The skies cleared, ash shimmered away. As the battlefield became visible once more, Julius stood calm and quiet, hands tucked in his pockets, staring coldly at the now crumbling dragonoid.
Its flesh—no, its entire body—began to break down. Not just from the impact of Julius' attack, but from within. The dragonoid's body could no longer contain the ever-expanding power it was being forced to harbor. The Dragon Seed had already pushed Xavier's transformation far beyond what his body could handle. Now, backlash had arrived—core corruption. And this was no mere early stage; it was something far worse.
The dragonoid's frame collapsed under its own weight, its limits long surpassed before the battle had even begun. Its roar was one of agony, its attempt to rise failing as its draconic regeneration shut down. Flesh warped, bones splintered, its form breaking apart.
Within, Alcmena fought desperately. His presence lingered inside the dragonoid's consciousness, struggling against the beast's will. This was his only chance to save Xavier.
"Come on," he muttered, desperation in his voice. "Stop resisting. Just give up already. Your body is tearing itself apart from forcing power far beyond your core stage—beyond anything your body could ever endure."
"JUST STOP RESISTING, DAMMIT!" Alcmena's roar echoed in the void. "I WON'T LET XAVIER DIE BECAUSE OF ME!"
He pressed harder, clawing against the raging force. "EXCALIBUR!" he cried, unheard in the real world. "Come to me, Blade of the Sovereign! Your master is in danger!"
The air fell silent. Then a sound, sharp as thunder, split the heavens. A streak of light tore through the skies and came crashing down. Excalibur struck, piercing through the dragonoid's chest with a resounding crack.
The blade had answered his call. Though not bound to Alcmena as it was to Xavier or Saint Sabestian, their long bond had formed a connection—guardian and sacred companion.
The dragonoid shrieked, blood spilling, claws raking uselessly at the weapon embedded in its chest. Excalibur's voice whispered faintly, filled with sorrow. "Forgive me, Master. But please… endure what must come. I cannot lose my Master again."
Its runes lit, casting divine brilliance. Thunder roared, the heavens answering with a bolt of judgment. Lightning descended, striking the dragonoid with merciless force. The beast's screams echoed, pain and despair etched into every note.
From a distance, Julius leapt back casually, keeping himself clear of the punishing light. He knew too well the torment of Excalibur's judgment, and he had no interest in feeling that soul-tearing agony again.
When the thunder ceased, the dragonoid slumped, unconscious from the overwhelming assault. Alcmena seized the chance. With Excalibur's aid, he dove deeper into Xavier's subconscious, a place the dragonoid's grip had barred him from until now.
He emerged into a void. Darkness stretched endlessly, broken only by a faint light illuminating a single spot. There knelt Xavier, bound in chains he could not break. His eyes, once filled with joy and life, now carried only despair, sorrow, emptiness.
"Xavier…" Alcmena's voice broke as he approached, guilt heavy in his chest. "I've been meaning to talk to you… about the truth."
The boy gave no reply, his head bowed, gaze fixed on the abyss below. Alcmena hesitated, his usual stoic self lost. For the first time, he seemed small.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice timid. "I should have told you from the beginning. That I wasn't… really alive. Not fully."
His words faltered. "I planned to explain… but—"
Before he could finish, Xavier's voice cut through the silence. Cold. Low. "Tell me… were the moments we shared, all the bonds we made… were they all a lie?"
The question struck Alcmena harder than any blade. For a moment, he could not breathe. He could not answer.
Xavier continued, his voice breaking yet relentless. "Were all those emotions… all those words of encouragement and wisdom… a lie?"
"Did you fake them? Were they just lines programmed into you by the original Alcmena, like a machine repeating its code?"
"Or… were they truly how you felt deep down?"
Alcmena stood silent, his heart heavy, unable to respond.
Chains coiled around Xavier, binding him like a prisoner—a slave to tragedy, to evil, to Percival's shadow.
"When Papa died," Xavier whispered after a long silence, "I clung to you for comfort. I respected you so much… Master."
His voice trembled. "You treated me with such kindness I can't even begin to repay. I… I saw you as more than a master or a Contractor."
Tears slipped down his cheeks. "You were like a father to me. I tried to lie to myself, to deny it. I told myself it was wrong for a student to see his mentor that way… but I couldn't help it."
"I was weak. And your presence gave me the strength I needed to keep moving. When I lost Papa, I was lost too. But you… you gave me courage."
His voice cracked, spilling anguish. "But the more I suffer, the more I question myself. Do I really want to be a hero? Do I even want to be a knight?"
"These expectations—they weigh on me. Everyone sees too much in me, expects too much. And I don't know if I can ever live up to it… or be like those I admire. But I kept pushing. Because making you proud… was like making Papa proud."
His tears fell harder now. "I'm starting to question everything—Father's morals, my worthiness of Excalibur. I'm starting to question if love even exists. Because why must I suffer? Why is it always me? Why couldn't I just live an ordinary life like others my age? Why should I suffer… at such an age?"
"I hate you, Percival…" His fists clenched. "You took everything from me."
"And now… I don't know what to do anymore. I've lost you too, Alcmena. My only strength. And now I'm all alone."
At last, Alcmena spoke, his voice breaking through the boy's despair. "But you aren't alone, Xavier. You never were."
His tone softened. "To answer your question… I have always been with you. I've watched you grow into someone remarkable—a boy who fights not from pride, but from love. True, genuine love."
He stepped closer, his voice trembling with sincerity. "I may only be a fragment of the original Alcmena, but that bond we shared—it wasn't fake. I am still that Alcmena, and what I felt for you was never programmed. It was real. Raw. Mine."
"I may not be fully alive, nor fully dead. But these emotions I feel when I see you smile, when I feel pride in you… they are proof I have a soul. A soul born from the fragment of my original self."
