3rd Pov
Sitting behind his desk, Dawn quietly listened to Flora's report...she had neutralized Kagali the day before and was now slowly making preparations to eliminate Yuuki Kagurazaka now.
Dawn : (So you kept her alive...)
Flora : (Yes, Eta thought that keeping an ultimate skill holder would be more beneficial in the long term.)
Dawn : (Ultimate skill, huh...well fine, I needed a gift for her after all.)
Pondering, today was a busy day...since his first move in this great war will be played.
Dawn : (Flora, I need you to do something else after you're done with Yuuki.)
Flora : (There is more...ahh, fine tell me!)
Dawn : (Under Kagali, there is a group of clowns...i need you to track them down.)
Flora : (Clown ? Oh you mean those clowns like the one Shu-kun caught up with his trap back during the Walpurgis? I heard he managed to escape though...)
Dawn : (Yes, there should be 2 more...Tear and Footman along with Laplace who escaped, the three of them are quite powerful in their own right, but if it's you it should be fine.)
Dawn was positive, Flora or Eta was more than powerful enough to take those two clowns.
Flora : (If you say so, then I shall kill them.)
Her voice suddenly sounded colder, this was a rare phase where both Flora and Eta merged...it only happened when both personalities agreed on something clear.
Both of them wanted to carry this mission perfectly, so their voices and thoughts merged...Flora's reasoning with Eta's craziness...this didn't influence her fighting ability though.
Dawn : Good.
Cutting the thought communication afterward, Dawn got up and sighed.
Dawn : (Velzard-san, Luminous-sama...can you both come back to Ruberios for the day?)
Sensing another set of thought communication, it was finally time to carry out his promise.
Velzard : (Mmh ? Well sure...)
Luminous : (Ugh my head hurts...hangovers are really something else...)
Dawn : (Just turn on your resistance...)
Their communication grew quiet, Dawn expected them to arrive in a few minutes so in the meantime he contacted another person and teleported away to get her.
Around 20 minutes later, everyone needed to be gathered in front of the holy coffin where the hero Chronoa's body was sealed.
Luminous : So...what is happening now ? I didn't expect you to gather everyone and get them here...
Velzard : So there was such a place in Ruberios...is that the woman that sealed Veldora ?
Right now, Luminous and Velzard were present...Dawn was a bit far behind with little Chloe who was glaring dagger toward him.
Chloe : (Don't you dare peek at my body...)
Dawn : (I won't...)
Lastly, another one who was totally confused as to why she was there.
Hinata : W-where is this place ? Why is there a sequestered woman here ? Why am I here ?
Dawn : Calm down, Hinata...for now, I just brought you here in case something goes wrong.
Hinata : I still don't understand...
Dawn : You will soon, so be quiet and stay on the side for now.
Ignoring her concern, he walked toward Luminous and Velzard before briefing them about the situation.
Dawn : Luminous-sama...i'm going to unseal Chronoa and give her body back to her owner.
Luminous : Wh-
Her eyes widened and she quickly turned toward the Hero's corpse and then toward the other invited guest, she then realized...
Luminous : Don't tell me that little girl is...
Dawn : She sure is, Chloe Aubert..currently a student in Ingracia's freedom academy and it's now time to wake her up.
Luminous : I didn't expect this to happen so soon...you should have told me yesterday so I wouldn't have drunk...now I have an even bigger headache.
Pinching her forehead, she had already sobered up but the sudden flow of information given was too sudden.
Dawn : I wanted to but I knew damn well that you wouldn't have managed to rest and enjoy the festival if i did.
Luminous : ...
This was then that Luminous realized...Dawn seemed to secretly care for his close one more than anyone would think.
He knew that even if announced late, he could deal with Chronoa's seal...that's why he didn't try to hinder the possible happiness the other could attain.
In short, if Dawn could do something by himself...he would do it even if having the other involved would make it easier.
Luminous : (But then that raise the question...how much more are you hiding from us ? I always thought you were more on the collective side, trying to achieve results with the best course but in reality...you are more of a lone wolf...)
Dawn's results until now were good, that gave away the illusion that he always took the right decision...using all means at his disposal.
But in reality, ever since he came back from his long journey...he was always overwhelmingly superior to his opponents and the problem he had to resolve.
Luminous : So...what do you need us to do ?
Dawn : Velzard and you will form a barrier around us, I need you two to maintain it until we are done.
Velzard : That doesn't seem that hard, I suppose you don't want either Guy or Rudra to know what you are doing.
Dawn : Yes, Chronoa or rather Chloe is our trump card.
Looking over at the little girl, Chloe was discussing with Hinata about something...Dawn didn't try to prey in but surely she was getting briefed about the situation at least a part of it.
