To understand the sudden, devastating turn of events, let us rewind to an hour ago, when Duke Jonathan was just beginning his journey through history on the grand stage.
While Duke Jonathan captivated his audience with tales of old, Sir James reached the magical perimeter surrounding Sith village. He arrived in a startling fifteen minutes, a pace he seemed displeased with. "Fifteen minutes," he murmured, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Far too quick; I had intended a more leisurely pace. Nevertheless, I am here, and the prey bacteria have fulfilled their purpose. The time has come to conclude this affair."
He exhaled slowly, and with that single breath, a section of the impenetrable barrier shimmered, then fractured and collapsed inward. Stepping through the breach, his expression utterly serene amidst the sounds of ongoing horror, he whispered, "Let's end this." Moving with impossible speed, a blur of lethal efficiency, he systematically slaughtered all the remaining surviving villagers of Sith and every last one of The Hunters present, leaving only two alive amidst the carnage.
"All done," James murmured, his voice a low, satisfied hum as he surveyed the carnage. "Now to claim my prize. But wait... this isn't quite believable." A flicker of cold calculation crossed his eyes. With a deliberate motion, he began inflicting deep, ragged wounds across his own body, tearing at his flesh and drawing crimson. Under normal circumstances, his True, Perfect, and Absolute Immortality would have healed those wounds instantaneously, rendering such an act impossible for anyone else. However, over hundreds of aeons of existence, James had learned to manipulate the outward manifestation of his immortality, specifically the speed of his healing. He could now temporarily delay his regeneration, allowing the illusion of injury to persist for a convincing act, a testament to his chilling adaptation to his own curse.
"Now then, to claim my prize." Moving to a pile of rubble, he pulled two kids from underneath, Ling and Lie. Setting his sights on Ling a broad smile spread across his face, for whatever had happened to Ling was the main reason for the hunt. "I thought it wouldn't work, but seeing you my little Ling was worth it all." Turning his attention to Lie, "Oh, what do we have here, an extra?" He contemplated. "Should I kill him or not?" Putting his hand to his chin, he said, "Hmm, I hate extras. So little Lie forgive me." But as he reached out to snap out the life of Lie he stopped. "I see, you're an Auxcast of little Matthew same as your brother."
"Man, those Continuum Keepers should've given me everything before setting out on this mission. Oh well, nothing I can do about this."
For Ling, now had a different color in addition to the Green family lineage he belonged to. This was indeed the main goal of the hunt. While belonging to two or more color lineages of respective races was rare, it wasn't unheard of; however, the majority of the multi-colored, at the end of their life, belonged to a single color lineage. But the second color lineage Ling now bore was the most pitied colored lineage in the entire universe. Not that those who possessed it were weak, but because of the horrifying manner in which they became part of that lineage.
This was the Crimson-White family lineage, belonging to the Crimson-White primordial of the Yokarion, the Vulkarin Sakureal. She was a primordial who desperately clung to life, a consequence of the unspeakable torture the Dragon God inflicted upon her, leaving her in a perpetual state of near-death. After the seven primordial Yokarions, the Vulkarins, were created, the Dragon God took in the Crimson-White Vulkarin, Sakureal, and infused into her a desperate desire to live, to the point of obsession. He then ruthlessly tortured her to the point of death, but fueled by her obsessive desire to live, she kept on healing and reviving herself completely. But the Dragon God wasn't satisfied, and when she had started to adapt to the torture, the Dragon God outright started killing her.
If a primordial is killed without its core being destroyed, it will eventually resurrect anywhere in the universe, or if it has a dimension, it will resurrect there. The only downside is, they'll lose some memories or have their memories tangled up, but overall they'll still have the same personality. However, if its core is destroyed when it resurrects, it becomes a completely different person, a new personality and a different view on their own concept. These resurrections take years. The Dragon God, knowing full well of this, kept on killing her without destroying her core, leveraging her obsessive desire to live. She would sacrifice one of her tails to resurrect and gain a massive temporary boost in power. The Dragon God did this killing and resurrection hundreds upon thousands of times, before she could do it on command. After all that, the Dragon God cut everything that happened from the timeline and completely destroyed it, so as it never happened, and permanently erased every primordial's memories of what he did to them. Even though she's permanently forgotten the specific events, the experience has been deeply ingrained into her very core and lineage. Due to this, any Yokarion seen with the crimson-white color is known to have undergone a traumatic experience that made them cling so desperately to life. There are relatively few of them.
Back in the Roseblade Duchy, it was full of mourning and outcry. As the funeral procession of the former duke, Duke Jonathan Roseblade, was taking place. But the survivors of the hunt were still in a coma, including James and the duchess. During the funeral procession, Matthew was filled with rage and hatred towards The Hunters. He vowed to bring 'Judgment' upon The Hunters and bring 'Order' to the world. With that said, he activated his title as the Brave Hero of Judgment and Order, causing Ling and Lie to awaken from their two-month-long coma. For they were the Auxcasts of the Brave Hero Matthew Roseblade, granting Ling the title of Heavenly General, and all the power and abilities that come with it, and Lie the Warlord of Judgment Flames. Only the Valkyrie Queen and the Grand Tactician of Order were left.
