Deep in the cold Ursine lands, in an opulent mansion filled with countless gems and priceless artworks, where one would normally hear myriad debauched sounds, only an ominous silence was present. On the pure white rug, a deep red stain slowly spread as a group of lifeless bodies lay sprawled. If one were to pay closer attention to them, then they would be surprised to find no wounds on the bodies, only that their exposed skin was sickly pale, almost blue, while the blood flowed freely from any orifice they had.
On the table not far from that morbid rug, a detailed map of the region where Lungmen and Chernobog were moving through was laid out, along with many figurines representing various forces and factions, though one aware of the real situation happening there would quickly find the state on the map having nothing to do with reality.
But that was not what attracted the eyes the most, as among all this, a lone girl stood, silently watching as the last breath of life left her targets. In the dark, no one could see her almost gray skin, with her beautiful violet hair barely standing out. When she finally looked away from the dead, she sighed under her breath, relief audible in her words.
-"Done. Now I can return to Lord's side."
As if energized by her own words, a smile appeared on her face, but before one could see it clearly, her figure disappeared. Since that day, a legend appeared in the higher echelons of Ursus' nobles: a story about a beautiful girl who hunted those whose actions offended a god.
Meanwhile, my battle with the Blades continued. But since I never intended to kill them, the battle stalled, with only surface wounds appearing on my opponents. After I parried yet another strike, a new Blade appeared near our battlefield, his attention on his comrades fighting me.
-"The Emperor has spoken; the Ursus shall no longer stand behind Duke's madness."
With those words, he disappeared, and soon others followed him, leaving me free to deal with what was important. Looking around, I saw that Altrouge and Arcueid had already dealt with their enemies long ago, turning into a peanut gallery watching other fights.
-"Finally done."-Altrouge approached me.-"You should shed those mortal bindings, Eno."
-"Not all bounds are bad; I believe you should know that."
-"Indeed, but the difference between a slave and a master is whether those bounds are chosen or imposed. As you are now, I'm unsure in what category you fall into."
-"It's not time for this now."
-"Had you not played all those mortal games, those politics and intrigues, directly unleashing your might, all that could be avoided."
-"But what about after that?"-I looked at the battle between Talulah and Ch'en Amiya duo.-"Every time something happens, I have to resolve it?"
The battlefield was filled with dark-red flames, filled with destruction and tyranny.
-"Aren't you doing exactly that now?"
Amiya wielded her sword, not falling a step behind Ch'en, the two of them cooperating seamlessly to push Talulah back.
-"No."-I shook my head.-"I'm lying foundation for the future, so that next time some tragedy occurs, I no longer need to enter the field."
But even with two of them utilizing the Black Crown and Chi Xiao, Talulah could meet them head-on using her Draco flames.
-"On what basis do you say so? Do you rely on those weak mortals who depend on you to gain power and knowledge? Or all those toys you are researching?"
The great Draco bloodline that ruled over the Victoria fully showed its power, the tyranny of a dragon's fire that could incarnate everything.
-"…"
In the end, she forced Amiya to shatter one of her rings, allowing the Black Crown to use even greater power, despite knowing that this first step made her unable to turn around.
-"Heh. I wonder, if you were to disappear, will they be able to stand, or will all that you build crumble?"
When that happened, I felt a stir as the White Crown appeared over my head; the two, seemingly opposite, yet sharing the same origin. But soon, I forced it to disappear; its power was not needed here and now.
-"I believe in them."
I finally took my eyes off the battle in front; time was something I couldn't squander right now.
-"You are the god here. It's their fate that should give you power, not in reverse."
I ignored her for now, approaching Aefanyl, who was in the middle of weaving his words into a ceremony. With a quick glance, I understood what was missing and joined him in finishing this spell.
With two of us working together, we were done in just a few minutes. Putting away my pen, I nodded to him and focused my full attention on the Talulah.
~"Anar'elore'dor..."
Despite my voice being quiet compared to the sounds of the battle before me, my every word still echoed around, loud and clear. Each one stirred the power within me, causing moonlight to flow through marks on my skin.
~"...Kal'ethil finel..."
