With darkness as my company, the encroaching beast of solitary gallops forward, yet, I shall hold my ground, she gallops towards me and everything begins to slow down, I quickly thought to myself:

(Don't you lose, don't you fret, don't you ever turn yourself back. For this is not the end of your life, not the conclusion to your tale but the climax for this battle, that you will soon change what you shall face.

My legs are weak, my right arm is limp, my body damaged yet my fears will not overtake me. Look at yourself, look at your enemy, look at what can possibly change the tide of the duel.)

My enemy stands on her four feet. With the upper body being a human and the lower being identical to a horse. Wearing a full plate armour yet that is impervious to all my qi attacks, but focusing now, I can see that her body is falling apart as her armour leaks blood dripping to the ground.

(Come on Sova, think... Think differently...)

She said that she can't kill me yet she is doing all she can to do so... And "him" is stopping her by probably doing the bleeding and all I can do is fight or stall until Sis Yuwei or someone arrives or until her body destroys her self...

(So basically this will be a war of attrition).

Since I'm still wearing the belt with my bag in the back of my waist where salves are in there, sadly I don't have the luxury to take the time and heal myself when she is there trying to kill me.

But there is another factor I can use, the way she fights, it's like she has so much qi in her and she has the techniques but its more to akin of someone who just learns but never trains so her moves are mostly the same and brutish...

"That's it, May's teaching about the third law of motion thingy. But I need to make sure her of her steps..."

I pay close attention to her gallops. When she gallops closer, I need to hit her when her frontal foot hits the ground for this to work.

(So be patient).

She readies her burning curve sword and swings it down at me as she uses her back feet and readied her front legs.

(Not yet...)

I use the minimal movement and dodge her attack, almost falling down as she went pass through before turning around and went straight back at me. She quickly comes with the same moves...

"Not yet. Third time's the charm."

I dodge once more when I feel she cuts a little of my numb right hand and the force pushes me away but I hold with my rod.

When finally I see her coming close with the front legs, I quickly use this chance to quickly move toward her and stab my rod's pommel to the ground pointing the blunt tip at the centre of her body...

(Which is probably in the lower body).

Using her momentum and the ground as the hard place, I steer the blunt tip with my left hand to quickly hit her lower body.

Her blade misses my head and cuts my headband as she gallops closer, her frontal legs hit the ground and she continues dashing, her lower body hits my weapon. Blood splatter out from the gaps of her armour and drench me like I hit a bag of water. I hold my weapon like it is my last, and her body finally flings up above me but not before the impact bent the rod shorter and made me fall without a hold.

A sound of *Splat* can be heard from behind me. I try to get up with only one hand but quickly fell over again when my left arm trips. Force to only lay down, to look only up, for now, I can only wish it's over.

(Is this how much I can last? Just one grazed hit?)

I heard a large stomp, shaking the ground and rubbles starts to fall on me. Flesh tearing each other apart echoed through the darkness as well the sound of flesh falling over.

"I'm nOt DoNe YEt... I AM NOT DONE YET! BoTH oF YOu WIlL nOT TaKE ThIs ChANcE AwAy FrOM mE!!!"

I hear the sound of a blade stabbing the ground and I could feel the heat from my head gathering nearby. Galloping steps get closer to where I am, slowly but surely closer.

I tried to get up again, this time not slipping and manage to stand on my two feet. I look at the emissary that stands against me, her body is beginning to tear itself apart with only the tentacles and armour holding it back together.

I look around to see where my rod is and went there. I grab my headband and ignore her, I walk ahead as she stops galloping, hearing the body tearing herself apart and manage to grab my rod.

(If there is one thing I learn from my Sis is that I need to stand from any beating).

I take the rod with my left hand and face her. She is trying her best to hold herself with all she can when she screams. She stops holding her body and I could see her forcing her body to stitch itself together. And finally gallops forward, burning in the grand flame as her burning sword raise high.

(Are you kidding me?)

With no options left, I stand my ground and ready myself, I look at the headband my aunt gives to me when I realize behind my name is a familiar insignia knitted with lighter black wool, something I feel like I have seen before...

(Remember, remember it, Sova.)

