Tales of Revenants

Chapter 59 – Flames of the Bloodless

The fervor and his conviction clashes together with the sword he undertakes in order to destroy Alisa's cage no matter what it takes.

Laken was blinded by the unknown voice coming from his head that tasks him from getting all of the Shards of Creation scattered around the world.

The cost was he forgot the most important thing to him; that is his comrades whom he fought side by side until they were cursed.

Most of all, he forgot the sister he grew up in an orphanage when they were young. They used to be best of friends and always together be it foolish or frivolous situations.

Laken and Alisa were never separated because the only family they had is each other. They knew how painful it is to be alone as the world is in chaos.

The war in the past caused the world in the brink of destruction. The children who lost their parents are sent to the orphanage. Laken and Alisa themselves are the victims of the conflict between countries, kingdoms, and empires.

The moment Laken understands how the world works and why does war even happen, he realized he must grow stronger to fight against the odds.

He secretly trained himself to become the best swordsman in the Skyhaven Kingdom. He always covertly watches the knights whenever they're on training to learn from them.

After imprinting the ways of their knighthood and their sword techniques, he goes to the outskirts and trains himself instead of playing like the other kids in the orphanage.

No one taught him how to be courageous or become a proper swordsman. The only thing he did was train himself every day.

He did his best more than anyone, for the desire to be stronger than anyone so he can fulfill his wish.

Alisa knew Laken was personally training himself. She understands he wanted to become greater not because he should be the best, but so he can have the strength to protect those who he cares for.

It was also the time Alisa realizes she should not be idling. She started going to a public library and studied the way of the magic so when the time comes, she can fight with him.

Until Alisa stumbled upon a mysterious grimoire that is hidden in one of the bookshelves' wedges.

When she discovered such book full wonders, she studied it and mastered the spells inside it.

Little did she understand that the grimoire she found was owned by a necromancer, the art of dabbling into the magic of life and death.

She only noticed when the pet dog in the orphanage died, and she cried and cried near its grave, and the next day the dog returned as a skeleton controlled by her magic.

When the caretakers found out she was a necromancer, they shunned Alisa together with Laken and were expelled in the orphanage.

Alisa thought Laken will hate her for being a burden but it was the opposite.

He patted her head and said with a smile, “It's okay. As long as we're together, we can somehow make it!” Laken accepted her wholeheartedly.

Starting the day they were banished, they did everything they can to survive in the kingdom.

They steal bread from the shops, sleeps from someone else's stables, and lived in the forests where monsters are lurking around threatening their very lives.

They wish to become more powerful for the kingdom that ignored their existence.

It was ironically true, Laken's desire to protect Alisa is what made him step forward towards the light.

The reason Laken's sword burns brilliantly was so he could shatter Alisa's diamond cage and tell her it's fine.

She already did her best and there's nothing more to feel responsible about.

“Severe! Severe! Severe!” Laken continually swings his sword with everything he has to offer to free her from the yokes of darkness.

“Shards... hear my prayer...” Luciella tried to call for shards she has, though it never answered her prayer.

Eirisse notices the azure flame is gradually traveling from his shoulder to her chest, “No...! He's going to lose his mind!” She exclaimed worriedly about Laken.

“Remember guys, Zoroaster and I will use everything we have once he lost his sanity.” Alice reminded them that they are Heavenly Heroes and they must do what they should.

“Hey, this is serious. Use your Magus Incarnation now Luciella!” Xenon shakes Luciella left and right.

Each strike of Laken becomes stronger at the cost of his sanity. Luciella more than anyone felt responsible since she had the shards to enter into Magus Incarnation and save the day.

However, she learned why the shards aren't answering her call nor giving a glimpse of its light.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Luciella dashed through where Laken is without thinking ahead of what would happen to her.

“No Luciella you must not!” Eirisse reaches for her but Xenon instead suspended her.

“You asked Luciella to believe Laken, but you won't trust her?” Xenon only said the truth which made Eirisse verify her heart only to find out the way her chest beat is the same as him.