The air around me stirred as the darkness of the night enveloped the surroundings. Soon, even the flames Talulah wielded couldn't brighten the battlefield; only the bright Moon above me provided light to everyone.
But the fight between Ch'en, Amiya, and Talulah never ceased. What's more, it intensified as the snake felt the situation had turned against him. But there was no chance for him to act; he could only watch in despair as everything was happening around him.
~"…Ana'tole adore, Dalah'surfal…"
I raised my crystalline hand as a bow made of strands of bright moonlight and darkness of night manifested. The domains of my two patrons, one governing death, one watching over life, mixed into a power touching upon the very essence of existence.
I drew it carefully, controlling precisely how great a strength I needed to use so as to not harm Talulah while achieving what I needed. I aimed the arrow glittering with starlight, my gaze never leaving Talulah, or rather what was hiding inside her.
~"…Ana, Nar'va, dorini-shor en talah elen."
When the last word sounded, I let go of the string, sending the arrow at its target. In an instant, the starlight pierced the fighting Draco, but there was no blood, not even the tiniest wound; instead, a black, ghost-like figure emerged from her, causing her to fall into a coma.
-"Enoch! How dare you!"-The snake growled.
But I didn't grace him with an answer; instead, I waved my hand, mobilizing the ceremony Aefanyl and I had prepared beforehand. Using the Banshee's witchcraft, we firmly bound his soul in place, forcing it into a state where he physically existed in reality.
By doing so, I was able to force out every last bit of influence he had over Talulah, severing it cleanly at the root. While this was dangerous, by utilizing my authority as the prince of the Night Court and the divine influence of the Moon, I could do this without much worry. But even despite all that, when I confirmed that she was all right, I let out a sigh of relief.
Only then did I turn my attention to the thrashing snake, seeing his true form for the first time. For the legendary figure, not rarely referred to as the incarnation of Ursus, his real self was far from awe-inspiring. While indeed terrifying, as, due to leaving countless lives using hundreds of forms, he looked like an amalgamation of all Ursine races, I could feel that this was only a visage; his actual strength was pathetic; even an average R.I. Operator could deal with him without much of an issue.
His legend and strength was build upon his unique Originium Art, one allowing him to take over the bodies of others, but this also made him a fable parasite, fully depending on the host. Even with all his experience and knowledge, he was nothing but a conspirator hiding in the dark; he was no figure like Otto who could dominate an era, let alone a Feranmut he sometimes tried to portray, merely an Ageless who overplayed his hand. But this showed that one doesn't have to be divine to change a world.
Not wasting time on him, I raised my hand, causing a series of sigils to emerge from the dark night. Kaldorei Huntresses and Vorkai Hunters responded to my call, ready for another hunt. After so many years, who knows how many backup plans he left behind? Since we are no longer mortal enemies, I won't allow such a massive threat to remain hidden.
-"Andu-falah-dor!"-Pointing my hand forward, I gave my order.
-"Tor ilisar'thera'nal!"-The Shadows raised their javelins and glaives, rushing forward.
The Wild Hund rushed forward, ignoring the snake before me, tracking all his other influences and incarnations. Meanwhile, Aefanyl continued to bind him, slowly sealing him for later use. After all, if I was to ever clear Talulah's name, I needed the real perpetrator to be brought before the eyes of the world. Soon, only an azure crystal the size of a heart remained in place of the snake; in its clear interior, a dark shadow would twist and turn, proof of what was kept inside. Taking it into my hand, I observed it for a moment before shaking my head to clear it.
With one matter done, I turned to Talulah, who was being cared for by Ch'en and Amiya. I stopped a few steps from her, giving her a while to collect herself.
-"Eno…"
-"Don't feel bad for what happened."
-"But…"
-"Fault, guilt, conscience, remorse… none of those will help you, nor are they for you to decide for. Rather than wallow in any of those, grab your sword."-I kicked the black blade that lay by my feet to her.-"While you can't change all that happened, the final outcome of this matter is yet to be decided. Will the Reunion be a band of terrorists, desperate victims, or sinners who dare to face their mistakes?"
She looked at the reflection in the sword before grabbing it firmly in her hands. Soon, familiar dark-red flames appeared on its surface, but I could feel a clear difference in them compared to before. In that feeling of tyranny and destruction, a vibrant vitality now existed beneath. The same vitality I received from her back in the snowy tundra of Ursus.
