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He falls
Neverending
Drifting through the void
Once he had been through this for a century. But now?
It was destined for eternity.
And yet he had no regrets. The true evil had been destroyed and this power granted by the unit was too powerful for humanity to posses. The events of the first world that led it to ruin was proof enough of that.
His only purpose now was to be sealed forever into the depths of the boundary.
Yes, this is what must be done.
His final duty.
As a hero.
As a fragment of ‘’order’’.
From his life as ‘’Jin Kisaragi’’. A life left behind.
This would be atonement for his sins.
Like a rock sinking into a deep lake, never to return to the surface.
Forevermore.
…….
……
How much time has pass?
Decades?
Centuries?
Millennials?
Or perhaps it has only been just a few hours or minutes all along.
It is impossible to truly tell within the boundary.
But it does not matter.
All that is left is to simply drift away.
He was at peace with that.
Nothing more to do but to drift in the void.
…Or so it was meant to be.
As the figure drifted through the void, for the first time since ‘’falling’’ he shifted his attention to ‘’somewhere’’.
He felt it.
A sudden shift in his path.
He could feel being draw to something, no, somewhere.
As he gazes upon what appeared to be a light in this void, growing progressively bigger.
‘’Hah… Is this perhaps one of the ‘’possibilities’’ brought forth by the new beginning?’’
It did not matter. He couldn’t’ change trajectory, nor that he would in the first place even.
It seemed fate had other designs yet for him and his blade.
So be it then.
No matter the world or what evil shall he encountered.
His purpose shall remain the same as it had always has been,
To slay evil.
Disaster.
That was the only way to properly describe this entire expedition.
What was an attempt to slay one of the great scourges of the world has quickly turn into a full rout.
She had chosen to go in her son’s stead. As the sword saint of the kingdom, she was confident she could face down any threat to the world. To her family.
After all the lost she had suffered in the demi-human war, she refused to allow one of her loved ones to perish because of her weakness. Though her dear husband had shown to her that she could afford to no longer need to wield the sword to protect everyone. She was still a mother after all, and she would never let harm befall her child no matter the threat.
Fate could be so cruel alas.
As all a sudden she just…felt like a piece of her was taken away and all her strength was drained. Right as the whale collided with her group.
Panic and despair filled the last moments of so many of them as the whale rammed into the squadron and had even swallowed up many unfortunate knights.
She desperately tried to call upon her strength, yet nothing happened.
As the inevitable end approached, she tried to move her mount of the way as the whale was right on top of her.
The world all around her was throw into chaos as the impact hit.
Beautiful.
It was the only thing that could describe the scene unfolding.
Those humans, full of hopes and confidence, with lives and dreams for the future they seek to achieve. The desire to bring glory to their kingdom or themselves. The will to survive or to fight to protect those they love at the cost of their very life.
All snuff out under the might of the white whale.
Fear.
Despair.
Death.
Regret.
All feelings felt by those humans in their last moments as the flames of their lives were extinguished.
It was beautiful to witness.
Of course, her attention was on the main actress of this play.
The sword saint Theresia Van Astrea.
Though more accurately former sword saint. To have her divine blessing stripped right as she needed it most was delightful. Oh yes.
Though it seemed she managed to survive the initial onslaught unlike her soldiers. Blessing or not, the descendants of Reid who were sword saints where always at the bare minimum hardy.
Still, without her blessings and more importantly the ability to draw the sword Reid, this was now her chance. She would make a delightful pawn to use and bring pain and misery to the Astrea family.
It was about time she would introduce herself to the child-
Hmm?
Her gaze shifted from the carnage below to the part of the forest on the east that was still standing.
………..
Fascinating.
How very fascinating indeed!!!
Her heart was fluttering at this sudden unexpected phenomenon.
Somehow, right at this pivotal moment in history.
An outsider had appeared.
To think such an impossible occurrence would happen.
Not even the gospel had predicted that such an event would take place.
As she focused on the presence of this outsider she grew increasingly intrigued by what she could feel.
This outsider had a presence different yet somewhat alike to that of one possessing the blessing of the sword saint.
However there seemed to be more to it that she couldn’t grasp quite yet…
Ah. It appears that the former sword saint was regaining consciousness.
She could deal with that anomaly later.
For now, she had a prize to take.
