LightReader

Chapter 32 - Before the Fall II

Author's Note:If this chapter reaches 10k views, I will release another bonus chapter today! Stay tuned and enjoy the read!

The impact reverberated like a dull crash. Anhanguçu staggered for the first time, his muscles trembling under the shock.

Anhanguçu fell to his knees for an instant, resting his hand on the cracked ground. The silence lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough for to notice: the mythical giant had felt that blow.

With a roar, he raised his head, the eyes sparking like fire. He spat blood on the ground and got up, each movement loaded with fury.

"Brat… you dare hurt me?!"

The vibration of his body shook the ground, as if the very earth reacted to his anger.

Kael remained firm, the serene face, the breath controlled. His feet touched the ground like roots.

"I said…" he murmured. "Each step of yours reveals me everything."

Anhanguçu advanced again, but this time without technique, only pure hatred. His fists descended like hammers, the air splitting with each blow.

Kael dodged by centimeters, the body light and fluid. The pressure was crushing, but, at each dodge, he seemed to get closer to the center of the storm, as if he sought the exact moment for the next counterattack.

Kael spun on his heels and, with a smooth movement, sank his hand into the ground. The earth responded, shaping itself in his image. The stone clone emerged, solid, and stood still before Anhanguçu's advance.

The colossus roared and struck a brutal punch. The impact pulverized the clone into shards of earth and dust. But when the cloud lowered, Kael was no longer there.

Behind him, the calm voice echoed:

"Did you notice?"

Anhanguçu turned his head, the veins throbbing with rage.

"That since the beginning of this fight… this was the first time you bled."

Kael opened a slight smile, serene.

"Do you know what that means?"

For an instant, only the sound of stones rolling among the debris answered. Then, as if doubt had finally torn through his fury, Anhanguçu hesitated.

"N-no… this is not possible."

He closed his eyes, the muscles tense, forcing his senses to expand. He felt each particle of dust, each tremor in the ground, each breath. And it was in that silence that the truth hit him like a spear: from the beginning, he was playing Kael's game.

The presence of Karna… disappeared, returned, vibrated like a ghost. But no: Karna was no longer there.

Anhanguçu widened his eyes and turned furiously to Kael.

"How?!"

Kael raised his face, the serene smile never wavering, the voice low and firm like a prayer:

"He left the fight long ago. After the first shot, he was gone. I only used the memory of the earth. I made you believe he was still here. At each movement. At each strike. I forced you to relive the terror… and the weight of Karna's Brahmastra."

Anhanguçu breathed heavily, the blood throbbing in his temples.

Kael then stepped forward, the earth under his feet moving as if it were part of him.

"You may be the ancient enemy of the god Tupã… but do you know what your mistake was?"

As night fell, the silence tinged itself with darkness. Anhanguçu, with a tone loaded with irony, growled:

"I would love to find out…"

Kael remained motionless, but his voice sounded deep, as if Gaia herself spoke through him:

"Your mistake, just like the count's, was to attack without knowing your enemies."

Kael paused, letting the silence cut the air. Anhanguçu frowned, trying to process each word.

"From the beginning… you were fated to die here. By our hands."

Anhanguçu furrowed his brow, confused.

"What are you talking about?"

Kael raised his face. The glow of the moon peeking through the clouds illuminated his serene feature.

"Don't you see?" he said in a low tone."Destiny can no longer be seen as yours victory. Not for you, not for the count.""Both will have to fight only to see a new dawn."

The words echoed like a sentence. The air grew dense. The earth around began to tremble, each stone vibrating in response. But what really sent a chill down Anhanguçu's spine was the whisper that crossed the silence. It was not only auditory: it was something deeper, almost inhuman, in a language he did not recognize.

Kael whispered, low as the wind among the roots:

"Ēkhó tēs zoés… (Vital Echo.)"

Anhanguçu advanced, breaking the barrier of stones that began to rise. The ground exploded in debris, fragments floating around Kael like stars in orbit. Still, the young man remained motionless, serene, as if he waited.

Then his voice echoed, clear and firm:

"Primordial Dragon."