Rising to her feet, she walked up to me and leaned her forehead on my shoulder. There were no loud cries or shaking, only a few silent teardrops. Before those could even fall, she already straightened up, her eyes returning the sharpness and conviction I saw when we met for the first time.
-"What can I do?"
-"Gather what can be salvaged from Reunion, but discard all those whose crimes are beyond pardon. Use all the influence and power you still have in Chernobog's city plates to gather survivors and restore them to working order if you can."
-"But will they follow me?"
-"Yes. The Ursus have no place for them anymore; Yan will also never accept them. Be it you or them, if you want to survive and make a new home for yourself, then you need to use everything at your disposal."
-"How can you be so sure?"
-"Because, while Reunion caused everything to happen, it was also they who saved them from the Third Army when it moved through their regions. Units such as Yelena's Yetis, Patriot's Shieldguards, or even Faust's Phantom Crossbowmen helped countless civilians, not to mention the support and supplies sent by Alina through Alexandrina and her gangs, who entered this conflict to prevent this situation from degenerating any more."
-"Thank you."
-"I'm not one to leave a friend in need."-I shrugged.
-"Not just a friend."-She smiled.-"As long as my flame can still blaze, it will burn for you."
-"What about Reunion?"-I raised my eyebrow after hearing her pledge.
-"Those two don't conflict, right? The strength and ideas behind Reunion, my identity as the last bloodline of the Victorian Red Dragon; I believe those are of use to you."-She knelt before me.
-"Then how do you see our cooperation?"
-"I will listen to you and act according to your ideas; I only ask of one thing: so that, in the end, I can be by your side."
I watched her while considering everything, but she was indeed right; I needed her for my other plans to proceed.
-"Good."-I extended my hand to help her up.-"Let us bring the change to this world together."
As she stood up, I looked at Ch'en, who approached us at some point.
-"I won't let you leave alone this time."-She looked at her half-sister.-"Count me in."
-"Rhodes Island will also provide assistance."-Amiya raised her hand.
-"Then let this destroyed Chernobog turn into a New Hope."-I looked at the three of them and nodded.-"But before that can happen, we still have work to do."
I looked to the sky where familiar gryphons were visible. Soon, I saw my Knights flying down, preparing to land where we were. The two battles were already won; only one remained to be resolved.
On the other side of this city plate, a fight no less dangerous than ours was taking place. It might lack the intensity or the visual impact when compared, but its danger and importance were not to be underestimated.
The originally highly dangerous Mephisto's Originium Art, after he left the Sarcophagus, was unleashed with even greater power, reaching a magnitude comparable to some lesser Feranmuts. Even with all the elites gathered in the coalition opposing it, they couldn't carelessly confront the horde of mindless zombies, let alone the being that Mephisto turned into.
What's more, at first they could contain the scale of the 'infection', but as more and more enemies gathered, they heavily limited numbers quickly proved to be nearly not enough to deploy the same strategy as in Lungmen. As their ranks were about to be broken through, unexpected reinforcements arrived.
-"Don't let any pass; it's time to prove our commitment."-Yelena commanded from the top of a nearby building.
-"Yes!"
Hundreds of Reunion fighters quickly entered the battle, taking over the front from the coalition forces, allowing them to rest and recover. But this was not the end of the surprises.
-"I forbid your retreat! Follow me; I'll bring you all a new home."-Alexandrina led armed Chernobog's refugees from the other side of the battlefield.
-"Revenge!"
Refugees in numbers no less than Reunion moved to surround the zombies, taking off even more pressure from the coalition. With their backs secured, they could now commit their full forces to deal with Mephisto. Under Kal'tsit's command, they bushed the beast back steadily, forcing it back into the room where the Sarcophagus was contained.
But the battle was far from done; their enemy was still far from being defeated. Without Ch'en's Chi Xiao, or my strength, they had limited possibilities to deal any real damage to the beast Mephisto was now. Seeing his state, Old Lynx had a strange glint in her eyes, most likely an idea about what caused him to turn into such a monster, but she didn't dwell on that thought long; the battle needed to be won first.