Appearing on the edge of a forest was a welcome change of pace as far as landing in another world was.
Not only that, but he could feel that this world was not affected by the presence of seithr. It was a world free from its twisted nature. Seithr had resulted in the destruction of much of the world ecosystem and forced people to go up high in mountains to live from now on.
Most intriguing however was that he could feel in the air that this world was filled with an energy he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Mana.
Mana was something that only mages from Ishana or the vampires could learn to channel into magic. Ars magus was ultimately a weaker but more accessible way for those lacking the ability to manipulate mana to fight.
Its uses were nonetheless essential to fight the Beast during the war and for the new world afterwards.
His pace slowed a bit.
It was distant but he could hear it. Faint noises that were not unknown to him. Ones he was quite familiar with.
Sounds of devastations.
Screaming.
The sounds of death and despair.
They were all noises he was no stranger to. The church. The civil war. The war against the Beast. Doomsday.
Not just that, but there was another sound, that of a growl, a loud one that imposed itself upon the land. The sound of a beast. One who promised nothing but death and ruin.
His pace quickens towards the source, the time for taking in this world was swiftly push aside for the call to action had come. As his blade would once again cut through whatever horrors plagues this world. For his resolve remained unshaken.
As he speeds through the woods and more damaged environments became visible, he began to take notice of what he could sense not far away.
They were 3 notable presences he could feel as of now.
The first was the most noticeable, large, unchained and driven by instinct. Most assuredly the source of the roar he heard and of the devastation. The presence of a calamity that leaves nothing but chaos and death in its wake.
The second’s presence was almost hard to tell as it was near that of the first. As the larger signature of the first was making hard to pinpoint the second, he could tell it was also wavering, as if its life was expiring. But most curious of all was that he felt for a moment that it possesses or rather had a nature akin to him. Yet as of right now it was just gone.
The third one almost slipped his senses; it was distant and unmoving, as if observing the carnage no doubt. Whoever they are, they have an agenda in this event. But what truly caught his attention was the ‘’essence’’ so to speak of the third. Its nature…he could only describe it in one word.
Evil.
One that has undoubtedly brought strife and misery to this world and shall continue to do so.
How strong it was compared to the first is unclear, but it meant little to him. For no matter what kind of foes or how many shall he face, he will never back down.
Although…
Glancing at the palm of his outstretch hand as if to look for something, he closed it as if to test his grip.
‘’It seems much like when I entered the current era of my world. My might is yet to be what it once was during the days of the dark war. How vexing.’’
It was truly unfortunate. His confidence in his skills had no room for doubts. However, such a restriction on his abilities meant that the road ahead would be difficult for the time being. Much in his previous world could have been avoided had he gotten back his strength. Detestable as it was to rely on this vessel, its capacity at its greatest heights were truly what could be call ‘’Godly’’.
His thoughts were interrupted as a sudden shift in the wind happened. Focusing on the area ahead he realised what had changed.
The first presence was currently drifting away from the second, still weakened. But the third presence he felt had shifted.
Right next to the location of the second.
His speed quickened, as much as he could in this current state of his. This individual in danger was likely one who could assist him in learning about this new world he found himself in.
He was almost there….
The expedition had failed. There was no other word for it.
Her fellow knights were all dead and scattered across the forest due to the malbeast. What shame she had brought upon her title and line.
But right now, what was more concerning was her current situation.
Across the clearing was this girl. Small and with long platinum hair wearing a smile of utter calmness as if the carnage around was a usual occurrence to her.
Yet her instincts could easily tell that this girl was a foe. Her presence was like those of the witch cult. Which were a century long threat to the nation and the world itself.
She needed to act quickly before this girl uses any sort of magic that could easily turn the situation in her favor.
She went to draw the sword of her family-
Clank!
….She couldn’t draw it.
It means what she had just felt earlier was indeed true.
Her blessing of the sword saint was gone. And it had most certainly gone to her grandson.
‘’At such at time!’’
The girl’s voice cut into her realisation as if to remind her of her presence.
‘’I see you dislike me now.’’ She said in a soft-spoken tone, as if understating her intentions. Yet she made no visible movements to guard herself. She was completely open.
Seeing no alternatives, she threw away the sword and picked up one that was on the ground. It may be of regular steel, and she may have lost her blessings, but her skills with the blade was still intact.
