"Interesting enough, it was fate that led me to that kid," Bonbon mumbled with his mouth full, bits of fruit pulp sticking at the corners of his lips.
His cheeks bulged as he chewed noisily, his stubby fingers holding the half-eaten fruit like it was the most precious thing in the world. Despite his ridiculous manner, there was a strange weight in his words.
"I was originally just curious about his lack of a Divine Frame," he went on, smacking his tiny lips. "It was as if the gods forgot to put one in him. Really freaky. But turns out, he was an abomination after all."
Then with a wide grin that showed too many teeth, Bonbon shoved the entire fruit into his mouth and devoured it in one go.
"But seeing how things are going, and with the speed of his power’s growth, it should only be a matter of time before he stands before that crazy Thugnaka,"
He said through his chewing, wiping juice from his chin with the back of his sleeve.
"And honestly, I’m excited to see a human stand against him."
Ugha, sitting with his hands resting calmly on his knees, let a mysterious smile curve across his lips. His presence was heavy yet strangely warm, the way firelight was both comforting and dangerous.
"Then my blessing to him was worth it," Ugha said quietly.
Bonbon licked his fingers, then tilted his head with a mischievous smirk. "And how about those fools I left in the desert? How are they doing? You know my vision is limited to the Wha-lah Empire. The Thunga Desert is your turf."
Ugha closed his eyes briefly, sensing beyond what normal eyes could see. "Oh, don’t worry. They should be able to get back within a week."
Bonbon’s eyes narrowed. His tone softened just a little.
"Are they going to be okay? You know Austerra would crumble to dust if they don’t make it."
"They will," Ugha answered, his voice firm. "After all, I placed my essence mark into one of their beautiful women, without anyone noticing. That should keep monsters like the Sandworms away."
As he spoke, a flashback played vividly in his mind. He remembered the moment he knelt with calm reverence, touching the hand of a female knight as if in blessing.
In that quiet gesture, he had secretly placed the Primordial Mark upon her, a hidden safeguard against the desert’s cruelty.
Bonbon let out a slow breath. "I see... Well, in that case, by the time they arrive, Austerra won’t be the same anymore."
"That’s guaranteed," Ugha replied, his mysterious smile never fading.
...
Back at Austerra, the aftermath was a graveyard of fire and ice. After minutes of burning under the blood-crimson flames, nothing of Aurelus remained but a pile of drifting ash.
And with his fall came the inevitable capture of the Dark Fate’s remaining members, including their acting leader, Marissa.
It was Robert who defeated her, striking her down with a decisive blow that ended the battle in moments.
But Marissa, cornered and aware of her impending doom, gambled on the one weapon she still had: Robert’s heart.
"Robert... It’s me! Marissa! My memory is back, my love! I am sorr—" Her voice broke as tears streamed down her face, though her eyes still glinted with desperation.
"Stop it, Marissa," For original chapters go to NoveI[F]ire.net
Robert cut her off sharply. His grip on his sword tightened, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles in his face twitched. "I knew you recovered your memory before. You won’t fool me this time."
His words froze her in place before more Austerran Armies arrived and cornered her.
"I also knew that you chose Aurelus over me and Auren," Robert continued, his voice heavy, shaking slightly with contained emotion.
"I investigated enough to learn the truth. You abandoned us. And worse, you aided the Dark Fate, allowing them to destroy everything. Because of you, thousands suffered. That is why, for your sins, the people of Austerra will be your judge."
The weight of his words cut through her false cries, silencing her completely.
KROOOOGHM~
The skies opened, and heavy rain poured down, washing the battlefield.
The icy ruins hissed as droplets struck still-smoldering embers. The blood of the dead was carried away in red rivulets, vanishing into the muddy ground.
While the survivors rushed to dig through collapsed structures, searching for the trapped and wounded, Auren stood alone, watching Aurelus’s ashes dissolve into the mud.
His chest rose and fell slowly, exhaustion weighing down every breath.
The rain plastered his hair to his forehead, cold rivulets streaking down his dirt-streaked face. Watching the ashes swirl away, he was reminded how fragile life truly was, how quickly power turned to nothing.
His body trembled. The side effects of his Divine Form gnawed at him, the backlash setting in with relentless cruelty.
"Is it time?" he whispered weakly.
"Yeah," Bigbird’s voice echoed in his mind, calm and reassuring. "But don’t worry. No more threats, only help is coming."
"Good," Auren mumbled as the weight in his limbs doubled. His vision blurred, strength draining like water from a cracked vessel. The pain intensified, his body no longer able to contain what it had unleashed.
His knees buckled. The world darkened.
THUD.
