3rd Pov
Under a blazing sun, the so awaited day finally arrived...Dawn departed from Ruberios to the Barren land.
Accompanied by Yuu and Eleonor, they went off on horseback but soon left after they exited Ruberios.
Using Teleportation, they arrived near the border between Ruberios and Demon lord Dagruel's territory in an instant.
Standing there, a few knights present guarding the place greeted them...
Dawn : Stand down, knights...keep the guard up, we never know what a demon lord is thinking.
Dismissing them quickly, Dawn continued his march and got on one of the outer posts of Rubrios, this gave him a piercing view.
Hsi pale blue eyes gazed on the horizon, the wind hitting his face gently...a few thoughts passed through his mind briefly.
Eleonor : The view is really breathtaking...
Dawn : Have you already pinpointed Horizon's location ?
Eleonor : I know the direction where he was taken, by retracing their path...i'll find him in no time.
Dawn nodded and turned his attention toward Yuu for a moment, she was just mindlessly gazing at the given view.
A long and grassy plain that suddenly stops on a dead land, corrupted with the Destroyer's rampaging magicule.
Dawn : We'll leave right away, once near the giant's settlement...we'll go in with a light reflection spell.
Nodding to his instruction, both girls did a last check on their weapon and provision...
Light reflection, this was a simple spell allowing the user to make himself invisible...using the sun reflection, this was the perfect time to use it when the sun was at the highest in the sky.
And in this day where not a single cloud could be seen across the vast sky...it was the most optimal way to infiltrate a place without wasting too much magicule.
Shortly after, the three could be found running toward the barren land...their movements were fast and accurate in a motion so they would not leave any hint of their passage.
Soon enough, they reached the battlefield where Horizon was taken away...traces of the battle were still lingering both in the air and on the ground.
Dawn : (I can picture what happened with just the battle remaining...)
Eleonor went first and activated her unique skill : Clairvoyance, her eyes glowed purple as the past revealed itself to her.
She could see Horizon laying on the ground unconscious, several wounds covered his body...the next image was Dagruel, a tall man...king of the giant, part of the Holy titan.
He grabbed Horizon and tossed him over his shoulder before going off...
Eleonor : Good, I got it...
Dawn ; Lead the way, from now on be extra careful...i would like to avoid you two being found out and engage in an early fight.
Yuu : There are two giants ahead.
And before they knew it, they arrived at the giant's city, a village incrustation in a stone hill, the house was big.
This was the Holy void of Damargania...the land of giants.
The inhabitants here were humanoid titan whose size exceeded the norm, the smallest individual here would still beat the biggest human.
Dawn : Mmh, where did Dagruel take Horizon ?
He analyzed the state of the village, the giants appeared inactive...the two giants at the front were seemingly on guard duty but they weren't focused at all.
It was way too calm for a race and nation in an ongoing war with a super nation like Ruberios.
Eleonor : Right ahead, in the giant castle.
Right ahead of them, on the highest location...an ominous looking castle which serves as the base of operation for Dagruel.
This was also where the strongest presence was residing in...
Dawn : (Mmh...i can feel four really strong aura, Dagruel, Glassord and those two ? Why are they here?)
One of the other two were awfully familiar, this made Dawn furrowed his eyebrows.
Dawn : Change of plan, we'll neutralize every single giant we cross.
Yuu : Huh ?
Before the girls could react, Dawn's hand stretched forward and he mercilessly froze the giant guards's body.
Their internal structure and soul were crushed under the frost...
Dawn : This is still an infiltration...i just want to avoid us to be surrounded when the time comes.
Eleonor : If you say so...
Yuu : Make sense...
No objection, they trusted their leader enough to follow such a sudden turn, this was definitely more dangerous than the original mission.
But who cared ? They were knights, fighters, heroes and more..even if they were ordered to destroy the entirety of the barren land, they would carry out the order.
Because, once again...they trusted their leader more than anything.
Moments later, the three of them ran through the giant village...those unfortunate enough to cross paths with them would be dealt with instantly.
Their bodies were covered with the Light reflection spell to hide them...Dawn observed closely, something was definitely off as some of the giants should have been at least capable of reacting before being frozen.
Dawn : (It's as if they abandoned all fighting spirit and become an empty and lazy corpse...)
Shin Exalia : (Master is right, some of them have realized the presence of intruders but since none was killed, they decided to not fight back.)
Dawn : (I see...)
Dawn's mouth quivered as he pieced the situation together, most likely...the giants despite being loyal to Dagruel were unhappy with the incoming war.
The entire race must have splitted in two factions...one that supported Dagruel and the other that opposed the war.
They finally started to live in peace, the war behind buried in the past...but all this is being menaced because of their leader.
On top of that, all of them knew what it meant fighting a war against Ruberios...them losing was as possible as them losing.
But casualties would be too much and dramatic no matter which outcome happened...Dawn Arceid, this name wasn't just famous among the humans.
Even monsters who had achieved a certain level of civilization learned this name and how to fear it.
But there was also another factor, it was Dawn's power...Fate, the past must have been altered again from the future that has yet to arrive.
The power of fate can influence a lot of things, mainly decisions...even if there is a faction that wants to rebel, they should have stayed quiet and followed Dagruel's rule.
But using Fate, the reality where they decided to not stay silent and rebelled was brought out...this time, Fate was just used to bring out what the giant race secretly thought.
Dawn : You two, we got another change of plan...
Eleonor : What now ?
Dawn : Eleonor, go with Yuu and rescue Horizon...i'll take a detour and act as bait.
He wanted to test out something, if his thoughts were true then all he had to do was gather all the attention on himself.
Dagruel cannot ignore him running amok in the middle of their capital city.
Yuu : B-but...
Dawn : Don't worry about me, I also need to verify something else...you two will be fine.
Turning around, he patted her shoulder while flashing the sincerest smile he could muster at the moment.
Yuu : I-i see...please come back safe...
Dawn : We'll join up at Ruberios outpost camp in a few hours, the next day at most.
Yuu : Ok...
She looked down with conflicted emotion, on the side Eleonor stayed quiet but she could clearly feel the awkwardly intimate atmosphere.