Dawn : (Normally this ritual should be done only after Hinata dies...her soul would go to the past with Chloe, the process is complex and chaotic to say the least...)
In reality, it wasn't really Chloe that went back in time but Chronoa, the Manas that currently dwell inside little Chloe.
Dawn's plan this time was to use the power of Fate, he shouldn't be able to directly awaken Chloe in her adult body.
Dawn : (That's why, I need to split the process into hundreds, no thousands of pieces...)
Dawn Pov
After finishing the preparation, I took Chloe near the Holy coffin and tried a simple maneuver but as expected it didn't work.
So I have to go the long route...
Dawn : Are you ready ?
Chloe : Yup, thought it's a bit weird to see your own body like that...
Dawn : If you can still make jokes, then you definitely are ready.
I looked toward Hinata who was doing as I said, staying on the side...if everything I tried failed, then I would have to end her life myself and proceed with the ritual.
But that shouldn't be a problem now...because I need to make a copy of her fate and use that copy as the original.
This is something me and Chloe discussed too...Hinata is a good girl, Chloe told me honestly that their fate got tangled together and that Hinata suffered a lot because of that.
Even if she doesn't have the memories of the past timeline, Chloe still felt guilty so I decided to change that.
Hinata won't need to experience that...by having a copy of her fate, I would kind of create a new Hinata that won't really exist and go back in time in her stead.
The fate would then cease to exist once its purpose would have been fulfilled...
Dawn : Let's start, [Destiny beyond Fate].
I watched as Chloe closed her eyes and laid beside her true body...a series of calculations and problems quickly rose within my mind.
Copying a fate isn't easy, I have to go through each and every single instance of the said fate to understand and perfectly implement it.
Fate is a delicate and sensible subject...because a single mistake can break down the whole structure, if Fate was a tower.
Then a small nail at the very bottom that seemed insignificant would become the downfall on all.
Dawn : (Next I have to separate Chronoa from little Chloe...then send all three souls into the sealed body.)
I gritted my teeth as I felt a heavy weight hit my own soul...seems like the Great spirit of Time isn't happy with what I'm doing.
Fate and Time are rigid concepts that can only work together...each time I change Fate, the future is altered.
A large clock like-magic circle glowed below and above us...my vision started to shift as I forced myself to stay up.
The Holy coffin was shattered and Hero Chronoa's body started to float...I had succeeded.
Chloe and the copy of Hinata's fate were back in the past...meanwhile Hero Chronoa shall be rampaging under Manas Chronoa's instability.
Dawn : (It's not done yet, [Destiny beyond Fate]!)
Adding another order to myself, my body even without my consciousness and soul will move on its own to fight off Chronoa.
Meanwhile, I shall go back with Chloe...since Hinata won't be truly there, I need to help her get back there.
Dawn : (Velzard, i will be fine so no matter how long it takes to maintain this barrier!)
Velzard : (You are being too reckless...but since you are asking me so nicely, i can only agree!)
I smiled and nodded, using once again Destiny beyond Fate...i left a copy of my own fate inside this body to go back in time.
3rd Pov
And as he wanted, both Dawn and Chloe went back in time...2000 years ago.
The time they would pass adventuring in the past, and the time passed in the present Ruberios was unrelated...those 1700 years would happen in a few hours in the present.
And during those two hours, Dawn and Chronoa were constantly clashing...having summoned her armor and rapier.
Manas Chronoa controlled the very essence of the Hero Chronoa...the negative emotion that gave birth to such beings was left uncontrolled and rampaging.
On the side Velzard and Luminous were maintaining a powerful barrier that managed to seal off Dawn and Chronoa's aura from the rest of the world.
Since Dawn's body was left without a soul but with the fate of fighting Chronoa until he came back...his body didn't have anyone to manage his aura.
The burning effect of the strongest currently shown Heroic haki shook the land constantly...while the magicule was kept in.
Each and single clash between the two hero/manas sent vibration throughout the entire continent...for the world outside, it was just a sudden earthquake, a continuous one that lasted hours.
Velzard : Should I just freeze both of them ?
Luminous : I doubt your ice would hold on for hours...
Velzard : It has already been 5 hours...what if something went wrong ?
Velzard was in reality starting to get worried, it pained her a bit to see Dawn acting like that...fighting Chronoa, his eyes lifeless as his body moved.
His arm swung Shin Exalia in a very robotic way...he was clearly not himself, each of his attacks lacked any kind of emotion and passion.
Velzard : (This is really a shameful display...thousands of years of honing his skills only to show such pathetic swordsmanship...)
Her eyes carefully fixed the very ongoing fight...meanwhile in that fight, Dawn and Chronoa fought mercilessly.
