The day so dreaded

Crystal controls her breathing as from Spade's sources Lacquer shall be coming and it is up to her and her brother to deal with him. It was barely an hour after noon but her vision started to darken and she could feel her pulse from her sweating hands and her shaking knees but that is not her only problem, will she truly be enough when just a month ago nobody even bothered recognizing her and then she looks to her brother Alfron.

Despite everything he looked unfazed as he sat down on a rock closing his eyes and focusing on his magic, meanwhile beside him was his mess of a sister who struggled to even breathe but still Crystal tried to follow Alfron and channel her magic for the spell they are about to do is practically a Hail Marry, a desperate attempt at killing the mighty.

Crystal does acknowledge hers and her brother's magic however Lacquer is in a league of his own and they are far too undeveloped to defeat him but Spade and the whole Cebunilla are relying on their shoulders and under no circumstance must they fail.

Alfron tries to focus but he keeps on losing his center of attention because of Crystal's anxiety that had become far too powerful to ignore and Alfron was slightly annoyed but he kept his composure, unlike him Crystal had yet to come in terms with their mission after all and her worries are understandable.

"Hey we'll be fine" Alfron smiled at his little sister to put her at ease and even just for a little bit, it did.

"But what if I don't support you well enough and we fall because of me?"

"Then we get up and try again, your a Valhalien sister. It takes a lot more than one mistake to bring us down"

Crystal felt a slight relief in Alfron's words because he did not tell her to make sure not to make mistakes but he assured her that even if she did, they will try again. Crystal then managed to channel her magic better now that she is calm and she linked hers to Alfron and her bright yellow aura mixed with Alfron's cool blue magic created a brilliant hue of green that made them know that their magic as always had very compatible chemistry and all that is left is to show that to the world.

Not long after they reached the sweet spot of mixing their magic Lacquer came with his usual intimidating aura and he wore for the first time in a while a formal white suit, adorned by shining medals and his name plate in the right of his chest and written was "Glorious General Lacquer Tidelode". He certainly dressed for the part wearing his soldier's uniform and to compare both Crystal and Alfron wore plain white trousers that gave them mobility and a bit of camouflaged to the white sands of the outskirts of Cilgras near Mt. Monaxia.

"You two have grown" Lacquer greeted politely.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way Lord Tidelode" Crystal courteously excused herself.

"I am as well but all is not over for you children so if you don't mind-" Lacquer then tightened his white gloves and in a blink of an eye his magic came soaring through in a terrifying glow and his eyes showed a slight hint of bloodshot that made him all the more intimidating. "Get out of my way"

Alfron who had remained silent in the exchange initiated and without any warning came rushing forward to Lacquer riding a giant boulder that came from the ground and from the debris, Alfron created a sand storm surrounding Lacquer as from every direction Alfron attacked him with gravel.

"Bulletstorm"

But that was not all, continuing to rush towards Alfron he created two giant stone swords and pierced from outside the sandstorm. Lacquer however was unfazed by such a display and releasing a magic surge he cleared out all of Alfron's attacks and without the need to use his magic he punched Alfron as he fell without the boulder he was riding on.

Before his fist could reach Alfron however, he vanished seemingly absorbed by his dark magic and with Alfron out of the way Lacquer could see that he and Crystal had been preparing a spell behind his back and in an instant a small but sturdy shard came towards him in great speeds.

"Pegasus" Lacquer then summoned the winged horse familiar and dodged the bullet in speeds reaching Mach 1, however as if pinpointing his location from his shadow came Alfron once more and tried to crush him with boulders seemingly coming from his shadows and Lacquer still managed to dodge it but fell from his steed in the process, then as he look at Crystal she had prepared another spell when he was distracted.

"Shooting star" Then as Crystal casted the spell along with Alfron's help, a bigger stone shard coated with magic petals shot at him at even faster speeds breaking the sound barrier in the process, speeds of which even Pegasus cannot outmatch and with no other options, Lacquer took the bullet head on and with his magic he just barely stopped the bullet but he was still wounded in the process.

He touched his forehead and he saw blood, Alfron and Crystal wounded him, something he had not experienced since the war and even against Dante. He smiled to see the progress of the children that was once his students and he was impressed by how much they have grown and the teamwork they portrayed which had seemed impossible if you observed them a month ago.

Conceding to their strength, Lacquer started being serious and started giving attacks of his own. First he took down Crystal by summoning Scorpio to deal with her and with the siblings separated, Lacquer dispatched of the older brother first grabbing him even as he hid in his shadow and with a punch from his left hand, Alfron went flying and colliding with Crystal leaving them pummeled to the ground and against Scorpio's hardened skin with the two of them barely being able to stand, Lacquer decided to finish them off with a powerful spell that only little have survived and Lacquer prayed that they would as well but things were not on their favor and Lacquer as respect to his opponents held back not.

"Andromeda", and then the sky light up once more spelling the doom of the siblings as from that came a beam in the shape of a giantess. Crystal and Alfron knew that this was the most critical moment and they decided to cast their ultimate combination spell the only magic spell capable of countering Lacquer's constellation.

This spell however will exhaust them and should it miss Lacquer then all shall be over. At the same time that the constellation started to glow the sky darkened and from above was giant boulder that continued to grow twice it's length for every second and Lacquer smirked with Alfron's desperate attempt of using Eclipse once more.

