What Keeps us Going

I can't believe the prince knows him. We get on guard ready to receive any attack, but the enemy seems calmer and wants to talk, damn it. He is wearing a long black suit that covers his body completely, he has a hood that he removes and we can see his haggard and injured face. One of his eyes is violet, the other is red and this half of his face has a dark aura covering it.

“So long, dear Prince,” Oh no, this seems to be getting from bad to worse.

“I knew I would find you here, Jiawo.” He is about to charge with energy, but I notice that he is carried away by hatred, his golden energy no longer seems so bright. Is it the place, or the feelings that cause that. As I'm going to approach him, Daichi goes ahead and gives him his famous pat-pat.

“Relax, My Prince,” he says with a smile while shaking his hair, “Hate and dark colors don't suit you well.”

“And who is this useless one?” I ask to annoy him, knowing he hears me.

“Maybe this will remind you of something.” In an instant I sense a dark energy and tilt my head to the left and it brushes my cheek. “Well? I didn't imagine I would find a level three kid here.”

“That power… It was when I rescued Raion me that day, you were there?!” It was when I saved him from the strange missile. “That kid… is the one who will defeat you here, today and now.”

I take the lead, Daichi wants to stop me, but I feel all of Raion's rage. I will not forgive him for having hurt my King.

But Jiawo does not stand still, his arms start to fill with dark energy and he raises them, as if making an effort and lifting something heavy. From the earth two corpses are born. That leaves us speechless, I recognize them. I can see their skin wrinkled and coming off their faces and arms, they look wounded, but there are no blood stains. Their bodies are completely worn out, yet they still move. I recognize their hair, their looks and the absence of the shine in their eyes. They are Loaw and Kian.

I use my Zkan and they are definitely them; all of them are level “??” This means they are… above ninety!? The higher level doesn't mean anything… my power together with my friends is higher.

I look at Raion and see his tears, he can't speak. I feel his anguish, pain, anger, all of that. I look at Loaw and Kian, although they are soulless corpses, their spirits and souls continue in us.

“Don't worry, my future King. I'll take care of everything, just watch my back. Yuki and Daichi, protect the King, although it won't be necessary, I will defeat him in seconds.”

“Don't get so arrogant, little shit.” Jiawo yells and charges energy shots at us, Yuki intervenes and dissipates them.

“He's right,” says Daichi in a certain angry tone, “Stay safe, Kai.”

I nod and walk forward, it's time for the skill I've been practicing in secret, every night, or almost every night, except for the ones I spent with Yuki… Shake my head, clearing it from those memories and focus.

It's time. Can’t avoid smiling.

I close my eyes and feel the energy running through my entire body. The filigrees and small rays of energy and fire begin to sprout with more force. Two rings grow on my hands and extend to cover my forearms. The turquoise armor of the silver fire is reborn in me.

Emperor command: Dual Wield of Eternal Firesoul

In my left hand, a new sword grows, identical to the right one; both burn in a greenish fire full of golden energy. Raion, Kian and Loaw are in me, I calm my breath and feel the power of bonding to the maximum.

I open my eyes and in one step I am next to them, but they are almost as fast, they block some attacks, but not all of them. My attacks do not make them bleed, instead only lose dark energy and then recover. The earth begins to tremble and the dark power seems to increase. Is the Core activating again?

In an opening, I push Kian sending him several metters away and charge towards Jiawo. He protects himself with a spherical shield and Loaw intervenes, I retreat in a big somersault backwards, avoiding Kian's counterattack.

I look at Raion and he nods, we can't waste any more time. We will finish this in one go.

I charge again against the three and feel that Raion's energy completely covers me. And it's true I'm not alone, I can't do it alone, this spell comes from all of us and we won't waste a second more here!!

Destiny Reinforce MAX

Raion's energy becomes mine for a few seconds, a very short duration spell. My armor seems to change color to golden turquoise, my power and speed increases completely, breaking the sound barrier.

I manage to cut Kian and Loaw in half and I see in my mind a memory of their smiles. They are being parents to Raion at every moment, I shed a tear, which turns into fire, this fire increases the power of my swords and my flames.

Jiawo uses his dark magic and attracts several monsters and beings and absorbs them, creates an even greater shield, but that will not be enough. I charge all my body with energy. I am completely on fire and I jump with all my strength towards him.

Emperor & King Command: Divine Flames of Justice Judgement!

I manage to go through Jiawo's shield and cut his body into four, going through it completely. A powerful combination of spells destroyed him. His dark energy dissipates without being able to say or do any more evil. In a second, my energy goes out, Raion's boost goes out completely and he will be able to use it in a few hours.

Kian and Loaw seem to recover. Raion goes ahead of Yuki and Daichi, who smile because of the victory, they are surprised like me that they are still alive. Their feelings for his son made him what he is today. Being able to protect our family and friends is what motivates us to keep going no matter the obstacles.

Raion joins his hands and forms a triangle.

Destiny Purification

Below them a magical circle appears and the earth begins to bloom completely, their bodies begin to purify and all traces of negative energy disappear. Before turning into magic spheres and dissipating. They smile and nod in a sign of gratitude and the three of us hug Raion as he cries, sobbing a goodbye to his fathers.

Our hug does not last long, as the earth begins to tremble once more. New lifeless beings begin to surround us. This is far from over, without wasting any more time, we march towards the center.

It is the final definitive moment, everything ends now, for better or for worse.

We manage to advance without difficulty, there are no more interruptions from anyone, only beasts and monsters increasingly powerful. We clear our way.

Raion focuses on feeling the energies from the other side and tells us that they are still in battle. “There are two dark points on each side and three bright ones too… I see that they are completely accompanied by other lights.”

“And we have no one…”

“Don't complain, Kai,” Yuki scolds me. “We came almost secretly, we should have the whole Edealyon Empire helping us.”

“But we couldn't waste time, no one was going to believe us anyway,” Daichi concludes with a shrug before eliminating another monster.

We are about to arrive, but Raion yells at us to wait, we all stop suddenly. He goes ahead and touches the air, it doesn't seem to be able to move his hand anymore, as if he were pushing something. He summons energy and slaps the air and a barrier becomes visible.

I seethe in frustration that we can't get closer.

“A magical barrier that protects the Core.”

“Well, there is no other choice,” I start to charge energy and summon my rings.

The earth begins to tremble and I take a step back—

“Wait, damn it!” Raion exclaims angrily.

Destiny Push.

His power shoots out of his hand towards the barrier and pushes us back many metters far from the Core. A cannon of dark energy is born towards us, but it falls in front of us and begins to take shape… Like a human.

“What the fuck?” Daichi swears while helping me and the prince up and I give Yuki my hand.

I hug her and whisper that I love her, maybe there won't be another chance to say it, “I love you too, Kai” she gives me a kiss that fills me with love and energy. “Next time you could say it more often and before, don't you think it's a very bad time now?” She laughs and gives me another short kiss. We will have more days together and I will tell her everyday that I love her.

“What, or who, is it?” Daichi interrupts our brief silence. Immediately the enemy attacks; dark rays of electricity coming out of his hands and we dodge them by dividing.

Does he have sky magic and electricity attributes? “The head is not even formed and it is attacking us!” I shout, diverting his fire with a huge fire spell.

But then he throws fire, ice and more lightening rays, as if it were having fun and testing its powers.

“Be very careful, I can't see his level,” says Daichi, he should be able to see all levels. Being over 70, once they exceed thirty levels of difference, the signs appear: “??.”

The dark ray coming out of the Core seems to continue feeding and creating this strange being, which does not stop growing in size and threatening our next dawn.