A/N: My college schedule rn is evil.
Never let me cook again.
Five AM wake-up, and a 2-hour commute is not it, man.
My workload should decrease, but after over a week of a genuinely evil schedule, I shouldn't make any promises.
Don't take 20 credits in one semester, it's not worth it yo.
********************
The moment Audun claimed the fifth relic of his aspect legacy, the sky above began to twist and contort.
Darkness bled onto the gray canvas of the forgotten shore, and the white sun was snuffed out without warning.
Night was forcibly imposed upon the sky, with little flecks of brilliant white sparks decorating the otherwise desolate sight— and in the center— hanging at the apex overlooking the man and demon, was a trembling orb of platinum light.
It was a Star.
But one that Audun didn't recognize.
Audun frowned deeply as an eerie feeling shot down his spine.
Above him was a part of himself that he didn't remember.
A story that he had forgotten.
The star itself unmistakably reeked of the smell of solitude, but it had no place in his constellation
... At least the one he remembered.
But then again, it was impossible for him to forget— at the core of his identity was a Star that ensured that his memory was perfect— that his whole entire self would be preserved no matter the circumstances.
"Hah.... I don't..."
Audun shook his head.
As much as he wanted to sink into his thoughts, there were more pressing matters at hand.
Such as—
"What the hell did you do?!!"
The Demonized Caster lunged at him, limbs flying at him from all directions.
Exhaling forcefully, Audun dodged as much of the onslaught as he could, deflecting the rest with the [Midnight Shard].
Drawing on the Mana in his heart, he lathered the obsidian blade with Aura and leaped backward, slashing and cutting down the pursuing limbs to create a reasonable amount of distance.
Pumping more Aura into the [Midnight Shard], Audun slammed the indestructible blade on the ground, sending forth a rippling shockwave that wrecked a sizable amount of the terrain.
At the very least, he had given himself enough distance to react if Caster were to make another move.
Audun breathed in deeply.
The unknown star in the sky was the miracle that he had desperately prayed for, and it was the only thing that would allow him to turn the tide of the battle.
While he had no idea what its power was, it was clear just from the size and the way the nightmare realm reacted to it that the Star above him was in a different tier of power compared to the Stars he currently possessed—
And the brilliant orb above him was still growing.
Taking advantage of the space that he had created, Audun reached out his hand.
The Stars of Memory, Vocalization, Detachment, and Judgment manifested above his head and began to rotate, forming a halo of platinum light above his head.
Audun expanded his senses as far as he could, attempting to form a connection with the forming Star.
Vwoooommmm
The Star pulsed slightly, rejecting his call.
Audun's brow furrowed as sweat began to trace down his face.
He reached out once more, but the Star didn't respond to his call.
'This disobedient little...'
The swordsman summoned every force available to him and tried one last time.
The thick purple haze of Audun's aura shrouded him in a regal glow as the halo of platinum light orbiting his head began to shine even more brilliantly.
The Star of Memory desperately tried to recall the story it had forgotten.
The Star of Vocalization called out to its forsaken companion in hopes of once again hearing its name.
The Star of Detachment let go of it's lonliness and opened its arms, welcoming the forgotten Star back.
The Star of Judgment beckoned the unknown brilliance, reminding it of the wrongs that they must right.
The quartet of Stars managed to form a connection with the Star hanging in the sky, and through that connection, Audun finally managed to hear its whisper.
"..."
"..."
"... Hah."
"I see."
A dry chuckle escaped Audun's lips as the Star pulsed in the sky.
It had neglected to mention its name, and it hadn't bothered to regale the tale behind its birth.
Instead, it had conveyed a single thing to the swordsman.
Miracles come at a cost.
Audun now instinctively knew how to use the power of the Unknown Star, but with that knowledge also came a crushing realization.
He smiled bitterly.
Shaking his head, Audun let out the breath that he was holding in and gazed at the demonized Caster.
