บท 96: The Past
Merlin tapped the floor with his staff. The scenery changed once more.
"This is the Kingdom of Aurora—or at least, that's what it's called now. In the past, it wasn't a kingdom, just an unknown piece of land inhabited by people."
Sebastian held his breath as he looked the scenery surrounding him.
"In one of the villages in this barren land lived a boy, a boy with special abilities. He used his powers to make the land rich and fertile, to make gold from stone, and food from air."
Merlin raised his staff and the blue sky changed into red.
"One day, the land was engulfed in war."
Sebastian turned his sights down and saw hundreds of people wielding abilities. They were killing everyone they saw.
"Demons, that's what the people of the land called them who had disrupted the peace and sought destruction."
Though Merlin hadn't said their identity, Sebastian could vaguely feel it. They were the Primogenitors.
"The boy with powers was strong, but he was in the end, just one boy. He was captured and enslaved for years. Though the people of the land tried to fight back, they could do nothing against the Demons without the boy. And in the end, they were pushed to the brink of extinction."
Merlin swirled his staff and the red sky disappeared. The village below had disappeared and was replaced with a castle made of stone.
"One day, the boy managed to rid himself of the chains that bound him and escaped to the outside world."
The boy—now a man, ran out of the castle with knights chasing him from behind. They weren't able to do anything to him and he managed to escape.
"The world that the boy saw was unfamiliar him. None of the people he knew were there and none of the land he lived in continued to exist."
Sebastian could see the boy breaking down into tears as he had realized what happened while he was held captive.
"Cut to the chase. We don't have much time."
Balanos interjected. Merlin didn't find her offensive at all and complied. He tapped the floor with his staff a few times and the village scenery changed into the forest.
Sebastian nearly jumped out of his seat due to how real the animals and trees roaming around them looked. He could reach out and he would touch them.
"In the end, the boy, wrought with suffering, found a trace of his people that had escaped. Together, they traveled the world in search of a safe haven. Unfortunately, the Demons' reach was far too great and left them with no choice other than to fight.
"However, the boy knew. None of his people had the power to fight back. That's why, with his power, he attempted to contact an unknown existence. The one that had granted him those same powers many years ago."
Sebastian held his breath at the sight of the boy kneeling in front of what he could only describe as an otherworldly being.
"...?!"
All of a sudden, Sebastian managed to see eyes in the being who looked so large that he could swallow the world. Those eyes seemed to pass through Merlin's powers and straight into Sebastian's eyes.
—You… are the Godslayer.
Sebastian looked around but Balanos, and even Merlin wasn't moving.
—You are from the distant future, I've no way to see you but through this boy, I am contacting you.
The being didn't say any names, but Sebastian knew he was talking about the boy in the vision—Merlin.
—Given the blessing I've bestowed upon you, you will carry the fate of striking down the eight suns and the one above them. You, alone, will stand at the summit and be hailed as the new 'God'.
—The truth, and everything you wish to know, will be revealed in time. I, and the people slaughtered under this false God's rule, wish you all the best in your journey for I have no time left to see it fulfilled.
"..."
The world slowly regained its color and Merlin resumed speaking.
"The being hadn't said anything, but he had fulfilled the boy's wishes. He bestowed his blessing on the oppressed people of the world and gave them knowledge. With these, they resisted the Demons. Among them…"
Merlin waved his staff and the scenery rapidly faded to show a hellish battlefield. Standing in the middle of that battlefield was a man holding a black bow, one that looked similar to Sebastian's.
Every arrow he set loose slaughtered tens, and sometimes hundreds and thousands.
"The wielder of the strongest stigma, the Godslaying Arrow, stood at the front."
Sebastian burned the image of the man's back as he fired his bow over and over without rest. He used arrows formed purely out of energy.
"The war is won, or so everyone had thought."
Suddenly, a giant translucent golden hand shot through the clouds and threatened to crush the man.
"The Devil himself, the worshipped God today, appeared and struck down the man. Though he tried his best to resist, it wasn't enough."
The Godslaying Arrow stigma glowed. The man grabbed the stigma with his other hand and pulled out an arrow as bright as the sun. His black bow broke apart and was replaced with a flaming orange bow.
Sebastian gulped.
He could see how the God struggled against the arrow. It even left a wound on his hand. However, in the end, he still won.
The man was crushed and not even dust was left behind. Before his death, he looked back at his comrades—and coincidentally, Sebastian as well.
"This is all I can do, I'll leave it to you."
Merlin said the words the man mouthed as he vanished.
Once the man was killed, Merlin waved his staff one final time and the scenery returned back to the library.
"With him gone, the people gradually lost their ground and in the end, were wiped out."
