"Ha-, as expected, *cough* it would seem victory was impossible."
Regulus's weakened voice seemed to pierce the ears of every soldier as he took in rasped breaths one after another.
His once golden hair was dyed crimson from thousands of fallen enemies. The world lay captured in his gemlike amber eyes as he gazed upwards, contemplating his fate.
Despite his wretched state, his life approaching its crescendo as he knelt on the blood-enriched soil. Not a single soldier could bring themselves to look away from the fallen frame of Regulus.
Like a torn tapestry that had faced the trials of time, Regulus held an ethereal grace. His overbearing pressure threatened to engulf the onlookers even as he approached his final breath.
The entire battlefield appeared to be trapped in the frame of Regulus's death as he noticed someone approaching him.
"Finally deciding to face me at the end, 'young phoenix.'"
Regulus sneered seeing the commander of the enemy forces whose victory was only possible due to cowardly tactics.
The approaching red-haired young man tensed up as he met Regulus' blazing eyes. What his eyes saw in front of him was the figure of a man with one foot in the grave.
Yet even in this situation, his instincts screamed that the man in front of him was no dead man but instead a crouching lion.
A wolfish grin was painted on Regulus' blood-soaked face as the two figures whose names would be carved into history locked eyes. The young man frowned at the lack of regret or desperation he saw from Regulus.
"Even at the end, you are still a perfect mirror of the first time we met." The young man spoke, "Full of pride, as if you have never made a wrong turn on the path that led you here."
Regulus began to laugh when he heard this, coughing up parts of his lungs in the process, "What good is a flimsy world like regret do me? Instead, I resolve to end my life in a way that doesn't leave any possible regrets."
Glancing at the rivers of blood around him, he steeled his resolve as he prepared for his last resort.
"In falling here, I can take pride that my kingdom will go unaffected by the scars of your war of conquest."
He sighed as he began to feel his life force slipping away; Regulus turned to face his soldiers. It was a simple action he had repeated countless times, and yet he knew this would be the last time he did so.
What he saw was an image that, for the first time in his 37 years, left his heart in a knot. The men he had drunk, fought, and laughed with were now crying due to his impending death.
As Regulus closed his eyes, he recalled his bet with one of his generals on who would bury the other. A smile crept across his face at the sheer absurdity now that he was finally facing it. 'I guess you win this time; I'll buy you a drink in heaven', Regulus joked as his eyes met the soldier in question, who couldn't hold his tears.
Uncharacteristically for Regulus, he began recalling his colourless childhood, thinking of the alternative routes his life could have taken. These useless thoughts surprised him as he quickly pushed them to one side and lampooned.
'Am I finally having regrets? Not that such a thing matters now.'
Regulus' gaze swept over his men one last time as they all tried to meet the look of pride that could be seen plastered across his face.
"My people, it would appear that in this life, my skills were lacking", Regulus' voice rang across the clearing.
This absurdity caused a chuckle among the men, who laughed through their tears, hearing words that were so unlike their prideful King.
Regulus continued, "Everything must end, no matter how great the journey or how strong the vessel. Even stars will reach their zenith and will go out proudly facing fate in a supernova."
"Your Majesty don't leave us!" The elite forces of Regulus began to call out, no longer able to contain themselves.
"We still need you!"
"Continue shining over the Kingdom of Leo, Your Majesty!"
Regulus closed his eyes upon hearing this and began channelling his power, content with the end of his tale. Delving deeper into the now-empty well of celestial power inside himself, he was met with nine distinctive stars in the outline of a lion. One last time he thanked the constellation of Leo that was responsible for the man he was today.
Finally finding the last dregs of celestial energy left within he ignited them and sent these embers back into the very core of his being.
Regulus took a deep breath, clearing his consciousness before starting a chain reaction that would burn through his life force.
One by one, the stars of Leo began to explode inside him, filling every corner of his body with an ocean of celestial energy.
Reaching the fifth star, he quickly realised the chain reaction was faltering and at this rate the other final stars of Regulus would remain intact.
'I wonder if the historians will write me down as a good king', Regulus mused.
At that moment the atmosphere changed and planted in the sky above the battlefield the constellation of Leo could be seen in broad daylight. Regulus had begun burning through his soul.
Such a sacrificial technique was considered sacrilege as it prevented the soul from reincarnating. And yet Regulus delved deeper and deeper knowing that in doing so even his inheritance room wouldn't be functional.
The sheer amount of descending celestial energy was suffocating, and the weaker soldiers in the army fainted on the spot. Over and over, the young man with red hair attempted to approach Regulus but was blocked by the sheer mass of celestial energy.
The nine stars of Leo inside Regulus exploded one by one, each bringing greater pain and loss. The first five stars stole his senses as Regulus felt his world plunge into darkness.
The sixth star stole his memories as he felt his once-rich life vanish as if it had never occurred, his body a mere husk of the past.
As the seventh star exploded, the husk lost its emotions; at the eighth star, the once great man who could no longer remember his name began to be deprived of his life.
Regulus' years were accelerated as his hair turned grey and his skin began to wither as if sucked of all vitality. The celestial energy within the air was so dense a quantitative change began to occur.
The young man with red hair watched in horror as he realised what was happening. "Beyond the constellation, 1st star", he muttered, realising that Regulus had reached a level not seen for a thousand years.
At that moment, the brightest star within Regulus exploded, and with it, his soul began to turn to ash, encroaching into his very being.
The nameless thing moved on instinct, following the final thought that was still left inside its husk. The once-great King grasped his gold-encrusted sword one last time.
"Above the sequence, First Star: Eternal King." Although Regulus had no voice, these words echoed across the world.
These resounding words turned day to night, and a rain of stars fell across the sky as if they were weeping for Regulus. The Leo constellation shined golden as golden energy seemingly drowned the Kingdom of Leo.
Everyone in the Kingdom felt their blood roar, from the wealthiest noble to the sickest peasant, as their eyes were all drawn to a point. A silk curtain of Golden light fell at the border, more beautiful and far more precious than any jewellery could ever be.
This miracle formed an impervious wall that would feature in stories and myths for years to come. The Barrier of Regulus. The final gift of the King, who would rather sacrifice his soul than have any regrets going into another life.
***
A Chronicle of Kings of Leo - Robert Oliver
Solar Calendar - Year 300, Day of the Lion
On the peak of Mount Cadmus, a land rent by scars of war. King Regulus I died with his head tilted upwards and his sword pointing to the heavens. The invading forces of the Blood Phoenix, Nest Ashborn, were pushed back upon the birth of the Barrier of Regulus. Yet on that day, there were no songs, laughter, or joy for the people as they mourned the true star that fell from the star that day. King Regulus I.
King Regulus will be recorded in history as not only the greatest King of all time but truly the most remarkable man of all time. A man who took the Kingdom on his proud back and left them with a gift they could never return. Enduring sacrifice and lifetimes of pain for his people, a true King.
***
-Author's Note-
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