3rd Pov
The world set ablaze, nothing was spared being life or land...under Ivarage now known as Amaranth Varja's wrath.
The mindless army born from her power quickly shreds apart all the mortals being that dared opposing her.
This battle whose scale already reached unimaginable height kept growing more gruesome...the sound of despairing pleas and cries filled the world.
Amaranth Varja herself faced dozens of insanely powerful individuals...yet even with all of them, the fight was unfairly balanced.
Amaranth Varja : Daring sent those small fry ! Come at me already you shitty hero !
Roaring, she was in a humanoid form...portraying a young adult in her twenty, long silverish hair and golden pupils.
In her hand wasn't a sword but a blade that directly sprouted from her wrist...in a single swing, she dematerialized space and time, cutting those concepts to their very essence.
Randomly aimed toward whoever was getting in the way, this time it was the Storm dragon who received the blow, one of his wings completely swept away.
A loud silenced cry dozed from his mouth as he started falling...
Yet despite his supposed demise, Veldora immediately started healing and returned into the formation...
Amaranth Varja : How persistent...
Before her was the very elite of this world...the three living true dragons in their prime state, floating while their body covered in that mystic veil granted by the hero Dawn Arceid.
Beside them were another wave of powerful warriors lined in a simple formation...from primordial angels to demons, former demon lords and true heroes.
Elf and majin, all kinds of people were gathered just for the single existence that Amaranth Varja is...perhaps the only missing name would be Milim Nava.
Amaranth Varja : What ? Someone ripped your tongues ?
No answer, Amaranth didn't know if it was because of the tension or something else but her opponents didn't speak at all.
Merely rushing to her fighting even after their body and mind are torn apart, their expression...their movements, everything was real.
Amaranth Varja : (Yet they are all so weak!)
Watching as Luminous adorned with her new weapon approached from her left, her right was also ambushed by Chloe Aubert.
The two of them apex that reign over most spiritual beings, yet Amaranth quite easily caught both blades in her hand.
Retracting her own blade, she tightly clenched her claw in the graded weapon before tossing their users still stashed on them.
Amaranth Varja : You mutts are no match !
Chloe/Luminous : !!!
A painful groin left the two women as they collided against each other before starting to fall, Amaranth watching them uninterested.
Though her attention was quickly drawn back to the action as Carrera appeared behind with a large nuclear missile.
Amaranth Varja : You think something like that can injure me ?!
Stretching her arm, she was about to counter nuclear with pure destruction but a thick layer of barrier formed around her.
The 3 true dragon has surrounded her in a triangle formation conjuring a prison perfectly sealing her off.
Amaranth Varja : (This seal, it's similar to that of Veldanava's!)
Momentarily stunned, she quickly convinced herself that it was due to the true dragon's nature and [God's Authority] shared to them that made such a seal possible.
And this moment of silence led to a barrage of attacks, Carrera led the charge with her strongest spell causing a myriad of pristine explosions.
Following her lead, the others charged too and threw their spell...spiritual, chaotic and demonic energy all fused as a supernova of implosion circled through the seal.
Light combusted against darkness, harmony and natural balance completely shattered under the collective offense of the strongest beings alive.
This led to the death of any concept within the triangular wall of this prison...and still, at the center...the target of this animosity remained unscattered.
Amaranth Varja's body started glowing dangerously as she reverted into her dragon form...
Amaranth Varja : How repulsive !
Her size growing larger than the barrier imprisoning her, she simply went past it feeling the seal breaking like glass.
But her transformation was interrupted when she felt a sharp sting tickling her back...turning her head around, she saw Chloe Aubert back, fully healed.
This time she was with Leon Cromwell and Dino...the three performed a sword dance aimed at the base of her hanging wings.
Amaranth Varja : Is that all you got ?
But as described, those were at most mere tickles...Amaranth simply flapped her wings blowing a current through the ambient air.
She blasted away those in her back to focus on the front, Velgrynd ascended with a trail of blaze using her [Cardinal Acceleration].
