Tales of Revenants

Chapter 87 – Desire To Change

Before even the Dark Wars changed the fate of the world, twelve fallen heroes succumb to the darkness became Revenants.

Seven of the twelve were able to accept their curse and wandered around the world accumulating greater sins in order to sate their depravity, or else, they'll become what happened to the rest of the fallen.

The rest of the fallen consists of five who are said to have committed suicide. The callousness of the world made them think it's for the better, little did they know it's the beginning of a greater doom looming around their very lives.

Their ephemeral concept of peace has led them to believe that the protection of the twelve Heavenly Heroes is enough. It's the time where the abyssal darkness comes about taking over the blighted horizon.

Amongst the five Revenants who committed suicide is the Faithless Revenant, Balakiel. Before he was corrupted, he's a good-hearted human who's faith and loyalty are boundless.

The corruption depraved Balakiel to fall into the pits of the deepest abyss, or it could be called Curse of Disloyalty. Everything, every bit of his faith has been eaten by the darkness inside of him.

Such tragedy has befallen to him that his Revenant Metamorphosis allowed him to gradually steal the faith of those who had eye-contact with him until they lose eyesight, and finally losing sanity.

But concurrently while Balakiel is gazing upon Luciella's eyes, he realized her faith and loyalty to Laken is unquantifiable in each different spectrums.

Balakiel's aware Luciella's being powered by the Shards of Creation, it's just her conviction is tremendously pre-eminent more than anyone he faced before.

"I shall respect the Magus Incarnate, tell me your name," Balakiel asked her directly.

The surrounding looks a little odd, and even after resetting time, it seems their plan is not to obliterate anyone but to capture Eris for some reason, is what Luciella thought to herself.

It's evident because one of the Dark Entities is holding Eris as a hostage. Laken and the rest can't make a move because if ever they made any mistake, it would endanger her life.

"I'm Luciella. Now tell us why you wanted to capture Eris." Luciella's dead serious. There's no way she assumed that their enemy shall reveal their plans and she's just wasting seconds to quickly think of a plan.

It appears the shard's power also increases her mental confidence allowing her to use the bravery sleeping dormant within her.

"Hm, why don't you tell her, Artarel," Balakiel called out one of her four Dark Entities.

Thalfeur's expression suddenly became serious. His irises contracted like someone who just realized a saddening reality while his tail's wriggling in all directions.

"I'm now finally allowed to speak... it's been a long time, Thalfeur." The Dark Entity named Artarel revealed her form as a lady who had green hair, fine figure, and a white long tail signifying she's not just a draconic, but a glorious ancient dragonkin.

The world and truth Thalfeur knew before flipped upside-down. Questions, hundred, thousands of questions filled his mind. An unavoidable encounter led him to remember something important that he had forgotten.

As the world he once knew came back to him like a flashing spark of hope, it seems he finally remembered the reason why he didn't succumb to eternal darkness.

"Artarel... why... why did you left me behind?" Thalfeur just wanted to be with her, but Balakiel didn't let it happen.

"She's my loyal servant now. And Artarel should be the one questioning you, isn't it?" Balakiel's trying to play with their emotions.

Before even Thalfeur could touch Artarel who's deliberately waiting for him to embrace her, Alisa just has to interfere and seize his arm to warn him, "I don't know who she is, but don't approach her! Balakiel is a corpse necromancer, meaning, she's not who she was!"

Each field of magic has an equivalent way of doing things in a different aspect. Usual necromancers use necromantic magic to summon a living undead by transferring a random soul to an undead.

But corpse necromancers aren't the kind that controls life and death. They simply control dead by implanting an image of a personality inside a dead body.

Meaning, everything they summon is merely a corpse or rotting body that doesn't have any soul to even properly reanimate an undead. Alisa discerns that whoever Artarel was before, she's now just a pile of flesh that should not exist without soul.

It appears she's someone Thalfeur knew from a long time ago, "It can't be..." He came back to his senses since he still believes his comrades.

"That's it. I came here to show you how we can end the world, I shall challenge you all in an all-out fight in Ladross Prarie three days from now. To finish this once and all." Balakiel gestured upon his servants. Eris tried to squirm and scream but there's no voice coming out.

