"I have finally found you. Gerald."
Lucavion struggled to rise, his body aching from the impact. He forced himself to stand, his eyes locking onto the figure who had just landed with a resounding boom.
The ground trembled slightly under the immense weight of the newcomer, a man with a bulky frame and an aura of raw, overwhelming power.
The man wielded a massive axe, its blade glinting menacingly in the dim light. He exuded an aura that seemed to warp the very air around him, a palpable force that pressed down on Lucavion and his master like an invisible weight.
"Alexander," the old man said, his voice tinged with sorrow. His eyes, usually so filled with wisdom and resolve, now reflected a deep, unspoken grief.
"Gerald," the man named Alexander replied, his voice a deep, rumbling growl. He took a step forward, the ground cracking beneath his heavy boots. "It's been a long time."
The tension between the two men was palpable, an undercurrent of history and conflict that Lucavion could feel in his bones. He glanced at his master, who stood firm, his gaze never wavering from Alexander.
'The duke!'
Lucavion knew who this newcomer was. How could he not know? After all, he was the very person who ordered his exile and his punishment from his family.
The father of the protagonist, Elara.
And the father of his former fiancée – Isolde.
The person who drove him to this place. It was him.
Alexander Valoria.
The Duke of the Loria Empire.
And one of the strongest beings in this whole world.
Gerald, his master, did not spare even a glance at Lucavion, his focus entirely on the imposing figure of Alexander. The old man's face was a mask of sorrow and resolve, a reflection of the heavy history between them. Gerald's silence was a clear signal to Lucavion: stay hidden, stay unnoticed.
Alexander's eyes swept the clearing, but they passed over Lucavion without recognition. His attention was wholly consumed by Gerald, the man he had sought for so long.
"So, you were hiding in this place like a rat," Alexander sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.
Gerald shook his head slowly, his expression one of resigned acceptance. "I was not hiding, Alexander. I've been waiting. Waiting for the end to come."
Alexander's sneer deepened, his grip tightening on the massive axe. "You always had a flair for the dramatic, Gerald. But this is no time for theatrics. It's time to settle old scores."
The air between them crackled with tension, a palpable energy that seemed to distort the very space around them. Lucavion, keeping his presence as hidden as possible, felt the immense power emanating from the two men. It was a clash of titans, a showdown that had been brewing for years.
"Is this really what you wish to do? Dealing with a weak old man like me?" Gerald began, smiling slightly. "Has the mighty Duke of the Valoria family fallen so low?"
Alexander's eyes bore into Gerald's, a storm of emotions swirling within them. "Honor? You speak to me of honor?" he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "After everything you did to us, to her?"
Gerald shook his head slowly, his expression one of weary sadness. "I did nothing to her, Alexander. It was her own choice all along, and you know that as well as I do."
A flicker of pain crossed Alexander's face, a momentary glimpse into the past they both shared. "She was pressured, forced into making that choice," he growled. "You were just a commoner. She was supposed to be mine."
Gerald's eyes softened with memories. "We were young then. We both courted her, and she chose me. It was her decision, not mine. Your father's threats couldn't change her heart."
Alexander's grip tightened on his axe, the metal creaking under the pressure. "Don't speak as if you were innocent. You took her away from me."
"You can't take what was never yours to begin with," Gerald replied calmly, though his eyes reflected the same deep sorrow. "She made her choice because she loved me. No amount of titles or threats could change that."
The Duke's face twisted with rage and grief. "She died because of you. I gave her the luxury and the safety that everyone wants. The honor, the glory, everything was presented to her. Yet you…..You killed her because you could not stand the fact that she was not there with you but with me."
Gerald shook his head, his voice filled with a quiet resolve. "I did not do it because I was jealous of you or anything. I did it because of her."
Alexander's eyes narrowed, confusion mingling with his fury. Gerald's smile was bittersweet, his eyes shining with a mixture of sorrow and understanding. The starlight around them seemed to shift and shimmer, forming the faint outline of a face in the air.
