The Emperor and the Servant: A Tale of Two Heroes

Chapter 15: Hope

Previously:

Treachery! Marcus attacks his own father, while Christian takes the Princess in an apparent bid for power. The Emperor and Athena were unharmed though for they had separated from the main group. Raynen, upon arriving via teleportation spell, decided to kill Marcus with Maximus, whom he fought before being sent there and Uriel attempts to stop them but with his limited power in the physical plane, he is unable to extend the light to them. Meanwhile Athena and the Emperor go off to find the Opal. Athena shows much distrust towards him despite knowing full well he was immune to the fog. However, she expresses her shock when the Emperor protects her from a demon attack. He tells her that she reminds him of his late wife, which was why upon seeing her, he was driven to tears to the point he could never control himself, which was the actual reason why he was unaffected by the fog as the deep emotion was stronger than any negative feeling.  But in protecting her, he nearly loses his life. An enduring testament to true faith, the Emperor has changed Athena’s perspective and his will moves with his comrades, who conquer the Dark Powers and take the Opal home. But the War of Wars looms over them…

Main quote:

“Hope is what moves people to work in solidarity to achieve the things we cannot do alone. It helps us understand one another, believe in one another and love one another.” (Christian)

  September 20, 1205 A.D.

  It was business as usual for the Ministers of State. But this time, it was a gathering of the Big Three.

  They were the greatest Lords of the Empire. Genghis Khan of the East is the newest edition, replacing the Pope after he had declared that his spiritual power should not intervene in all political matters. Of all the Big Three, he held the most power. “So you come to tell us you found the Dark Knights’ base?” shouted Richard. He could not believe it. “What proof do you have, Lord Khan?” asked the polite Philip.

  “Captured rebel spies…” The Mongols recently caught a band of riders from their horde who were attacking villages indiscriminately. When they were brought to the Khanate, tortured and presented to the Great Khan, it was revealed that they were Dark Riders, the new sect of Dark Knights attacking the East.

  “According to reports, some of the Mongol hordes began acting strange. I had the laws set in place to regulate raids. So in the main Khanate, we had set up watch dogs to monitor the movement of the other hordes, the loyal eyes and ears of the Great Khan. Lord Subotai is one of them.”

  “Yes, I recall you saying that you were split from him then due to the Dark Knights’ ‘wolf raid’. I had initially thought he had joined the other side.” Philip remembered this from Khan’s first appearance.

  “Actually, Subotai did see some Mongols desert. They were the ones who founded the Dark Riders. They had set up a hidden camp in the plains and waited until they were visited by the Black Shadow.”

  “Black Shadow?”

  “He is a knight but some claim he is a mage. Nevertheless, he holds power in the group.”

  The Second Cultus arrives with news. “So he is still alive…” exclaims the Third Cultus

  A figure appears behind the two men, a large figure with bloody red eyes.

  “So he has not failed us after all…” Four moving legs made of gold…modeled after a crab. This was golden crystalline, a fusion of crystalline from Greece and the gold from the Royal Vault.

  It was both a throne and a walker…for Leviathan’s battered body. He had a mask on that was attached to two tubes of glass, one with blood and the other with water. “The Awakener is working on this vessel.”

  Demons seal themselves in human bodies to interact in the physical world. If they had serious injuries, they could not leave their bodies until they had fully recovered. “Curse that Constantine!!! He took my legs!” But the Third Cultus assures him that he will recover them in days.

  “Besides, Lord Leviathan, we have an army prepared for this War of Wars.”

  Beelzebub arrives as a swarm of flies, bringing a decomposing corpse to them.

  “You really should not have brought something like this here.” Leviathan argued.

  “Speak for yourself. I shall take charge of the operation here.”

  “Lord Infinity is in the midst of preparations. I suggest we wait for him.”

  “This body has information pertaining to the location of the fifth jewel.”

  The Second Cultus writes blood markings around the body and, with a jutsu hand sign, brings it back to life. The cadaver levitates and speaks in Greek. “The island of crystal.” It falls down after its soul is brought out of its body. The spell had expired. “Temporary Reanimation, the spell of interrogation to reveal the last thoughts of a person.” Cultus the Third said. The Second Cultus brings the soul that flew up to a glass tube and weaves hand signs to display the memories of the soul in the same tube.

  They all saw the fisherman on his rocking boat heading for a thick fog.

  “Legends say there is an island of crystal there…”

  “Yes, friend. But alas, they also say it is ruled by a prince who would kill those who trespass upon his sacred domain.” Before they get closer to the island, a swarm of flies appear.

  “What in blazes is that?”

  “This must be…” The man was taken from his partner and was eaten alive from the inside out by these insects, before being lifted up to the sky…to clearly see a diamond shaped object below, sparkling in the fog. Second Cultus uses another sign to cancel the vision. Third Cultus says, “This is what he meant by island of crystal…” Maximus arrives with some men and kneels before the two Dark Powers.

  “Great lords, we have come from a long distance to bring these men to our service.”

  The seven men take off their robes. They were…shinobi of the Akuma.

  “Akuma, huh?” Third Cultus notes. They bore the demon’s mark on the back of their shirts.

  “Now they have joined the ranks of the Dark Knights.”

  “Are you the strongest in your clan?” asked Beelzebub.

  “We are…and we represent our clan’s allegiance and promise to Lord Infinity. We shall serve you.”

  Maximus and the Two Faces of Cultus look upon the window to see their work bear fruit. The Dark Knights with the Two Faces of Cultus have produced a hundred of these vessels…in the caves of Anatolia. The Cappadocia Dark Halls is the final base of the Dark Knights, in preparation for their next War. “The power to hold the world…as Lord Infinity said…is within our grasp.”

  The Ministers were witnesses to this meeting, acting as spectator members.

  When the meeting had ended, Patria came to declare that a matter had been decided and that the Supreme Imperial Council shall approve of this mandate…to once again hold another joint-leaders meeting.

  “As Chancellor, I hereby announce that the Council of Lords shall meet in nine days. The venue shall be in the city of Paris. Your Majesties, be wary on your journey back. Prepare for the Assembly. Adjourned.”

  The Ministers leave. Alfonso brings the Master Recorder again. “Are you sure it is time?” The man nods to Alfonso’s question and they leave. Solus passes by on the other side. By this time, no one was there.

  Patria and De Jure were talking. “The replacement for Von Sehen and his deputy, who were both conspirators in the assassination attempt on the Emperor and King Philip of Germany…has still to be decided. Even the members of this Ministry have a hard time deciding.” De Jure was uneasy.

  “I have a proposal. Can we not assign you as Minister of Assessment instead?”

  This shocked De Jure. “You mean pro tempore…”

  “No… There is a by-law we made before you came to the Council ten years ago. It says ‘if there is a vacancy in a Ministry and has been left there for forty days, then it is the responsibility of the Chancellor, as head of Assembly, to appoint the Viceroy as Minister to fill the vacancy.’ Besides that, it was noted the Viceroy had no Ministry of his own, except to the Chancellor of State. You are my deputy and I trust you. So if you believe in yourself, can you fulfill this role?” De Jure reluctantly accepts.

  Alfonso has a drink with his newly-appointed Deputy Minister, Robert Magdala of Leon.

  “

Señor, Es un honor ser su diputado. Muchas gracias.”

  “No necesitamos formalidades en Español , Señor.”

  “My apologies. Shall we continue?”

  “Ah the young and growing number of intellectuals interests me. You know, I am a year younger than Emperor Vincent or Master Constantine but I feel as if a lot of time has passed by. I see you people, young and growing, as the new hope of this Empire. Can you help me fulfill my role after my tenure is over?” Robert nods and they shake hands. “Yes I shall Lord Alfonso.”

  A shadow spies over Empress Hikari Eri as she goes to bed. His eyes were as vigilant as his character.

  He sees footprints on the basement halls of the palace and goes to check them out. However, they lead nowhere. Eri goes to the balcony…to see the bright moon and a shadow leaping at the background.

  Shimorinku grasps onto his left shoulder, which was regenerating after Marcus blew off the left side of his chest with the Lightning Stab, which also cut off his left arm. Right now, his body, having fused to the ground for some time with an Earth Style Fusion Jutsu, was recuperating after he had also been electrocuted by the attack, leaving him half-dead there. “Of the few jutsu I allowed myself to learn in order to gain strength, this one gave me a sense of immortality…but not like…” He had reached the obelisk where the Eternal Darkness Genjutsu was cast. He weaves signs. “Earth Style: Rock Coffin Release!” He brings out an earthen coffin that breaks apart to reveal Kentaro’s charred body.

  “Lord Kentaro, I had used your Earth Style Fusion on your ashes after the battle…in order to restore you but I only managed to bring you back in this corrupted and charred form. We need the Ritual of Return for this. The Dark Powers used this once to ‘recreate’. We shall do the same on a plain of mud, to complete the transition from death to life. We need a human offering for this though…”

  He sees a shadow pass by. “Preferably one close to the bloodline…of the Akuma.”

  The Seven Dark Warriors of the Akuma, known as the Seven Brothers of Chaos:

 Akuma Kaizen- Head of the Army, the User of the Fire Sphere, an impenetrable offensive defense.

  Akuma Okumo- Water Style: Waterfall Cascade; Water Sword former. Water Prison; Water Master

  Akuma Bokuto- Master Forger, Sword Creation Jutsu, in which he brings out a hard Earth Furnace that collects lava from the ground and uses it with his Water Style and Earth Hardening to create some of the sharpest and most durable blades in history. Earth Master

  Akuma Yuri- Wind Style: Force Breaker, the ability to break through any obstacle; Wind Master

  Akuma Go- One of the Thunder Twins; Lightning Cloak Bearer; Fastest Defense

  Akuma Roku- One of the Thunder Twins; Lightning Sword; Fastest Offense

  Akuma Shinzen- User of Nature Manipulation, the purest form of ninjutsu, beyond normal limits.

  They are Kentaro’s cousins. “Lord Kentaro told us that when the Dark Knights come again, we are to journey to where they might be. You are here in Cappadocia, which surprises us a lot.” These were the words of Kaizen, leader of the group. “What are you preparing for exactly?” asked Maximus.

  “The true revival of our Lord Kentaro.” Yuri, also known as Kazeyuri, said to them, “His body has been destroyed but now is the chance to bring him back in a complete form.”