My aunt's voice rings on my head and I see my life flashing before my eyes.

*********************************************************

I see my mom petting me saying:

"I'm sorry Sova, I'm sorry you were born like this."

"Why Mommy? Didn't Daddy say I look the most adorable and he is the dadorablest?"

She smiles happily as she giggles saying:

"Pfff, hahaha, I see, Seems like Daddy is secretly playing with you when he told me to do his tasks huh."

She stops petting me and takes a broken pendant from her pocket. She makes me look at an old pendant with an insignia that looks so old that it feels like it came from a legend or a myth.

"When you head to the battlefield one day against those heretics, this will be our legacy, it means Iztroann, The Ruler of Both. It will be our shining beacon of hope in this war."

"War? What is that Mommy? It sounds bad."

"Sooner or later you will understand."

She pets me once more smiling sadly as she says so.

*********************************************************

When I return back to reality, I feel the power surging inside me, I see purple light surrounding me and the wind blowing around me. My broken rod is suddenly starting to warp and twist itself to a disturbing degree. The tip of the rod starts to change as violet purple cracks begin to appear on the rod.

I look at myself to see the same cracks spreading to me, words came onto me, I hold my weapon tighter saying:

[Iztroann Earon]

I hit the rod to the ground and it suddenly turns into a disgusting twisted sword that screams corruption from every angle with violet purple cracks appearing on the blade. Now, I can somehow move all my body except for my right arm. Memories of a technique came to me and I can see tears falling to the ground.

"Am I crying?"

I wipe my eyes and move my right feet back and my left foot forward, I raise my blade till it's between my eyes. I look at her and see her moves slowly as time itself has slowed down.

Power surges around my body as violent purple waves start emanating around, she finally got close and swings her blade down at me, my body moves on its own like it has happened to me for so long.

I move to the right dodging its strike as its blade plunge deep to the ground and I quickly phase to the left, making a sweeping strike, severing her left wrist from her arm with one stroke from below. Tentacles splurt out from her fresh wound, connecting her severed limb together while she quickly uses her right hand to grab the blade but I won't let her. I jump using her blade as a medium and slice her from her stomach till her right shoulder cleaving her in half, leaving behind purple cracks on her body and landing far behind her.

"Aaaaaah!!! M-mY mAgIc iS lEaViNg mE w-WHaT dID yOU do!? DOn't TeLL mE THat ThInG iS MaDe oF OwLiAn STeeL aNd ThAt wEird MaGiC sUrrOundIng you- Noooo!!!"

She screams in pain as she starts to look back and pull her sword out forcefully as I see her dislocating her shoulders as she chases me, I change my stance, keeping the sword near my right waist and wait for her to come. As she gets closer she swings her blade saying:

"[Endless raining petals technique, spring path: raining fury]"

Sending out qi wave blast made out of flames that shoots out smaller slashes, I dodge each and every one of her attacks easily while still staying in my stance as I phase around leaving behind after images when I realize I'm starting to look different. I send out my own technique saying what my instinct tells me:

"[Sarein Remori]"

A huge complicated magic circle appear infront of me and I plunge my sword quickly as it starts to shine violet and swing my sword without stopping, sending out wave upon wave of unending purple feather blades strikes as it overwhelms her own attacks. The purple wave cuts through her attacks like hot steel to butter, the attack reaches her as they cut her armour without mercy, decapitating her arms and body while she forcefully reattach them back together while still galloping towards me until she arrives infront of me.

She raises her frontal feet to make an earth-shaking stomp, her body burns more fiercely as the air suffocate, yet I can still breathe normally. My sword begins to shine bright and starts to change its form, turning longer and longer until it becomes into a more corrupted unholy spear, twisted and crooked from the warping it caused itself, horrid than what the sword was before and new techniques come into my head.

She stomps the ground but before one of her feet can touch it, I swing my spear and cut off her frontal right leg and not stopping there, I slice the other front leg, making her lose her balance as she descends down on her face. Before she falls or regenerates, I quickly thrust my spear onto her lower body, piercing through her armour and purple cracks appear all over the wound, I grit my teeth as I put power on twisting the spear and quickly reverse the grip and jump up far back. Cutting her body into two and keep going up until past her head as I see her helmet split open. I can see her crying with her twelve bloodshot eyes as we stare at each other.

