亚洲综合中美

‘Curse,’ darkness whelmed, she buckled – the candle of life snuffed, Cruse blew the flame. *BANG,* a distant roar thrashed the whole building – dust and pebble fell, and the hidden area shook. Despair settled, “-RUN!” one screamed, “-THE DEVIL’S AMONG US!” panic, hysteria, no matter the name – participants were on their heels pelting towards the exit. Damp floor, they slipped. Some bashed their heads – blood. It was a scene from anything he’d seen.

“What is happe-”

“Thoas Duquant,” Cruse’ whispered, a death-like chill froze the mayor, “-thou hath beckoned vindication. Alas, vindication is but a fa?ade,” he deeply exhaled, “-for thee have summoned thine own death,” a warm sensation ran up the skin. He looked down, warm liquid ran down the back and onto the floor, “-may you rest in hell.” A protrusion, the sudden tingling feeling, ‘-no,’ Thoas gulped, “-THIS CAN’T BE,” he turned, Cruse mercilessly slashed at his visage. He leaped and cowered. Cruse approached with a murderous mien, “-you can neither run nor hide,” he smirked, “-good riddance,” Thoas Duquant’s reign ended. A flash of lightning illuminated Umi’s flat. News traveled.

“Umi Duquant,” echoed Vengeance.

“What’s the matter, doctor?”

“Your husband’s reigns come to an end. All was said remains,” he pierced Svipe, Umi, and Uri, “-otherwise, the hangman’s noose might cordially wrap itself around one of the precious necks.”

All said and done, the events ran at relative speeds. Dania’s account reached Luso of the ECA, the man, fixed upon exposing the scammers, was forced to look into a deeper and darker secret. Such were the reports over the Arcanum.

The bell tower flashed against the muddied floor. Rain was at its all-time high. An aura of doom and urgency had grabbed the church. Igna’s meandering shadow washed over the intricately carved stones. Chants and pure mana exited.

.....

‘Here we are,’ he arrived, a familiar visage waited at the alter. Long black hair overlapped a white-ritualistic robe. Gophy’s somber gaze fell at the altar’s foot.

“Igna,” she called without turning, “-stop standing in the doorway.”

“Gophy,” he entered, “-what are you up to?”

“Nothing,” her hands brimmed with energy, “-only getting ready for a harvest.”

“Orin is not to be trifled with,” he narrowed, “-Artanos and I shared an agreement. The fighting will be done in Draebala.”

“You believed him?” she turned, “-how very foolish, IGNA!” projectile summoned and instantly crashed at his feet, blasting smoke around his vision *Barrier,* he summoned at the last second where another pierced through said smoke, “-fast,” he chopped, the projectile deflected upward, ‘-she’s coming,’ he dipped below a curved sword she’d swung from the back, ‘-side-step he moved, her blade came down hard, *SNAP,* a burst of energy pushed, taking floor and debris along, *Hear me, weapon forged in the death of my enemy, relish the thought of slaughter, enjoy the joy of sufferance, raise from thy slumber, Orenmir, COME!* the cursed blade screamed a chilling cry. The haunted spiraled, Igna’s demonic features manifested further, “-Gophy,” he breathed, “-do you dare challenge me?”

“Igna,” she swung and sheathed her sword, “-why do you fight anyway?”

“Because I must,” he growled.

“Don’t you see, Igna, you’re not needed in this world. Your existence disturbs the very nature of things. I realized it before the whole creation of the Shadow Realm. What you’re doing will bring about the end to everything. Thus, I must ensure you’re left incapacitated.”

“Gophy, you’re a fool,” he pointed Orenmir, “-a fool.”

“I’m the fool?” she laughed, “-let’s find out,” she dashed and did he, they met in the middle, her raw strength went past his defenses, a lance materialized from below aiming for his head. ‘-Dodge,’ he moved a little too late, the spear made contact, blood splattered, without a second’s respace; darker orbs of pure chaos exploded, blinding his senses, “-master,” claws slashed, breaking Gophy’s relentless attacks, “-fucker,” she jumped back, “-a cat, seriously?”