Eleonor : Ahem ! Sorry to interrupt the both of you but we should get going.
Yuu ; Oh...yeah...
Dawn:Sure, we'll meet later.
With that, Dawn ran off...the spell surrounding him dispelled on itself as he jumped up high in the sky.
Dawn : (What is the best way to catch attention ? Easy, just destroy everything...)
Magicule pouring out of him, a wave of dread fell upon the giant village as every single inhabitant looked up horrified.
Dawn : Now come out quietly, Dagruel ! [Frozen world] !
Launching the ultimate ice spell mid air, everything below from the house to the water source deep down underground turned into pure ice.
The living being too weak were sealed inside and those who could resist fell down unconscious.
Dawn : First sword : Eur-
But as he was about to let out another attack to pin the nail down on those giants, a large shadow erupted from the castle and appeared right in front of him.
A fist covered in murderous intent then made way toward Dawn, as his eyes remained calm and locked in...bringing his sword up to parry the blow.
A loud sound blasted throughout the barren land as the fist and sword crashed against each other.
Dawn : Heh, you really came out...
Dagruel : You bastard...I knew something was wrong the moment I felt an unknown powerful aura...
Dawn carefully looked at his hand, still holding Shin Exalia...his entire arm along his blade were shaking under Dagruel's fist.
Dagruel : But that's also your biggest mistake, now I can just take care of you !
Suddenly increasing the output, Dagruel pushed his fist and as if all resistance were cut off...Dawn was sent crashing into the ground.
The impact broke the ice and buried him deep underground.
Dawn : Ugh-i underestimated his raw strength...
Laying down, stuck in this frozen land...he looked up bored, it didn't hurt much but surely the feeling of being overpowered that easily wasn't pleasant.
Dawn : I need to take that a little more seriously, also it seems the others didn't take the bair...I need to do something about them.
His eyes growing colder, he blew his air out of the way and teleported back to the surface...standing midair.
He looked down on Dagruel who returned with his own glare.
Dagruel : AS expected it won't be that easy...
Dawn : Can't say the same, should I turn this battle short ?
Dawn wasn't confident in losing, but it seemed his teasing didn't please Dagruel who cracked his fist and readied another attack.
Dawn : (Kyuri should be done with my task by now, everything is going according to the plan, i need to stall a bit more time against Dagruel...)
Rising his sword, Dawn had let his little pet friend back in Ruberios to assist Shu about another request of his...it wasn't a secret, or at least what appeared on the front might have just been a decoy for his true aim.
Yuu Pov
Sneaking inside the castle was easy once Dawn-san casted [Frozen world], the ground was constantly shaking as most likely he engaged in a fight against demon lord Dagruel.
I looked ahead as Eleonor guided the way...she was careful as we all could feel a very strong aura, perhaps at the same level as Dagruel inside the castle...
Did they though, Dagruel would be enough to take care of Dawn-san ? How foolish...
Eleonor : We are right above the prison cell but going in any further would be dangerous...
Yuu : Then let's dig down from here.
Eleonor : It would be wiser.
I nodded and placed my hand on the ground, sure this ice is filled with magicule but the thing about the spell known as [Frozen world] is that...
It's nothing but simple ice, by covering my own arm with mana...one could easily break through it, the true danger of this spell is that it can freeze and turn original matter into ice.
Yuu : Can you tell how deep the cell is ?
Eleonor : Not accurately, but I would say around 20 feet down...
Yuu : It isn't that deep...
With that,, I started the work...pressuring the ice, it broke as I started using my unique skill : Shadow.
The ice below us is originally ground made of stone...all stone has thousands of tiny fissures within their structure.
Using shadow manipulation, I pressure those fissures and advance down...it was fast and easy work but even so, I didn't know why I felt like we were missing something.
Eleonor : It's right there.
Yuu : Perfect.
As yet another block of ice shattered under the pressure, a shard of ice fell down as we stumbled on an open room.
I quickly checked for any presence below and nodded after being sure it was safe.
Yuu : This place is filled with magicule, it's almost impressive...
Eleonor : I wonder why...this place seems inhabited yet you'll need hundreds of years of stacked magicule to get to this level.
Yuu : I can feel Horizon's presence behind that door, let's go.
In front of us was a gigantic door made of metal, perhaps even magicsteel with how dense the magicule here is.
We made our way to the door which was slightly opened, looking through the gap we saw our comrade chained up.
His arm were up, shackle around his wrist...his body covered with blow impact,
Eleonor : What a pathetic state...
Yuu : He seems unconscious, let's get him and leave.
I analyzed the room, noticing every single detail there was to see...the condensation, the fissured wall, the print imprinted into the ground.
And a small communication device ball set on the ground...this subjected not only physical torture but also mental one.
Eleonor : Ugh, those chains are tough...
While I looked around, Eleonor brought out a unique grade dagger and tried to cut down the chains but to no avail, the dagger seemed to break instead of the shackle.
I approached closer and used shadow manipulation on it but it failed, there was no opening...this was like engraved on his wrist...
Yuu : Go guard the door, I'm going to leak some magicule to break these.
Eleonor : Ok, but be quick because we won't have much time afterward.
I nodded and turned my full attention on the unconscious man in front of me...then started to gather mana around the dagger.
Every ore and matter can be overpowered, no matter how durable they are...even a legendary grade weapon can break when met with a denser material.
It's the same for magic ore, if you overpower it with dense magicule...you can shatter something you couldn't before.
Yuu : (It failed?)
But to my expectation...it failed, this means those shackles aren't made by anyone...
Then it clicked in my mind, Horizon is Dawn-san's subordinate...he was taken away instead of being killed.
They must have a reason and that was to put some kind of pressure on Dawn-san, they actually expected him to come here himself.
Not me or Eleonor...those chains are enhanced to resist Dawn-san's power...so how could i overpower something like that ?
I bit my lips before sealing my resolve...strands of my hair started to turn white as I unsealed some of my true power.
Yuu : (Just a little...this place is dangerous, staying here any longer would be too much...)
My eyes glowed blue, as I felt the tip of my finger growing colder...
