Chapter 320: The World As My Weapon

I leaped into the air as I summoned several floating turrets to begin cutting his health down to size.

I used advanced flight magic to allow me freedom of movement in the air.

Several heads tried to bite at me, but I was far too quick for them at this point.

I slashed one of them clean off at the neck and brought several gigantic spears down from the sky into his back. Wings sprouted from his back just after I did this.

I was blown away by an explosion of Corrupted energy. The spears were destroyed as Difar flew into the air and began rapidly firing energy blasts from his many mouths.

At the same time, many Corrupted False Sources began to appear in the area.

Some of them fired at the ship while others targeted me and the girls.

Shit! They'll be overwhelmed!!!

Rastair expertly piloted the ship to avoid the blasts from the massive creatures.

I saw some of them bite into the gigantic titans and form into their bodies...creating even more monstrous horrors.

Millions of Corrupted creatures began to rise out of the ground everywhere. The other Avatars began deploying their soldiers en mass to compensate...but it seemed like it was only a matter of time...

My own forces were even struggling to keep up with the insane number of enemies appearing...

I had to kill this bastard as soon as possible.

I began summoning more weapons and launching them at Difar...and I summoned Eris as well.

"FINALLY!!! IT'S MY TURN TO FIGHT!!!" Eris shouted with joy.

She flew straight at Difar and slammed into his body with extreme power, sending him flying back onto the ground and annihilating another part of his castle.

He responded by biting her with several heads at once and trying to tear her to pieces.

She simply responded by slashing one of them in the throat with her claw and another in the eyes. They let go almost immediately.

I quickly joined her and struck with both of my weapons, slicing three heads clean off.

Disappointingly...they dispersed and regrew within seconds.

Finally, Difar began glowing brightly again...

My eyes went wide as an explosion of power erupted from his body and created a tornado of black energy.

Corruption began funneling up from the ground into his body and he started to shrink.

Eventually, he returned to his humanoid form...but he was merely a black silhouette glowing with purple energy.

"Ah...thats better. My full power has finally returned to me..." Difar said.

"What..."

"Surprised? Yes...this is the power of an Abyssal god. Allow me to demonstrate the futility of your efforts..."

Difar turned and held his hand out towards the ship. My eyes went wide as I desperately communicated with Rastair.

"RASTAIR!!!! GET OUT OF HERE!!!!GOOOOO!!!!" I screamed.

But it was too late...

Difar clenched his hand and the world below opened up like a gaping maw. It fired a massive energy beam at the Cursebreaker...and when it dispersed, nothing remained.

"Much better...now we can focus on you instead. You shouldn't have underestimated me, Mizik."

"You...PIECE OF SHIT!!!! DIE!!!"

I manifested the full extent of my power. A ring of gears appeared kn my back as several mechanical arms began wielding the Deus Arms behind me.

"EAT THIS!!!!" 

I summoned thousands of turrets and began firing all at once as I pelted him with as many weapons as I could conjure. All before getting close with my swords.

"EXTERMINATUS!!!!"

I slashed wildly with my blades and managed to wound him with my attacks...but he simply blasted me away.

"Really now...all I did was break your overgrown flying toaster. Who cares? It isn't like you'll be around to mourn your friends, is it?"

"That's what you think..." Valsiel said.

She appeared next to me.

"Hm? So you're still around? Hilarious. What can you possibly do to stop me, Valsiel?" Difar said.

"THIS!!!" Valsiel shouted.

She raised her hands and the Void split open.

For the first time...light began to flood into the Abyss...

Light from the above worlds.

And with it, an army of angelic soldiers began to descend.

"What...WHAT!?!? WHAT THE HELL!?!?" Difar roared.

"HEY ASSHOLE!!!! THIS IS FOR IGNITUS!!!!" A familiar voice roared.

Johann shot down with extreme speed and slammed his fist into Difar's face...sending him crashing into the ground with such power that the entire city was cratered.

And after that, the Cursebreaker descended as well. Valsiel smiled at me triumphantly.

"Valsiel...thank you..." I managed.

"We're friends, so it's fine! You saved me...and I saved your friends! Now please...put an end to this."

I nodded and looked at Johann.

"Iris says I'm allowed to punch him one time and not to get involved otherwise. We'll be giving you support, Mizik. Kick his ass!" Johann said with a smile.