Igna’s vision returned, “-don’t diss my cat,” the grey feline purred from above his shoulder, “-Gophy, you won’t win,” the wound she gave him healed, “-as for you,” he pointed at her right arm, “-I made a little scratch. The more the fight continues, the graver grows the curse. I’m fighting without the might of the Shadows, my authority as a Watcher trumps your authority as a goddess. Gophy, drop the nonsense,” a moment’s breath – the prior exchanges ended so hastily that the damage sustained by the church could only be noticed after the proverbial dust settled. Tore the roof, and one side was completely destroyed from the first deflection. The ground, a canvas painted with fissures, broken tiles, and exposed ground, was a reflection of the duo’s capacity.

“Igna, I must tell you something,” she looked up, the rain and thunder paused, the cloud parted and a divine light shone upon the church, “-Artanos anticipated your visit someday. We always planned on dispatching of you here,” debris levitated, “-I don’t need my powers of a goddess to fight,” she smiled, “-I just need to open the gateway to the Shadows.”

The look on Igna’s face changed, “-GOPHY!”

“I’m sorry, Igna, but the Shadow Realm isn’t one to be used by you alone. I also have my ways of getting what I wish.”

“YOU FOOL!” he laughed, her burst of bravado halted, ‘-I can’t access my powers… what’s happening?’

“Vesper my dear,” said Igna, “-I was kind, I did what I must. I’ve preached of the Shadows’ liberty. Goes double for you, ex-guardian. I said you were free to leave, and so you did. I wasn’t angry, only disappointed as you sought after Artanos.”

“As a Guardian, I should have my powers…”

“Gophy, don’t you remember? I was the one who brought you from Zeus’ despair. Since then, you’re a servant of my soul. As such, my word is your decree. I’ve long since release said bond, tis not I, for tis thine own soul who refuses.”

“Good speech,” a glowing figure descended from the heaven’s glow, “-sadly, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose,” another figure followed, “-I should have heeded my servant’s advice. Well, who cares,” complex magical symbols engulfed the church, a domain of powers exceeding imagination swallowed them.

The sheer pressure knocked Igna to his feet, “-Zeus and Artanos…”

“No, no. We’re Zeus and Artanos’ representations.”

“Zeus and Artanos… you’ve allied. You’ve formed a pact, haven’t you?”

Gophy stepped in the middle of the duo, “-yes they have,” she wrapped her arms around their waist and winked, “-you don’t need to worry about them,” they disappeared into small orbs, “-they have better things to do that to waste time on you,” she swallowed the orbs, her hair lightened in color, her right eye was swallowed into yellow surrounded by black, “-one last surprise,” she clapped, a capsule appeared, “-my symbol,” she reached into the semi-translucent cocoon, it looked to be soft on touch, and pulled out an unconscious lady.

‘No,’ his heart sank, “-GOPHY!”

“What?” she cackled; “-I have the right to back what is mine. Besides, she’s not going to care. I suppose Lilith might get angry; I wonder if she’s doing well in hell? No matter,” she held Vanesa by the hair, “-she’s not needed, *by the guardian, by the watchers, under the oath of the predecessors, the conjuration of protection lives not to be fulfilled, it thrives for desolation. In where the world crashes, in where domains merge, such thrives the land of the forsaken, such is the place of the rejection, the place of the unworthy and the destitute. Gather, form at my hand-*

‘-This incantation… nullification of precedence. Come on, I have to counter her spell.’

“Igna…”

“Who’s this?”

“You know who I am, you know who we are.”

“What do you want?”

“We offer thee salvation. We offer thee a chance at retribution. Allow the prophecy’s truth to be revealed. We share the soul and we share powers; let us be one, let us join – we know the end, and the end knows you. Time’s nigh, Igna, enough playing around, we must bring an end to Artanos and get rid of the very essence of godhood and divinity. You’ve seen it, you know it – heed my call, Igna, I’m neither Staxius nor Alfred, I’m he who thee graciously allowed to live. I’m the start and the end, I am Origin.”

“Origin, you’ve returned?”

“I have – my strength wanes. Igna, what will it be, friend,” reality deformed, Gophy and Vanesa, her hostage, disappeared. A spacious white landscape rose; entities blandly waited, and the world turned various shades of gray, “-such is the land,” said an equally featureless humanoid shape, “-will you accept my knowledge and fully implement Mantia?”

“What will I surrender?”

“We know not.”

