The war was practically over. After the rest of northern soldiers gathered back at the clearing, it was apparent that their firepower was far superior. Solomon sent a letter to King Piule to withdraw their soldiers and give up control of every Kingdom. After a few days, he responded, complying with every demand. After I defeated Shyzen, Lura Nazeem and Nyleah waited for me to recover by staying by my bed the entire time… It was hell. Lura still can't stand Nazeem, and they fight all the time. Nyleah was really nice though. She would talk to me about everything I'd missed. And she'd help me recover by using some soothing spells on my head. After a few days, I could tell that the loss of Vida in my body would be a problem unless I learned how to control my flow a bit better. And in order to do that… I need to find that mysterious man who came up to me right after the battle had ended. He seemed to have knowledge on how to control Vida, and even implied he taught Solomon to some extent.
Apparently, I had been unconscious for two days. When I woke up, most of Solomon's forces had moved out. My body was still fatigued from the overuse of mana and Vida, so I was unable to move even after I regained consciousness. Nazeem volunteered to carry me back to the nearest kingdom. I was hesitant, but he wouldn't allow me to say no. I rode inside a small carriage with Nazeem and Paarl. The three of us walked about our travels for most of the trip. We laughed and had a joyous time for a few days. Midway through our third day on the road, a small group of northern soldiers met up with us. They explained to Paarl that the rest of their unit was completely destroyed after invading Phulkart. Apparently, they had the upper hand at first, but two southern soldiers completely turned the tables on them. They were so strong that the Water God had to step in, which gave our soldiers enough time to retreat. Even so, only a dozen or so made it out alive, and the invasion of Phulkart was a failure. By now, my body was nearly fully recovered, and I took a step outside.
I walked off the carriage, and down the path towards Paarl. He was talking to two soldiers wearing tattered northern armor. The two soldiers looked behind him, towards me. Paarl turned around and looked at me too, "Ah… Allow me to introduce you to the man who's gonna help…" Paarl was talking to the two soldiers while gesturing at me, "...This is Kiliano Monfril. The man who defeated Shyzen and practically stopped the war himself." The two soldier's eyes popped out of their heads, "Y-YOU!?" They said in sync. "We've heard about you! You're the kid that defeated master Torrid and Vencer, right!? We all thought the news was fake about your age, but it seems like you're really just a teenage kid!" I nodded, "Yep, that's right. I'm sixteen years old right now…" I became confused, "...Hold on, master Paarl. You just said I was gonna help them somehow, right?" Paarl nodded, "Yeah, well their unit was completely wiped out by some southern soldiers. From the looks of it, the Water God was either killed or captured, so it's safe we're talking about a serious threat." "Y-yeah, and it gets worse…!" One of the soldiers spoke up, "...It was only two soldiers that wiped us out! Neither one of them wore any special clothes, so they just seemed like ordinary footsoldiers. But they managed to annihilate soldiers ranked as Lords and Overlords." Fear covered his voice. I walked up to him and patted his shoulder, "Alright, tell me where this all happened. I can investigate and finish 'em off by the end of tonight." The soldiers gasped in amazement, "R-really!? You think you can do that?" "Yeah, it shouldn't be a problem for me." They all smiled, "It was about twelve degrees from the southern line straight from here. Keep heading that way, and you'll come across the ruins of the city we were attacked in." "Awesome, thanks." I turned around and waved goodbye. As I was walking past the carriage, Nazeem walked out, "I heard you're headed off…?" I nodded. "...Don't push yourself too hard. Remember that your mana's still fucked up, so don't cast any spells." I giggled, "You worry too much, bro. There's no way anyone else out here is gonna force me into a corner." Nazeem shooed me off with his hand and began walking over to Paarl. I smirked, and bent down, touching the ground with my fingers and stretching my leg muscles. I stood up straight again, and leaned towards the south.
VSH! I dashed forwards, darting across the forest at supersonic speeds. SHOOM, SHOOM, SHOOM! I dashed on top of a cliff and bent down. I channeled mana through my legs, and jumped forwards. BOOM! The air around me popped like an explosion, and I flew across the forest, covering hundreds of meters every second.
