Four years passed.
No, that's wrong.
Two years passed.
No, wait, that's wrong.
I don't really know.
So, I broke through to the Adept Wizard Stage and even got a nifty piece of Vestige Mark called 'Frost Mould'.
Basically it allows me to mold any piece of frost into whatever the laws of the world allow.
That paired with my spells does make it a piece of art I tell you.
Today's the death anniversary of Morgan.
But I do not know why I treat him as having died.
He never existed after all.
Just a result of the twisting of my perception.
I wonder if it has any effects on the human body.
Who knows.
There's another thing that will happen today.
The Final Examination.
I still remember how Hot Pot had said that at the end, we'll be Saints.
I don't think that's going to happen.
Polaris has grown quiet.
He has been this for the past few years.
After that 'day' at the mountain which never was.
In these years I've come to understand several things.
I am but a pitiful pawn's pawn.
My existence today and that which will be there tomorrow all will be dedicated to that person.
That pitiful person.
And I have not one master but many.
Each thinks themselves to be the lord but I have understood that they are pitiful as well.
Today all my masters will clash.
And only a single true winner will be there.
As I write this, I feel my end.
My limbs trembling in fear of the inescapable fate that will befall me.
My breathing quickening as each second passes.
There is no return from this.
And thus no hope.
For me and my master.
They will assume my writing to be mockery of them and one last croaked laugh at them.
But I know it well.
The fate of my dear and pitiful master will be far greater than mine.
And I will laugh.
Laughter will become my tool.
The tool by which I condemn that monster.
And all those that will perish by those scarlet hands.
Wilhelm's last written words
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karsus observed all the remaining students of The Western Academy as they sat in their positions at his class.
Hot Pot was missing but Karsus inwardly knew of what had become of him.
No.
What was to become of him.
Only a few remained following the previous two Examinations.
Included within this were the highest performers named Rachel Ebengairi and Wilhelm.
"So, today's the last day for you all." Karsus began, his eyes scanning the students.
All of them had quite the depressed expression on them.
Seeing their state, Karsus suppressed a sigh.
He had originally wished to say a great deal more but knowing what was to occur, he couldn't bear to.
"Is this what it feels to have attachment? Interesting." Karsus mused.
Of course there was no real attachment he had to most of the students, it was Amon's attachment.
Realising that it was time, Karsus quickly snapped his fingers.
WHOOM!
An oval portal appeared before each of the students.
"Good luck." Karsus spoke as the last of Amon's persona was vested in those words.
With a gentle nod, the student all entered the portal.
None of them truly understood what would be in store for them or why this was all happening.
But they knew one thing.
All of them would die.
During the last few years in The Western Academy, they had slowly come to understand this fact almost instinctively.
But they couldn't resist the strings that pulled them forward.
And as slowly but surely all the students perished, the survivors had already instilled a belief in their hearts.
If they were to die, then they would die with an open heart.
And with this belief, beckoned by the strings, they marched forward to their last battle.
Karsus observed all the students to be gone.
Sensing the approaching members of The Council, Karsus knew they had come to arrest him.
"I've done my best, now it's your turn." Karsus mumbled.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wilhelm and the others found themselves in a dim hall with eight enormous pillars on each side and a throne at the centre.
Scattered around were numerous graves, the names of those buried had long faded.
On the throne sat an armored knight who had slumped into the throne.
But it began to twitch and move.
Seeing this, Rachel and another student conjured projectiles of fire and water respectively and shot it towards the knight.
WHOOSH!
Before they could arrive before the knight, a barrier popped up.
BOOM!
A large explosion resounded as the knight was free of harm and glared at those that had attacked it.
In its right arm, it held a horn that resembled an ivory tusk.
The knight brought up the horn to its head and opened its visor.
Due to the size of the horn, the knight's features couldn't be distinguished.
And then it blew it.
GRAOOOOMMMMMMMM!
The sound was akin to the roar of a primordial beast.
The earth began to shake as from the graves, hands rose up, from which rose corpses.
Each corpse wore worn-down armor yet that with their rotten flesh only made them look more terrifying.