"I am not a machine. I am a dragon trying to be a father to a human boy he deeply loves. And I will never stop loving you—even if you hate me for hiding the truth. Even if it costs me my life to keep you from death's grasp."
His voice shook. "Because that is what a father does. That is what Jonathan would do. And I… I love you, Xavier."
Alcmena gently lifted Xavier's head with his scaled palm, his gaze locked into the boy's hollow blue eyes. "So never say you are alone, my child. For I will always be with you. Walking beside you, step by step, wherever you go."
Before Xavier could respond, a voice rang out from the void—or perhaps from beyond.
"Young Master!"
Both Alcmena and Xavier froze. They knew that voice. Anastasia.
"Young Master!" she cried again, louder, more desperate, her tone raw with fear. "I can feel you. I can feel your presence intertwined with Lord Alcmena's inside this beast!"
Her words shook with anguish. "I don't know what happened to you both, but please—please come back to your senses, Xavier! I can't bear to see you like this! Every time you bleed, every time you suffer, it tears me apart! And still, I stayed silent… because I thought it was what you needed to grow. But no more!"
Her voice cracked into pleading. "I don't want you to carry this pain by yourself any longer. You've suffered too much. And so have I. But I found people who cared for me, who carried my burdens with me, who gave me hope when I had none."
Her voice wavered, but there was steel in it now. "I want to be that for you, Xavier! Let me carry your pain with you. Let me stand with you, even if it breaks me. Because I cannot, I will not let you drown in this despair alone. So please…"
But then, a voice cut through the void—it was Teslaine's. Her voice trembled, heavy with raw emotion as she called, "Xavier! Are you okay? Is everything alright?"
Xavier and Alcmena froze at the sound, shocked to hear Teslaine's voice intertwining with Anastasia's. Her tone dropped, low and sorrowful. "X-Xavier... I-I've been meaning to talk to you... I-I know we haven't seen eye to eye since that incident. A-and... I'm really sorry for what you went through!"
Speechless, Xavier knelt there, unable to find words. His throat burned, but no sound came.
Teslaine pressed on, her words cracking. "I don't know why... why Father did what he did to cause you so much pain. But those words I said to you when we first met—about wanting to help others... I meant every one of them!"
Tears were audible in her trembling voice. "I'm not a bad person. Hurting you was the last thing I ever wanted... If meeting me—becoming my first real friend—was what made my father's actions cut deeper... then I'll understand if you hate me. If you regret ever befriending me."
Her voice rose, desperate, almost breaking. "But! As long as you don't reject the memories we made together... as long as you can still find joy, still smile every day—that's enough for me! Even if I can't stand by your side!"
She choked back a sob before crying out, "So please, Xavier—I beg you... come back to us!"
Her plea echoed through the void, through Xavier's very soul. He stood frozen, paralyzed by the weight of her sincerity.
Alcmena slowly turned his massive frame, looking at him with a soft, hidden joy. "You see? You won't just have me by your side... You have your friends. All those you've crossed paths with, shedding your light onto them."
His golden eyes softened. "You will never be alone. Even without me."
And at last, those words pierced into Xavier's heart. A spark flared in the darkness. His voided eyes began to glimmer faintly once more, and with effort, he started to rise. Each movement made the chains dig tighter into him, fighting to keep him shackled, but he resisted.
His father's words returned to him: Love is patient, kind, selfless. It is not proud or envious. It forgives, sacrifices, and brings people together. When one treats others with kindness, without expectation—kindness always returns, in ways unforeseen.
For you reap what you sow.
A single thought burned in his mind as he forced himself upright on one knee: I have to say sorry. I have to apologize to Teslaine—for how I reacted, for being cruel to her. For hurting her when I never wanted to. I regret it. I regret it all.
With a cry, Xavier pushed harder, rising to both feet. The light above him blazed brighter, swelling with his resolve. "I must!" he shouted within his soul. "I must see Teslaine one more time!"
The light erupted, no longer a distant glow but a radiant beacon. It was more than light—it was his hope, his love, his purity. Even at his lowest, even at his breaking point, it endured. Fragile yet unyielding. A flame that refused to be extinguished by void or chain.
Alcmena's lips curled into a proud smile as he watched the boy's spirit reignite, white flames dancing once more around him. Though the chains did not shatter, they no longer dragged Xavier into despair. He bore their weight, standing tall, as the light within him surged outward.
"I'm glad to see your resolve, Xavier," Alcmena said warmly, his golden eyes shining. "I am proud of you."
Then his voice grew somber. "But to ensure this never happens again... I will seal away this form—of RealmHeart—forever. This time we were fortunate no innocents suffered casualties. But we will not always be given such mercy. I cannot allow you to bear the burden of killing, not at your age."
Xavier's eyes flickered, but he said nothing. He understood.
———
A light flared from the dragonoid's body, consuming it as the scales and mass crumbled away, turning to dust carried into the air. What remained was Xavier's true body, collapsing forward.
Anastasia rushed to catch him, Teslaine by her side. His golden hair dulled back into its natural brown, Excalibur clutched tightly in his limp hand.
But before they could tend to him, the sky itself trembled with a cry.
"XAVIER!" A voice, powerful and familiar, thundered from above.
Both Anastasia and Teslaine froze, eyes widening as they looked up. Anastasia's heart skipped. She knew that voice.
Descending from the heavens in a storm of golden light was Violet. Radiant, awe-inspiring—her presence carved through despair itself. She hovered gracefully, golden aura swirling around her like divine fire. In her hands gleamed her sacred weapons: the Shield of Achilles and Mighty Lancelot, its lance tip blazing with ancient power.
"Lady Violet...?" Anastasia gasped, utterly stunned by her sudden appearance, as though a savior had descended from the stars.