The onlookers, although unable to see clearly what happened, still understood what had occurred.
Dominance had stepped back in front of Calder. Calder was a simple rank three rune Sorcerer, a Scholar. Even the city Lord was supposed to be stronger. Yet, Dominance was bleeding. Midrel's mind was sent in jeopardy. Now that she thought of it, that day Calder was the only one who didn't kneel in front of the rune magic of the higher enchantress. Who was this old man? He certainly wasn't a simple Arcana elder of Alden academy.
Dominance went mad. Its claws forward, and Calder stepped back. The void thorn under Dominance's claw. Calder only dodged Dominance's restless assault.
Dominance's fist hammered Calder, and he spat blood. His bones crushed upon impact.
"Don't be sad, live on. My dear disciples, I trust all of you. Don't give up on your dreams," Calder's voice boomed like thunder.
"Master!!! Please don't leave me," Mist stood up, trying to rush out of the second shield, but Neo hit her back neck, snatching her balance.
"You're his best card, never forget that," Calder shouted in the direction of Alden academy. It was impossible to know exactly to whom he was speaking.
Calder's body bloomed with energy. It turned entirely black, like the cosmos. His rune sword disintegrated into particles of void.
Resonance. A complete resonance with his rune weapon embedded with the rune Nothingness. Onlookers at a distance couldn't believe their eyes. A complete resonance, something no one in Lower Elysium could accomplish. Only the uttermost best genius of upper Elysium could attempt. Yet many couldn't even reach a complete resonance. Kleid had only tried a partial one. Yet this one before their eyes.
Dominance opened its wings, enveloping both of them. "Return to nothingness... Absolute void," Calder murmured. A dazzling explosion bloomed out, erasing the entire half of Alden city into particles of void.
Dominance cried in agony, his body returning to a little boy. The boy's face was calm despite his disappearing body. Calder and the boy stared at each other, their bodies vanishing bit by bit. There was no hatred or anger in either of them, maybe even relief.
Dwland smiled at Amarok in the distance and waved before fully disappearing with Calder as if blown by the winds.
"It's coming. You need to prepare. Amarok, protect Mist on my behalf," Calder's voice traveled through the winds into Amarok's unconscious ears. The danger he had felt that day in the Grand Archia had nothing to do with the current disaster; it was something bigger, much more dangerous, more dreadful.
The shields disappeared, and Amarok and his group landed in between the crowd. The celestial guardian, the Alden Academy students, the Alden City townsfolk, and all those present looked at them.
The heavy downpour had finally stopped. The sky started clearing, and the clouds shifted. None of them would have imagined that the person who would save them wasn't the celestial guardian but the people they drove out of Alden city.
Neo picked up Amarok's body. "Take care of him," he said and left with Mist. Midrel was shocked back to reality, waving at the celestial guardian to take care of Joan's body.
She cast her gaze at Neo's lonely back, full of confusion. More than half of Alden city was ravaged, only ruins bathing in water all over the horizon. Midrel sighed; this place might never return to its former glory.
The townsfolk all heaved in relief, casting fleeing gazes at the celestial guardian. They were torn with guilt, knowing what they had done wouldn't go unpunished.
...
In Upper Elysium, within a huge building compound:
"Your Highness, have you felt it?" The advisor asked.
"He is back," the figure standing with his back to everyone said, staring at the stars deep in thought.
"That bastard finally got tired of hiding. Velvet, let me bring him back," another figure said.
"Mind the way you address your Highness, General Griffin," the advisor said with a frown.
This little insolent was probably the only one in entire Elysium that could speak so casually in front of his Highness.
"Calm down, old man. Me and him, we have a few things to settle," Griffin said, cracking his fist.
"Even after all this time, you haven't forgotten," another figure said, sitting on the gigantic tree of the compound.
"Get down immediately," the advisor shouted.
"I never have the chance to do anything. Old Velvet, let me go just for once," a slightly younger figure cried out.
The advisor was speechless; they were all ignoring him. But at the same time, there wasn't much to be done. These were the three imperial Generals.
"Let the newbie handle it this time. It would be good not to have his head in our business every time," the figure on the tree said.
"Don't count on it. I can't let this chance slip," Griffin fervently refused.
"Let little Milo go. It would be a good way to broaden his horizon," the figure said, not staring at them.
Griffin was shocked but kept his composure. "We will do as you say, Velvet," he bowed.
"Youpi, I can go," Milo jumped on Griffin's back. Griffin's face turned dark but couldn't say much, his teeth grimacing from a forced smile.
With that, the incident in Alden came to an end. Several days flew by, and the officials from Lowe arrived in Alden, and the reconstruction was immediately started.
It was moving at lightning speed. Probably in a few weeks, everything will be done, all thanks to rune magic.
The news traveled like wildfire. A single man had attacked the great Alden city and forcefully retrieved a prisoner. Alden city was one of the biggest cities in Lower Elysium and certainly well defended. What a shock it was for the entire Elysium. Panic swept through all Lower Elysium. What if that person decided to attack another city? How many more people will die?
The higher enchantress decided that she and the bulk of the celestial guardian would be moving to Alden city, turning it into their new base, but despite that, many weren't less worried, maybe even more.
The headmaster of Alden academy died with several arcana elders. The city Lord had vanished; no one knew where he was. It wasn't only Alden academy that had plummeted, but the whole of Alden city had fallen. Although the school was still physically intact, it was clear its essence had disappeared.
Many people left every single day. Not only those who came for the open town event. The once bustling streets rapidly emptied themselves, leaving space for a desolate and lifeless area.
These events marked the beginning of a new dawn for Amarok and his friends.