Hooray for my first advanced-but-not-really-that-helpful review. Not really that helpful since all I saw was rage.

Thanks, though.

Then again, taking that review into account, were the previous arcs too fast? Or is this arc too long? (I am inclined to agree that this arc is getting too long.) I can't really see it since the reviewer was the first to say so. I can agree for chapter 24 because of glaring plot holes and questions that I failed to properly answer, but for the rest, I can't say.

As for characters that the reviewer may never hear of again, chill. I have stories for each world, and each character mentioned. I just haven't really fleshed out the details of everything yet, and one of them... or two will have a reappearance in this story.

SoL: Cavaron is an introduction of sorts for the rest of the SoL stories I will be writing.

Now, I'm just trying to get funds to buy a laptop, AND BUY RPG MAKER MV, so I can get onto some game making. These stories were supposed to be games, but since losing my previous laptop, I decided to put them all into writing.

Have a chapter since I have a research break... or a research break break... or just a break from all that reading, and research, and editing, and for the love of god why does French have to be the other official language, aside from English, of the ICJ in Hague in The Netherlands, stop wasting my pages and printouts and money.

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Cavaron tore open Azrael's body, hands wreathed in black flame, and his jet-black two-hander nowhere in sight. Mindless and manic, Azrael's body could no longer be recognized. Suddenly, Cavaron violently grasped an empty space. If one had the ability and the high level of mastery of Mana Sight, one would see a glowing orb within his hand. This glowing orb came out from Azrael's body as he was being torn apart or, maybe, since the moment Cavaron had pierced his chest. The glowing orb could then be understood as Azrael's soul, similar to the orbs of light that one should have witnessed back during the time in Belfron with the Felrok remnants incident. As Cavaron gripped Azrael's soul, Azrael's soul shuddered from the black flames. His grip growing stronger until Azrael's soul itself got engulfed in black flames before dissipating.

Azrael's body could no longer be called a body, and his soul having been destroyed, Cavaron silently stood up, and gazed at the sky. For a while, there was silence. For a while, nothing could be perceived. That is, until a smile surfaced, letting his lips curve upwards slowly. His smile then turned into a grin, then he laughed. He laughed and he laughed. For victory? No, for madness. As he laughed, the black flames around his body danced wildly. He laughed for a while until, suddenly, his body disappeared and reappeared within the masses of retreating armies of the humans, the angels, and the demons.

Those around him were stunned to see him, and many fell and got trampled by their fleeing comrades' feet. Those who were late to react were felled by Cavaron's jet-black two-hander that he materialized once more. Carnage began in earnest as a single horizontal swing severed dozens of soldiers. Even those who only received glancing blows were devoured by the black flames that appeared to have some semblance of sentience as the flames themselves actively sought out more victims to devour. Cavaron danced the dance of death as he spun around with his two-hander creating a cyclone of severed limbs and burning bodies, and leaving behind dozens of dead soldiers and disappearing bodies in his wake. Even his own contracted summons continued to lay waste to everyone and everything they see despite the meteors from the sky by the purple-haired youth having ended and having left their surroundings become a vast wasteland.

Hours went on until Edeortha's moon had reached its apex. A bright, silver-like moon gave illumination to the otherwise dark fields of blood and death, and only then one would see Cavaron having his pace of mindless slaughter seemingly slow down until an angel that fell to the ground frantically trying to escape was about to be felled. Only, instead of Cavaron's two-hander landing the finishing blow, it diverted to the soil below, saving the angel from death. Cavaron still held his two-hander, and was gasping for breath. With a single glance at the frozen angel before him, a word left his lips.

"LEAVE!!!" a powerful shout.

Stilled by his recovery of his will, his awareness, and his sanity, the angel unhesitatingly took to the skies to go with the other remnants of his comrades. Cavaron's hair slowly turned back to his original brown hair, and his eyes became green once more. The black flames around him slowly receded into his body, and gave back the colors of his blue armor and red cape. The jet-black two hander that he held disappeared along with the black flames. As he returned to normal, his contracted summons returned to normal as well. Once they regained their will, they looked around and paused their gazes at the then kneeling Cavaron who screamed at the sky before collapsing to whom they all ran to.

Slowly but surely, the remaining soldiers left Cavaron and his contracted summons alone in the middle of a wasteland.

...

..

.

---

Remembering the past, Cavaron's summons looked on and even attempted to help in his fight against a revived Azrael. The elementals, in their Avatars, launched one attack after another, but were effortlessly blocked by a wall of black flame that dispersed them. Even the spirits could only watch as attacks that could fell dozens of enemies end up dissipated before the black flames that devour everything. Helpless, they could only watch as Cavaron was pushed back by Azrael having his Mana Sword previously destroyed.

Having lost one of his most powerful weapons, Cavaron unsummoned his Blood Sword and replaced it with his two short swords. Again, he wrapped his swords in many layers of Mana Blades, and resumed his attack with a counter. He kicked the ground hard, leaving a small crater, and closed the gap momentarily. Azrael raised his scythe to meet Cavaron head on, and with both of Cavaron's swords having swung down, Azrael parried the attacks before kicking his left leg wrapped in black flames forward. Cavaron shifted one of his swords downwards to meet Azrael's kick. His sword blocked the kick, but a few layers of Mana Blades dispersed, this prompted Cavaron to jump back and create some distance between them.

Having landed ten meters away, Azrael did not give chase, but instead frowned at the sight of Cavaron.

