Volume 5 – Chapter 15 (in-editing v5)

Volume 5 – Chapter 15

Light.

The world was bathed in light.

Micheal blinked, feeling a rush of adrenaline spike as his instincts screamed at him.

It was an incredibly strange thing to witness.

Every corner of every building he could see, every bit of crushed rock and stone debris, every civilian fleeing and every Guardsmen helping… everything in sight was highlighted in brilliant, golden light.

Even the mighty Apex, writhing on the ground before him, was cast aglow.

For a small, fragile moment, Micheal lay witness to a world of gold.

A world where darkness itself had vanished, and light had won the day.

And then…

That moment passed.

A shockwave began to spread.

An eerie, high-pitched whine echoed briefly in Micheal’s ears as he snapped his right arm out, catching Vesper before she could fall. In the same motion, he shifted his body to shield her from the shockwave as best he could. To his left, Yama’s clone held steady, shifting backwards only slightly as the wave passed them by.

A barrage of dust swept past them, crushing winds sweeping through the street in a wild storm, chasing the fading edge of the shockwave.

“Careful.” Micheal muttered as he stared slightly down at Vesper. Under no circumstances could he allow her to get injured while in his presence. Humanity’s relationship with the Duke was still in its fledging state at this point, and it was important that he didn’t disturb what was yet to come.

Vesper, for her part, simply smiled as she shifted in Micheal’s arms, making herself comfortable and forcing him to hold her up as she lounged backwards, stretching in an oddly cat-like motion.

“Thanks!”

Micheal resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

As the dust finished sweeping past, Micheal carefully set Vesper back on her feet, and turned to face towards the Apex-

‘Huh.’ He froze.

It was gone.

Barsoth, the Stormbringer, an Apex with tens of thousands of deaths to its name, a horror from beyond that had haunted many a battlefield…

‘Just like that?’

Micheal kicked off the ground, landing atop the roof of one of the nearby buildings that was still standing, a casino of some sort. He used his Life Orbs to float several meters higher in the air, giving himself a clearer view.

Where once an Apex Void Predator had stood now remained an enormous, gaping maw, near the southern entrance of Axellion.

The buildings, the street, the ground, even the bedrock of the floating island itself, everything within a roughly 230 meters radius of the Apex had been obliterated, replaced with an enormous hole that led all the way down into the Void itself.

Micheal studied the hole for a moment before turning his gaze upward.

There, up in the sky, floated the man who had caused all of this.

The same man he had put so much effort into trying to reach.

The man who an entire Tribe of Deities was willing to sacrifice one of their Titled Deities to get rid of.

A man killed before his time in the first timeline.

Aaron Bartram, the White Knight – Founder of the Knights of the Round Table.

The Strongest Human.

‘…’

‘Did Shin just give him a fist bump?!’

.. .. .. .. .. ..

“Now this is fancy.” Shin marveled at several golden decorations on the wall, an ever-present smile on his face.

‘It really is.’ Micheal silently agreed with a nod.

The duo was currently sitting in a parlor room within Castle Atlas. The room itself was decorated in grand finery, with large tapestries depicting great battles and conquests of the Atlas family’s prestigious past. It was well lit, with small, golden crystals installed on the ceiling that glowed with bright light.

Micheal and Shin each sat around a small marble table situated at the center of the room. A set of fine plates, cups, and silverware had been set out by a maid. Several small white chocolate cakes, muffin-sized cakes known as ‘Beylos Cakes,’ were set out on the plates. They were a traditional snack offering on the Third Layer, a custom ingrained in welcoming foreign nobles that had travelled across the dangerous Void with something sweet and refined.

‘It’s clear we’ve made a good impression.’

The Nobility on the Third Layer was incredibly particular in how they treated people. Those that were not in favor would’ve been greeted with simple bread and water, as a sign of ire or disfavor. Those in favor, conversely, were greeted with finery and riches.

‘They’re incredibly picky over the most minor of slights.’ Dealing with the nobility here would be a headache. It gave him even more respect for the Round Table, who willingly dived headfirst into the sea known as politics.

Shin picked up one of the cakes before his eyes flitted towards Micheal, sending him an unasked question.

Micheal responded by palming an Artifact he hadn’t used in a while from his Spatial Ring: the King’s Rock he had obtained from Yvvtal’s Inheritance.

