EPISODE 214: POTENTIAL MADNESS 4

— GREAT EDRYAN, YEAR: 7292. SEASON: NEW BEGINNING.

Madria spiraled through the air. Calmly, she activated her movement skill and regained control of herself. A hint of irritation was plastered on her face, but it quickly broke into a small smile. A smile that was accompanied by laughter. The soldiers of the Imperius Army gazed at her strangely. Apparently, whatever affected their [Chosen] earlier had spread.

Of course he'd do something like that; I should have known better.

" Ahhh, we are nearly there ."

Madria flinched; the aged voice of Rasheed interrupted her thoughts and brought everything back to a stark reality. She was here facing the [Final Dragon]—[End of Adventure]. She blinked and found Lawruthian was now next to her. His body was tense, weapon drawn, and his gaze on the [Final Dragon]. It took him a precious second to understand he was no longer in the same position as before.

Lawruthian grew even tenser. "Something is wrong."

The [Chosen] looked around. He could feel Her, the Goddess, that is. She was here, watching, waiting, but strangely… Her gaze seemed disapproving… bored like she was rewatching a play and already knew the ending. He could pick up many things from his bond with Goddess Madris—emotions, such as joy, anger, and more—feelings, those of approval, disappointment, and the like. This was different.

He recalled the warning of Minerva from earlier—from before their connection was cut off.

"How many times have we fought this battle…," he quietly mumbled. "What is Rasheed's ploy? How do I defeat {Madness}?"

He wasn't certain, but the feeling from the Goddess was all too intimate—all too familiar to Lawruthian. He straightened, not minding his new position in the backline.

He took a deep breath… once… twice… thrice . Before he implanted [Legacy] into the ground. Queen Titiana moved slightly forward, prepared to address the dragon. She opened her mouth to speak but halted, surprised as the voice of her son spoke.

" Stop. "

It was commanding and paused not only Queen Titiana but the shifting magi who prepared to get in position. Many eyes partially gazed his way; they looked away from the dragon and to the [Chosen of Madris].

Lawruthian frowned, then removed his helmet. He looked into the aged, yellowed eyes of the [Final Dragon] whose vertical pupils concentrated in on him. "What game are you playing Rasheed? How many times have you changed reality? What ending are you looking for?"

Rasheed, Final Dragon, snarled. " Not. This. One—Die. "

Lawruthian felt like his body was struck with a sledgehammer as the wind was knocked out of him, and his body nearly crumpled. He barely registered hands on his armor, healing magic pumping into him. His arm outstretched and clutched at [Legacy] to keep himself standing.

" Breathe , Lawruthian… breathe."

A voice entered his ears, gentle and soothing to the touch in Lawruthian's mind. He followed its instructions—a command that forced his lungs into overdrive.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Several deep breaths were pulled in and out as he regained his facilities. His body swayed, dizzy as his ears rang. His eyes refocused, only registering the chaotic battle that erupted around him now. Lawruthian felt like a drowned man pulling himself out of the water. He gazed down, bodies lay on the floor surrounding him, no wounds visible on their armor.

They were dead, unfortunate casualties who were affected by Rasheed's words. Lawruthian coughed, clearing his airways in an attempt to breathe.

Three stars surged across the sky, and four giants followed them closely as they battled against the [Final Dragon. They clashed with the creature, and the ground trembled with each blow. Dark, monstrous creatures fell from the sky, and the magi rose to meet them. The Central Gate Army offered support to the former [Seven Heroes], while the South and North Gate Army focused on the creatures descending from above.

"What happened," Lawruthian choked out, finally regaining his breath. On all sides were the Imperius Army—fighting to protect their prince.

"Rasheed… commanded you to die, and you nearly did," a panicked Madria uttered. Her magic continued to surge into Lawruthian in a rush. Gently, he grabbed her hands as he straightened himself, feeling the hard shakes within them.

"Thank you," Lawruthian said as he locked eyes with the young woman. Mana still poured from her body recklessly. Her chest heaved up and down, and Lawruthian continued to hold her hands as she slowly calmed. "Thank you," he restated, ensuring she heard him properly this time.

She nodded, not speaking. Lawruthian continued to stare at her, ignoring the commotion around him. He frowned, slowly letting her hands go. He recognized her trauma, but now wasn't the time to address it. His gaze slipped away, toward the fighting forces, but his mind looked elsewhere… it looked for the Goddess.