It was a silent discussion with their sword talking...the legendary rapier Moonlight and the Holy armaments armor...
Clashing against Shin Exalia...despite the emotionless tone behind their fight, the two weapons generated a rhythmic melody as neither warrior felt any kind of exhaustion.
Their sword kept moving around in a similar pattern like two Ai who had concluded the best route to fend off their opponent.
But two Ai operate at the same scale...meaning, when one takes the edge, the other adapts instantly...this process then keeps ongoing eternally.
Dawn : ...
Manas Chronoa : ...
The sound of their footwork, the air being fend off by their swing, moving under a tick melody for anyone who isn't proficient in art.
They would call this a dance, a very beautiful and graceful dance.
Each time their aura bursted against each other, the other would be nullified...sure there was some limitation in their powers and circumstance but at the moment they were evenly matched.
Dawn jumped away with his sword tight in hand, his breath was perfectly calm as he parried yet another heavy assault from Chronoa.
Before countering and passing on the offense himself, this was more a game of defense than anything.
Flying off, Chronoa landed near the barrier before crouching down and piercing the ground with Moonlight rapier.
The flow of time seems to have been disturbed as several pillars made of solid stone surrounded Dawn, however unfazed he simply broke through them.
Dawn : ...
Slashin the every single pillar of stone into pieces, the fast consecutive slash annihilated them until not even dust was lust hanging.
But even that didn't manage to get a reaction out of neither of the two as they just went on with their fight.
A long fight that started to last way too long...as the 7th hour passed by with still no sign of waking up...
Some were starting to grow impatient, other were still on edge despite the lack of ambiance in this fight, it was just a calm sea with a single ondulation.
And finally, once the sun started to go down...leaving the bright shine of the day for the clear darkness of the night.
The fight finally stopped...both Dawn and Chronoa ceased any movement before dropping down unconscious.
Velzard : Dawn-kun !
Sensing the magicule dropping, the barrier was quickly undone and everyone ran toward the two heroes in question hoping that nothing bad happened.
Hinata quickly laid both Chloe and Dawn beside each other and now they could only wait...surley a few minutes after the first of the two opened their eyes.
Chloe came back first...her navy blue eyes radiated life as she got up slowly...
Chloe : Ugh...I feel like waking up after a long dream.
Holding her head, she was slowly trying to get rid of the drowsy feeling assaulting her mind at this instant.
Still, her body felt fine...it seemed that her child body was gone now leaving just her adult one...another effect of the time paradox.
Luminous : So ? Everything went well ?
Chloe : Well it sure did...where is Dawn-san ?
Velzard : Right here.
Hinata : His breathing is normal-
Velzard : Like his breathing state would determine a spiritual lifeform's condition !
Shutting the paladin up, Velzard checked on Dawn's spiritual body and found nothing wrong...it seemed he was just feeling some kind of drawback.
Since he went back in time without skill related to that...and his soul wasn't bound to Chloe directly...
Chloe : Wait...why is he unconscious ?
Velzard : What do you mean ?
Chloe : Ugh-my head...right, i remember he was supposed to go back with me...but that's strange i don't remember feeling his presence when i landed in the past...
Her confusion was real, this was when Velzard and Luminosu realized something went wrong...Hinata however was still confused.
Luminous : W-what could this possibly mean ?
Velzard : Don't tell me-
Dawn : I'm fine...
Waking up at his turn, Dawn just opened his eyes tired...he was perfectly fine but something else was worrying.
His eyes...while they showed a certain degree of coldness before, now they seemed almost lifeless.
Velzard : I-is that really you Dawn ?
Even Velzard felt a sense of doubt, the one sitting right there in front of her wasn't the same Dawn Arceid as the one she talked to a few hours ago.
Dawn : Yeah...i just need some time alone, we can brief everything together later...
Velzard : I-i see...
Getting up, he let his hair fall down...hiding those cold eyes before leaving, Velzard who stood there frozen couldn't muster the strength to confront him directly.
The reason was his words, there was a sense of loneliness...a pure and honest despair and tiredness as if he had discovered something he wanted to bury.
Vezard : What happened there...
Chloe : This is definitely strange...
Chloe herself was a bit worried as she never Dawn acting like that before, Luminous and Hinata too but at the end none of them could act on the spot.
They all stayed quiet before switching up the subject to Chloe's state...since they were trustworthy to a certain degree.
She decided to share the story of Chronoa and some parts of the past timeline.
Dawn Pov
Coldness...that's all I felt as I faced reality.
When we went back in time,i saw it all...i saw the reason as to why the timeline is so messed up.
Why Milim's rampage happened earlier, why Chloe and me met « accidentally », why Lara, Luna and Sola had to die like that.
I understood it all clearly...i saw it with my very own eyes...