Her serpentine body bumped right into Amaranth Varja's abdomen, but the momentum wasn't enough to make her even flinch.
Amaranth Varja : (Huh ? It's definitely weaker than her previous attempt...)
Only then, she realized that something felt really off...again, she thought it was all the effect after growing beyond measure.
The strong of before became insect before her unmatched growth...but just now, she was sure that Velgrynd's [Cardinal Acceleration] was like an imitation, nothing like the previous display she tanked.
Amaranth Varja : What is the meaning of th-
Words stuck in her throat as she received another tickle, this time Veldora was at her side bearing his fang on her shoulder.
His draconic fang collided and creaked on her scale...but again, that's all it did.
Veldora was like a human biting a genesis weapon...his teeth didn't break but they couldn't even leave a dent on Amaranth Varja.
Amaranth Varja : (Their physical prowess are also expansively weak...)
A cold chill ran down her spine with the next assault, Amaranth quickly grabbed Velgrynd by the side and tossed her upward while forming a beam of destruction in her mouth.
Aiming toward Veldora, the storm dragon didn't ever let go until the release of [Breath of Pure Destruction].
Amaranth Varja : Chew all you want in nonexistence !
Releasing her attack, a ferocious current of dark light emerged completely erasing everything on path...the beam went on piercing the storm dragon.
Casually blowing a large hole in his body, over half of his body's total mass was reduced to nothingness in an instant.
Actively, Veldora, forced to let go, started falling again...this time, Amaranth Varja was sure that she got rid of this pesky dragon.
The first definitive death of an immortal being...but there was no joy, instead Amaranth quickly turned around to face a past fear.
The cold chill that she felt belonged to Velzard...this particular dragon had inspired fear in Varja back then, and even after that evolution and new gap in power.
Amaranth Varja didn't feel like underestimating the oldest true dragon alive...
Amaranth Varja : (This spell, it's the same one that she used right before I gouged her core out.)
No name was given to this freezing breath that returned everything to a state of suspension, that is because Velzard didn't think of a name yet.
But if she had to give it a proper qualification, it would be...[Neverending Frost, Breath of Everlasting stillness].
Amaranth Varja forged another beam of destruction, firing it off instantly as Velzard herself finished her preparation and threw her spell.
Frozen ice clashed with pure destruction, and the result was overwhelming one sided as Amaranth Varja empowered the frost dragon the moment their attack collided.
The time aspect of [Neverending Frost, Breath of Everlasting stillness] was turned void upon contact with pure destruction, the ice melted into nothing and finally Amaranth Varja's ray reached the frost dragon.
Amaranth Varja : You lost, incarnation of deceleration ! Succumb to the frost of true death !
At her command, the beam shattered all forms of defense around Velzard and pierced through her body...all the upper part starting from her head to the stomach was blown into oblivion.
No sound was needed, a direct kill, a massacre that continued for another long minute...the battlefield was thrown into chaos when every single one of the resistance fell.
Back in human form, Amaranth Varja stood amidst a sea of corpses...she quietly took a breather not like she needed before taking a step ahead.
Corroded flames surged in the surrounding burning the very land stripping away the right of space that held the world.
Amaranth Varja : Finally, I got to you...
A chilling voice, at that left was Dawn Arceid now...he all this time remained silent standing on the same spot...
Even as Veldora was killed, Velzard destroyed...as Velgrynd was ripped off her scaled burned by destructive flames.
How Ramiris used every last bit of her shine to try and heal the other before getting herself impaled on a mass of destruction.
Ultima and Carrera were laying lifeless, their arms and legs ripped off...Testarossa received the worst fate out of all the primordials as her body mutilated.
Diablo had his legs devoured, his ability to instantly come back ceased to function...Dino's sword was broken, the shattered blade used to pierce his own chest.
His companion beside him was completely worn out and done, following them...the elves, the dwarves, the monster of Tempest...
Even Shizue, Chloe and Luminous...all were mercilessly killed and executed by Amaranth Varja herself.