The next day after the somber funeral, a meeting was urgently called, its purpose to discuss the unspeakable events that had transpired. Ling and Lie, still frail from their ordeal, were brought forward. With utter fear trembling in their young voices, they retold the entire horror that occurred on that day—The Hunt of Sith. Even though a preliminary investigation had been conducted during the two-month mourning period, what Lie and Ling described was gut-wrenchingly horrifying, painting a picture of calculated cruelty that chilled everyone to the bone. But during their agonizing tale, Ling and Lie could endure the trauma of those memories no more; their eyes rolled back, and they fainted on the spot, collapsing from the sheer weight of their recollection.
After they were gently taken away, the topic in the meeting room, heavy with a new kind of dread, reluctantly turned to the succession ceremony for Matthew. It was imperative, the council argued, to formalize his power quickly, lest their enemies take advantage of the vacancy in leadership. But Matthew, his gaze firm and resolute, made a declaration that both shocked and deeply impressed the audience at the meeting.
"I may be the heir to the Roseblade Duchy," he proclaimed, his voice resonating with newfound authority, "but I'm also the Brave Hero of Judgment and Order. And as long as I've vowed to bring 'Judgment' upon The Hunters and restore 'Order' to the world, I'm sure my father, the late Duke of the Roseblade Duchy, Duke Jonathan Roseblade, and my ancestors would have done the same." Calming down, his eyes surveyed the room, trying to discern faces of disappointment or dissent. But what he saw were proud faces and nods of acknowledgment, a silent impressiveness rippling through the assembly. Yet, underneath all that, he could still detect genuine doubt and concern etched into their expressions.
"I know you're all worried about the duchy," Matthew began, his voice firm, attempting to reassure them, "but with my sister here and you as support, everything can be taken care of. So..." But before he could finish his line of thought, a figure shot up from his seat, shocking everyone present. It was Viscount Phreras, his face etched with a mix of defiance and desperate concern. A tense silence descended, for everyone in the room had been waiting for someone to voice the unspoken fears.
"My lord," Viscount Phreras stated, his voice ringing with a courage born of deep loyalty, "even though we might be concerned about the duchy, what's mostly of our concern is you, my lord. For you are no other than a Mundane Human, my lord. As the Brave Hero of Judgment and Order, you and your army are the only ones who can go after The Hunters without any help, as you've vowed. But The Hunters are a global organization that spans the entire globe, with beings of a higher evolution. Even your father, a High Human, or I, a Saint Human—two evolution realms above the High Humans—can't fight the centuries-long war to come. This is our true concern." With that, he laid bare their collective anxiety, the weight of their mortal limitations against an immortal threat.
But contrary to their expectations, a smirk rather than a frown appeared on Matthew's face, a glint of knowing amusement in his eyes. He let the silence hang for a moment, allowing their concern to fully settle.
In this world, all races born from the Universal Tree were granted an average lifespan by the Dragon God, along with the potential for extended life through four smaller stages of evolution before completely evolving into a higher being. For a mundane human, their average lifespan was 100 years. The first and second stages, known as the Cora or Pseudo state (reaching 125 years) and the Semi state (reaching 150 years), each added a specific quota to their original lifespan. The third and fourth stages, the Zenith state (reaching 200 years) and the Apotheosis state (reaching 250 years), each added half to their original lifespan. Beyond these, a true High Human could live up to 300 years. However, evolution from one state or stage to the other was notoriously difficult, and death during the process was a very real possibility. This inherent risk, coupled with the vast temporal scale of the impending war, was the true, underlying concern of the gathered nobles.
"Viscount Phreras, your concern is valid, and I appreciate your honesty," Matthew said, his voice now calm and measured. "My vow is not made lightly, and I have no intention of leaving this war unfinished. I am fully aware of the path before me, and I will walk it."
"To be honest," Matthew continued, a confident glint in his eyes, "there's no need for your concern, for you all know, for a Brave Hero, they possess both the abilities of the Hero and the Brave, but also retain their original abilities. And yes, two of these original abilities nullify your concerns. These are, Persistent Justice, and Flexible Adaptability."
"What?!" Helen exclaimed, her voice sharp with disbelief, leaping to her feet. "Dearest brother, what are you saying? From the very day you were chosen by the Brave Heroic Will of Judgment and Order, I read through all the records of the Hero of Judgment, the Brave of Order, and the Brave Hero of Judgment and Order. Through all these records, none of them had those abilities!" Her surprise and concern were natural, for when a Hero, Brave, or a Brave Hero dies, books about them appear across the world which are collectively called 'The Brave Heroic Records.' These records tell the life stories of the fallen individual in explicit detail, including all their abilities. And from these comprehensive records, the two abilities Matthew had just mentioned were never mentioned, not even once. The assembly murmured, their faces reflecting Helen's profound shock and renewed apprehension.
