"Hm? You want a master who will care about your freedom? Hm… I can promise you that… The only thing I want from you is to help me protect the people I care about."
A barely ten-year-old girl with short blue hair asked as she looked at the woman in front of her. The woman had the lower half of her face hidden behind a mask. But even with it, the young girl could see the frown on her face.
"Aren't you a princess…? Do I have to protect an entire kingdom for you? That is the opposite of what I want…"
"The kingdom? No… the kingdom doesn't care about my sister… So I don't care for them either…Hmph…The people in the castle… and outside… they don't care about her suffering… I want us… to make sure we can protect her."
The young Celestia said, a quiet fire burning in her eyes.
"How can I summon the Celestial Spirit King, Libra? I don't have his key…" the adult Celestia asked as she looked at Libra, who stood in the middle of the ruined city.
Libra paused for a moment. An unknown emotion flashed through her eyes before she took a slow breath. She couldn't help but remember the child from that day… and how much she had grown. Unlike before, Celestia had let go of her hatred. She had opened her heart to others… and found people she wanted to protect, not just her sister.
"You… don't need a special key to summon him… Any of the golden keys would work… well… not exactly any…" Libra said quietly after a moment.
"What do you mean?" Celestia asked confusedly.
"Only a wizard capable of summoning three celestial spirits at once can summon him… and… you would need to sacrifice the celestial spirit key you love the most to do it."
Libra said it while looking directly at Celestia with a complicated expression. Celestia's eyes widened as the meaning of those words slowly sank in.
"What? No. I am not doing that. I am not sacrificing any of you. That is not happening." Celestia said immediately, her voice sharp with refusal.
"It's okay, Celestia… we won't die if you sacrifice the key. The key would simply be recreated somewhere else in the world…"
"Even so… that means there is a chance I might never see one of you again…" Celestia tried to protest, but Libra spoke before she could continue.
"Sacrifice my key. I was your first spirit. Our bond should be strong enough to summon him."
Libra said softly. A cloth covered her mouth, but Celestia could still see the gentle smile in her eyes.
"I just said I won't do it." Celestia cut her off, tears forming in her eyes. How could she smile while saying something like that? Did Libra not realize what it meant? If she did this… There was a big chance they would never see each other again.
"Celestia… this is the only way to save your sister and your nephew," Libra said gently.
"No. I said no. Go back."
Celestia activated the magic of Libra's key and forced her gate to close before she could say anything else. There was no way she could sacrifice her friend to save her family… just like there was no way she could sacrifice her family either to save her friends.
Celestia looked down at Astro in her arms, then raised her eyes toward Aurora in the sky, who was preparing herself to face the dragon's incoming attack.
In her free hand, she held Libra's key tightly… as if loosening her grip, even for a moment, would cause Libra to disappear from her life forever.
"So why are you here… According to the history I read, you singlehandedly ended the Dragon Age… there should be no reason for you to appear now. We don't have any dragons here."
Aurora levitated high in the sky as she looked toward the distant dragon. Even from this far, its colossal presence dominated the horizon. She amplified her voice with magic to make sure her words reached it… But the dragon didn't react at all. It simply continued gathering magic inside the massive white sphere forming above its open jaws, the energy inside it growing denser with every passing second.
"Guess you don't care to talk… well, it doesn't matter."
Aurora began gathering her own magic. The green aura around her body intensified, growing brighter and heavier. The air around her distorted, and the ground far below began to tremble from her presence alone.
"If you aim your attack at my kingdom… then you are my enemy," Aurora said quietly as she raised her right hand and pointed toward the dragon, forming a precise hand sign.
The dragon stopped charging.
For a brief moment, everything stilled… then it lowered its head and aimed directly at the royal capital beneath Aurora.
The white sphere collapsed inward—
—and exploded forward as a colossal beam of pure destruction.
"Earth Magic: Seven Purgatory Wall."
The earth answered her call.
One massive wall after another erupted from the ground between the city and the incoming attack from Acnologia. Each wall was colossal, towering even higher than the dragon itself, their surfaces thick and reinforced with condensed earth magic.
The beam struck the first wall.
A violent shockwave exploded outward on impact, tearing through the air and shaking the entire region… but the attack pierced through it effortlessly.
