|Jude's Perspective|
I stared at the blue quest screen with a mixture of confusion and dread. "Save Mordain Asclepius before he destroys this world?" I repeated aloud, trying to wrap my head around the task at hand.
The massive asura before me, his black wings unfurled, seemed to sense my uncertainty. "Boy," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance, "I am building strength to go fight against Kezess. Unfortunately, the portal of this world was moved to a Relictomb, and I can't enter one. This is why I have been forced to stay here. That was before I became this."
I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine at the power emanating from him. "What happened to you?" I asked cautiously.
He didn't answer my question directly, but instead continued on. "You must also realize, boy, that you aren't my match. My power of Death is far superior to whatever you have. I am a phoenix who has mastered Death. There is no one in this universe who can stand up to me."
I gritted my teeth. 'There has to be a way, a way to stand up to him,' I thought to myself.
I unsheathed my sword and released red flames of destruction, created by combining normal mana flames with aetheric flames. Revolving them around my sword, I shot up to Mordain before releasing my attack.
But he easily blocked my attack with one hand, shrouded in his black aether. I could feel my sword withering away, the power of Death he possessed decaying the aether and mana combination that I had built up.
'It's different... it's not destruction, but rather he kills the aether and mana itself. How is that even possible?' I wondered.
I quickly pulled away, using aevum to pause time. But Mordain had an auto-defense system, and black tendrils of death made their way towards me, unaffected by the aevum.
I gritted my teeth and released my destruction to clash against his death. Unlike before where my destruction would always reign supreme, his death was able to cut through it.
I used spatium to quickly run away as time unpaused. "Not a bad trick, but it won't work against the current me," Mordain taunted, releasing more of his power.
Determined not to give up, I struck my sword to the ground and collapsed the subspace while trying to seal Mordain in it, much like Cordelia had done to her enemy before. This was possible without a Godrune, but I also needed to use aevum to pause time while doing so.
Black tendrils of death continued to attack me in a world where time didn't flow. I dodged and destroyed them with Creation, siphoning more spatium to seal Mordain away behind a prison of aether.
But his whip of death caught my leg, burning through my aether armor. My leg withered away and died, but I quickly reversed time by a few seconds to rejuvenate it.
'This is dangerous,' I thought as I completed my spell.
[Aether Runic Sword: Fifth Movement: Quantum Prison]
I quickly locked up Mordain, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he escaped. Using spatium, I fled to the palace in disgrace.
__________________________________________
|Cordelia's Perspective|
I anxiously awaited Jude's return from battle, keeping a watchful eye for any unexpected assaults from the Black Church. Suddenly, I sensed a powerful presence enter the Empire's airspace, causing my body to freeze in terror and sweat to drip down my neck. I turned to the Princess, who looked puzzled by my reaction.
I realized that nobody else had noticed the presence, and I received a notification that Main Quest 2 had been completed. The next quest appeared on my screen: Save Mordain Asclepius before he destroys this world.
'Who is Mordain, and what does this mean for the world?' I wondered, confused. Suddenly, I sensed Jude flying at incredible speeds towards the palace. He slowed down and landed, but fear was evident on his face. I could tell he had barely escaped death.
"I faced Ra," Jude said, deactivating his armor. Everyone's eyes widened in shock at his statement.
"We need to talk, call for the Emperor," Jude demanded. Albert nodded and went to summon him. I quickly ran over and hugged Jude.
A small smile tugged at his lips as he patted my head and whispered, "I'm fine, Cordelia."
"What happened, Jude?" Alexander said as he entered the room with Albert.
Jude dropped a bombshell that left Alexander and the rest of the group stunned. "I met God Ra," he repeated. "He is someone from our world, and mages from our world discovered yours long ago. Ra wanted to be a benevolent God and took care of you all. But he got corrupted with thoughts of revenge, and that's why the holy power turned black."
The group absorbed the news in silence until I asked the question on everyone's mind, "Who exactly is Ra?"
Jude paused, then replied, "He is Mordain Asclepius, Prince of the Phoenix Race of Asuras."
My eyes widened in recognition. Mordain Asclepius, the Lost Prince who lost to Kezess. The second most powerful Asura.
"The phoenix race is proficient in fire magic, but they are also well-versed in life and death," Jude explained. "Mordain mastered the aether edict of death and is now going to destroy this world inadvertently."
"Why?" Alexander asked.
"I don't know," Jude admitted. "He plans to lead a crusade against the one who chased him off my world, but his actions will somehow lead to the collapse and destruction of this world."
"What can we do?" Princess Angelina asked, her eyes still hopeful.
"He is strong, too strong right now. Cordelia and I aren't his match," Jude said. "But there is a way, with the aura that you showed. I can break through to the next level, and that's the only way I can beat him."
He turned to me. "Cordelia, you need to teach me spatium in order for this to work."
I nodded, but I was worried. "Getting four Godrunes won't be enough. What else is he planning?"
"What if they attack us before you are ready?" Alexander asked.
Jude revealed an orb-like device. "This is an aether orb. I can train inside here where time will pass at a different rate. A day inside is similar to an hour outside. I would take a few months, or a few days of your time."
Alexander considered the proposal before finally nodding. "This seems to be our best option."
Everyone agreed, and the meeting dispersed. Jude and I prepared to enter the orb.
|Angelina's Perspective|
Despite my intelligence, my heart ached with the knowledge that I was weak and lacked magical ability. It was only through the aid of the Great Sage's artifacts and continued support that I was able to function like a normal human being. But even with these advantages, I still felt helpless, unable to do anything to support the man I loved.
As an accomplished strategist, I knew the value of tactics, but what use were they against an angry god capable of incinerating tens of thousands of soldiers with a single gesture? I longed to contribute to Jude's mission, to be of help in some way, even if my own feelings would never be reciprocated.