Mirai : [Frozen state]
My main and most powerful element is also ice...i guess it just flows in our soul, if there was a motto those from Averion should follow...
It would be « seal in ice your goal, become ice to achieve it and turn into ice all your emotion of it », this doesn't sound really good but perhaps because we have such a cold way of thinking that those from Averion will achieve greatness in the end..
Finally, as my thought process ended...the shakes around Horizon's wrist froze up to the very core before breaking.
My appearance returned to Yuu at the same time...i quickly caught the unconscious man and carried him over my shoulder.
Yuu : Let's go, we need to get out of here now !
Turning around, I tried to check for Eleonor but froze as I saw her laying on the ground...
???: I didn't expect 2 little girls to be here...now it's a bit overkill to have all come here.
My eyes widened and shook in fear as I realized the new individuals standing at the door entrance...I didn't feel their presence despite the threat they posed...
Yuu : This is bad...
Demon lord Dino, Demon lord Leon Cromwell and Glassord...one of the equal to demon lord Dagruel, part of the original titan Ashura...
Why are those three here together ?!
Dino : Oh man...I want to sleep...
Glassord : Tch, did you guys really force me into this for some brat ? (I really hope Dagruel knows what he is doing...we lived in peace since Fenn was sealed but all this is about to be broken.)
Leon : Shut up, it was Guy's directive...thought we should have met Dawn Arceid here, not some lousy girls.
I took a step back not seeing any way I could get out of here...maybe I could if I abandoned Eleonor and Horizon but that isn't an option...
No, there is still a way...but if i do that i'll expose myself and my true identity to the world...
Is that the only way ? But then all I worked so hard to get here would be for naught...
Yuu : (I have to run ? That's right, it's the most optimal way now...for my goal, for my father-no, i can't abandon my comrade, i can't because they are precious to my father too...)
I felt my heart aching, simple, horrible and disheartening thoughts crossed my mind at all times.
I tried to process them but in the end, I was left in a state of confusion...
Leon : Anyway, we were told to get rid of the intruders...once I'm done, I'll leave, got another thing to manage.
Glassord : I already saw your face enough anyway.
I instantly got my guard up when I felt fluctuation in their aura...every single cell in my body started to scream as I got ready to unleash all the power I had.
A long term fight would be suicidal against three opponent like that..if i have to fight them, i need to end it the fastest way possible-
* Boom *
Eh ? I jumped slightly when I felt a strong vibration shaking the ground...some ice shards settled on the ground and started to levitate as the wall threatened to collapse.
Dino : What's happening now...
Leon : Something is approaching and it's something big (Damn you Guy...why did i agree to this...)
It seemed not even those demon lords knew what's going on, I couldn't help but start fearing for the worst.
Wait, that aura...it can't be, that was his plan ?!
Yuu : Shit !
Realizing the situation, I held tight on Horizon and quickly snatched Eleonor off the ground before running deeper into the cell.
Before diving onto the ground, the entire cave we were in then shook as the ceiling exploded.
But instead of being buried under those piles of ice, the direct sky could be seen...here in the core of a small mountain...
What had just pierced the ceiling was demon lord Dagruel, and on top of his chest was Dawn-san...his sword mercilessly impaling the titan's stomach.
Dawn : I told you, we aren't on the same level.
Dagruel : Arght !
Moving his blade throughout the injury, Dawn-san shifted his attention toward me and gave me a silent message though a nod.
H-he wanted me to get out of here...since he had arrived, all the focus will be on him...do i have to leave ? Leave him alone here ?
I gritted my teeth and grabbed the two unconscious lad before using the wall and jumped up toward the freshly made open ceiling.
Leon : You won't go anyw-
Dawn : Shut up emo-dude.
I didn't look back despite the large right of spiriton shooting past me, my sole goal was to get out of here and get those two safe.
3rd Pov
As Leon tried to intercept Yuu, before he could get too close...Dawn had appeared in front of him and kicked him right in the face.
The ray of photon that the platinum saber had formed through his ultimate skill was deviated and crashed into the sturdy wall.
Dawn : Oh are you still awake after this kick ? And me who wanted to send you to the world of dream, so you get some pleasurable time with Guy.
Landing down on Dagruel half alive corpse, it couldn't call the fight easy as despite his size, the Earthquake was fast enough to get Dawn some injuries.
Still he got the upper hand at some point and sent Dagruel down here where he could feel all the powerful presence gathered.
Leon : You...
Dawn : Now, this is a four vs one, quite unfair isn't it.
Dawn observed the three standing opponents...Glassord was glaring at him with murderous intent and rage...
Leon was healing himself and Dino showed a rare surprised expression.
Dino : (This guy is no joke...)
Dawn : (So you were really here, how annoying...i don't want to fight you yet, Dino.)
Dino : (Huh ? Why is he looking at me like th-ugh !)
Suddenly, a sharp pain accompanied with a distant memory made its way to Dino's mind...he couldn't properly see what that memory said.
But in the flash of an instant, he saw Veldanava standing in front of him...Stretching his arm toward his eyes, before muttering a few silent words.
Dino : W-what was that ?
Dawn : You let your guard down, Sleeping ruler.
Dino : Ah ?
Without emotion, or rather with a mix of sadness and unworthiness, Dawn made his way to Dino with killing intent.
Though it was only the exterior shell, as Dawn didn't intend to kill Dino...Shin Exalia was brought out shealted as he landed a heavy blow right in Dino's abdomen.
Dawn : First sword : Europa.
The fallen angel's body curved, Dino cried in pain...a rare unsettling pain that made his mind shift off for an instant before he found himself crumbing into the wall.
He couldn't guess how far he was sent off but that made it clear...Dawn was much faster than he could react, even if he was distracted...
Dawn : Now it's just you two left...
Glassord : So the rumors were true, you sure look tough.
Dawn : And you look more bland than a skeleton.
Glassord : You piece of sh-
Without warning, Dawn traveled through space and tried to land yet another blow but to his surprise, Glassord reacted and caught his blade with both his large hands.
Dawn : Oh ?
Glassord : Oi oi, that's not very knightly...attacking when the enemy is talking.
Dawn : Your brother Dagruel did the same thing, I guess same soul, same cowardly.