The stones joined, shaping themselves around an invisible force. A guttural roar, born from the very earth, sounded when the mass of rocks took form: it had no wings, nor scales, but the silhouette resembled a colossal serpent, an ancestral creature sculpted in pure rock.

Anhanguçu barely had time to react. The dragon opened its immense mouth and advanced to swallow him. With titanic effort, the giant held the stone jaws with his own hands, preventing them from closing. His muscles trembled, the fury burned in his eyes.

But then, the ground broke under his feet. Another roar echoed from the depths. A second stone dragon, rising from the abyss, lifted itself under him and attacked him off guard.

Kael, finally moving, raised his arm and decreed with firm voice:

"Primordial Twin Dragons."

Days before Karna's shot, in the forest near the last village of the west, the winds blew under the pale light of the moon. Among the shadows, walked Karna and Telvaris.

Suddenly, a child appeared before them. The appearance was fragile, but the aura that emanated was crushing. Anyone able to feel divine energy would recognize immediately: that being was not a simple child.

Karna stepped back, already wielding the bow, while Telvaris shaped a scythe of metal in his hand. The eyes of the small being swept the environment before resting upon them.

"The material world has changed a lot…" he said, with a serene smile. "It is very different from what I knew."

His gaze fixed itself on Karna.

"You need to come with me. Your path does not end here."

Karna lowered the bow with an ironic smile.

"Ok, all right…"

And without hesitating, shot an arrow. The boy raised his hand and opened a small fissure. The arrow vanished into it and reappeared behind Karna, slightly cutting his cheek.

"My time is ending," said the divinity. "Kaelir's body will not endure much longer. We need to go."

Telvaris stood still, confused, unable to understand. The pressure of the aura was overwhelming. The being walked slowly to Karna, passing by Telvaris' side. Before going on, he cast him a cold look:

"That was your choice. Remember: there will be no space for regret. If you continue with them, only two paths will remain — your death or theirs. You chose to remain trapped in the past… what a lamentable soul."

The divinity looked directly at Karna, his eyes transmitting a weight that went beyond human comprehension."I am here for the same reason that you chose to guard that sword. Our paths intertwine… Here and now, choose: will you go forward or will you pursue the shadows of the past?"

Karna remained motionless. For a few instants, the night wind seemed to silence around him. The words echoed in his mind, awakening a whirlwind of feelings: fear, doubt… but also determination. A slight tightness in the chest, almost imperceptible, denounced what he tried to deny — he finally understood which path he wanted to follow.

The fissure opened before him.

Karna turned to Telvaris, and his eyes carried sadness.

"That day of my first trial, when you saved me on the mountain… just like so many other times, I was grateful. I thought I would walk by your side forever.But, Telvaris… you gave up on life after Edda's death. I do not blame you. You loved her above all. I thank you for everything, but as Karna Suruya… I choose to fight by their side. Because I love her."

Said this, he crossed the fissure. Telvaris stood still for a few seconds, silent, before going on.

On the other side, the boy already awaited him in an elevated point. From there, they could see the fields of the Marquesado and the ruined walls.

"Can you understand why you are here?" asked the divinity.

Karna approached slowly.

"What do I have to do?"

"That which only you can. You will have only one chance. If you miss, your path ends here."

Karna breathed deeply. He wielded the bow, but did not shoot immediately. He remained attentive, until he saw Anhanguçu's leap against Kael… and the count about to execute Ereon.

The arrow tore the air at supernatural speed. Anhanguçu felt the danger and dodged at the last instant, stepping back a few steps before Kael. The count turned abruptly to catch the arrow that aimed at his heart.

Then Karna spoke, with the mocking tone as always:

"I believe you will not mind if I join the game… since you even summoned an ancient god."

And he finished, with a smile:

"BOOM!"

The divinity opened another fissure behind him."This is the last path I trace. From now on, it is up to you."

After the shot, Karna crossed the fissure. As soon as he passed, it closed behind him, and the last words of the divinity echoed in his mind.

A heavy silence took the air. He felt, for the first time with such clarity, that each of his actions there could decide which side would prevail in the Marquesado West.

More Chapters