Chapter 242, The Beginning of the Night

The winds have just begun to blow when Adelé Chronologia, Gary, Fate and Chiko arrived at the Sacred Plains. By then, the sky was still bright and clear, signaling that the storm has not yet reached Grand Sanctuary.

"Let's make haste while the storm has not yet reached here." Chronologia stated. "Lady Adelé, please head into Honeysuckle Castle. We shall stand guard here to prevent any problems, and to prepare in case the storm does reach these lands."

"Alright. I'll leave this place to you." Adelé says before entering Honeysuckle Castle.

With swift steps and a determined heart, Adelé descended into the castle's heart. Her steps are halted when she feels the vibrations in the walls, a sign of the storm beginning above the surface.

"Lady Chronologia, the storm is approaching." Chiko says as the skies begin to be tinted gray and green. In the distance a thunderstorm of green hue begins to make it's presence known.

"Our mission is clear. Defend the castle and the surrounding area." Chronologia stated.

Chiko, Fate and Gary spread out and defend the surrounding areas of the castle while Chronologia flew into the skies redirecting the storm away from the castle. All while in the distance, a woman in black watched the carefully. Waiting for her chance to strike.

"I should hurry." Adelé says as she hastened her steps and eventually reached the heart of the Castle.

Before her was the garden where Arata and Zhen recovered the their piece. She was astonished by the beauty of the garden but then she saw the fountain glow and she felt herself drawn to it. When she touched it, she was engulfed by a golden light and when it cleared she stood before the stone slate. In front of her the stone pillar was embedded in the river of light. She wondered where she was till a voice sounded around her.

"Welcome, to the Sealing Slate. Come, Vassal of the Flower, what you seek is before." The unknown voice spoke. "Raise that which has been sealed and open the sixth of the bridges to the world."

Adelé placed her hand on the stone slate and the pillar rose from the river allowing them to flow again. The rivers glowed by and strong, the pillar before her crumbling till only a small piece, a crystal was left. Adelé reached her hand out till the crystal became a book which she accepted. As she took her hand off the slate, a light engulfed her and she was back at the fountain.

Adelé takes one glance around her before she makes for the surface. Unbeknownst to her, on the surface, Chronologia and her three companions have fallen to the woman in black.

"Lady Chronologia... forgive me..." Chiko spoke as his barrier fell, the last line of defense they had against the unrelenting volley of attacks from the black haired woman.

Chiko's barrier manages to gold long enough for him to see the Castle being engulfed by a golden light and the pillar appearing above it.

"Everyone I'm back!" Adelé called out only to find Chronologia and the trio of Fate, Gary and Chiko fallen on the ground. "What happened?!"

She manages to exclaim before a blast of black light sends her flying, her eyes see the figure of the woman before they close.

-----

Rachel arrived at the Mysteria Mountain with Gnome, Borts and Sapphire. They've been teleported to the outskirts of the area near Begonia Castle.

"We better hurry. Here we can't fly, we can only run." Borts says and they nodded.

With haste, the trio run at full speed trying to get to Begonia Castle as soon as possible. The sky above them is turning green and gray with each passing minute.

"I see it now." Sapphire says as Begonia Castle came to view.

"I'll be going then." Rachel says as she walked closer to the entrance.

"Please take care. We'll be here, defending this area from the lightning." Gnome says and Rachel nodded.

Rachel entered the depths of the castle while Gnome and the two turned their attention to the skies.

"Master, how do we do this?" Sapphire asked.

"Borts, Sapphire be ready to reroute the energy. We'll drive the thunderstorm into the depths of the earth and allow it to subside." Gnome ordered.

"Understood." The two answered as Gnome slammed a hammer into the ground, immediately drawing in the lightning, the lightning is then directed into the ground.

Gnome, Borts and Sapphire do their hardest to drive the energy into the ground allowing it to subside but unbeknownst to them, a woman was watching them from a far.

"The heart should be just a little deeper..." Rachel stated as the roof above her began to quake.

When she arrived at the bottom, she began to look around the surrounding area. She saw the wall and noticed Argent's Crest on it. She placed her hand on the wall and it glowed bright, engulfing her and teleporting her to the stone slate. Rachel sees the pillar embedded into the river of light she thinks for a minute.

"Welcome, to the Sealing Slate. Come, Vassal of the Flower, what you seek is before." The unknown voice spoke. "Raise that which has been sealed and open the seventh of the bridges to the world."

Rachel, understanding her task, places her hand on the stone slate and it began to glow. The pillar then rose from the river, and the rivers flow once more, spreading out in all directions. The pillar, crumbled and broken, leaves behind only a crystal which then floats to Rachel who accepts it. The crystal becomes a staff and Rachel accepts it before she is brought back to the real world. Feeling the intensity of the quakes above her, Rachel rushed back to the surface. There, she finds Borts and Sapphire, fighting against a woman, Gnome is redirecting the storm into the ground. The Castle already engulfed by the light and a pillar hovering above the castle.

"Lady Rachel, please hurry and return to Sir Arata's side! Warn him that-" Before Borts can finish his sentence, a blade pierces his chest and he falls to the ground.

"Borts!!" Rachel golds her staff, ready to attack but before she can react, something flies past her. "!!"

"Vassal of Fate, this shall be your end." The woman stated. "Shall we begin, the end of the worlds."