  Bokuto explains, “His human body was too frail to contain the power of the Black Demon, the manifestation of a person’s intense hatred that awakens the Evil Eye. Now the Ritual of Return will bring his soul to a body that can sustain the power of an Eye of Darkness. First though, we must find a blood relative who can be a suitable donor.” They were all picking among themselves the sacrifice. However…

  “The only person whose eyes can restore Lord Kentaro…is his son, Lord Fushima.”

  They were all whispering to one another. “Has he not been dead for ten years?” asked Go.

  “You mean the older brother of the Empress…” added Roku.

  “He has been watching her…from the shadows.” Shinzen was actually talking about…

  …That man who spied on Shimorinku back then. The Shadow of the East, Hikari Fushima.

  The man watches Shimorinku place the body in a mud pool. “I shall dip in as well.” Shimorinku take off his armor. He submerges himself in the mud and comes out with a fully restored body.

  “I can now begin the Ritual of Return.” Fushima was watching. Suddenly, a sword swipes at him. He comes out from hiding, unknowingly revealing himself wide open for Shimorinku to grab him with a giant Earth Hand coming out of the ground. “Lord Fushima. I knew you were there.”

  The man was silent. “There is no need to hide it. I know you very well.”

  He recalls the young man’s tale. At fifteen, he became heir to the throne. His younger sister was ten at the time. They were the children of Lady Hikari Akane of the Imperial Family and Lord Kentaro Ryuken of the “Kentaro” Clan. They who are the Akuma have hidden under this name…

  Kentaro had ruled the realm for over a decade the moment he married Lady Hikari. He was thirty-five.

  He had two children. He felt that they were both destined…to inherit his power.

  One day, a shooting star fell from the heavens and Princess Eri witnessed it as its sparkling light drew near to her. Her eyes were wet with tears, which she did not intend to shed. From this…

  She awakened the Eye of Light, the youngest ever to unlock a Spirit Eye, with the exception of the Eye of Sight possessed by chosen individuals of incredible power. Fushima watched this take place but nothing else happened to anyone. But Kentaro saw this and was infuriated.

  “Why has she not awakened the Evil Eye yet?”

  “Lord Kentaro, she is just a young girl. Give her time.”

  “Shimorinku, you do not know what you are talking about. The moment she awakens one of the Spirit Eyes, that becomes her. Fushima lacks the potential she has. I think we need to take drastic measures.”

  Fushima overheard all this and was saddened. He attempts to find his mother and warn her of the impending danger that would befall upon Eri but…

  “MOTHER!!!” He only saw a blood-splattered corpse covered by a black veil.

  Kentaro weeps over her death…with his Evil Eyes glowing in the darkness as he covers them.

  Shimorinku and some attendants bring the corpse away from the mourning men.

  Eri was the one who was most affected. She gazed upon the blood that was left there but still…

  Her eyes have not lost their sparkle. However…

  “Father…” Fushima asked “Did you by any chance…”

  Kentaro looked upon the face of the young man. “KILL MOTHER?!”

  “Why would I…” Fushima suddenly grabs the man’s throat and squeezes it so tightly he coughed up a huge amount of fluid. “I SAW YOU AND HEARD YOU AND FELT YOUR PRESENCE. I WAS ALWAYS AT YOUR SHADOW DAY AND NIGHT BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT THOSE EYES YOU HID WERE FOR!!! YOU KILLED MY MOTHER TO BRING MY SISTER TO THE DARKNESS!!!”

  Kentaro’s head falls down but it rises back up and laughs at him maniacally.

  “WHY WOULD I CARE FOR HER STUPID LIFE? I JUST NEEDED YOU TO BE BORN!”

  Fushima throws him down and prepares to execute him but he vanishes and reappears grabbing Eri.

  “Your light may not have faded but soon…darkness will fall upon you.”

  “LET MY SISTER GO, YOU DEMON!!!”

  “If you want her safe, do not come after me. If I ever sense your presence, I will do to her what I did to your mother.” He vanishes again…without a trace. The wind howls that cold night.

  The man’s eyes were filled with anger, unknowingly…awakening the Evil Eye himself.

  Fushima opens those same eyes. He has already awakened the Eye of Darkness, with an X-shape protruding around it. “I cannot allow you to revive Kentaro! He will not come back!!!” Fushima struggles out of the Earth Hand and weaves signs. “Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!” From the mud stream came a mud dragon, to the shock of both men, which attacks Fushima. “I redirected control over your little jutsu. This is sacred water and I added soil from the very ground Lord Kentaro has stepped on…to produce this sacred mud bath.” Shimorinku claps his hands twice and the mud dragon swallows him up until he is petrified, with only his eyes left intact. “I shall take those.” Shimorinku recalls how Fushima kept resisting. He had the same ocular prowess as his father and when he awakened his Eye of Darkness when Eri had been caged, he had obtained the same exact powers as his opponent and father, to the point where their battles ended in stalemates. At one point, he allowed himself to disappear…intentionally allowing Eri to awaken the Eye of Enlightenment in mourning.

  “A testament to the lies you created from the shadows. Now you will become the vessel for which your father shall return to this world…immortal.” The petrified body enters the mud bath. “It begins.”

 

  September 29, 1205 A.D.

  Paris, France

  In entering the city of Paris with her father and Uncle Christian, Raynen as bodyguard and Marcus as the one to carry their luggage, the Princess accompanied her maidens to the Chateau de Augustus, residence of the family of King Philip of France, the place where she was born.

  Here, she played with two of the King’s daughters, her best friends in life.

  PRIMROSE- BLONDE HAIR, AGED 21, 152 CM IN HEIGHT AND 95 POUNDS

  CAMELLIA- BROWN HAIR, AGED 19, 149 CM IN HEIGHT AND 95 POUNDS

  They embraced each other after years of separation. The sisters were last spotted in the Princess’ 18th birthday. Raynen de Cavalier stood next to the Princess, earning a bad look from Marcus, which he spots.

  “What are you looking at, knave?”

  “You seem to be comfortable around here.”

  “This is my home. Of course I feel…”

  “I actually mean…being two steps behind Maria.” Raynen turns around and sees Maria smiling at him. He blushes and backs away. “Marcus, if you want to live, just shut up and mind your own business.”

  “We still have not settled things between us.”

  “Well then, what a terrible coincidence! I was planning to go and practice at the archery range, to test my aim. Now I can test it even further with someone to compete with me.”

  “Can you fire an arrow a hundred meters away from you?”

  “I can do that with my eyes closed!” They run to the range, surprising Maria. “Those two never learn.”

  Camellia was blushing and giggled. Primrose noted how Raynen has not changed.

  “I have never seen you so close to men other than your father and Servant.” Primrose added.

  “Indeed, Maria. Are you…with them not merely to be secure but to…well…?”

  “Camellia, can you articulate your words a bit more clearly next time?”

  “Yes but umm…well…you see…whenever there are…umm people…I….” She covers her face.

  “Are you alright?” Maria asks as she touches her hands and forehead. “You look hot.”

  “Obviously that is because he is here…”

  “Who…” The three Princesses faced similar circumstances.

  “Primrose, are you still waiting for the day you get married, I mean since you are the eldest…”

  “Maria, times like these I do not want to think about marriage. Those suitors, even if they are handsome and smart…it is just that they lack something. I do not know what exactly.”

  “Take it from me, girl. I know how you feel.” She turns around and sees the two men are already gone.

  King Philip meets with Richard and the Emperor and Christian.

  “There is no time to waste. We must leave for Crete now or else…”

  “Relax, Richard. We have plenty of time. You do not need to stand up to make your point.”

  “You are too complacent, Philip! What do you think, Emperor Vincent?”

  “We need to wait for the Khan first… He promised to bring a fleet to help us in our search.”

  “Milord, if I may, we cannot just wait for him. King Richard is correct. We cannot trust him.”

  “On what basis, Christian?”

  “The Khan is focused on his own realm. He only came to us for support and added protection.”

  “Why would you consider this to be a sign that he cannot be trusted?”

  “Master Vincent, the man desires power over the world. Why should we…?”

  “We…and where in your right mind did you get the assumption…you were one of us?”

  “What?”

  “You are my confidant and Servant yes. However, at the end of the day, you are not a Lord.”

  “I was simply citing the opinion shared by the majority of the Ministers and Council of Lords.”

  “Even then, you cannot interpret the motives of the man, whose own voice we have yet to hear.”

  “Your Majesty, have you not seen the power he has? His army might come after us and…”

  “I advise caution in your words, Servant of the Empire. No one below must judge the ones above.”

  This was a startling confrontation. Both men look at one another intently. Christian, in fuming but hidden anger, leaves the assembly. The Kings were puzzled. “Why did you do that?” asked Philip.

  “Because it is unnecessary for someone like him to get too involved in state matters. He thinks only of the here and now and does not see possible repercussions as necessary to interpret the situation. He does not trust words and values only pragmatic approaches. Actions define value, not the other way around.”

  “But he was right.” Richard comments.

  “No, he was wrong. The Ministers are not against the Khan because of the army he has. If anything, they would want the Khan to be part of the Alliance again. But…the actual reason why the Council of Lords has yet to fully integrate him and acknowledge him as a Lord is because his territory…is an Empire of its own. To claim a territory and many more in the name of a created Empire, without the proper legislative notice, which in the case of our Empire was the Senate of Rome and currently the Roman Curia, a legislative body that represents each of the territories to be annexed formally, is the same as unjust conquest. There is no right. The law sees Khan as a warlord for that and so he is despised. Japan and China are exceptions because they already sent representatives to the Curia, that is to say the Ministers of State and the Representatives of the Law under them. However, they retain their status as Empires under a special provision that gives them autonomy for as long as they do not lay claim to Imperial territories. The Islamic Empire is semi-autonomous, with the Third Crusade closed by a treaty and oath of allegiance to the Emperor while maintaining their self-determination as an Empire. The Holy Roman Empire is a composite and is what comprises Mother Europe. Its Emperor is responsible for maintaining peace and order in Germany and Italy. Yet the one who exercises the right above rulers…is the Emperor of the World. For their role in protecting and nurturing the Empire to what it is now, they are acknowledged as Lords in their own right. Khan has yet to do so. His army is the key to this though.”

  “Then where does he stand…among the Big Three?”

  “He is the loose cannon, Philip. Yet we all need that, right?”

  “Aye, to give us the advantage over the enemy. They will not predict our current standing now that the UIF has dissolved. Still, how can we face them without our United Imperial Forces?”

