The Final Trial

"Good job on activating the Crystal Towers. Now our defense systems are back to 100% and we have my guild back together. I'm glad I entrusted this to you all even though for the last one you weren't there." Aldeva said and teased Matilda and the others.

"Sorry about that. I guess we should've saved the huge celebration for after we activated the last tower." Laverna laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

"It is alright, however I do have one last task for you all. Gerald said he wishes to battle against you all in an official Velludan Match for what happened yesterday. It seems like he won't drop the incident." Aldeva chuckled.

I chuckled and crossed my arms. "Of course, but I shouldn't be surprised. I would want to fight me as well if I were embarrassed in front of an entire crowd."

"Tell Gerald to call it off! I saw what Ashikaga could do first hand. I saw him fight against that enemy camp! His destructive side literally opened a fissure in the ground and crushed them all!" Estriel said.

Aldeva stood up and sighed softly. "I tried to warn him, but he'd rather dig his own grave. What happens from this point forward is out of my control."

"The battle is completely optional. I am a woman of my word and I will join you all in awakening the Ancient Temples." Aldeva added.

"Nah, if he wants to fight we will fight!" Laverna said and looked determined.

"Yeah! There's no way we're going to get punked by some jerk face who can't handle Ashikaga's presence!" Matilda said.

Ashbel smiled and chuckled. "You three were always so reckless...I have to warn you though, Gerald does have Royal Blood within him so not only does he have Sand Manipulation, but he also wields Terrain Manipulation. His ability Edafok allows him to have an ability similar to an ancient technique known as Ability Drive."

"Ability Drive?" Matilda asked.

I chuckled and shook my head. "So...he can set up an effect field huh? I'm also assuming because of this ability, he can terraform the battlefield as well?"

"Yeah he can." Wave said and looked at me. "None of us except Aldeva could defeat him because of his ability to generate a field that warps the terrain around him."

"Ashikaga, if you were a benevolent god like Aldeva said you were...you wouldn't let them fight him!" Estriel said and held my arm.

"What's the fun in allowing my women to getting punked by some man who can't keep his ego in check?" I asked and looked at Estriel. "I'm not gonna let anyone talk any kind of way about Matilda, Laverna, Eden, anyone. If it's a fight he wants...it's a fight he's gonna receive...and one he will lose.."

"Ashikaga.." Estriel said then sighed and let me go. "Alright..."

I smiled at Estriel then walked off. "Let's go, I'm sure you don't want to miss the show."

We made our way to the arena where Aldeva and I had our first sparring match. There was already a crowd ready to watch the match since it was the Captain of the Mercenaries fighting. I spotted him and Matilda stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"We should be the one to do this. We owe you for letting us rest today because of our idiotic choices." Matilda said.

"Yeah, plus we have to grow stronger! If we really need the help, we will call for you." Laverna said.

Eden nodded and smiled at me. "We can't have you constantly leaving us in the dust."

I looked at them and softly chuckled. "Right, I'll let you all deal with it then. I trust you three.."

Gerald noticed Matilda, Laverna, and Eden walking forward then smirked. "Ahh so your God isn't fighting with you all? Well isn't that a mistake. You all aren't even close to being strong enough to face off against me. If Ashbel, Estriel, nor Wave could defeat me what makes you believe you three can?"

"It's gonna be like a repeat of history..." Estriel said.

"Mmm..." Ashbel grunted softly and crossed his arms.

"You know, we've always hated you! As a failed member of the Royal Knights, we never respected you! You were always so smug...and I'm glad I rejected you!" Matilda said and unsheathed her sword.

Gerald laughed and his Royal Crest shined on his hand. "Really now? Well allow me to inform you that I still have Royal Blood! You three have barely got the strength to deal with anything above a Mage Class Enemy! Suddenly you believe you have the means of defeating me? Alright allow me to put you three peasants into your pitiful places!"

Gerald set up a field using his Royal Crest and the terrain around them began to change. Pillars of sand began to form around the arena and they all had a gemstone inside which boosted Gerald's status.

"You two ready?" Matilda asked and braced herself.

"Yeah!" Laverna said and got into her battle stance.

"Ready..!" Eden said and summoned her staff.

"Get ready because there's no turning back from this!" Gerald said and sand began spiralling around his body.

He dashed toward them and went for the first strike. Matilda blocked the attack and grunted lightly then pushed Gerald back and slashed at him with her sword, but he dodged it and struck her stomach. Matilda groaned and grunted as she was knocked upwards.

Eden saved Matilda using vines and caused roots to rush toward Gerald. Gerald smirked and created a sand barrier to block the roots then caused a wave of sand to rush toward them. The wave of sand washed the three back and they groaned.

"It's useless to try and fight against me!" Gerald said and noticed Laverna's afterimages around him.

He used his sand to block each strike and crossed his arms. Laverna kept trying to strike him from all directions, but none of her attacks were getting through his defenses. She went for another kick and Gerald's sand caught her leg. He grabbed her leg and spun her around then threw her to one of the pillars. Laverna groaned as she crashed into one of the sand pillars then fell to the ground.