The [Midnight Shard] felt heavier than it had before, but that didn't matter.
"I forfeit my memories of the Sunset."
Starlight blazed like an inferno as the nameless Star showered Audun in its radiance.
Power filled every corner of his body, and all of the mana and Starlight he had expended came back to him at once.
The injuries covering his form were erased like they never existed, with every bit of physical and mental fatigue weighing down on him melting away like snow in the summer sun.
Audun clenched his fist.
This was undoubtedly the strongest he had been since waking up in this world— yet it was also the most turbulent he had felt as well.
"The Star of Solitude, huh..."
Audun stared at the Star in the sky for a moment before focusing his attention back on the legacy.
The moment Audun made his first sacrifice, the unconscious aversion to forgetting, born of the instinct to preserve his memories, practically vanished.
Starlight raged like an inferno around him— with the brilliant amethyst color of his Aura being drowned out by the platinum flames.
"I forfeit my memories of the Stellar Sea."
"I forfeit my memories of the scent of the Oleson garden."
"I forfeit my memories of the taste of father's cooking."
As Audun's murmurs reached the Star hanging in the sky, it began to increase in size, as if his offerings had nourished it.
The furious blaze of starlight intensified, and, in turn, the fear in the demonized legacy deepened.
********************
Caster had always felt an instinctive fear towards Audun, with the sight of Harus's demise practically scarring his psyche.
There were times when the disintegrating form of the Bright Lord's right-hand man appeared in his nightmares, overlapping with his own, as if his mind had already accepted that it was the future that awaited him.
Unable to overcome his feelings of inadequacy in the face of such a terrifying unknown, the legacy had even listened to the whispers of a being beyond his understanding.
The promise of power that could suppress the fear that had stained his being was simply too tempting to ignore.
And he had managed to obtain it... The strength to stand against this blinding star before him— but it seemed that even giving up his humanity only served to prolong his survival.
Caster could do nothing more than laugh.
It was simply a situation so humorous that he couldn't help it.
How dare he even entertain the possibility of standing on equal footing with this being blessed by the Stars themselves?
'Impossible...!'
The eerie mirth swirling in Caster's distorted body intensified as the seductive voice of the mutilator filled with fear.
'That's impossible!!'
'Ah... I guess the fear that this brilliance inspires is universal! BAHAHAHA~!!'
Caster laughed.
He laughed and laughed and laughed.
What could he do?
This damned world gave birth to whatever the fuck that was.
'Ah, Lord Anvil! This honorable member of the Han Li clan has tried his best!'
Caster's chest split open as the heart that he had been so desperately hiding revealed itself.
It pulsed weakly, as if announcing its owner's submission.
'Hey! What the hell are you doing?'
'Giving up! What else!'
Caster laughed hysterically.
'What's the point?! That 'thing' is unbeatable! Unless you've got a plan to take down that monster, I may as well just quit while I'm ahead!'
'...'
'Hah~ Well! I did my best!'
Caster spread open his arms as the chunks of flesh he had taken from the Crimson Terror fell from his body.
Closing his eyes, the legacy waited to be bathed in starlight.
But—
'... Hey.'
Opening one eye, Caster watched as the world seemed to slow down around him.
He frowned.
'What?'
'If you're gonna give up... How about you let me take the reins?'
'...?'
'Normally, it takes a while for a transcendent of my stature to descend... but if I were to use your soul as collateral—'
'Do it. I don't give a damn anymore.'
Caster chuckled to himself.
'Take whatever you want. I just want to rest.'
The legacy turned to look at the Star hanging above him.
'Do me a favor, though.'
'Kill them all. I don't wanna go down alone anymore.'
'Hehe~ Your wish is my command.'
With one last bitter smile, Caster's vision went black... And at the same time, a vile constellation engraved itself in the sky.
*******
(A/N: I'll try to have the next chapter done by tomorrow night— thanks for reading, guys!)