“What the hell have you done?” King Charles raged, yelling at the representative of Dor in charge of their army in this war.

“What do you mean, your Majesty? Killing the enemies of course!” the dwarf answered. For someone who was in the military, his shining expensive-looking armor seemed too much of a decorative piece of clothing rather than for actual defensive purpose. It made one wonder if he even knew what was happening in the battlefield where the men were fighting for their lives.

“Enemies? Are you blind? Do those men outside this tent look like enemies to you? You bombarded the entire battlefield indiscriminately without knowing allies or foes. You used them as bait. You are the reason a quarter of my army was gone.” Charles shouted angrily.

“Such is the cost of war, your Majesty! Soldiers die. It’s as simple as that. However, what matters is that more enemies died than us. Morrigan’s army is now in disarray and in retreat thanks to our superior weaponry. Instead of blindly accusing me of the natural fact in every battle, you should celebrate and be grateful for our presence here. Else, you would not have the luxury of standing there, contemplating on what is right or wrong.” The dwarf spoke.

This kind of scene seemed almost too frequent these days between the dwarves of Dor and the King of Ceadric. By attacking him due to his young age, spouting about his ‘inexperience’ and taking advantage of the fact that Ceadric was dependent on them, Dor has become so arrogant that they practically ran the country right now. That was not to say that they were all bad. Some genuinely wanted to help the country simple out of sympathy. However, their voices were usually so quiet and few in numbers, in addition to the fact that their current higher-ups did not share the same opinion.

“ *teeth grinning sound* “ the king just wanted to get on this table in front of him and beat the shit out of this arrogant dwarf. If not for master Ganon who has firmly put his hand on the king’ shoulder as a gesture to wake him up from his rage, perhaps Charles might have just done that. “So what is your next move?” Exhaling a deep breath, Charles asked in the calmest voice he could at the moment.

“We must exploit the victory we just had and push it even further. I intend to launch a pursuit at their army right away. If we are lucky, it would be the final battle of this war.” Explained the dwarf general.

“I think it is risky to do that. While Valhalla has retreated, we cannot afford to underestimate Morrigan and her servants. Furthermore, according to our scouts, their last known coordinates was near the Great Swamp with a high possibility of them seeking refuge there. If that is the case, it would be impossible for us to find them in there.” The headmaster of Helios explained.

The Great Swamp was a wet piece of lands filled with dense vegetation situated in the southern borders of Ceadric and shared borders with the Whispering Forest further south and the old Empire of Zagon to the west. Unlike any other swamp, this one had a peculiar feature that could only be found in this place. Lying deep in its underground, a special mud, mauve in color, was mixed among the soil, rendering the earth and even the vegetation growing from it to take on the dye of a purple color. Furthermore, the Swamp was under constant darkness as if it was night time because of the dense tall trees growing their peak in a horizontal way, shielding the entire land from sunlight, creating a sense of night time even though it was actually in the middle of the day.

Because of that, it was very easy to lose your sense of direction inside the Great Swamp, giving it a nasty reputation. Only fools would dare to tread upon this land without a proper guide or a way to get around the freaky landscape that has claimed the lives of many before.

“I agree with master Ganon! Reports have shown us that the beastmen are marching toward us as we speak. By taking the shortcut through the Great Swamp, Morrigan would be able to join the Beast King and come back later.” Edward, the newest recruit of the royal guards, raised his opinion. “Also if the army of Valhalla has indeed retreated into the swamp, there is a high chance that they have a guide who could help them pass through it. However, that’s not the case for us. It would be suicide to go there without knowing what is waiting inside.”

“Huh! You bunch of cowards always plan to go back on your steps. How the hell will be we able to accomplish victory without a small risk on the side?” the representative of Dor spoke.

“It’s not cowardice. We hold the lives of the soldiers in our hands so it’s our responsibility to take care of it. I can’t consciously consent to put my men in danger just for you to have a taste of glory.” Edward retorted in a threatening tone.

