Level Up Legacy

The citizens were confused as the clash of creation and the dark creature stopped. All parties eyeing the fight, waiting for a victorious side to emerge, were nervous because a battle that shook the heavens stopped.

“…let’s end this, creator,” called Osian, who was covered with nothingness. His voice has gone hoarse, becoming more like Nameless.

“Silence,” said Arthur Silvera without paying him any mind. His sword of creation was still in hand as he stared at the sky. “What is this feeling?”

Arthur could feel the back of his neck tingle as if someone was watching him. All he could do was stare at the sky as his golden eyes looked for a source. Although he found nothing, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out there.

Thus, Arthur stabbed his sword into the ground. As soon as he did, the field of flowers grew thicker as the mana of creation started feeding the earth. As for him, Arthur raised his hands toward the sky.

“What… are you… doing?” asked Osian as he readied himself to resume the fight. However, Arthur was not even looking at him. Instead, he stared at the sky and started reaching out toward something.

The citizens and other nations alike looked at Arthur as he if was a madman. Then, however, their souls shook. Something started to materialize in Arthur’s hands, and it shook the world like an earthquake.

No one could breathe as the pair of chains grew longer, ring after ring coming into existence. Osian looked at the scene with an apprehensive face, not even daring to come closer. The scene instilled fear into whoever saw it for some reason.

Arthur started sweating for the first time during this fight but still glared at the sky. A smile appeared as his hand gripped the chains tightly and tugged them, pulling the whole world closer. His curved lips revealed a grin before he muttered, “I see you.”

The three words made the crowd shiver as they realized that Arthur Silvera was talking to a being that they could not see. Before they could react, Arthur whipped the chains toward the sky before retracting his arms and hurling them.

As soon as the chains left his fingers, they turned into a blinding light before shooting toward the sky. The crowd flinched as they could breathe again, all watching the two chains turn into two meteors that slashed through the cosmos.

The two meteors grew brighter and brighter until the whole world saw them from different angles as they traveled the cosmos. Chaos spread among the world because this fulfilled an ancient prophecy.

As earth watched with fear, the sky was no better. The two meteors traveled far into the cosmos before fusing and exploding, creating enough light to turn night to day worldwide. The world never stopped shaking, and neither did their existence. As for the culprit, he stood there with triumph.

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Arthur had no idea that his actions shook heaven and earth alike. All he cared about was keeping sinister beings from interfering with this world because he somehow knew his intentions. Thus, he strengthened the existence around the world using the chains of order, making it immune to prying astral beings.

This was not something he thought of on the spot. During their countless years together, Gaia has explained to him how the world is protected from cosmic beings. It was Gaia using her powers to create a barrier around their realm, and all Arthur did was strengthen it using his powers.

It took almost three minutes for the light to disappear from the world, and it returned to normal. After that, however, everyone worldwide started feeling like their body held a fever. It was the natural reaction of being basked in the mana of creation.

“Do you think you have time for this?” asked Osian with rage as he started floating. “You have the leisure to use this much power while fighting against me? This arrogance will be the death of you, creator!”

Arthur finally turned back toward Osian, who was hovering above the ground now. The golden flowers beneath him were disintegrating after being touched by his nothingness.  Before Arthur could reply, the space between them disappeared, allowing Osian to teleport near him.

“Fall dead!” roared Osian as his two horns gathered black energy before shooting them like a beam, and he used his sword to pierce Arthur. The two attacks reached him at the same time, evaporating the ground beneath them. Even air turned to nothingness, causing the wind to blow from behind Arthur.

Arthur stood there, his chest covered with black vines and golden leaves. He watched the empyrean-ranker attack him, and so did the whole world. However, he showed no fluster and calmly reached for the sword’s hilt.

As soon as his hand touched the sword, golden mana exploded from his body. It flared like a pillar of light that burned with golden flames, shaking the world. The two attacks of nothingness were suspended midair because of the mana, and Arthur had yet to pull out his sword.

“Osian the Invincible,” muttered Arthur Silvera with a voice that reached the ears of the million people inside the Dawn Plaza. “You will be the first ruler I ask this question, and your answer will decide your fate.”

Arthur talked as if he had all the time he wanted in the world. His eyes turned toward the suspended Osian, who felt like the golden mana had not decreased after the earlier feat but increased.

“Do you choose to obey or to die?”

The words fell on the crowd’s ears like thunderclaps. Every word spoken carved itself into the air between the two strongest fighters. Arthur Silvera stood there with a domineering aura as he demanded obedience from the empyrean ranker.

It was absurd.

“I SHALL NEVER…” roared Osian, but Arthur interrupted him by moving his hand to pull the sword out of the ground. At that moment, the empyrean ranker realized his fate had been sealed.

“Then die.”

Mana exploded from the ground as if releasing what the sword infused. Helios was submerged with golden mana that blinded the world as Arthur Silvera raised his sword high, staring at Osian with apathetic eyes.

The nothingness around Osian started to dissolve, as did the two horns on his head. It revealed the aged face of a man who realized he had made the wrong choice and tried to make amends.

“Wait…!”

Osian lost his confidence as he stared at the golden eyes of the young man. He saw no mercy in his eyes, only apathy to the soul he was about to reap. In a single second, Osian seemed to age a thousand years.

Arthur brought down his golden sword, striking Osian on his shoulder and cutting through his torso in a single motion. His blade cut through flesh and bone as if they didn’t exist. The old man watched as his life faded away.

Golden mana exploded throughout Helios, starting with Osian at the center. His scream echoed as the golden mana destroyed his body, never to recover. Nameless tried to save him, but the reaction between the creation mana and nothingness made things worse for Osian.

His scream echoed throughout Helios as the golden light penetrated its every part. Cries of the fallen beings resounded, too, as they were all eradicated by the golden mana. In a single attack, the nothingness disappeared.

As the golden light died down, the fight was over. Every rebel and knight dropped their sword as they stared at the scene, gaping their mouths at the man standing in the middle with his golden sword.

“Osian is dead,” announced Arthur Silvera as he looked at the crowd. “His son, Light Emperor Joseph, is dead as well. There is no one to fight for Ilios anymore and no one to terrorize it. Those who wish to fight, raise your sword. Those who know better, drop them.”

The remaining knights flinched as Arthur addressed them. Then, after realizing he was staring at them, they all dropped their weapons. It took a few moments, but the rebels cheered as they rushed toward the knights, seeking to seize them.

“No one will be killed after Osian,” Arthur interrupted their cheering, making it die down. “These knights have been loyal to the ones they followed and the choices they made, even if they were wrong. Do not blame them or wrong them.”

The rebels were silent and dissatisfied, but none of them could object. After the earlier feat, Arthur Silvera was akin to a god to them. He defeated an empyrean-ranker, the strongest rank a human could reach.

“Listen to our leader!” shouted Vruckrus as he slammed his Warhammer on the ground. “Attend to the wounded, and advance toward the palace. This fight is over!”

“I’m afraid it’s far from over,” said Layla, who limped together with Ai. She stared at the sky, where the fight was still ongoing. “There are hundreds of ships surrounding Helios.”

“Those are here for my head,” said Arthur, looking at the sky with a smile. “These are my enemies, not yours. Do not make an enemy of the world as I did.”

“You fought for us, and we will fight for you,” said Rain as she stepped forward. She seemed wary and saddened, but her resolve was unshakable. “The rebellion will support its leader.”

The warriors cheered for her words and stomped on the ground. Despite narrowly escaping death, none of these proud warriors wanted to put down their weapons and leave Arthur alone.