Their blood painted her figure as she smiled viciously, getting rid of everything just to get to him...
Dawn Arceid, this single name could enact such a reaction from the evil god...she felt all kinds of emotion toward him.
From hatred to curiosity, jealousy, malice and even her own form of love...she wanted to rip him apart completely
Amaranth Varja : You couldn't fight because you were enhancing everyone with [God's Authority], right...
Halting her march once she was close enough to feel the hero's controlled breath, she viciously stretched her hand to envelop Dawn's.
Amaranth Varja : But now they are all gone, fight with all the rage you have~
Feeling his grip over his sword, she gently brought Shin Exalia up to her neck...all this time, she felt an ominous sensation tickling the surrounding air.
Amaranth Varja : Mmh ? How heartless...
After a short break, Dawn finally looked up...his eyes revealed as he stared into Amaranth Varja's golden pupils.
There was nothing in his eyes, it was a pure calm as if he was completely unfazed by the death of his friends.
The carnage that took place right behind Amaranth Varja, their corpse still geezing there motionless...Dawn's expression betrayed his true thoughts.
Amaranth Varja : (He doesn't care at all?)
Dawn : Did you have your fun ?
Amaranth Varja : W-what ?
Dawn gave her a cocky smile, he freed his hand from her grip and shealted Shin Exalia completely shutting any will to engage in a fight.
Amaranth Varja : What kind of joke is this...
Dawn : Let's sit down and have a civilized discussion.
The most incoherent course of action for this situation, Dawn smiled and went on sitting on the edge of the cliff.
Amaranth Varja waited for a moment letting the absurdity of the situation digest over before following.
Amaranth Varja Pov
Pure discomfort...right now, I was experiencing this particular feeling while sharing a seat with the man I'm trying to kill.
The context in which we were in just made the situation more awkward...the two of us watched as the remaining mortals were devoured by my army.
I savoured each cry and peerless fear, the reaction of those fools who dared usurp my authority...but no matter how, I couldn't enjoy it to the fullest because the hero beside me...
He remained smiling unbothered by the horror before us...
Amaranth Varja : You really don't care do you...I can't comprehend you at all.
Dawn : In reality, it's not just me but everything that belongs to creation...you can't understand them at all, right.
I fell silent, he was right...I have no need of something as trivial as knowledge of Veldanava's creation.
For me, this entire realm is filth, a rotten mass that awaits to be devoured...once I'm done, nothing will be left.
Amaranth Varja : What are you trying to achieve ? I doubt you lost your will to fight, but at the same time i can't feel any animosity.
Dawn : We are merely at the junction of a new era...for I have a singular rôle that doesn't involve fighting you.
Amaranth Varja : A new era ? Do you really believe you can defeat me ?
Dawn : Did you not hear ? I won't fight you.
Amaranth Varja : You...what kind of bullshit are you sprouting now ?! I already got rid of everyone-
Dawn : Everyone ? Are you really certain of that ?
His words brought me to a halt, I took a genuine minute to think...right, there is still his daughter, the daughter of Veldanava and that slime...
Wait, the daughter of Veldanava...Milim Nava, if i can kill her...her father won't stay still, my purpose is to return into my true self.
My true perfect existence...the all in one god, I can't do that without that bastard and I can't find that bastard as long as he remains hidden.
Dawn : I wonder, do mortals even have the right of existence before their creator ?
Amaranth Varja : Huh ? What are you saying...
It was a complete swap of subject, at this point I knew that he didn't aim for any response in particular...rather, he was buying time for some reason.
I should just kill him now- then all his plan will crumble, yeah that's the right course of action-
Dawn : The Will of God created everything to satiate the all in one God's boredom...for that purpose, these same entities splitted in two beings...yet that entity still exists just in a higher reality beyond anyone's reach.
Amaranth Varja : ...
I should kill him...yet I found myself wanting to listen to whatever he has to say, I think they call it curiosity ?
Dawn : I acknowledge you as part of that entity, thus you naturally have a part of ownership over creation and all the lives inside...if you look at it that way, then what right do mortals have over their creator ?
