"And we thought this would last a whole day? A shame. It's quite amazing how easy it is to end 58 lives in only 10 hours, isn't?"
"You say that as if it's some kind of profound discovery. We might have taken pleasure in it, but it should've have been quite obvious. Though... when thinking about how massive this place is, I didn't think so many of these contenders would find each other that quickly..."
"That's how this whole thing was designed, right? With those added items and such."
"How many do you reckon will actually reach that GOAL?"
"Beats me. Two? Three?"
"That's optimistic."
"I didn't realise you had such a dark side."
"Hey, I'm just being realistic here."
Amidst the raucous reactions of many witnesses, a few were busy discussing what they thought was the possible result of the Royale, the final showdown. The counter above the screens seemed to concur with their derived, morbid conclusions.
Many of the screens had now turned blank, allowing the witnesses to focus on the few that remained alive, though, to some of the more keen-eyed folks, they noticed that someone whom they had anticipated to be a definite candidate for the GOAL wasn't being shown after he was last depicted reaching close to the mountain.
What was up with that?
In any case, there was much entertainment to go around with the remaining contenders, much of them shown gathered in one spot.
This could be the last climactic battle that involved so many of them.
The witnesses were ready for it while being so drawn in by the anticipation, that they hardly noticed anything else.
....
High above the blindly surging adrenaline, and surface level apprehension, behind the highest set of seats reserved for important figures, a loud noise echoed.
A bombastic ripple of whirling, compressed winds that could almost be seen by the mundane eye shuddered just a few steps behind Rearren.
They whooshed over the flat, empty, extended space that reached beyond from the back of his, and Millisa's seats.
The cold blow caught the attention of many, as it was quite significant.
Rearren grinned widely as he squeezed Millisa's hand which was in his.
"Finally..." he whispered almost inaudibly, such that only Millisa heard him.
The woman was prompted to send her senses behind her, and she felt the chilling presence of someone standing behind them.
ƥandasnovel·ƈom A familiar, cold presence.
She swallowed an agitated, fearful blob of saliva, but didn't turn her head, as her husband did not.
The numerous dignified individuals.
The Governor and his son.
Alaris.
Ruhrees.
They all turned to the source of that harsh wind, which had only become a rough breeze by the time it reached them.
What were supposed to be casual, turning glances born from curiosity turned into ashen faces with serious glares.
The winds just now, had carried with them an individual that most had only heard about in validated rumours.
There was no mistaking the rather specific look.
A man with a mask split into white and green presented himself behind Rearren's seat.
The dark robes that hid his body looked untidy and ancient, the hood attached to them somehow making the hazel gleam from an eye which showed from an opening on his mask, several degrees more haunting.
His physical appearance, however, couldn't have disgruntled the onlookers more than his wanton release of a familiar power from his body.
Undeath.
...!!!
Ruhrees did not wait a second longer.
He stormed from his seat, vanishing from common sight, and flew to reach the masked man over Rearren who casually leaned to the side as if whatever this was didn't concern him.
The masked man, Actuass, didn't move, even as the glow of a Divine Blessing from the Paladin Champion Ruhrees neared his face.
However...
Another sudden surge of chaotic winds blew to reveal another figure who quickly darted into action.
CLANG!
The steel of Ruhrees' gauntlet met the steel of a beautiful, vibrating longsword.
The figure who held it had long, silver hairs that were whipped by the remnants of the wind from the Arcane Teleportation Scroll she had used to arrive here moments after Actuass.
The stern gaze from her grey eyes which were branded onto a beautiful, youthful face featuring a deathly pale skin tone, enhanced her image.... and caused the Ruhrees to freeze.
The breath was sucked out of his lungs immediately, and horror smote him like a hammer.
"R-revia...!" he called, doubtfully. "Revia?! You're alive?!'
The former Paladin Champion pushed her senior away, and gave him an apathetic look.
"No. I died," she replied simply.