She dashed at the girl with incredible speed and perfect precision she slashes at her target who didn’t had time to make a move. As her foe was parted in two and a shower of blood erupted from the strike. All in an instant.
And then her eyes widen.
As she felt the presence right behind her.
The corpse that was cut in two right in front of her was no longer there, as if it never was in front of her to begin with.
Time itself seemed to stop as the girl drew closer to whisper in her ear. She could feel that this was the end.
The end of Theresia Van Astrea.
The witch lips parted as the first syllables began to be uttered, those who would result in the end of the scion of the Astrea line.
But as the first sounds escaped the witch’s mouth, time resumed as her voice was drowned by the sound of a slash that tear thought the fabric of time itself. Aim at the witch right behind her.
The two were separated from the slash impact. The force of which had forcefully removed her hair ribbon. Theresia was thrown on the ground tumbling a few yards from where she just had been.
Laying on the ground her exhaustion had caught up to her as she could not muster the strength to get up. Her vision darkens as consciousness began to fade. Yet as her yes began to close she could faintly see across from her the girl looking unharmed a few meters away.
But more than that she could see a figure, a tall figure standing a few feet’s away, as if guarding her. She could only see them from the back yet what few details she could make out was they seemed to be clad in armor and had a longsword.
Yet further observation on her part was no longer impossible as the last bits of her strength left her and she embraced the darkness with her last thought being directed at one person.
‘’Wilhelm…’’
This has been a rather peculiar turn of events.
Just as she was about to understand the former sword saint. The outsider had decided to meddle in her affairs.
Speaking of the outsider, she now had a full visible view of what they looked like. And as expected of one who came from outside the world. They were nothing like any individuals she had seen in her long life.
They were a tall, armored figure whose face was covered by a white mask. The armor had red eyes over it and a long ponytail made of white hair came from behind the helm. Strap to the back was a long red scabbard and in his hand was a sword whose appearance brings to mind the weapons from the Kararagi City-States. And it was no normal weapon, of that she could tell judging by the feeling she gets when looking at it. But what caught her attention the most was the aura coming from the armor, it was a type of power she was most familiar with.
That of the divine. But not the type of divinity that was typical of this world.
How very interesting indeed!
The outsider was staring at her. Unmoving, unbroken and most of all unafraid of her.
‘’My, how very rude to interrupt a lady having a conversation with another. It seems manners are not your forte outsider.’’
The armored figure didn’t shift, nor did it respond, if anything it seemed very much uncaring of engaging in a dialogue.
‘’ As fascinating your existence is outsider, I would very much like for you to stand aside. I have a matter of great importance with the former sword saint and it shan’t be deny.’’ Spoke Pandora in a young almost melodic voice that was drastically contrasting her intentions.
‘’Evil…’’
She perked at the sudden voice coming from the figure.
‘’Oh? It appears that you do possess the ability to speak. Then our negotiation will go much smoother than having to rely on force then.’’ She added in a manner-of-fact tone. ‘’ Although, it appears much like the disgraced swordswoman behind you, you lack tolerance for my presence.’’
The figure straightens up, its blade to the side as he just stared at her.
‘’Your very presence, no, your very existence reeks of malice and destruction… You are a threat to this world and its inhabitants…’’ The grip on his sword tightened as he raised it to point it at her.’’ Therefore, there is only one solution…’’
She tilt her head ever so slightly. ‘’Oh? And what sort of solution have you in mind?’’
Gripping his sword with his two hands, he assumed a battle stance as he stared directly at her, before declaring out loud.’’ Your end, witch.’’ He announced full of determination and defiance.
And yet despite the sword and the words aimed directly at her, Pandora was still composed in the face of this threat. The smile on her face never faltering.
‘’ I see that much like the girl, you do not seem to like me very much. How sad…’’ She muttered before the air around her began to shift, causing the knight to brace himself for any incoming attack.
Alas this would be no mere attack…
But rather the very world itself shaped by the whims of Pandora. As she opens her mouth and proclaim…
‘’The outsider should not be here. He is currently alone drifting through the empty wastelands.’’
And the very world itself shifted.
There was no warning, the instant the last syllables left the mouth of that witch, his whole being, his very existence was suddenly crushed by an overwhelming invisible weight that he could hardly withstand. As he was forced to his knees, the sound of reality itself trying to impose its will upon himself.