Luck isn't at their side, Laken tried to swing his sword but to his surprise, he flinched when Balakiel lashed out a dark whip that came out of his weapon.

The impact is so effective Laken held out his sword and then he realized he couldn't perform a swift strike; a sword technique to counter those who have whip as a weapon, so he bailed out. He also didn't expect what ensued to his preemptive strike.

His sword was melted away by the Dark Lord's whip. The midsection dissolved into the air, hilt is the only thing left on his hand. After Laken loses his only weapon, they all vanished in thin air.

They disappeared without a trace, only the remnants of the ceiling's debris, destroyed furniture, and Laken's destroyed sword is left.

Everyone immediately went to the chamber where Empress Marielye and Queen Nimrie are left behind. They all took a deep breathe when they found out they were fine thanks to Luciella's endeavor.

It was the time when Luciella's Magus Incarnation wears off as she collapses in the ground. She's hearing her comrades calling out to her. The vibrant image of Laken carrying her like a princess is the last thing she remembered before she totally went unconscious.

The next thing she knew was that she woke up in a comfy bed while the sun has already set. She's currently at the guest room Empress Marielye lend them. Laken's beside him in a chair patiently waiting for her to wake up, and so, she already did.

Before Luciella could even cover her eyes from the exposure of sunlight, Laken held her palms tightly that he doesn't want to let go.

"I heard everything from the empress... why did you do such dangerous task of resetting the time?" Laken cut directly to the point. He's just worried about her mental and physical condition.

"Because I don't want you to carry the burden alone... I want to prove I'm serious when I promised to walk beside you." Luciella suddenly held her chest. The tingling pain still lingers and for her, it's just a mere price for the lives of everyone.

Such an event would never happen again, Luciella wanted to keep it a secret but it seems Laken found it already when he directly glared at her face.

Luciella kind of smile and said, "Tell me what you want to say."

"The thing in your chest... tell me, when did it start?" Laken asked with sincerity.

There's no way she could elude his question. After all, there's no way Laken couldn't see it when he's the one who dressed her up and took care of her.

It may seem inappropriate, Luciella grabbed the collar of her clothes and looked inside her undergarment to check her body and then, black roots began to pervade through her skin originating from her sternum and her lower bosom.

The roots aren't physically present, it seemed like more of a symbol or kind of eccentric birthmark since it resembles something undesirable. Nevertheless, it's still a sign that her body starts to deteriorate from using the Shards of Creation on her own.

"I promise it just started when I used the full potential of the Shard of Time to change the fate of everyone dying." Luciella spilled the beans.

The two of them went silent. They contemplate the things they should consider after the mess of encountering Demon Lord Balakiel who abducted Eris for his own benefit. Of course, Laken feels guilt from not being able to save her quickly.

Their enemy assaulted where even the Eye of the Beholder did not expect. A perfect plan to obliterate everyone at the mansion and Laken surely doesn't want Luciella to be in peril.

Though had not she changed the very course of time, then maybe they're clinging to an invisible hope and justice where they failed miserably.

After minutes passed, Luciella suddenly got off the bed and tried to walk by herself, and it seems she's hobbling around beside the wall so Laken supported her back or else she might keel over.

She's reaching for the shards on her waistbelt above the cabinet table, "I need to save her... I promised to save everyone..."

Laken kind of saw her stubborn side that refuses to give up. Before she collapses again, he had to force her back on the bed because she must recover from the extreme flux of mana all the while converting that enormous mana into magic.

"Listen here Luciella, I know you fathom the pain of losing someone... and that's the thing I would also feel if you are in danger! Not just me... but the rest of us! So please stay here..." Laken pleaded.

It was the first time Luciella saw Laken explicitly reveals her weak side. There's nothing she could do and let him grasps her hand tighter than ever. Both of them let the silence recovers the innocence they once have forgotten.

The battle between the Demon Lord Balakiel adjourned three days after their intense encounter, along with the realization of Luciella that faith to her comrades is also important as the power she desired not too long ago.