Farther north, Lura and Nyleah were riding horseback with Solomon. Nyleah was flicking her fingers in anxiety. Lura noticed this from her horse and sighed, "You worried about Kil?" She said. Nyleah glanced at the ground as her cheeks grew slightly brighter, "Y-yeah… I just don't understand why we had to leave without them." Solomon looked back at them, "I'm sorry, but we need to get back as soon as possible. And since Sarik's not here, I need you two as protection just in case we get ambushed."
SHOOM, SHOOM, SHOOM, SHOOM! Kiliano dashed atop a few trees until stopping at the edge of a tattered city. Dozens of half broken and destroyed buildings lay across the dirt-covered ground. Burn marks covered nearly every house. I took a deep breath in, and coughed. "Jeez, the air's so dry over here…" I began walking into the city while looking around, "...Hmm… I don't sense any strong aura nearby. Maybe they fled somewhere else?" Crbl. The sound of pebbles rustled came from behind me, and I immediately jerked my body around. A man with blonde hair was standing there with his blade half drawn. SHNGG! The man swung, but I managed to deflect his blade. I dashed backwards and tried to form my stance. But before I could, another man with silver hair appeared from behind me and swung his sword downwards. I shifted my feet, and swung sideways. We both connected, blood shot out from each of us as I stumbled backwards. Just then, the blonde man dashed to my back and swung. I gritted my teeth and jumped up. The blonde man missed his swing, but he looked up, raising his left hand, "Fireball!" He said with a gravelly voice. I used Unaara to float a few dozen meters in the sky. The fireball flung upwards, but I backstepped, dodging it completely. SLOSH! "GYAH!" I whimpered as blood shot from my stomach. Somehow, the silver haired man had jumped up to me and pierced his sword through my back. I spat out blood and sent my right elbow into his face. DM! He flew into the ground below, but his sword was still stuck inside me. I began breathing heavily as my vision began to fade. Suddenly, everything felt excruciatingly hot as my vision turned red for a moment and I started falling to the ground. Before I hit the ground, the blonde man grabbed me by the shirt, "Pathetic… I can't believe you are the person they sent to kill us." He said with disgust. I smirked, "Y-you… shouldn't act so cocky." He flicked his tongue and flipped me around. Now, all I could see was the ground. SHNG! "Guh!" I let out a painful sigh as he pulled out the sword from my back and dropped me onto the ground, "Now that you're dead too, it won't be long before the tides change." I clinched my fist, "I don't think y-you understand what type of people… you're up against…" I pulled my torso off the dirt, and turned around to face him, "...T-the only reason… cough cough… that you bested me was because I'm still weakened from my fight with Shyzen." "Yeah yeah I've heard all about what you did, Kiliano Monfril. But now that you're out of the picture, the north is practically defenseless. All we've gotta do now is kill Paarl. After that, you've got no chance." I smiled, "Y-you're wrong. There's at least one more person you should worry about. In fact… he's on his way here right now." The man frowned, as his partner walked over to him, "Oh please, how strong could this guy be, eh!?" I let out a weak giggle, "Well… he's at least just as fast as I am. And his magic's a lot more destructive than mine is. He's my best friend… and one of the strongest people I've ever met…" I smiled widely and looked up towards the sky. Suddenly, a dark silhouette appeared above us, "...He's here." I said looking back at the two southerners. They both took a step back, noticing someone's presence nearby and looking around. CRSHH! Just then, a blast of lightning slammed against the ground behind them. Nazeem walked out from the blast with electricity coursing through his arms, "Well… looks like you're not recovered as much as you thought, Kil." I chuckled, "Yeah, sorry Nazeem. Just take these guys out and get me outta this crappy warzone." Nazeem smirked and nodded. The two southerners dashed towards him, but Nazeem dashed forwards, blitzing past both of them without looking back. He walked up to me and lowered his hand. I took it, and stood up with his help. "I'll kill these guys, okay?" "I don't have a problem with that. They're pretty spineless, sneak attacking me like that during a 2v1." Nazeem took a step towards them, and his body immediately disappeared. In an instant, he reappeared in front of the silver haired man, his fist hurled towards his face. DMM! The man flew across the clearing and slammed into a boulder. The blonde man swung his sword downwards at Nazeem, but he dodged it effortlessly and countered by grabbing his hair and pulling him downwards. He bent his knees and slammed the man's head into the ground, "Electrocution!" ZZMMM! "GYAAH!" The man screamed in pain for a few seconds, but he quickly grew silent as the electricity grew more violent around them. FSH! His spell dissipated, and he stood back up with steam rising from his foe's motionless body. Nazeem then turned towards the boulder where the other southerner had slammed into and pointed his left pinky finger, "Aaand, Lightning Bolt." CRSH! A giant bolt of lightning crashed into the boulder, turning everything into ash. Nazeem sighed, and turned towards me, "Alright, all done bro. Let's get on home, yeah?" I nodded, "Jeez, this was just pathetic. I can't believe those bums got me like that." "Don't worry about it too much. Oh and make sure to heal that wound in your back, okay? I can't have you bleeding to death before we get back to Zuri'el."
