A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1****
"K-Kuya, are you not going to do something?"
Watts couldn't take his eyte off their parents. It's two against one, and that one is fending them off twice the two's force. All are skilled fighters. He couldn't judge which side is better because every time they clash, they get stronger and more powerful. With their parents in sync, they are unstoppable. They could fight that lone uninvited visitor all day long or how long it would ever even take.
"It's their fight. Watch and learn. If they fall down, then they're rusting," Ohms simply reasoned and pour himself a glass of wine. His second glass of it because he liked how it tastes. The color is purple, you wouldn't even though that it's a wine. A strange wine.
"B-But---!"
Watts frowned at his brother who raised his glass to him before drinking.
Calamity pulled his wife; she was almost sliced. The tip of Celia's blade is only a centimeter away from her neck. He swing his wife around and Aloisia kicked Celia on her face.
'She's not using magic,' is what on their minds, and it makes them anxious.
Their clash went on until they successfully disarmed Celia of her blade. When they thought that they finally had the upper hand, Celia used her fists to give them both an upper cut. And all while they're still in the air, she took the chance to advance towards Watts Xirquit.
He was ready. He know he do, but Celia is just too fast! He's ready to fight, but he's inexperienced and slow. Against someone like her who's not even in a bloodlust and made it seem like they're just sparring... He's going to lose his head.
Ohms sighed and stand up. He teleported beside Celia and caught her by her head.
"Where do you think you're going? Thieves. They surely know which item is the most valuable," he sighed again. A straight laser beam shoot Celia from her head down to her middle. But Ohms didn't let her go yet. Her head exploded.
"K-Kuya..."
He looked over his shoulders and though his face is hidden beneath the suit, Watts could see his smile through.
"Yes, my son?"
When Celia regenerated, she stepped back while covering her face with her hand.
"You must be an Ancient then," Ohms concluded. Only a few Earthlings could fight as skilled as her. Assassins. To think that she can take both Aloisia and Calamity in a fight without sweating is already a feat in itself.
Celia only has one choice. Retreat.
"I'll go. Find the edgy little soul in my stead," he told his parents before running after Celia.
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"C...olt..." Aviana Lavender breathlessly whispered as her nothing but almost bones hand searched for her husband's skin.
Colt Forest, who just returned from hunting, sat beside her rough and hard bed made of wood planks and leaves as its mattress.
Even when it's hard for him, he forced a smile and kissed her hand.
"I...c-can't... My Ku...ya..." Her shut eyes bled tears.
When is her Kuya Max coming? How long has it been? She's tired. She's hurt. Everything about her is hurting. Her heart is slowly succumbing to death. The pain of hoping for nothing. She's been praying for her brother to come. Just this once, she wished. Just this once is all she will ever ask for, to be saved by her strong, cool, and funny Kuya.
"I'm sorry, Avi... I'm sorry... But you can let go now. H-He's not co-coming... I'm sorry for making you hold onto that dream. But you can rest now. We can rest now."
This time, his smile was true. He gently caressed her head. Her thin hair falls every time. The rain is coming to the first sunshine of Vernignac Empire.
Between her death rattles, she sobbed. Before, the Emperor was not there to save her from her demise. And even now, in a complete different world but quite same despair, he's still not there to save them.
"I hate...him..."
Duke Paris drew his artifact out, "Get the fuck out of my way!" He enraged as he slice every Veil that will go his way. Prince Valor could see his desperation and anxiety all over his face, the fear of losing against time.
Before, it was him. And now, it will be him, too. For his brother, Emperor Maxism, he will save his sister for the second time around.
Colt Forest joined his wife on their death bed. With the dagger on his hand, he pierced his chest. He pulled it and threw it away. He settled beside her, together, waiting for their deaths to come.
"Through sickness and in health, 'til death do us part," he repeated their vows and wrapped his arms around her. Aviana Lavender's struggling breathings calmed.
An ogre blocked Duke Paris's way. His artifact, crafted from Empress Siofra's blood and flesh, made to slay Veils, glow even stronger as his anger swell. He pierced through the ogre, slicing it into pieces. His arms are getting tired from doing all the work, but he did not let it wear him down. Prince Valor would love to lend him a helping hand, but seeing an Earthling raging and beating the odds is beautiful.
They were the copies of these beings. Their forms were inspired from them. Their indomitable spirit is something he couldn't explain, but it terrifies him.
When Watts Xirquit lost Moon, his rage almost destroyed the Warlock Empire and fought against the Princes. He was there, he was watching. For the very first time, he felt goosebumps. It made his heart skip a beat. And he compare: would he feel the same thing if he was there when the Ki'zaar is burning the whole wide world? He never had the chance to witness it, curled under the comforts of his blankets because he was young. But if he were there from the beginning to the end, would it make him tremble?
But if he were truly there from the beginning to the end, he would've wished he was never were at all.
A sin. He committed a sin. To compare the Ki'zaar to a human is a sin, and he must repent.
Alas, he made it to their sanctuary. Hidden between the dead roots of once the Oracle Tree, of what was once the most safest and most untouchable place in the world.
"AVIANA!" The Duke called when he bust through the door.
His heart stopped.
"Av... Avi..."
It all began to come back to him. His memories of her. The sweetness of Emperor Maxism's sister, how Prince Maxigaufeas, when he was little, would throw unbearable tantrums if his favorite Aunt won't sing and put him to sleep, to the times she will smile to him and to everyone, and to the time he took what it takes to save her before. She belongs to Chancellor Titania's group. A sister to them.
"A-AVIANA!"
He ran to their bed and pulled Colt. His chest is bleeding and he's not moving. They're... They are---
A magic circle expanded on the floor and on the ceiling.