“Master Ganon, are you just going to let your students running around like chicken, talking to me with that tone? And they say you are so wise. But clearly, all that wisdom didn’t rub off one bit on your pupils.”

“STOP!” the king slammed on the table loudly. “That’s enough.”

“Yes, I agree.” The dwarf spoke. “I have to take my men to chase down that wench Morrigan so if you excuse me!” Standing up, the dwarf headed toward the exit but was stopped by the king’s voice.

“Wait! If you are going to take a part of our army, at least bring one of our own general with you!” Charles proposed.

“…If that pleases you. So who will accompany me?” asked the dwarf.

“He will!” the king pointed to the boy by his side, surprising everyone even the person in question himself.

“Your Majesty?” Edward uttered in confusion.

“Him? Are you underestimating me, King Charles? Why would I bring such a brat with me to war?” questioned the representative of Dor.

“He is a Deus mage, the same rank as master Ganon. While still inexperienced, I am sure he can provide precious assistance you may need when treading upon that unknown land.” Charles conveyed. “Do this and we won’t stop you from going!”

“Like you can!” the dwarf muttered in a low voice but then changed his tone. “But fine, if that would shut you up. Come along brat! We leave in half an hour!”

With that said, the dwarf exited the tent, with Edward followed him behind. Looking back at Charles with a confused expression, Edward wanted to ask why Charles sent him to go with the dwarf. It wasn’t because he was afraid for his life. Of course not! For someone who has once stared straight back at death itself, Edward has grown a lot from a naïve young noble to a fine youth with inspiring values, nothing short of a grown man in term of strength and wisdom. But because of his young age, he still had doubts about his own decision even though his advices were usually much better than those older than him.

Yet, it was precisely for this reason that Charles has brought Edward with him to the frontline. It was to build up his confidence in himself. From just a mere glance and a few of their short encounters, Charles has seen potential in the young noble. Without a doubt, this boy would become a great figure in the future and the King of Ceadric had every intention to have him by his side till then.

Instead of replying in words, the king simply gave a nod at the confused mage who somehow understood his intention and nodded back in agreement. After what happened in the last battle, Charles has lost every last bit of confidence in Dor. That was why he decided to send Edward to accompany the dwarf in hope that they would be able to avoid that kind of situation to repeat itself again.

As for Edward, something strange happened the moment he went out of the tent. All of the sudden, he felt a strange ache on his chest. It was as if his heart was set on fire. Crouching down to the ground with short breath, a thought came to his mind as he looked down to his chest, pulling the cloth out to see.

The clock brand has changed. Half of it was black now.

If what the Reaper told him was true, then this brand, depending of the time and its colour, showed how close Edward was to death. However, he was sure that this morning before the meeting, the brand was blank. So how did it become like this?

“What the…? Does that mean I am going to die if I go there?” the boy uttered in disbelief.

But then his strain of thoughts was disrupted by an annoying voice.

“Hey kid, what are you doing?” the dwarf stood in front of Edward and asked. “Getting cold feet?”

“…No I am fine. Let us go!”

…..

Within a few hours, the army has found themselves in front of the Great Swamp’s entrance. It was such a change in both air and landscape when the grass was green and seemed so lively under your feet while just a few more steps forward and you had an eerie ghastly wet forest with dirty water and mud everywhere.

“All right men, victory awaits us ahead! Once we finish this, your names will be hailed as heroes for being the ones who put an end to this war. Onward, men!” the dwarf general proclaimed and pointed his sword forward, ordering his army to march into the Great Swamp.

Each and every one of the soldiers, including the general himself was filled with excitement. A natural reaction when you thought about what kind of rewards they would receive upon returning in glory. Defeating the fabled Morrigan in itself was a task not many could even hope to come anywhere near. And yet, they were on the verge of accomplish that feat.

