Fantasy System 277 Truth and Resolve

Vortigern stood still, as still as a mountain. His hand clutched Erykytos stronger by the passing, leaving a blue bruise on it. He turned to Ed, and with eyes full of energy, and a smile as radiant as the cowering sun above them, he said, "I've already taken a look at your father…You should rest, for now, my dear boy, you've done enough."

Ed turned his head so fast it almost came off. He stared at his father, who had been laid to the ground. He looked as though he was sleeping peacefully, while Merry and Suika, and the others, sat next to him. A little to his right was Dawlish's body; there he lay to the ground as well. Ed felt a sense of ease pass through his body, and his face broke into a smile for a second. He breathed in slowly, and as he expelled his breath, he crushed a Healing card. His body instantly felt rejuvenated.

The aching pain subsided and his famished Ki reservoirs were filled up instantly as he drank more than a dozen potions. He was the shortest of the three, and even though he tried to look tall and strong, he shied away by a long margin. He didn't retreat, however, as he activated his Berserk skill once more, twice. His level shot up instantly to Immortal Establishment level 10. The peaceful feeling in his body turned into pain and suffering, a dozen times more than before. His skin cracked and released red fumes. The blood inside of his body evaporated due to his overwhelming Ki.

He was now only a little shorter compared to them.

"It's useless, my boy, it's too much of a difference," a sudden voice said. Ed turned his head and gazed at the figure that appeared behind him. Ryuunosuke Nakamura walked to the group of people, his steps wobbly and unsteady. But even then, he stood taller than Ed.

"Even you, Nakamura, stand in front of me today…" Erykytos withdrew his hand from Vortigern's clutches and sighed. "Have you shame, both of you? After all you've done to me and my family, you still want to stand in my way? Even after I spared your continent?"

"But you didn't spare it, did you? You sent a whole army to subjugate it, but it failed nonetheless, all thanks to this young man," Ryuunosuke said as he patted Ed's shoulder, which caused the latter immense pain.

"That's because I knew it would be repelled. That way no one would dare and try to invade you any sooner than your death, Nakamura," Erykytos explained his motives. "But you, you've waged war on me, in my home, and killed my son, and almost finished off my grandson. Were my daughter and wife not enough?"

Erykytos' voice cracked as he spoke. It was the first time the man showed any weakness ever since Ed had first laid his eyes on him. Even a stab into the heart couldn't move the mountain, nay the planet-sized human, but as he reminisced about his dead family, his old eyes let the tears pass without resistance.

Ed stood still, rooted in his place. He didn't understand what he meant. Daughter, Wife? Who was he talking about? Who killed them? It couldn't have been his grandfather, there was no way!

But, the look on both Vortigern and Ryuunosuke told Ed the truth. They'd done, and they were not proud. This was the reason Vortigern told Ed he wouldn't join in the war.

"I regret my choice every day," Vortigern said. "I stopped sleeping for over 50 years because I always remembered their faces. I never meant to have them killed. But, I'm certain you don't wish to hear anything about that…"

"Why not? Keep talking. That way I won't regret tearing you apart," Erykytos' viciously expanded his Qi. Everyone in the vicinity felt suffocated, except Vortigern, Ryuunosuke, and Johan, who seemed to be spared from his grandfather's wrath.

"Did you know that she was pregnant at the time? Once I found her body, I was glad, you know, I could still save the child. That's why I went into hiding for a hundred years. It took me 60 years just to be able to save the child who hadn't even formed properly inside of his mother's womb. And yet, after all, I couldn't save him today. You killed him, no your son killed him. Though it was a noble death, it is still death. And I won't forgive you for that, as long as I'm still alive…" Erykytos' Qi receded.

Ed tried to breathe in after holding it what seemed to be an eternity, but he found himself in the sky at the very next instant. Ryuunosuke hoisted him and flew up while Vortigern retreated to the back in order to block Erykytos' attack, which Ed couldn't even see or feel.

The surrounded turned into cinders almost immediately. No one used any Fire magic. It was simply their Qi that burned away. Erykytos disappeared for an instant and was seen hundreds of meters away holding his grandson's body and sword. Then, he turned back to fight Vortigern.

The two of them moved faster than the eyes could see, and faster than time could follow. It seemed as though their attack connected long before they made their move.

Ed stayed hovering in the air, stuck in his thought. He'd always thought they were on the right. After all, his loved ones were robbed from him by the Blood sect. But now? He knew that Erykytos had right to revenge as he did.

However, Ed's eyes burrowed and he steeled his resolve. There was no right or wrong. It was a war, and there was no justice in war. The one who won would tell his tales as the vanquisher, the conqueror, and the just.

Ed opened every pore in his body and pushed his Ki to the limit of Immortal Establishment. Out of his body came a green hue filled with power and authority. High above his head, a long green colored eastern dragon formed.

Due to Ed's soul being forcefully upgraded to Immortal Establishment, the dragon, which was his Avatar, grew as well. It was different from the usually summoned monsters Ed commanded.

The dragon opened its mouth wide as a pure white concentration of Qi formed. In an instant, it targeted Erykytos and attacked him, all while Vortigern was spared.

Erykytos tried to move away, but it was too late. He felt the white energy pierce through his skin and his blood started to boil. It pushed him deep into the ground while damaging him every second. His Qi was depleted quite quickly, as it protected him from major damage.

He didn't have to worry long about it since the dragon dissipated into the air. Ed, who was past his limit, plummeted to the ground, while Erykytos rose into the air.

However, before he could get far, a claw as big as a mansion came up from the hole in the ground and struck the defenseless Erykytos. The claw was black in color, and it belonged to Entei, the Calamity Black Dragon.

Yet, before anyone could celebrate, the black dragon's body was sent flying into the air. Ed could only watch in horror, as he felt a murky and dark Qi rise from under the hole. It was stronger than Erykytos, Vortigern and Ryuunosuke's Qi. It was the strongest anything Ed had ever seen.

The entity that rose from the hole was pitch black in color. Spikes protruded out of its body, which looked like a worm, squishy and disgusting. It had a skeletal head with two great horns. In its hand was a sword bigger than Ed, yet it was only half the length of the entity.

'Is that Erykytos' Avatar?!' Ed thought in horror.

"Ryuunosuke…it seems that I must die today," said Vortigern. "I'll leave the rest to you."

Vortigern didn't wait to hear his friend's answered as he charged towards the entity. Down from the hole, Erykytos flew at his highest speed charging towards the entity as well, trying to reach it before Vortigern could.

Chapter end