"You got it. I'll give him a few more for Ignitus. For Dante, Gavin, and Michael."

Johann nodded and flew off with his allies onto the other parts of the city to lower the amount of monsters trying to attack Isabella and Cassandra.

I looked down and saw that they were just fine as well...

"You two! I'll finish this! I want you to support everyone on the ship, alright?" I shouted.

"But Mizik-"

"No buts, Isabella. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

She smiled and nodded.

"His majesty will prove his power! Good luck, darling~!" Cassandra cooed.

I nodded and used my magic to transfer them to the ship.

And it was good that I did this...

Because the entire Abyss began to open up after that. Gigantic mouths split open and fired at our forces. 

I looked around for Difar and couldn't find him.

But I'd had enough of this...

I looked at one of the gigantic mouths in the ground and fired a blast of holy flames into it.

The mouth began to melt away, leaving a deep hole.

"Difar...his final form...is the Abyss itself!?!?" I said.

I continued firing magic into every single mouth that opened until a massive one opened underneath the ruins of the castle.

I could feel his power radiating out of it. I decided to fly in.

And as soon as I did, I was met with Difar himself. He swung his fist at me and I blocked it with my own...just before forming my weapons back into massive claws.

I slashed at him and punched with my other hand, sending him back.

"Quite the annoying cast of allies you have there... As soon as I finish dealing with you, I'll devour every last one of them."

"You're welcome to try, YOU ABOMINATION!!!" I flew forward to attack and the area around us shifted. 

Suddenly, we were back in Lorelei on Avernia. On the streets next to my old house...

Except everything was in ruins...all but my house.

"How do you like it? I made sure to decorate the town before killing everyone!" Difar said.

"This really is...Avernia. Isn't it? You bastard..." I said.

"GAHAHAHAHA!!! I CAN DO MORE AS WELL!!!" 

The landscape shifted once more and we landed somewhere else very familiar...

We were in Torantis, the capital of Arcadia back on Ignitus. The sky was as dark as it was the day he fought me.

"..."

"Oh yes. I love that expression. This will suit us just fine. We will fight here...in the bottom of the Abyss!"

As he spoke, the landscape shifted again outside of the center of city where we fought so long ago.

The land was dark and desolate as far as the eye could see. There was absolutely nothing...

All around us, I could see the scars in the landscape left by Extinction...as well as the craters I'd made when I struggled to fight against even his first form.

"Welcome to the bottom of the Abyss...the well of my power. My personal domain. Abyssal Difars usually live up top because they want to escape this wrenched place...but our power comes from here. The bottom. The deepest layer. The deep ones aren't just monsters...they are the original citizens of the Difar's first capital. The almighty warriors and monsters employed by our ancient royal order. And now, this place will be your grave!!!"

I began to hear screams of the damned as my eyes suddenly started to see...

The very things I saw from Cassandra's memories. People being injected and reformed with Corruption. All to grow his armies...and consolidate his power.

But I closed my eyes to focus on the battle at hand...

I looked at Difar and steeled myself.

"This is my purpose... To be the hero who stops you. The one who destroys you. Maybe you shouldn't have brought me here?" I said.

Difar's eyes went wide as I unleashed a massive wave of holy flames.

I began to burn everything around us with as much power as I could muster.

The energy released was as much as I could do...with every ounce of power released, I felt my body change into a form perfectly suited to destroy Difar.

And as this happened, I heard Difar scream.

"NOOOOO!!! STOP IT!!!!! IT BURNS!!!!! GAAAAAAAHHHH!!"

My body was now cloaked in white. My claws became silver and gold, cloaked with holy flames.

As soon as I finished blasting everything around us, I shot towards Difar and slashed him multiple times with my claws. He tried to defend himself, but each of my strikes cut through him as if he were made of wet tissue paper.

I continued slashing with everything I had until he fell to the ground, burning with holy flames.

"G...gah...no... Why...!?" He said.

His form reverted back to what it once was and he stared up at me in anger.

"So...I've lost... Just like that...? I couldn't even... Ugh... It ends here, I guess..." He said.

As he spoke, Valsiel appeared with both Isabella and Cassandra in tow.

"Cain...please-"

"Shut up... You aren't Valsiel... You never were and you never could be!!! It...it was her fault we were caught... She just had to see her mother... They followed us!!! IT'S HER FAULT!!!" Difar screamed.