Their eyes locking, a silent rage filled the ambient air...at the same time, Dagruel tried to get up but Dawn wasn't having any of this.
He lifted his leg and stomped down heavily, the ground broke another layer as Dagruel coughed out saliva.
Dagruel : Argh !
Dawn : Well as much as i want to keep this fight going, i accomplished my goal, it's time to leave.
But unexpectedly, Dawn retracted himself...he jumped back and stood in the air right above his enemies.
Glassord : Running away now ?
Dawn : You could say that but-
His hand quietly caressed the hilt of Shin Exalia, his gaze stayed on Glassord before in the split of an instant...he had unsheathed his sword before returning it to its scabbard.
A single instantaneous slash which went in to slice Glassord's light arm...without anyone noticing.
Glassord: Huh ?
Dawn : Don't misunderstand...
His voice dripping in low venom, he unleashed the potent Hero Haki to a toxic level for the demon lords...while Glassord and Dagruel were actually Holy born from the original Titan Ashura.
For them, Dawn's aura just appeared to be a hyper condensed ball of magicule blinded with killing intent.
But for the like of Leon, he held his throat feeling his mind being torn apart...only now he realized the gap of strength, a rift similar to the one that separates himself with the likes of Guy Crimson and Milim Nava.
Dawn : You are still alive not because I can't kill you, but because I allowed it.
With those last words, Dawn started to fly away but this was far from the end..he stopped on his track when a spike of magicule rose from below.
Looking back, he saw Dagruel slowly getting up...his eyes red of rage, his body covered in a blue aura bursting his surroundings away.
The ground barely kept up with his power...
Dawn : Oh ?
Dagruel : You think I'll let you get away after all this ?!
Dawn : Can you stop me ? Only the winner gets to decide on the end result, after all.
Dagruel : You crossed a line today...i'll definitely kill you now.
Dawn : What is death to fate-
Before he could finish another random quote, his vision turned dark...but rather than losing consciousness, his eyes were just overshadowed by something much larger than his field of vision.
That being Dagruel's hand, he jumped up and rushed right at Dawn...his hand grabbed the hero's face without care.
His wrist twisted up as he applied an world shattering pressure on Dawn's skull...thunderous spark of magicule shocked and devastated the land.
Dagruel : Die !
Lifting his arm upward with Dawn still in his hold, Dagruel intended to throw him down with all his strength but before that could happen.
Dawn spun his leg and jabbed it into the titan's ribs.
Dagruel : You think that's enough ?!
No answer was needed, Dawn grabbed the titan's arm and used it as support to send another kick at the same spot as before.
His legs dancing, after the third blow, Dagruel was forced to let go...
Dawn : Your hand stinks...
Dagruel : (He is hurting something deeper than the soul...each of his blows are menaces...)
Dawn : Well you know the quote, an eyes for an eyes-
Without taking out his sword, he rose his hand and took a fighting stance...that further provoked Dagruel as a swordsman not unsheathing his sword just meant that his opponent couldn't bring out the best of his ability.
Dagruel : I'll definitely crush you...
His power further destroyed Damargania, their fight had yet to end...while those strong enough felt the clash of their power.
Yuu Pov
I quickly ran through the barren land, with both Horizon and Eleonor's body...but as soon as I arrived at the outpost where I settled both of them down.
The sky started to turn grim...as if a storm was forming, the clouds were all being aspired toward where Dawn-san was fighting...
The aura that emanated from there was devastating even here...hundreds of miles away, the wind was turning violent, and despite being in the middle of the day.
The clouds were menacingly dark covering a part of the west...
Yuu : This is a fight between catastrophe...
Eleonor : What's happening ?
Hearing the familiar voice, I spun around and immediately went to Eleonor's side.
Yuu : We were ambushed, though Dawn-san came up and helped me get away with both of you.
Eleonor : I see...sorry, they suddenly bumped in, I didn't have the time to react...
Yuu : It's fine (Something tells me that Dawn-san knew this was going to happen...is he after the Heaven's gate?)
This was weird how he suddenly went off to fight Dagruel alone, his sensory ability is way better than mine or Eleonor's.
It's impossible that he didn't notice the other menace, he also didn't need us to begin with...that means, he used us to get Horizon out.
So he could stay there himself and engage the fight...is this really what happened ? He predicted that Eleonor alone wouldn't be enough, and I was the only choice left that had the intelligence and ability to get away...
Knight : Lady Eleonor ! Lady Yuu ! We have an urgent message from Ruberios !
Yuu : What ?
Knight : The war broke down with the Eastern empire ! An army of several hundred ships and unidentified aircraft weapons are currently traversing the ocean !
What ?! This early ? No...Dawn-san and Dagruel's fight has already reached a point where the entire world must know about it.
Everything broke down at the same time...we can't stay here nay longer.
Yuu : Eleonor, get Horizon and we'll leave for the north coast right now !
Eleonor : Yes !
3rd Pov
At the same time, several actions throughout the entire world happened...Tempest who was reaching the end of it's festival were taken aback were the goblin rider working outside the city to patrol the forest noticed an entire army grinding toward Tempest.
Not only there, in the bay down at the southeast part of the continent...the army of Eldorado could be seen arriving, their direction was the peak of demon lord Milim's territory.
Being tasked with the duty of separating Milim Nava from Tempest by causing havoc in her territory.
The heavens were starting to crack too as Armageddon was activated, throughout heaven and earth...the Tenma war, the final battle has started.
Taking all by surprise, the recent peace instored by Tempest was now gone...
But amidst all this, the true danger appeared somewhere else...on top of Milim's domain, where several dragonewt watched as the sky lit up.
A rift appeared behind them...the rift slowly expanded before reality shattered like glass, a young woman with long white hair and crystal like eyes walked out.
She wore a long snow like robe, her skin was paler than any vampire, the aura she excluded instantly made those around her vanish.
Varja : The game has finally started.
The world destroyer's main body being still sealed, Ivarage with the help of the Author came out as a mere clone.
Most of her powers were sealed, probably around 2 % could be brought out...still, the dread that followed her started to rot away the entire mountain she was standing on
The final actor has also arrived...3rd Pov
Under a blazing sun, the so awaited day finally arrived...Dawn departed from Ruberios to the Barren land.
