The Beginning of the End

|Gary|

We emerged from the portal, finding ourselves within the grand halls of Taegrim Caelum, the very heart of Alacarya. The expanse of the castle's high ceilings and opulent architecture commanded a sense of awe.

Caution enveloped our every step as we advanced, utilizing sound magic to suppress our footfalls and remaining vigilant for any signs of Vritras guarding the premises. Surprisingly, there were no immediate threats to be found.

Arthur's voice broke the silence, calling out a name that carried weight and emotion—Caera. His gaze fell upon a woman confined within a cell, her untamed navy-blue locks falling in disarray around her shoulders. Despite her unkempt appearance, her beauty shone through.

Recognizing Arthur, the woman's scarlet eyes widened with a mix of elation and urgency as she lunged towards the iron bars separating them. "Grey!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with longing.

Arthur hastily pried open the prison door, eager to embrace her. However, Caera held him at arm's length, her words coming out in a jumble, "No, run! They know you're coming!"

Before we could fully comprehend her warning, a surge of energy filled the air as three Legacies materialized in our vicinity.

Time seemed to stand still as we braced ourselves for the impending confrontation.

Amidst the chaos, a girl emerged from the ranks of the Legacies, capturing our attention with her striking appearance. Her dark purple hair, meticulously styled, cascaded down to her hips, but it was the lifelessness in her eyes that sent a chill down my spine. There was an absence, a void where emotions and vitality should have resided—a puppet controlled by another.

"You are my target," the entity declared, her scarlet eyes fixated on me with unwavering intensity. With lightning speed, she propelled herself toward me, her right foot digging into the ground for added force.

Lancelot swiftly intercepted her, his [Spirit of Notos] shield effectively blocking her powerful punch.

'Our adversaries have certainly become more formidable,' I mused, furrowing my brows. Suddenly, I sensed a distortion in the space around me.

I was no longer standing.

Or rather, falling might be an understatement.

I was being forcefully drawn away by a master of gravity magic and spatium, a fourth-dimensional object, a tesseract. The spell, even in its incomplete form, manifested itself in 3D reality—a feat achievable only by someone of at least <SSS- > rank with remarkably high mana and aether affinities.

'Someone other than Legacies possesses this level of power?' I pondered.

Nevertheless, I remained untroubled.

The Paladins wouldn't succumb to defeat any longer.

"Win," I declared, utilizing my sound magic to transmit the information to the Paladins through the mana-aether spell, just before willingly yielding to the force of the spell.

I found myself immersed in a sea of knowledge. Whoever this person was, they were undeniably formidable.

'Agrona had such a potent card up his sleeve,' concern seeped into my being before I activated [Monarch's Indifference], causing the spell to vanish.

The only missing element in the spell was the addition of aevum to impart a temporal quality.

Eventually, I arrived in a pocket dimension. A man stood before me, his back turned.

"Gary Whiteborn," he murmured, his words carrying a weight of power that surprised me as they diffused through the air.

"Or should I address you as Ren Dover?" he chuckled, "I never imagined a lesser would pose such a challenge. You singlehandedly unraveled centuries of my hard work."

His head turned towards me, his scarlet eyes meeting my amethyst gaze.

"What should be done with you now?"

"How about you meet your demise for me?" I retorted as Dusk materialised in her katana form by my side.

"How witty and humorous," Agrona chuckled. Although he retained Agrona's physical appearance, he was vastly different in every other aspect.

His soul itself had undergone a profound transformation.

He fully faced me. At the tip of his fingers, a gravity singularity manifested—a black hole.

Or, to be more precise, a spell replicating the properties of a black hole.

He directed the black hole toward me.

Drawing Dusk from its sheath, I employed the Horizon Splitting Slash of the Keiki Style. My sword strike successfully cleaved the black hole in half, yet the ensuing explosion left my arm slightly numb.

"Not too shabby, right?" Agrona chuckled, "Absorbing that Lucius guy did wonders for me."

Wings gracefully unfurled from his back, their ethereal feathers catching the ambient light. His entire form was engulfed in a radiant halo, as though he were the progeny of God.

A radiant halo materialized above his head, complemented by resplendent golden attire and a celestial visage. He underwent a transformation into an angel.

"In what world are you an angel?" I muttered, steeling myself for the impending confrontation.

|Lancelot|

Gary was spirited away from our ranks by a formidable spell. Although he possessed the means to break free, he willingly departed, entrusting the confrontation with both the Legacies and the enigmatic new entity to us.

