The Dark Lord's Trap

This was it. Dawn had arrived, and Illya looked eager to get her revenge. Beside her, Renji transformed his legs into a digitigrade form, but underneath his cloak his back began to bulge. Black, leathery wings slowly expanded out from beneath The Primordial Cloak. It had taken Renji some days to get used to it, and while he had not achieved anything coming close to mastery, he was able to at least fly at an essential level. As the two took to the air, weapons drawn, time seemed to slow down. This was beyond reckless, but they had neither time nor options. This was the best they could hope for given the circumstances, and they just had to go for it.

Castle Barathûn was quicker to respond than they expected. Balls of flame and magical boulders flew up at them as soon as they leapt into the air; they were ready for them. Flying in front of Illya, Renji shielded his body as they descended with The Primordial Cloak. Absorbing the aether as he descended, he became a glowing ball of energy that erupted where he landed, throwing the guards off the wall, or far away in the case of the lucky few that managed to land upon it. Illya landed swiftly after Renji, looking at him in momentary worry before moving on. Renji didn’t feel as much pain from the aetheric eruptions anymore, especially since he had begun to practice controlling ambient aether.

Allowing his body to return to normal, the two hurried to the gatehouse to let Nemi and Oliver in, though resistance was not nearly as intense as the two expected. Their blades danced together, precise, furious, and filled with purpose. As Renji’s magic ruined the guards approaching from the left, he could feel the spirit of the sylvarin shimmer within him. While this particular spirit didn’t offer him many useful transformations, it did, however, seem to aid in his use of magic. Ever since acquiring it, things seemed to make more sense, like he was trying to wield a scepter with a greased hand, suddenly now clean and able to grip it firmly. It was thanks to this sylvarin that he was able to grasp being able to absorb aether more clearly, now able to pull in nearby clouds of aether without needing to come into contact with them.

He’d demonstrate this capability well as a detachment of mages fired upon the gatehouse, their various fireballs striking his cloak. As the fireballs turned into clouds of aether, Renji absorbed them—but the power was great and difficult to control. When the fireballs ceased, Renji took the opportunity to unleash the aether within him once more. Holding both hands in front of him, he channeled the power to his hands as a sphere of intense aetheric energy formed momentarily. “Vitamicare!!” His shout echoed through the gatehouse as a powerful laser erupted from Renji’s hand. Sweeping it over the crowd of mages, the laser left a scorched trail wherever it contacted, and his opponents were no more after a single sweep.

Having lowered the drawbridge successfully, Nemi and Oliver only saw the tail-end of the laser as Renji finished his attack. Breathing heavily, steam erupted from Renji’s mouth as he recovered from the attack. Something wasn’t standing right with him, though. The guards were tough, yes, however there were not nearly enough of them. Before Renji could think upon it further, however, more guards were on their way. “Renji, Illya, go!” Oliver shouted as he held his shield up. Casting a barrier-like spell, his shield expanded with a blue aura, covering the hallway. “We’ll make some noise, it’s up to you now. Try and save a piece for me though, alright?” Nemi asked, gently placing a hand on Renji’s bicep before pulling back and channeling a spell. She was terrified, and could not conceal her shaking, but this was what they prepared for—and she had no intentions of disappointing her friends now.

Unable to waste any time, the duo of Renji and Illya began to spear their way through the remaining guards blocking their way to the castle proper. The occasional soldier or monster stood in their way, but there wasn’t nearly enough to stop their momentum, and what corrupted monsters and beasts they did encounter paled in comparison to the manticore that they fought early on in their adventure.

Upon kicking the throne room’s doors open, Renji was suddenly faced with a terrible black light. Raising his rapier on instinct, he knew he wouldn’t be able to dodge in time. “Renji!!” Illya leapt between the sphere and him, striking the sphere with the blade of her axe, but as soon as she made contact with it she disappeared. Renji was alone. “Illya? Illya!” Renji shouted for her, but there was no response. A sigh could be heard from the throne, as a bored looking man stood up from his seat, walking down to the now alone Outworlder. “Pity. I was hoping to have some one-on-one time with the Princess, but I suppose we can have a little chat instead. Have you been well, Renji?”

Renji couldn’t believe it. His eyes, his ears, they must have been lying to him. Though Renji had his suspicions, he hadn’t expected the terrible truth that now walked towards him. “Balam…?” Renji muttered, keeping his rapier raised, but he was paralyzed, hardly able to process the knightly figure walking towards him, dressed now in dark armour. Balam’s smile was just as disarming and charming as ever, as though he didn’t hate Renji at all. “Long time no see. It seems you’ve had quite the adventure.” Balam’s words, too, seemed just as friendly.