Accompanied by Yuu and Eleonor, they went off on horseback but soon left after they exited Ruberios.
Using Teleportation, they arrived near the border between Ruberios and Demon lord Dagruel's territory in an instant.
Standing there, a few knights present guarding the place greeted them...
Dawn : Stand down, knights...keep the guard up, we never know what a demon lord is thinking.
Dismissing them quickly, Dawn continued his march and got on one of the outer posts of Rubrios, this gave him a piercing view.
Hsi pale blue eyes gazed on the horizon, the wind hitting his face gently...a few thoughts passed through his mind briefly.
Eleonor : The view is really breathtaking...
Dawn : Have you already pinpointed Horizon's location ?
Eleonor : I know the direction where he was taken, by retracing their path...i'll find him in no time.
Dawn nodded and turned his attention toward Yuu for a moment, she was just mindlessly gazing at the given view.
A long and grassy plain that suddenly stops on a dead land, corrupted with the Destroyer's rampaging magicule.
Dawn : We'll leave right away, once near the giant's settlement...we'll go in with a light reflection spell.
Nodding to his instruction, both girls did a last check on their weapon and provision...
Light reflection, this was a simple spell allowing the user to make himself invisible...using the sun reflection, this was the perfect time to use it when the sun was at the highest in the sky.
And in this day where not a single cloud could be seen across the vast sky...it was the most optimal way to infiltrate a place without wasting too much magicule.
Shortly after, the three could be found running toward the barren land...their movements were fast and accurate in a motion so they would not leave any hint of their passage.
Soon enough, they reached the battlefield where Horizon was taken away...traces of the battle were still lingering both in the air and on the ground.
Dawn : (I can picture what happened with just the battle remaining...)
Eleonor went first and activated her unique skill : Clairvoyance, her eyes glowed purple as the past revealed itself to her.
She could see Horizon laying on the ground unconscious, several wounds covered his body...the next image was Dagruel, a tall man...king of the giant, part of the Holy titan.
He grabbed Horizon and tossed him over his shoulder before going off...
Eleonor : Good, I got it...
Dawn ; Lead the way, from now on be extra careful...i would like to avoid you two being found out and engage in an early fight.
Yuu : There are two giants ahead.
And before they knew it, they arrived at the giant's city, a village incrustation in a stone hill, the house was big.
This was the Holy void of Damargania...the land of giants.
The inhabitants here were humanoid titan whose size exceeded the norm, the smallest individual here would still beat the biggest human.
Dawn : Mmh, where did Dagruel take Horizon ?
He analyzed the state of the village, the giants appeared inactive...the two giants at the front were seemingly on guard duty but they weren't focused at all.
It was way too calm for a race and nation in an ongoing war with a super nation like Ruberios.
Eleonor : Right ahead, in the giant castle.
Right ahead of them, on the highest location...an ominous looking castle which serves as the base of operation for Dagruel.
This was also where the strongest presence was residing in...
Dawn : (Mmh...i can feel four really strong aura, Dagruel, Glassord and those two ? Why are they here?)
One of the other two were awfully familiar, this made Dawn furrowed his eyebrows.
Dawn : Change of plan, we'll neutralize every single giant we cross.
Yuu : Huh ?
Before the girls could react, Dawn's hand stretched forward and he mercilessly froze the giant guards's body.
Their internal structure and soul were crushed under the frost...
Dawn : This is still an infiltration...i just want to avoid us to be surrounded when the time comes.
Eleonor : If you say so...
Yuu : Make sense...
No objection, they trusted their leader enough to follow such a sudden turn, this was definitely more dangerous than the original mission.
But who cared ? They were knights, fighters, heroes and more..even if they were ordered to destroy the entirety of the barren land, they would carry out the order.
Because, once again...they trusted their leader more than anything.
Moments later, the three of them ran through the giant village...those unfortunate enough to cross paths with them would be dealt with instantly.
Their bodies were covered with the Light reflection spell to hide them...Dawn observed closely, something was definitely off as some of the giants should have been at least capable of reacting before being frozen.
Dawn : (It's as if they abandoned all fighting spirit and become an empty and lazy corpse...)
Shin Exalia : (Master is right, some of them have realized the presence of intruders but since none was killed, they decided to not fight back.)
Dawn : (I see...)
Dawn's mouth quivered as he pieced the situation together, most likely...the giants despite being loyal to Dagruel were unhappy with the incoming war.
The entire race must have splitted in two factions...one that supported Dagruel and the other that opposed the war.
They finally started to live in peace, the war behind buried in the past...but all this is being menaced because of their leader.
On top of that, all of them knew what it meant fighting a war against Ruberios...them losing was as possible as them losing.
But casualties would be too much and dramatic no matter which outcome happened...Dawn Arceid, this name wasn't just famous among the humans.
Even monsters who had achieved a certain level of civilization learned this name and how to fear it.
But there was also another factor, it was Dawn's power...Fate, the past must have been altered again from the future that has yet to arrive.
The power of fate can influence a lot of things, mainly decisions...even if there is a faction that wants to rebel, they should have stayed quiet and followed Dagruel's rule.
But using Fate, the reality where they decided to not stay silent and rebelled was brought out...this time, Fate was just used to bring out what the giant race secretly thought.
Dawn : You two, we got another change of plan...
Eleonor : What now ?
Dawn : Eleonor, go with Yuu and rescue Horizon...i'll take a detour and act as bait.
He wanted to test out something, if his thoughts were true then all he had to do was gather all the attention on himself.
Dagruel cannot ignore him running amok in the middle of their capital city.
Yuu : B-but...
Dawn : Don't worry about me, I also need to verify something else...you two will be fine.
Turning around, he patted her shoulder while flashing the sincerest smile he could muster at the moment.
Yuu : I-i see...please come back safe...
Dawn : We'll join up at Ruberios outpost camp in a few hours, the next day at most.
Yuu : Ok...
She looked down with conflicted emotion, on the side Eleonor stayed quiet but she could clearly feel the awkwardly intimate atmosphere.