However, the same could not be said for one individual as he rode on his horse through this damp land. Without even need to look at the brand on his chest, Edward could feel the clock has advanced even further. It now pointed at the ninth hour with most of the clock almost dyed in black. On the journey coming here, the youth has thought hard about the nature of the Death Spectrum given to him by the Reaper. Before he merely considered it as a reminder of the remaining time he had. But that was merely the façade of this brand. Its true power lied somewhere else and Edward intended to test it right away.

Facing a surface of water ahead, the army pondered about whether they should cross it or find another route around. This would be the perfect opportunity to ascertain Edward’s theory about this thing he had.

“Let’s see…if I go on the left right here….” The clock increased by two hours to eleven.

“Actually I change my mind. I will go right…” The clock went back to nine.

So according to the brand, Edward would have a higher chance of dying if he chose to go the left way. But how would he be able to verify if it was telling the truth?

“Soldiers, shoot your arrows into the water here and here for me please!” Edward ordered.

As he expected, the arrows resurfaced on the left way but disappeared without a trace on the right.

“What are you doing?” asked the dwarf.

“There is a common technique to know if the water is deep or not when crossing a river or a swamp. If the arrows resurface, it means that they didn’t manage to reach the bottom and therefore that place should be avoided. However, if the arrows don’t resurface, then it means that they did reach the bottom and were stuck in the soil. Using this method, we can ascertain whether the water is deep or not and find a way to cross the swamp safely.” Explained Edward.

“Interesting! I didn’t know about that. You are better than you look, boy! Hehehe!” laughed the dwarf, tapping on Edward’s back. For a general to not know this common fact, his leadership started to become questionable.

Little by little, slowly but surely, the army managed to cross the area safely without a single loss. However, that was not the greatest of news but rather the fact that Edward was able to confirm the function and accuracy of the brand. Every time he checked with the method of the arrows, what the brand told him was true. So by taking the advantage of the power of the brand, Edward would be able to make a prediction of the future and based from the results, avoiding any death potential.

“Amazing! So I can use it like this.” Thought Edward out loud.

* * *

“CHARGE!!!”

Returning to Oros and more specifically the city of Firmament Spires, Canaan, the absolute defence the dragon council was so proud of has just been destroyed by a young boy who showed up out of nowhere. With it gone, the rebel army led by Kaiser and Celdora moved onward into the towers of Canaan.

“What monstrous power!” the dragon lord uttered after witnessing Alastor’s demonstration of strength. “So this is what you get from a demon lord and a hero. You can be proud of him, Asgore…Lakyus!”

“As I have told you many times lord Celdora! My father’s power is unquestionable.” Kaiser said.

“Even so…to this extent…such thing is in the league with the Gods themselves.”

“He has already surpassed the Gods.” Kaiser commented.

“…For a strange reason, especially after what I have seen, I don’t doubt that one bit.” Celdora muttered.

“Anyway, we should focus on the battle ahead!”

“Right after you!”

With the barrier destroyed, the only weapon Canaan had was the laser beams that were firing consecutively at the rebels from the central tower. However, none of those managed to hit anyone because of the Devourers absorbing all those beams before they even reached their targets. Furthermore, half of the dragon council’s force was sent to Mara to assist Ceadric and most of the current members were exhausted after the battle against Alastor, in which they lost. Even if they called their forces back now, they would not come back in time. And to be frank, after seeing what Alastor was capable of, many were not sure if an army of dragons would make that much of a difference.

As for the dragon council located at the hundredth floor in the central tower, the atmosphere could be resumed into one word: despair. Their weapons, lost. Their precious city, in flame as the rebels swarmed into the towers one by one.

“How could this happen?” Taragon uttered in disbelief. “HOW?”

“We are doomed.”

“It’s over….”

“We should surrender…probably”

Panic spread among the members of the council as they realized that the war was lost. With the current force present in Canaan, it would be impossible to retaliate back, not when the kid that was responsible for their defeat was still around.