Through their visor, red lights could be seen glaring at the direction of the living.
Seeing this all the students realised what they had gotten themselves into.
They were fighting a horde of zombies.
What they didn't know was that these zombies in particular were the corpses of the warriors of Paradise, whose souls although have been reincarnated by Styx, the body remained.
And all the powers that were once held also remained.
Karsus's Special End Space - Hall of Martyrs!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
The corpses which numbered in about seventy roared in a shrill pitch as they rushed front.
Wilhelm seeing this along with the others quickly conjured their weapons and charged forward.
Five headed for Wilhelm who held Frost Spear in his hand.
The one who was the most ahead held a short sword which they swung towards Wilhelm.
BAM!
The frost and sword clashed with each other, both were equally weak in durability : the frost spear because of it's nature and the sword due to it having rusted.
Thus both broke at the same moment.
But instead of falling to the ground, the shards flew towards the undead and pierced their flesh.
This was Wilhelm's fourth spell, Frost Control!
To Wilhelm when he used this spell, all the shards of frost generated by him were attached to strings which he could pull.
The undead being unable to feel the pain, growled and lunged towards Wilhelm.
Wilhelm in response grabbed the undead and using his reinforced strength due to being in the Adept Wizard Stage he threw it towards the other undead who had closed in as well.
BANG!
The collision caused all of them to fall and Wilhelm using this opportunity summoned Niflheim's frost from his feet and directed it towards the undead.
The undead were promptly frozen with Nilfheim's frost seeping into their body instantly.
"MOULD!" Wilhelm's right hand began shining as he said so with a mark that appeared like a distorted circle.
Quickly,Wilhelm pointed to the undead.
The frost which covered them began to move.
CRACK!
Sounds of the frost cracking emerged as it slowly withdrew.
Wilhelm, seeing this, went away to focus on the other undeads.
YAAAAAAAAA!
The undeads wanted to follow but as if something was chaining them, they moved incredibly slowly.
Meanwhile as Wilhelm glazed past undead after undead, infecting each of them with frost, the others also dealt with them in a different manner.
Rachel fired shots from her flaming bow which when piercing an undead set them ablaze and turned them to ashes promptly.
Another individual simply waved their hands which caused the undead in front of them to be sliced to thinner than a single hair strand.
Although it seemed like Wilhelm wasn't doing anything, he in fact was doing quite a lot.
'And done!" Wilhelm thought as he infected his 24th undead.
The distorted circle imprinted in his hand began to shine as all the undead that had been infected by him stopped moving.
"Bloom!" Wilhelm shouted as from the undead's flesh, frost began to seep out that pulled with them, the innards and other remnants of the undead.
From those crimson frost, a flower bloomed from each of the undead. A flower of frost.
It was a horrifically beautiful site.
Seeing that the results were promising, he turned to see his fellow mates looking at the knight which held the horn.
The knight observed them silently before taking it's horn again and blowing into it.
GRAOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!
This time, from the ground arose even more undead but this time their corpses seemed more pristine than last time.
Without warning one of them threw a tongue of fire from their hands towards Rachel who, scowling, waved it away.
The other undead also began to perform actions of their own as tridents of water, hammers made up of the floor, swords of fire and daggers of wind were conjured up.
All of them realised something at that moment.
All these corpses were of the True Wizard Stage.
"Is this going to keep happening? Us killing these undeads only for more powerful undead to pop up?" One of the students spoke, their face pale.
"If that is what is to occur.....then we fight till our last breath." Rachel simply replied.
All of them knew of the fate that awaited them.
So why bother to even fear it?
It was better to acknowledge it with open arms than cower from it.
All of the students readied themselves once again.
Wilhelm suddenly felt a slight tug at his body, he turned to see nothing.
"Probably my imagination." He sighed.
Thinking of such, his mind wandered to Mortis.
He had become quiet after 'that' day leading to Wilhelm sometimes wondering whether he even existed at all or it was just a figment of his imagination.
"Let's not think that much." Wilhelm muttered as he charged towards the undead.