I can see myself from her reflective bloodied eyes,

(My eyes shine purple as it has turned into pupils with multiple horizontal slits, and I can see my grit teeth has turned into fangs... No different than monsters).

Tentacles appear from the dissected parts trying to grab me, but I quickly make a purple shock wave and disintegrates the tentacles as it continues burning inside of her.

Enormous power begins to gather at the tip of my spear surging non-stop until the purple cracks begin to appear more frequently on both the spear and my body. I look at her trying to reattach her body as she cries, trying to get up with her arms when she looks at me with the face of both regret and hatred. As I feel the light coming from outside, I quickly unreverse my grip and thrust my spear saying what my feeling told me:

[Ezurgent, Iztroann's Enganre!]

A huge beam fired from the tip of my spear and a magic circle appear infront of me as the light beam passes through, the magic circle expanded into more magic circles making weird patterns and the beam becomes even bigger with each passing circle until it finally turns into a mechanical eagle. It screeches as it sound resonates around and before hitting her she makes a desperate attempt to block it, which the beam makes a chain explosion, obliterating everything below and near her while the blast shook the earth and disintegrate the ground where she lay.

The blood dawn shines into the heavy clouds of purple dust when I land on my two feet, the spear finally reverts back into a broken metal rod and the purple cracks disappear from the weapon while still stays on my body. I look at myself, seeing the cracks turning black similar to the one with Aoi.

My skin suddenly starts to fall to the ground disappearing to black dust and before long I fall on my knees and the cracks spread past my view as it hits the ground. My rod falls off as I look at my own hands shaking uncontrollably as it peels off little by little.

(I can't feel anything, but am I going to disappear?)

The dust finally blew away and I could see her lying there with only a third of her upper body left.

"Bagels, Not even that is enough!"

"No, you've won Sova... I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"I lost, it seems my desires got the better of me..."

"W-what are you talking about?"

"Sova listen to me, when I make a deal with him, I only have one thing in mind and that is to speak with my second daughter Fei. I sadly pass away when I give birth to her and never get the chance to even hold her.

Before I knew it I was a lingering spirit wondering the palace with no one who can talk to me except my first daughter Little Yu. She was special, special enough that she has been gifted to be able to speak and see wondering spirits. And like that, I was able to speak with my family once more.

But that dream was cut short, the residence begins to fear me when my hubby passed away. They thought I was a malicious spirit and tried to exorcise me when Yuwei stopped them, they begin to see her as not worthy and defected, leaving the house and work for the minor families. Fei, my second daughter was still young, she was sadly afraid of things she can't see and since I can't speak to her I was forced to move objects around to communicate but that only terrified her even more..."

She begins to stay silent, I tried to stand and walk closer to her when I see my own blonde hair falling off. Her purple hair begins to disintegrate and she continues saying:

"Sova, my boy, I know you don't trust spirits but please just this once can you deliver a message to my daughters, please..."

When I arrive near her, her body begins to disintegrate and I sit down saying:

"That I can do."

"Thank you, tell them I love them always, no matter what happens to us keep moving forward."

I close my eyes as I curled up saying:

"I promise, I'll tell them."

"Thank you, Sova... I feel at peace now."

Her whole body turns into black goo and disintegrates to nothing. I turn around and face behind me, seeing the blood dawn rising. I suddenly become sleepy and I decided to rest.

(I think I'm gonna take a little nap...)

When suddenly I felt someone pounce at me from the right. Yet I can't feel pain anymore.

"Sova, oh Sova! Y-you're still alive! Thank goodness! But what happened to you!? You're cracking open!"

I look at who's speaking to see a girl in her teens with her kinda curly long purple hair that is a mix of lime green and Apricot orange tied up like horsetail with an amethyst pin connecting them along with her tan brown skin shining with the blood dawn. I softly speak her name:

"Sis... Fei...?"

"Sova... Okay... Don't...."

Her voice becomes more blurry as the passing moment. When I remember the promise I quickly look at her with my tired eyes saying:

"Fei, I've... Something... Important..."

"Huh? Wait... Speak..."