Amaranth Varja : Why are you asking that when you are part of those investigating this rebellion ?
I answered back with a question myself, my tone dark and thoughtful.
Dawn : I have no real purpose for this discussion...no maybe I'm trying to sympathize with you ?
Amaranth Varja : That's useless and you know it well.
Dawn : Mmh, I wouldn't portray it as « useless », rather, I believe that if Veldanava created everything and learned love through his own creation, then why can't you do the same ?
Amaranth Varja : That's absu-
Learn how to love ? Learn from this filthy creation ? All that could be done the moment I found Veldanava and returned as the All in One.
Dawn : Do you remember that white fox you encountered ?
Amaranth Varja : White-you mean that worthless fragment of myself ?
Now that i think, i didn't recover that part...when i fully awakened, this tiny residue of power resisted my will and became independent.
Dawn : Do you know the true nature of Kyuri ?
Amaranth Varja : She is merely a speck of dust scattered from a lost time.
Dawn : Well that's true, but her truth is a bit different...she is in fact your heart.
Amaranth Varja : My heart ? What do you-
Dawn : You, a being made of accumulated malice and hatred hold no love or compassion whatsoever...but that doesn't mean your existence has never tried to hold and learn those emotions.
He rudely cut me off, but again I felt no need to stop him from talking...I wanted to hear what he had to say, was it fate ? No, it was my personal feeling.
Dawn : The small heart that you created to contain those positive constraints...they didn't hold long before the malice and escaped on the verge of destruction...this led to Kyuri's birth, the reason she is merely a single percent fragment of your power is also due to the little love you possess.
The revelation blew me away, my heart ? That...make sense ? That fox is still a part of me, she talked about a future where I held my hand to the creation in a non threatening way.
That wasn't the future, instead it was her ideals...she is merely a percent because the good in me is so insignificant before the evil.
Amaranth Varja : Wait, you knew from the very beginning ? Then you kept that fox because-
Dawn : Right, because as slim as it is...there is a slight hope for you to turn tides.
Amaranth Varja : You...
Should I feel moved ? No, I felt more annoyed than ever...is that his final resort ? To make me an ally instead of an enemy ?
Then what's the point in that now anyway...since all those he cares about are dead ? Did he expect me to revive them somehow ? That's utterly foolish.
Amaranth Varja : I lost my interest, in the end you are just a coward worse than the rest of them.
I got up, finally decided to break that wall of hesitation and end this fight.
Dawn : Is that so, well your opinion of me matters none as I myself find the situation perfect.
Amaranth Varja : With everyone dead ?
Dawn : Haha, so that's how you see it...you should be more careful as before overwhelming power, a coward like me often tends to rely on tricks.
I narrowed my eyes, totally looking down on him...as he stretched his arm, pointing his finger toward the near empty battlefield.
My eyes trailed behind his movement, hoping for nothing but despair...but to my shock, an entire new picture was painted.
All those that died were alive...the true dragons, the elves, the dwarf, the majin...everyone, it was impossible ?
Amaranth Varja : H-how ?
Dawn : Don't you find this silence kind of odd ?
The silence ? Yes, I have found a lot of distortion from before and now...I put it all on the name of evolution as I simply grow tremendously stronger.
But now that he pointed it out, I was wrong...no, my mistake here was my own arrogance.
Dawn : You should look at your face right now, it's hilarious.
Amaranth Varja : You...
Finally I realized after further inspection...none of the reality here is right ! All this was a scheme to keep me stuck !
I turned toward Dawn Arceid with a furious expression...
Dawn : Yes, this entire reality is a copy of the central world...now let me show you the real situation you are in.
Raising his finger, he flicked them, releasing a loud noise...the air, no reality itself, started crackling all around us.
It took a long instant as everything uncovered by itself...and once the curtain was down, I found myself back on the same battlefield as before...
I was on the cliff where I discussed with Dawn Arceid...but this time instead, I was in the middle of a sealing formation, a prison that contained all of me.