  “We find more allies…to surprise the enemy. This mission is that important. Therefore…”

  The door opens…and out came a large man in yak hide, holding a spear on his right hand and a bow on his left. Several Royal Guards cover the Emperor and the Kings but the man pushes all of them away.

  Surprisingly, he kneels before the Emperor and presents him a scroll.

  The Emperor reads it and was shocked by the contents.

  The Royal Guards were skeptical. Christian, from the outside, looked uneasy.

  The Emperor closes the scroll and declares, “It is time we leave…together!”

  At night, Christian kneels before the Emperor to apologize to him.

  “Why did you bring in the Royal Guard in the first place?”

  “I assumed he was carrying those weapons to fight you but then…”

  “One has to surrender his weapons to a Sovereign to acknowledge his superiority. That is basic conduct. But I should be the one to apologize. I overreacted. Personally, your defense was solid but it did not hit the precise mark. To be truthful, the army he possesses is the key to our alliance.”

  “Truly, I misjudge people by context and appearance. Their power is a threat to people of the low.”

  “That is why I say that the foot does not argue with the head for it is the head that controls the foot.”

  “And that no man is ever equal. Only in the eyes of the Master are we equals…as sinners.”

  “Indeed.” Both men bow their heads. “Such a shame no one is. The world would have been better.”

  “So can I leave you now, sire?”

  “Just watch over Maria tonight.”

  “That has been my duty since I came to you nearly twenty years ago.”

  “And you have never failed since. Good night Christian. God Bless.”

  As he walks away, he could see the tears that fell out of his eyes.

  “Master, I know you are hiding something from me.” Christian thought to himself “Yet I know this is not the time to tell me why…at this point in our history, you are conforming to practical norms and standards. Whatever the reason you have to disregard our innate equality, I will bear it with you.”

  October 1st 1205 A.D.

  Port of Ravenna

  Ten ships line up, with crew from East to West gathering together to man a large expedition into the unknown void between the Aegean and that place where rests the Labyrinth of Crete.

  The Imperial annals mention an underwater city that sunk thousands of years ago and was used by Daedalus to create part of the complex maze known as the Labyrinth to seal the Minotaur, a demigod of destructive power, which is actually a Transcendent Beast with the body of a man. That creature has long been destroyed. Yet the secrets of the place have yet been untouched. This is what was written on the scroll given to him…by Genghis Khan himself, along with the coordinates of the Cappadocian Fortress of the Dark Knights. Maria and Marcus look upon the fleet in awe, which Raynen sees as amazing in that he has seen fleets smaller but of similar quality. He smirks and notes that this is the first time he has seen Asian ships of such grandeur, not merely the junks used by the Chinese but an improvised galley made to sustain Eastern Sea waves and pressures. The three Royal Guard captains were there, along with General Carlovale and Minister Cato. They were commissioned to infiltrate the Fortress and see what the Knights have planned. They take nine of the ships in the fleet, surprising Marcus. He approaches Christian and asks him to explain. “Actually, this fleet is not for the expedition but…”

  The young man was surprised they would use a fishing vessel hidden amongst the nice-looking ships for the trip. “We need to be inconspicuous. The Emperor believes the area is haunted. Reports came of missing fishing vessels…as well as floating bodies. But the oddity here is that in the latest report, only the ships remained and the crew was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of a struggle. It was possible that they were taken somewhere discreetly, abducted probably. So we need to blend in and even if we do get lost at sea, we may find our way to wherever those men were taken and rescue them.”

  “We shall move with the tide.” Emperor Vincent calls out.

  Captain Edward Consul leads the crew…again. However, while still enthusiastic as always, he is sort of restrained by the imposing Mongol seamen brought by the Khan. “We use this ship to load thirty men aboard. Not including the two of us, the Kings, the three Princesses who somehow wanted to come here, the Soldier, the two Servants, your crew and the Emperor, we are bringing an army of ten men, comprising of Mongols, Englishmen, Frenchmen and Italian Royal Guards under the command of Soldier Raynen de Cavalier. Captain, I leave the rest of this to you.” The Captain nods and they prepare to leave.

  The nine ships that have gone ahead were close to Anatolia.

  “You must be good at leading fleets, General Carlovale.” The man smirks at this comment by Cato. “You have brought us to Anatolia in a matter of minutes. I am impressed.”

  “Shadows are always good for something.” Carlovale remarked.

  The Emperor and his crew meanwhile were battling Adriatic waves. A storm was brewing.

  “Why do we always have to face storms?!” he complained.

  “There is no time for that. Right now, we need to-“ A wave hits the ship and pushes Christian away before he could finish his statement. “Well…we are all equals here hehehe…”

  “Still on about that. Seriously get over it already.”

  “Will you two stop quarreling?!” Richard shouts.

  “Help us with the ropes already!” Philip remarks.

  “Idiots, the lot of you!” Khan shouts “I can hold four to seven of these ropes and maintain the sails.” This shocked all of them as the sail remains intact after all the pressure from the sea. Finally, with a strong gust of wind, they are taken out of the maelstrom and into the calm part of the sea, where they venture forward into the unknown. “Does Genghis Khan have God on his side?” Raynen asks the Emperor. The Emperor stands flabbergasted but soon recovers and walks away murmuring about how everything seems to work out fine for the others and not for him.

 

The large Imperial Army of eighty assembles:

  DARK KNIGHT INFILTRATION UNIT

  SUPREME COMMANDER: AEGIDIUS CATO (MINISTER OF WAR AND DEFENSE)

  DIRECTOR-GENERAL: CARLOVALE RICHTER (MASTER OF THE BLACK DIVISION)

  CAPTAINS AND COMPANIES:

       FIRST COMPANY: RECONNAISSANCE TEAM (SECOND ROYAL GUARD DIVISION)

       CAPTAIN: BURGRAFF AUSLEN REICHMANN

       SECOND COMPANY: ATTACK TEAM (THIRD ROYAL GUARD DIVISION)

       CAPTAIN: MARQUIS ALBIER DE FORME

       THIRD COMPANY: DIVERSION TEAM (FOURTH ROYAL GUARD DIVISION)

       CAPTAIN: SEÑOR JORGE ESPADA

  “We shall now begin our assault on the Dark Knight fortress. They may have Dark Riders but the Horde of Subotai and Ogedei Khan is surrounding the area this very minute. This is the strategy.” Cato now explains his strategy to the Unit. “The First Company shall surround the Castle, without letting the enemy know. But once their cover is blown, the Third Company comes in and ambushes them. While this goes on, the Attack Team will infiltrate the Fortress and enter the main area. We chose only a small unit to carry this out for better mobilization. Reinforcements are on the boats. Worry not. This operation shall succeed. Carlovale and I will join the Attack. Go now!” They begin Operation WolfBlitz.

  The Emperor and the crew draw near to the spot where the fishermen were found missing. They were shocked to find the shipwrecks filled with flies. “Maybe the men were killed by pestilence.” Marcus theorized. “But how can swarms of insects come to this place?” Maria asks.

  The Emperor inhales the sea air and senses that…

  “There is something I do not understand in this place.” They hear a loud shriek. A large flying creature assaults them and destroys their mast. It had four wings but a figure of a bat.

  “WHAT WAS THAT?!” Captain Edward shouted as he orders the crew to throw harpoons at it but the creature dodges it with great precision. Marcus and Christian’s Fire Style could barely reach it. Edward brings out a large oar to steer the ship to safety since the rudder was broken. They see an island in the fog. With enough strength, he and all the others use the large oars on the boat to bring the damaged ship close to shore, amidst the wind blasts from the Giant Bat’s wings and mouth, which the Emperor deflects with Energy Mode’s Red Shield. Christian and Marcus release a dual Fire Ball aimed exactly at the point when the Bat flaps its wings for a wind burst. This move actually helps amplify the power of the two Fire Balls and expands them in size until they merge and grow large enough to burn the Bat and send it flying away. A temporary victory…since Christian senses that the Bat may come back for them.

  As they near the island, arrows come to greet them. They could not see who fired them.

  Captain Edward was hit in the abdomen and sees that… “These are…”

  “Crystal Arrows?” Christian picks up the one he was hit with from his wounded shoulder.

  “TAKE COVER!” The Emperor shouts as he uses his Red Dome Shield to protect them. However, they all break through with ease, to their shock. Soon, the Emperor was also hit on a weak point on his right shoulder that the Armor did not protect, which was the same spot where the arrows also hit Christian. Both men fall down, along with the rest who were hit on the same area.

  The men surround the guarded Dark Knight Fortress as hooded riders.

  None of the sentries take heed of them.

  Carlovale tells his spies to sneak behind the sentries once their guard is down to knock them out.

  From the shadows, the spies emerge and cut down the sentries quickly and dispassionately while covering their target’s mouths. These were true assassins. All ten sentries were killed and their bodies were buried in the desert ground without the other Knights inside noticing.

  But a mysterious robed man appears behind the Fortress, smirking. He had red hair.

  The spies return to Carlovale, telling him that they can enter.

  The Emperor awakens looking up at a shining sky…and lying down with the others.

  “Ugh, where are we?” Marcus was the next one to get up. Christian stood in front of the others.

  He looks around. “The sky is shining. I hear chirping birds and the air is…” Then he punches the empty space in front of him but feels something hard. It was painful but he did not flinch.

  “There is an invisible wall made of crystal. I should have known.”

  The Emperor closes his eyes and inhales the air but suddenly gets choked. “This is-” He coughs heavily as he realizes there was only a little air where they were. “We are trapped…in a crystal barrier.”

  The crystal reflected the lush scenery on the island, the white sand, the calm sea, the white trees. But these were all…just crystal, even the water itself. They were in the Crystal Kingdom, the island of crystal. The twenty others scream to be released but know the more they do that, the more air they lose until they die of suffocation. The Emperor tells them to calm down. “We need to find a way to get out of here. I believe a Cutting Edge can break even the strongest crystal.” He tries that but the energy reflects itself, causing it to implode within the crystal dome. Fortunately, the Emperor was quick enough to act, having used the Red Shield Dome to protect them all. He falls down again, since his injuries have not been healed yet. Christian also faints, having exhausted much of his will to stand up, as well as being the first to wake up. Three men stand from afar watching this transpire.

  “Three days huh?”

  “They lasted longer than the others who defiled the island.”

  “We took down their ship and they cannot escape. What should we do now?”