"Se... Love... You... No matter... What."

And everything turns dark as I lean towards her.

"Wu-what!? S-say-"

The voice stops coming and my ears go numb.

*********************************************************

When I open my eyes and see my small hands trying to grab something when someone holds my hands softly and put it down. I look at the person when I realize I am now laying on her lap upon the beautiful lush garden. A beautiful woman in her twenties with her long jet black hair and deep crystal blue eyes, she brushes her hair behind her ear as she pets me saying:

"You're awake Master Sova, did you have a good rest? Or did you had a weird dream again?" making a calm smile as she speaks.

"Um, Elli... I think I have a weird dream."

"To be honest, I can already guess from your reaction, then let's talk when we walk to the dining room okay? Mommy Seva and Papa Urva are waiting for breakfast."

"Mommy and Daddy are!?"

I raise my arms and get up to stand. I look back saying:

"Okay~"

She leans forward smiling as she pets me again saying:

"Good boy~"

I hold her soft hands and smile happily as she pets me before she hugs me saying:

"Ah, you're so precious, Master Sova. Let me carry you there."

She carries me up and snuggles me close to her chest. I hug her back as I lay my head on her neck saying:

"This weird dream I had. It's when I meet these unknown people from a weird place in a weird city."

"Uhm, a weird city you say?"

"Yea about this huge weird labyrinth city called Rucina and the weirdest part is when all of you are not there anymore but random people I don't know and it's very scary. All the people there can use this weird magic tricks without props and are all violent and mean. Not only that, I have a dream inside a dream where I see Mommy and Daddy not waking up anymore."

I hug her tighter when she pets my head saying:

"Oh you poor little precious, don't worry. You're safe here where Sis Elli, big bro Ezurus, Mommy Seva and Papa Urva is here to protect you. Oh, and let's not forget the other personnel too like old man gardener Tommy."

I nod saying:

"Thank you, Elli~"

She shakes her head and I think again to think what I said wrong and try again saying:

"Everyone?"

She nods and pets me again, I smile happily as we walk to the mansion's gates when I was about to enter the mansion, I could hear small whispers saying:

(Help... Please... Stay with us!)

"Elli, I think I'm hearing something. It's scary."

She holds me close saying:

"It's okay sweetie, it's just the whistling wind."

(Sova, don't leave us!)

"It's the voice of someone from my dreams, it's calling for me... I don't like it."

She rubs her head against mine saying:

"It's okay Sova, everything will be over when we enter the house. No one will ever hurt you again."

(Sova, your Family is waiting for you!)

When the door open I could see Mommy waiting with a smile as she looks at us, a beautiful women wearing a lavish white robe with a long sleeves that covers her entire arm and an insignia that look like multiple arrows pointing all four sides while the round sharp ones pointing where the four didn't, with a long white band adornment on her neck along with a majestic tiara on her long brown straight hair stretching past her waist.

Beside her, pappy with his short blonde hair comb to the back and his sharp jawline wearing his usual black suit as he pushes back a slim man with his jet black hair that covers both his eyes which makes you think how does he even see? He wears a brown military uniform with multiple medals dangling on his chest. Daddy pushes Ezurus away saying:

"You're not taking me back into the Staff office Ezurus, you're the High Marshal for joule's sake! That's your job!"

"I beg of thee, Urva! Don't Avauny from Thyself, halt not the Volition thus require at such one's request. If so, Thyself will be nought but a corse."

"Damn nabbit, speak like modernize man then I'll consider it you archaic addict!" Dad folds his hands as he pushes Ezurus with his feet.

"T-thou just spouts chicanery! For thou behoof thy self yet what of thy cadet?"

"Ahem!"

Elli coughs loudly once as she covers her mouth in surprise saying:

"Oh my, Master Urva and Mistress Seva!? I thought you're in the dining room? And Big brother Ezurus can you please don't be so desperate."

Ezurus finally lets Pappy go and Elli puts me down, Daddy pushes Ezurus away even further and takes out a present box saying:

"Yes, we just can't wait since we always leave. So... Before that, we got a present for you so please don't hate us, Sova! Wait... Please don't hate me even more!? In fact, let daddy give you a big hug!"