"They are still with life. But little. This spell is weak but it would sustain them. Let's take them to our kingdom. The Archmages..."
Prince Valor balled his fists when he was reminded of what became of their archmages.
"My brother will. He will help them. Ride me. We will make it back faster."
He tapped Duke Paris's shoulder and walked out to transform, when he was taken aback by the thing that's standing outside the house.
A Veil...dragon-ancient descent.
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.
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King Liorei landed on the snowy surface of Frostbite Mountain. Right in front of him is a hollow entrance covered in huge icicles.
"I will see my father alone," he said as he begin to trace the steps inside. Lord Feryzen nodded and looked below him when he sensed something.
King Liorei cleared the icicles and walked inside. Lord Feryzen sent him a star that will serve as his light as he tread on the dark path ahead of him.
Daro, upon feeling his familiar presence, opened his eye. The silhouette in front of him is blurry. When the star shone brighter, King Liorei saw what became of his father. He only have one arm now, half of his face is gone, with no legs. Though he is healing, he could see based on the twinkling particles around his open flesh, it was so slow and made him question himself if his father was healing at all.
"How shameful," he said to him, and Daro cracked a light laugh.
"Are you here to save me...or watch me die?"
There's only one thing that's running in King Liorei's mind right now.
"What happened to you?"
Daro shut his eye again but he's not asleep.
"Preyed upon by the unknowns. A different kind of Veil, and an Ancient so formidable. I lost my arm against that Ancient, but the rest of me was dealt by that Veil,"
"Have you found what you went here for?"
Daro flashed a wry smile.
"Was he...even here?"
'He?'
"Liorei..." He called the King, and it's been so long since he heard his father call his name.
"I am sorry."
King Liorei stood before him still. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, trembling with the effort to restrain himself. The apology, long overdue and laden with the weight of years of pain, only stoked the fire of his resentment. His jaw tightened, and his breath came in sharp, ragged bursts as he struggled to contain the storm of emotions within him---anger, betrayal, and the bitter sting of too little, too late.
And Daro knew what he owed. If only he could pay his debts with what he have, of what's left of him, he would do it. But King Liorei is not one to forgive that easily, especially not to someone like him.
"You...ruined my life."
Daro nodded, "I know. I am miserable. Desperate and foolish. Should've tried harder. Should've been lot wiser. I'm sorry you got caught up in my relations. Know that I never...wished to ruin you."
King Liorei went down and punched the wall beside his father's head. The mountain quaked from the force.
"My daughter... Lorreign doesn't deserve you. But she likes you, so even if it's against my soul, I will bring you to her. I don't want to hear your shitty apologies. You have always, ALWAYS! kept your priorities straight and I was NEVER in it. I could, but I won't make efforts in taking your life, nor even watch you slip away. You deserved more than that."
Daro took his words in no matter how hurtful they were because he deserved it, just like he said. And in his mind, he recalled the times he spent with him when he was little. He couldn't remember his mother's face anymore, but he knows in his heart that he loved her, just like he loved his son. He loved him so much that it drove him to his ruin.
Prince Valor moaned when the dragon-ancient launched an attack against him. Its dragon claws were dug deeply through his arm when he used it to shield himself. The Veil is in its ancient form, but his hands were transformed into deadly talons. Big and strong and powerful. Its sole, broken wing is flapping on its back, while its tail is wriggling wildly.
"Argh!" The Prince sustained the damage he got and threw punches against his enemy. Before the infection could spread, he cut his arm.
He shot the Veil with a tiny black, as small as a pebble, and the Veil received it. And with his Blood Magic, he pinned it against the withered Oracle Tree and ran back inside the house. He found Duke Paris carrying Aviana Lavender, placed above Colt Forest.
"Let's go---"
Their eyes widened when a fire ball went past their shoulders. The aim is not good, but it wounded both of them and left a half-circle hole on it. Duke Paris ducked down and used his knee to support the weight of the two when his sizzling left arm fell. He's burning. The infection is spreading.
"Valor," he called the Prince who is now without arms.
"I will entrust them to you. You can fly. I can't. Please, bring them to your brother."
"What!? No! I will buy you time. I will fight---"
"VALOR!"
Prince Valor flinched, shuddering in fright. Duke Paris stood up again, one arm carrying two lightweight bodies.
He pulled him inside to dodge another fireball from the Veil. He passed their bodies to the Prince, "If we go together, that thing will follow us. Worse, it will bring others. I am sorry, but you can't fight. You don't know how and you can't control your powers. Both of us will die here if you won't cooperate. Please. For Maxism, for Maxigaufeas."
But the Prince is stubborn. He smirked.
"You're hurting my pride, human. You're not better than me."
Duke Paris couldn't understand what he meant, until he found himself inside a ball of the Prince's blood, coming from his arm and shoulder. Prince Valor stretched his neck from side to side before unfurling his pulsing dragon wings on his back.
"Let them follow. Then you will see what lengths my brother will go to for me, once he sees me."
And though the infection is spreading all over his body, blurring his principles and nature, he took flight with the enclosed Duke to return to their kingdom. They heard the Veil cry, almost like a calling.
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Ohms hit his brakes when Celia successfully made it to the borders of Warlock Empire. She stopped to look back at him and smirked, because around her were tamed Veils and Veilions with their magic forces.
"Come in, if you can," Celia provoked as the Veils and Veilions hid her when they began crowding to prey on Ohms. She fled the scene to report back to the Emperor.
He scoffed in disbelief while pulling his artifact from his space storage. Twin trailing point daggers he forged himself.
"Oh, I will definitely come after you, bitch."