So this was my fate, Veldanava...the reason I didn't appear before in any of the other timeline.
Because Veldanava saw it too, i didn't appear because i wasn't meant to appear...
My fate isn't mine...rather it's someone else's.
Dawn Arceid should have been a normal boy who would have died before his 18th birthday...
Origin Averion should have just been the father of Mirai Averion, but he should have died back then and never reincarnate.
I am the reason for all this...my fate is to defeat the Author, I am Veldanava's blade for that.
But originally someone else had this rôle...my daughter Mirai Averion, she was the one who was supposed to go through this hardship.
The pain and sorrow would ultimately lead her to lose everything...
While I should have died, I still hold the power of fate...the current me, before even my birth as Origin Averion, I had altered my own fate.
The future and the past, in a way I saw the world in a third perspective...before my beginning and my end, I wrote down my own fate.
I took Mirai's influence on everything...a time paradox, this phenomenon that allows us to change the course of an entire reality from a single moment.
Once I took Mirai's fate to defeat the Author, everything followed...
The existence of Shyria and Catherine adapted as they managed to bring Origin Averion into his next life.
Dawn Arceid met Chloe Aubert which ultimately helped him grow stronger to survive.
The Author's influence going over Dawn Arceid early on, the death of his mother, the fall of Muth, Ria's death for his development.
Horizon, Eleonor, Flora...all these names shouldn't be recorded as in the original fate they won't even live.
My change in the course of fate allowed them to stick on me and survive...that's also when i realized, how many was it now ?
This isn't the work of a single try...countless failures, countless tries, Chloe has only one memory of this reality.
But the truth is different...it's already my ***** reset, each time i would go back with Chloe...i would wipe out her memories before watching over the world on the third perspective that Fate is.
Fate is omnipresent, I became fate for that moment...but at the same time I am not fate itself...
Veldanava saw it all, that's why he approached me...because I held the power to be his blade.
The reason those close to me died before is because of m-me...the reason I suffered was because of me, the reason everything felt so convenient for my development was because of me !
More events flashed in my mind...my teleportation to the ice continent, it was supposed to be me falling into a trap but it led me to grow even more.
Luna turning into a tyrant and our fight...so i could get my second hero egg and evolve further...
The past, present and future were all carved by my own hand...
Dawn : And ultimately I created my very own fate...my own story...
I grabbed my hand before looking down tired, this moment was crucial because I fully gained Chloe's trust and bound my soul to her cycle.
Meaning if we were to fail, I would go back with her again...and overrule her cycle AGAIN...
That proves another point, the Author doesn't know about the time loop...he knows about Chloe but he doesn't know how many and can recall the memories of the former timeline.
Dawn : Heh...at the end, I just want a happy ending for her...
My left hand lowered down toward my chest, I grabbed the part where my heart should be...feeling the cold and unnecessary beats.
This was truly a story of a failure, a hero and a thief...
Dawn : No...rather than creating my own story, I just forced it through...
A storm of emotion swirled in my mind at that moment, I couldn't even call myself a good person...
Kyuri : Master shouldn't keep everything to himself like that.
And amidst my own breakdown, I felt the light warm of Kyuri's fur brushing my hand...I also felt Shin Exalia shaking on my wrist.
I guess even someone like me needs friends to comfort you when you are at your lowest.
Dawn : Thank you...you two...
My eyes wavered, staring at the two...they couldn't read my mind or memories, but even this time, it was planned.
My own breakdown was part of my fate, I needed people that comforted me and gave me back strength when I needed it the most.
And for that, the time paradox acted and I met Kyuri...this was simply too convenient that I met such a powerful companion in the middle of nowhere.
In a dimension filled with beasts of destruction...a single intelligent lifeform...
Dawn : (At the end i'm just a selfish man...who defied his own fate.)
What I just thought wasn't totally accurate...in reality, I didn't go through all those timelines, rather than that I saw the future fate and unconsciously adjusted those future.
I live in the present, watch from the future and change the past...using Eyes of Fate I can see and what the future looks like.
And thus my future self would use fate to change his past being my present...
In a way, Eyes of Fate allows me to connect with my future and past self...with this power I was able to change everything...but now only that, I also changed anything.
From the original fate where I should have died as Origin and never reincarnate, I should have been able to change fate because in the chronology I would have never gained The Lord of Fate.
The creation of such artificial skill was only possible through Shyria's effort and Catherine research...
That's why instead of me of that original reality, it's the me who had reincarnated that used the Lord of Fate to change the past.
If Tensura Novel is the original world, Mirai's timeline is the second one born from the Author's presence...
Inside that second reality, there was a timeline, maybe 2 or 3, even 4...countless of them where different scenarios happen and among one of them.