As he did this, tears streamed down his face.

I never thought I would see Difar cry in my entire life. And he looked at me with anger as he did.

"Go ahead...laugh at me for crying... I know I did the same to you... GAAAAAH!!!! VALSIEEEEEELLLL!!! TAKE THIS PAIN AWAY!!!! MY HEART!!! MY HEART IS ACHING!!!!! Why...why won't you come back...my Valsiel...my everything... Curse it all...CURSE IT ALL!!! CURSE EVERYTHING!!!!!" Difar wailed.

I could say nothing...but in my anger I punched him across the face.

"You pile of shit... WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO CRY AFTER ALL YOU'VE DONE!?!? HOW MANY SCREAMED WITH THE SAME SADNESS AND AGONY AS YOU DEVOURED THEIR LOVED ONES!?!? YOUR SUFFERING ISN'T AN EXCUSE TO RUIN THE LIVES OF EVERYONE ELSE!!!! IT MAKES YOU MORE OF A MONSTER THAN THE ONE WHO HURT YOU IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!" I screamed.

I screamed those words at him as hard as I could...but he only curled up like a child trying to protect himself.

"Shut up... I don't want to hear that from you... You killed so many on your quest to get stronger... What right do you have-"

I stomped on his head to shut him up.

"What right do I have? I DID WHAT I DID TO STOP YOU!!! I DESTROYED THE WORLDS I COULDN'T SAVE!!! Worlds that wouldn't tolerate our presence... And the ones filled with abominations like you. All the while you kept trying to kill and destroy... To satisfy your own emptiness. Over and over again...I watched as you killed my beloved Isabella. I watched you destroy my home and kill my friends...my family...my allies. Because of what? Because your wife died a horrible death at the hands of a monster? Bullshit. WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT!!!!"

"Cain...I might be dead but... This body contains her memories. Her will...her desires... I can't replace her, but I can at least try!" Valsiel said desperately. She crouched down next to Difar and touched him gently. "See? I'm solid. I can hold you in my arms until it all fades way. I may not be the same, but it's fine. Neither are you, yknow?"

"I don't... I don't care... I want my Valsiel back... Not some Void horror created in a lab to resemble and speak like her... I want her to bear my children... I want to go back to the little cottage we lived in so long ago... I want to fall asleep on the couch with you leaning on me like we used to...on an uneventful day... Why...? Why can't I go back...? Nothing I do can make me go back..." Difar wept.

"We can't go back, my love. But we can press forward. Please, just-"

"Get away from me!!!" Difar shouted.

He pushed her away and sat up...then his eyes went wide with fear as he saw me looking down at him.

"Pathetic. The Abyssal god of Corruption is crying like a baby after everything he did to me. Do you have any idea how much I suffered thanks to that abominable curse?" 

"..."

Difar said nothing...and closed his eyes. Resigned to his fate.

"Well? Speak!"

"Just get it over with... When you kill me, it'll be your problem anyways..." 

"What do you mean 'my problem'?" I asked.

"When a Difar dies, the Abyssal Core is passed to the one who killed them. You will become the next Difar. You'll get my memories, my powers...everythjng. Even my will. You'll be more of a threat than I ever was."

I looked at Valsiel in rage.

"LEFT THAT PART OUT, DIDN'T YOU!?!? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?!?" I screamed.

She flinched as she backed away from me.

"Th-there's a good... Umm...explanation for this... Please...baoketh...baoketh...baoketh!"

"EXPLAIN!!!" 

"Mizik is the Hero! The blessing skill! The Abyssal Core is tainted...with umm...Corruption! Incompatible with Sir Hero...I think... Your body would reject it. Not of the Abyss! Cannot rule the Abyss! I...I think..." Valsiel said fearfully.

"Don't...talk to her like that!!!" Difar said in rage.

I glared at him.

"I guess I have to test this out then... Fine. Whatever happens, happens..."

I thrust my hand into his chest and blasted the core at his heart.

"You...bast...ard... Vile...orphan...!"

"Remember my face eternally...you sick abomination."

His body melted away and the energies contained in the heart began trying to enter my body.

But just as she said...

{ERROR! ABYSSAL CORE IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH MIZIK IRATUS! EXO-ADAPTABILITY CANNOT MERGE THIS POWER! CORRUPTED POWER DETECTED! REPELLING...}

The energies were repelled as Difar's body crumbled to dust. The crystal in my hand flew into the air and moved away from me.