After that, Nazeem carried me across the forest. We would've made it back to Paarl in an hour or two, but Nazeem got lost and it took us an entire day instead. Once I told him what had happened, Paarl didn't let me leave the carriage at all until we made it back to Zuri'el. By the time we did make it there, I had been stuck inside a wooden crate for nearly an entire week. When I hopped off the carriage, my legs gave out and I fell onto the ground in front of Nyleah, Lura, Solomon, Paarl, Nazeem and about three thousand northern troops that know me as the guy who killed the God Of Gods and saved their country. It goes without saying I was a bit embarrassed. And it didn't make it any better when Nyleah scrambled over to my side and carried me like a princess over to the inside of the capital. Eugh, I can still feel the judgemental stairs and awkward looks from the soldiers. But anyway, once we made it back to the capital, I was pretty glad to see it was mostly rebuilt. Thanks to the north's copious amount of earth mages, reconstructing buildings wasn't something very hard.
After I got settled in, I went over to Solomon and asked him about the man I'd seen right after my fight with Shyzen. But when I did, his demeanor completely changed, and he wouldn't answer any more of my questions. The only thing he said to me after that was, "I'll tell you this, Kiliano. If that man wants something to do with you… then I suggest you seek him out." I left with no new knowledge. But now I have an objective that I must complete. "Next on my list…" I said in front of Nazeem, Nyleah and Lura, "...I'm gonna travel across the world, and find whoever the hell that guy was and ask him more about how I can control Vida… so I don't die." Lura scoffed, "You're an idiot dude. There's no way you'll be able to find one guy across all four continents. You'll die of old age before then." "Yeah I kinda agree…" Nazeem said, "...I hate to say it but that's kind of an unrealistic goal dude. Especially if your lifespan's reduced cuz of your lowered Vida." "Mannn…" I began talking, "...You're all too thick-headed. Don't forget, he wants to be found! And I'm willing to bet he's probably some noble living in a different country or something. I could tell that he holds a shitton of power, so I doubt someone like that's just gonna be a hermit and live in a secluded part of a mountain or some shit. C'mon guys, hype me up a little bit! I'm about to go on another journey through different countries!" Lura and Nazeem rolled their eyes, but Nyleah cleared her throat, "Uhm… Kiliano I'm not trying to say I'm against this idea but… you're considered a hero in The Thirteen Kingdoms now. Don't you think you should stay here now that you're a symbol of peace for the nation?" I rubbed my chin, "Yeah, good point. But nahhh… I honestly don't care about any of that crap! Public speaking scares the shit outta me. My dream is to be considered a legendary hero… but I've always wanted to be the type that's cool and mysterious. Y'know, like someone who's known as righteous and stoic but also kind and friendly towards everyone… and also mysterious. Like a wandering warrior that does what he wants, when he wants." "That just sounds like a mercenary." Lura said. "Hey…!" I snapped back, "...Don't ruin this for me!" Lura scoffed, "I don't need to… You're doing that already." "Screw you ya dumb bitch." I said under my breath. Lura's ear twitched as she turned to stare at me in the eyes with a piercing glare, "Wana repeat that!?" She jumped at me and smacked my head. I rolled across the wooden ground and smacked against the wall. Nazeem stood up, "C'mon guys, let's be serious for a moment…" Lura turned to look at him with a neutral look, "...If what Kiliano's saying is true, and his lifespan's been cut in half, then we gotta figure out a way to help him. Personally… I've got no obligation to stay in this country, so I don't mind looking for him myself." "No… No way can I allow that…!" I said, "...He came to me. Which means I've gotta be the one to look for him." "Okay…" Lura stepped in, "...But what about The Thirteen Kingdoms? We're gonna need you to step up and speak for the north and south." "Hmm…" I began thinking, "...Hmm… hmmmm… OH! I've got it guys! Why don't I ask Solomon to find a double to take my place? He can do all the public speaking and crap while I go out and find that man!" Lura shrugged and raised her eyebrows, "It isn't unheard of. In fact, my father used to do that a lot so he could spend more time… playing around with my mom. Eugh." I smiled, "Then it's settled. I'll talk to master Solomon about it tomorrow."