Daddy pounce at me when Mommy holds his shirt with her covered hands and pulls him back grappling him on her arms saying:

"Don't just jump like that darling. Let him come to us, open the present box and let our little angel marvel on our gifts."

"Ugh, fine..."

Daddy opens the present box to show a black headband with my name knitted on it. He takes it out and kneels down so he can see me eye to eye, signalling me to come closer saying:

"Sova, daddy and Mommy got a present for your birthday, I made it with Mommy with all our hearts. I hope you can forgive us for not being home most of the time..."

Mommy also kneels down smiling with a calm smile saying:

"Come closer, Sova. We will help you put it on, Sova."

I look at Elli when she tries pushing me towards them. When I put my feet inside the house, I hear it again,

(Sova *hick* please *hick* don't do this to us, I'm sorry...)

I look back seeing the clear blue sky with birds chirping, the fresh spring wind blows on the lush green opulent garden.

"Everything is beautiful here," I whisper to myself.

"What's wrong Sova is something there?"

Mommy ask me and I look at her saying:

"It's this weird voice in my head telling me to not go inside. It's scary..."

Mommy and Daddy walk closer to me, Mommy pulls her sleeves back to show her hands are full of black cracks and holds my face with her right hand saying:

"Is that so? Then do you want to find that person?"

"Of course not, Why would I want to do anything scary like that!"

Daddy holds my other cheek with his rough hand saying:

"Then let us accompany you then. Maybe then the voice will stop so we can have a peaceful sleep together, hehehe~"

"Really? But Elli said the voice will stop if I enter the house."

(Sova please, I *hick* I *hick* beg of you don't leave us...)

I look back and look at my parents again saying:

"Maybe I should check it. The person saying that seems very sad maybe we could cheer her up and bring her here for breakfast? Breakfast by chef Ace always seems to cheer everyone up."

Mommy and Daddy nod as they went out of the mansion, Daddy hold my right hand saying:

"I knew you are my favourite little star. Now let us go you really are the best gift we ever have."

Mommy holds my left hand with her cracked left hand saying:

"Well, he is our little angel."

With my parents holding one hand each, while Ezurus and Elli stayed behind. We walk to the garden, the house starts to burn, the feeling of their hands starts to feel faint and when I look left and right they are gone.

I keep moving forward as the world starts to crumble, I can see visions of, Senior Saya, Sis Yuwei and Sis Fei display infront of me.

(I remember now...)

When I feel my right shoulder being held, I look back to see my Mom holding me with her covered hand smiling peacefully saying:

"Take good care of yourself Sova, you look just like me now... I'll miss you."

I nod and hug her as she hugs me back, feeling that we are now the same height, I say to her:

"I'll miss you too, Mommy" and let her go.

I turn my back and walk to where I can see Sis Yuwei and Sis Fei crying while Saya is casting something when I hear Mommy saying:

"Sova, do your best with your new family. Your father is still out there though, please kindly bring him back."

I nod and walk ahead.

*********************************************************

When I open my eyes I see Sis Yuwei and Sis Fei crying while Saya stop casting and looks at me smiling widely in joy as she shows her buck tooth. In confusion I ask:

"W-what happened?"

Shocked Sis Fei and Sis Yuwei hugged me close when I feel all the pain in my body.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, okay stop, you're hurting me..."

"Ah!"

"Oh, Sorry!"

They both let me go and I lay down once more, I look to the right seeing Saya peeking her head at the bed saying:

"I'm glad you're okay Sova..."

"Well, I wonder where have you been?"

"Me? I'm reinforcing the checkpoint as she ordered, maybe I should've followed you. I'm sorry, a little bit more and I would've broken my promise with her..."

"With who?"

"N-never mind, I'm glad you're okay."

She presses my right arm and pain fills me saying:

"Ah, ow, ow, ahaw!"

She leaves out from my view while I hear the sound of someone leaving the room and Sis Fei looks at me asking:

"W-what's wrong Sova?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing."

"There is no way it's nothing!"

"It's just Saya pressing my right arm, it's okay. She is just teasing me."

"It's not okay! Wait here and I'll make her apologize to you."

