Chapter 6: Ceremony

The Lightning Beast conversed with Isz, sharing its history.
"Well, we have been together for a long time, ever since you were born, so there is no reason for me to hide this from you anymore," the Lightning Beast said.
Isz listened in silence.
"Irineia, I mean, Fantasus, and I lived very far from this land, high up among the stars. Fantasus has always been an arrogant and greedy entity. She wanted to travel from land to land, conquering and wandering, forcing beings she considered inferior to serve her and submitting to what she deemed right and wrong. I stayed out of those conflicts when she joined other minor entities to conquer various places, feeding on fear and hope, but I believed differently. Every being has its value in this universe and should choose its own path, but she did not think that way. That led to numerous battles across the cosmos. They lasted a very long time, with no clear victor, leaving behind nothing but ruined worlds. That is when I joined other beings and came to this land."
"Who came with you?" Isz asked.
"Flora and my sister, but I never heard from my sister again. I believe she perished before reaching this land."
"The priests here were already fighting demons and the Voices, as they called them, and we were mistaken for them, making us enemies. Fantasus arrived as well, but she allied herself with the Voices, keeping them as her direct subordinates while orchestrating her plans. When I was about to fight Fantasus again, your mother's group and other knights intervened. In that battle, many died, including your father, but your mother understood my condition. I was severely wounded, reduced from a giant wolf to a mere dog. Even so, she managed to comprehend my motives, and I sealed myself inside her. The intention was for her to be my chosen vessel, not you, but she died during childbirth and did not absorb my powers. You, however, sealed them throughout your entire body."
"Why did you choose this land?" Isz questioned.
"Sooner or later, Fantasus would come, but since this planet was far from our home, we figured it would take her a long time to reach it. Who would have thought she would even couple with a human."
"What else do you have to tell me?" Isz asked.
"I imagined few of us had come here, but after encountering that girl, I fear more beings from the stars have arrived. By the way, your sword originally belonged to a star being, but it was recovered beforehand by the church. The power it channels is concentrated cosmic essence—a blade forged from the explosion of stars. I wonder whose sword it truly was. Could it have belonged to the Wyvern? It is possible, given that the armor has a dragon shape."
"Why are you only telling me this now?" Isz demanded, annoyed.
"Isz, I never wanted to drag you into this vengeance, but you were pulled into it. Now you possess greater discernment; you are far stronger and no longer vulnerable. Previously, it was difficult to communicate with you, but now even others can hear me."
"And you think I am going to trust you more because of this?" Isz snapped, irritated.
"Do you have another choice? Forgive me, kid. Perhaps that woman was right. I dragged you into a personal vendetta without paying attention."
"No, as you said, Fantasus would have reached this land sooner or later. I am a knight of Vein. Regardless of when or where, if my land is attacked, I will defend it no matter what. So, I suppose we make a good team."
The Beast chuckled and agreed with Isz.
"And who was this Wyvern?" Isz asked.
"He was another companion of ours, taking the form of a massive black dragon with purple eyes and four giant wings. He could project cosmic energy and transform into a human form. I believe he has perished as well, since I can no longer sense his presence, but there might be some connection to that girl's clan."
"Rosie?" Isz inquired.
"Yes. The dragons of this land are weaker creatures, but she appeared strong enough to fight Fantasus. Furthermore, her mark matches that of the star beings and managed to merge with yours. Perhaps the Wyvern brought more allies who reproduced with the local dragons."
"I see. Well, let us head back to Rocco's house. I need to take a closer look at their cult."
On his way back to Rocco's house, Isz was attacked by a nearly four-meter-tall humanoid monster. 
It was heavy and moved slowly, hurling boulders directly at Isz.
"Cerberus, unleash a wind attack on it!" Isz ordered.
Cerberus executed a blast of wind that blew the monster's head apart, but the creature regenerated instantly, gazing up at the moon and chanting, "Mother... Mother of the new era."
The creature seemed to weep and murmur, a blue energy glowing in its hands as it unleashed explosive beams of light.
One of those blasts struck Isz's hand, severing three fingers from his left hand.
"Damn it, it got me!" Isz gasped in agony.
Isz channeled lightning through his body and slashed the creature, while Cerberus finished it off with fire.
"Right, my fingers should have regenerated by now, but I will bandage them for the time being."
Isz arrived at Rocco's house, but Elisa informed him that it was too late, that he had missed the service with Father Argus, though the main ceremony would take place the following morning, and Isz was formally invited.
Isz confirmed he would not miss it and asked to head to his room.
Rocco returned home shortly after, having spent the time cutting firewood, and was startled upon seeing Isz's injury.
"Did you get your fingers severed? Was it an alligator?" Rocco asked, alarmed.
"No, they were not severed. I just cut them on some barbed wire," Isz lied.
"It looks like you are missing fingers," Elisa noted.
"Must be your imagination, haha!"
Isz left a generous amount of money on the table for Rocco and Elisa, and the couple expressed their deep gratitude.
Isz climbed up to his quarters and looked out the window of the two-story cabin.
The houses stood close together. The rain showed no sign of stopping, but a blue moon tinged with a purple sky illuminated part of the mist.
Using an instant message scroll, Isz wrote a report detailing his exploration up to that point: the hard-to-reach swamps, the lack of realm support, and the enemies he encountered—dubbing the latest threat "Gray children" due to their childish yet aged, weeping appearance, noting that fire proved effective against them.
His final message instructed superiors not to send reinforcements or search for him, as something was fundamentally wrong with the place, and deploying a large force of soldiers would prove disadvantageous.
Isz stared out the window.
The moon hung in the purple sky. Inside, a baby slept while its mother sighed softly, whispering of the moon and its blessings.
"What a joke. Damn Irineia, I am going to put an end to your little game once and for all."
Deciding he needed rest before attending the so-called ceremony, Isz prepared for sleep.