Then the second wall.
It pierced that one, too.
Aurora watched coldly as her defenses fell one after another. Her right eye began to glow with a bright neon blue light as she briefly glanced down at the royal castle… then back at the dragon.
The third wall collapsed.
The fourth wall shattered.
The attack slammed into the fifth wall, cracks spreading across its surface as it struggled to hold.
"You should have stayed buried after the Dragon Age ended… If you think you can control the flow of the Human Age… then you are making a grave mistake."
Aurora's glowing eye burned even brighter as she pointed her hand toward the castle.
A massive green light expanded outward, surrounding the royal castle completely.
"What is that woman doing?" Mard Geer said as he watched from inside the cube.
He stared intently at the scene before him, observing every movement. He had expected the queen to attempt escape… but she hadn't moved at all.
Instead, she was standing her ground.
"Is she really planning to fight the ultimate disaster of this world… the Dragon of Apocalypse…?"
Mard Geer muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched Aurora face the dragon without any fear in her eyes.
"How stupid. There is no way a human can fight against that."
"Is that Her Majesty…?" Agnes asked as she looked up at the sky. Julien was leaning against her to walk, one of his arms draped over her shoulder to keep his balance.
"It seems so… she's using all her power to fight that dragon."
"She should run… If that's really the dragon from the legends… then she's no match for it," Agnes said, worry clear in her voice as the sky trembled from the distant clash.
"If it were that easy to run from a dragon, they wouldn't have been called the strongest creatures four hundred years ago," Julien murmured. His gaze lingered on the sky for another second before he looked back at her.
"Agnes."
"What?" she asked in a confused voice. Julien suddenly seemed far more serious than before.
"I'm going to use that magic."
Agnes' eyes widened immediately. She knew exactly what he meant.
It wasn't some forbidden spell locked away in secret archives. It was simply a magic connected to soul and time… a magic that allowed a person to draw out all the power they would ever possess in the future and use it once…and never again… A Third Awakening…
She fell silent for a second before speaking.
"You know you'll never be able to use magic again if you do that," Agnes said, looking straight into his eyes.
"Will that make me any less charming?" Julien asked lightly, a teasing tone slipping into his voice. He honestly didn't care much about losing his magic…I mean, what was even the point of having magic if he failed to protect what he wanted to protect?
"Yes, and I don't think even with all your magic you would be strong enough to fight that dragon," Agnes answered without hesitation, nodding decisively.
"..."
…Is this really my wife?
"There is a reason why, through so many ages… through so many apocalyptic events, humans still stand."
Aurora watched as her final wall was struck by the dragon's magic, the earth screaming as it gave way under the pressure.
"It's because our willpower is stronger than any other being… and I will prove that to you."
"Imperium Eye: Absolute Control."
Aurora whispered the words, and as if the world around her obeyed her command, the entire royal castle was torn from the ground. Stone, towers, and foundations ripped free as one massive structure, hurled straight toward the dragon like a meteor.
Acnologia looked at the castle flying toward him. It was impossible to tell if he was surprised or not, but he didn't even bother dodging. The castle slammed into him from above, burying his massive body beneath collapsing stone.
The earth caved in violently. Even those who had escaped far into the forests in the opposite direction and took shelter felt the impact ripple through the ground beneath their feet.
"Imperium Eye: Absolute Prison."
Aurora pointed two fingers at the dragon. The ground around Acnologia cracked violently, massive chunks of earth ripping free before he could react. In seconds, enormous slabs of stone and dirt closed in around him, sealing his entire body inside a colossal sphere of compressed earth. Not a single scale remained visible.
"She did it… she really did it…" Celestia said as she ran, glancing back. Her eyes shone with relief and joy. Maybe… maybe she really didn't need to—
Aurora raised her hand again, and the massive earth prison began to levitate into the sky.
"Now…" Her eye glowed blue as she prepared her next attack. Her body was nearing its limit. She had to pour everything she had left into this single strike, or it would all be for nothing.
But suddenly…. she felt something to her right coming at her at a very high speed.
"Look out, Aurora!" Celestia shouted from the ground.