  October 4, 1205 A.D.

  This is strange.

  Carlovale and his men have been waiting for quite a while for the Dark Knights to come out.

  According to Cato, if they just kill the sentries and enter right away, they would fall prey to an unexpected ambush. They need to empty the Dark Halls before they can take it. Did they see through it?

  Carlovale acts and suddenly vanishes. Cato claims he has mastered Telos.

  “Telos? But are they not teleportation spells used only by mages?” asked Captain Albier.

  “No. This is just your knowledge from Carlovale. He has told us everything about magic and a lot of it was a lie to cover his actions.” This shocked the captains but Cato continues his explanation. “If indeed he told us the truth, then we would be compromised. The operation would be lost. First of all, Carlovale is not a mage. Secondly, anyone can use Telos, provided they know…” Carlovale appears inside…to find to his shock…an empty room. “Where they want to go.” Carlovale vanishes.

  “Telos is not a spell. It is nature manipulation, the ability of Christian Constantine to use natural forces and control them with runic spells. However, in this case, it does not bring one person from one place to another. Rather, it separates one from space-time with accelerated speed, so much so that it appears that they have teleported from a vast distance. The limit of Telos is dependent on the ability of the user to detach himself from space-time in a way that his body is protected from the pressure around him, even pass through solid walls just to get to the other side. As you can see, Carlovale is using Telos Directo, the chant to activate the runes written on his body to respond to the natural forces of time and space so that he can stop them and ensure he arrives at his destination. As a warrior, I cannot help but be in awe.”

  “But does that not tantamount to runic magic already?” asked Captain Espada.

  “Yes but for it to be a spell, he needed to have magic powers and to get them, he needed to train them. Actually, the Telos he used on our ships was magic…because they were mages who synchronized themselves with him, using the Connection Rune Spell to connect the entire fleet and Carlovale’s Telos to bring us here. You may not have seen it but that is how it happened.”

  “What about the runes on his arms? Are they not the coordinates and spell instruction to bring one person to any desired location? Does it not seem like magic?” Reichmann was still skeptical.

  “He takes two steps towards the front, then uses the code that corresponds to a geographical location.”

  “Is that then the reason why it is called nature manipulation?”

  “Precisely. With the code, he can take three or four more steps to the location he feels he is close to. Imagine walking in the dark. Your starting point is the door, then you spot some lights to guide you. Those are the codes. When he goes to them upon recognizing them, he enters a different point in the room. Once he has reached his destination, he puts on the light and voila, he is there. That is Telos.”

  Carlovale enters another empty room then decides to return, only to find the Dark Knights waiting for him. However, just as they try to attack him, he vanishes with Telos. He returns to his starting point, to find the robed man with red hair standing in front of him. He wore a mask. “I am Cultus IV! Die!” He fires a spell at Carlovale, which he dodges with Telos. He meets with Cato and warns them of the trap the Knights have set. “We should have attacked the moment we took down their sentries. We kept watching, only to find that they themselves were watching us. Abandon the operation. Use Telos to get us out!”

  “What about their base? Should we not infiltrate it? We have the right amount of men to-“

  A hand covers his mouth. “So this is Telos, huh?” The Fourth Cultus appears in front of them.

  “How did he get here?” Cato asks. Carlovale grabs the hand and moves away.

  “So simple. I could read those codes as runes and I retraced your empty footsteps.”

  “Who are you exactly? Why are there four of you?”

  “The first one was insane so we killed him. The Second and Third have left this base…to me.”

  “Where is Maximus?” Carlovale asked.

  “So you did face him in battle indeed? Is he not impressive? He is the new General of the Order.”

  “Enough! Take us to your hideout!”

  “Tsk, tsk. You are too noisy. Lighten up, will you? I will take my time to think about this.”

  They all heighten their guard, knowing that he is a magic user.

  “Fine. If you promise to die right here, I can bring you inside.”

  “Are you joking? Who do you think we are?!” Cato attacks but is struck down by a sword. “I am the Warrior and the Mage, the Two Faces in one man. I am the Person Cultus.” Cato falls down bleeding. Carlovale brings him out with Telos and escapes with the rest, who were brought out by the Telos of their mages. Now they retreat to their ships losing the chance to know more about the Dark Knights.

  Regrouped, the army plans its next strategy as the spies alert the hordes of the Dark Knights.

  Carlovale decides to use his Telos to sneak into the last location he was in while giving some runes to the mages, which will alert them if ever he is in danger. “Are you mad? This is suicidal.”

  “Commander, it is better to die doing the right thing than doing nothing at all.”

  He vanishes and finds himself in the empty room again. He realizes that there is something going on and vanishes again. When he is gone, the area begins to rotate with a room full of books and furniture.  It is run by a mechanism in the next room, operated by Sons of the Morn.

  Master Jacobo Garrido, known under the alias of Carlos Rudolphus, came to meet Commander Cato.

  “Why is an epistemology expert here to aid in a military expedition?”

  “Covers are meant to be blown at some point. Master Tenebrae was the one who recommended me to you.” Carlos Rudolphus is the Master Strategist of the group. Only Cato knows he is Garrido.

  “How do you suggest we take that base?”

  “Carlovale is already in position. His Telos is perfect for this operation. He can slip pass enemy defenses and enter the main halls. He might even find Maximus and the Cultus there.”

  “Strange. We were told there was only one Cultus leading the Sons of the Morn. But why…”

  “Sir, this is not strange. The four men known as Cultus, technically three, are just a collective representing one order, known as the Cult, I believe. They who worship the Dark One are those same people who brought the Dark Knights under Lord Infinity’s power.”

  “You have a point. Person Cultus or the Fourth Cultus…he must be the one who brought Maximus to Carlovale, since he knew him well enough to tell us but it may be to compromise him as well.”

  “I suggest we let Carlovale take care of this. I shall use Telos to bring Solus here and his help.”

  He vanishes. “I am still stunned by how these things really work.”

  Solus was in the Palace, studying battle plans.

  “I was right in learning the secret of Telos. Hmm seems like Carlovale was not the only one to figure it out. Master Garrido got to it before anyone else. I wonder if Sage Merlinus knows this too.”

  “Perhaps you are probably wondering if anyone else can learn Telos too.”

  Alfonso comes out. “I barely heard you coming in. The door is also locked from the outside. I see you can do it too, Count De Lima.” The man was puzzled and asked him why the door was locked.

  “Oh I think the Emperor did it. He left for France and made sure I would not get out.”

  “Probably to ensure no one knows what you are doing and to keep you safe as well.”

  “What a long chapter of my life in this prison of a Palace! Is there something the Emperor is hiding from me? Because I intentionally stayed here to find it out.”

  “Go no further. I did not unlock the door. You are right. I can also use Telos but don’t think…”

  Solus suddenly vanishes. “What?”

  “I will find the key to the secret of the Emperor, whatever things he has hidden from me and about my father. With Telos, I can find out what you have been doing and perhaps…you yourself.”

  He closes his eyes and takes two steps. Upon opening his eyes, he is in a black space.

  “This is the realm of Telos itself, the separation of the body from reality. Mind over matter. Nevertheless, I think if I understand the principles behind Telos Spellcasting, maybe I can get around the limits and actually trace my father’s steps, even if they were from three years ago.”

  He takes a step forward with his right foot and a hard step backward with his left, entering into a different place. To his shock, he was at the Palace Library, where he found…

  Alfonso reappears outside, tired and exhausted. “I think I can only use this three times in a row per day. Telos does strain the body of an untrained person.”

  “TELOS RETRACE: CERO TENEBRAE!”

  “This spell,” Solus recalls as he walks, “Is what those men calling themselves Cultus used to escape? They did not just go from one place to another without a location in mind, whose coordinates take the form of runes. I think they retrace in order to go back. The point may either be the runic name of the place or an individuals’ own name, dead or alive. As long as there is trace of their essence, I can…”

 He sees to his surprise a wig of long brown hair and a cloak of a Minister. A stack of books were on the table he usually uses. Going further, he discovers the hidden entryway to the Chapel. Further in the passage, he sees a secret door in the middle of the path, which he opens to reveal…

  “The Hall of Records.”

  “So you found this place…” Solus hears a familiar voice. He turns around…and to his shock he sees…

  “F-Father?”

  The man was Cero Tenebrae, the father of Solus and the 7th Chronicler.

  “H-How are you…how are you…”

  The man embraces his son, who was in tears and in so much shock. But…he pushes him aside.

  “WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME YOU WERE ALIVE? WHY NOW? I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU HAD TO HIDE YOURSELF FROM ME? DOES THE EMPEROR-“

  Cero puts his finger on the man’s lips to silence him. “You do not need to raise your voice.”

  “What?”

  “If you have already figured it out, I was that silent man known as…the Master Recorder.”

  “So it really was you…but I thought…”

  “I killed your father. If you have been sneaking around looking for answers, you would have also known, yes I did kill him…the man who died rather.”

  “I am confused. Are you or are you not my father?”

  He walks away and goes to check some records that have been left unattended.

  “For a long time, no one has gone to this place. The Emperor must have placed ten locks and three doors to hide it from me. He knew I would figure it out.”

  Solus rushes to his father and grabs him.

  “ANSWER ME ALREADY! ARE YOU REALLY MY FATHER, CERO TENE-“

  “You are too loud. And did I not make it clear? I killed that man you called your father but I am.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “If you can still remember that funeral, I would have thought you understood by now. You shed those tears for the wrong person.” This astonishes Solus. “Wr-wrong person but why…”

  “Three years ago, I just returned from my travels. However, there were rumors circulating of an imposter taking my place in the Council. And Alfonso, the one person to see through this deception, had told me that…he has been doing it for seven years since then. I have been travelling too much that I never gave you any attention. This person was able to mimic my voice perfectly. He even looked a bit like me. He was brilliant but for what it was worth, he was also a brutal and selfish man who stole money from the poor by tampering with the transaction records. I was angered, offended and when the people around me looked at me, I tried to explain myself but no one would listen. No one would believe I was being framed. I was so full of anger I looked for the imposter, who already knew I was coming and had men to arrest me, assuming I was the fake and not him. I was brought to the man’s own manor.  There, I was tortured to reveal every little secret I knew but…I struck at my oppressors with all the strength I could muster. I had learned Telos and got behind the imposter, took his blade while he was not looking and…”

  “I understand now. You killed him and made it appear the imposter had killed the real 7th Chronicler. Then you disguised yourself and assumed the role of the Deputy he had also killed off, Master Jovan of Aachen’s Epistemological Circle, after which you wrote to the people that he had kept you in a cell for years, which explained the absence, and that you had been struck dumb due to the trauma he had inflicted upon you. By the time the ‘Master Recorder’ was declared deceased, you took back your place and tried to investigate on your ‘death’. However, you also knew the ones connected to the Imposter Recorder would come after me, who had learned your knowledge. That is why the Emperor tried to keep me safe. You hid yourself from me all these years just to protect me.”