Eleonor : Ahem ! Sorry to interrupt the both of you but we should get going.
Yuu ; Oh...yeah...
Dawn:Sure, we'll meet later.
With that, Dawn ran off...the spell surrounding him dispelled on itself as he jumped up high in the sky.
Dawn : (What is the best way to catch attention ? Easy, just destroy everything...)
Magicule pouring out of him, a wave of dread fell upon the giant village as every single inhabitant looked up horrified.
Dawn : Now come out quietly, Dagruel ! [Frozen world] !
Launching the ultimate ice spell mid air, everything below from the house to the water source deep down underground turned into pure ice.
The living being too weak were sealed inside and those who could resist fell down unconscious.
Dawn : First sword : Eur-
But as he was about to let out another attack to pin the nail down on those giants, a large shadow erupted from the castle and appeared right in front of him.
A fist covered in murderous intent then made way toward Dawn, as his eyes remained calm and locked in...bringing his sword up to parry the blow.
A loud sound blasted throughout the barren land as the fist and sword crashed against each other.
Dawn : Heh, you really came out...
Dagruel : You bastard...I knew something was wrong the moment I felt an unknown powerful aura...
Dawn carefully looked at his hand, still holding Shin Exalia...his entire arm along his blade were shaking under Dagruel's fist.
Dagruel : But that's also your biggest mistake, now I can just take care of you !
Suddenly increasing the output, Dagruel pushed his fist and as if all resistance were cut off...Dawn was sent crashing into the ground.
The impact broke the ice and buried him deep underground.
Dawn : Ugh-i underestimated his raw strength...
Laying down, stuck in this frozen land...he looked up bored, it didn't hurt much but surely the feeling of being overpowered that easily wasn't pleasant.
Dawn : I need to take that a little more seriously, also it seems the others didn't take the bair...I need to do something about them.
His eyes growing colder, he blew his air out of the way and teleported back to the surface...standing midair.
He looked down on Dagruel who returned with his own glare.
Dagruel : AS expected it won't be that easy...
Dawn : Can't say the same, should I turn this battle short ?
Dawn wasn't confident in losing, but it seemed his teasing didn't please Dagruel who cracked his fist and readied another attack.
Dawn : (Kyuri should be done with my task by now, everything is going according to the plan, i need to stall a bit more time against Dagruel...)
Rising his sword, Dawn had let his little pet friend back in Ruberios to assist Shu about another request of his...it wasn't a secret, or at least what appeared on the front might have just been a decoy for his true aim.
Yuu Pov
Sneaking inside the castle was easy once Dawn-san casted [Frozen world], the ground was constantly shaking as most likely he engaged in a fight against demon lord Dagruel.
I looked ahead as Eleonor guided the way...she was careful as we all could feel a very strong aura, perhaps at the same level as Dagruel inside the castle...
Did they though, Dagruel would be enough to take care of Dawn-san ? How foolish...
Eleonor : We are right above the prison cell but going in any further would be dangerous...
Yuu : Then let's dig down from here.
Eleonor : It would be wiser.
I nodded and placed my hand on the ground, sure this ice is filled with magicule but the thing about the spell known as [Frozen world] is that...
It's nothing but simple ice, by covering my own arm with mana...one could easily break through it, the true danger of this spell is that it can freeze and turn original matter into ice.
Yuu : Can you tell how deep the cell is ?
Eleonor : Not accurately, but I would say around 20 feet down...
Yuu : It isn't that deep...
With that,, I started the work...pressuring the ice, it broke as I started using my unique skill : Shadow.
The ice below us is originally ground made of stone...all stone has thousands of tiny fissures within their structure.
Using shadow manipulation, I pressure those fissures and advance down...it was fast and easy work but even so, I didn't know why I felt like we were missing something.
Eleonor : It's right there.
Yuu : Perfect.
As yet another block of ice shattered under the pressure, a shard of ice fell down as we stumbled on an open room.
I quickly checked for any presence below and nodded after being sure it was safe.
Yuu : This place is filled with magicule, it's almost impressive...
Eleonor : I wonder why...this place seems inhabited yet you'll need hundreds of years of stacked magicule to get to this level.
Yuu : I can feel Horizon's presence behind that door, let's go.
In front of us was a gigantic door made of metal, perhaps even magicsteel with how dense the magicule here is.
We made our way to the door which was slightly opened, looking through the gap we saw our comrade chained up.
His arm were up, shackle around his wrist...his body covered with blow impact,
Eleonor : What a pathetic state...
Yuu : He seems unconscious, let's get him and leave.
I analyzed the room, noticing every single detail there was to see...the condensation, the fissured wall, the print imprinted into the ground.
And a small communication device ball set on the ground...this subjected not only physical torture but also mental one.
Eleonor : Ugh, those chains are tough...
While I looked around, Eleonor brought out a unique grade dagger and tried to cut down the chains but to no avail, the dagger seemed to break instead of the shackle.
I approached closer and used shadow manipulation on it but it failed, there was no opening...this was like engraved on his wrist...
Yuu : Go guard the door, I'm going to leak some magicule to break these.
Eleonor : Ok, but be quick because we won't have much time afterward.
I nodded and turned my full attention on the unconscious man in front of me...then started to gather mana around the dagger.
Every ore and matter can be overpowered, no matter how durable they are...even a legendary grade weapon can break when met with a denser material.
It's the same for magic ore, if you overpower it with dense magicule...you can shatter something you couldn't before.
Yuu : (It failed?)
But to my expectation...it failed, this means those shackles aren't made by anyone...
Then it clicked in my mind, Horizon is Dawn-san's subordinate...he was taken away instead of being killed.
They must have a reason and that was to put some kind of pressure on Dawn-san, they actually expected him to come here himself.
Not me or Eleonor...those chains are enhanced to resist Dawn-san's power...so how could i overpower something like that ?
I bit my lips before sealing my resolve...strands of my hair started to turn white as I unsealed some of my true power.
Yuu : (Just a little...this place is dangerous, staying here any longer would be too much...)
My eyes glowed blue, as I felt the tip of my finger growing colder...