'How do we defeat Rasheed?'

…

They were losing.

…

Lawruthian recognized it immediately.

They were losing to the [Final Dragon]. His mother and her cohort aren't on the offensive but defensive as Rasheed actively attacked. Whatever bullshit Carno Edryani told him was false—as far as Lawruthian was concerned the Aspect of Knowledge was a full blown God hiding away in his mountain on the Mortal Plane. He frowned, only noticing now the second Chosen's disappearance. However, he couldn't focus on searching for him as now wasn't the time.

Lawruthian's gaze focused on the battlefield.

Titiana surged forward, her spear reinforced with Earth-aligned mana as she struck at Rasheed. Her blow clanged back, and the frown on her face deepened. Her attributes were already increased by a factor of three, plus the damage of her enchantment provided nearly a hundred percent increase to her attacks. Yet, Rasheed simply shruged off the attacks like they never happened.

"Akeem, Liana," she commanded. The two surged forward and blocked the dragon's casual swipe together. Both flew backward, their bodies damaged from the attack.

Titiana's third eye fixated on the glowing egg that protruded from the dragon's chest. It was a small target but served as a weak point, as she could see the tendrils of love that extended from Rasheed to it. This was his most loved object, and Titiana could do plenty with that information. Could she somehow remove or damage it? Then, perhaps, that would cause deterioration to the dragon's mentality and give her team a chance to slay him. It was the only weakness she could see.

"Margret, now ," she ordered.

"(Law of Knowledge: Burning Sky)," Rasheed sneered. "Your petty plan is useless in the face of true Power. Small demigods who haven't even animated their bloodline to become Ascendants believe they hold the power to face me? What an insult."

Flames.

That was all the world knew once Rasheed's spell was cast.

The sky burned, and the ceiling of the Mountain of Final Hope lit with flames the same color of blood. Like raindrops, they dripped from the sky, turning anything they touched to ash.

Margret's attack landed on the bubbled golems—aimed away from where Minerva was stationed. She shot a silent apology to the bird and hoped no feathers were ruffled. Then, just as she was mustering a greater defense, a drop of flame landed on her shield. It burned away before the demigoddess could speak—silently, she cast a spell, attempting to teleport away from the flames. Margret's eyes widened in horror as the space around her locked, the dimensional ripples of her magic forcefully torn away. Her gaze traveled and met Titiana's; a helpless smile was sent her way as the Demigoddess of Spell-Crafting burned away.

Liana jumped forward, tackling into Titiana as Rasheed's claws raked where she once stood. Wind from the attack impacted into the back of Liana, and blood spilled from her mouth as they tumbled through the air. Their bodies flew, the crackle of thunder in their wake. They impacted into a pillar a distance away before falling to the ground. Their status unknown as the mental communication Margret kept up disappeared with her.

Vivian Consus cursed, stepping forward to cast his greatest spell. One, only his bloodline could activate. He looked at his grimoire, a hint of regret in his eyes.

"(Burning Book: Hero's Tale)," Vivian activated. The heavyset man immediately dwindled, becoming skeleton-like as if all the nutrients of his body was sucked away. Only his skin remained tethered to his bones, but his eye sockets lay dull and empty. His once black skin grew grey and dull, and his nails withered, becoming gnarled and witch-like. The grimoire that had constantly followed him from birth until now burned—magnificent green flames spreading in the air. Those green flames fell away like shed tears, and a story, one from his perspective, emerged. Its words flowed into the air, written in green, telling the life story of Vivian Consus. From the day of his birth to his first meeting with Margret Musa, Titiana Edryani, Liana Drumian, and the rest of their party. It told of fallen friends and betraying allies. The words focused on Margret Musa, constantly highlighting her name as sparks of magenta ignited.

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That every name pulled itself from the book with each mention, gathering together in the shape of a magenta cocoon. When the last mention of her name came forward, its words mentioning her simple death, a change occurred in the cocoon. It burst open in an explosion of magenta, revealing a surprised but sorrowful Margret.

Vivian's body fell to the ground, his vitals unknown, but a diving Marna quickly caught him, the light of magic surging from her hands.