Then, a glimmer of hope emerged when Jude revealed the connection between his world and mine, a link forged by ancient mages long forgotten. Suddenly, a memory surfaced, a fable about the imperial family.
Perhaps this story held the key to unlocking a path forward, a way to help Jude achieve his purpose and save his world from destruction.
A mysterious man arrived in our world, his arms adorned with intricate tattoos. He witnessed the suffering of the people, the drought that ravaged their crops, and the relentless heat that drained their energy. He saw the violence of the storms that tore through their homes and claimed innocent lives.
Moved by their plight, he lifted his hand and a miracle occurred. Rain fell from the sky, quenching the parched earth. The scorching sun hid behind a veil of grey clouds, providing respite to the people for the first time in years. The violent winds and storms dissipated, replaced by a gentle breeze that caressed the skin.
The people hailed the man as their saviour, and he became the First Emperor of the Hyperion Empire. His tattoos, once a source of intrigue and mystery, now symbolised hope and salvation to the people. Under his guidance, the empire prospered, and the people flourished. The First Emperor remained a revered figure, his memory etched into the annals of history as a legendary hero who brought peace and prosperity to a suffering land.
It spoke of an emperor who had left behind a mysterious weapon, one that could only be wielded by a person carrying the blood of the ancient mages and the imperial family.
As the princess of the Hyperion Empire, I had always been fascinated by this legend. But it was only when Jude, the man I loved, revealed to me that he carried the blood of the mages that I realized the truth behind the fable.
"You need two people, a person with imperial blood and a person carrying the blood of those ancient mages!" I exclaimed to Jude.
He looked at me curiously, unsure of where I was going with this. "What do you mean, Princess?"
"I mean that you and I can unlock the power of that weapon together," I explained, excitement bubbling up inside of me.
Jude was hesitant, as he needed to focus on his training to defeat the angry God that threatened our world. But I knew that this was the key to his success, and so I convinced him to follow me.
Together, we journeyed through a secret pathway hidden behind a golden lion statue. The pathway was illuminated by purple lights, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as we walked deeper and deeper into the ancient passageway.
As we walked, Jude suddenly grabbed my hand. I felt my face flush with embarrassment, but he seemed oblivious to my reaction.
"When you walk down this path, time changes for everyone right?" he asked, his voice calm and steady.
I nodded, unsure of how he knew this secret.
"It is a defensive measure too heavily loved by the Djinns," he continued. "Don't worry, I can combat it, but I need you to hold my hand."
I realized that he needed me to anchor him in this place of shifting time, and so I took his hand and followed him down the path.
The journey that could have taken hours or even days was completed in mere minutes, thanks to the power of the aether and Jude's knowledge of it. As we emerged from the passageway, I realized that I was still holding his hand.
My face turned scarlet as I quickly let go, but Jude seemed unaware of my embarrassment.
"No more traps, Princess?" he asked, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
I smiled despite myself, realizing that this was the beginning of a journey that would change everything. Together, we would unlock the power of the ancient weapon and bring hope to our world once again.
|Jude's Perspective|
As Angelina and I entered the Djinn's hideout, I couldn't help but notice the way she looked at me. Her eyes held an unmistakable affection, but I knew that pursuing anything with her was out of the question.
We made our way down a set of stairs, and I activated my aevum Godrune to cancel out the Djinns' time dilation trap. Finally, we reached a room with a platform and a sword embedded in a stone. It reminded me of the legend of King Arthur and Excalibur.
The sword itself was a stunning mixture of onyx black and pearl white, with a pure shade of grey that gave it a unique beauty. Its dark blue hilt completed the sword's elegant design.
I approached the sword, with Angelina following closely behind me. As I prepared to pull the sword from the stone, she spoke up.
"It's impossible to pull it out. You need both a member of the Imperial family and someone related to the Djinns," she said.
As I placed my hand on the sword, it hummed softly but didn't budge. Realizing that I needed someone else to pull it out with me, I had Angelina place her hand on the hilt.
Suddenly, memories flooded my mind, violent scenes of Djinns fighting for their lives against the Indraths, powerful dragons raining down attacks and spells from the sky. The images were gruesome, with piles of Djinn corpses scattered across the battlefield while only a few Indraths lay among them.
The vision then shifted to a throne room where the Djinn Queen sat on her throne, looking nonchalant but with a hint of worry in her eyes. The scene showed many Djinns below her, arguing with each other, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. The queen then raised her hand, silencing the crowd, and spoke out loud, her voice echoing through the room.
"If the Indraths won't allow us to live here, we will have one of our kind go to another world," she declared.
As she pointed to a Djinn who looked remarkably similar to the Hyperion Imperial Family, my vision suddenly ended.
When I came back to reality, I was lying on the ground, gasping for air. Angelina was beside me, holding me up and looking concerned. I tried to focus my mind, and gradually my senses returned to normal. But with the memories still fresh in my mind, I realized that a huge amount of information had been shoved into my head.
"Angelina," I said, turning to her, "I've decided to train here instead of using the aether orb. Please inform everyone and tell them not to disturb me."
She looked confused, but nodded her head in agreement before walking away.
As she left, I clenched my fist, realizing the significance of the memories that had just flooded my mind.
"The Half-Fusion Stage," I whispered to myself. "It's possible to reach it."(A/N: The double length chapter is done. Hope everyone enjoyed it! See you guys tomorrow! And just a disclaimer, it won't be all that hard for him to reach the Half-Fusion Stage. I don't want any complains btw because I already explained how much of a prodigy he is and he doesn't face much struggle throughout the entire fanfic by design. It's an op mc after all.)