Chapter 0: End of the Second Shattering—Return To What Once Was (1)
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A/N: welp. Hai.
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"Dead men do not bite."
— Robert Louis Stevenson
"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
— Nelson Mandela
…
Have you ever wondered what life is when its roots have dried up?
Have you also wondered if you thought life as we know it would disappear?
Well… truth to be told.
I am standing as the last bastion of humanity—against daemons, forces of chaos, and this damned Hero that was supposed to save us—yet the Hero was corrupted by its own so-called "God".
She used the blade of Aetheris to cast a large darkness throughout the world, forever casting a dome of snow and ash throughout the lands.
The three great continents slowly fell one by one to the plague brought by the sword and the forces of chaos. There was no way to save this world due to the underlying conflict even among the unity of people, there is truly no better way to counter this, and why?
There is always a heart demon and temptation plaguing each and every man that dared walk the world of Aetheria, the embodiment of envy cannot shelter sacrifice for one always desires something.
And now..? I stand before the Hero.
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The winds howled and flowed roughly against the cold environment with snow swirling across the shattered plains. The cold and harsh wind itself bites through the walls, whispering like a ghost against holes of the trees and barricades.
I couldn't even think properly as I kept getting pushed back, my armour had long since fragmented. And with each slash and continuous strike against me, I know I am looming over death as I watch a daemon nearby smirking… as if telling me my time is up.
And when I was about to even form my thoughts properly, I was suddenly propelled into the air before slamming against a wall—turning it into debris as each heavy piece landed against my body.
? G-ghkk..! ?
Blood splattered from my mouth into the cold breeze. I used all the bare strength I had left to push the debris and chunks of rock away from my body before I acted on instinct and tumbled away in pain as a large crater was made after I evaded the attack.
I fought through my pain as I took the katana into my remaining hand, a broken weapon that if even once was hit with the force of the "brave" Hero's weapon—would instantly shatter and would leave me defenseless.
The ground beneath me was tainted with my blood but I? I couldn't even react to such a thing as blood already coated each part of the world, whether it was fresh or dried. All I could muster with my expression was just… blank.
? I wonder. ?
The Hero finally spoke. A sinister smile was creeping into her face.
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? What made you think you could actually win against me? or stop what has already begun? Actually—no, it is nearing its end. ?
She laughed genuinely—sincerely as if she wasn't actually doing something mad but rather something normal she found quite laughable.
? The world will be mine and I will take it as my own home. And after that, I will devour everything. HA-HAH-HA! ?
It was an exaggerated laugh. Even I couldn't help but cringe internally at the thought that the Hero actually still retained her personality even after being corrupted. How I wonder if I should've just killed her when I had the chance? Why did I even allow her to get to her… why did I even give the benefit of a doubt to save her with an exorcism?
I was just… mad, not at her, but to myself. I am mad and grieving. But I couldn't just give up—
And as I voiced those words into my mind, I just raised my blade once more to parry the blade arching over me with my Katana before trying to shove every single ounce of my resonance across her body which resulted in me getting kicked to the ground as blood spluttered once more.
? Fuck! That almost hit me! Why won't you just give up, you stubborn man! The world is already dead! Just drop dead! ?
She kept kicking me in the stomach and chest, using the heel of her footwear the point to which she slammed every time. It felt like my bones cracked with each hit continuing to push me further down the ground… and I just couldn't die right now.
I immediately rolled away with my body, evading her telegraphed kicks one more time before she swung her blade across the air. The blade rang across the breeze and snow faltered between her and me.
For a moment, my world narrowed to that sound alone.
The slash missed by a hair, carving a long scar into the frozen ground where I had stood. Ice split like glass. The shockwave rolled over me and sent me tumbling again, my back skidding across snow already stained dark.
My fingers barely tightened around the katana's hilt. The wrapping had long since torn; cold metal bit straight into my palm. I could hardly feel it anymore.
Maybe that was good.
Pain meant I was still alive.
The Hero stepped forward, boots crunching softly. She was unhurried but was rather tired of my presence.
? I'm tired of your tiresome existence. I'm done toying with you. ?
Her steps were slow.
? This place you call a bastion? It is gone. Your little army has disappeared before my sword. Your mother lay dead in your arms. And as for your little wife? Hah! She's dead by the time you even escape me, but like that's ever gonna happen. ?
…
Yet the world did not care. The world kept going, even when it was slowly withering away.
But he? He cared.
Snow fell and swirled around me, embracing me like a frozen shroud, settling softly against the broken steel of my armour. The sky itself seemed harnessed by my presence, fog mist bending subtly, light bending around my body as if the world paused to witness fate standing at hand.
Then, without conscious effort, my imagination—a power I had never realized I truly possessed—awoke.
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The feeling stirred within me. Shapes shimmered in the frozen air, fragments of shadow and steel coalescing from my thoughts alone.
And slowly… I stood up.
Why did I still fight… you might ask?
My beloved wife still exists in this accursed world.
She's the only reason I'm trying to fight in this world despite its essence already devoured by this hero. There was no do-over, it was past the chances it could give and there was only an ultimatum of finality.
I exhaled partly with a sigh.
? There's a reason why I still fight. ?
I voiced with a calm expression despite the irritation possessed by the Hero.
? And what's that reason perhaps, you stubborn mule? ?
A small dark fracture appeared in the air. It was terrifyingly dark as it continued to crack in that open space as if it was a wall before I plunged in my broken weapon into it.
? I don't… fight for this dying world. I already know that there's no way to bring this world back. You killed millions of people—all for the purpose of selfish desires I won't even bother reasoning to. ?
And slowly, the Hero's eyes immediately became concerned as the black void slowly gripped into my arm, like parasite trying to latch into its host.
And she suddenly tensed as she suddenly noticed something was wrong, and indeed her guess was correct as she immediately tried to pierce my heart with the tip of her sword.
? No you don't! ?
And before Aetheris could fully plunge into my body, the sword stopped as an invisible yet not visible fragment of the void stopped her momentum. She was alarmed and she tried utilizing her arm, slamming the powers of chaos and light into my face.
Aetheris Inferno
The ash combined with light convulsed with spike, trying to end me… but suddenly, her sword began to wiggle before a fracture appeared in the so-called unbreakable sword.
? !!! ?
And before she could pull back, I pulled my hand infested with the void—alongside my reformed blade, appearing as dark as it could get while fully reshaping it as a sword that looked as majestic as hers. And…
Shatter
Aetheris broke?
No! No! That wasn't possible—!
These were words that were voiced in the mind of the Hero before she got strangled by the neck.
? Wha—! Khhk—! ?
I strangled her neck. The void has just granted me a functioning right arm, the void itself latched itself onto my sword, heart and body. It allowed me to feel the true strength of myself again. And for that…
I couldn't help but chuckle in a deeply grave tone.
? You see… the war you conjured for a mere crystal caused the death of my people and my loved ones. I loathed you but I still tried my best to save you… But… ?
I gripped her neck more tightly.
She tried fighting back by conjuring more of Inferno but it was of lacking quality—only the crystal fragment inside of the weapon could fully apply the power she had, and it was destroyed.
She squirmed and trashed against me, trying her best to survive as she had a hard time breathing, even tears fell through her eyes despite her steel nature.
? Your biggest mistake? It was… harming my last loved one—my wife. ?
? W-w-wai—! ?
Her neck snapped.
Snow broke in silence.
The sky dimmed.
Even the wind faltered.
The death blow had came unintentionally.
It was sharper than any blade the world had ever known.
The last thoughts she conjured in her mind was… how?
…
? It's finally over— ?
? I could finally rest— ?
? Arishu... I'm coming home. ?