Wrath of the Fallen
Fayden Leywin POV :
The world seemed to stop around me as I stared in horror at the hand that jutted out of Brandon's chest. His face an expression of fear and disbelief. He didn't want to die, no one does.
In his last moments, his face relaxed as he accepted the fact that this is where he died. His head slackened, his eyes dulling. His spectacles fell from his face, and the Scythe, Maelvon, ripped his arm out of his chest.
Blood pounded in my ears, drowning out the cries of despair that came from my teammates. My grip on Shroud loosened, and it fell to the ground. I was too out of it to notice the change in its looks.
Images of Nathan's death flashed in my vision. His last words echoed in my mind. Memories of my time with Brandon followed, when I first met him back in Xyrus academy. Him comparing our core levels after my return from Losvillion. His calm demeanor, even in the face of imminent danger. No wonder he accepted his death so quickly.
[Avenge him…]
My thoughts had begun turning murky, split between despair and rage.
[This once, I will give you full access to all your power.]
…
[So go knowing nothing restrains you now, rip that snake apart. Feed him his own intestines! Avenge Brandon and everyone who has died by the hand of the Vritra!]
I could feel myself enter the same trance-like state I killed Lucas in, all those years ago. This time, with both of us in harmony.
'Father! Father, you need to-'
I ignored him, whatever it was, it could wait.
Each step I took further hastened my transformation, the Scythe showed no signs of fear, in fact, he taunted me.
"Who's next? Maybe that black-haired girl over there?" He pointed to his right, but I didn't need to see her to know who he was talking about.
[The endless void and the radiant light. Alone, they are formidable, but in harmony…]
My blood burned with power, my muscles quaking. I could feel the strength of the Marchosias flowing in me.
[They are beyond even the Gods' Expectations.]
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3rd Person POV :
The very sky was bleached in black, beacons of light glimmering through the murky darkness. A pitch-black floor, riddled with cracks and crevices emanating a blinding white light.
The forgotten corpses stirred, flesh decaying and melting off in seconds. Their eyes glowed white. They arose from the ground, picking up their weapons, and charged. They were like mindless beasts, not a lick of rationality remained in them. But one corpse had been spared, the corpse of a teenage boy with a hole in his heart.
Fayden Leywin had transformed yet once more, but not into the beast-like form he held last time. His hair had grown longer, reaching his back, runes did not adorn him anymore. An inky black armor covered his body ablaze with white flame.
His presence had a strange effect on the ones near him, his allies felt safety radiating off of him, a single spark of hope in the dark pits of despair. His adversaries, however, who had been cheering at the Scythe, were hit with the cold feeling of dread. Their fate had been sealed, none would leave here alive. The Scythe tried to act unaffected, but it was in vain.
Fayden stepped towards him calmly, his rage did not burn, he did not cry into the heavens, no. His rage was like a breeze before the coming of winter, it's not noticeable but you can still feel the chills running down your spine.
"Enough!" the horned man bellowed, destroying several corpses with a single swipe, "I will not be denied!"
Fayden paid him no mind, his mind was focused on the body of his friend. He kneeled down, adjusting Brandon's body to lie face up. With his fingertips, he shut his friends eyes.
"[May you find peace in your next life]" he whispered, but for some reason, his voice seemed to have an echo.
"Ignoring me will cost you," Maelvon leaped, wielding a claymore as he tried to decapitate the demigod.
Fayden's hand was a blur as it shot up, stopping the blade in its tracks. He glanced back, sending shivers down the Scythe's spine, who tried to dislodge his weapon, but was unable to.
His fingers twitched, shattering the blade as if it was made of porcelain, leaving behind a very stunned Maelvon.
Maelvon backstepped, his eyes reflecting fear. Somehow the impassive face of his opponent scared him more than the psychotic one.
Fayden held his arm out, and the blade-turned-scythe flew to his arms, reverting to its original form.
The cracks in the ground began receding towards Fayden as his sword began glowing. The stars in the sky coalesced into a single point, and shot down like a ray of divine light falling from heaven.
The blade was like a mini star in his hand, glowing such a blinding shade of white it was difficult to look at, the flame-like black shroud over his body momentarily flashed white.
Then came the darkness, flowing to him like water in a whirlpool. The broken remnant of a familiar sword materialized in his other hand, the blackness coalescing over it, reforging the sword.
[The union of light and dark.]
He brought the two swords together, their blades countering each other, and a spire of blinding white and all-consuming black rose up to the sky as two swords merged.
"Slayer of Gods and Monsters alike."
His form flickered.
"[Face the wrath of the Fallen!]"
A thin line split Maelvon's body, the two halves disintegrating to dust, and a chasm was born, deep enough that it seemed endless.