Suddenly, everything clicked in Renji’s head, as if the final piece of the puzzle had finally found its home. “I see. Suddenly, it all makes sense now. Illya’s bad habits in training, why Castle Aldelthorne was so vulnerable, why so many people turned traitor—it was all you! It has always been you, hasn’t it?!” Renji’s voice was sharp and accusing. He was getting his composure back, but adrenaline was conquering him. The Balam he knew was already strong enough to trounce him. Surely, he must have been holding back this whole time. If a man like that was his final obstacle, then he had no hope of winning.

“Correct on all fronts, Renji.” Balam clapped his hands as his smile widened, a look of genuine pride on his face.

“So, you laughed when I was summoned—” Renji couldn’t finish his explanation.

“That’s also correct. A little slip-up on my part, I’ll admit. You see, when they were summoning you, I was expecting my plans to fall apart right then and there. However, what they didn’t get was a legendary hero, just you. An ordinary man, a cook, if I recall. Still, what wonders such an ordinary man has done to come this far. I’m proud of you, really, and I’m glad we can talk like this.” Balam put his hands to his side as he relaxed his posture.

“What do you mean?” Renji asked, sensing more about this scheme.

“Well, my plan was to get Illya all to myself. If it was her alone, I could take her down, corrupt her, or otherwise convince her to join me. It would have been all too easy, with how I trained her. Though when I saw you, I thought to myself ‘just how valuable would it be to have an otherworlder’s knowledge in my grasp?’ Since then, my target has shifted from Illya, to you. I still need the Princess of course, but in spite of her strength, she is still just a single person. You, however, hold knowledge nobody in this world could even remotely imagine. Join me, Renji Naoki. I shall give you Aldelthorne—I’ll even give you Illya herself. You’d be my vassal, but you’d still be you. You’d only be my puppet politically, otherwise, you’re free to live that happy, lavish life I can sense you’ve never truly had.”

Balam’s offer wasn’t bad on paper. “Become a king, get political freedom, but work within Balam’s rules.” However, the veiled threat stood out to him beneath it. If he didn’t agree, he would be corrupted and turned into a puppet anyway. Joining Balam would betray everyone, but he would get to live a happier life. Sighing, Renji raised his rapier. He was already resolved to meet his end to ensure the death of The Dark Lord, and his offer did nothing to shake that resolve. “What did you do with Illya?” He asked first, his question a burning need that needed satisfaction before the conversation could continue.

“Oh, nothing special,” sighed Balam. “Just a little teleportation into the dungeons. She isn’t far away, and she won’t be hurt by that spell. Whether or not she survives where I sent her to, though, is another story.”

Renji felt the pressure. Time was of the essence, but he couldn’t turn and leave to try and find Illya. The best thing he could do for her right now is remove the threat right in front of him. “Come now, Balam. If I accepted your offer, then I wouldn’t be able to show you just how strong I’ve come, right?” A challenge dressed in a light tone, as if hoping there might still be some semblance of the friendly knight beneath the gloom.

Balam’s smile faded momentarily before returning. “Ah, you’re right. How rude of me, it only makes sense that you’d want your teacher to see how much you’ve grown! I’m sure Illya would feel the same. Forgive me, I meant no insult. It’s a shame your magic teacher couldn’t be here, though. Don’t worry, he’s still here with us, in a way. He’s the only man to ever scar my body.” Placing his right hand on his chest, Balam’s hair began to change from blonde to a dark, pitch black. “It’s a shame. He thought destroying my heart would kill me. He was the only man I regret killing. I would have loved to battle him some more.”

A hilt stuck out from Balam’s chest. Gripping it, a large, black blade emerged from him, not unlike the blade he wielded in the time Renji had known him. “Renji Naoki, I, Balam Kaelthûr hereby accept your challenge. Show me just how you’ve grown. Impress me, and I might just keep that offer open for you.” Based on Balam’s posture and the glint in his eye, he still saw Renji as the untested lad that barely knew how to cast a spell, and only beat Illya by the skin of his teeth by exploiting the weaknesses Balam himself planted in Illya. Gritting his teeth, Renji let out a long, furious breath. There would be no holding back, no moment of rest, and no thought of what happens after this battle. He needed to uncover Balam’s weakness so that Illya could beat him when she returned. Though he was certainly going to try and achieve victory, he knew he was up against an impossible task. One that he had to try, despite knowing he would lose.