Veer collected his thoughts as he rapidly went through the events. Just what was going on? What happened to everyone? How did Sythris know that? Just what was the shadowy man, and where did the recording come from?
He opened his eyes and met with a smiling face. Erith said with a smile, "It's just as planned. You don't get affected by any spells, do you? So... shall we start the discussion?"
He grinned as he looked back and asked, "So do you know why everyone is like this?"
He paused and said in a loud voice, "It's because of me. I am the successor of Zenith Spelcrat Hall in Breaven. It's the best spell academy in the Niethric..."
"Oops! Not supposed to say this! Anyway, I think you should already know about that..." Blood flowed from his ears.
Veer's pupils constricted as he remembered the same thing had happened when Kerin tried to speak something that could not be mentioned, like this.
So he continued with a smile, "So... are you wondering... when will she wake up..."
Veer's pupils constricted again as he lunged forward with his Katana. As the enemy knew about Sythris's words, he saw no meaning in pretending. Just then, Erith vanished when the sword struck him.
He seemed to have cast a spell as he appeared some distance away while Veer chased after him. As Veer chased him, he heard a slight sound and turned to see a fountain of blood flowing from one of the familiar knights. Veer's mind almost collapsed seeing that. It was a familiar knight. It was Ryen, the Golden Knight. He died there. There was a shadow presence with shadows flowing from his armor as he turned to Veer.
Ethric spoke from different locations as he said, "Collapse!! You vile creature!! Look—a good fellow died because of you...!!! Oh, even your academy's lovey-dovey friend will also get captured and be a part of the soul transmution ritual of our prince... haha."
The shadow knight killed another of the sleeping knights as Veer's legs trembled; he almost gave up.
Ethric spoke in a hurry, "Are you scared! Come on, show your greatness!! Doesn't your name signify that!!! Fucker!!!!"
Veer screamed and clenched his katana so hard that blood flowed. Even it seemed like the Star Core's color was changing... but he did not pay any mind to that as he thrust with a speed that was almost instantaneous. The shadow knight didn't even flinch as Veer stopped just in front of him, unable to move. Shadows covered him all around for a brief second, and Veer felt dizzy.
Veer's lips moved, but he couldn't say anything. The knight just looked at him as he killed another knight from Veer's camp. Veer tried to scream but couldn't do anything. Just then, something seemed to stir inside him as he suddenly moved and struck the shadowy knight.
The shadowy knight responded with a sharp slap as Veer went back, crashing into the back in the distance. Ethric's voice sounded dumbfounded, "No way... No way! He moved in front of the sacred master... just a feeble knight, yet you can break through that... You need to die... master... kill him... he is dangerous... I will get the bitch... for the prince."
The shadowy knight walked slowly to Veer. Each of his steps was heavy. He neared Veer as Veer could not get up. Veer was struggling to raise his hands as blood flowed.
He spoke in an ethereal voice, "I am killing you!!! It's impossible for me!! Anyway, now it should awaken! Maybe the princess can... Hmmm!"
Veer was barely hearing or seeing anything after the slap. It was so strong that blood continuously flowed from everywhere as he barely registered the words of the man in front, who said, "Come out already..."
He then said, looking to where Ethric went, as he sighed, "I failed as a master! This might be the end of our legacy... But if it can help them... gladly."
He looked above at the stars as he said to Veer, "I have done what I should have..."
Then he said again, "Come out... now."
Veer noticed in his dazed state as Ethric walked out with Sythris on his shoulder and blood flowing from the tower chamber. He was screaming internally as suddenly someone landed in front of him with a thud. It was... another knight. But the presence itself was suffocating. Veer again coughed as he again almost went unconscious. The knight looked back at Veer and then turned again and said to the shadowy man in knight armor, "The illustrious master has fallen to this... Very well... Claryen of House Drudar shall cleave you..."
The man opposite laughed as he said, "Don't pretend, Claryen!! You knew everything!!!! You knew what was going to happen!! You had this army march just to the point where I resided... funny, ha!! You planned that, no... to kill me... for your revenge.... Haa! So much for bravado!! So that's how it completes in a cycle..."
He then said, "Anyway, I should suffer for the innocents I killed just now... But I am not going without a fight, Clayren."
He started speaking as illustrious strips of golden writings manifested and spread out. A minimum of fifty shadow knights manifested and appeared everywhere around... It looked grand and majestic.
