throne till they were old enough to join the Dragon Rangers. But it appears the time has finally come for a reunion" Sir Jinrai said as he patted Reis on the head.
"But why did Galigaos call you 'The Principal Guiding Force?'" Reis asked curiously.
"I honestly have no idea, however if I were to venture a guess I'd say a guiding force is one who lives out the virtues so strongly that he becomes an embodiment of the virtues. That's what Zan would call a 'Soul Of Virtue'. In living out the virtues, their lives end up becoming beacons for many others who come after them and you hear their names resounding throughout history, especially in times of great need. The ones whose lives guide an entire age in great times of need become known as 'The Principal Guiding Forces' for that age. They are like a star that shines brightly and pulls other stars with them. You could also call them lives great enough to affect many other lives positively" Sir Jinrai explained.
"Dad, while you've been in here, a lot of things have been going on, especially recently" Reis said.
"I'm aware of it all. I have been watching through the Ryugaeia here though I was unable to affect anything. I also saw you become Arӓlpheisl, the Wise One Of The Unison Courts" Sir Jinrai said.
Reis laughed.
"It was right around that time that things started taking a turn for the worse" he said.
"Well what do you expect? Before the Dawn arrives, there is a period of deep darkness in the night" Sir Jinrai said.