Surrounding the seal were all the people I had killed previously...
Amaranth Varja : You...
Dawn : Well done everyone, I'll leave the rest to you all.
Amaranth Varja : Wait no !
I instinctively reacted, my foot heavily imprinting the ground as I tried to reach for Dawn Arceid...his form disappeared in a blurry motion.
All this for my hand to collide with the seal, a burning blaze heating my fingers...I was totally fooled, he never intended to fight me...
Amaranth Varja : Haha...you piece of shit...
3rd Pov
A complete victory...Dawn had achieved the most perfect victory against the strongest being in the actual creation.
Going back to right before the beginning of this final battle...when he began to make his speech, he used the instant where Amaranth Varja released her power to hide his own action.
He created a carbon copy of the entire area and sent himself and Amaranth Varja there...the people that died inside were also creations made from [God's Authority].
Dawn is limited by his mortality, his mind can't handle the flux of information to recreate an entire world and its living being inside.
So instead of creating perfect copies of each person present...he made them mindless puppets with the sole command of fighting.
Going as far as giving them expression and visible emotion, Dawn devised the perfect illusion through world creation.
Finally, Dawn got into there himself because he had the strongest and most potent presence...so Amaranth Varja as long as she felt his power, she didn't suspect a thing.
Amaranth Varja failed to recognize it and walked right into the trap...all the while, outside in the true reality.
The true dragons gathered around to form a seal...a prison that will definitely hold Amaranth Varja for a while.
Right now, the world destroying dragon was in the middle of that prison...around her was a myriad of countless mortals.
Their eyes were closed and their hands clutched in a praying fashion...a seal that is constantly boosted with the faith of everyone that remained alive and those whose souls have yet to reach salvation.
Amaranth Varja : (Hahahaha ! Really, this seal will barely hold a few days at best...once the first few start wavering out of fatigue, everything will follow and crumble.
No one was ever boosted by [God's Authority], this was the work of mortals that are infinitely weaker...
Amaranth Varja : Fine, I'll consider this victory yours...
Sighing in defeat, she just sat down and decided to wait...a few days at most, compared to the eternity she waited as a mindless beast, this much is nothing.
A loud silence weighed in this separate dimension...following Mirai's proposal, the Author kept his mouth sealed pondering.
Kyuri on top of Mirai's head waited impatiently, she was naturally cheeky and proactive but right now she felt like bursting.
The reason being that she knew her master very well...Dawn, even with the threat known as the world destroying dragon.
He wouldn't take long to locate Mirai and reach her...each second counted as precious right now.
Author : Then let's see this so-called past, I shall make a decision after witnessing them.
Mirai : Fine by me.
There was no doubt in the heroine's mind, a memory is a catalyst for a story in itself...they contain countless forms of emotion, action and ambition.
One missing piece can fully alter a person's mindset...Mirai perfectly gasped this phenomenon and intended to exploit it.
Mirai : Then shall we begin ?
With a nod, Kyuri jumped off, bouncing to a fair distance as to not get caught in the incoming spell.
Mirai standing before the pile of floating glitches...she raised her finger, allowing a silverish light to conjure by itself on her palm.
The light soon shaped into a beautiful golden balance flowing with timeless particles...the entire realm was being overwhelmed by this engulfing light.
Author : (This power...)
Mirai's veins started pulsating in a brilliant silver mark appearing all over her body...a modernized yet ancient partner appeared over her pupils.
At last, with a low murmur...she pridefully called out the spell's name out loud.
Mirai : [Fate Paradox].
The ultimate ability in the fate series's skill...the one that transcends all concepts beside fate itself.
The command this time was « That the Author remembered everything that has been erased, all the history that was hidden for a singular purpose. »
And the response to this call was instantaneous...the Author awakened all that was left behind, his glitching appearance wavered for a moment.
While he recovered himself, the world around them shifted into a realm of whiteness...fate being completely shut off by Mirai's power.
They now stood in a whole closed dimension...distanced and hidden within the world they previously were in.