Veer was awestruck, sad, and broken looking at the dead bodies in the distance. He tried to get up but had no reserve of energy.
The female knight actually had her eyes closed until this time. As she opened her eyes, a faint light suddenly ignited as she took a stance. A sword manifested from her hand until it gently grew bigger. It unobstructedly cut the first shadowy armored knight as a number of armored knights attacked her from every region. Her grey armor shone again as though she also copied herself, but then the copy of her merged into her rapidly.
This process superimposed many times; Veer could not count within a breath. Then she slashed... Her sword became large for a split second and emitted a gentle emerald light as there was a tumultuous sound. Faint drops of starlight seemed to rain from everywhere as the majestic runes and all shadows vanished. The shadow knight was lying in a pool of blood in the distance, with starlight falling all around, indicating the broken spell.
Veer was still focusing on the golden knights and Ethric with Sythris. He did not understand the scale of the fight as Sythris lay injured in the distance. He noticed that Ethric was dead, his head in a different location, and blood was flowing continuously.
The scene was mysterious and horrifying as a shadow armor laughed gently and a female knight walked gently toward the shadowy armored knight. Each step made a ringing sound in Veer's mind. Shimmering starlight from the broken spell fell continuously as the knights who were not killed by the shadow twitched.
Clayren suddenly paused, and then her body shook. Her pupils dilated as though she, one of the strongest, had seen a ghost. As the shadowy armor broke, it reflected an old man lying there with pools of blood as he muttered, "I might not have defended against even one attack of yours! But you are still wet behind the pants... hah."
Veer's heart suddenly struck twice. He screamed until his body again gave out. He felt eerie as he himself came out from his body. The actual Veer saw himself coming out. As the second Veer walked from his body, his gaze was cold and piercing. He had very long hair flowing to the ground. His presence was even greater than the knight Clayren. He unsheathed his Katana gently as even the stars in the sky twinkled rapidly. As he assumed a stance, his Katana lit up with seven star lights, one by one. Everything happened so fast that Clayren was unable to react.
The original Veer was dumbstruck seeing that.
Sythris in the distance opened her eyes to see the cold and emotionless Veer standing there. Starlight poured continuously from the seven stars twinkling in the sky to Veer's head as the old man laughed. His body shriveled, and he became hollow and skinny as Clayren muttered in shock, "You!!! What did you dooo?"
The old man said, "This is my final gift... to you! My ultimate spell! The attack of a genuine Starweaver... I have used everything to bring that boy..." He coughed again as blood flowed out again and his body was breaking into pieces.
The projection Veer's presence became so intense that the actual Veer was shaking, even Sythris... and even the surroundings. As he assumed his thrusted stance, void distorted and faint star forms aligned themselves from his sword to Clayren, as though the attack he would do would always hit her... no matter what she did.
Sythris gently muttered, "Commander... Veer..."
Then her eyes squinted as she saw another Veer in the distance, broken and full of blood, barely opening his eyes.
Just then there was a slash... It was so bright that it almost became day, and a clicking sound echoed. Time stopped...
Veer and Sythris were dumbfounded looking at that.
The projection Veer was standing behind the commander as she muttered in disbelief, "You... Aethria..." as her armor shattered and a beautiful figure was thrown into the air...
There was an unprecedented strike that seemed to cleave Clayren into pieces in the air. Hundreds of cuts of Straight congregated as her body was breaking...
She was probably the strongest in Drudar. As her figure was cut into various pieces, the projection Veer's eyes narrowed and he talked for the first time, looking above, "Emerald bow... huh... tsk."
A blinding emerald light shone around Clayren's body as the pieces joined again in the air and were thrown into the distance. The blinding emerald light saved her.
There was a huge manifestation of an emerald bow in the skies as it overshadowed the twinkling stars.
The copy Veer's eyes showed a bit of emotion as it turned cold again.
The old man, dying there, said in awe, "Splendid... splendid... Even though she is not dead... my spell was successful..."
The projection Veer looked at him as he suddenly slashed. The old man vanished as though the void tore and engulfed him. He disappeared completely.
The projection Veer was also disappearing now. He moved step by step to Sythris first, then looked at her.
Sythris was also looking at him in fear. Suddenly, the projection Veer's eyes again radiated warmth for a split second as he took her up in a princess cradle.
He slowly walked again with a cold face to the actual Veer, who was barely conscious. He just gazed at himself...
The projection said slowly, "When will you understand... tsk...awaken...quick...." as his body disappeared into starlight.