  “You know, you sound like you lived my life precisely as I did. You understood my circumstances and have presumed correctly in stating that I was doing all this to protect you. But you were mistaken in presuming His Majesty has any interest in protecting you.”

  “What?”

  “First of all, if he wanted to protect you, he would never have kept you locked in. Well, he probably knew you could use Telos like Alfonso and me but…no one would expect you to use it to retrace my steps. You are skilled for an amateur. Sorry if I seemed not to care but I had to limit myself to only this role. I must keep it secret until I can find my enemies and hand them to the authorities.”

  “Who would want to get your secrets, Father?”

  “The records reveal of an Imperial Secret that only four people living know of. That is to say, Emperor Vincent, his bond brother, Christian Constantine, Master Merlinus and the Priest Padre Demetrius. I think this explains why the Emperor possesses incredible powers and knowledge. This also explains why Christian Constantine is favored by only the Emperor and resented by the majority of nobles. This also defines the standards of magic use, long suppressed by the Church and how powerful innate mages, hidden from the world for their knowledge, truly are. I have yet to read them but I understand why Emperor Vincent would go so far. And I think he kept you at his side to make sure I would not get to this secret. He saw through my ruse and planned to keep me locked in this cage as well. He did not want the 7th Chronicler to know of the secrets others have long since tried to acquire. He must be…”

  “So someone is not trying to get to your secrets but to make sure you do not know any secret.”

  “Precisely. These people who sent that fake…are people of the Emperor.”

  “This would me…from behind my back…”

  He recalls his memories with the Emperor, the times they shared fighting together…

  “He was trying to keep me away from the truth!”

  “I am sorry son. This was…”

  “I am going after that man! I will not fight against him. I have learned from this and concluded…”

  Solus takes the papers that were left there and vanishes.

  “I must find the answer myself.”

  Suddenly, the crystal prison shatters. The people surrounding them were on the ground unconscious, including Maria, Marcus, the Lords and the crew. Christian stood helpless as he saw…

  “Master, but why would you…go this far?”

  The Emperor was wrapped in thick purple energy that was so strong it kept Christian paralyzed. It was amazing alone he could stand through it all. “The darkness really is strong in you.”

  The sky turns dark and the Emperor…swipes his blade, revealing his new form’s completion.

  A being clad in dark scales with crack marks that glow around his body, with a face with two long horns pointing to the sky and a larger pointed stricter growing from the dome of his skull. He had no tail but his hair, now a mass of glowing black strings of energy devoid of any real form, seems to act like it, reaching the knee. The Blue Armor has vanished and taken the form of the gauntlet in his left hand. He gives out a beastly roar that shatters much of the crystal surroundings. Even the arrows that kept firing at him were useless and all who witnessed the rampage disintegrated into shards, from the force of his aura and roar.

  Christian fires a Lightning Blast at the Emperor’s head to wake him up but it only irritated him.

  “I have no choice. I must release my own hidden power.” He calmly releases a large amount of energy that somehow stops the Emperor from moving temporarily. Christian stares down at him and…

  With a tap at the back, Christian turns the Emperor…back to the form he took when he fought Infinity.

  “At least you are at a saner state here. To think that Bat was actually…”

  Then a man arrived. “What is this disturbance?” The Emperor reverts to his old self.

  “What happened? What is…”

  “So you did it. You broke free and killed my people. You shall die, intruder!”

  He forms a large crystal sword from the ground. Christian stands in front of his master.

  “I shall fight him for you, Your Majesty.”

  “Can a mere slave fight against the master of this island?”

  “What did you say?”

  The man cuts through Christian, who soon vanishes and reappears with Telos and dons the Lightning Cloak. The man was shocked to see how Christian quickly recovered.

  “You seem to have special powers too.”

  “You know of the Emperor’s…”

  “Why did you think I had you in that crystal barrier in the first place, fool?!” The man punches him in the face with so much force he is hurled to the crystal mountain next to them.

  “I am Prince Adonis. You have trespassed on this sacred island and…”

  “Just a moment!” The Emperor called out to him in desperation.

  The Emperor kneels to him. “Your Highness, I did not intend to trespass on your island but…we need your help in finding the Topaz of Light!” This shocks Adonis. “I comply.” This startles Christian. “You may enter. Forgive me. As fellow lords, I should have sensed that in you. Maybe in proving through the strength of your words and not your sword and intent to kill…you could win me over.” He was looking down on Christian. “That man lets his presumptions get the better of him. Do be careful, slave.”

  The crystal beings suddenly reform and bring the Emperor and his men up.

  “How were they…? I thought they were…”

  “Yes slave. They were but not they are back. We are immortals. We do not need food, air or water to live. We just need the crystal around here to survive and the light of the sun to keep us aware of what is around us. However, we have food for you. I must apologize for my brash actions. Unlike the beasts that always come to shore to steal or foolish trespassers who do not know where they have gotten themselves into, you were able to explain yourself. Truly it was a mistake in my part to cage you. It did bring out…a beast in you. Oh well. I was going to use you as bait to lure that Bat and kill it with my own two hands but since you are important people, I will spare you. Yes, even the slave that tried to fight back.”

  Marcus was about to react but Maria stops him.

  “And…forgive me for not recognizing the three beautiful women here today. Too bad… Those dresses are too plain and your hair seems messy today. Fret not, my best people will fix that.” The retainers take the women first. “Forgive my arrogance. I often forget how the human kings look.”

  “What are you exactly?” asked Khan.

 “We are Crystallians. The gods blessed us with bodies that never die. Follow us.”

  Marcus goes to Christian. “That damned airhead! Who does he think he is?”

  “I find his words very insulting. He is too full of himself!”

  At the Crystal Palace near the waterfall of the island, they have dinner. Adonis and his council just watch at how people eat. “My goodness! I never knew non-Greeks had such…errmm manners.”

  They ate like pigs on the table. They have not eaten for days. It was no surprise. They ate everything.

  The Princesses, though, were an exception for they knew better and Adonis was trying to please them, hence it was not surprising they were trying to please him too.

  After dinner, Adonis shows them their quarters. “You will sleep here, lords. The ladies have a separate room.” They all enter but Adonis stops Marcus and Christian from coming in. “No slaves.”

  “What did you say?” Marcus was angry but Christian kept him at bay.

  “You allowed a non-royal to enter.” Christian stated.

  “Raynen de Cavalier, I was told by Princess Maria, is from a noble family. He is of the blood.”

  “Why would you care if a person is royal or not?” asked Marcus.

  “Because they are who they are. And those who are not, then who cares if they are useful? After all, in the end, we are all defined by our standing in the world. I am a Prince. They are Lords. You are slaves.”

  “Adonis, there is a standard. People are not always born to be rulers.”

  “That is true. Exactly why I tested all of you…to see if you were worth sparing. Yet you are an exception. You may know how to deal with us but you are not us so why would you understand. Leave.”

  They failed to convince him.

  Meanwhile, Carlovale enters an ancient cavern. “The Dark Halls, eh? So this is the real base. The castle is just a backdrop. Impressive.” He notes the formulas for Telos teleportation. “Shadows should be here soon. Then the attack will begin.” Master Garrido enters the Palace. Solus comes out.

  “So my message has reached you…before you tried to reach me. Did you find anything?”

  “Nothing really. Let us go now!” He nods and they vanish together.

  Carlovale walks through the pit, seeing halls of cadavers with blood inscriptions on them.

  Suddenly…he finds the airships. “These must be the things Maximus had-“

  He suddenly vanishes. Cultus IV appears, bringing with him his superiors, the Two Faces.

  “The proposal is left to you, my masters. We can utilize Telos Magic in the Second Invasion.”

  “We do seek to make them pay for that first failure.”

  “Third Cultus, should we try revive the first…”

  The Second Cultus makes a moaning sound.

  “If we revive a dead madman, the battlefield would become chaotic.” Third Cultus comments.

  “Indeed. If I remember correctly, he was the reason why all our plans have failed. He may not even know the secret of Telos that we have unveiled. Good that we managed to leak this to the enemy. They would be overconfident in utilizing their strategy, just enough for us to catch Carlovale. The Telos sequence is a couple of steps into a void and a hard step to enter a different, selected plane. However, if another individual simultaneously uses Telos, chances are they will collide.”

  Suddenly, there was a loud ripple that was felt all around.

  “GGRRRH!!!”

  In front of the three men…were Carlovale, Solus and Carlos Rudolphus falling down.

  Second Cultus immediately swipes at them before they land on the ground.

  They all received some cuts on their bodies.

  However, they all heal. Then the three sorcerers were struck down by an unknown force.

  There were holes on their chests that did not bleed.

  “All part of the plan.” Solus notes. The three captains appeared, assuming unreal forms.

  Captain Espada had pointed three fingers on his right hand at the ones with holes.

  De Forme had his arms and legs clad in steel.

  Auslen Reichmann had three sparks of green light from behind his back. Two more emerge from his shoulders. These were for the Captains, who began to glow green. “We are linked.”

  Suddenly, several soldiers appear and fight it out. Yet they were outnumbered.

  Espada leads the charge, going through a sheer amount of them, to the point he did not have to touch them in order to puncture holes on their bodies as he ran along.

  Several arrows fire at De Forme but he feels nothing from them, since they keep deflecting.

  This surprised Maximus, who led them to battle. He realized how astute the Emperor was in selecting guards. It was the same with the Elementals. They were hybrids.

  Ten swords pierce Espada, causing him to fall down but he keeps getting up, his wounds closed.

  They were immortals, all of them, fighting together and defeating the enemy.

  No one would die at this point…

  Exactly why…

  He stood up nonchalantly in front of them. He places his sword in the middle of that hole in his chest, which actually restored his flesh. He releases several sparks of light from behind his back.

  …And brought all of them back.

  Third Cultus and Cultus IV…the Knights. Even Maximus’ grave wounds from Espada have vanished.