Mirai : Kyuri, go outside and keep father at bay...
Kyuri : He is already there, huh.
That's right, if Dawn was already on his way...he had located his daughter and Kyuri while waiting for Amaranth Varja to massacre everyone and during their discussion.
But with Mirai's use of [Fate Paradox], she basically revealed her location and a mere second after she did it.
Dawn's presence could already be felt beside them...a moment later and he would have directly confronted them.
Kyuri : But this world is...
Mirai : [Wheel of Fate], this is the world system skill belonging to fate.
The power that Dawn once tried to achieve but failed...merely gaining a speck insight into forming this domain.
In reality, only the true holder of the power known as « fate » can manifest this.
A world of pure destiny...all fate is set blank, reseted completely ignoring any law concerning life and death, time or space.
The materialization of a blank canvas waiting for Mirai to paint it with new rules...a new destiny.
Mirai : Just keep father occupied for 10 minutes, I'll be done by then.
Kyuri : You ask me a lot, well there is no need for hesitation now.
Shurgging, Kyuri bumped into action...turning around and running off as a portal formed right before her.
Crossing the gate, Mirai immediately closed it off, returning to the matter at all...her eyes trailing toward the bundle of glitching particles who slowly shifted from a purplish color to a crimson dark.
Mirai : Are you done now ?
Author : Yeah...to think such power truly existed and was wielded by someone other than Veldanava or Rimuru...
His tone was more delighted, he was already showing a different form of presence...less ominous, more human ?
Mirai : So ? Your verdict.
Author : Mmh, fine you win this one...i'll be content with just you gone for now.
Mirai furrowed her brow, she didn't like the way he phrased it...meaning that eventually he would come back to fulfil the end of his plan.
Mirai : You better watch your words because I'm still here.
They were currently in the [Wheel of Fate], Mirai was particularly boundless here...perhaps if it was someone unbound by fate like Ivarage or Veldanava, this realm would be useless.
But the Author is affected by fate...he has a destiny, admits blurry but still he is bound by it...
Author : So scary, should I remind you of how many times you failed before me ?
Yet the Author didn't back down, his formless appearance approached Mirai menacingly.
All that for the heroine to fall quiet, she bit her lips while tightly clenching her fist.
Author : Whatever, let's get this done already.
Mirai : No, before that I want to make sure you won't break our agreement.
Author : And how do you plan to do that ?
Mirai : With a bounded contract through fate.
Summoning the balance of fate again, a vow was needed before the scale...one that is supreme to destiny.
Mirai : Here are the conditions, the moment my life ends you will not be allowed to touch Dawn Arceid in any way.
Author : You...
Mirai : No matter how immortal you are, there will be no way for you to escape endless torment...even in death, I'll make sure you regret ever coming into existence.
A serious threat sublimed with a deadly killing intent, Mirai's eyes gleamed dangerously...the diamond-like light faded leaving nothing but a cold emotion.
Author : Hah...you are mistaken though-
Mirai : What ?
Author : My goal wasn't you specifically...it was never, you just appeared as an anomaly that will change the world in the wrong way.
His primary goal was to get rid of the nuisance that will alter the plot of the original « That time i got reincarnated as a slime » series.
Mirai's raw potential would undoubtedly affect the plot and thus the Author wanted to get rid of her...but now, Dawn was exactly the same as her.
Someone that defies the natural law and will bring unwanted change...
Mirai : You-
Author : But oh well, fine I will agree with your condition.
The balance shifting, his answer took Mirai by surprise as she didn't expect any compromise but here he is- agreeing so suddenly.
Mirai : What ?
Author : Dawn Arceid in the end cannot change the fate of this world on his own, only you could...even now I can see it, you are the greatest threat to my ideal.
This statement froze the girl, she was growing more cautious but the scale of her balance rang indicating the formation of the contract.
A judging sound resonated, the scale of the balance weighed the option and term of the contract...a life for a life, both answers weighed equally heavy until the quality of those life came in.
