Chương 221: The End

I didn't wait to see how the battle between the two titans would unfold. I wasn't suicidal. The moment I recovered from the shock of witnessing a Rank 8 Lightweaver in action, my survival instincts kicked in with a vengeance. Every fiber of my being screamed one simple message: Get away. Now. I scrambled to my feet and bolted for the nearest exit, not bothering to check if anyone was watching. In the chaos engulfing the academy, one more fleeing figure hardly mattered.

The corridor outside the armory was choked with dust and debris. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed, creating an obstacle course of rubble and broken support beams. I navigated it as best I could, my heart hammering against my ribs with each distant explosion that shook the building's foundations.

"Which way?" I muttered, reaching a junction where the passage split in three directions.

"Left," Azure responded immediately.

"I'm detecting fewer energy signatures in that direction. Most of the fighting appears concentrated in the central and eastern wings." I took the left path without hesitation, trusting Azure's assessment. The further I ran, the more devastation I encountered. Entire sections of wall had been blown apart, offering glimpses of battles raging in adjacent chambers. Bodies littered the floor, some in the red robes of the Skybound, others in the white and gold of Lightweavers. Most were unmoving.

A few still twitched or moaned, reaching out with bloodied hands as I passed. I didn't stop. I couldn't. In this hellscape, compassion was a luxury I couldn't afford. Another massive explosion rocked the academy, this one close enough to send me staggering into a wall. Plaster and stone dust rained down from the ceiling, coating my hair and shoulders in a fine white powder.

"That was one of the elders that battles using transformations," Azure informed me.

"His energy signature just... vanished." I thought about the transformed elder I'd glimpsed briefly during my initial observation of the battle, the one who had become some kind of bone-armored monstrosity. Gone now, apparently. Erased by the Lightweaver named Kal.

"How powerful is this Kal person?" I wondered aloud as I resumed running.

"To take down a Rank 7 elder like he's swatting a fly..."

"Those higher ranks are beyond our comprehension," Azure replied simply. I rounded a corner and found myself in what appeared to be a dining hall, or what remained of one. Tables and benches had been reduced to kindling, scattered across a floor stained with food and blood. The far wall had completely collapsed, opening onto a courtyard beyond. Perfect. An exit. I picked my way through the wreckage, heading for the opening.

Fresh air and open space beckoned, promising at least the possibility of escape from this crumbling deathtrap. I was halfway across the hall when I felt something shift in my inner world.

"Master!" Azure's voice held a note of alarm I'd never heard before.

"Something's wrong with Yggy!" I stumbled to a halt, nearly losing my balance as a wave of distress washed over me through the bond I shared with the vine-creature. It wasn't pain, exactly, more like a profound sense of loss and confusion that echoed from my inner world into my physical consciousness.

"What's happening?" I asked, pressing a hand to my chest as if I could somehow reach through and comfort Yggy directly.

"I don't know," Azure admitted.

"One moment he was dormant in the northwest quadrant, and the next he was writhing in distress. His energy pattern is fluctuating wildly." I tried to project reassurance through our connection. It did little good. Yggy's agitation only seemed to increase, sending pulses of emotion that made it hard to concentrate on my surroundings.

"Can you calm him down?" I asked Azure.

"I need to focus on getting us out of here."

"I'm trying, Master, but—" Azure's response was cut off by a keening cry that seemed to pierce straight through my consciousness. It wasn't a physical sound; it was purely psychic—Yggy's voice in my mind, raw with a grief so profound it momentarily staggered me. My eyes snapped open as understanding dawned.

"Elder Molric," I whispered.

"He's reacting to Elder Molric." I turned back toward the central courtyard where the aerial battle had been taking place. Through the collapsed wall, I had a clear view of the sky, and of the final moments of Elder Molric's existence as he was drawn into the vortex created by Kal's brush. The eccentric elder simply... folded in on himself, compressing to nothing like a piece of paper crumpled into an infinitesimal point. Then he was gone, leaving no trace behind.

Yggy's cry redoubled, a psychic wail of loss that threatened to bring me to my knees.

"He feels it," I realized.

"The death of his creator." It was bizarre, intellectually, I knew that Elder Molric wasn't permanently dead. This was a time loop; when I returned to the Two Sun's world on my next loop, Molric would be there, continuing his crazy research with enthusiasm. But that knowledge did nothing to dull the ache I felt. Just when I thought the situation couldn't get worse, a cold voice cut through my distraction.

"What do we have here? A little red bird, lost in the chaos?" I spun around, automatically channeling energy to the rune on my right hand, the one that would activate my vine whip technique. Standing by the entrance I'd used seconds earlier was a figure in white and gold robes. Not the fearsome Kal, thankfully, but a Lightweaver nonetheless. The patterns embroidered on his sleeves marked him as Rank 2. I frowned. Against someone at the level of Vayara, I was still outmatched.