"You are still children after all" He looked down with sorrow with the thought of his spell being their end due to their lack of strength but then the boulder stopped growing and from inside it sprouted yellow chrysanthemums, the flower of goodbye and for a second Lacquer became mesmerized by the spell and unintentionally delayed casting Andromeda and giving the children enough time to finish casting their spell and as if being crushed by an asteroid the moonlike boulder fell unto Lacquer as if the sun pushed it down with a size so big it was impossible to dodge and in a pace so powerful that it no only deflected Andromeda but was barely affected by it and with no method of stopping the boulder, it fell into the ground leaving a crash so powerful that it sent the siblings flying even further, in an impact so wide and heavy that not even Scorpio's hardened skin could protect it.

"Meteorite" the spell that destroyed the boundaries of Cebunilla and Bronsleyt became known to the citizens as even as far as Gilgaras it could be seen. Could this have possibly killed Lacquer? The siblings could only hope so as they fell unconscious from exhaustion and the giant boulder slowly vanished leaving only the dusts and the impact behind.

Certainly this was a powerful spell on par with even Hellfire however as previously seen, it would not be enough to destroy the Star Saint and although not unharmed Lacquer walked, surviving facing that spell head on. His gallant clothings was now in tatters and his medals all blown away, only his nameplate remained, Glorious General, time and time again Lacquer proved he was fitting of that title and may it be from withstanding powerful attacks or sparing the weak, Lacquer was the truest knight that Cebunilla had yet to see and like the soldier he was, he decided to tell his farewells before going to war.

With poison still running in his veins, his magic almost depleted from defending against Hellfire and Meteorite, Lacquer started to second guess whether he would be able to defeat Rexcarius still but a soldier's greatest honor is not to kill his enemies but to die for his nation and Lacquer will face this odds still.

But before that he shall visit his son's tomb one last time and tell Anakin he shall be meeting him soon. However as always Spade will be in his way and now he stood unsurprised that he survived that spell, expecting it even.

"Are they still alive?" Spade asked concerned for Crystal and Alfron.

"Yes"

"Are you still going to kill Rexcarius?"

"Yes"

"Saying goodbye to your son first?"

".....Yes...."

"Well then, I should warn you that you are only talking to a rock"

Lacquer, seemingly teleporting stood ahead of Spade and slammed him to the walls of the tower of Gilgaras that was right next to the grave of Anakin Tidelode.

"You watch how you speak of my son!"

"Hey now, don't go shooting the bearer of good news"

"I had enough of your nonesense boyo-"

Just as Lacquer was about to slam Spade once more he spoke.

"Anakin is alive!"

Lacquer flinched but knowing this could not be true he became outraged with Spade and thought to kill him.

"Will you kill him too?"

Lacquer felt tears pour in his eyes as he heard a familiar voice, it was raspier and deeper than before but this was still the voice of his beloved. He turned around and saw a young man, with his wife's dark crimson eyes, his soft yet Adonis facial features, and most obvious of them all was his black silky hair that if pointed in the light shows a hue of brown. This could only be his beloved son Anakin.

He let Spade go and immediately ran towards his son to embrace him and see that this was not just a dream. However before Lacquer could touch his son he pointed a knife at his throat and warned him not to come any closer.

"I'm your father Anakin, I have longed to see you for so long"

"...Yet you never noticed that I was here in your beloved city have you? Tell me father was it worth it leaving me out to die? For this goddamn hell hole? You have made you choice and now watch me make mine. You are no longer my father, you have lost the right the moment you killed be and I am no longer Anakin, I am Shadow the man who will bring upon your death as you brought upon mine"

Lacquer felt all his strength leave his body and he knelt to the ground. Of course he could not start over anymore, of course his son would hate him after all he did. Even after being overjoyed of seeing him alive, Lacquer felt the sorrow of a father being disowned by his son.

"Weeks ago I followed Shadow here as he left a note with your writing on it. That was the day he no longer wanted to be Anakin, that note like your son is gone now but I have brought him back to you today Lacquer, do you know why?"

Shadow remained apathetic to it all and simply walked away satisfied with the state he has left his father but Lacquer listened to Spade intently.

"You once told me that you no longer belonged in this world, well let Shadow be proof that there are somethings left for you. You have been a soldier for so long when will you start being a father? You have been selfless all your life Lacquer, why can't you just be selfish for one time?"

"I....I...have...a mission"

"Look at me. Lacquer died in that fight, the one who stands here before me is Anakin, no Shadow's father. You said Rexcarius was unfit to be king but look at what he did, he continued the festival for the people's sake despite his life being in danger, he gave to Zyderine his elite knights because he thought the villagers needed it more. You say Rexcarius is a bad father but look at how his children have grown because he was in danger, and you said Zyderine was ready but look at her now as she nearly falls apart from all the pressure. You have been wrong about all those things, how sure are you that you are right to kill Rexcarius?"

"I-I am the only one who can defeat him"

"Look at me when I say that when the time comes I shall dispatch him myself and like you are kneeling before me now so shall he"

Lacquer was shaken and tired and because of Spade's confidence his resolve began to waver.

"What if you're wrong?"

"I'm not"

"What if Anakin never forgives me"

"He will"

"What do I do now?"

"Well for starters, trust me. Then how about you start living a quaint new life in Mt. Monaxia far from the people you protected for so long then start reconciling with Anakin, God knows how many years you've lost already, cherish the remaining time you have with your son and leave everything to me and the children"

"You are a hell of a man, being able to bring me down in every way"

"Feel free to praise me more" Spade teased and walked away trusting Lacquer to come up with the right decision.

Spade stood by his new found mission of becoming a better man and the first step of it was giving his enemies a chance to change rather than destroy them and as if all the pressure from his body got carried over Spade to felt his strength drain away and he leaned on the wall as he walked then laughed gleefully, now all that is left is for the loyal underlings.