"Hey! Use it, use the flames you used to destroy me! Let's fight, flame against flame!" shouted Azrael.

"Screw you! I will not all upon such a horrible power!" shouted Cavaron back.

Cavaron amassed a ball of mana, and sent it towards his companions. This ball of mana held a message within, "All Avatars, Restrain." Having received an order, the elementals all returned to normal, and watched Cavaron with anxious eyes.

"Heh, you realized that they can't help you, yet you still persist in fighting me with only your own power." said Azrael, "But, have you realized that these flames you gave me also happens to be your power? Come on, use it, and let's have a thrilling death match! What happened a century ago does not count as you suddenly gained a maddeningly envying power that I, too, now possess!"

Cavaron warily watched Azrael, and recalled the aftermath a hundred years ago.

---

In the middle of a wasteland stood an earthen house surrounded by many people. A small part of these people were Cavaron's contracted summons, and the rest were unknown except for two familiar people: a white robed Japanese man, and a red garbed otherworldly youth, Maguro and Folceras, respectively. Maguro was surrounded by Folceras and the others with his head down.

"What happened to Cavvy, Maguro?" asked Tirta, "Although we were here before you, we were all taken in by a sudden loss of sanity."

Maguro looked at the water elemental who was anxiously worrying about Cavaron. Her eyes were already filled with tears, and Avani and Glacia held her hands, yet they, too, were anxious.

"I cannot say for certain, but..." replied Maguro, "This is a strange thing to happen to him. Using Mana Sight, and due to having equal mastery of it with Cavaron, I saw a black... thing... wrapped around his soul. The thing is, aside from a sudden decrease in his overall mana, I don't sense anything else wrong with his being."

"What do you mean by his mana having been decreased?" asked Ventus, "Will he be able to recover his power, and does he still have eternal youth since it was his soul having merged with his mana that gave him such a long life?"

"Like I said, I cannot say for certain." replied Maguro, "I don't even know what happened to him before we arrived. Although, for your second question, I can see some reaction from the Mana Crystals I had with me. Some threads could be seen going into his body slowly but surely, so we can assume that he can regain his lost strength. Again, I cannot say for certain especially for how long it will take until it reaches full capacity."

A princely green haired man stepped forward, "Do you mind if I take a look at him?" and asked.

"Go ahead, Adalwin." replied Maguro, "For the others, feel free to do so. I will need as much input as you can give me to draw up a conclusion."

Having said so, Adalwin and a few others entered the house to inspect Cavaron.

"Quite a lot of friends, no?" commented Folceras, "To think that Adalwin, Ghalib, and Malina have come and left their kingdoms. Heck, there are a lot that I don't even recognize. Do you know the others?"

"Aside from those who became monarchs in their home worlds, we have Jagd, that gunslinger over there; Mishaia, the old spearman behind him; I think that redhead youth over there was named Arekus; Marina, that sky blue haired girl talking to Arekus... Good thing Amara isn't here... Er, where was I? Oh, right, Axton went inside along with Verne and Magat. And... I think that's all of the people I know. The rest, I have no idea."

Suddenly, Adalwin ran outside, "Cavaron's awake!" and shouted.

Everyone turned to look, and saw Cavaron walking out, dressed in bandages. He pushed aside Adalwin, and walked towards the east barefooted.

"Something's wrong." said Maguro as he signalled to the others to follow.

Cavaron walked for a long time that even the soles of his feet bled and left footprints of blood. The others silently followed the quiet man from behind until they reached their destination. Cavaron walked until he reached a ravaged area far from the earthen house, knelt down in one spot, and cried.

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" a howl of sadness.

The others were bewildered, and even came up to him to loft him up. Cavaron pushed them away instead. He cried and he cried until tears no longer fell.

...

I awoke in bed surrounded by familiar faces. Friends from adventures long past, friends from worlds I had visited during my lifetime.

"Cavaron!" cried Malina, a tanned skin girl with red braided hair. Tears fell from her face as she held my hand.

Slowly looking around with my eyes, I recognized Adalwin, Ghalib, Axton, Harris, Marjorie, and Klonitt. They were all looking anxiously at me. Sitting upright, they scrambled to help me up and Adalwin ran off to the door.

"Cavaron's awake!" he shouted.

I stood up, and went outside, pushing Adalwin aside, and was met by my contracted summons and friends from my travels. People with the same ability as I do, the ability to go to other worlds as we will.

Instead of greeting them, I silently headed towards the east... Towards Aisha.

Aisha, where are you?

Your face.

Your smile.

Your eyes.

Your voice.

Cavaron...

The bath is ready...

Do you want to eat...?

Want me to help...?

I see you're awake...

Aisha...

Aisha...

Arriving at a destroyed area, I remember that the house was here. The river was a few ways... there, I see the remnants of a riverbed. The apple tree... gone... The trees that surrounded us... gone as well...

Aisha... is...

I fell on all fours, tears welled up, and I released an uncontrollable cry. The others tried to help me up, but I just barely pushed them away.

Aisha...

Aisha...

"AishaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"

...

..

.

---

Cavaron looked at his hand, and tightly gripped the collar of his armor.

'Is there really no other way?' he thought as he racked his mind to come with a decision. Closing his eyes, even before an enemy, he thought for an answer. This gave Azrael a chance to close the gap, and this action forced an answer from Cavaron.

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Self-criticism: I suck at writing tear-jerkers.