"Auren! Aureeen!" Austaire’s voice rang out, faint but desperate, her cry piercing the storm.
Auren’s last thought before darkness claimed him was grim and uncertain.
He believed the trouble for Austerra had ended. He did not know that something far worse awaited.
...
Far away, on the Southern Continent, an endless expanse of mountains blanketed in ice stretched like frozen teeth biting the sky.
The land crawled with beasts adapted to its merciless cold, each one infused with frost and hunger.
Deep within a cave vast enough to swallow Austerra three times over, a frozen throne of jagged ice loomed like a crown for giants. And on that throne, a monstrous presence stirred.
A massive beast, black as night, opened its four eyes. Its body was a grotesque fusion of bear and nightmare, with four front paws, two massive hind legs, three twisting horns upon its head, and wings of jagged ice shaped like those of a bat.
Its breath fogged the cavern with deathly frost.
Upon its brow shimmered a frame of words carved into reality itself:
*
Name: ThugnakaLevel: 97Title: Primordial Beast of Ice and Corruption
**
Before this ancient titan, ten figures stood in black, elegant hoods.
Their bodies were made of ice yet bore features of many races: humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, even some with draconic wings sprouting from their backs.
Suddenly, one of them cracked.
Crack... shatter...
The tenth figure, sculpted in Aurelus’s likeness, collapsed into shards of ice.
Thugnaka’s four eyes narrowed. His nostrils flared, drawing in the frozen air, and in that inhalation he saw visions of Aurelus’s final moments.
The beast’s lips peeled back into a snarl. His voice rolled through the cavern, a deep rumble that froze the air itself.
"Auren..."
The name was spoken with chilling hatred.
"I will remember you,"
Thugnaka growled. His claws dug into the throne, fissures spreading through the ice beneath him.
"And I will destroy you."
...
The next day, Austerra gathered. Despite the rain washing away the worst of the destruction, the capital remained broken, its proud walls and towers now little more than skeletal ruins.
Crowds filled every street, citizens scrambling to search the rubble for survivors. The cries of children echoed as parents shouted for missing loved ones.
"Junior! Where are you!"
"I am here, Dad!"
"Has anyone seen my mom?"
Guild members and healers moved among them, their banners flapping wetly in the drizzle.
"Everyone who needs healing, this way! We have Workers of Light here!"
"Search and Rescue guild is ready to help!"
"Earth mages are rebuilding houses, do not hesitate to ask our members!"
"Food! Please fall in line, free food courtesy of Princess Austaire!"
Despite the ruin, hope flickered. Strangers helped strangers. Survivors clung together. But beneath it all, blame festered.
At the heart of the crowd, tempers flared.
"What do you mean he is to blame!? Did you not see how he fought against the beast? If it wasn’t for him, we would all be dead!"
A soldier barked, his scarred face red with anger, glaring at a nobleman with sharp features.
The noble sneered. "You must be blind. It was Princess Austaire who led the fight. That Frameless one only lured the beast away. It was she who risked her life against the Dark Fate."
The soldier stepped forward, fists clenched. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Open your eyes!" the noble snapped, spittle flying from his lips. After she struck down those cursed magicians keeping the summoning active, the giant beast weakened. Without her, none of this would have ended. That’s why I truly beleives she deserves the biggest credit!"
"What about us? We fought beside her!" another knight shouted, jabbing his finger at the noble.
"You are knights, it is your duty," the noble scoffed.
"And what did you do? Hide behind your walls?" the soldier snapped back.
"Of course. It is vital that noble bloodlines remain secure for the future of the kingdom."
The soldier’s face darkened.
"Hand me a sword. I will shut this bastard’s mouth myself."
"I dare you," the noble said, puffing his chest.
Around them, voices rose louder. Many praised Austaire. Others cursed the Frameless warrior. Some even demanded his punishment.
"If you ask me, that fighter deserves jail," a fat merchant said with a deep frown, folding his arms across his belly.
"If he had dragged Aurelus down earlier, none of this destruction would have happened. He is just as guilty."
"You are out of your mind," another argued, but more joined in.
"I heard he is the child of Aurelus himself," one spat.
"The same bastard child that caused the massacre of infants thirteen years ago. If you ask me, he deserves the gallows."
"No! He must be put on trial! We cannot bring back the thousands of lost children, but we can bring him justice!"
"Death to the Frameless freak!" another voice roared.
"Death! Death!"
The chant spread like fire among the restless crowd.
From the shadows, Wilfred watched, his expression grim. He shook his head, unable to believe how quickly gratitude twisted into venom.
"Fools," he muttered under his breath, his voice swallowed by the storm.