And Sis Fei too left from my view and I hear her left the room. When I look at Sis Yuwei, she looks at me back with a smile.

I ask her:

"Can you please help me up?"

"Of course."

I close my eyes and she holds my left hand and back to help me lean on the bed. As I close my eyes to rest a while as I could hear Sis Yuwei saying:

"Thank you so much doc, I really can't thank you enough. Are you sure you don't want any rewards?"

"Oh, it's okay. I already signed the contract saying that I will heal anyone here for free."

"That's..."

"Besides it's his choice if he wants to live or not. So I'm practically lucky my mistress. I think all of your voice is the one who brought him back."

That voice... Wait, I heard that voice before. I open my eyes and look at the doctor, a beautiful woman who is still in her twenties with her long jet-black hair and deep crystal blue eyes. She shows me the nostalgic calm smiles as she talks to Sis Yuwei while holding her board.

(No way...)

"Elli? Is that you? You're alive?"

The doctor looks at me with her nostalgic smile saying:

"Ah, I think you've mistaken me for somebody. You should rest more boy, your body still needs recuperating. I will leave you now with the mistress, so please excuse me."

She walks to the door when I raise my left hand saying:

"Please wait..."

She ignores me and leaves the room. Yuwei holds my shoulder asking:

"Sova, what's wrong? Do you know her?"

"She looks... No, she is just like Elli."

"Who?"

"My caretaker before I went here with my aunt."

"I see..."

Sis Yuwei looks away with sharp eyes before asking:

"Come to think of it you're not Aunt Palka's son aren't you?"

"Well no, but what do you know about her Sis?"

"Her name is Ling when she enters here, her previous name was lost to the heavy compiling files thanks to the heavy administrative task and laziness of the administers office. But, she arrives when my mother manages to convince my father to start accepting Owlian as citizens, she is one of the refugees that are willing to work as a doctor for the Owlians since Owlians need a different method of treatment, after all, magic doesn't work on your people except for that one time during the second Aologi civil war, when the republics created the war-time potion during the civil war that can cure both- I got off topic there, she is willing to work for free for three years as long as we keep accepting the Owlian refugees for the time. Tomorrow her contract will end and she will be free."

I look at the door asking:

"Can I please see her again later."

"Sadly she's not staying in the palace Sova and the fact she's been doing your operation and treating the wounded soldiers, nobles and civilians non-stop since two days ago, why not let her go for now."

"I-I see, sorry..."

"She pets my head saying:

"Don't you worry about it."

Then I suddenly remembered something,

"Say, where is the box you brought from Sis Rubeca's room?"

"Glad you ask, don't worry about it. I keep it in your new room. But if you really want to see her, I'm sure you will meet her again. Why don't you go and sleep right now? You look terrible. Since you never get any proper sleep after registering to the guild, why don't you rest? You will be in your room when you wake up."

"Okay, thank you, Sis."

She messes my hair before she stands and leaves the room empty as I hear ticking sound coming from the wall. I look at around this small room, seeing a mirror, I look at myself.

My eyes and teeth are back to normal, I'm not wearing my headband anymore but my hair is now a little shorter, and it seems I'm topless with my whole body wrap in bandages and my right arm hanging from my shoulder with some kind of thick blue wrapping. Thin black cracks are still visible from my body but it's not that serious anymore. I look at the table beside my bed seeing my headband has somehow been stitch back together. There along with my black belt and my bag with an open salve beside it.

I tried turning my body and take the headband. Feeling the pain, I finally manage to put it on and wear it with one hand.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow."

And finally, lay my head on the pillow.

(Finally, I guess I'm back home? I never knew what happen to my parents but at least I get to meet my mother again...)

Wait a second!

"Mom said my dad is alive out there? But how is that possible!? I saw him pass away in my memories... Or could my dream be false?"

(There is so much happening my mind can't keep up... Whatever it is. I still manage to reunite with my other family so I guess that's okay...)

I look around to see if there is a window and manage to find one covered by a curtain, I could still see the light passing through.

"I'm going to sleep then, good morning or night May, Aunt, Sis, and Nicole, let's not forget Sis Fei and Sis Yuwei along with Saya... I guess you too pappy if what mommy said is true."