Project Schemer - Salvatore Trilogy: Prelude

Arc 2 - Chapter 4: A performance of snow and spring wind.

"We are not too late, now, please leave this to us. All of these corruption shall be cleansed, beside can't let the youngest member off our family do all the hardwork, we are a little bit over protective after all."

The frost knight charge toward the titan, each wound the knight caused an ice shard appear from it. Even when the titan counter attack the knight just turned into white mist causing the temperature to drop even lower, after that they just return behind Aethelred to recover. Their wound recover faster the colder the air become, but what with the ice shard, this must have some connection to Aethelred's power.

"My lord Tomoe, i can sense something else under our feet."

"Can you sense it Killua ?"

"I will try my best my lord."

Even after turning into titan these people still have something under their sleeves, something under our feet, but is this the noble's plan or that mysterious group is one behind all of this. Wait, why is he smiling, something under our feet, the corruption when they fall, they don't remain on the ground. The titans absorb them but what happen after the titans fall, something can't disappear the corruption, something else absorb them.

"No, we are not defeat them or making them weaker, we make them stronger."

"You think of something ? Higeki."

"The corruption can't be erase from this world, it just transfer between creature, do you notice that the more enemies we defeat the stronger the one after ? Maybe the nobles didn't turn into titan because they wanted to, maybe it is because we defeat those small corrupted soldier they become much more powerful."

"That could explain all of these problem but if you say like that, the thing that beneth us... No, it can't be."

"I believe our doubt is correct, Alria. The thing beneth our feet provide the corruption for the noble army, the more we defeat them, the corruption must find a host. Because of your blessing and Tomoe's blessing the corruption can't spread to us so it choose a new host."

"But if the final titan is defeated them what will happen... No, that can't be the truth."

"The source of corruption from hundred of year ago can't be purified so we bear the responsibility to seal it in this forest as the guardian of this forest i must contain the corruption but it seem like i am powerless in the end. They bested me those mysterious person bested me."

A person appear from the forest the same way Killua appear but his appearance is much more miserable, torn clothing and dried wound. He has to use his cane to support him, he wore a dirty piece of clothing to cover his eyes, perhap it is stabbed.

"Killua !"

"Tomoe, is that you my lord."

"I am so sorry, i knew something wrong but i didn't try to find what was wrong."

"No it is my fault, i was careless."

"But if this is Killua, then the other one is ?"

"It is the same way gods can bless other creature, the other Killua is just a manifestation, it seem like he vanished after finish his job."

While Tomoe and Alria try to recover Killua he started to cough and blood tainted his clothing, his eyes are stabbed that is the reason he has to wore a piece of clothing. But his state is not good, with final solution, Tomoe kept him inside a water bubble and find another way to recover him later. I looked toward Aethelred and he his final attack, drawing ice shards out of every wound his soldier inflicted on the titans, the ice shards focus on the core with a final arrow, the core is shattered. Instead of fell on its knee, the titan roar. The corruption spread over the ground, the same thing happen the the ground beneth us, Aethelred and his soldiers quickly goes to us and what we predicted is correct. The greatest corruption from the book of Soleil's revolution, the thing that caused the corruption that brought Soleil to ruin appear in front of us.

"So once again, the great war of Soleil repeat but this time, we can't use our full power. These people are smart."

What appear in front of me is not a creature anymore longer, it is a combination of many creature but the whole is terrifying enough to send fear across the battlefield. But that doesn't stop us because we know there are many thing we need to protect to risk our life for. I don't want to lost this world to some corruption that i didn't know, Aethelred command his archer to attack but it proved to have no use. Even with Alria's enhancement it prove to have no use, no matter how many ice shards Aethelred draw out it prove to have to effect on the giant creature. 

"I never thought i have to go all out for once in my own life, young brother, beware, stay away from me or this may hurt you."

The air become even colder, our breath become white smoke, Aethelred put his glass away and run toward the giant, his step create small an icy path, any attack toward him is reflected. The snowflake formed into many different weapon, with his final step Aethelred freeze the giant and command a giant blade pierce into its core. The powerful attack cause backfire toward Aethelred even it prove to have some effect on the giant but it is not a great.