Aurora turned her head just in time for a massive gray hand to grab her face and rocket her straight into a nearby building. The impact shattered stone and sent debris flying.
"No!" Celestia screamed as she saw another figure assault her sister. She looked up just as a massive crack split open the earth prison in the sky. Acnologia's head forced its way out, letting out a deafening roar. He didn't even care for Aurora, who imprisoned him…Instead, his eyes locked on Celestia in an instant—no, not her.
Astro.
Celestia's eyes widened as her body began to shake uncontrollably. Acnologia stared in Astro's direction for a brief moment before unleashing a massive white beam straight toward them.
Celestia's vision went white. Instinctively, she turned and shielded Astro with her own body to protect him from the attack.
"Let me go!" Aurora shouted at Mard Geer, who was still in his Etherious form. Her heart pounded as she felt where the dragon's attack was headed.
Before she could move, thick, thorny bindings wrapped around her body, restraining her completely.
Arthur panted heavily as he watched the incoming attack from his hidden position in the mountains. "Damn it… I have to get there…"
But he barely had any magic left. If he used more, the diamond inside Astro wouldn't receive any magic either. Astro's body would stop functioning if he did so.
"Damn it…"
Aurora tried to force herself between the attack, but Mard Geer grabbed her by the ankle, twisted his body, and slammed her violently into the ground.
She groaned in pain. When she opened her eyes, she saw Mard Geer standing over her, a massive black-and-white sphere of magic forming in his hand, aimed directly at her face.
"Unfortunately for you, it seems you're out of magic," Mard Geer said with a grin. "This is the end of the line for you, Your Majesty."
"You should know by now… that dragon in the sky… if we don't run, we'll both die," Aurora said coldly. "Are you really ready to die for money?"
Mard Geer didn't stop charging his attack. Instead, he tilted his head slightly.
"I think you're missing some context, Your Majesty. I already told you… Unlike you humans, I am an etherious demon. We Etherious were not born—we were made. You could call us the demons from the Books of Zeref."
The black-and-white sphere reflected in Aurora's eyes as they widened.
"The only wizard who could create someone like you… don't tell me…"
Her thoughts jumped from the dragon in the sky to the name of the legendary black wizard. If the black dragon wasn't just a fairy tale… then he might not be either. Her gaze shifted to the book Mard Geer had been holding the entire time, its cover marked with a single word: END.
"Is that your book?" she asked.
"This? No," Mard Geer replied calmly. "It is far more important than me… than any of us. And I don't need to explain it to a human like you, and don't think you can distract me so easily with pointless talk."
He grinned as he released his attack.
From the corner of her eye, Celestia saw a massive white explosion where Aurora had fallen… but before she could even process it, she felt the dragon's breath attack descend, as it came straight toward them.
"No… I need to protect Astro…"
That was the last thought she could form before the attack reached them.
What she couldn't see… was the silver key on her keychain beginning to glow.
A massive explosion erupted, erasing the entire center of the capital city where the beam struck.
"Celestia… Astro…" Agnes whispered as she arrived at the scene after the dust settled. She stared at the enormous crater that had replaced the heart of the city.
"I can't sense them…" Julien said quietly as he looked into the crater.
"No… it can't be…" Agnes felt her heart pound violently. The moment they sensed the dragon's attack heading toward Celestia and Astro, they ran as fast as they could… but…
"We were too late…" Julien's strength left his legs as he slowly dropped to the ground at the edge of the crater.
"No…" Agnes refused to accept it. She stared into the smoke and dust. "There is no way… there—"
She froze before she could continue.
A figure began walking out of the smoke.
Celestia.
Aside from the dust covering her body, she was completely unharmed. Even her dress remained intact.
"Celestia…" Agnes and Julien both let out a breath of relief.
Then they realized—
Astro wasn't in her arms.
As the dust cleared further, they saw Celestia walking forward slowly, tears falling silently from her eyes. In her right hand, she held a golden key tightly.
Behind her… stood a massive clock-like figure. Its body resembled an enormous timepiece, and behind the transparent glass at its center, Astro lay peacefully asleep, untouched by the destruction.
"It was a devastating attack… fortunately, the defensive mechanism activated in time," the clock figure said calmly.
