Fallen Twelve Stars

The dark chamber within the Stone Giant’s skull fell into complete silence.

Even the Fallen Goddess remained speechless, staring at the twelve humming gemstones embedded in the rocky wall.

That architecture was made long before her time, before she had even descended onto the mortal realm.

"What do we do now?" Zale asked, his hands shaking as he openly voiced the anxiety tearing through the group. The rest stood frozen.

"What if we kill the remaining Heroes?" Suzuki suggested suddenly.

"What?!" Zale blasted, turning on the former prince.

"Are you stupid? Do you have any idea what I endured just to keep you alive?"

"Look closer at the gems," Amber interrupted as she stepped toward the wall.

"Some gems have bright elemental colors, while others are faint white. What if the gems are directly connected to a Hero's mana?"

The group crowded around the wall. The gems really were a mix of different colors, with some being a pure white.

Goddess Seya extended her hand, feeling the flow of mana.

"You are correct. Look. These five cores are pure white."

"The High King could be the first gem," Suzuki calculated aloud, his mind racing.

"The Elf Princess who cast away her divine system centuries ago is the second, correct?"

Amber nodded silently.

"And one more... a Tenth Hero was killed by the High King the moment he was summoned, simply because he was a weak old man."

Everyone stared in shock, but they pushed the thought aside. The late High King had truly been a psychopath.

"The dead Holy Heroine makes it four," Goddess Seya murmured, her gaze shifting to lock onto the high schooler.

"And the final one is you, Suzuki. You surrendered your otherworldly powers to the grand witch. For the Gate Ritual, you are as good as dead."

*BZZZ*

Suddenly, the conch-shaped artifact tucked into Amber's belt let out a sharp chime. She snatched it up instantly.

Lily's panicked voice echoed through the shell.

"Master Amber! We have arrived at the Capital gates, but we are late! Nero has already began his assault on the Capital!"

Right as the transmission broadcasted, a faint tremor shook the cavern. On the far wall, a glowing, amber-tinted gemstone suddenly flickered, its color draining instantly until it turned white. 

"Did a Hero just die?" Amber inquired into the conch.

"I... I don't know!" Lily yelled over the sound of distant explosions.

"We are running through the plaza, helping the guards with evacuation. Wait, the soldiers are shouting! Garo the Hammerhand is dead! Decapitated by the White Demon!? They are talking about Nero!"

"Look... one of the colored gems is growing brighter..." Zale pointed at the wall behind them. One of the gem was glowing brighter in purple hue.

"Lily, listen to me!" Amber commanded fiercely, "Keep following Nero! Do not let him slip out of your sight!"

As she spoke, a low, ominous hum vibrated from the altar. The purple core flared with an intense, blinding radiance.

"It gained the mana of Garo?" Suzuki asked, with fear in his voice.

"The mana is not disappearing," Seya whispered, her ancient eyes wide as she pointed at the burning purple light.

"They are transferring their mana into this vessel. It is the Final core..."

"Lily!" Amber shouted into the magic tool as a distant, massive crash echoed even through the transmission. "Keep me informed about the situation! But do not approach him!"

*ZZZP*

Another stone on the wall flicked violently, its vibrant green hue instantly turning into a dead, pale white. The purple gemstone in the center surged, its mana pressure expanding so rapidly that the cavern floor began to crack.

No Way! With every Hero Nero put into the dirt, the intensity of his mana multiplied, Amber thought with an anxious heart.

"Someone else just died, didn't they?" Zale asked quietly.

"Will this hasten the opening of the Gate?" Amber looked at her master, her face pale.

Goddess Seya looked at the blinding purple core, her expression filled with absolute dread.

"The more he kills, his mana will grow faster. We need to make sure he can't kill any more heroes," she said with closed eyes, trying to connect her consciousness to the world.

"What if we make sure the remaining heroes give up their powers?!" Suzuki had a brilliant idea.

"Wait, that makes sense," Zale said with excitement.

"If Nero has nothing to steal, he can't get stronger. Just like you, we can make the others do the same."

"But will they agree?" Stacy asked with a naive look.

Amber turned to them with, "They can either agree or die. What do you think they will choose?"