Mirai : [Frozen state]
My main and most powerful element is also ice...i guess it just flows in our soul, if there was a motto those from Averion should follow...
It would be « seal in ice your goal, become ice to achieve it and turn into ice all your emotion of it », this doesn't sound really good but perhaps because we have such a cold way of thinking that those from Averion will achieve greatness in the end..
Finally, as my thought process ended...the shakes around Horizon's wrist froze up to the very core before breaking.
My appearance returned to Yuu at the same time...i quickly caught the unconscious man and carried him over my shoulder.
Yuu : Let's go, we need to get out of here now !
Turning around, I tried to check for Eleonor but froze as I saw her laying on the ground...
???: I didn't expect 2 little girls to be here...now it's a bit overkill to have all come here.
My eyes widened and shook in fear as I realized the new individuals standing at the door entrance...I didn't feel their presence despite the threat they posed...
Yuu : This is bad...
Demon lord Dino, Demon lord Leon Cromwell and Glassord...one of the equal to demon lord Dagruel, part of the original titan Ashura...
Why are those three here together ?!
Dino : Oh man...I want to sleep...
Glassord : Tch, did you guys really force me into this for some brat ? (I really hope Dagruel knows what he is doing...we lived in peace since Fenn was sealed but all this is about to be broken.)
Leon : Shut up, it was Guy's directive...thought we should have met Dawn Arceid here, not some lousy girls.
I took a step back not seeing any way I could get out of here...maybe I could if I abandoned Eleonor and Horizon but that isn't an option...
No, there is still a way...but if i do that i'll expose myself and my true identity to the world...
Is that the only way ? But then all I worked so hard to get here would be for naught...
Yuu : (I have to run ? That's right, it's the most optimal way now...for my goal, for my father-no, i can't abandon my comrade, i can't because they are precious to my father too...)
I felt my heart aching, simple, horrible and disheartening thoughts crossed my mind at all times.
I tried to process them but in the end, I was left in a state of confusion...
Leon : Anyway, we were told to get rid of the intruders...once I'm done, I'll leave, got another thing to manage.
Glassord : I already saw your face enough anyway.
I instantly got my guard up when I felt fluctuation in their aura...every single cell in my body started to scream as I got ready to unleash all the power I had.
A long term fight would be suicidal against three opponent like that..if i have to fight them, i need to end it the fastest way possible-
* Boom *
Eh ? I jumped slightly when I felt a strong vibration shaking the ground...some ice shards settled on the ground and started to levitate as the wall threatened to collapse.
Dino : What's happening now...
Leon : Something is approaching and it's something big (Damn you Guy...why did i agree to this...)
It seemed not even those demon lords knew what's going on, I couldn't help but start fearing for the worst.
Wait, that aura...it can't be, that was his plan ?!
Yuu : Shit !
Realizing the situation, I held tight on Horizon and quickly snatched Eleonor off the ground before running deeper into the cell.
Before diving onto the ground, the entire cave we were in then shook as the ceiling exploded.
But instead of being buried under those piles of ice, the direct sky could be seen...here in the core of a small mountain...
What had just pierced the ceiling was demon lord Dagruel, and on top of his chest was Dawn-san...his sword mercilessly impaling the titan's stomach.
Dawn : I told you, we aren't on the same level.
Dagruel : Arght !
Moving his blade throughout the injury, Dawn-san shifted his attention toward me and gave me a silent message though a nod.
H-he wanted me to get out of here...since he had arrived, all the focus will be on him...do i have to leave ? Leave him alone here ?
I gritted my teeth and grabbed the two unconscious lad before using the wall and jumped up toward the freshly made open ceiling.
Leon : You won't go anyw-
Dawn : Shut up emo-dude.
I didn't look back despite the large right of spiriton shooting past me, my sole goal was to get out of here and get those two safe.
3rd Pov
As Leon tried to intercept Yuu, before he could get too close...Dawn had appeared in front of him and kicked him right in the face.
The ray of photon that the platinum saber had formed through his ultimate skill was deviated and crashed into the sturdy wall.
Dawn : Oh are you still awake after this kick ? And me who wanted to send you to the world of dream, so you get some pleasurable time with Guy.
Landing down on Dagruel half alive corpse, it couldn't call the fight easy as despite his size, the Earthquake was fast enough to get Dawn some injuries.
Still he got the upper hand at some point and sent Dagruel down here where he could feel all the powerful presence gathered.
Leon : You...
Dawn : Now, this is a four vs one, quite unfair isn't it.
Dawn observed the three standing opponents...Glassord was glaring at him with murderous intent and rage...
Leon was healing himself and Dino showed a rare surprised expression.
Dino : (This guy is no joke...)
Dawn : (So you were really here, how annoying...i don't want to fight you yet, Dino.)
Dino : (Huh ? Why is he looking at me like th-ugh !)
Suddenly, a sharp pain accompanied with a distant memory made its way to Dino's mind...he couldn't properly see what that memory said.
But in the flash of an instant, he saw Veldanava standing in front of him...Stretching his arm toward his eyes, before muttering a few silent words.
Dino : W-what was that ?
Dawn : You let your guard down, Sleeping ruler.
Dino : Ah ?
Without emotion, or rather with a mix of sadness and unworthiness, Dawn made his way to Dino with killing intent.
Though it was only the exterior shell, as Dawn didn't intend to kill Dino...Shin Exalia was brought out shealted as he landed a heavy blow right in Dino's abdomen.
Dawn : First sword : Europa.
The fallen angel's body curved, Dino cried in pain...a rare unsettling pain that made his mind shift off for an instant before he found himself crumbing into the wall.
He couldn't guess how far he was sent off but that made it clear...Dawn was much faster than he could react, even if he was distracted...
Dawn : Now it's just you two left...
Glassord : So the rumors were true, you sure look tough.
Dawn : And you look more bland than a skeleton.
Glassord : You piece of sh-
Without warning, Dawn traveled through space and tried to land yet another blow but to his surprise, Glassord reacted and caught his blade with both his large hands.
Dawn : Oh ?
Glassord : Oi oi, that's not very knightly...attacking when the enemy is talking.
Dawn : Your brother Dagruel did the same thing, I guess same soul, same cowardly.