"Don't forget me Aethelred, Lady Deora sense something else come from Soleil, you should waited for me."

"Ikuni."

"And beside, i do want to impress Higeki too you know."

"Too bad for you, i already made an impression that everlasting in his mind."

"Not fair. But... Higeki, can you play me a song ?"

"Alright then."

The song from Koto combine with my rule and from that allow me to protect everyone i want, both of that create barriers. Tomoe understand, he also stands next to me, the moment his hand touch the instrument and his head on my shoulder, my rule become much more powerful. It is not just protecting but also recover for everyone, Illian, Kuoni, Siore and Abrelard, they recovered and ready to attack the giant. Lucius and Libitina finish their spell, Ebony turned into his original form - a giant raven and rain down sharp black feather that cut through everything.

"I need sometime to prepare that attack."

"Have as much time as you need Kuoni, we will give you that much time, Ikuni, let show our young brother how Edolin perform."

Ikuni close his umbrella and draw out from the cane is a very sharp sword, his attack match the tempo of my song. His movement match the sound even the leaves he dashed through match the tempo of my performance, the same goes to Aethelred's attack, his soldier attack with the same tempo, the ice from the wound changed its color from white to blue, their attack make the giant weaker and his power is reduced the longer the battle. Maybe this is the nature of the corruption, it can be furious but that can't last very long.

"We almost defeat it, final strike is your, Kuoni."

"O the sacred light above, perish the darkness tainted our land as our hearts send our prayer to you."

A beatiful light strike down the battlefield where the corruption giant standing. It roars in pain and use the last of its power to destroy everything in its sight but i won't allow that to happen. With a swift movement, the song turned into barrier and protect everything but in the end that is what the giant want. For me to use my power to protect everyone and it aim its target to me, a bright white light.

"Who are you ?"

"We are the thing you called the corruption, but that is not everything we truly are."

An entity appear in front of my face and then split into many other entities, so the corruption is not one entity but the combination of many entities. Their voices create vibration inside my head, no they don't want to stay like this, their voices, they want to be free and most of all, they want their wills back, they don't want to be imprisoned and most of all, they don't want to be a weapon used to destroy the land they loved.

"Child of the hero, can you please... free us ?"

"Free you all, but how ?"

"Look deep inside you and you should see the solution, trust in your rule, trust in your heroic bloodline, there is no bond can be stronger than the bond that you are carrying inside you. Search inside your heart the truth of every creation, you have a mind like no one else, a mind to see what beyond normal human can see. Your rule will follow your command if you can reasoning with it, push your mind to the limit to see the beauty of creation and your rule will follow."

My rule will follow if i can look deeper and trust it, sound like something came out from fairy tail but right now, i want to save these people, they are made to fight against their will and all they wanted is an eternal slumber. Look deeper, break whatever holding my memories, the song in my mind, slowly manifest into reality with the truth, the moment my hand touch on Koto, something vibrated inside my mind.

I know that now, my tear running on my cheeks, i am an artist. My bloodline, my grandfather, we are artist, the instrument shine bright, the light is warm yet glorious. The song i play take those entities on their journey to a different world where they can rest, those who already gone should gone, there is no reason for remnant of the past to linger to this world. The entities fading away one by one, there is no corruption to begin with it is just the emotion of those who lingering in this realm corrupted by desire of those who greedy. 

"We want to thank you, your song allow us to rest. I am truly sorry that i can't do anything for your memories, i hope you can find them back soon."

"Don't worry too much, i am not type of person cling to my past, always look toward the future where the possibility remain unknown. why look into the past while you can move forward."

Wind blew through my hair and touched my face with dearing gesture as slowly fall to the earth, Flour catched me and everyone around hug me. I guess i really made everyone worry but on the bright side, the war is over, the sun shine above us, the war is really over. Or maybe that is what i thought of, we still have mister mysterious man here, and with clothing like this, he will have a lot of question to answer but for now, let us enjoy this victory.