Origin Averion acquired the Lord of Fate...he who was blessed with such power had to watch his daughter die, over and over...
The fate that manifested in the form of power in his hand was utterly useless in front of the greater threat...
Until the very end, this single attempt in gaining that skill allowed him to change everything...Time Paradox, he used that phenomenon to change everything.
Instead of being on the ***** try, he influenced the very past and chained the very first time Chloe set foot in that reality.
Wiping out the time traveler's memories so she could keep following the same script for as long as Origin wanted.
He...no i changed the past over and over, my own memories being altered so i could reach this point.
If the Author is the one currently trying to rewrite the story...i was the one who observed him to change the ending.
He is the Author and I am the Editor...
Dawn : I have all my answers now...there is no reason to doubt anymore.
Getting up, I let the dominating silence fill the room as I carried Kyuri in my arm...my hand stayed on my sword leaving me a sense of relief.
The preparations are almost down...I now need one last jump to reach the desired ending.
Flora/Eta Pov
How boring, was this supposed to be the great villain I was tasked to hunt down ?
I grinned madly while slowly walking through an alley of Tempest, since I kindly asked the force of Tempest to cooperate.
I basically asked Ultima-san and Carrera-san by mentioning the Leader's name...they really warmed up and closed this entire side of the city for us.
It wasn't much actually as it didn't even take 1/100 of Tempest's capital...still, that brat Yuuki went directly in.
Awww, Flora is really useful these times...using psychology, showing the corpse of that Elf assistant to her master to make him panic.
The poor guy couldn't even cry or scream because of the curse Leader put on him...i'm a bit sad i won't be able to hear his pain.
But since it's the leader's doing, who am I to blame him ?
Eta : Who are you~
Still, if I can't hear those screams...I'll at least want to see that despair in his eyes.
I tilted my head creepily while observing my surroundings, the quiet place that should be a lively street surrounded by Japanese style houses was turned into a hunting ground.
Yuuki ran inside there while I had those demons perform a barrier around the section to avoid any escape...now it's just him and me.
Though, I did try to kill his leg but somehow my skill didn't work...is that the reason leader was wary of him ?
An ability that allows the nullification of other skills ? This is just a supposition but that would explain why the leader wanted Yuuki dead.
Flora : (I told you we should have finished it fast...now he is on a run and the place is huge...)
Eta : (Don't worry, if it's a hide and seek..;there is no way i'll lose!)
I let out another fierce grin before closing my eyes...filling the chilling air hitting my senses, I focused with a confident side.
Finally, after a few minutes of total focus, I heard the sound of a panicked heart, an irregular and fast beat that could only be produced when terrified.
Eta : Heh~
Licking my lips, I killed the sound of my footsteps and slowly made my way toward the center of the closed area, inside a small building that appeared to be a forgery...
Making my way in, the rhythmic heartbeat made my blood boil until finally, I reached my destination.
Peeking my head above a desk, my eyes gleamed in excitement as I stared right down at a helpless brat.
Eta : Found you~
Yuuki : (You bitch !)
Instantly, at a pace faster than I could react...he launched a circular kick toward me, I flinched a bit as it landed right into my face sending me crashing into the ceiling.
Eta : I wish i could say it hurt but you'll need more than that to beat me~
Killing the pain, killing the wound, killing the internal injury...his skill annulation only worked on himself, or at least he wasn't aware of the nature of my power.
Yuuki : (What a monster...)
Eta : Are you trying to talk ? How cute
Yuuki : (I can't fight her here...Tempest's soldiers already closed the area, I need to find an escape even if it's nearly impossible!)
Eta : Anyway, my beautiful face almost got a bruise because of you...
Flora won't be happy about that, after all she took careful care of our appearance...
Eta : I wish I could insult you for that, but I guess mother nature already did so seeing how my injured face is still more attractive than your pitiful deaf appearance.
Stretching my hand and cracking my neck, I followed by summoning a few death swords that were instantly crushed by his skill.
Is this removing the entire area of skill ? But i can still feel my power flowing inside me, it doesn't act on magicule but the power itself, huh.
No, that's not right, because my regeneration skill isn't working...
I stared down at my hand and looked over a scratch I made myself...to test it out, I had to use my unique skill : Killer to act as healer.
That means he can nullify all kinds of skills but somehow not mine when I use it on myself...
Eta : Oh I see...you are truly unlucky, haha !
I laughed while holding my face as I realized what was happening, my skill : Killer allows me to simply end whatever I want.
It's a broken ability and my guess would be that to kill my pain, the skill will act on itself and kill whatever affecting me.
His skill was judged a danger for me so it was killed...that means, instead of aiming for him...i aimed toward his skill.