Their eyes locking, a silent rage filled the ambient air...at the same time, Dagruel tried to get up but Dawn wasn't having any of this.
He lifted his leg and stomped down heavily, the ground broke another layer as Dagruel coughed out saliva.
Dagruel : Argh !
Dawn : Well as much as i want to keep this fight going, i accomplished my goal, it's time to leave.
But unexpectedly, Dawn retracted himself...he jumped back and stood in the air right above his enemies.
Glassord : Running away now ?
Dawn : You could say that but-
His hand quietly caressed the hilt of Shin Exalia, his gaze stayed on Glassord before in the split of an instant...he had unsheathed his sword before returning it to its scabbard.
A single instantaneous slash which went in to slice Glassord's light arm...without anyone noticing.
Glassord: Huh ?
Dawn : Don't misunderstand...
His voice dripping in low venom, he unleashed the potent Hero Haki to a toxic level for the demon lords...while Glassord and Dagruel were actually Holy born from the original Titan Ashura.
For them, Dawn's aura just appeared to be a hyper condensed ball of magicule blinded with killing intent.
But for the like of Leon, he held his throat feeling his mind being torn apart...only now he realized the gap of strength, a rift similar to the one that separates himself with the likes of Guy Crimson and Milim Nava.
Dawn : You are still alive not because I can't kill you, but because I allowed it.
With those last words, Dawn started to fly away but this was far from the end..he stopped on his track when a spike of magicule rose from below.
Looking back, he saw Dagruel slowly getting up...his eyes red of rage, his body covered in a blue aura bursting his surroundings away.
The ground barely kept up with his power...
Dawn : Oh ?
Dagruel : You think I'll let you get away after all this ?!
Dawn : Can you stop me ? Only the winner gets to decide on the end result, after all.
Dagruel : You crossed a line today...i'll definitely kill you now.
Dawn : What is death to fate-
Before he could finish another random quote, his vision turned dark...but rather than losing consciousness, his eyes were just overshadowed by something much larger than his field of vision.
That being Dagruel's hand, he jumped up and rushed right at Dawn...his hand grabbed the hero's face without care.
His wrist twisted up as he applied an world shattering pressure on Dawn's skull...thunderous spark of magicule shocked and devastated the land.
Dagruel : Die !
Lifting his arm upward with Dawn still in his hold, Dagruel intended to throw him down with all his strength but before that could happen.
Dawn spun his leg and jabbed it into the titan's ribs.
Dagruel : You think that's enough ?!
No answer was needed, Dawn grabbed the titan's arm and used it as support to send another kick at the same spot as before.
His legs dancing, after the third blow, Dagruel was forced to let go...
Dawn : Your hand stinks...
Dagruel : (He is hurting something deeper than the soul...each of his blows are menaces...)
Dawn : Well you know the quote, an eyes for an eyes-
Without taking out his sword, he rose his hand and took a fighting stance...that further provoked Dagruel as a swordsman not unsheathing his sword just meant that his opponent couldn't bring out the best of his ability.
Dagruel : I'll definitely crush you...
His power further destroyed Damargania, their fight had yet to end...while those strong enough felt the clash of their power.
Yuu Pov
I quickly ran through the barren land, with both Horizon and Eleonor's body...but as soon as I arrived at the outpost where I settled both of them down.
The sky started to turn grim...as if a storm was forming, the clouds were all being aspired toward where Dawn-san was fighting...
The aura that emanated from there was devastating even here...hundreds of miles away, the wind was turning violent, and despite being in the middle of the day.
The clouds were menacingly dark covering a part of the west...
Yuu : This is a fight between catastrophe...
Eleonor : What's happening ?
Hearing the familiar voice, I spun around and immediately went to Eleonor's side.
Yuu : We were ambushed, though Dawn-san came up and helped me get away with both of you.
Eleonor : I see...sorry, they suddenly bumped in, I didn't have the time to react...
Yuu : It's fine (Something tells me that Dawn-san knew this was going to happen...is he after the Heaven's gate?)
This was weird how he suddenly went off to fight Dagruel alone, his sensory ability is way better than mine or Eleonor's.
It's impossible that he didn't notice the other menace, he also didn't need us to begin with...that means, he used us to get Horizon out.
So he could stay there himself and engage the fight...is this really what happened ? He predicted that Eleonor alone wouldn't be enough, and I was the only choice left that had the intelligence and ability to get away...
Knight : Lady Eleonor ! Lady Yuu ! We have an urgent message from Ruberios !
Yuu : What ?
Knight : The war broke down with the Eastern empire ! An army of several hundred ships and unidentified aircraft weapons are currently traversing the ocean !
What ?! This early ? No...Dawn-san and Dagruel's fight has already reached a point where the entire world must know about it.
Everything broke down at the same time...we can't stay here nay longer.
Yuu : Eleonor, get Horizon and we'll leave for the north coast right now !
Eleonor : Yes !
3rd Pov
At the same time, several actions throughout the entire world happened...Tempest who was reaching the end of it's festival were taken aback were the goblin rider working outside the city to patrol the forest noticed an entire army grinding toward Tempest.
Not only there, in the bay down at the southeast part of the continent...the army of Eldorado could be seen arriving, their direction was the peak of demon lord Milim's territory.
Being tasked with the duty of separating Milim Nava from Tempest by causing havoc in her territory.
The heavens were starting to crack too as Armageddon was activated, throughout heaven and earth...the Tenma war, the final battle has started.
Taking all by surprise, the recent peace instored by Tempest was now gone...
But amidst all this, the true danger appeared somewhere else...on top of Milim's domain, where several dragonewt watched as the sky lit up.
A rift appeared behind them...the rift slowly expanded before reality shattered like glass, a young woman with long white hair and crystal like eyes walked out.
She wore a long snow like robe, her skin was paler than any vampire, the aura she excluded instantly made those around her vanish.
Varja : The game has finally started.
The world destroyer's main body being still sealed, Ivarage with the help of the Author came out as a mere clone.
Most of her powers were sealed, probably around 2 % could be brought out...still, the dread that followed her started to rot away the entire mountain she was standing on
The final actor has also arrived...