‘’!!! This sensation!?.. Phenomena…intervention?!’’ As his thoughts were trying to make sense of what trickery the witch had just done, he could feel as if his very being was rejected by the world around him. Were it likely not for his previous experience with similar manipulations of the space time continuum, he would have certainly be already displaced by now.
And yet he could feel it, that the will of the witch was gaining ground, his being was screaming as if it were on the brink of being tear to pieces and then pulled apart in a thousand different directions.
The witch meanwhile seemed oddly surprised, if not impress. ‘’ Oh my… under normal circumstances this would be instant, yet you are still anchoring your very being to this place. Impressive, though perhaps it is due to your nature as an outsider to this world’s laws?’’
‘’Kuh!’’ Releasing a grunt of exertion, he tried mustering what strength he could to repel this force, yet his limbs were heavy, no they were beginning to vanish. As their existences were transported to wherever this curse wretch had proclaimed.
And yet still he would not give up!
He refuses to fail on his first encounter with the evil that threatens this world! His duty would not allow it! Nor would his justice let him falter even in the face of such overwhelming power! He would-
‘’...Wilhelm...’’
All thoughts running through his mind were suddenly cut off by the small sound that somehow pierced the noises of reality reshaping itself. Despite his whole existence being crushed by the world, Hakumen could barely look back at the red-haired woman who was laying motionless on the ground a few meters away from him. The word that she uttered was constantly repeating in his head.
The way she said it and who it could be.
Someone who was dear to her, there was no doubt. Those who when one’s final moments arrive, their last thoughts are of them.
An end that was certain to happen, the witch had made it clear what her intentions towards her was.
……..
……..
……..
She was a stranger. He did not know anything about her save her title. Not even her name. She had no relation to him at all. She was just somebody…
She wasn’t her.
Her appearance itself was just a coincidence. The one he held dear had long perish all those years ago. The Tsubaki of the present was not the one he remembered. He had come to terms with this.
And yet deep within his soul, something stirred as memories he wishes he could forget resurfaced.
The sound of flesh pierced by blades filled the room. As red liquid were splattered across the floor. The sight of a red-haired girl reaching out to him, tears flowing, as her life comes to an end and her lifeless body crashes on the cold floor.
That fateful moment, because of his weakness and his arrogance. He had lost her to that abomination.
It was because of that event that he had forsake his previous life. He abandoned it.
In her memory, he had taken up the name of Hakumen and swore to become a true hero. To destroy the evils that threatens the world itself. So that never again would he fail like he once did.
And now, in this new world he arrived in, he faces failure again? Would he allow a repeat of that event once more?
The girl was not her and yet even so…
Even so………………………..
HE WOULD NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.
A burst of strength summoned from the very depths of his being washed over him. The crushing weight of the world weakening as he stood up from the ground against all odds. And with a final exertion of his will, he shatters the very phenomenon that was imposed on him. As the fabric of reality shatters into pieces before slowly beginning to reform.
Taking a small moment to recover from his burst, he looks back up to stare at his foe. A visible change was now present on the witch’s face.
For her once perpetual serene smile had shifted to that of a thin line. And her once composed demeanor was replace by one of confusion and even slight disbelief.
‘’What?’’ Her flat tone betraying the combination of shock, confusion and even the slight tinge of worry she was experiencing within.’’ This is most…troubling.’’
A stomping sound filled the forest, the ground shattering upon the weight of the foot. As the white warrior took a stance, his blade fully outstretched with his other hand in parallel as he began to pull back the sword, building up momentum. As the air itself began to be pressed down by his very presence.
With this one strike gathering all his might and resolve, it had only one goal.
To destroy evil.
For an instant, the world itself held its breath as Hakumen stood perfectly still….
And then moved.
In an instant he had shifted right to his opponent, the sword thrusted with the tip of it aimed at her hearth. The energy of the unit surrounding it for a strike of certain annihilation.
As the sheer force behind the thrusting attack caused a massive shockwave of destruction upon contact with its target. Trees and rocks were blown over the area until a moment passes and there was only silence save the few small noises of rock and dirt falling around the clearing.
The dust settled and the warrior beheld the effect of his attack which he had pull all his raw might into it.