Eta : You'll die painfully~
Doing as I thought, my lips curved upward as the muffled scream of this ugly brat resonated.
Holding his right arm that he just lost...confusion, fear and terror.
I could see them all in this brat right now...and yet we just began~
Flora : (They are here...)
Eta : Ugh-
I quickly jumped back as I felt a sudden urge of death looming around me...escaping those grasp, two shadows emerged from who knew where and stood in my way.
Eta : Heh, are they the one leader mentioned ?
Those two new guests were wearing clown-like masks, the bigger one who seemed to be as big as a balloon wore an angry looking mask, while a petite girl teinted with pink clothes held a mask with a single tear running down.
So those two are Tear and Footman but where is the third one ?
Eta : Oh ?
Flora : (Yeah...that Laplace guy took Yuuki and ran away while the other two occupied us.)
Eta : It's fine, I have to kill them all anyway.
I let out a mad smirk and jumped at the opportunity, I just have to kill both of them first !
Tear : Nuh huh, we're out of here~
Eta : Wha-
What the-as she taunted me, Footman suddenly grabbed Tear and bursted off completely leaving me in the dust...
I stood there motionless for a moment trying to understand what just happened...still, there is no way they could bypass the barrier.
Eta : Wait no...how did they enter to begin with ?
My brain froze as I realized something was wrong, I quickly ran after them before finding a hole, they went underground.
Since the barrier was placed around the area..;we didn't cover below...
Eta : Those bastard...
I tightened my fist to the point where my own blood burst from my palm, my teeth grinded in fury...
Ultima : You lost them ?
And once again, another voice came to disturb me...looking up I saw Ultima and Carrera, the barrier around the area was breaking down.
They surely noticed the intruders leaving so they came here to check on the situation...
Eta : Yes...i f-failed...
A bitter taste was left in my mouth, I looked down shamefully before falling on my knee and smashing my fist on the ground.
Leaving a clear dent on the concrete like matter...
Carrera : Those guys are pretty fast, they dared make a hole in our lord's great city...unforgivable, I told you we should have put another layer of barrier.
This was a request from Eta, to weaken the barrier so Yuuki could experience a slight hope of breaking it...
Ultima : Are you okay ?
3rd Pov
While Carrera complained, Ultima was clear up checking on Eta...maybe it's because the violet primordial found Eta interesting...
Eta : N-no...i'm not okay !
Looking toward the ground, it was one of her rare occasions to show off and she failed ?
Ultima : Meh, it's fine-huh ?
But contrary to her words, Eta showed such expression that would put even Ultima's torture scene to shame.
Her mouth curved high almost reaching her eyes, her pupils showed craziness as Eta reached out her hand to grab her face.
Eta : Kidding~how could i not be okay after that ? Everything went as planned !
All those that were affected by the unique skill : Killer can be tracked, like a serial killer who had set his eyes on a prey.
Flora marked Yuuki and now the lingering feeling of bloodlust and the scythe of death will follow him until the end.
Eta : Now i know where all the remaining clowns are...you messed up really big, brat~
Her voice came out psychotic, whisper-like laughter escaped her lips as she hid her face behind her hand.
Hints of her crimson eyes shone through her finger...the monstrous sight she displayed in front of the two primordials was purely animalistic.
Carrera : Damn...she is even crazier than you Ultima...
Ultima : Heh, I can tell this girl is a good person.
Carrera : Ugh...don't forget who her boss is..
Ultima : Hick !
Her skin shivered as the one person that shouldn't be mentioned in front of the purple loli was brought up.
Eta : Ahh~now shall we proceed to the next step ? Let's call this operation, catching four rats~
Slowly getting up, Eta undisputed herself and turned her gaze toward the nightly sky...the direction she was looking at was where the clown fled.
But before she could take another step, someone appeared right behind her...a silently menacing presence that meant no harm to the people present.
Dawn : You seem to have fun, Eta.
Eta : Boss !
His sudden appearance didn't go unnoticed, particularly by the two primordials in which Ultima instantly hid behind Carrera.
Carrera : What the hell are you doing ?!
Ultima : Using you as a cover ! Why is that guy here ?!
Carrera : How the hell would I know ?!
Struggling to get her violet kind off, the smaller primordial held tightly on Carrera's arm...her body shaking furiously.
Eta : Why is the leader here ? Oh, don't worry, I'm in the process of completing your task !
Dawn : I know, I'm here for something else...where is Kagali ?
Eta : Huh ? (Wait...is it me or is he a bit...different ?)
Flora : (N-no, you are right...his eyes feel so empty...)
Eta was stunned for a moment but still she complied and guided him to the room where she had settled Kagali's tortured corpse.
The elf secretary was still chained up, her consciousness barely holding while she still lived, it would hardly be called being alive.