*BANG (SLAMMING SOUND)*

A loud sound of metal slamming onto the floor echoed throughout the chamber, silencing everything as they turned their head toward the center of the room. It was the ancient dragon Maragon who has used his giant mace to gather attention from his peers who have clearly lost their nerves and taken by hysteria.

“SILENCE!” the dragon roared. “You will not desecrate this place with your coward words. The war is not yet over. If we don’t have enough soldiers then we will be joining them in battle. Each and every one of us is an elder dragon or at least among the strongest of their clans. Are you telling me that we cannot take on those younglings down there?”

“But lord Maragon, it’s the kid that we worry about. He is clearly too strong for any of us.” Said a member.

“You won’t have to worry about him. I will take care of that.” Maragon spoke.

“Forgive me for being rude but I don’t think your current power can be a match for him….”

“No…but that doesn’t mean there is no other way. I will give my life if I need to in order to stop that brat from interrupting with the battle. Use that time to defeat Kaiser and Celdora! If the head of the snake is cut off, so will follow the rest! Nothing must happen to this tower.” Maragon proclaimed, bringing them back to their proud selves with his inspiring words.

“Lord Maragon…”

“We have to defend this place given to us by the God Amon. We must! Taragon, my son, you will lead the rest to victory. I leave everything to you.”

“Yes father! Let’s go everyone! To war!!!”

……

“That was tiring…*heavy breathing” Alastor swiped away his sweat on his forehead.

“Are you ok, Alastor?” asked Stella as she crouched down next to him.

“I am fine, Stella. More importantly, we should join the others. Abalone, what will you do?” the demon lord turned to the brown haired girl next him.

“Why are you asking me that now? I told you that I will come with you till the end of this journey.” The girl replied.

“I have never actually seen you fight…Can you?” inquired the boy.

“Hihi don’t worry!” Abalone turned to the gyrfalcon on her shoulder. “We have some tricks of our own. Although I hope that the moonstone will not run out of energy before that.”

“You said that it recharges under moonlight, right?”

“Yeah! The closer and brighter the moon, the more energy will the stone receive, meaning me and Heru will be even more powerful than we normally are.” Explained the sea dragoness.

“I see…will keep that in mind.” The boy scratched his head. “Alright let’s go people! We will finish this once and for all.”

“GO!!!!” Abalone shouted.

“ KAWK (eagle screaming loudly and excitedly)”

“…Go?” Stella raised her hand awkwardly after seeing the others did the same.

* * *

“The world has truly changed… After all this time, hope is no longer a wishful thinking of the future.

The age of the Gods is near its end. The wars in Oros and Mara will open the door to a new era for Astora. And once the world crosses that door, we will no longer be necessary anymore. Perhaps…it’s for the best.

Lord Eden’s will…it is finally starting to become a reality. Just a little more and it would be all over. Just a little more … and I will join you, my dear friends.”

* * *

Watching the battle from the sides, two figures stood among the bushes as they observed the insurrection of the dragons. Each wore black robe and held a large obsidian scythe with their shadowy hands.

“Hummm…”

“Hummm…now?”

“I suppose so.”

“So many lives…so…wasteful…”

“Indeed! But at least we can make sure that their souls will be put into good use.”

“Hmm I guess. Then shall we?”

“Of course! Let the harvest begin! Do try to stay stealthy! We are not here to kill, simply harvest what it is already dead.”

* * *

Back to the battle in Canaan, the valiant soldiers of the rebellion have clashed against the army of the dragon council. A moment ago, these grunts seemed so distressed to the point of giving up but after members of the council have joined them, they have found back their resolve and fought with all their strength against the invaders.

Wielding his twin great swords as he seemingly danced throughout the battlefield, Kaiser yelled sthe name of the individual he was looking for.

“TARAGON! Where are you? Come and fight me, coward!”

The reason for this was actually very simple. For someone who was among the leaders of the dragons, Taragon has used a deadly weapon against his own people just so he could kill Kaiser. That kind of thinking was resented deeply by the True Monarch, not because of the injuries he sustained from that attack but because to him, Taragon was no king or leader. He might have been the son of the great Maragon but this kind of underhanded tactic was not fit for a true king.