"Just passing through," I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I slowly backed toward the courtyard.

"I have no quarrel with the Order of the First Light." The Lightweaver's lips curved in a smile that never reached his eyes.

"Yet you wear the red robes of the Skybound. That makes you an enemy by definition, little bird." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"I'm a student," I protested, already looking for ways to escape.

"Barely even initiated. I don't know anything about the politics between our factions."

"Politics?" The man laughed.

"Is that what you call it when your elders bind children to blood runes that drive them slowly mad? When they sacrifice innocents to feed their corrupt techniques?"

"Look," I said, holding up my hands in what I hoped was a non-threatening gesture, "I just want to get out of here alive. I'm not fighting for either side." The Lightweaver's expression hardened.

"Neutrality is not an option in this conflict. The red sun's corruption seeps into all who channel its power, whether they acknowledge it or not." He raised his hand, and a pattern of blue light began to form above his palm.

"I'm doing you a favor, really. Better a quick death now than the slow descent into madness that awaits all Skybound." Keeping my eyes on my opponent, I subtly shifted my weight, preparing to dodge whatever he was about to throw at me. This wasn't going to be a battle; it would be an execution. I needed to find a way to escape, fast. The Lightweaver noticed. His smile widened a fraction.

"Planning to run, little bird? I'm afraid your wings are already clipped." Only then did I notice the faint blue lines spreading across the floor, cutting off my escape routes one by one. Damn it. I activated my Blink Step rune without hesitation, launching myself sideways just as the Lightweaver completed his attack. A spear of blue light shot from his hand, piercing the space where I'd been standing a heartbeat earlier.

The force of my sudden movement carried me through a gap in the blue light formation before it could fully close. I rolled to my feet near one of the overturned tables, already planning my next move. The Lightweaver looked momentarily surprised, then impressed.

"Movement rune," he observed.

"Not bad for an initiate. Perhaps you have some potential after all, all the more reason to end you before the corruption takes hold." He gestured again, and this time multiple spears of light formed around him, hovering in the air like luminous javelins waiting to be thrown. I didn't wait for him to launch them. I sprinted for the nearest cover, a partially collapsed column that might provide some protection. The light spears followed, whistling through the air at me.

I ducked behind the column just as the first spear struck. It shattered against the stone, sending fragments flying in all directions. One caught my cheek, opening a shallow cut that immediately began to burn as if touched by acid. The remaining spears circled the column, seeking an angle of attack. I pressed myself against the stone, trying to make myself as small a target as possible. My mind raced, cataloging what little I had to work with.

My Vine Whip technique might buy me a few seconds, but it wouldn't do any real damage against a Rank 2 practitioner. The Explosive Seed might be more effective, but I'd need a direct hit to have any impact. As for my other runes... the Aegis Mark could protect me temporarily, but thirty seconds of defense wouldn't help if I had no way to counter-attack.

"This is pointless, little bird," the Lightweaver called out, his voice almost friendly now.

"You've shown admirable spirit, why not face your end with dignity? I promise it will be painless."

"Thanks, but I'm not really in a dying mood today," I called back, still frantically trying to come up with a plan. I heard him sigh.

"As you wish." The air around me suddenly grew heavy. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as power gathered, far more than had been used in the previous attacks. I made my move. I activated the Explosive Seed rune on my right index finger. With a flick of my wrist, I sent a seed arcing towards the Lightweaver. Simultaneously, I channeled energy into my Vine Whip rune, causing three thick vines to burst from the ground around the Lightweaver.

One aimed for his legs, another for his torso, and the third sought to bind his arms to prevent him from completing his attack. Without even looking at the approaching vines, the Lightweaver made a dismissive gesture with his left hand. A ripple of blue energy pulsed outward, withering my vines mid-strike. They blackened and crumbled to ash before they could even touch him. He didn't even acknowledge my Explosive Seed attack either.

The seed detonated halfway to its target, hitting some invisible barrier around him. The explosion was impressive but against him, it might as well have been a gentle breeze. I quickly activated Blink Step again, launching myself away from the column just as a massive beam of blue energy engulfed it. The stone didn't just break, it disintegrated, turned to dust in an instant. The force of the blast sent me tumbling across the floor, my robes smoking from the proximity to such intense heat.

I rolled to a stop against a fallen beam, dazed but somehow still alive. My ears rang, and my vision swam with afterimages of the blinding flash. Through the haze, I saw the Lightweaver walking towards me.