"Thank you, Horologium… protect Astro for me… while I deal with that dragon," Celestia whispered without turning back. Tears continued to fall as the reality of her choice settled in.
She had reached the point where she could no longer avoid it.
She could sacrifice her friends… or lose her family. She didn't want to do this… but… but… As the memories she made with Aurora, Astro, and Siegrain ran through her mind, her heart broke more and more.
"Open… Gate of the Starry Heavens."
"Libra."
Libra appeared beside her in a flash of light as she finished whispering. There was still that faint, bittersweet smile on her face.
"So… you made your decision."
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Libra… I…" Celestia's voice broke. She stepped forward and hugged Libra tightly, holding her with everything she had.
Libra remained still for a moment… before gently hugging her back.
"It's strange… this is the first time I don't want to be free from my master… but now, I have no choice."
"I don't want to separate from you either, Libra… you've always been my best friend… I… I…" Celestia's voice trembled as she held her tighter.
"I know. But I'm not going to die. And if you don't do this now… You could lose your family forever."
Libra's body began glowing with golden light.
Celestia felt it immediately.
The golden key in her hand began to glow as well, resonating with Libra's fading form.
"Looks like… I was able to keep my promise after all…" Libra whispered. "I was afraid… that I would fail the first friend I ever had."
Her body became more transparent, dissolving into light.
"You never failed me… Libra… never…" Celestia whispered.
Libra's eyes widened slightly… before closing peacefully.
Celestia felt her arms pass through her.
Libra's body dissolved completely, transforming into golden light that flowed into the key.
Celestia's heart shattered.
Her mind went blank.
She stared at the key in her hand, glowing brighter than ever before.
"Gate of the…"
Her voice failed her. Her body collapsed to her knees.
She clenched the key, her entire body trembling, before forcing herself to scream with everything she had left.
"I ask you to protect my family!"
"Gate of the Celestial Spirit King… Open!"
SNAP!
A massive golden light exploded outward, engulfing Celestia. Inside the blinding light, she slowly opened her tear-filled eyes. The key in her hand… was broken.
Acnologia, who had come out of the earth prison, suddenly stopped. For a brief moment, he hovered in the air, seemingly confused, scanning the battlefield for what had changed.
Mard Geer looked down at Aurora, who was blocking his attack despite her body being bloodied and burned. Her clothes were tattered, but her exhausted form still radiated defiance.
"You are so tenacious for a human, I'll give you that," he said with a smirk, looking at Aurora.
Aurora breathed heavily, her voice steady despite the pain. She could feel that Celestia and Astro were still safe, so she breathed a sigh of relief. "As much as the Synaris family has caused problems… We swore to protect the kingdom's future. Our ancestors named this kingdom, shortening our surname so we would never forget that. Don't expect to defeat me so easily."
"It's such a pity that your duty is finally going to be over…" Mard Geer said, stepping forward. Then he froze, feeling something changing in the environment too.
Aurora felt it too. Something was really wrong with the environment. "What is happening now?" she muttered, instinctively looking up.
The night sky exploded in a sudden golden flash. A massive golden light descended directly where Mard Geer stood. He barely leapt aside in time to dodge the attack, while Aurora braced herself for impact.
As the light faded, it revealed the form of a colossal humanoid in armor, an oversized mustache completing the imposing figure.
"Who the hell are you?" Mard Geer asked, narrowing his eyes, looking at the figure.
"…Libra…" Celestia whispered weakly, looking at the broken key in her hands without blinking.
Agnes and Julien rushed to her side, landing beside her immediately.
"Are you okay, Celestia?"
"What was that golden light?" Julien asked urgently.
Celestia looked at Agnes—
—and suddenly hugged her tightly.
"I… I…"
But she couldn't finish.
The pain of sacrificing her first spirit… her best friend… was greater than anything she had ever felt. Agnes looked at Julien, confused and worried, but neither of them had answers.
So Agnes simply held Celestia tighter… letting her cry.
The armored figure swung a longsword and pointed it at Mard Geer, who looked minuscule in comparison. "The only thing you need to know is that my friend is hurt because of you. By our contract and the bond we share, I will stop her from getting hurt any further. As I am the Celestial Spirit King, ruler and overseer of the Celestial Spirit Realm."
