Chapter 403: Aftermath
Kethseia’s eyes burned with fury as she stared at Lord Shadow.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "This is none of your business, Ruler of the Shadow World."
Lord Shadow still had the grin on his face. "It is every bit of my business if you’re trying to take a world where I have sent one of my shadows."
He was referring to the shadow creature currently in Aiden’s possession.
Kethseia’s expression darkened. "You would stop me because you have a creature of shadows in there?"
Lord Shadow’s grin widened, and his tone gained this dangerous edge to it.
"You know the truth, Kethseia? I need no reason. If it is what I want, then it is what it shall be."
Then his aura erupted.
Darkness exploded outward from his form, flooding the void in every direction and consuming everything in its path.
The stars were swallowed, the distant galaxies vanished. Even the faint light from Kethseia’s green mist was snuffed out entirely.
The void became absolute darkness.
Nothing produced light. Nothing could be seen.
Except for Lord Shadow’s eyes, which glowed with a deep, pulsing purple.
Kethseia’s army was instantly overlaid and consumed by the darkness. The armored constructs, the divine warriors, all of them were swallowed whole, their forms disappearing into the black.
Lord Shadow’s voice echoed through the void.
"You’re barely getting by against a mere usurper," he said. "Want to see how that goes with me, Kethseia?"
Kethseia’s her hands tightened into fists.
For a moment, she said nothing, then she clicked her tongue. "Tch."
She hovered forward, moving through the darkness until she was beside Lord Shadow. Then she leaned in and said, "You might think you’re the most powerful one compared to the rest of us, but heed these words. I’ll be there at your final hour to remind you that you’re not."
Then she vanished, although without her army who had already been consumed by the Lord Shadows.
The darkness lifted slightly, and the void returned to its original state.
Lord Shadow shook his head at her statement, almost amused, before looking downwards.
Below him, Aiden’s massive dragon form was still behind the barrier
Their eyes met, Lord Shadow’s grin widened, and without a word, he vanished in a whirlpool of darkness.
After he disappeared, Aiden had solidified the barrier once more, before shrinking his cosmic body condensing until he was floating in his human form once more.
He exhaled slowly, his gaze still fixed on the space where there other Herrschers had just left. Then he looked down at his hands, then back up at the now-stable barrier and sighed.
-
Two days later...
In the City of the Gods, Eden, a grand gathering had been called.
The champions who had fought in the Holy Grail War, along with the rulers of every kingdom, had been summoned to the largest hall within the city.
The hall was massive, with high ceilings and pillars that stretched toward the sky. Light poured in from enchanted windows, and the air was filled with the murmuring of conversations.
At the front of the hall, Aiden was beside Adam and the other Archons.
He had been speaking for several minutes now, explaining the truth behind the Holy Grail War, the threat of the other Herrschers, and the reason they had all been brought together.
"...and that is the true reason the Grail War was hosted," Aiden said. "To seek out those who are truly powerful and prepare them in defense of our universe. Because you see what happened two days ago? It will repeat itself. And I fear it will be on a much larger scale."
The hall fell silent.
Every face in the room was filled with worry, concern and fear.
The hall remained silent for a long while after Aiden finished speaking.
Then, from somewhere in the middle of the crowd, a hand shot up.
It was a mage from Xathia. He looked around nervously, then cleared his throat and stood.
"Uh... Your Majesty—I mean, Dragon King—sir—" He fumbled over his words, his face flushing red. "I just... I have a question."
Aiden nodded. "Go ahead."
The young mage hesitated, glanced at the people around him as though seeking support, then blurted out, "So... what about the Grail?"
The hall erupted. Some people gasped, others groaned, and a few laughed.
One of the mages from a different kingdom muttered, "Of course someone asks that."
Aiden let out a long, tired sigh and dragged a hand down his face. Then he turned toward Adam, gave him a look that said you deal with this, and sat down.
Adam rose slowly, his expression calm but faintly amused. He raised one hand, and the hall fell silent.
"The Grail," Adam began, his voice carrying easily across the room, "was never about the wish."
He paused, letting that sink in.
"But," he continued, "I understand that many of you fought with that promise in mind. And so, I will honor it."
He looked toward the section where King Oberon and King Cedric sat.
"I declare the result a tie between Xathia and Dragonhold. Both kingdoms will be granted a wish, when they can agree on how to use it."
The hall exploded into noise again.
Some people cheered and some others protested
"A tie?!" someone from xathia shouted. "How is that fair?!"
"They didn’t even finish the match!" another voice called out.
Adam’s expression didn’t change. He simply waited for the noise to die down, and eventually, it did.
He turned back toward Aiden, who gave him a small nod of approval.
Left to themselves individually, the rulers of both kingdoms would have made wishes that offset the balance of things.
King Oberon would have wished for something that benefited Dragonhold alone or put him in the same ruling capacity three years ago where the other kingdoms answered to him.
King Cedric would have done the same for Xathia.
But now, they would have to work together to either come to a conclusion that would benefit both kingdoms, or Valaross as a whole.
