Chapter 115: Light Descends on Serie
Deep within Godfall Land, time had lost all meaning. Only darkness stretched endlessly in every direction.
Thick black mud crashed against Serie's silver barrier in relentless waves, carrying the stench of decay mixed with something fundamentally wrong. She walked through this sea of darkness, each step heavy as her boots sank into the yielding surface.
She gripped Athos tightly, channelling its power to maintain her defences.
But in this mud born from a god's final burst of magic, even Athos struggled. The holy sword that could normally shield the entire Elf Kingdom now barely maintained a sphere large enough for her to stand in. Silver light flickered weakly against the consuming darkness.
Each wave's impact shook the barrier violently. Serie felt every blow reverberate through Athos's hilt into her arms. Her face was pale, and her lower lip was bitten nearly to bleeding.
The overwhelming power would make anyone flee in terror. Serie felt that fear too, but she buried it under determination. Her golden eyes hardened.
Having come this far, she couldn't retreat now.
Serie poured magic frantically into Athos, maintaining the last of the light. Her mana drained at an alarming rate, but she pressed forward.
"Kurtz..." she whispered his name.
She was getting closer to where the final battle had taken place. The residual divine power and chaotic energy in the air grew thicker, pressing down like tangible weight threatening to crush this small pocket of light.
When Serie reached the centre, the black mud erupted completely. The waves condensed into solid forms, launching continuous attacks. Tentacles of crystallised corruption lashed against her barrier with increasing fury.
Each impact made barrier groan. Cracks appeared with sharp sounds like shattering glass. Finally, a corner broke under the assault.
Black mud surged through instantly!
The temperature dropped as corruption invaded her sanctuary, bringing whispers that made her elven senses recoil. Her survival instincts screamed; she couldn't let this mud touch her.
But the barrier was small, and she had nowhere to retreat. She could only watch helplessly as the darkness rushed toward her.
"Is this as far as I can go?"
At that critical moment, golden light erupted from the depths!
The light was pure beyond description, instantly cleaving through the viscous black mud and clearing the area around Serie. It cut through corruption like a sword of dawn, completely destroying even the mud that had breached her barrier.
When the dazzling light faded, Serie found a straight path carved around her. The black mud on both sides had been driven away as if fearing sunlight.
This light, she knew it too well.
During the final battle against the Fertility Goddess, Kurtz had wielded Orger with the same power. In the end, to kill the goddess completely, he had unleashed Orger's full strength, merging it with El's light to deliver a god-slaying blow that extinguished even divine souls.
Now, Serie felt this aura again. She widened her eyes in disbelief, looking toward the end of the passage where a holy sword floated, repelling all evil.
Divine Authority Sword, Orger!
Orger had disappeared with Kurtz thirty years ago. Now it reappeared before her, making Serie's heart pound violently. The familiar divine resonance made her chest tight with hope she dared not name.
Could he be here too?
Orger sensed her approach, the one who held life's authority. Light surged around the blade again, temporarily suppressing the black mud.
Clear footsteps echoed down the golden passage Orger had carved. Each step resonated with purpose, cutting through the oppressive silence.
A figure appeared, bathed in Orger's golden radiance. He walked step by step along the path of light toward her. The corrupted landscape seemed to recoil from his presence, the very air clearing as he approached.
He wore a grey cloak, the hood obscuring his face. Serie couldn't see clearly, but she desperately hoped to see that familiar face she'd been searching for. Her breath caught as anticipation and terror warred in her chest.
As he drew closer, her dream came true. The hood revealed the face Serie knew so well. Decades hadn't affected it at all, only a slight paleness in his complexion. He saw Serie too.
After thirty years of separation, their gazes met once more. In that instant, the weight of their parting, the agony of uncertainty, the desperate hope that had sustained her, all crystallised into a single moment of recognition.
Both Kurtz and Serie had much to say, but this wasn't the time. Kurtz reached the passage's end, just steps from where Orger hung suspended. He extended his hand and grasped the floating hilt.
The moment he touched it, Orger's power unleashed completely. Thirty years of waiting had finally brought a new beginning.
Golden light shot skyward like sacred flames, instantly purifying black mud within a hundred-meter radius. The corruption didn't just retreat, it screamed as it burned away, its very essence dissolving like mist before the sun.
A domain of golden power unfolded with Kurtz at its centre, isolating all encroaching magic. Athos couldn't match this; it was merely a sword blessed by a god, while Orger was forged from divine authority itself and could completely dispel this divine corruption.
Within this golden domain, Kurtz stood sword in hand. The divine weapon hummed with contentment, as if finally home after a long journey.
He and Serie were only steps apart. He could clearly see her pale face and the surprise in her eyes, more than surprise, relief, joy, and something deeper that made his chest tighten.
Kurtz's hand holding Orger trembled slightly, the sword's tip pointed at the ground. Golden light flowed around him, dispelling the divine contamination he'd accumulated on his journey.
He extended his other hand to Serie.
"You've waited a long time, Serie." His voice was gentle, carrying the melancholy of thirty years of separation.
"I am back."
[End of Chapter]
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