Shifting this time dramatically toward one side, the contract was unbalanced for Mirai...her existence to fate was clearly more important than her father's.
Still, she didn't hesitate...her eyes fixated on the balance before agreeing herself to the result.
Mirai : The contract is sealed...
Melting down into her hand, the balance vanished...Mirai's heart started pounding fast as the end was finally near.
Just a little more and everything will be done...and she would have won in a way.
Author : I can't get rid of you due to fate but that can be nullified if you accept my command.
His power is still unknown, the ability to corrupt designed individuals to make them follow your wishes.
Up until now, it was deduced that the Author had many restrictions to enable his ability...and once again it is confirmed that he cannot just take over someone's mind.
Albeit much is still as mysterious as before concerning this entity's ability.
Mirai : Just do what you have to do.
Author : Good, then let yourself be corrupted now.
A grinning tone followed by a trail of glitching particles, they surrounded Mirai swirling widely around.
Linking up to her body, they were absorbed in as Mirai allowed their entry...the particle faded into her skin, a tickling sensation filled with grievance and relief parkoured her whole body.
She clutched her side, hugging herself feeling a sense of extreme discomfort shiting her mood...biting her lips bitterly to suppress whatever pain she felt.
Mirai : (This suffering is nothing...I can take it, compared to all that happened before...i can just wait a bit longer...)
Her vision veiled in a quick blur, the pain gradually transitioned into a foreign invasive power...growing attached to her as if her soul was being robbed of its free will.
Mirai looked up, this time the pile of glitches started to take shape...closer than ever to the Author's power, she could finally see the true appearance of the said Author....
Mirai : You are-
A few moment ago
Dawn Pov
How cheeky this adorable daughter of mine, running away as soon as I arrived...
I couldn't help but sigh, this dimension was far away in the otherworld so it took me some time to locate her...yet as soon as i got there, she disappeared without leaving a trace.
Dawn : There isn't even a single hint left behind, she didn't escape into another world but a direct personal dimension.
Should I be proud of Mirai for devising such a trick ? Now, what should I do...trying to find her in those conditions is risky as whatever Mirai is planning became a sort of cooldown for me.
I have to get to her before she crosses the line...
Dawn : Right, I just have to use [God's Authority] on our shared power...fate, then I'll track her down eventually.
That being said, it will only work if Manas : Fate doesn't get in the way...well, I don't have many options right now so let's just get to work.
Kyuri : You should really fix that habit of yours of not looking out for your surroundings while thinking.
Dawn : Oh Kyuri, you came back ?
Shifting my gaze to the left, I watched as my fox companion appeared out of a portal...she wasn't in her animal form though.
Rather, she stood on her two feet...white hair and golden eyes just like Ivarage's.
Kyuri : Not gonna lie, I expected a colder reunion...
Dawn : Is that so, are you feeling guilty for not choosing my side ?
To my words, her expression grew a bit anxious...sure enough, this was a particular sight as even me who spent the most time with her never saw such display of emotion.
Dawn : See, then why not step aside and tell me where Mirai is ?
Kyuri : Yes...I feel guilty toward you but that's all there is, sorry but for me i rather have that girl die than you.
Dawn : Mmh, you are saying some dangerous words in front of me...they could easily trigger a bad reaction, you know.
I glared at her with a killing intent I had never directed toward a friend before...it was mild, almost non-existent yet the weight of my words must have crashed onto Kyuri like a car at 200km/h.
She flinched but never stepped back, instead her tails wavered agitatedly...ready to face me.
Kyuri : Then so be it, even if you start hating me...i still want you to be the one to live.
Guarding herself in a battle stance similar to my own...I silently let out a grin, it seems like Kyuri made her choice after all.
Then it's only right for me to respond with my own sincerity...
Dawn : Shin Exalia...
Drawing my sword, I enacted a heavy horizontal slash cutting through space...the shape of a perfectly still crescent moon integrated itself to the surroundings before blasting away into a loud shockwave.
To her part Kyuri evaded the critical blow by returning into a smaller fox form...