'Celestial Spirit King? Did Celestia summon him?'
Aurora's eyes widened as she looked at the gigantic figure.
Mard Geer, however, remained unimpressed. "Celestial Spirit King? I don't care about that. If you stand in my path as Underworld King of Tartaros, I will destroy all of you. That is the will of my master… the END."
He tightened the book in his arms and raised two fingers toward the Celestial Spirit King.
"Thorns."
Massive thorns erupted from the ground from every direction, impaling the Celestial Spirit King instantly.
"I don't know what deal you have with this kingdom," Mard Geer said coldly, "but you don't seem strong enough to defeat me."
The Celestial Spirit King didn't care about the thorns… he instead looked to his right, sensing something coming towards him.
Right then, a sharp, cutting wind sounded. A colossal shadow moved above. The black dragon of apocalypse—Acnologia—swooped low and slammed directly into the Celestial Spirit King with its massive head.
The King, however, grabbed the dragon's head with his free hand, pinning it to the ground effortlessly. Despite the thorns still piercing his body, he looked at the dragon with a grin.
"The Black Dragon of Apocalypse…The king of all dragons… Acnologia… I didn't expect we would meet in such a situation."
The dragon didn't respond with words. Instead, he rotated his head and fired a massive white beam from its mouth toward the King while his head was still pinned to the ground.
The impact threw the Celestial Spirit King back, melting the thorns that had impaled him. He crashed onto his back, smashing several houses beneath him.
Celestia watched from a distance, panting, tears streaking her face as she held her broken Libra key tightly. A massive surge of magic flowed out from her body.
"So… that's the Celestial Spirit King?" she whispered. "It's not going to be enough… I don't have the magic to maintain him for long…"
Then, her gaze landed on Julien. He and Agnes immediately understood what she was thinking.
"Julien, use your third awakening ability on me." Celestia still said it softly.
"No, never." Agnes protested instantly.
"Celestia, if I do this… You will never be able to use magic again. You will never be able to summon your spirits in the future. You will never see them again," Julien said seriously.
Celestia looked into his eyes, then at Agnes, and finally at Astro, still protected within the Horologium. Her expression hardened with determination.
"Do it, Julien. I've never been able to help my sister when we were young. Now that she's finally found happiness, I won't let fate take it away from her."
Julien glanced at her, then at Agnes, who had tears in her eyes. Both understood the gravity of the decision she was asking him to make.
They knew even in their prime, they still wouldn't be able to fight that dragon. But Celestia, with the celestial spirit king, probably…could.
He closed his eyes, raising his palms toward Celestia. They began to glow.
"Relinquantur fines mortalitatis… "
"Vincula animae solvuntur… "
"Tertia Origo…"
He opened his eyes to check if Celestia still agreed. Her eyes were full of unwavering resolve.
"Do it, Julien," she muttered.
Julien nodded, casting the final words with complete determination. "Tertia Origo… surge in eo."
A blinding golden light erupted from Celestia's body. All the keys—golden and silver—floated around her. Figures of the Celestial Spirits began to form beside her, one by one, blurry at first, then more defined.
"I can feel… a huge amount of power," Celestia whispered, staring at her hand.
Julien collapsed onto the ground, exhaustion overtaking him. "It's done. I've given you access to all the magic you would ever have in your lifetime, at once."
Celestia's eyes gleamed golden as she looked at the spirits forming around her. "Thank you, Julien… This will be my final request to all of you. Save every living person who hasn't escaped the city yet."
"Got it, Mistress," the spirits responded.
Golden and silver lights flashed and darted in all directions, racing to protect the remaining citizens without hesitation.
Acnologia crawled forward, each step crushing buildings beneath him. His tail spikes began to glow, the light crawling up his back until his head itself radiated a menacing energy.
The Celestial Spirit King rose slowly, his eyes fixed on the black dragon. A sudden surge of power coursed through him, unlike anything he had felt before in the human world. Bound normally by the summoner's magic, he now felt closer than ever to his peak power in the Celestial Spirit Realm.
"I can feel your determination, my friend… rest assured. Leave your enemies to me," he said, his voice calm but filled with unshakable confidence.