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Fayden Leywin POV :
The black armor that covered my body shattered, my sword reverting back to a ring. I could feel my newfound power waning, soon I would face the backlash.
[I can't stop the backlash, but I can reduce the burden.]
Thank you, let's hope I don't die from it.
A wave of panic and despair washed over me, and it wasn't mine.
'Zeke? Zeke, what happened?'
'...'
'That's it, I'm coming back.'
That was when alarms went off in my head, alarms pertaining to a certain ring.
My eyes widened. No! Not again!
I felt a tug from the construct, almost as if it was calling me. I answered the call, dropping into the realm of shadows.
I had never crossed so much area before, and I knew that there would be consequences, but I was beyond caring.
I couldn't do anything but watch as the man I called Father was engulfed by a ball of fire so massive it could consume multiple fully grown men with no issue. Even as he was facing death himself, he found the will to twist his neck around to face me.
A goofy smile covered his face, and for all I know that was the last time I would ever see him.
Something felt off about the ring, it tried to tell me something, but in my state, it was impossible to decipher.
And as the fire dissipated, not even his ashes remained.
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3rd Person POV :
Arthur Leywin rushed towards the general direction of his bond when he felt her panic and worry wash over him.
Upon arrival, he noticed his, and his brother's bond, standing beside a black haired man. Judging from how much his hair had whitened he deduced the man was pretty old. Until he noticed something, the man's hair was shortening, its color changing to resemble a dark brown.
He recognized his mana signature, "Fayden?"
He walked towards him, placing his hand on his shoulder and turning his head to look at his face. What he saw, shook him to his core.
His brother was crying, tears flowed down his cheeks. But it was a silent weeping, his face showed so sadness, just a haunted look.
"Fayden, what happened?" A lump formed in his throat, he expected the worst.
"Dad…" he muttered, holding his arm out like he was trying to grab something.
His breath hitched. No, please no.
Fayden's time ran out and he was forcefully kicked out of his transformation. And then the backlash hit.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" he cried out a guttural roar, the very mana in the air was blown away, the purple motes of aether trembled, almost as if they were afraid of something… or someone.
The area around him distorted, and anyone who was near him was thrown away. Visions of the past flashed through Arthur's eyes, he saw how his father died, he saw Fayden's fight with Maelvon and he saw the death of Brandon. And a force fought back against the backlash.
And then, he lost consciousness.
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Arthur kept himself from breaking down, especially after seeing his brother fall unconscious. He would not lose him too.
And so, he kept his calm, barely. He tried to get his brother onto Zeke's back, but his hands trembled too much for that. He curled his fingers into a fist, cursing himself for it.
His bond, Sylvie, crawled her way to him, wrapping her arms around him. 'You can cry now,' she transmitted mentally, her sobs stopping her from speaking.
And just like that, he crumbled, breaking down into tears. His power, his title, none of that mattered now. He was just a boy who had lost his father.
Zeke transformed into his humanoid form, his head held low as he helped his bond up. They disappeared in a flash, a few tears falling to the ground.
Fayden Leywin POV :
Was this bound to happen? Is there no way to keep the people I care about safe? Is this… my fate? To lose the ones I love?
[Screw fate, we make our own destiny.]
It was the first time I had seen him, he looked very similar to me. Infact he looked like a combination of Markus and Fayden, just with silver hair, and obsidian black eyes.
I scoffed, "Look where that brought us. I've lost 3 people close to me already. What's next? Arthur dies too?"
"That was our emotions going out of control, not fate." he pointed out, "And even it was fate that led to this, it doesn't matter. Do what you've always done."
"And what is that?"
He smirked, "Shooting it in it's thrice damned head."
That took me by surprise. He wasn't exactly wrong. I never believed in fate before, and always persevered no matter the circumstances. Even my past life, any other child would have given in to despair, but I hadn't.
"You know, I didn't think you would have a physical form." I commented after a while.
He deadpanned at me, "How the fuck does this look like a physical form to you?"
I withheld a sigh, is this how people feel when dealing with me?
"I meant your characteristics, I expected you to be a white blob or maybe a carbon copy of me."
"I'm not your fuckin clone dumbass."
"To be fair you do look like my old self and current self mashed together." I smiled deviously.
He blinked, "… Irrelevant."
I laughed, a genuine one. It had been a while since I had such light hearted conversation with someone.
He shook his head, "On a more serious note, you only have a few months left."
I knew what he was talking about, "That was expected, Noctis did say overuse would hasten the process. It's fine, there's nothing we can do about it."
He nodded, "Another thing. I am more in tune with vivum than you, and I have to say…"
"Hmmm?"
"Reynolds may still be alive."