Chapter 24 :: The End of the Eternal War (Part 2)

"Okay, everyone. This is the moment you've been waiting for. Protect Alice and Mithos with your lives," the leader of the Ghosts inside the Zephyr said. They landed in the center of a city mostly ruined by war. The city itself was built of three layers of fortified buildings, but many of the bridges that connected them had since collapsed.

"They're inside the wall!" a Macerdonian paladin said. He had with him a handful of knights, all equipped with heavy armor and swords.

"Alice, out of the way!" Kepler said as he galloped into the square with his own knights. Just as he raised his hands to order a charge, a man on a black horse appeared from the direction of the palace.

"They are not enemies. Come quickly to the castle," the man said. The paladins obeyed and laid down their arms.

"Alice, I'll try to delay Dusk as much as possible," Kepler promised.

"Well that didn't work last time did it?" Yuan dryly remarked. He motioned for Enigma's Ghosts to guard the passage from the town to the palace. Darius, meanwhile, landed the Trident directly in the path after they passed through. His team of Ghosts joined the first group and the Knights of Thor. Mithos took the lead behind the knight, while Alice made sure no foes were behind them. Finally they reached the castle where the king of Macerdon ruled.

"Everyone, inside! Barricade the doors!" the knight said, riding his horse into the castle's audience room.

"Mithos, I know all about you and your friends, ironically from Lord Procyon," a bearded king said. He too was in armor, ready to join his subjects in defending the city.

"We have to put an end to this war, Lord Antares," Mithos pleaded. "With magitechnology gone, there's no reason to fight anymore."

"I wish I could snap my fingers and call this war to a close," Antares said. "That's why I dismissed Procyon a month ago after he burned down one of our own cities because a few half-elves were given more freedom than they were officially granted."

"Yuan, I'll join my people outside," Alice said. She teleported through the door and stood proudly at the head of her Ghosts.

"So Procyon was acting on his own when he attacked Sirius' village," Solstice said.

"Procyon has the support of most of Macerdon. Many humans and elves do not want to see those of impure blood around them," Antares said.

"Then you think as Sirius does," Kratos said.

"I never expected to see you, Altair and Procyon's future successor, here again. Yes, I disagree with the people's assessments, but I can do nothing to bend the will of the masses," Antares replied.

"There's a lot you can do, Lord Antares. You can show them that half-elves can be good people. We don't want to soil your bloodlines. All we care about is finding a place where we can be accepted," Martel said. They heard the clash of swords right outside the door.

"Stop, Dusk. Mithos and his friends are negotiating a surrender," Kepler said.

"Get out of the way," Dusk answered, tossing Kepler aside with one hand. With a swipe of his magic sword, he blew away the combined Knights of Thor and Enigma's Ghosts.

"All right then, Dusk. If you want to get to Mithos, you'll have to go through me," Alice said. She held the black crystal of dragon essence she took from Solstice. I can only use this once, so this has to count. "There's no way you will get your hands on Mithos' Angel Crystal."

"His Angel Crystal? Do you really think I need that thing?" Dusk replied. He took out his own red crystal pendant and put it on. A pair of silver wings sprouted on his back.

"Dragon form!" Alice called, raising the dragon essence over her. Her voice deepened as she changed into the shape of a black dragon, breathing a plume of purple fire at Dusk.

"That barely tickled," Dusk said. "Do not think that your dark magic holds a candle to my holy magic. Rays of the sun... send this corrupt soul to Tartarus. Judgment Ray!" Almost exactly like Alice drawing the life from Solstice, Dusk pulled the life from Alice with a beam of white light. She returned to her human form, but realized that Dusk now possessed the dragon essence.

"I'll not let you have it," Alice said. "Fearful Raven!" She sent her darkness attack to engulf the essence and bring it to her. Then, she summoned a portal to take her inside the palace.

"Alice!" Martel said. "You're really badly hurt."

Alice's face was whiter than ever and her red eyes were bloodshot. She was hanging on the brink of death.

"Heal her, Martel," Yuan requested.

"There will be none of that," Dusk said, slashing down the door with his blade. Solstice rushed the king away into an adjacent room. He knew that Dusk would try to kill the leader right off the bat. Kepler followed close behind with a few knights and Ghosts.

"Lord Kepler," Alice said.

"Alice!" Kepler said, running to her.

"Kill her. She is a traitor to our cause," Dusk ordered.

"You have no honor, do you, Dusk? I saw you and your poison sword," Kepler asked.

"Who needs honor when you have victory?" replied Dusk. "Now, kill Alice Enigma."

"I won't..."

Dusk took out a dagger, completely clean of any poison and drove it through Kepler's stomach. "So you betrayed me, too. I'll leave you here to die while you think about your treachery, you dog."

"Solstice!" Alice shouted, hurling the dragon essence to him. He caught it and instantly absorbed it back into his body. "All of you, run! You don't stand a chance against Dusk!"

"We're not turning back," Mithos said. He drew the Starsword while his friends got ready to fight.

"Lady Enigma! No!" Yuan shouted. Alice threw herself at Dusk and fired off a Fearful Raven into Dusk's crystal. Dusk countered by stabbing her through the heart.
This is my end. My legacy will live on in Yuan. Farewell, Mithos. I have always known I would die here and that my eyes will never come to rest on your peaceful world. Alice's lifeless body dropped on the floor of the audience chamber. Only in death did her red eyes return to their natural green color.

"This can't be! The crystal is damaged!" Dusk said. His wings flickered and then vanished.

"Take him," Yuan said, slashing Dusk across the chest with his twin blade. "For Alice."

"This is for Altair!" Kratos said, putting his Dragon's Tear into Dusk's heart.

Dusk fell to his knees, and without the power of his Angel Crystal, the pain going through him was unbearable. He then took a look in the sky and grinned.

"Ha ha ha ha! You've fallen right into my master's trap. Glory to Supreme Cardinal Erebus and the age of half-elves!" Dusk said. A blue magic seal appeared and the same black figure that saved Procyon emerged. "Lord Erebus!"