"A pity," he said, genuine regret coloring his voice.

"In another life, under the blue sun's guidance, you might have been something special." He raised his hand, the energy between his palms coalescing into a sphere of pure, destructive potential. This was it. I had no more tricks, no more escapes. All I could do was raise my arm in a futile attempt to shield myself as the Lightweaver prepared to deliver the killing blow. Yet, I wasn't disappointed with my performance, I had lasted longer than my previous attempts against a Rank 2 being.

Soon, I would be able to fight at their level, but for now, it seemed my visit to the Two Sun's World was over.

"Master!" Azure's voice cut through my resignation.

"Above you!" Pure instinct took over. Without questioning, without thinking, I activated the Hawk's Eye rune. The world sharpened into crystal clarity. My perception accelerated; I could see the minute adjustments in the Lightweaver's stance as he prepared to release his attack. And above... Above us, the battle had reached a new level of intensity. A massive discharge of combined red and blue energy was descending from the dome, a stray attack of such power that it dwarfed anything I'd witnessed so far.

And it was heading directly towards our position.

"Dodge!" Azure shouted. With the last dregs of my energy, I activated Blink Step and threw myself sideways, away from both the Lightweaver and the incoming energy blast. The movement was clumsy, desperate, nothing like the controlled evasions I'd trained for. But it was enough. Barely. The attack from above struck the spot where I'd been standing a heartbeat earlier. The Lightweaver, focused on maintaining his technique, noticed the danger too late. The resulting explosion seemed to tear apart reality itself.

A blinding flash of purple light, red and blue energies combining in ways that shouldn't be possible, engulfed the area. The shockwave hit me like a physical wall, sending me flying through the air until I collided with something solid. Pain exploded through my body, and darkness crept at the edges of my vision. For several seconds, or perhaps minutes, I drifted between consciousness and oblivion. When my senses finally returned, the world had changed.

The explosion had carved a crater where the Lightweaver had stood. Nothing remained of him, not a body, not even fragments of clothing. He had been completely obliterated by the stray attack. I pulled myself to a sitting position, every movement sending fresh waves of pain through my battered body. My robes were torn, exposing skin that had been scraped raw from the impact. I tasted blood in my mouth from where I'd bitten my tongue.

"That was... close," I managed, my voice emerging as little more than a rasp.

"Indeed. Though I would not recommend relying on 'being missed by a more powerful attack meant for someone else' as a consistent survival strategy." Despite everything, I found myself chuckling. The sound turned into a pained cough as my bruised ribs protested.

"Noted," I replied once I could speak again.

"Though I think I'm out of alternatives at this point." I attempted to stand, but my legs refused to support my weight. I'd pushed my body beyond its limits, and now I was paying the price. The best I could manage was propping myself against a broken section of wall to survey my surroundings. The academy was nearly unrecognizable. What had once been an impressive complex of training halls, dormitories, and research facilities was now largely rubble.

"We need to get out of here," I said, slowly turning back towards the gate.

"While we still can." I'd barely taken a step when I noticed something odd about my hand. I stared for a moment, uncomprehending. It seemed... transparent? No, that wasn't quite right. It was more like... like I was fading.

"Azure?" I said, my voice rising with alarm.

"What's happening to me?"

"It's not just you, Master," he whispered.

"Look around." I did, and what I saw sent a spike of terror through me. The rubble, the fires, even the air itself seemed to be losing substance, becoming ghostly and translucent.

"Master, look up." What I saw made my breath catch in my throat. The conflict had ended. The sky was eerily still, the combatants no longer trading devastating attacks that shook the foundations of reality. Instead, a single figure hovered above the ruined academy, Hiron, the Headmaster, his red robes billowing around him. In his right hand, he held something that sent a chill through my fading body. Kal's head, severed from his body, eyes still glowing with fading blue light.

The Headmaster's expression was difficult to discern at this distance, but his posture suggested not jubilation but grim necessity, as if this act had been required rather than desired. As I watched, Kal's severed head began to fade, just as my hand was fading, just as the world around us was fading. The Headmaster seemed to notice the phenomenon as well, looking at his trophy with what might have been surprise before glancing at his own hand, which was similarly becoming transparent.

The dissolution accelerated dramatically. Everything began to blur together, colors and shapes losing definition until all that remained was a swirling chaos of light and shadow. I felt a strange pulling sensation as my consciousness was expelled from this world. And then there was just a perfect, empty void, stretching endlessly in all directions. For what might have been an eternity or merely an instant, I existed in this state of non-being, neither alive nor dead, neither here nor there.

Time had no meaning in this place beyond places. Then, suddenly, my consciousness was thrown into a vessel, and I opened my eyes, gasping.