“But...” Eirisse had no choice but to trust her.

“I think we're going to see another miracle, huh.” Xenon observes what would ensue.

It doesn't matter how strongly Laken emits azure flames, Luciella went and gave him a hug accepting him along with the fire that scorches his soul away.

“I am no longer the weakling I am! I don't need the power of the shards to save you from your suffering because we promised! That's my strength that shall purify your darkened horizon!” Luciella embraced him tighter than ever before.

The blinding light began to envelop their very existence, Luciella is trying to encroach Laken's fragment of memory without the power of the shards.

She realizes that her tiny little light isn't enough to bring brilliance to his darkness, but she knows not to give up, and ultimately entering Laken's recollections using her own ability.

Luciella found herself in an endless white horizon just the same with Eirisse and Xenon. The canvas began to paint Laken's fragment of memories.

This time, the tall trees and the clear river reminded her of the Mist Forest which is part of Skyhaven's Kingdom.

Luciella recognized the boy who is protecting a little girl from a wild boar, she presumes it must be Laken when he was a child.

“Get behind me, Alisa! I shall make it our dinner,” it was definitely Laken in his unyielding courage.

“Be safe please...” Alisa did what Laken told him to do.

The way Laken evaded the wild boar's attack and gashes its feet using his iron sword is amazing.

He killed the boar in no time and carried it near the riverside to butcher it while Alisa prepares the firewood.

Luciella thinks how hard it must be for them to live in the forest trying to survive when she used to be spoiled living in a mansion since she's a princess.

The fragments of memory shifted to a landscape in the royal capital, there Luciella witnessed a gallant knight in shining armor cloaked in white. She was surprised to see the knight was Laken.

He had an emblem of the highest rank in knighthood on his shoulder plate, “Today we shall bring the promised victory, for the Skyhaven's Glory!” Laken strikes his sword in the air after his speech, all of the hundreds and thousands of knights shouted the war cry of hope.

Luciella can't tell if it's before or after he ventured the world. But she recognized Laken did his best and climbed at the top of the kingdom, only to be enlisted in the upcoming war after everything he did.

She witnessed how many lives he took as the flames of war ignited. Day by day the sound of echoing flesh and clashing blades filled his mind.

Many of his men died during the war but he still had the resolve to strengthen the morale of the remaining knights and fight until the last drop of their very lives.

Laken's fortitude is unmatched, he pushed towards the enemy no matter how strong they are. He killed and killed everything along with his path using the sword he wields.

Luciella saw him in a locked room, where he hides the tears he shed and the pain he had to endure to kill many lives.

It was simply the price for the kingdom's harmony. Alisa couldn't even approach and console him.

Days went by and he forgot how to smile in front of his only family, Alisa. She regrets that she's not there when he needed her presence the most.

The fragments of memories shifted once again, Luciella could never forget the room where the twelve silhouette drinks from the chalice they cradled firmly.

Luciella tried to reach for him before Laken could absorb the cursed chalice, but she stopped when she heard his sincere prayer.

“I wish for a paradise without war, a place where no one has to shed blood, where everyone lives in this beautiful world!” He shouted his wish before drinking from the chalice.

The cursed in which scourged those who drink the dark-red fluid, Luciella thought she will hear Laken's scream of despair, but she was wrong.

He was standing on his feet. Laken's fervor mixed with his conviction is so intense he firmly accepted the curse and the fact he has been fooled all along.

The rest were suffering, but he never faltered even for a second. The only difference Luciella noticed this time was she overheard the voice of someone whispered to Laken.

“The blade you undertake shall never shed the blood of your victim, now you learn the world will never change, Bloodless Revenant.”

Luciella cried when she learned his fate is already sealed as she witnessed the first light of his azure flames burning brightly.

Laken wished for a world without war, yet he receives an atrocious cursed he never prayed for.

It maybe already in the past. Luciella reaches for him in his own recollection.

Even without the power of the shards, even if she needed to defy the curse, Luciella accepted his darkness using the little speck of light she used to hide away from fear.