Chapter 26: Detective Amanai Yuichiro

Darkness crept down Iskatl's spine, who looked to the Dragon Priest before him without any amusement, or joy inside him. There was only purpose. The Serpent exhaled deeply, before he blinked twice and tilted his head.

"Crying for your mommy now? Surely I'm not that strong?"

Darkness would cover the realm. This realm was a blank canvas for their dreams, and their thoughts and their desires, but now it was just hollowed out and drowned in darkness. It was like a canvas was covered in black ink, and once again, Iskatl's flame drowned out, unable to produce any light. He couldn't help but sigh deeply. He felt Amani's voice echoing in his ear.

"Iskatl! Iskatl!"

He turned, and he looked up. The Moon burst from the Darkness. Against an unstoppable force, Iskatl wasn't an immovable object, he wasn't even unstoppable. He was what stopped the unstoppable. Nothing was unstoppable before his watchful gaze.

Much like Amani herself, Iskatl felt his body begin to absorb the moon's power as he pictured her smiling face within his mind, then he was struck by her grief. "Mom and dad dead." Then, shadows would collapse. An Abyss born from flames is what replaced the darkness. The Moonlight, combined with the flames snuffed out the shadows completely. Iskatl held Shamash out in front of him, the wicked blade had its entire length covered in that Golden flame, and pink light before it melted down into a more slender blade, resembling a katana before he beckoned Zyelt forward.

"You're so hellbent on snuffing out my power, yet you can't. Come on. Let's rely on our swords."

Zyelt bounded forward, and slashed his blade down, before Iskatl blocked it with his own blade. Blades clashed against one another, and Iskatl gripped Zyelt's blade roughly, pulling on it before shoving Shamash into his stomach. Sharp metal ground against those gauntlets as Iskatl punched Zyelt in the face with his newly free hand.

"I can't lose anymore. Amani won't allow it, Sovereign won't allow it... Rin especially won't allow it."

Shoving that blade out of his way, Iskatl pulled Shamash out of the Dragon Priest's stomach before breathing out deeply. Moonlight beat down on Iskatl directly, as his body absorbed it, and Amani's voice echoed in his mind. He heard one word, to which he let that word escape his mind.

"TWILIGHT BREAKER!"

Lunar energy shot forth at him, an orb resembling a crescent moon slashing into the Dragon Priest viciously, before it was followed up by Golden Flames, which crashed into Zyelt. Rin's life would be avenged soon, he was sure of it.

Glass would shatter in his ear, and he pointed at Zyelt, multiple beams of moonlight shot at him, torrents of Golden Flame would chase right after. Iskatl stood still as the various blasts of fire and light assailed the Dragon Priest's weakened form.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

Begging and pleading for his opponent to stop, to no avail. Iskatl raised his hand, only for crystalline orbs, swathed in golden flame surrounded the area. Afterwards, he'd close his fist, and motes of red energy appeared around him, overwhelming Zyelt with even more spells.

A beam of light would hit him, and then a torrent of flame would follow, followed by a red mote. Afterwards, he'd stumble into a crystalline orb which would explode into a pillar of flames, and Iskatl just watched on in amusement. He waved his hand, and there were more red motes of energy, followed by floating crystalline orbs which would slam into him.

A plethora of spells all assailed the Dragon Priest, making him unable to move. He'd fall down to his knees, only for Iskatl to saunter over slowly, as all of these spells assaulted him viciously. He offered a hand to Zyelt.

"Why not redeem yourself and end this war in a meaningful way? I've felt it; your terror, your sadness, your rage. Why just let your fears control you? Why waste your second chance at life?"

Zyelt had no choice but to accept the hand offered to him, and Iskatl helped him to his feet, taking his sword out of his hand before it'd vanish. Iskatl whispered in his ear.

"Die."

Zyelt felt Shamash pierce his heart, and he gasped softly as the realm they were in collapsed, and Iskatl was back in the fortress, holding up a bleeding out Zyelt in his hands. Valkyr looked confused as Iskatl shook his head. She would have healed him upon Iskatl's request, before he lowered the Dragon Priest to the ground.

Iskatl had won, and defeated the Dragon Priest alone. Zyelt looked up at the Crimson-haired man with a soft exhale. He hated this, dying to the same man twice over. Why did he always lose?

"Curse you... Yuichiro... I hate you..."

Valkyr heard that name and her eyes widened, which Iskatl obviously noticed. How could he not?

Zyelt's eyes lost their light as he passed away, yet unlike the previous Dragon Priest, he didn't melt. His body lingered, and Iskatl felt his mana drawing to him, before the Reliquary echoed out in his mind, it spoke casually and clearly, as if the Goddess were speaking to him.

"Blood Tie resolved. Amanai Yuichiro. Claim his power. It's all yours anyway, this is how a Blood Tie resolution functions. When I resurrected you both, you both were bound by your blood before you were even born. Now that you've killed him, all that he is will become part of all that you are. Take it all and ascend, Amanai."

Pressing a hand against Zyelt's face, Iskatl knelt down and closed his eyes, before he felt Zyelt's mana cling to him violently before joining hands with his own mana. It felt like a blood transfusion. All of this pain and suffering was to lead to this moment? He felt disgusted, as he gasped softly. He had evolved so much in such a short time, like the entire world relied on his success to continue.

"Good morning, Sovereign. How did you sleep? A Divine Governer, brought upon this world to govern the King's world, and ascend to her throne. I name you the Sanguine Sovereign, and impart upon you an aspect of the world itself, the World's Core. Your Blood Tie now exists within all things, and will empower you as you see fit. Zyelt's will, and his existence are now no more and a mere part of you. Bound by blood, the Sanguine Sovereign rises from a river of his own blood to face all odds, with strength and a refusal to surrender. Reliquary fully unlocked. Bloodflame and Purgatory Flame fused. Purgatory Flame EX. Would you like to keep the name Purgatory Flame? Very well, Sovereign Iskatl."

He'd sigh softly as he looked to his friends. Looking down at Zyelt, his body began to melt, similar to Myez before. Two Dragon Priests were dead, and only nine remained. What would happen now?