"Calm down, sister." Matthew said gently, "But to have read all that, I could never compare, but it's true." He finished, his gaze unwavering.
"How? Explain yourself!" Helen demanded, her voice still laced with urgency.
Matthew took a deep breath, his eyes sweeping over the still-shocked faces in the room. "After the original Brave Heroic Wills were released from the Barathor Kingdom, a second generation of Brave Heroic Wills were born, and the Brave Heroic Will of Judgment and Order was one of them. But from its first wielder to its last, all had been of races with a longer lifespan who'd already achieved a very high realm of evolution. Even the human wielders were between that of a Divine Human realm and the Supreme Human realm." He paused, letting the implication sink in. "Due to their already higher realm of evolution, they had no use for these particular inherent abilities. Even if they truly possessed them, they never noticed, or perhaps simply disregarded them as insignificant. That's why they never appeared in 'The Brave Heroic Records'."
A knowing smile returned to his face. "But those two abilities are precisely what I need the most. Persistent Justice keeps the wielder alive until they've delivered Judgment and Order, ensuring their longevity for the duration of their sacred task. And Flexible Adaptability allows its wielder to adapt to any situation, to any challenge, to be able to deliver Judgment and Order effectively, regardless of the obstacles. Combining both of these original abilities takes away all the risk of evolution and the period allotted to evolve, making the path to higher states seamless and instantaneous. As of right now, I'm about to evolve into a Cora High Human."
"What?!!" Everyone shot up and exclaimed. "Brother you're on the verge of becoming a Pseudo High Human." "It's Cora High Human." He said. "It doesn't matter their both the same." Helen clapped back. "Lord Phreras please take him to the Isolation Chamber immediately." She said with urgency. But before Matthew could say anything in protest, Viscount Phreras had already grabbed him heading towards the gates, with the noble's murmuring spreading across the room. Matthew had to shout his lungs out for anyone to listen.
"Stop!!" He shouted, his voice reverberating across the room, silencing everyone. "I thank you all for your concern, but it's not needed." "My lord." Viscount Phreras, getting up close and personal. "I apologise for my rudeness, but not truly sorry. Evolution isn't something you simply endure, like eating a meal. And I'm talking from experience." "Viscount Phreras," pushing his face away, "for me indeed evolution is like simply eating a meal, and same as a meal can be withheld and eaten later so can my evolution." "Huh", the Viscount was confused. "With those two abilities, not only can I evolve easily but I can also control when to evolve."
Viscount Phreras' mouth dropped. For a being in a high-evolution realm evolving through the small stages to get to the next higher evolution realm, the experience they go through is mild compared to their evolution into a Cora. For that experience is worse than dying, as the body is completely broken down and reconstructed.
"Hahaha, you understand what you truly are." The chilling laughter echoed from the grand windows, drawing every startled gaze. There, perched casually on the sill, sat James Novaryon, the Brave Hero of Light and New Beginnings, who was supposed to be in a coma. As the audience thought this day couldn't get any more shocking, there he sat, his presence radiating an unsettling calm, with a more grim tale to tell.
Before anyone could utter a word, he began. "It's a universal law that prevents any hero, brave, or brave hero from interfering with another's story, especially if they aren't part of the story. I'm sorry, Lord Matthew, for your loss. I would've loved more than anything to accompany you on your endeavor. But as the incident in Sith proved, I am not part of your story."
A profound silence followed, broken only by Matthew's clear voice. "While the law dictates no interference," Matthew spoke, his eyes fixed on James, "the law never said anything about learning from the other." With a decisive movement, he dropped to one knee, his gaze unwavering. "James Novaryon, the Brave Hero of Light and New Beginnings, please accept me and my Auxcasts as your disciples."
James's smirk softened into a faint, approving smile. "I can see your conviction, little Matthew. I accept."
The succession ceremony was held shortly thereafter. Matthew officially became the Duke of the Roseblade Duchy, now Duke Matthew Roseblade, but it was his sister, Helen, who wisely managed the duchy's affairs. Duke Matthew, along with Ling and Lie, went on to train under James, who, despite his grim nature, became a father figure to them, shaping their powers and their resolve.
Twenty years later, the results of that rigorous tutelage were nothing short of astonishing. Matthew, now thirty-five years old, had not only fulfilled his promise but surpassed all expectations. Through the seamless, instantaneous evolutions granted by Persistent Justice and Flexible Adaptability, he had ascended from a mundane human, through the high human, enlightened human, and ascendant human realms, to become a formidable Saint Human. Ling, now thirty-five, and Lie, thirty-six, had also undergone significant transformations. Under the profound influence of their Auxcast titles and Matthew's evolving power, they had become powerful 6-tailed Yokarions.
Now, with their formidable new strengths and a rapidly growing army forged during their journey, Duke Matthew, Heavenly General Ling, and Warlord Lie set out to search for the remaining Auxcasts—the Valkyrie Queen and the Grand Tactician of Order—and finally, to destroy The Hunters.