"That was the look on her face when we met once again," Gerald said softly. "For the longest time, I believed she had chosen you over me. I thought I had lost her to your titles, your wealth, and your power. But when I saw her again, the look in her eyes told me everything."
The ethereal face in the starlight grew more defined, the contours of a gentle, sorrowful expression becoming clearer. It was a face filled with longing and resignation, a silent cry for freedom.
"She was nothing but a bird trapped in a cage whose wings were broken," Gerald continued, his voice thick with emotion. "How could I stand by and let such a fate consume the person I loved? How could I do something so cruel as to leave her in that gilded prison?"
Alexander's expression grew angrier with each word Gerald spoke. His eyes blazed with fury, and his grip on the axe tightened until his knuckles turned white.
"Enough," Alexander roared, his voice echoing through the clearing. "I have given you the chance to explain yourself one last time, but you're still spouting such nonsense." He pointed the massive axe at Gerald, the blade glinting menacingly in the dim light. "I will no longer tolerate the actions of a traitor."
Gerald smiled sadly and, in his hand, materialized a sword unlike any other. It was pitch black, filled with shimmering purple stars as if the cosmos itself had been captured within its blade. The starlight seemed to dance along the edge, casting an otherworldly glow.
"There is no need to coat the words," Gerald said, his voice calm and resolute. "From the moment you came here, you never had the intention to listen."
With a swift motion, he swung the sword, the air around it shimmering with energy. "Come, brother. Let's talk about our weapons one last time. Just like the old times."
"There is nothing to talk about. The old times…..you killed them."
SWOOSH!
And in an instant, Alexander's eyes narrowed, and he surged forward, his axe descending in a deadly arc.
CLANK!
The air crackled with energy as the clash of weapons sent sparks flying in all directions. Gerald and Alexander, once friends and rivals, now stood as enemies, their battle infused with the raw power of their respective manas.
Gerald's sword, infused with the Mana of Stars, shimmered with a celestial glow, its edge seeming to cut through the very fabric of reality. Each swing left trails of stardust in the air, illuminating the night with a faint, otherworldly light.
Alexander's axe, on the other hand, glowed with a radiant golden hue, the holy mana radiating from it, creating a stark contrast to Gerald's ethereal weapon.
Their movements were a dance of death, each strike calculated and precise. Alexander's strength was immense, his axe cleaving through the air with devastating force.
CLANK!
Gerald, however, moved with a grace and fluidity that belied his age, his star-infused sword parrying and deflecting the powerful blows with ease.
"Is this all you have, Gerald?" Alexander taunted, his voice a low growl. "You've grown weak."
Gerald's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his sword. "Strength isn't just about brute force, Alexander. It's about control, precision, and understanding."
With a sudden burst of speed, Gerald closed the distance between them, his sword flashing in a series of quick, precise strikes. Alexander barely managed to deflect them, his axe moving in wide arcs to fend off the relentless assault.
The air around them shimmered with the clash of their manas, the celestial and the holy energies colliding in a dazzling display of power.
"Your fancy moves won't save you," Alexander sneered, his axe glowing brighter as he channeled more of his golden mana. "This ends now!"
With a mighty roar, Alexander swung his axe in a wide arc, releasing a wave of golden energy that surged towards Gerald. The ground trembled under the force of the attack, trees splintering and debris flying in all directions.
Gerald's eyes glowed with fierce determination as he raised his sword, the Mana of Stars swirling around him.
With a swift, fluid motion, he slashed through the air, unleashing a torrent of starlight that collided with Alexander's golden wave. The two forces met with an explosive impact, the resulting shockwave rippling through the forest and sending both combatants skidding back.
"You always were stubborn, Alexander," Gerald said, his voice calm despite the intensity of the battle. "But you've forgotten one thing."
"And what's that?" Alexander spat, his eyes blazing with fury.
Gerald's smile was sad and knowing. "The stars never fade."
「Void Starfall Balde. Starfall of the End.」
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