Merlin's young face disappeared. He became the old man Sebastian knew once more.
"So, what does that have to do with Sebastian?"
Balanos asked.
"You see, I had thought he died. Everyone did. But, what if he was simply abducted?"
Sebastian frowned.
"He was abducted and he managed to escape. With that, he managed to seal his stigma into the book I lent Sebastian in hopes of its true wielder coming to light."
Merlin pointed at Sebastian.
"Now, I may just be going senile, but there is a high possibility that if he isn't the reincarnation of that man, then he is chosen by the being who granted the stigma in the first place."
Balanos crossed her arms.
"No matter how powerful that being is, would he able to select Sebastian who's from thousands of years into the future?"
If that was so, then the being was unbelievably powerful.
He managed to see through time itself.
"I know it sounds far-fetched, but that's all I've got."
Merlin shrugged.
"Sorry I wasn't able to be of much help. But, I wanted you to know that the stigma isn't a curse, it is a blessing. Though, I ask that you don't hate the Inheritors, their history may be stained in blood, but they are innocent with no knowledge of what their ancestors had done."
Sebastian nodded. Even if Merlin told him to resent all Inheritors, he wouldn't be able to do so anyway.
"I'll at least give you a gift for listening to the story."
Merlin gestured for Sebastian to near him.
"Luckily, you're already wearing something."
Merlin tapped Sebastian's engagement ring on his left ring finger and the stigma suddenly vanished.
"Unfortunately, your stigma will still be revealed if you were to use it. But, at least now, you'll be able to take off your glove."
Sebastian thanked Merlin as Balanos went inside his body once more. The two of them left and headed back to the dorms.
"Hey, Balanos, in the end, who is Merlin?"
—A ghost.
"Eh?"
—He's a ghost. This library is also just an empty plot of land.
"..."
Sebastian looked back at the old library. He had thought it was ominous before, but now he felt it even more clearly.
…
"Eh…"
"Come on!"
Freddie pulled on Sebastian's arm. They had suddenly woken him up while the sun wasn't out and asked to fight with him.
"It's just one bout!"
"Ugh… Fine."
Sebastian begrudgingly got out of ber and then followed the three of them into the field behind the dorms.
"So, how are we doing this?"
"Can you handle all of us at the same time?"
James asked.
"Ehh… Well, I don't know how strong any of you are now."
"Based off of the mock tournament, how is it?"
"If it's the three of you from that time, then yes."
"Good, let's go."
Willow cut in and readied his blue flames. Unlike the House of Sol who could manipulate the intensity and utility of their flames, his house's ability was a bit special.
Sebastian scratched the back of his head and roused his energy. He didn't forget to wear gloves before leaving the dorm.
"Then, let's start once my flame disperses."
Sebastian shot out a small flame into the sky and waited.
Between Freddie's knuckles were metal rods. James wasn't holding anything but there was mist beginning to gather around him. Small blue flames circled around Willow.
The three of them kept their eyes on Sebastian until finally, the flame dispersed.
Willow was the vanguard. He flicked his wrist and sent three of the blue flames at Sebastian.
Sebastian's feet and hands ignited in flames. He deflected the flames but they didn't end up disappearing.
Willow Gardyner. The Gardyner household's only heir. Even among the houses, their ability is particularly strange. Unlike the House of Sol who could conjure flames at will, they had a set number that could only be increased by training.
However, unlike the House of Sol's flames, theirs never disappears until they will it. Not only that, they could appear whenever and nearly wherever, at will.
During the mock tournament, Willow wasn't able to make full use of his ability as a Novice but now that he was an Apprentice, he had enough energy to control it.
"Huff—"
Sebastian's fist struck out and a cone of flames engulfed Willow. However, before they could cover him completely, Willow's blue flames returned and spread out to block the flames.
In that same moment, Sebastian saw something flash past his field of vision. He quickly moved away and Freddie's metal rods flew by him.
However, he couldn't rest even though he dodged them. Mist began rising and covered his vision.
"Agh…"
The mist had suddenly solidified and sent him flying. It felt like a giant hand had hit him.
Sebastian raised his arms and tried to blow away the mist with his flames but it proved futile. The flames entered the mist, but they hadn't dispersed it.
Not only that, metal rods kept shooting out of the fog and he had to dodge the blue flames that appeared around him every so often too.
"Sheesh. They've really become stronger."
Individually, they weren't particularly strong, but together, Sebastian had trouble keeping up.
"I guess I've got to take it a bit more seriously."
Muttering to himself, Sebastian took a little more of the stigma's energy.
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SeverTheHeavens
SeverTheHeavens Next chapter's ETA is unknown but it comes with a mass-release. It'll probably be before the end of next week though.
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