The Second Crusade

Noah Heeden stood at the border of The Bog, a feeling of serenity enveloping him despite the monotony of his task. With a sigh, he contemplated turning back home.

"Hmm, another day of peace… Why must I come here daily to check?" Noah mused, scratching his head. His gloved hand glimmered with an enigmatic light as he prepared to open a portal.

Just as he was about to step through, a voice called out behind him.

"Hey, kiddo."

The voice was reminiscent of a dying man, yet it carried a playful energy that created an unsettling contrast. Noah froze, spinning around to scan the area again, only to find a solitary figure.

The man before him boasted dark, sleek hair, but there was a depth in his eyes that belied his handsome appearance. It was hard to fathom that such a regal figure could emerge from The Bog.

"Who are you?" Noah exclaimed, fear punctuating his tone for the first time in ages.

Ignoring the question, the man inquired, "Do you know which way leads to the Cult of Luca Azoria?"

"Answer my question!" Noah demanded, his hand slicing through the air. Multiple portals erupted behind him. Although he was not a skilled fighter, his ethereal arm allowed him to summon weapons to the battlefield in an instant, overwhelming his adversaries. He reassured himself; worst-case scenario, he could teleport away and report to the king.

"Close those fancy gates; I'm not fond of such brightness." With a wave of his hand, an orb materialized in midair, and the portals Noah had conjured vanished in an instant, as if obeying a silent command. "I am Antonio Valdis. Whether you remember my name is inconsequential. You won't leave this place anyway."

Noah gasped, a wave of confusion and terror washing over him. He had heard the name before but couldn't quite place it. Yet, the dread was undeniable. This man had just demonstrated an ability that surpassed even the Crusader King's prowess—he had controlled and nullified Noah's ethereal arm.

Despite his instinct to deny it, the truth lingered ominously: he was on the brink of death at the hands of this man, who alone could bring an entire kingdom to its knees.

"Surprised by my capabilities?" Antonio questioned lazily, a playful tone dancing in his voice. "Lordrixis has always kept the truth a secret from you, so it's understandable that you're unaware."

"Ethereal arms, as you Lordrixis folks call them, am I right?" He continued, the orb swirling around his figure like a dark halo. "To put it simply, the creator of these ethereal arms devised a means to control them should they ever spiral out of control. The tool meant for that purpose happened to find its way into my hands."

Noah's confidence crumbled under the weight of fear. Desperate to escape, he summoned another array of portals that lit up the dim landscape of The Bog.

Antonio closed his eyes, visibly irritated. With a snap of his fingers, all the portals vanished again, plunging the surroundings back into their natural gloom.

"I'm not like the Tyrant; I take no pleasure in torturing or killing, even if others annoy me," Antonio said, his voice suddenly imbued with a chilling coldness. "But circumstances have shifted. For true peace to prevail, another war must erupt. I simply cannot allow you to be its declarer. There are preparations that remain unfinished."

As he spoke, shadows began to emerge from The Bog, their monstrous forms more akin to nightmares than men. Their filthy, dark auras were palpable, and their eyes gleamed with an unsettling bloodlust reserved for beasts.

"I regret this, boy. It's just an unfortunate twist of fate; you've stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm afraid you've left me with no choice," Antonio continued, his tone dripping with a false sense of remorse. "But do not despair; you are merely the first casualty in a war that promises eternal peace."

"For the sake of justice and peace, please die." He bowed mockingly toward Noah, then lifted his hand.

Under the crushing weight of fear and despair, Noah crumbled. He screamed at the sky, attempting to teleport away. But the orb near Antonio glowed with an ominous energy, halting his ethereal arm's abilities.

Antonio lowered his hand, and the monstrous army behind him surged forward, a tide of ravenous beasts hungry for flesh—an offering of fresh meat laid before them.

Seeing this, Noah surrendered to his fate. His legacy as an ethereal warrior was at an end. He drew a dagger from his pocket, stabbing it into his neck—a swift, unceremonious death for the fourth complete ethereal warrior of Lordrixis.

The horde paused, roaring in fury at the sight of their fallen prey.

Antonio stepped forward, his expression one of mild irritation. "Could you all restrain yourselves a little? Have you forgotten you're still human?" He shook his head in resignation. This segment of his army was little more than cannon fodder, mere decorations meant to instill fear in opponents. "There is much more to destroy, so exercise a little patience."

"It's been seventy years. Can't you manage just a few more days?" Antonio shrugged. The savage horde fell silent, a glimmer of sorrow casting a pall over the air.

Yes, they had waited for so long, and they were simply relieved that the day had finally come.

"Everything is finally in place. It's time to embark on our crusade—the second crusade against the most wicked man ever born. The world cannot know peace while his soul roams free. It is our solemn duty to ensure his death, forever and always."

As he concluded his speech, another old man appeared in the distance, his body frail and withered, as if he might collapse at any moment. Yet his eyes conveyed a different story—one of unwillingness, determination, and most of all, profound sorrow.

Sensing him, Antonio turned, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Shun, you're still alive?" His voice turned cold and flat.

"Oh, yes," Shun replied, "Look at you, Antonio, still deceiving everyone, including yourself. It seems deceit is an unshakeable part of your nature."

Before Antonio could retort, Shun pressed on, his voice steady and resigned. "Your impatience will only hasten the inevitable. But I'm in no position to judge. If I've learned anything from these long years of nightmares and regret, it's this: all suffering comes from being caught between two extremes. In this world, no one's life is good enough to bring true contentment, yet not bad enough for them to abandon everything to change it. No one is purely righteous, nor wicked enough to prove their worth."

"We are stuck, Antonio. You, me—all of us."

Antonio laughed scornfully. "What are you trying to convey, philosopher?"

"There was one who broke free of this cycle." Shun's gaze bore into Antonio, the abyss within his eyes forcing the latter to look away. After all these years, Shun's stare remained both intimidating and horrifying. "If there's anything I respect about Tyrant Kolgwyn, it is his disregard for others' opinions. He pursued his belief in happiness above all."

"That was the crucible that shaped the Tyrant—a life so unbearable that he surrendered everything to transform it. A mind so twisted that no force could deter him from his desires."

"That is why he succeeded, while we remain ensnared in an endless cycle of failure."

"You are doomed to fail, Antonio Valdis, but defeat does not equal conclusion."