Acnologia fired a massive white beam straight at him. The Celestial Spirit King's grin widened. He swung his longsword in a wide, horizontal arc.
"Meteor Blade."
A curved blue wave shot from the sword, colliding with the dragon's beam. For a moment, Acnologia felt the impossible—his attack was actually stopped. He poured more magic into it, but the Spirit King's strike cut clean through the beam, hitting the dragon directly.
"I can't let that dragon lose here," Mard Geer muttered, seeing the Spirit King push Acnologia back. With the book clutched tightly in his arms, he leapt into the sky, positioning himself directly in front of the Spirit King.
"Underworld King… that's what you call yourself, right? Unfortunately, I don't have time to deal with you," the Spirit King said, grinning.
Before Mard Geer could react, a massive fist came hurtling from the side.
"Damn it… I was focusing on his sword too much," Mard Geer's eyes widened.
"But don't mistake this for forgiveness. Someday, I'll make sure you pay for everything you've tried to do to my friends and the people my friends care about… and it won't be pretty. You have my words."
"Meteor Fist."
The Spirit King's hand glowed with otherworldly blue light as it smashed into Mard Geer. The force sent him rocketing through a nearby mountain, smashing through one peak after another, leaving destruction in his wake.
The Celestial Spirit King didn't pause. He glanced toward the colossal cube flying in Mard Geer's direction, intending to intercept it, but then…he had to stop….
He noticed Acnologia slowly rising again. The dragon let out a low, guttural growl, clearly irritated but not injured. Not injured at all!
"Looks like it's going to be a long night… Dragon Slayer," the Celestial Spirit King said with a grin, gripping his swords tightly and bracing himself.
Acnologia growled, spreading his wings wide, and charged toward the Spirit King with terrifying speed, intent clear in every movement. The battle was far from over, and the night was just beginning.
In the middle of the city, swallowed by darkness, the two massive figures clashed in the sky. Each impact sent shockwaves rippling across the streets, tearing buildings apart.
Aurora lay on the ground, exhausted, unable to muster even a shred of energy as she watched the titanic battle above. The two figures dwarfed her completely, with overwhelming presence.
Suddenly, the ground beside her shifted and collapsed slightly. From the rubble, a figure in a black dress emerged. Aurora's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar pink hair.
"Virgo…" she whispered.
Virgo gave a small nod. "This place isn't safe. Your sister asked us to escort the survivors out."
Elsewhere, Arthur panted heavily, eyes squeezed shut, when a burly figure scooped him up. He opened his eyes just enough to see the massive cow-like form.
"Taurus…" he murmured, a small smile forming despite the chaos.
"Moo," came the steady response.
Scorpio twirled her stinger, sending up a massive sand tornado to keep a collapsing building from crushing two children beneath it.
Nearby, Gemini shifted into Taurus' form, smashing through a barricaded door. Inside, a few unconscious people were carried safely over his shoulder.
Pisces, the mother-and-son duo, hovered through the air, cradling multiple survivors and guiding them toward the city's edge.
It was a long night, and as the two titanic figures continued to clash, hope still prevailed under them.
Aurora, who rested her head on a tree far away from the city, looked at the battle of the gigantic figures without blinking. It was unknown what was going through her head. Siegrain was missing. Astro was in a coma. Arthur, too, was in a coma, to make sure that Astro's body could function properly even without the full soul inside him.
Virgo told her with tears in her eyes that Celestia would be fine, but she sacrificed her entire life's worth of magic to make sure the celestial spirit king could fight the dragon. For someone who loved her spirits more than her life, there could be no worse torture for her.
It was unknown what would happen the next day, or the day after that…It would certainly be hard, uncertain, filled with sacrifice and loss of the past. But as long as even a glimmer of hope remained, she would fight for it. She always had. She always would.
For her family….For her kingdom… For the little emotions she finally learned after meeting Arthur… After living eighteen years of life in torture and ignorance… the little emotion called… Love…
Aurora finally closed her eyes to sleep from tiredness as she heard a familiar footstep… her head slid off, but before it could fall to the ground…a figure sat beside her and rested Aurora's head on their shoulder.
"Celestia."
"You can take a rest for a bit, Aurora…" Celestia's soft voice came in her ears.