Energy began to explode outward from it. I saw as trillions upon trillions of souls were released. A pillar of light shot into the sky and I watched as the essence of many worlds was also released.

Finally, several people appeared before me.

My family from Lorelei...and among them...Aria.

She ran towards me and gave me a big hug.

"MIZIK!!!!" She cried.

"A...Aria...?" I said.

"Yep! It's me!!! Your best big sister Aria!"

I scanned her body...it really was her. She wasn't alive, of course. It was only her soul.

"MIZIK!!! YOU BIG LOVABLE MAN!!! COME HERE!!!" Maul shouted heartily.

He hugged me tight as several other family members went over to hold me as well.

My father...and my mother also appeared.

I heard something behind me and turned to see that Isabella and Cassandra had arrived.

"Uwaaa...so wonderful... We won!" Cassandra said.

"Yes...does this mean it's finally over...?" Isabella said.

"All of you...I'm so sorry. I never meant-"

"Sheesh! There you go blaming yourself again! You really haven't changed at all, Mizik!" Aria said as she and everyone else pulled away. She puffed out her cheeks in frustration.

"Listen, I was supposed to protect you, but I got caught up in a lot of things after-"

"I don't wanna hear it. Nope! Not listening!" Aria said.

"Aria, give him a break. He's my son, after all," Karia, my mother said.

She approached me and smiled.

Somehow...I could sense that she remembered me from the Reset Incident...

"Mom...do you..."

"Remember? Of course, I do. I'm not sure how, but I remember you from that time you and Difar were allies. No one else did, sadly...but I never forgot. I always held hope that you would return. And you did. I'm so glad to have had you. I couldn't be prouder, Mizik!" She said.

My mother hugged me tightly and I felt the tears falling down my cheeks

"So these two are the Princesses of Albatross? Man... You netted both of them? Wow... I'm impressed!" My father said.

I looked over and saw Valsiel cradling the small, dormant crystal in her hands that Difar had in his chest. It looked inactive, but she held onto it regardless. 

I could understand...it was all she had left of her beloved Cain.

"Everyone...I'm so glad that you're safe now," I said.

As I spoke, King Ronald and Queen Evryss appeared as well. They ran to Isabella and Cassandra as well.

And a moment later...I saw Cassandra's eyes change back to their icy blue color. Just like Isabella's were. 

Their parents had a reunion with them...and the whole time, none of us could stop crying our eyes out. 

We saw our friends from Ignitus as well.

We spent a short while talking to them, but eventually...it was time for them to go.

"Everyone...thank you for all of the love and support you gave us. You're free now. You can pass on to the other side," I said.

"I don't wanna...Mizik won't be there..." Aria said.

"I know... And I might never make it since I'm immortal now. But...here. I kept this for you, Aria," I said.

I pulled out her old nametag and handed it to her.

"I'm so glad you kept it...but Mizik... I don't need it anymore. It fills me with such joy that you still have it after all this time... Please keep it forever. As something to remember me by. It's my gift to you!" Aria said.

I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down me cheeks as I placed it back in my inventory.

"Don't cry so much, Mizik," my mother said.

"But..."

"No buts! You're a man now. You can cry for a little bit, but I want the last time we see you to be filled with joy. Please...let us see you smile," my mother said.

I smiled as wide as I could...but I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks at the same time.

"Thank you...thank you all. I love each and every one of you!" I said.

"And we love you too, Mizik," my mom said.

"Mizik!! I...I must apologize!" Evryss said.

"Huh?"

"I...I was very unkind to you... I didn't see the worth you had as a man...but now, I can see it very clearly. You are a man among men. Much better than that scoundrel Arvild could ever be. After all this time, you kept my daughters alive and safe...and they adore you so very much. Thank you Mizik... From the bottom of my heart, you have my eternal gratitude...thank you!" Evryss said with tears in her eyes.

"It was my pleasure. I couldn't have done it without them."

As I spoke, both of the girls grabbed my arms and smiled at me.

Then my father placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Mizik...I think it's time for us to go. Be good, okay? And thanks for getting us out of this mess. I can never be more proud of you than I am right now. I love you, son," my father said.

After he spoke, they all disappeared and formed into the pillar of light...eventually, it also disappeared.