One of the key Artifacts he used in his fight with the Vile King’s Beasts of Providence, it was an immensely useful tool that cleansed and removed poisons at a Conceptual level.

Micheal gave a slight nod back as he activated the Artifact, noting its lack of a response. Their food hadn’t been poisoned.

“These are pretty good!” Shin remarked.

Micheal picked one up and took a bite out of the corner, noting the rich flavor, all while his thoughts strayed elsewhere.

A lot had happened in a very short time.

After Aaron took the Apex down in a single attack, Shin had regrouped, teleporting down to join Micheal.

Barely half a minute had passed before several guards from Castle Atlas rushed forward, accompanied by Vesper’s personal bodyguard, a decidedly unhappy Knight known as Ser Kantwood, who had all but forced Vesper to return to Castle Atlas.

The Duke had arrived, in the meantime, soaring through the air like a comet. Micheal took note of him from a distance, watching him converse with the Round Table’s Commander Aaron, high in the sky.

Vesper, in turn, had extended an invitation to Micheal and Shin to Castle Atlas, one that he gladly accepted.

Yama had also extended an official invitation to the duo as they left, informing them that the doors to the Round Table would always be open to them, an invitation Micheal absolutely intended on taking advantage of as soon as he could.

And thus, after about 20 minutes of passing through crowded streets, security checks, and gateways, Micheal and Shin found themselves here.

‘I need to find out what she knows.’ The most pressing issue on his mind was the information Vesper had shared with them.

‘How could she possibly know that?’

The fact that they, as well as everyone on the Third Layer, were currently trapped inside a Time Loop.

Vesper von Atlas, the future Herokiller, was an incredibly dangerous individual… but this meeting with her also happened to be a rare opportunity.

‘If I impress the Duke, it might make the Round Table’s job establishing friendly relations easier.’ Humans, even those not associated with the Round Table, were often lumped together and judged as a whole by Void Nobles.

“So.” Shin interrupted his thoughts, nudging Micheal with his elbow.

“Looks like I made it in one piece, eh?” Shin continued, donning a rather cheeky smile.

“Yeah. No signs of him.” Micheal replied, emphasizing the ‘him' as he spoke.

So far, Jay sol Arget had yet to make an appearance.

“I didn’t see that old man either, but the storms and crowds made it hard.” Shin said, setting down a half-eaten cake.

Micheal nodded back.

“We’ll keep looking.” Bastien Amiot was likewise a no-show, apart from that one slice of Grandmaster Sword Energy, right at the start of the battle.

‘Unless it was someone else.’ He didn’t think that likely, but he kept the option available in the back of his mind.

Shin was about to reply before cutting himself short as the door across from them opened.

Two maids appeared. The first was an elderly matron dressed in a regal silver dress, laced with lines of green inscribing the insignia of House Atlas, a shattered globe held together by a central staff. The second maid was far younger, dressed in a similar, though less refined, dress, also inscribed with House Atlas’s insignia.

The elderly maid stepped forward, a stern look upon her face as she spoke aloud,

“Presenting, Lady Vesper von Atlas, ninth daughter to His Grace, Duke Armon von Atlas of House Atlas, Guardian of Axellion, Protector of the Realm, Archmage of the Gyven Tower, and Hero of Stone.”

Micheal’s eyes narrowed just slightly as he watched the Void Noble walk through the doorway.

Dressed in a resplendent gold and silver dress, the very spitting image of elegancy and grace, strode Vesper von Atlas. She had on a pair of silver earrings shaped like tiny swords, contrasting with her midnight black hair. Her eyes were light pink, just lighter than a rose, giving her an almost ethereal air of beauty.

“Thank you, Cynthia. Quite a fine introduction of my father.” Vesper’s voice sang out as she waltzed forward, casually pulling out a chair and sitting at the table, ignoring her maid’s attempt to prepare the chair for her.

Cynthia, the elderly maid, pursed her lips at Vesper, trying and failing to hide her disapproval.

“That will be all.” Vesper continued as she smiled at Shin, before turning towards Micheal.  

Shin waved two fingers in a half-hearted response, sensing the tension between Vesper and her maids.

“Milady, it’s-“ The elderly maid began, before immediately getting cut off.

“Clear the room.” Vesper’s voice was ice cold, in a literal sense, as Mana pulsed off her, dropping the room temperature. She continued to smile at Micheal, at odds with the harsh change in her tone.