From afar, even in the midst of this chaotic battle between the two sides, the eldest son was able to spot a black figure running toward one of the smaller towers in the central district before enter it with haste.

The young dragon, instead of executing the duty his father has given to him, has decided to do something else. He did not even dare to go to the frontline or stay and command his troops. What could he possibly be planning now when defeat was right in front of him?

“It’s all because of that brat!! Curse him! CURSE HIM! All my plans have gone to waste because of a brat.” The dragon in his human form rushed through the sets of stairs as he tried to go back to his chamber.

Slamming the door open, the dragon opened all his cabinets and drawers he could find as if he was searching for something.

“Where is it? Where is it? ….YES, here it is!”

…..

Kaiser rushed through the stairs of the tower he saw Taragon walking into. As he came closer to Taragon’s chamber, a conversation between a voice which seemed to belong to Taragon and someone else he did not recognize the voice.

“Help me, please!” Taragon spoke to the small crystal orb he held in his hands.

“So you failed…Too bad!” a voice came from the crystal as it shined a faint light.

“It’s not my fault. It’s that brat!” the dragon defended himself.

“Don’t blame it on Alastor! It’s your own fault for not taking him in account. You should have expected this ever since Terrick died back in Cedra.”

“I am telling it’s not my….Wait a minute! How do you know his name is Alastor? I didn’t tell you his name.”

“I know everything there is to know about Alastor. Where he is, what he does…..what happened the day he was born…Everything!”

“What are you talking about???” Taragon shouted in anger, unable to understand what the voice meant by all that.

“Nothing of your concern! But do you have the luxury of talking to me like this? Aren’t you losing?”

“That’s what I have been telling you since earlier. Help me defeating them!” the dragon pled.

“No can do. It’s already too late.”

“Then help me escape!”

“Why?” the voice inquired.

“What do you mean why? Am I not a member of your group????”

“And we thank you for your contribution so far. But your usefulness have run out so we…I don’t need you anymore.”

“You betrayed me? How could you???”

“Betray? You are the one who betrayed your people to join us in the first place. This world is corrupted and we who live in this world are all sinners riding the ship toward our own destruction. Blame your own naivety if you expect something good from anyone in this world!

But alas I don’t expect you to understand what I just said. It’s alright to be ignorant. After all, we all will die the same.

Goodbye Taragon! Do try to die with some dignity!”

The moment the voice stopped, the orb cracked open before shattering itself into a cloud of dust and drifting away by the wind from the hands of the dragon.

“You piece of shit!!! I will not die. You hear me? I will not!!!” Taragon shouted at the remains.

Suddenly, he could hear footsteps coming toward him from behind, slowly but surely.

“Terrick? I know that name. One of the people responsible for the death of my mother Shana…and a member of Sanctus. So you are one of them?”

“What?” Taragon turned back, only to Kaiser revealing himself as the light from the window shined upon his figure. “Why are you here?”

“What do you mean why? Take a guess!” Kaiser raised his sword forward.

“It’s all because of you and that brat….You ruined everything.” Taragon grunted. “But don’t think that you have won just yet. The blood of the ancient dragon Maragon flows inside me. You won’t take me that easily.”

“Still depending on your father at your age? What a baby! Let me tell you that I know how to fight the moment I was born! En garde!”

* * *

“” Abalone cast her spell, creating large bubbles of water that trapped the enemies inside. Except for the sea dragons, no other dragons were able to breathe underwater so this attack could prove to be fatal. Furthermore, if the targets tried to run away, the bubble would follow them, stealing away their means to breathe until Abalone dispelled them.

In an instant, all the foes around Abalone were flung into air, imprisoned by those bubbles. Using the moonstone as a catalyst, the spell was even more powerful, able to freeze itself including the prisoners, restricting them of all movements.

“Fuuu..*heavy breathing*” Abalone exhaled heavily with a smile on her face as she watched her frozen achievements.

