Chronicles of Legends

Volume 4 Chapter 14 - Fate

|Gary|

I observed the figure advancing towards me with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. As he drew nearer, the uncanny similarities between us became apparent: amethyst eyes, grey hair, and a lean build.

Despite the striking resemblance, I felt a deep-seated enmity stirring within me, unbidden. Memories of my greatest adversary flooded my mind, and my instincts bristled with warning.

The man approaching me bore an uncanny resemblance to him, their figures overlapping so closely that it was almost like looking at a reflection. 

An ominous feeling crept up my spine, triggering my passive skills to activate subconsciously. 

Despite my intense emotions, I managed to suppress them with the ignition of Monarch's Indifference. I locked eyes with him, my own cold amethyst gaze meeting his piercing stare. The air between us crackled with tension, and I awaited his approach with a sense of wary anticipation.

|Third POV|

The two figures drew closer, causing a palpable sense of suppression to ripple through the surrounding people. The first figure moved with the cadence of a sovereign, displaying complete indifference to his surroundings. Yet his powerful aura leaked out of him, causing almost everyone in the vicinity to fall to the ground in submission.

The second figure had the bearing of a conqueror, exuding an air of dominance and strength. His fierce, uncaring aura clashed against that of the sovereign, each refusing to give ground.

The space around the two figures cracked as they came to a sudden stop. Purple runes adorned Gary's skin, marking the release of his full power from his two cores. But his adversary remained unfazed, meeting Gary's intense gaze with a simple shake of the head. "You're not him," he said flatly, his expression unchanged.

Jezebeth muttered, his previously indifferent expression replaced with one of boredom. "Your eyes hold too much life," he said.

Gary met his gaze evenly, not showing any sign of fear. "Perhaps," he replied, "Then there's no reason for you to keep following me through the countless lives we've lived, Jezebeth."

Jezebeth laughed at Gary's words. "We are two sides of the same coin, Ren Dover," he retorted. "We've both reached the pinnacle of strength, we both harbor a deep-seated hatred for the Akashic Records, and in this life, we even bear a striking resemblance to one another. The only difference is the side we've chosen to stand on."

He mused, "One could argue that we're fated to fight each other. Two beings at the apex of our respective races, locked in an eternal struggle through countless cycles of reincarnation. It's almost poetic, don't you think?"

Gary's expression remained stoic as he put his thumb on the hilt of his sword. "Your arrogance never ceases to amaze me," he replied calmly. "You claim to be inevitable, yet you fail to see the truth. We are bound not by fate, but by choice. And I choose to end this cycle once and for all."

"I am inexorable, Ren," he laughed, "I am a being created to stand at the pinnacle of the world. You, on the other hand, are merely the pawn of the puppet of the Akashic Records. Though I will admit, you do give me a challenge."

Jezebeth's confident declaration only fuelled Gary's determination. He had already accomplished the impossible by destroying the Akashic Records in his past life as Ren, and he was willing to finish Jezebeth for one last time this life.

"You underestimate me, Jezebeth," Gary stated with conviction. "I may have been a puppet once, but I have broken free from those strings. I refuse to be controlled by fate or anyone else."