Level Up Legacy

“Ah…”

Rain let out a short, interrupted gasp as Osian pressed his foot against her neck. Although he could crush it with his strength, it seemed he wanted to give her a slow death as Lyle watched.

“Leave her alone!” roared Lyle as he burst into flames and tried to rush toward him, but the gravitational force pulled him back. Osian controlled it so that he remained suspended in the air, unable to do anything.

“Is that all you are capable of? Shouting at me to let her go?” Osian raised his fists, which he switched to position Lyle above Rain. “This happens when you defy but have no power to back it up.”

Rain’s hands were on the ground, and her fingers dug through the dirt. Her lips had turned blue, and her eyes were bloodshot. Osian raised his foot, allowing her to breathe again, as he turned toward Lyle.

“Do you understand now?” said the old man with his back straight. “The strongest can do anything, and that is me. Your little games and plans are useless against true strength.”

Osian twisted his fists again, and the gravity field started tugging on the Mantra Sword, trying to pull it away. Lyle held on to it and realized it was aimed at Rain, making him understand what Osian wanted to do.

“Use your strength to save her,” said Osian with a grin as he harnessed more gravity to pull the sword. “If you let go, she dies!”

“Rain, move!” shouted Lyle as he clenched his fist around the hilt as hard as possible, making his knuckles turn white. However, Rain did not move, only lying on the ground while staring at him. Then, she smiled softly with tears in her eyes.

“It’s alright,” said Rain with a smile. “I never planned on living beyond this battle. I fulfilled my role. Your mother was like a daughter to me, and I wanted to protect her. However, I failed.”

“I didn’t say that you could talk,” said Osian as he walked toward her and placed his foot on her forearm. “The moment you escaped, I vowed to kill you. But, unfortunately, it seems my training has lost its effects.”

Osian stomped on her forearm, breaking it. Rain screamed in pain as Lyle roared, trying to break free. However, it took all of his strength to keep his hold on the sword. Rain’s arm bent unnaturally as a giant bruise gathered around her broken bones.

Lyle could feel his grip slipping, so he grabbed the sword with his other hand. His flames flared as he tried to use whatever strength to pull the sword away, but it was stuck. The difference in their strength was too big.

“This is getting boring,” Osian sighed as he moved his foot from Rain’s arm to her leg. “I won’t make it an easy death to those who betray me.”

As he wanted to stomp again, a figure descended from the sky wearing black armor. Layla slashed her sword at Osian’s neck, but he didn’t even dodge. He allowed her to strike his neck without moving a muscle, but she failed to break through his skin.

“You fucking monster,” shouted Layla as she raised her hand to summon countless swords, but a single punch from Osian sent her flying and destroyed her weapons. She flew across the sky like a broken kite.

Osian then stomped on Rain’s leg, breaking it as well. She screamed in pain, making the green phoenix flare against the gravitational force. However, Lyle couldn’t turn himself into the wind to escape.

“Enough…” muttered Lyle as he started growing weary. “Don’t hurt her anymore.”

“Oh, ho?” exclaimed Osian with surprise. “It seems that even the bloodthirsty avenger has a soft spot for someone who stood by his side for ten years. It is sad, but… I decided to kill you both.”

Osian then pointed with his index finger at Lyle and twisted it. The sword that Lyle tried to hold on to flew from his hand and dove toward Rain, who still tried to smile in her last moment. As he watched the sword slip through his fingers, Lyle heard her whispers.

“Forgive me.”

The sword cut through the world in a second, reaching her neck. It whistled while diving the world in two, diving toward its target. The world was covered with blinding golden light as its translucent tip was about to pierce her neck.

“Is it that woman again?” muttered Osian as he tried to look past the light at the platform but found himself unable to move. The whole world ceased moving down to its tiniest specks of dust.

Although time seemed frozen, a loud explosion came from the Light Prison above. Golden light tore it down as it descended, basking the city with warmth.

One second.

Three seconds.

Five seconds.

No one inside the plaza could move a muscle, but they were still conscious. Osian himself could not move, only stare as a white meteor fell from the Light Prison. It slammed into the ground a few meters away, making the dust rise.

“What is it?” muttered Osian as sweat covered his face. As the dust settled, he could finally see who it was. Cassius was sprawled on the ground with a gaping hole in his chest. He remained unmoving as blood flowed from his chest. “…who could…”

“You know who,” a voice penetrated his heart as a figure flew from the Light Prison. Osian raised his eyes at the golden and black figure covered with vines and roses. But, even as it got closer to him and landed on the ground, Osian could not move. “You know my name,” the voice said again.

All eyes landed on the newcomer, mesmerized by his appearance. He wore a crown of black vines and golden roses with two horns protruding from each side. A black and golden crystal embedded his chest, and the two colors twirled in harmony.

“You are… the creator, Arthur Silvera,” said Osian as he stared at the young man walking past him and heading toward Rain. The first thing he did was take the Mantra Sword aside, as it was suspended midair above her. “What is this power?”

Osian was the only one who could talk among the crowd. Everyone was paralyzed with fear and shock at the scene. The aura coming out of Arthur Silvera was soul-chilling, nerve-wracking, and stomach-churning.

It was not fear the crowd felt but something far greater. As Osian stared at the young man, he realized what it was. It was the realization that the man in front of them was no longer human or a god but something vastly different.

Every word he said was like a command, and as soon as his intentions appeared, the wounds Rain had started to heal. She stared at him with wide eyes, trying to say something.

“Is this how he controls you?” asked the creator again as he stared at the blood rose on her chest. “This is… a bloodline order. It reminds me of the past.”

Arthur Silvera smiled, and the ground around them bloomed with golden roses. They spread like wildfire to cover the plaza, creating a golden flower field in an instant. Arthur raised his finger to touch the red rose as he issued another command.

“Whatever hurts you… shall break.”

The red rose burst into nothingness as it disintegrated, and Osian suffered the backlash of the bloodline order being canceled. However, even as his blood flowed in reverse, he was far more concerned about the man in front of him.

His fears seemed to come true as the young man turned toward him. Osian looked into the golden eyes and realized it was inaccurate to call him a man anymore. Instead, it was a mystic being that assumed the form of a human.

“You are… not the creator…” muttered Osian as he took a step back. “This is wrong. Everything about you is wrong. How can the creator be the breaker? How can you trounce a calamity?”

“Creator? Breaker?” muttered Arthur with a smile. “I am above both.”

The domineering words made Osian gulp with fear. But, as the man himself admitted, things made some sense now. Although he knew that Arthur Silvera had the powers of the creator and the breaker, he now felt like there was something more.

“It seems that this city is surrounded,” muttered Arthur as he stared above at the two flying vessels. “The world has finally decided to make a move against me. I was starting to wonder when it would.”

“It seems you know already,” said Osian as he gathered his wits. “Even if we are defeated, the seven families will not allow such an outcome. You will be killed by them if not by me.”

“I would like to see you try.”