Eta : I tried to get her to talk during the night but she managed to keep everything in...I doubt it's her will power but rather some spell that seals her memories...
Dawn : Well it's fine, someone like her wouldn't give me any useful information anyway.
Stretching his hand toward Kagali, Dawn destroyed all the chains around her...the elf just fell down like a rotten corpse.
No reaction, no emotion...she was totally broken, not like it mattered to Dawn.
Dawn : (Raphael, you are here right.)
Raphael : (Affirmative.)
Dawn : (I got a small gift for you...this elf here has a pretty powerful ultimate skill, take it.)
Even now it was planned from the future, Fate being altered...Dawn's presence in the past where he had shaken up Demon lord Kazaleam with just his name.
Dawn's survival and his millennium journey...led Kazaream to awaken his ultimate skill, which served the purpose of being given to Raphael in the future.
Raphael : (...Analysis of individual Kagali, confirmed- Ultimate skill Lord of Lord of Dominion : Melchizedek, confirmed.)
Dawn simply watched as the Lord of Wisdom did her job, taking everything left in Kagali.
Dawn : (Lord of Dominion, that skill is originally an Ultimate enchantment provided by Michael...not a proper skill, but due to Fate being altered, it was given to Kazaream as a whole new ultimate skill...)
Raphael : (Mmh-Process completed, individual : Kagali has now been fully analyzed, i thank you for that Dawn Arceid.)
Dawn : (Did you just...drool for getting a new toy?)
Raphael : (It's your imagination.)
Dawn deadpanned before shaking those thoughts away, now he was getting to the main part.
Dawn : (I said it was a gift but surely you don't expect me to get nothing in return, right?)
Raphael : (Naturally, state your request.)
Dawn : (I need you to get a few skills...though you currently can't fill my whole request so i expect it to be sent to me the moment you achieve it.)
Raphael : (Very well, but under the sole condition that the skill demanded doesn't pass the unique grade.)
Dawn : (Yeah don't worry...)
Falling silent, the discussion ust ended like that, surely Raphael didn't want to stay long because of her new toy...
Eta : Are you done ?
Dawn : Yeah...well, I got some time before going to the Barren land so why don't we hunt together for a bit ?
Eta : Hunt ?
Dawn : You said it yourself, there are four rats on the run.
Eta suddenly grinned as she was proposed on a hunting date, taking off with a large smile she bowed gracefully in thrill.
Eta : Then allow me to lead the way~
Yuuki Pov
That girl is an absolute monster...I thought Dawn Arceid was the only true danger in Ruberios but if all those so-called Genesis knights are like that demon...
She was literally torturing me and taking pleasure in my despair...
Laplace : We should be far enough for now but we can't stay here for too long, boss.
Yuuki : ...
I tried to talk, my mouth opened and my tongue gloated...but no sound came out, just a muffled noise.
I gritted my teeth in annoyance. I can't even use skills like telepathy since my body is unable to use skills because of Anti-skill.
No it doesn't matter for now, we need to escape...I quickly grabbed a branch and started to write on the ground.
« Kagali was captured...the Genesis knights are surely out there to hunt us down, we need to leave now! »
I made sure to be short and accurate, and it seemed it worked as Laplace nodded before turning toward Tempest's direction.
Shortly after, Footman and Tear arrived...
Laplace : As you said boss...the thing is that the President is still alive, our connection hasn't been severed yet...
Tear : Then we shall go save her, hihihi !
Footman : We can sneak in again, those bastards will see what I'm capable of !
No...this wo'nt do, right now Tempest is worst than a fortress...going back there is total suicide.
And I made sure to tell those guys about this...True dragon, Former demon lord, Rimuru-san himself, the knight of Ruberios and even the elven elite...
Laplace : We need to flee, Ingracia won't be sure anymore, our last chance is the empire.
I nodded, Kagali's lost is a big problem but losing everything here for her is just too much...
Footman : What ?! Are you serious !
And as expected, the most hot headed of the group footman growled in anger...he grabbed Laplace's shirt and lifted him slightly off the ground.
Even when Clayman died, he was the one who showed the most excessive reaction...while all of us regretted in our own way.
Tear : C-calm down Footman...
Footman : You guys are really agreeing in abandoning the president ! After ever-
Footman : Shut up Footman...
The hierarchy among the moderate clown troupe was clear...while Footman was powerful on his own, Laplace had something the other clown didn't.
He was smart, a quality of his that made him superior to the likes of Clayman, Footman or Tear.
Laplace : Do you really think it makes me happy? I'm forced to smile even after losing Clayman and the president...
His blood red eyes shot up with darkness as he stared right into Footman's mask, a hint of bloodlust coupled with pure rage extended through the air.