The four of us exchanged fleeting glances, an unspoken agreement driving our simultaneous decisions regarding our adversaries. Arthur deftly maneuvered into a godstep to engage the peculiar girl, Rachel conjured a tumultuous water storm aimed at Cecilia, Alistair brandished his sword in a sweeping arc directed at Kevin, and I, in turn, initiated an assault on Jezebeth.

The moment had arrived to bring an end to this conflict.

Swiftly, we found ourselves whisked away into distinct pocket dimensions, presumably orchestrated by the individual who had taken Gary, ensuring the preservation of Taegrim Caelum amid the unfolding battle.

While I possessed the means to escape this spatial confinement, my focus remained unwaveringly fixed on the imminent confrontation with Jezebeth.

Soulfire danced around him in a macabre ritual, an embodiment of impending doom. His fists, once harbingers of despair for us Paladins, had defeated three of our own and even subdued Professor Fejalk.

As he swung his fists once more, I keenly observed, discerning the trajectory and formidable power behind the impending attack. I was ready to counter.

My hand thrust forward, a synergy of wind magic and the augmentation provided by Bell granting me the ability to intercept his punch. Though I felt a slight numbness in my arm, it was a far cry from the devastation he had wrought upon Xyrus. Each punch from Jezebeth had nearly torn my arms from their sockets during previous encounters when I could only parry.

Locking eyes with his scarlet gaze, I declared, "I've reached you."

My punch, aimed at his stomach, met his grasp, and a mutual exertion of force ensued as we pushed against each other.

Rather than attempting to overpower him directly, I deftly redirected the force, causing Jezebeth to flip over. Quick to counter, he responded promptly, but I had already anticipated his move.

Sidestepping his retaliatory kick, I swiftly thrust my sword into his shoulder, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Simultaneously, he unleashed a formidable stream of soulfire toward me, which I skillfully defended against using the protective capabilities of [Spirit of Notos].

A sense of satisfaction enveloped me.

Now, I comprehended what Alistair had been alluding to. The elusive adversary who had sneered at us, surpassing us in talent and effortlessly overpowering us, was finally within reach.

"I've said this to you before, Jezebeth," I declared, advancing with a forceful bash from my shield, "I will be the one to end you."

He grunted in response, seizing my shield and tearing it apart. Seizing the opportunity, I delivered a swift kick to his abdomen, causing him to plummet to the ground.

While my foot was consumed by his soulfire, I promptly healed the damage.

Close-quarters combat was not my forte, anyway.

[Spirit of Euros]

Summoning my bow, I gracefully pulled the string back, preparing to release my arrow.

And then, I shot it.

I pondered intensely, contemplating how I could ascend to the next level. My control over mana couldn't rival Cecilia's, and I lacked the innate swordsmanship gifted to Gary. Even the remarkable archery talent possessed by Kathlyn eluded me.

So, I shifted my focus to a different aspect.

The crucial disparity that emerged was speed. Long-range attacks proved ineffective at this level because the opponents were simply too swift.

What if I could release an arrow faster than Gary could swing his sword?

In that case, my bow could reach every corner of the world.

But it wasn't just about speed; it had to be a different dimension of speed.

I needed to cover much more distance, after all.

And here was my revelation.

I might not be the most gifted in either mana manipulation or martial arts.

But the synergy of both was where my strength lay.

[Spirit of Euros: Quantum Quiver]

|Jezebeth|

'What is happening?' I thought, 'Am I truly being overwhelmed by that child?'

Recollections flashed back to when I first encountered him at Xyrus Academy. Undoubtedly strong for his age, but inconsequential in my eyes. Then, as the war commenced, he grew even more formidable, yet still I considered him weak. My focus remained steadfastly on Gary.

Yet, he persisted, advancing relentlessly. His gaze remained fixed on me, despite the vast difference in our abilities.

He never yielded.

And now, he stood before me.

"I will shatter this version of you," I muttered, pushing myself back onto my feet.

Just as I prepared to lunge toward him, a sudden surge of danger echoed through my instincts.

An impending attack.

Before my instincts could spur me into action, a sharp impact struck my shoulder.

Thunk!

I reached for my left side, but my hand encountered only empty air.

My world shattered as I realized my right arm had been severed from my body.