“Fair,” he extended his hand, “-Origin, Time, Death,” he stared blankly, “-Nothing,” a low-booming thud shook the realm, *-and lay siege the unworthy: Arkeo!* whisps of light tore from Vanesa, her powers drained in slow increment, her soul and life-essence, the Symbol of Chaos, “-it is here,” she gleamed, “-my powers have returned,” the light-colored hair dawned midnight, Vanesa hit the ground without resistance. *Order of Chaos: Disruption!* the mana gathered exceeded reality’s limit, “DIE!”

Igna rose from his own despair, ‘-break the shackles, no more holding back,’ the sound of chains haunted the rain and thunder.

‘Too bad, Igna, you walked into his trap… just like Zeus said you would. I’m sorry Vanesa, you were an unlucky victim in the process,’ Chaos-energy twirled, “-you were an unlucky bystander, Vanesa, I hope Lilith forgives me.”

“No time for forgiveness,” a distorted growled deadened the area, “-Gophy,” footsteps clopped from her spell, “-I appreciate the present,” he launched her spell, but she barely reacted and took the brunt; crash landing in the altar with shattered bones and coughs of blood, “-Igna…”

An almighty entity loomed from the shadows. Igna’s physical appearance changed. The half-demonic features solidified, he walked and pulsed exuberant amount of energy, and a new symbol joined his arsenal; Oriantia – the mark of the Adjudicator. “I guess it had to come to this,” the demonic features cycled, the sharp canines remained, and the wings vanished, leaving only a laurel wreath; “-the three in one has awakened,” she gasped, “-it wasn’t you, Alfred and Staxius, how could we have been so stupid… you’re… you’re the Adjudicator, the true host of DIVINITY!”

“Silence,” he waved, her jaws locked, “-return to your lover,” he reached, went through her body, and pealed her symbol, “-The Mark of Chaos,” he opened his left palm, the symbol of Nothing expanded, “-will return where it belongs,” it gobbled her powers, *Oriantia; Hall of Justice – Expansion,* a glow of light swallowed her combined domain, she couldn’t make sense of what was there – the start, the end? ‘-where am I, who am I?’

“Such the place of my predecessors,” he sat on a circular platform perched above an idyllic, virtuous landscape. Wind blew, and he sat at the first most throne, Gophy’s mind was stuck in limbo. “-The birth of the three in one,” Igna crossed his legs and stared at the other empty seats, “-this place brings back memories, Oriantia.”

“Adjudicator, sentence the foul mortals to extinction,” said distant flashbacks.

“Adjudicator, decide the fate of these foolish gods.”

“Adjudicator, sentence them to nothing.”

“Adjudicator, we beg you leave, we beg you leave this realm, we beg you grant us freedom,” he pinched his forehead and gasped, “-memories of another… what is this?”

“I see you’re coming too,” Origin smiled, “-you have returned to your rightful place, Igna.”

“My rightful place, wasn’t I the son of Grostian?”

“A reincarnation,” he stretched, “-Igna, you had dreams of the end, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, why?”

“The split between, Creation, Death, and Time is necessary for the stability of the current reality. You see, beyond everything, overall what consists of the very fabric of reality, and I mean the very dots of existence, expand a smaller more potent world. This is said world, it is at times all-encompassing and at others, tiny. The Prophecy is right. When the three in one merge; tis the start of the End of Time. Igna, you’re the Adjudicator, the one who ends everything, in other words, you’re the destroyer and creator – time has come to cleanse this era, like the many eras prior. Your true calling begins here, Igna, for you’re the three in one, the Adjudicator. The seats of power, you must choose and recruit those able to carry the burden.”

“How so?”

“The gods have ruined reality – Draebala and Orin, the realms impure.”

“Oriantia is scarily like the Shadow Realm.”

“That’s because it is,” he pointed up, the world turned upside down, “-we exist in a pocket dimension supported by the Shadows. You have awakened as the Adjudicator and now must return the world to what it ought to be. Igna, believe me, you must forsake the notion of comradery or empathy; the gods and demons know about your awakening. Expect war,” he smiled, “-you, my friend, are reality’s enemy. Brace for what is ahead, Adjudicator.”

‘I need to end everything with my own hands?’ he exhaled, ‘-I’m reality’s enemy. I guess I had it coming; it is what I believed in the beginning. So be it,’ he looked at Origin, “-I will reset the state of things to match my ideal. Do not interfere. Understand, Origin?”

“Your word is a decree, Igna, do as you please.”

“Very well,” he clapped, “-I ought to start with Gophy I suppose?”