“KAWK” Heru who was flying above her screamed at the sea dragon after spotting a few enemies coming her way.

“Thanks Heru!” shouted Abalone. “Who wants a piece of thisss…….? …..!!!! What? The stone is out of power? SHIT! What do I do?” The light emitting from the moonstone began to fade until it disappeared completely.

Finding herself in quite a pinch, Abalone watched in distress as three large dragons landed and surrounded her.

“What is this? A sea dragon?” Dragon number one spoke after a careful inspection of Abalone.

“Actually it would make sense she is with the rebels.” Said the second one.

“Let’s kill her!” the third one roared.

Seeing her friend in danger, the gyrfalcon landed on Abalone’ shoulder and screamed threateningly at the trio. Unfortunately, no matter how menacing it might sound, Heru was only a normal bird, a pigeon compared to these majestic dragons. What could he possibly do to save her?

…..

“

It was one of the rare occasions Alastor was able to witness Stella in her battle mode. Wielding incredible strength for such a slim figure combined with powerful crystal magic, one of the rarest forms of magic, the doll was a frightening combatant and an unstoppable force on the battlefield. But the creepiest aspect of her was probably her expression. While others were filled with fear, excitement, bloodlust, Stella showed no emotion whether she was smashing through ranks of enemies or broke the neck of her foe. And yet, that lack of emotions, that calmness was perhaps also her hidden charm.

“So I see…” Alastor scratched his head.

“Should I save her?” asked Stella.

“Yes, go ahead! I can take care of things here.

But as he decided to rush toward Abalone, a loud grave voice echoed across the entire battlefield, stopping everyone in the midst of their battle

“Alastor, can you hear me? Come to the hundredth floor at the central tower! We will settle our score there.” It was the dragon Maragon who spoke using the crystal ball from earlier. Watching his every move from there, the dragon was able to communicate with the boy even in the midst of this chaos.

“…..how about …no?” the boy uttered innocently.

“What do you mean no? Aren’t you fighting your way here in order to meet me? Because if that is the case then you won’t find anyone stopping you from climbing up here. Come and fight me, Alastor!”

“Are you so old you can’t come down? Aie aie aie, old people.”

“You dare mock me???” Maragon threatened.

“I am merely speaking the truth. Besides I don’t see any merit in climbing a hundred floors just to fight an old dude who has already stepped a feet in the grave.”

“What? Have you no honour?”

“I am a freaking kid. What the hell does honour even mean?” Alastor faked, scratching his head in an innocent face. “But fine! I will fight you.” Turning to the doll by his side, Alastor said. “Can you go help Abalone please? I will take care of this.”

“Ok. Be careful!”

“I will.”

Sprinting toward the helpless sea dragon and her gyrfalcon, Stella left Alastor behind. With him by himself, Alastor took out his sword Excalibur. In the past, he has used it to slay the God of the Dwarves Gnome and Merkabah the God of Celestials. However, it was only recently that he forgot a crucial detail about the sword. It could change its form depending on the user’s needs. When fighting against Gnome, because of his size, Alastor has wished for a weapon that was capable of damaging him. His will was transferred to the sword that was passed down to him, giving it the necessary size he needed. But why did he take the sword out this soon?

“Already drew your sword? Aren’t you hasty….wait a minute! What are you doing?” Maragon was bewildered when he saw the sword changing its form into that of axe…not a normal axe but a very very very big axe. Translucent with a faint azure light, the axe had a normal size handle, able to be held by the small hands of a boy like Alastor. However, its blade could only be described as the most ridiculous thing ever created as it was as big as half the size of the central power. As Alastor held the handle, moving the giant axe casting a shadow upon the battlefield, he spoke.

“I did say that I will fight you. However, I have no intention of climbing this tower so instead of me going up, I will help you getting down, starting with this tower.”

“You can’t mean!!!” Maragon uttered.

“TIMBER!!!!!!”