  It was the Second Cultus who restored them.

  A pendant hung from his neck, which shocked Reichmann. “How can someone copy my powers?”

  “Vitanae, Life-Sharers do not inherit such powers. They learn it and therefore it can be copied, especially by him.” The Third Cultus reveals their abilities. “He is the Second Cultus, the Shadow of the Morn. He can move between dimensions to escape from attacks quickly. Also, he can see abilities and copy them. Yours are readable, since you also need to think in order to use them and those thoughts are runic codes he can read from your thoughts.” The Black Shadow reveals glowing light eyes that see even the mind and the flow of energy in a person. He can even see letters around the body to reveal thoughts. 

  He proceeds to cut down Espada and De Forme. The former had both his arms sliced up, rendering them useless. The latter was almost bisected. “Lacunae and Ferronae may have absolute offense and defense respectfully, with the former having the ability to create holes in anything, even space, and the latter the rejection of damage, but they cannot match each other harmoniously. In this case, Espada’s offense got to both of you and killed you.” Third Cultus, after explaining his partner’s powers, proceeds to cast one last spell. “This Death Blast will be the end of all of you. Even if I use up this power for one moment and kill all of us, we will all be reborn anyway, so long as I aim for the right Life-Sharer.” He fires a bolt of black and white energy at Reichmann. “It is over…” Suddenly, a man in robes appears and absorbs the blast.

  “Your spell is sealed. Now I can use it for my own purposes. Thank you, youngsters.”  The mystery man then fires several bolts of fire at the area. Espada soon recovers, albeit taking time for his arms to get moving, and proceeds to stab through Black Shadow himself. It shocked the man…for having been stabbed in the heart…had exposed a weakness Vitanae have possessed.

  “Espada! You fool! You should not have done that!” shouted Reichmann defensively.

  Black Shadow falls down with the many sparks of light on his back breaking apart as the Dark Knights slowly die from having the link between their souls broken, the sharing of life stopping and the life that was shared already…taken in by the one whose hand went through his heart.

  “So Vitanae do die with the ones they linked themselves with… Terrible.” The man who took the Death Blast vanished. However, he left some white hair, which Solus picked up and kept. “Hmm…”

  As the Third and Fourth Cultus have their lives drained, they struggle to keep themselves alive.

  Black Shadow opens his eyes and has their life force enter his body to restore himself, surprising all.

  “All with the name Cultus…even in death…SHALL LIVE AGAIN!!!” A seal appears on each of their backs. They also take in the life force of the Dark Knights that were once linked and the dead UIF men.  

   Several airships suddenly take flight. The roof of the cavern opens up, revealing the night sky.

  They all scatter, save for a few ones floating, where the surviving UIF bring Solus, Carlos, Carlovale and the three Captains in. “Come, we need to escape. Two other ships are following a few of the enemy. Worry not.” The men piloting these vessels were also seasoned seafarers.

  “The data we acquired was not in vain.” Carlos Rudolphus exclaimed as he remembered the time he and Solus told them of what Carlovale learned. “Just as that man was the Black Shadow of the Morn, our General Carlovale is the Unseen Shadow of Telos…and the third fastest man alive.”

  They escape from the place. Third Cultus curses how they were compromised.

  “Why did we even allow that whelp to live?” he asked.

  “Master, this was how it was to be planned.”

  “You let Maximus fight him and that other one, did you not? You also had an odd interest in the De Cavalier family, Master Andrei.” The Fourth Cultus takes off his hood and robes. He had quite the physique. Paulo Andrei, the Scholar of Stockholm. “Hmph…too bad I did not collect the corpse of the fastest man alive. Now it is those two powerful men who surpass him in speed.”

  “Do not get ahead of yourself. Shadow is the only one among us who can collect powers, since he alone possesses the Eye of Sight that sees the interior of everything and read runes.”

 “I may be younger than you but not foolish, Stoic Probitus, Master of Philosophy in Sweden.”

  Taking off the hood to affirm his identity, he argues with his colleague. “WWell, being old has its perks but you are just in the middle line. Even if you had forty years of life, I can kill you with one Death Blast.” But Andrei mocks him for the Sage had taken his Blast. “Though I am lucky to still be alive.”

  Shadow though looks at the ships they have remaining. They all ascend to meet with the Dark Powers.

  “At least the shadows have not been compromised.” Leviathan notes.

  The entire fortress was run over by Imperial soldiers. They won but there was a part of the Halls that was sealed off from the rest of the area. “Where is Lord Beelzebub?” asked Andrei.

  “The Crystal Kingdom.” Indeed, the same place as the Emperor and his team.

  They explore the island. The people were constantly at work. They mined from the Crystal Mountains. That was work for them. This was to constantly supply them with weapons they could form with their bare hands, the other kind of work they do. “These are the workers. They do work. They earn wages.”

  Adonis shows them another layer of the Kingdom, going higher to more urban surroundings.

  The people here were sculptors and artisans, writers and musicians.

  “These are the educated. They learn and teach. They earn wages higher than the workers.”

  Higher up was a row of palaces. They saw everything from that one mountain.

  “Here is the Kingdom and all its glory.” The Emperor was amazed. It was all organized.

  “Where is the nobility?”

  “Most of them are asleep. We are immortals but need rest to keep ourselves at peace.”

  Christian was not among the entourage of royals. Marcus noted his master never liked heights.

  “Actually though,” he said in his mind “Constantine hates how systematic this all is.”

  …After all, with all these levels, none of the classes could interact with one another.

  …And if they did…

  The sound of whips would only be heard.

  “What do you think this is?” A man throws a crystal shield and it breaks.

  “Sir, this was all we could make.”

  “It is not good enough for a base. Are you people stupid or what?” He whips the man he spoke to as he was being tied to a post of crystal. “We artisans hate it when you slaves slack off. At least your boring pillars look and feel good, not like those brittle shields. The soldiers at the higher level will do this to us if we bring them ugly weaponry and armor. This is what you deserve, a hundred times more!!!”

  “Please sir…I suffered a hundred already. That is enough.”

  “No, NOT ENOUGH!!!” Suddenly, Christian stops his hand. “Let go, stranger.”

  “Who are you to beat this man up?”

  “Slave lover…” He frees his arm and goes away.

  “Are you alright?” But approaching the beaten man and freeing made things worse.

  “This is so shameful. I…I…” The people there look at him. Their eyes…were full of suspicion and disgust. “I am only here to help. Why do you not stand up?” Christian asks.

  “Because this is how we can all survive!” stood the man’s father “You just ruined everything. Now the artisans and the soldiers and the nobles will have a reason to hate us more. By stopping the order, you have brought perpetual shame upon us.”

  “This is unfair! How can you stand there and…”

  But they would not listen to him. They pelt him with crystal and he flees.

  Then he sees the artisan he stopped earlier bowing to a soldier who kicks him mercilessly.

  “By wanting to help them, am I really making them feel even more helpless?”

  They all return to Adonis’ palace. The Princesses were brought to a different room.

  Christian arrives. “So the slave lover returns. How is your trip around my Kingdom?”

  He fell silent and bowed his head. “Have you seen the wonders and treasures my beautiful-“

  But when he got near the Servant, he was met with much anger that dared grab his crystal robes.

  The men all reacted and the soldiers attempted to intervene but his gaze was fierce enough to silence all.

  “If you were not immortal, then at this point, you would be the first person I would ever kill.”

  “How is that, sl-“

  “Shut up, you pampered fool! I am no slave. I am a Servant! I help the people. I protect them!”

  “Slave, servant, knave…no big deal. Different word, same meaning. All below the worthy.”

  Christian smashes Adonis’ face with his fist. “I was gentle this time. In this state, not even His Majesty can stop me. Believe me. A hundred more of those await you. Say another word and I will desire to kill you myself.” But Christian was punched hard as well. “That is my line, slave.”

  They try to beat each other up. “How are you a fair and just ruler? Why let them live such an unfair system of class? They do work and get paid but are underappreciated. Why do you even put down those who work hard to learn? They try their best to please others but get beaten up as well. Why do soldiers keep guarding without rest? No wonder why they lack peace. Why do nobles do nothing even if they are the highest? Most of all, why do you even call yourself a Prince when you barely use your power to help your people at all?!” Christian dominates and punches his whole body until large cracks form that take long to regenerate. “Unfair…well to be exact… What…importance…does equality have? Hehehe…”

  “You think it does not matter?”

  “In the end, we all exist. That is the only equality. If I let everyone be equal, the work is not distributed. People will make their own choices, no longer according to the place they have been set for. There is no order without segregation. They need to know their place. They need a place. What is so unjust about it?”

  “You put them in a place they do not choose.”

  “And who are they to choose where they must be placed? Nobles were born with privileges only they can live up to. The world needs workers to produce. The only way to make them is to choose them. There is no other way. Solidarity is an illusion!” Adonis said this with so much anger his knuckles nearly cracked. Christian saw this and felt the pain. “There is no solidarity…without mutual understanding.”

  This statement surprised Adonis. “I know how it feels. You, as a Prince, must also know servants like your workers are full of frustration. You put them in undeserved places.”

  “They must work. Otherwise, they will not understand the purpose for having them work in the first place. This caste system may seem unfair to an outsider but it has been here for over three thousand years. This has kept us all alive and well-hidden. And if an intruder were to show up, we would have our soldiers silence them. No one must know of our existence. I allowed you people here because you were no ordinary trespassers. You were a royal entourage. You hold importance. I initially did not trust you because of the Emperor. His silver tongue has saved him though. Be fortunate they were immortal. You kings ruled over your own subjects. Did you not place upon them burdens like taxation and heavy labor for the progress of the people? Yet to do that, you had to make more work. But of your nobles…”

  “We did not adopt a system of forced labor.” Philip notes.

  “Hypocrite! Feudalism is a means by which your lords force serfs to work!” Genghis Khan shouts.

  “Barbarian! It is no better than bringing foreign slaves to work after every conquest.” Richard interjects.

 “You would do the same if your people were as plenty as mine. But to force your own people to labor is atrocious. You select the unselected class to do labor and homage. To make the system fair, you installed well-placed feudal lords and give them lands, opportunities for the poor to work and earn a living. Yet they earn little, suffer much, work more and even have less rest. The slaves I bring are those who had the intent to do us harm. In our empire, to ensure the peace, we declared that the prisoners and traitors would be put to work instead of hang. Is that not mercy? Your theology preaches that, does it not?”