The onlookers didn't intervene yet, only preparing to take action behind Ruhrees while those who couldn't contribute got out of the way.
"Why...? What's going on? High Priest Valis told us you were taken after... after that same man dealt you several fatal blows! Why are you standing by his side?!" Ruhrees bellowed while pointing at Actuass.
Revia was unshaken.
She looked to Actuass whom she knew wasn't focusing on anything right now, except THAT. He was in a trance of sorts, and when he began, she would have to defend him for as long as what he was doing took.
In the next moment, the masked man surely did begin his work.
He raised his hands, and clasped them together with a heavy effort at his chest, and a hard breath was heard coming from behind his mask.
...!!!
A blinding hue of black and green suddenly burst from behind Ruhrees and everyone else!
What?!
They turned, and saw that on all the screens currently showing the contenders, this dual coloured glare sprang forth, causing the witnesses to turn from it, surprised and confused.
Guissepo, who sat above the sets of screens grinned and cackled maniacally.
Finally. Finally! FINALLY!
It was time!
Revia watched the ghostly looks of the people before her, who had realised that this sudden light was coming from the Royale grounds. That something terrible must be happening there.
Only when she had seen this, did she finally answer Ruhrees while brandishing her sword which began to vibrate so quickly it almost couldn't be seen as anything but a soft mist.
"I will probably pay for this in the future, but while I'm on this side, I'll at least make sure that you, and those hard-headed geezers face judgement for everything that the world didn't see you do to it... and to Elita..."
***
Tens of miles of forest had been plundered viciously, dark and deep craters enough to bury hundreds of human beings showing every few paces.
Fires and cold sprang up, and died down in some spots, while furious wisps of mana, and essence collided in some before vanishing moments later.
If one were to see this scene whose makings had begun six minutes ago, they would have thought a few colossal Cluster Generals had been wrestling here, pounding each other into the ground.
But that couldn't be further from the truth.
Aurolio stood on one side, his fuzzy clothing mostly torn, but his body mostly clear of any damage at all.
On another side, Rias sat, his slender armour worn, rent and disfigured beyond belief. He too hardly showed to have been bruised or harmed.
"You're stronger than I thought," Aurolio said to the young heir of the EverSword House.
"You are just as strong as I imagined you'd be," Rias said, making the pale man laugh.
"I didn't think the Houses actually had some unfathomable measures of power like this. The Imagining Technique, was it? I shudder to think what your old man can do if you're this strong already."
"You couldn't imagine."
There was a pause.
"I've noticed you haven't used your sword. Why? Am I not strong enough?" Aurolio asked, smiling.
"What's the use? You can't be defeated, right?" Rias asked with a deadpan face.
"You know about that, huh?"
"Of course I do. I don't want to waste my strength, even if I'm stronger."
Aurolio chuckled loudly, genuinely amused.
At that moment, a giant flame roared from the distance, its intensity growing beyond the gift of light it shot, to spew quite the astounding scorch even from the far distance!
The green entangled with black gave a dreadful feel as it towered beyond the clouds, clearing them away from its wide, spanning body.
The heavy stench of undeath, almost suffocating in how it suddenly overwhelmed the natural odor of humidity around this world, made everyone alive in the Royale grounds frown.
Aurolio was no exception. His carefree expression darkened.
Rias, on the other hand, visibly relaxed.
He sighed and stood up.
"You should go through that gateway before it's too late. From now, it will only last for five minutes. Don't waste the chance you earned for yourself," he said to Aurolio before taking steps towards the direction of the flame.
"Doesn't this game have no time limit?" the pale man asked with a frown, his eyes narrowing.
"That depends on what you consider to be the 'game'," Rias replied before streaking away like an apparition, leaving Aurolio wondering a great number of mysteries.
His eyes then turned up to the summit of the mountain where a bright light could be seen. He had seen and confirmed it before, but Rias' words just now, made everything clearer.
That bright, gleaming door, was a gateway leading outside the Cluster.
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