Five more years had passed and Astercoth was falling back for the first time. A flurry of stabs and slashes overwhelmed him. They were about even for the past two years, but today something was different. His speed and strength her monstrous. Astercoth was reminded of the days he sparred with King Ryell, but he would never tell Ares that.

Today would be the day he would meet his father after ten years. Astercoth would have died long ago into their bout. But since he was just gaseous darkness, only his clothes were in ruins.

“Go, Ares! Go!” From the sidelines, Archmage Vivian was cheering him on fervently. She also had a gaseous body like Astercoth surrounding her clothing. She was about his height and wore a revealing black dress that accentuated her breasts and thighs, though barely visible from the darkness if she had any.

She was excited to teach Ares magic shortly after his encounter with Astercoth. However, she was disappointed, depressed even, for Ares had no mana. Like this, the king’s magic would be lost forever and her being bound to the king’s staff would have been meaningless. He promised her he would find a capable mage to carry on her teachings if she wrote down all the spells in a book, but she didn’t like writing. Instead she convinced him and Astercoth that most of the spells were too dangerous anyway, and would be better off dying with time.

“Spells like necromancy would be better off dead,” she told Ares in a bitter smile during their first meeting. She wrote a small handbook of the strongest defense spells and even anti-rapture level spells, just in case he became a capable mage in the future through some miracle. Healing magic was included, though not requiring extensive knowledge of the body.

As a replacement, Vi taught Ares healing magic that didn’t require mana. She called it medicine. He practiced ‘surgeries’ on puppets she made out of flesh, even children and baby sized. He was better at performing surgeries and making ‘vaccines’ than magic, but she was proud of him more so even. He had proven to her the sharpness of his mind, though he lacked common sense here and there.

Ares seemed more interested in Vi’s lectures than Astercoth’s swordplay, which made him jealous time to time. That was also when she thought he was the cutest.

Even when they were alive, Astercoth never bothered to eat with her, let alone ask her out to gaze at the nightsky. Nonetheless, she knew he loved her. She just hoped when they died his brusque behavior would have died with him. She let out a deep sigh and stopped cheering. She calmly sat on the floor and placed her hands on her cheeks, pitying her situation and hating Astercoth for it.

Feeling her glare from the side, Astercoth hesitated and Ares pointed the sword at the nape of his neck.

“Concentrate on your enemy. Isn’t that what you said?” Ares smiled bashfully.

“Don’t get cocky, greenhorn.” Astercoth retorted.

“He’s mad because he lost, Ares.” Vi seemed angry at something , but I didn’t until I met Myra.

“… Whatever. You pass. With this I can finally get some goddamn sleep.”

“Not with me around you won’t.” She said seductively, but Astercoth was unfazed.

“… You’re welcome anytime… only you...” Astercoth faded into the darkness as if wanting to avoid looking at her face.

I usually couldn’t tell what they were feeling as they didn’t have faces. But after Astercoth disappeared, Vi was definitely blushing with a pang of sadness. She faded into the darkness without even saying goodbye and her staff slowly burned to a crisp.

I noticed the last of shade of whiteness on the blade go black. His tattered clothes was replaced with general’s own wear, excluding his medals of honor. I buttoned the dress shirt all the way to my collar bones.

His pitch black hair had grown long and wild, reaching a bit above his shoulder blades. His blue eyes glowed through the darkness.

I was happy to meet my father again, but seeing them disappear like I was an afterthought hurt my feelings a lot. But I'm sure spirits have their own business to deal with and I have mine.

It was just me and Krystal again, just like the beginning, but I knew she would separate soon from me as well. She had become as big as she could be, and only now did crystals begin protruding from her body. It was a sight to behold as she did not show any animosity towards me. The darkness was still perpetual, but the way her crystals glistened with the tiniest bit of light made her more beautiful.

I wouldn’t be able to take her with me. I knew a beast of Krystal’s size would attract too much attention as well as her crystals. She was hostile to everyone but me, even the spirits, but she was too scared to attack them.

I walked towards the burial site of Ryell, and there she was waiting. She was anticipating me and greeted with a warm smile. She was the closest thing I ever had to a mother. And now I was leaving her.

“Have they passed on? Astercoth and Vivian?”

“Passed on? But they said they would meet after they disappeared.”

She smiled at me sweetly.

“I see... I also hope to meet my beloved on the ‘other’ side, whatever may lie there.”

My knees buckled under the weight of my emotion as I began to cry. ‘What? They’re dead? Just like that?’ My mind refused to believe it. 'I considered them my friends for the past five years and now they’re gone?’ He had seen them disappear before, but they always came back.

“I-It’s all my fault. If only—“

“It’s not your fault, Ares. They have simply completed their duties to the king. I’m sure they got something out of this extended life.”

Recalling the exchange they had before he saw them disappear. He realized that maybe his existence allowed their love the flourish. But it also could have ended it prematurely. These thoughts only brought anger upon himself, which quickly replaced his tears.

“You remind me so much of ‘him’ its almost irritating. ‘He’ would also shed tears over those he lost, even the lives he was not responsible for. I remember when we were kids and this dog—“ She quickly stopped herself as a smile began to form recalling that distant memory, because only pain, sadness, and loss would follow.

She turned towards Ares looking at him straight in the eyes. He did not turn away. He could not turn away as this would be her last words to him. The woman that gave him the strength to survive, as well as companionship and knowledge.

“But, that is also the reason I gave his power to you. You are not weak. You are not worthless. You are stronger and kinder than any other with a heart of pure gold and a mind sharp as steel, sometimes.”

She chuckled under her breath, which lifted my thoughts out of the depths of mind.

“After I send you home, I will perish as well using the last of my life force.”

Ares felt like crying once more, but his face only contorted with pain. If she didn’t choose to send him back, he would be stuck on this island until the end of his life probably. He could only speak his gratitude for sacrificing her life to fulfill his wish when he had so much more to thank her for.

“…Thank… you…” I said reluctantly, knowing this would be it. This would be the end.

“It is but my duty. I was ready to pass on with ‘him’ and our friends a long time ago. You only quickened our salvation and dreams. I should thank you instead.”

With a warm smile, a light enveloped Ares as he saw the last of Krystal, Diaties, and Myra.