  “You also place upon your people the burden of conquest,” Philip adds, “They pillage and kill and not know the difference between right and wrong. Am I wrong if I say your laws mean nothing because you break yourselves to build your own order? And in doing so, has it not broken the very essence of order?”

  “You and I have conflicting ideas of what true order is. As Universal Lord, I alone am the order.”

  “Absolutist concepts hold callous disregard for the essence of moral precepts.” Richard asserts.

  “Christians are far from that ideal vision. Your Crusades killed many Moslems and Seljuks, my brethren. And you deprive them the right to justice? Has it not occurred to you that you failed to stop several of your men from massacring innocents and causing trouble in trade routes? You indirectly brought the Dark Knights to existence. You did not see the threat coming to you when the Colored Orders chose to rebel against you. You made the situation worse by suppressing them. Your concept of freedom cannot be validated by sanctimonious homilies and foolish syllogisms. I may be barbaric to you but the fallacy of your argument lies in the fact…you do not act what you preach.”

  “You men truly have caught the interest of an immortal.” Adonis speaks out.

  “Immortal? Hmm I wonder about that.” Richard feels doubtful.

  “I wish to know how your people became immortal,” the Emperor speaks out, surprising the others, “You said you can show us the Topaz. However I also know you will not fulfill your word within the duration of our stay. You might even plan to have us all shipped back to Europe without our notice. You have been keeping your society hidden even to us.”

  “Did I not show you…”

  “Yes, but not everything. Christian witnessed two separate beatings, from an artisan to a slave to a soldier to the same artisan. You did not know that these people suffered? And if you did, have you put much thought into how they felt. Their hatred for you may not been manifest but it is clear that there is a sense of dread to your authority. Yet you seem predisposed. You allowed this with the full knowledge and apparent awareness of the situation. You knew by intervening, the system you had created would shatter. How can the slave continue to work if he is empowered, you asked yourself at one point. Can he be of use if he becomes as high as a noble? Can he still work if he is in the same condition as a soldier? If all men had no class, would all people work? If obliged by the law, then yes. However, can they all work in the same level just because they are equal? You can teach them, yes. But to learn how to work hard is a trial in itself. People have to discover how to. You believed you could motivate them to work by placing burdens upon them, the need to work and keep everything in order by staying in place. That is why they cannot be empowered. Soldiers are there to maintain it but are pressured to ‘perfect’ their job. For if their noble masters see that they only help the workers do their job, they would assume that they are on the same level and will see them as such, no longer putting value in the military asset. If you make an artisan a noble, which is two tiers higher, then you would need to break tradition. Nobles are born, not made. Artisans and soldiers were either nobles or workers who have chosen their places to improve their skills. Authority had to be vested in those who have both been born into the class and have chosen to be in the class as well because they know better. Yet nobles become arrogant as they do less of the work they expect of others. Finally, you are the Prince and leader yet somehow, I feel something is different about you. Of the many kings and princes I have met, who were either born poor and rose to power or nobles and inherited the throne, you are the only one who holds a power that cannot be inherited nor taken.”

  “You are very astute. Yes, you are correct. I never trusted you so I intentionally kept the façade of a utopian society, peaceful and orderly, to keep you from seeing the truth. But this was done so that you could find the truth and earn my trust. The Servant was right. To have solidarity, there must be mutual understanding. I needed you to understand, Emperor Vincent, so that you would know exactly why…”

  “…you cannot leave this place and have the Topaz.” All entrances are sealed.

  “What the heck?!” Richard banged at the doors.

  “You are not to see the Topaz. I have given you what you wanted, Emperor Vincent. The truth is yours to keep…to your death.” Adonis summons fifteen soldiers, whose weapons were aimed at them. The crew had been tied up and imprisoned. The ship was destroyed completely.

  “Why are you doing this, Adonis?” asked the Emperor.

  “Because you humans are the cause of our pain!”

  “What?”

  “Who do you think created such a caste system in the first place? Definitely not me!”

  “How dare you put us here?!” Genghis Khan prepares his spear but has his right hand shot by an archer.

  “None of you understand. The reason why we maintained this existence is because we were trapped this way. We all have property to share. We all have wages. Yet what we do not and cannot have is equality. The moment all of us become equal, we begin to understand ourselves too much. And the more we understand one another, the more we hate. And the more we hate the more lives we destroy. I imposed self-isolation not merely to protect us but because there was no other way. If we leave the island, we die and turn to dust. This curse is a product of the Topaz of Light and…my arrogance.”

  Christian has his head bowed down. “So you made…a mistake…”

  “I will suffer this burden alone. I am may not be a noble nor am I a slave but I will keep my people alive, even if it means I must kill the ones who will bring us to destruction.”

  “Then you have made the biggest mistake in your life…”

  Christian fires a crystal arrow at Adonis, who dodges it. “Can you really…”

  But when the second arrow is fired, it hits the mark. He managed to hit his chest.

  “I used Wind Style…” Christian brings out a scroll that glows. “This was to increase its speed and lethality. I had to use the stored Wind Chakra in this Element Scroll for that. I see why the Demon Bat was so strong. It could even destroy your people with one flap of its wings.”

  “Cutting Edge!” The Emperor tries to cut down the soldiers but the Cutting Edge could not even break their hard skin. “LEVEL 2!” Suddenly, the blade forms a second edge on the other side, which manages to overwhelm most of the incoming soldiers. Another swing bisects Adonis, shocking the man as he removed the crystal arrow from his chest. He and his men quickly regenerate.

  “Hmph, even if you figured out our weakness, you can never…”

  Suddenly the island shakes. The soldiers outside see the Demon Bat, which they attack but its scream shatters their weapons and, as it draws near, the scream shatters them completely, so much so that they cannot regenerate. “What have you DONE?” Adonis shouted “YOU BROUGHT IT HERE!!!”

  “What?” the Emperor wondered, since he was looking at him.

  Soon, the palace shatters as the Demon Bat screeches and flaps its wings to widen the range of the scream. Adonis, with no other options, tells his men to defend the island with their lives and runs to the tunnel, with Khan calling him a coward as he tells the others to follow. The Emperor stays behind to face the Beast as he senses something familiar within it. It gazes back at him. He leaps towards the giant beast and prepares to fight. Christian goes ahead and catches up to Adonis and asks him where he was going.

  “You fool, do not follow me!”

  “For a Prince, you seem to act like a coward, letting your men die to protect you.”

  “Silence! It is for the sake of the Kingdom. I must be safe and so must…” They see a bright glowing light, which is found in the central hall of the underground area. “The Topaz of Light!” Christian says stunned. Adonis produces armor, a sword and shield. “I sense an enemy approaching.” Suddenly, Richard, Philip and the Khan were sent flying to them by a swarm of flies.

  “That is…!” Adonis was shocked by what he saw.

  A being is formed out of the swarm. It was Beelzebub. “That was stupid! Charging at an opponent head on…keh, you humans should try running away from a fight you cannot hope to win.”

  Raynen runs to where the Princesses were held. “While they were talking, I wanted to go out to relieve myself when I saw the men tied up in their rooms and freed them, not realizing the sword I held was made of crystal. I wondered why it felt the same as the one that I discarded in the ship. It must be natural to me. Either way, I need to get to Maria quickly and rescue the noble maidens before that Demon comes here!” The sword was taken from one of the smiths shown in the tour.

  “I had evacuated the citizens. I am not heartless enough to let the demons kill them.” Adonis whispers this to Christian to assure him everything was fine. But the man could not bear to trust him.

  “After what you did, you should be fortunate I am still listening to you.” Then facing Beelzebub, he says, “I am the one who cut off Leviathan’s legs. Perhaps I should try approaching you differently.” He runs extremely fast, creating a tornado that overwhelms him. Afterwards, he reappears in front of Adonis and opens the Wind Scroll, releasing a gust of wind to blow the demon away. However, he instantaneously recovers and launches several spikes at them. Adonis defends him. “You need to run now. As Prince, I shall defend my Kingdom with my life.” Adonis suddenly vanishes, startling the demon. The next moment, he is sliced into pieces by Adonis’ extremely quick attacks from all directions.

  “Telos! How dare you?!” The enemy appears to have been vanquished.

  “He has been defeated. Now I shall take the Topaz somewhere else and then…” But before he could touch the Topaz, Beelzebub stabs him through the heart. “Your back is open.” He regenerates completely as his right hand takes the Topaz from its place, causing both Adonis and the entire cavern to crack. “You have lost, Prince of Crystal. You are all going to die.” Adonis falls down as the demon lets go of him.

  The other Crystallians begin to experience the effects. Their bodies begin to degrade as well.

  The bonds of the Princesses were shattered as their room breaks down slowly. Raynen manages to break the crumbling door and tells them to come with him. One of the roof shards fall off, aiming towards Camellia, but Raynen pushes her swiftly while being pinned down by the large crystal.

  “RAYNNNNEEEEENNNN!!!” Maria shouts. Camellia asks him, with shock in her eyes, why he saved her. “Because it is my duty…to you Princess… To me, you are the one…I must protect first.” His eyes close and he loses consciousness. They all mourn for him but the entire building slowly crumbles.

  “Maria!” They hear the voice of Marcus, who escaped from Beelzebub. When he reaches the room, he was shocked to find Raynen impaled by a large crystal fractal and quickly pushes it away with his Earth Arm while separating it from him safely so that he can bring his body out. He instructs everyone to follow him as he carries his comrade’s body, looking sad at this.

  “P-Primrose…” Adonis whispers “Did you see how…I looked at your smiling face?”

  “What?” Christian asks him.

  “You made me smile…for the first time in three millennia. I never felt…happiness. But why…”

  He recalls seeing the Princesses off to their rooms last night. Primrose thanks him on their behalf.

  “You are welcome. I never had guests before but I am glad you…” He noticed she was smiling at him. He was shocked but nevertheless…gave his best smile to her.

  “You took notice of me. Your eyes…reflected what I lost. You also…reminded me…of my…”

  His eyes close and drifts back to memory lane.