Matilda dashed toward Gerald and hurled multiple boulders at him, but he deflected them and knocked the last boulder back toward Matilda. She palmed the boulder and shattered it then noticed a beam of stand headed her way. Eden tried to protect her, but the sand broke through her roots and blasted both of them away.

"Is that all you three can do? I'm not even surprised at that fact though. You three are carried by the fact you have a GOD within your party. You three are worthless..." Gerald started.

Matilda grunted as she slowly stood up and held her arm.

"Useless.." Gerald added.

Eden got up slowly and clutched her staff. She coughed a bit, getting sand out of her mouth.

"Pathetic!" Gerald finished and smirked.

Laverna grunted softly as she got up. She wobbled a bit and panted.

"You three were better off in your pathetic village. In fact you shouldn't have left mommy and daddy to play hero! Now you come here wasting my time!" Gerald said and turned away.

Matilda glared at Gerald and watched him walk away. "We aren't finished yet..! Don't you walk away from us!"

Gerald stopped walking and looked back. "Just give up. You three have wasted enough of my time."

Matilda grunted softly and her eyes began to shine. She closed her eyes and thought of all the times Gerald mistreated her and her friends. "We are finished yet..! We aren't done just yet! For too long have we sat by and watched our people suffer...Not anymore!"

Gerald turned around and looked at Matilda then grunted when he noticed a Crest shine on her back.

"I will win...even if I have to release every bit of anger I've held within out and have it kill me in the process! We won't be oppressed for any longer!" Matilda yelled then her aura surged powerfully around her body.

Eden and Laverna grunted as Matilda's aura began to push them away. They noticed the Crest of Aodh shining on her back then noticed her appearance changing.

Matilda's hair became red and her eyes shined a bright yellow. The sun began to shine brightly, causing a drought to start.

I smirked and crossed my arms. "Queen Aodh's Power...Desolate Drive! She finally awakened her power!"

Matilda panted softly and looked up. She had a difficult time controlling her new found power, but her mind was fixed on fighting against Gerald. She immediately dashed toward Gerald and dodged his sand attacks then yelled and struck his stomach. Gerald coughed a bit of blood then groaned as a force of sand blew him away. She grunted and held herself then groaned as a burst of aura exploded from her body.

"She's losing control!" Ashbel said.

Eden groaned as an eruption happened near her. She stumbled backwards and fell on her butt. "Matilda!"

I dashed toward them and dodged an eruption then unsealed my power. I appeared behind Matilda and chopped her neck. Matilda's eyes widened and she reverted to her normal state and passed out. I caught her and held her.

Gerald looked at us then dashed toward us. I warped Matilda to Aldeva and blocked Gerald's strike then lightspeed strikes began to hit him. He stumbled back and groaned as I struck his stomach with concussive force, launching him away then I began to absorb the energy of the terrain then set my own terrain, overriding Gerald's.

Chains emerged from the ground and latched onto Gerald. Gerald looked surprised and tried to break out of the chains, but he couldn't.

"Godly Imprisonment. You've done enough, but it's time I destroy your Crest." I said and clapped my hands together.

We entered my domain and he noticed a black dragon appear behind me. The Crest of Destruction shined on my chest and I drew the Crest in front of me with my fingers then palmed it, causing it to shine.

"Oblivion." I said.

Gerald groaned loudly as his aura began being manipulated and his Crest was extracted from his body then shattered. We exited my domain and Gerald fell to his knees then tried to conjure sand, but couldn't. He looked up at me and slowly stood up then thrusted his arm forward, trying to use Sand Manipulation.

"What the hell..? He took away his powers..?" One woman asked.

"Aura Manipulation...He took away his aura all together. He's just a normal human now." Ashbel said and gripped his sleeve.

Eden stood up and stared at me in awe. "A-Ashikaga..!"

"It's over Gerald. You can't fight anymore without your power or Aura. Once again I showed you mercy and only did to you what the Gods tried to do to me. You should be rejoicing that you still have your life intact." I said and crossed my arms.

Gerald grunted then fell to his knees and looked at the ground. "No...No! It can't end like this! My legacy can't end this way!"

"Unfortunately...your legacy is over." I said and walked over to Eden and Laverna then used Floral Healing to replenish their stamina.

"What exactly is Aura Manipulation?" Wave asked.

"He can essentially manipulate Life Force itself to his will. It's the strongest ability known to ever exist. He can manipulate his own spirit or others spirits and general energy to help or destroy a target. He's the only one with that ability in history." Ashbel answered.

Aldeva nodded and smiled at me. "That's what makes Ashikaga a special type of God...It's the reason why he's known as the Sui Generis. Even the Deities of Origin couldn't take away his power. That's how powerful he is."

Estriel sighed in relief and smiled. "At least this is over, but what are we gonna do with Gerald?"

"Oh let me worry about that..~ I know a couple graveyard shifts he can pick up..~" Aldeva chuckled and walked off with Matilda. "For now I've gotta make sure Matilda gets some proper rest. She's expended all of her energy.."

I noticed my Terra Ring had shattered, but I didn't let it bother me too much. All I cared about was that Matilda, Laverna, and Eden were now safe from Gerald. After getting Eden and Laverna back to the inn, I went to check up on Matilda.