After that, we split up. I went to my room, which was on the outskirts of the city in a small rock hut. It was no bigger than the inn rooms I used to live in. All it had was a bed and unlit lantern. I walked inside and sat down on the bed, "Sigh… Jeez, I can really feel the difference in my Vida. My hands feel heavier than before… and the flow of my mana seems disturbed." I shook my head, and laid down. For a little bit, I began thinking about the battle with Shyzen, and how differently it could've ended. But in no time, I nodded off to sleep.
KNOCK KNOCK! Knock knock knock knock! I suddenly woke up to the sound of a wooden door being banged on. Knock knock knock! I rubbed my eyes and walked over to the door, opening it. My eyes widened. It was Nyleah. She was standing there in white shorts and a black tanktop, "N-Nyleah, hey…" I glanced past her shoulder and noticed that it was still dark outside, "...What's up, did you need anything?" Her eyes were fixated on the ground, "Uhm… yeah." She turned her eyes up towards mine, and we made eye contact. "Whoa whoa whoa…" I began thinking to myself, "...Is it just me or am I picking up some serious vibes from her!? I'm no expert, but that look seems rather spunky!" "Uh…" I began talking out loud, "...I'm sorry, why did you say you came here again?" Nyleah blushed, "Could… we talk for a bit?" I made a tiny smile, "Yeah sure. Do you wanna come in, or-" "Could we walk a bit too?" She cut me off. I nodded, "Yeah sure, let's go."
The two of us began walking down the outskirts of Zuri'el. For the first few minutes neither one of us spoke a word until, "Hey, Kiliano…?" I looked at her. "...I just wanted you to know I'm glad to see you again…" She began smiling. Her eyes glistened in the dim night light, "...After so many years, I thought it'd be an awkward reunion between us. But you seem so cool and familiar with us still, even after being separated for almost six years." "Ah… Well I can't lie… I was kind of nervous thinking about seeing you all again but once I saw Nazeem's face after the battle, I remembered how much of a jackass he is. That made me a lot more relaxed for sure." "Hehaha…" She giggled, "...Well that's good I guess." She turned up to look at me, and our eyes met once again. She had a wide smile with eyes that seemed to glow. We both stopped walking and turned towards each other. "Nyleah I-... I've trained non-stop for years. But now I'm finally feeling a sense of freedom that I've never felt before. I'm so glad… we all made it out safe." Nyleah's smile grew slightly bigger, "Well, that's all thanks to you. Without your help we'd all be six feet under right now." She grabbed my hand. As she did, I could tell her face grew slightly more red, "K-Kiliano… That night. The night right before you left… Do you remember what you said to me?" My eyes widened, "Yeah… I do." Her smile grew smaller, but I could tell she became happier, "You did it…" She walked closer to my chest, "...You protected me." My eyes widened even more and my face made a look of shock, as a singular tear ran down my cheek. Nyleah placed her head on my chest and closed her eyes, holding a smile. Suddenly, I felt warm. So warm it could be considered hot. But I didn't feel hot. Because the warmth I felt was a feeling beyond simple terms like hot and cold. Happiness swelled up inside me so fiercely I wanted to scream out into the world. But instead, I wrapped my arms around her, and held her gently. For what seemed like eternity, we held each other, under the dimly lit night.