A huge gash that had torn apart the very land itself was visible, and its length was dozens of dozens of meters. Cutting through the whole forest and leaving nothing in its wake. Yet the most noticeable thing that came to mind was the utter lack of any physical proof of the witch’s corpse. The only thing that was in any shape visible were the small drops of blood covering the tip of Ookami.
And in an instant, the blood vanished. Before the droplets had even hit the ground. Ookami looking as clean as if it hadn’t been used to cut down an enemy. This meant only one thing…
The witch had survived.
‘’How very unpleasant…’’ As if on cue, the surrounding area was fill with the repulsive sound of her voice. Coming from all directions around him, as if there was no clear source. ’’Indeed…A most unpleasant night this has been.’’ Her tone still cold but with a slight edge to it.
‘’So be it then. The former sword saint shall be allowed to continue to walk in this world. But Outsider.’’ She uttered that last word with a tone that could freeze the very flames of hell. ‘’Know that you have gained the enmity of I, Pandora. The witch of Vainglory. And upon my title I swear that this transgression shall not go unpunished…’’ With that final declaration of promised retribution, the voice fades and Hakumen could sense that her presence had left the vicinity. Retreating but not defeated.
‘’How vexing.’’ He uttered in his mind. He had failed to destroy the witch and now there was no idea what sort of twisted schemes she’ll enact upon this world.
His mind wandered back to what she had attempted to do earlier. The moments she spoke, the very laws of causality were rearranging to her whims. A terrifying ability, of that there was no doubt. Where it not for his experience with the manipulation of the flow of existence, he would have been powerless in the face of that ability. And that irked him.
Not to mention his current self, a shadow of his former prime. And he could tell that even without an observer to anchor his existence. Regaining the power he once wielded was going to be a long and frustrating road.
Having such a handicap in the face of that witch and possibly other threats of that magnitude does not bode well.
Pushing that issue to the side he turned his back towards the only other person currently in the area. Her body still laying motionless on the ground dozens of meters away from him.
Kneeling right to her he gently flips her over to see her current condition. Holding her by the shoulder as he was ascertaining her state.
…She was alive. Unconscious but still breathing.
….
An internal sigh was made.
He might have failed to slay the evil one. But he had saved a life.
And base on what he could understand from the witch’s mouth. This woman was a ‘’Sword Saint’’.(According to the witch, the former, a question that shall be answered later) A title that implied the mastery of the blade and one held in high esteem by others. More than that, though faint, he could sense the smallest traces of divinity emanating from her.
Most curious indeed as he took another look at her.
…Saving her was the proper course of action to undertake. In this world, he was an unknown. Lost. By his lonesome.
She was someone who could provide information about this world. And if she really was a person of great interest then good. It would be bothersome to paint more targets on his back than he already has. Her survival was of importance to his next move in this world.
Nothing more.
It was then on the edge of his sight that he noticed something not far from him.
It was a sword, still sheathed. And yet there was something more…
He carefully carried the girl and leaned her against one of the still intact trees to keep her still, as he then approaches the weapon and picked it up. His gaze focuses intently on it as if trying to appraise it.
‘’This sword… it radiates immense power.’’ Seeing that to get a better gauge of this sword's true nature, he would need to see the actual blade, he grasped the handle to unsheathe it.
A small clanking sound of metal refusing to budge was heard. His hand still grasping the handle yet even with a tad more exertion the sword refused to be drawn.
‘’I see, a weapon that only its chosen wielder can unleash.’’ A type of weapon that guarantees that none other than its user can wield. Advantageous to prevent one’s foe from using it against its own user if it came down to it.
Seeing that the sword was useless in his hands but was certainly of great importance to the girl he wrapped the belt holding it around his back, putting it right next to Ookami. As he turns back to the tree he had put the girl beside it.
He then in a delicate motion picked up the girl in his arms. Making sure she was not in any way uncomfortable.
Giving one last quick look at her before turning his head towards the direction of the forest making sure if there was any danger heading towards them. After a few seconds of focus and realising that for now no threats were heading their way he looked up to see the sky.
It was filled with stars, though many of them where not of the same arrangement as that of his place of origin.
‘’This world shall prove to be quite interesting…’’ Without further ado he began to head out into this world. With resolve still unwavering.
As a new journey begins for the hero.
For the wheel of fate is turning once more.