The elderly maid’s lips twitched before she bowed, motioning towards the younger maid.

“As you command.” The two maids swiftly left, shutting the door behind them.

Vesper stared at Micheal silently for a moment, tilting her head slightly as she studied him.

The tension in the air was palpable, but that didn’t stop Shin from cutting into it like it owed him money.

“Man, you nobles have it rough, huh? Lotta rules you gotta follow.” Shin opined.

“Oh, it’s not so bad I would say.” Vesper replied, raising a small, silver fan to cover the lower half of her face as she giggled.

“My family has a hard time trusting all you new arrivals. They aren’t as open minded as I am.” She smiled demurely.

“Thank you so much for accepting my invitation.” Vesper smiled sweetly as she turned towards Micheal.

“It was our honor.” Micheal replied, steeling himself mentally to have a conversation with a proper Void Noble. He knew at least the basics of Noble etiquette from his first life, from the years he served in a Knight Company led by humans, but it wasn’t exactly a skill he had ever put to proper use.

“We have much to speak about.” Micheal continued,

“Are we fine to talk here?” He motioned towards the walls around them.

Vesper simply nodded back.

“This is my private parlor. It’s heavily warded. Not even father could eavesdrop here.” Her words carried weight, given that her father was a 6th Circle Archmage.

“First, however.” Vesper began,

“My father has invited you two to attend the Founding Celebration a sennight and a day from now. As I understand it, he intends to reward you both for your contributions in fending off the Apex.” Vesper’s words carried a practiced warmth that never touched her eyes.

“Without your efforts, many lives would have been lost.”

Micheal simply nodded back, while Shin grinned, giving her a thumb’s up. Vesper returned the gesture, despite clearly not knowing what it meant.

"We're happy to help!" Shin replied.

'She's warning us that the Duke has noticed our presence.'

The Archmage had multiple wards setup to monitor Axellion. He would've been well informed of what was going on in his city while he was away.

“I’ll cut to the chase.” Micheal urged,

“Can you explain what you told us before?”

Vesper nodded, leaning forward as she set her fan down, resting her elbows on the table. She cupped her chin on either hand, resting her face in her hands as she spoke.

“Of course. Are you aware of my family’s Legacy?” She raised an eyebrow.

Micheal nodded. Void Nobles referred to the unique abilities each certain lineages possessed as a ‘Legacy’ derived from their ancestors.

“The Atlas Legacy allows those of my blood to scry the world that was, gazing into the past.” She went on, her pink eyes glowing ever so faintly.

“This story started a few days ago. Recently, I’ve been practicing with my family’s Legacy, using it to hone my fine control of Mana.” Vesper continued,

“On this particular day, I decided to scroll the past, as far I as could.” She tilted her head slightly to the left as she went on,

“Normally, it’s quite strenuous to scry backwards more then a few hours. Oh, this is a secret, by the way, don’t tell anyone I told you this. Father would be most angry.” Vesper smiled fearlessly.

“My lips are sealed.” Shin replied, raising two fingers to his lips and then tossing them away.

“We vow not to share a word of what you tell us.” Micheal nodded back.

After hearing their assent, Vesper continued her explanation.

“As I scried backwards in time, I saw the day devolve before me, travelling all the way back to the day prior. I saw myself sleeping, getting dressed for bed, leaving for supper, and so on. Everything was as I expected.” She continued,

“But then, as the day changed… something strange happened.” Vesper said,

“I was still looking towards the past… but the world around me shifted. Dramatically.” Vesper stood up, walking around the table to stare at the wall off to Micheal’s left.

“The room I was sitting in, just 3 doors down from here, transformed into a destroyed ruin. Fire and wreckage littered the area… my room was unrecognizable.” She muttered, her voice filled with curiosity as she reached out, resting a hand on the hard stone wall.

“And it was here that I noticed… me.” Vesper turned towards Micheal, her fingers trailing through the air.

“But it wasn’t me of the past. Oh no, no no.” Vesper continued, returning to the table.

“I was looking at a heavily injured me of a past I did not know.”

“And as that version of me began to speak, I listened to all she had to say, and that’s when I realized…” Vesper giggled as she raised her fan to her lips, hiding her smile.  

“I wasn’t looking at the past.” Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper.

“No…”

“I was looking at the dying, final moments of a future yet unseen..."

"The last seconds of the previous Loop, before it reset."

.