Lawruthian didn't stop watching, but his actions slowly changed. He understood what it meant to be the [Chosen of Madris]. He understood it the very day they slayed Zephyron and Lithonia before sacrificing them to the Goddess.

…

Ants attacking an elephant.

…

They were ants attacking an elephant with the hopes of a thousand of them bringing it down—not knowing a single, proper stop would be all it took to shatter their nest. The Central Gate Army continued to bombard the dragon with attacks, but the [Final Dragon] didn't seem to notice them.

Lawruthian slowly knelt; his blade dropped, and his eyes filled with sadness. He felt a heavy weight, a heavy burden on his shoulders slowly being released from his actions.

Bodies lay scattered around him, some slain from Rasheed's earlier command, others dying in the service of their prince. They were nameless soldiers to Lawruthian … but they were his soldiers. They died for his cause. An action he couldn't quite accept easily. It was a problem he long held—allowing others to die for his ideals.

Rasheed's yellow eyes locked onto Margret; they were colored with hatred and madness. He roared, and fire clawed itself from his throat, consuming the demigoddess in bright, passionate flames. "Wyrms—how dare you attempt to escape death before me. SHE died within my arms, and you will understand that pain."

Titiana clutched onto Liana, silent as she gazed into her eyes.

"Don't look down," Liana coughed, blood staining her pearly whites. "I hope… my love was… enough—save Margret… for me… please . And don't cry… … tears don't suit such a pretty… face."

Liana tightly clutched at Titiana, one arm around her waist while the other gently stroked her face. She gazed into those beautiful red-golden eyes that now held hints of pink. A lifetime flashed before her eyes.

…

Two young girls running away from a castle in flames.

…

They were panicked and confused as they wondered how to feed themselves.

…

A young [Adventurer] taking them in, showing them the ropes.

…

Their rallying cry for reinforcements and the joining of a new party member.

…

Their first kiss on that rainy, harrowing night.

…

Lawruthian's birth… somehow it felt like she received a child of their own.

…

"I hope…," a second, quieter whisper left Liana's mouth. "…enough."

Titiana looked down, away from the fading light of Liana's eyes and at her dismembered body. There were no tears in the eyes of the Demigoddess of Love. Blood spilled from Liana's upper half while her legs remained severed just meters away. She slowly let go, her hand dropped from Titiana's face, leaving a smeared trail of blood. Liana's eyes remained open, clawing at one final look as connections faded from her mind one by one. Titiana grew stronger, and her eyes closed as silent notifications alerted her of level ups and more. A quarter of their attributes were added to her.

The [Heroic] class held a secret—especially the one crafted for the magi of Edryan.

Titiana reopened her eyes, and a cold indifference—one that hadn't seen the days light since her son melted it away—returned. There was a lump lodged in her throat, and she needed it gone.

…

NOW!

…

Red-gold eyes with hints of pink landed on the [Final Dragon]. This time, the shade of red within those eyes was more vibrant than ever before—just as the pink within them was much closer to igniting and consuming everything within.

"Lawruthian wished to see me wed…," Titiana's hoarse voice spoke. A lifetime flashed before her eyes.

…

A silly, stupidly tall girl holding her hand as they ran from the castle.

…

A strong friend turned lover and family.

…

A guiding hand with a stupid but strong back and mindset.

…

Many magi… friends… family died in Titiana's life. She slayed her own relatives with her hands—they were not her family. They had betrayed the Goddess and the magi, becoming subservient to {Greed} and other afflictions of the soul.

"…now that will never happen."

Her voice was indifferent as was her expression and demeanor…

…

So why did the tears not stop falling?

"(Divine Skill: Loveline Resurrection)," Titiana whispered as she stared into those dull, lifeless eyes.

Loveline Resurrection

Rarity: Divine

Category: Law Skill — Love

Properties:

1. Loveline Sacrifice — to those your love, sacrificing Love Points for their revival means nothing. ‎ 2. Should you fall in battle and possess enough Love Points, you're body and soul shall be automatically reconstructed.

Cost:

50 Love Points. ‎ WARNING: Cost is subject to change depending on the revival target's levels and attributes.

Description:

What sacrifice isn't worth it to see that smile one last time?

She glanced at her HUD and focused on her Love Points.

Titiana Koltius Verlio Edryani — Level 311

Love Points: 88

One…

She could only save one.

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