Chapter 1: The satisfying end.... is it truly satisying?

*BOOM*

A deafening explosion broke out as I lifted my arms to shield whatever I could from the attack. Metal shrapnel flew everywhere as I skidded on the floor, trying my best to scrape against it to stop myself from going any further.

I crouched as dodged a sword made of pure energy aiming to behead me. On all fours, I used all the strength I could muster inside my limbs as I threw myself forward and thrust my lance towards my enemy.

To which it simply grabbed the lance and lifted me into the air, slamming me back into the metal floor, causing a crack to spiderweb in hundreds of meters in radius. I grunted as I quickly barrel rolled to the left.

Another deafening explosion hit the spot where I was just moments ago. "…Fricking monster." I grumbled in spite. I barely stood up with the help of my willpower as I locked into a stare with my enemy.

I could feel all my joints barely hold my body together, creaking in protest at any movement, almost every bone inside my body had already become shattered in the fight, my internal organs were bleeding out.

"Your desperate attempt to defeat me is futile, human." A clear yet utterly disturbingly distorted voice rang out. "Futile... huh?" I asked out to no one in particular, as once again, I sized up my opponent- no, humanity's great adversary.

An 'Omega-class Mutare'.

Mutares are divided into a total of 8 classes: the Rho, who are at the very bottom who are fully physical enemies, followed by the Psi who can barely use Exsia energy, the Mu, who possess strength that can easily crush a tank full strength.

The Eta who can destroy small buildings, the Theta who can take out large buildings, the Alpha who are able to level entire blocks of buildings, the Omicron who are able to destroy large cities, and then, the Omega that threatens humanity as one being.

Omega class Mutares are capable of leveling entire countries, and there have only been two recorded Omega class Mutares. Namely, Anthrax, who managed to shave off most humans in the first war, leaving only a small percentage.

And there's this mother f*cker: Amaranth, who directly destroyed all the remaining fortresses of humanity left on earth after appearing out of the blue, bringing an endless rain of blood in her wake.

I looked over my shoulder as what greeted my eyes was the remains of countless soldiers, fellow brethren, and sisters under the name of war, and her… corpse. Her once vivid smile overlapped with her fallen visage.

"Finally resigning to your fate? Wanting to join your friends, human?" Amaranth spoke as it generated a long sword of pure crimson energy, pulsing out a headache inducing lightshow. Suddenly a third voice entered my hearing.

"Lucis, are you… still alive? Amaranth is suddenly gathering monstrous amounts of Exsia while your energy signatures turned stagnant and the both of you aren't moving in the video feed. Did humanity… lose?"

It was major, hearing her voice, countless memories flooded my mind. Starting from the very beginning of my life as a soldier, all to this point of time. I had already lost the two, I won't lose the last.

Hearing the voice, my body became less tense for a moment before I felt a sense of motivation overcoming the oppression brought by Amaranth's overwhelming strength. "Major, don't worry." I spoke as I raised my head forward.

"Humanity, will not fall." Brandishing my shield and lance, I stood back up to full height, even though my body was screaming at me not to, even though I had wounds beyond salvation. "Even though I might fall..."

I gathered every single remaining Exsia I had inside of me as I, for the last time in my entire life, prepared to engage a fight deciding the fate of humanity. "...Humanity will stand tall!" I shouted at the comms as I blasted off.

I swung my lance with the intent to bisect Amaranth as it deflected my attack with relative ease. "Humanity will stand tall? What a joke!!" Amaranth exclaimed as it swung at me with hypersonic speed.

Leaning my body to the right, I barely dodge the attack with my senses already going haywire. "You're not even as half as strong as the female human from earlier!!" I shouted at me with boundless arrogance.

It was right, I wasn't even half as strong as her in terms of combat ability. "But that doesn't warrant me to give up fighting!" I screamed back at it as thrust my lance towards it with my all, it dodged, but I kept momentum.

Pivoting, I spun around while swinging my lance to the left, again, it dodged, while tearing out my shield, along with my arm. I grit my teeth as I back away. "What can you do?" It spoke as flames devoured our surroundings.

"What can idealists do…" It walked forward- "…with their empty promises?" -and stomped down on my severed left arm, reducing it to nothing but a mere splatter of blood on the metal floor. "This is as far as you go."

"Your ideals won't spread. Your naïve dreams won't come true." It stood still for a second as it stretched out its arm towards me, the flames grew in infernal intensity as hundreds of crimson blades of energy materialized.

"But I'll tell you how I want things to go." In an instant, dozens of the said crimson swords surrounded me. "Annihilation." Though I managed to dodge the vast majority, one managed to pierce through my stomach.

I scowled as pain hit me in colossal waves. "Urgh…" I grunted, glaring daggers unto the eyes of it. My blood boiled in anger, I was helpless, I was weak, I was unable to do anything- "Like I will wallow in despair and do nothing!!"