Dawn : Oh ?
And she literally stepped onto my sword slash to jump at me, her figure grew instantly as she lunged her fang toward me.
Dawn : This is quite the move, where did you learn that ?
I twisted my wrist and parried letting Kyuri's fang directly crunch onto Shin Exalia's blade...sparkle emitted as she tried her hardest to damage my sword.
Dawn : A genesis grade weapon cannot be broken by anyone that isn't a true god !
Raising my leg, I flexibly bent my knee to assess a direct blow...kicking her from below, Kyuri's body flew into the air with a low groan.
One that I quickly interrupted by sealing her into a block of ice.
Dawn : This isn't your fight anymore...
Clenching my hand into a firm fist, I punched the ground allowing chains made of gold to sprout from the ground.
They quickly flew into action, piercing the ice that I formerly conjured before smashing right into Kyuri...the chain isolated my companion into a miniature star seal.
The same as the one that trapped Ivarage in the spooky palace for so long...
Kyuri : Ku-arght !
Dawn : Don't worry, I said the same thing to Velzard but...I won't die.
Kyuri : Liar !
Her painful cry released an invisible force even greater than my engaging sword slash...now immobilized on one spot, I could clearly see Kyuri's expression.
Kyuri : I have been with you long enough to understand how you operate ! You value your life as below the average ! You think of yourself as a disposable pawn !
Sadness filled with tears, she realized that the her of now cannot stop me...furthermore, her despair grew when the ground I had just punched crackled into a moving portal.
That's right, while neutralizing her I tracked down my foolish daughter and I formed a bridge to get there...all I had to do was jump into this purplish portal.
Kyuri : Please don't go !
Dawn : You were fine with my plan this whole time...
Kyuri : And never have I stopped my search in a way to stop you !
Dawn : It was always too late for that.
Closing my eyes, I took a step into the portal...still, Kyuri was wrong on a part, she misunderstood my true intent.
Thinking that all I ever cared about was to allow Mirai to live...I also aim for all those that graced my journey as friends to live a better life.
And that's including you, Kyuri...there is a reason I didn't move in killing Ivarage or as she call herself Amaranth Varja.
Dawn : Thank you for everything, my friend...
Kyuri : No-NOOOOOOO !
Her agonizing pleas gradually faded when I jumped into the portal, my presence faded from the previous dimension so it could appear into the new one.
I could still hear the echo of Kyuri's voice for a short while, but at the same time I felt my body being pulled away like dragged by a current.
I welcomed the darkness of the void that separated the world and dimension, swimming and racing through creation itself...at this very moment, I felt like I had become an information particle...
The world is really big...ultimately, I am only a single man trying to play as a savior.
Dawn : Right on time, it seems.
And finally as I arrived at my destination...I landed right between the development and conclusion.
Before me was Mirai standing near the Author...she planned to become his apostle and get herself killed, huh.
I can also feel a heavy presence of fate particles in the air...no, this entire realm was that- oh I see, so this is the world system skill of Manas : Fate.
It's astonishing how incredible this place is...unfortunately, I don't have the luxury to observe as I had to act immediately.
Bounding my leg, I rushed forward at a speed without decay...my arm swiped the air like scythes catching the ceremony that unfolded before me off guard.
Mirai : !!!
Author : Oh ?
My hand firmly covered Mirai's eyes while hugging her closely from behind ensuring any leaks, I just couldn't allow her to see more from this point onward...
Dawn : The feast ends here.
Mirai : F-father ?!
I smirked triumphantly while looking up at the Author, his appearance revealing by itself...
How kind of you, Manas : Fate...to dissolve the curtain of mystery around his identity, at last I confirmed the Author's true identity, one that I already suspected for a long time now.
Dawn : The wall of deceit has finally fallen, we meet again...
My voice tone growing colder, I really can't let Mirai see this man's face...because the moment she does, the thread of fate will shatter into oblivion.
Dawn : Author or should I call you the true main character of this story, Elite3532 ?