It wasn't unusual for them to fight like this...still I had to stop them now because we don't have much time.
Dawn : Well sadly for you, your time is already up...should have checked the timer before.
Yuuki :: !!!
He is already here ?! Wait ! Why is he here ? Shouldn't it be that girl ? This is even worse, we definitely can't take on that guy !
I spinned around and delivered the most powerful kick I could muster at the moment...but all it did was connect with his left arm.
He didn't even try to block it, no he just took my kick and stood there...unfazed as I fend off the air behind him.
The minor blow I assumed caused the other clowns to react and move at their turn...or rather they tried.
Eta : [Killer Zone].
Yuuki : (She is here too ! Shit !)
I felt, no, we felt our leg giving up...the nature of her skill is still unknown but she is extremely dangerous.
I looked down and saw all our legs missing...blood gushing out as our face ate the grass.
Dawn : Well this hunt fell short, i guess these rats aren't that energetic.
Yuuki : Y-you bastard-huh ? My voice...
I can speak again ? Did he undo whatever he did to me ? B-but now it's too late...
Dawn : Eta likes listening to the scream of those she kills...so at least your pathetic existence would have managed to bring some joy to someone at the very end.
Yuuki : You guys are sick...
I looked up in anger, I had so many plans and preparations that waited for me to crave the future...yet this man-no this monster in front of me ruined everything.
Yuuki : W-what are you ?! You can't be a simple human !
He agreed to that demon's torture, even now he looked down on me with such coldness...i doubt even the Ice continent condensed into a ice ball would match his eyes.
He is simply merciless, I can't feel the sense of greed or justice in him...he is just a monster.
Dawn : What I am, huh...well the most accurate answer I could give you right now would be...the villain, I am the villain of this story.
He looked down on me, his figure kept growing bigger as I realized...this was truly the end, no talk, no words, no action could make me live.
I looked behind me and saw Laplace, Footman and Tear frozen...a large block of pale blue ice imprisoned them.
I couldn't know if they were still alive...but one thing was sure, I couldn't do anything.
Dawn : If Fate is the absolute rightful route, then I am the villain for altering it for my own greed.
His hand stretched out and stopped right in front of my face, he covered my vision as the bright moon shone behind him.
Looking up, I slowly and agonizingly felt a lack of connection by my brain and body...my vision kept growing further away...
As my head flew off of my body...that demon Eta had mercilessly separated my head with a short sword, I could still see the motion of her arm as I looked down.
My vision of the world slowed and turned gray...everything lost color beside the glowing predatory pupils of that guy, Dawn Arceid.
He just fixed me right in the eyes, without moving...he just watched my head flying high in the sky before making contact on the ground.
Lifeless.
3rd Pov
At the same time, in another dimension...inside a seal that was set to keep the world's most destructive being, Ivarage or now known as Varja.
Inside the gigantic corpse that took the form of a black dragon with purple scale, there sat a petite lady.
As time passed her humanoid form refined, her piercing amethyst eyes found a new resonance with the abyss, her figure hadn't changed much.
But still, her power was growing tremendously fast...this being named Varja was supposed to be alone for the next eternity in that seal.
But this time, she had a visitor...a being taking the form of a human but contrary to normal people, every single part of himself was made of glitch particles.
It was as if reality itself was being disturbed by his simple presence...
Author : Why did you call me, Varja ?
The Author, a being from unknown origin...he was the one who granted the name Varja to the ever terrifying world destroyer dragon.
Varja : I felt a sort of distortion...this isn't the first time as those spams kept happening even before i got a name.
Author : What ?
Varja : I feel like something changed...this is weird honestly...
Author took a second to think carefully, his imaginary hand reached for his chin and he pondered for long minutes.
Before reaching a light supposition...
Author : Tell me Varja, who is the enemy you have to kill ?
Varja : Are you talking about the hero ?
Author : Yes, give me his name...
Varja : You called her Mirai Averion...
At that moment, a brief silence filled the sub-space...the Author couldn't fully realize the situation but one thing was now sure.
Something interfered with reality...and that thing didn't affect the World destroying dragon, Ivarage.
The power of Fate held by Dawn Arceid...had a single exception that overruled his control of the evil God and the reason for him to alter the world so many times.
Ivarage/Varja, an anomaly that for the first time in all of Dawn's retry...was granted a name, the being capable of killing Fate itself.
A being capable of killing Dawn for good...that was Varja, the One exception to Fate.
Author : (Heh, Mirai Averion...I guess I can make a detour before confronting you, my dear Dawn...)
The Author, The evil Blade : Varja, the weapon forged by God : Dawn Arceid, The true protagonist : Rimuru Tempest and The former main character, Mirai Averion...
This war will decide the fate of all...