I shouted as I once again, forced every cell of my entire being to squeeze out energy. I hit the end of the lance to the ground as I supported myself with just it. I pulled out the crimson sword as it dematerialized after I threw it out.

I took a couple steps back and reached out to behind me, and took a white, pulsing orb, and jammed it into my chest. A burst of Exsia filled me as my body began to break down. "Bernstein, I'll have to borrow your power." I spoke with grief.

"Like I will just give up after all that I- no! We have sacrificed to build a home, to reclaim home! Like I will let you do your way to destroy humanity's hope!!" I shouted with my all as I spat out globs of blood on the ground.

I uprooted the lance from the ground, as I held it near to my waist, spreading my feet apart. I breathed in as much as I could, despite my lungs refuting to take in any more air, I desperately inhaled the Exsia floating in the air.

White flames covered my entire being as I put on a fierce, beast-like expression of unwillingness. My wounds cauterized from the heat as my Exsia count skyrocketed, so did the flames, I was sacrificing my life force.

"All you think about is destruction, but what about me?! What about all the family and friends that I had lost!" I shouted at it, stopping for brief second, "What about her, whose name you took!" I screamed in desperation.

The white flames around my body exploded out as got into a stabbing stance. "Do you think I'll just give up fighting after all the deaths I had to swallow, their dreams for me to materialize, for there to be city of peace upon earth?!"

Some of the white flames spiraled around the tip of the lance, as I looked with murderous intent into the eyes of 'Amaranth'. For a moment, just a moment, I saw hesitation. FEAR, even if it is just a small glimpse of it.

It is all that is needed for the predator, to become the prey, and I never was willing to be the prey. My eyes burned with determination. "If the sky falls, let it crumble. We will stand tall and face it all!"

In an instant, I stabbed forward as my attacks pierced through the air… *BOOM* …with devastating shockwaves to follow, and a flying body to chase. "Impossible!" Amaranth shouted as I didn't stop there.

Stab after swing, swing after stab, I used every single attack I knew in my memory to dish out attacks. I felt unstoppable- no, I must be unstoppable! "In order to fight for another day! To see the sun's ray!"

I grit my teeth and begin to squander the near infinite energy that I possess inside my body, it was destroying my body, so I knew I had to end this fight soon. I had no choice but to go faster, faster than I can right now!

My attacks were deflected, until they couldn't be, then they were blocked, until they couldn't be… until they began to harm Amaranth as well. But at this pace I would run out of juice first, so I had to go even faster.

And so, I did, even if it was once beyond my ability, it is now my ability! Even if it is impossible, it has to- it will become possible! "Impossible, this is simply outrageous!" 'Amaranth' shouted with a disbelieving expression.

With a sudden burst of speed, I impaled Amaranth, dealing fatal damage. But s- it, was not alone in the exchange as I found another whole in my torso, a crimson great sword was embedded unto my chest.

"Kuha!" I gasped and backed away, plunging out my lance out of 'Amaranth's' chest. Blood seeped out of my mouth in quite literally deathly amounts. But I did not waver, I might be close to dying, my body is collapsing, but my will isn't.

"Major… no, Kiera." I spoke, although barely. "Always remember; there are no victors in wars, only survivors with scars." My knees buckled, and I fell to one. "Also, write it on my tombstone: …" I struggled and stood back up again.

Coughing up blood, I glared unto the now heavily injured Omega class with hate so pure, passion instilled, and commitment to burn. "… on the day of December 31st, year 2060, Harbinger of Humanity's Ordinance, Lucis [Aegion] Acrux, died with badassery, slaying a god."

For a good 5 seconds, I was met with silence before I received an answer. "…Alright. I will make sure. Now go and kick its ass." A deep sigh resounded in my ears. I smirked; for one final attack, I let my Exsia run rampant and uncontrolled.

Amaranth glared at me with contempt as it also began to prepare its final attack. "Arrogant human, I admit that you posses sufficient might to harm me. But you fall short from killing me, feel the wrath of heaven, be torn asunder repeatedly again!"

A giant sword of pure crimson energy appeared behind it as I felt the Exsia fluctuations from it. Again, white flames burst out from my frame, burning to its brightest state. "A star is most brilliant before its death, heaven may fall, but I stand tall: BERNSTEIN!!!"

I shouted, as I lunged forward unto the devastating attack in front of me, capable of leveling entire countries, but my attack did not waver and a bright white light engulfed my vision, taking me into its embrace. Memories of sweet, yet bitter regret.

But then I heard a gentle whispering voice.

[What would you wish for if you could live your life again?]

Only a single thought passed through my mind at that moment; "I would wish for the eyes of discernment, to see the truth, and lay it bare before my eyes."

At that point, I was sure my body had already evaporated, and so did the Omega class Murate 'Amaranth' also perish in the midst of our attacks. After all, it was an attack that could possibly erase a small continent at minimum.

[Granted.]

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