  “Janna! Janna!” Adonis was running after a young girl. They were still teenagers. This was the time before the island was crystallized. “Yes. I was in love. Janna had been my friend for years but her beauty and kindness attracted me. I sought to marry her that day but…” Suddenly, a shining rock fell on the ground. Adonis ran to where it landed. To his shock…he found the body of his beloved…crushed by the rock. But as he tried to get her out of it, he touched the rock and began to crystallize, which was painful and drove him on the verge to insanity as its energy flowed into him. That rock was the Topaz kept in a crystal meteor. Soon, its powers awakened and caused the entire area to crystallize as well while digging itself further into the ground. Janna was turned to dust the moment it happened.

  The people were shocked, both by the change in the island and the monster before them that begun killing off many people. When a few tried to touch him, they themselves turned to crystal. That massacre killed a hundred people and when Adonis came to, he realized what he had done and vowed to create peace in the island, telling the people that they must endure until they can find a cure. Quickly, more of the survivors turned to crystalline beings, becoming the Crystallians and Adonis forming the Crystal Kingdom. “Janna’s blood and those of the innocents I have killed…were the foundation of all this. I blamed myself for everything. The gods cursed us. It was no blessing to live forever without love. So I made my choice. I led them but only to teach them how to endure the pain. We will all suffer for solidarity. Equality is a mere illusion of the heart. Reason is also unreal. Even the gods are not dictated by some reason to create, control and destroy. It is all want. Yet the more we want, the less we have. I lost the person dearest to me and she wanted me to change. I had killed many others before. I was a thief who stole in order to survive. Meeting Janna improved my life. but there were many after me. I was always on the run and it also risked her life to keep me safe. I was selfish to let her do that and it led to her death. I am sorry. Forgive me. Forgive me. I never wanted this. I was too obsessed with trying to destroy the past by making this order but perhaps, what I have really been doing is making people suffer so that I cannot feel alone. I caused the pain. I was too selfish.” Adonis looks up and sees Christian.

  He was fighting Beelzebub to the best of his abilities but falls down.

  “Yes, he was the same. Trying to fight his destiny as I did, he fell and lost many things. I could read it in his eyes. He was truly…just like me. Yet I kept rejecting that. However, that slave…Servant…he was the only person who truly understood me and now he is fighting…to protect me? But why?”

  “Why do you insist on fighting me? You, on the brink of death, were able to muster the last of your supposedly waning strength to cut down Leviathan’s legs. Yet he was too weak. I alone hold the power. The power to end your life and take your soul…” Beelzebub stretches out a dark hand and proceeds to drain Christian of his life force. The demon was shocked. “So that is why you are so strong.”

  “GAAAAAHHHH!!!” Blue energy leaves his body.

  “This is the end for you, Christian Constantine.”

  Adonis awakens. “I think…” His hand moves and he slowly has his crystal sword come to him. He uses it to get up and begins moving towards Beelzebub, who has kept the jewel in his cloak of shadows, which caused Adonis to regenerate slowly. He throws his sword at him, hurting him, uses Telos to get behind and swipe the jewel from his swarm of flies that make up his body. It immediately turns into a crystal sword and he uses it to bisect the demon’s inner form that was holding Christian, which he managed to see after landing him on the first attack. “Curse you!” The demon falls down. “I told you. I will be the one to defend my Kingdom.” Christian gets up. “Why did you-”

  “I understand everything now. I was wrong. Forgive me, Christian Constantine.” The two men smile. Then the cave rumbles. “Taking the jewel this long…” Beelzebub whispers to them “Along with bringing the Bat here… I must say…I did great…in…luring you people to your deaths.” The demon gets up. Suddenly, the roof breaks off and the Emperor emerges, fighting the Bat using Cutting Edge: Level 2.

  “The humbled are exalted, so it goes in Scripture. But how will that save you? You have no hope.” The demon attempts to leave but is stuck. He notices a trail of mud keeping him stuck and sees Christian producing it from his hands. With his left, he makes a sign and the mud spreads around his body until he sinks into it. “What? How dare you-” Adonis uses the Topaz in crystal sword form to crystallize the ground and imprison Beelzebub. They have won but the island is still disintegrating. The residents attempt to flee, only to shatter into shards upon reaching the far end of the sea with their boats.

  “I should not have ordered the evacuation. Either way though, we will all die.”

  “Can you not plant that Topaz on the ground and fix it?”

  “Impossible. No one can master this power, not even I.”

  The Emperor suddenly crashes on him, holding two swords, both crystallized. This struck Adonis.

  “How did your Imperial Sword crystallize?”

  “I just let it touch this sword that was lying around here. How did it…”

  “I actually threw it at the enemy. I did not realize it could really work. He kept his inner form hidden in the shadows and in that swarm of flies. He is a demon alright. He could shift planes to attack and defend.” The Imperial Sword was growing larger. “But I cannot use Cutting Edge or any abilities if this keeps going…” Adonis tells him that the Sword is attracted to crystal and is attracting more of its particles to form the shell of the Sword. Realizing this, the Emperor immediately goes to the center crater of the island but the Demon Bat knocks him back with a wind blast from its mouth.  “Christian, we need to keep it at bay.” The Emperor suddenly releases a dark aura. However, he keeps his composure. “Worry not… Grrgh…I can still make it. If I plant this crystal sword and transfer the Crystallization to the crack in the center of this island, I can reverse the damage done and save everyone.” The Emperor slowly moves to the crater but is impeded by injuries and the dark aura. Adonis and Christian charge at the Demon Bat but one of its four wings suddenly bisects Adonis, causing the jewel to fall off and reverse the Crystallization around the area, immediately killing off the life around the island and free Beelzebub, who proceeds to escape the area as he laughs wickedly. “It is too late for me.” Adonis calls out to Christian, who looked worried. “Just go and stop it. There may be no hope for me and my people but at least I can help you find your own hope. Save the ones you love. Help the oppressed and fight for freedom and equality. Go now.” He closes his eyes. Christian releases a large Lightning Spear and cuts off the lower left wing that cut down Adonis, which vanishes, causing the Bat to yell out in pain. The Emperor now plants the degrading Crystal Sword and begins releasing the Crystallization. “Secondary Power: Substance Attraction Release!” This brings the crystal back into the island and restores both the mountains and land structure of the Kingdom. The Emperor continues releasing all his life force, even as he struggles to fight the darkness within him, which slowly consumes his body.

  “You are the only one who can do it. You made me strong. You held the belief we could all walk together as equals. This is the last time Christian. Now I can repay this debt I owe you. And I can once again stand as Emperor for a people who do not need me. I WILL SAVE EVERYONE!!!” An explosion of light suddenly takes over. The Topaz appears on the crystal sword, shocking everyone.

  Adonis sees this as he awakens. “I see now.” Remembering how he was the only one to produce weapons from his body, he recalled that when he touched the crystal meteor, it had somehow taken a bit of itself into him. He also noted that there was a bit of the Topaz missing. This bit was on Adonis’ body and he had placed all of it on the sword he gave the Emperor. “So this is hope, entrusting your life to your comrades...so that they may…save everyone.” Using the Topaz as a conduit to attract crystal, the Emperor crystallizes the island and revives the Crystallians that have died. Beelzebub passes by Marcus and the fleeing Princesses but suddenly pauses when the Topaz he took begins emitting an extremely bright light that actually converted it into energy that would fuse to the Topaz on the Emperor and complete the Crystallization. “So the thing that damned us…has saved us. Rather, the Topaz that kept us prisoners of time and the humanity that made us suffer…would give us true hope.” Adonis’ body reforms and, remembering that Primrose and the others were not that far, uses Telos one last time to get them.

  Marcus attacks Beelzebub with Fire Style Jutsu. “Monster! So you were the one who brought that Bat here! You will pay for what you have done.” The deforming demon extends its dark arm to attack but it is cut off by Adonis, who could produce weapons again. The arm vanishes and the demon yells in pain.

  The Emperor quickly goes to help Christian fight the Four-Winged Demon Bat and uses Weapon Transformation to turn his Weapon into a Hand Cannon that fires a large blast at the monster, which swallowed it and converted into energy. The monster then releases one massive scream along with a strong gust of wind to finish them off. With Energy Mode and the Substance Attraction abilities, the Emperor creates a crystal cannon that quickly sucks in the sonic blast and, releasing immense amounts of power, the Emperor fires a massive beam of energy large enough to overwhelm the Demon Bat, causing it to disintegrate and its spirit flees for good. Meanwhile, Beelzebub, in one last ditch attempt to kill the people there, releases the swarms of flies on his body and aims them towards Primrose but Adonis takes it on. “Marcus, now!” Marcus, realizing this has exposed Beelzebub’s inner form, finishes him off with a Lightning Spear, destroying it completely. His spirit curses them as it fades away. All has been restored.

  “You saved us all. Thank you, Emperor Vincent and most especially, Master Christian Constantine.”

 

  October 7, 1205 A.D.

  Adonis now sees them off on a new ship. He apologizes to them for having caused so much trouble.

  He gives Primrose a crystallized rose he found lying in their ship. Raynen, who had recovered from his injuries, was blushing when he saw that. It was meant for Maria. Adonis looks at him. “A whole day was enough to stabilize your body. Who knew the Emperor’s powers could heal you?”

  “Thank you, Prince Adonis.” Primrose says to him with her sweet smile. Suddenly, Adonis embraces her. His eyes were full of tears. “Thank you. Thank you for being alive. Thank you.” She reciprocates, feeling that his cold crystal body has become warm and human. They all leave the Kingdom with the prize they have won through the struggle. “Hope is what moves people to work in solidarity to achieve the things we cannot do alone. It helps us understand one another, believe in one another and love one another.” Christian narrates.  He and the Emperor return to the Palace to find the Infiltration Team’s mission a success, having recovered thirty airships, which have been studied. “Now we take every chance and every step towards fulfilling our destinies and protecting the ones we love. Penelope, I can see how your boy has changed. He has become full of light and hope. With Beloved Maria, he can do anything. My master has also changed. Now I see his heart becoming full of love. That blast of power…if I remembered it correctly, was a song played against the monster. Agnus Dei, Qui Tollis Peccata Mundi. My ears could hear…how his heart…full of hope, sings to the glory of God. He can truly be…the Chosen One.” The Emperor places the fifth jewel in the place where the jewels and Map of Destiny were kept. He recalls that a certain item will be stored in this place as well. “The Spear of Destiny. So the Master shall reveal His Hand in all this soon.” Padre Demetrius and a group of monks descend a mountain to enter the lowlands, leading to Rome and the Palace. The night would be full of dread.

  As the Emperor leaves, he sees a picture of Empress Sophia. “Why did you have to die?”