Chapter  <???>

  

  

  Hello?

  Anybody there??

  Tenmei Akiro tried to swim through the spacious void, only to realize he could not feel his legs or hands. Anything. Nothing.

 

  Only one thing was left after the final blow, and that was his mind. His conscious.

 

  He knows he is still Tenmei Akiro, he still remembers what caused this to happen.

 

  He still seemed to hear Haru crying out his name.

 

  Either he still could hear, or it was a slice of memory replaying in his sole mind.

 

  Tenmei Akiro couldn’t differentiate which from which anymore.

 

  Mayhap the blast of light from the Herunian Deity has destroyed his corporal form so efficiently that he didn’t even realize he was dead and now drifting in Herunia’s cycles as a lone soul light. 

  It must be so, Tenmei concluded, I am dead.

 

  Then as all things that die, this mind will also eventually perish. Along with the memories, the feelings, and the last reminiscence of sensations when they were yet active. 

 

  He is about to disappear at any given moment.

 

  Any second by now.

 

  Tenmei Akiro would admit candidly that he is afraid.

  So…this must be how Miula Haru felt, after learning about the truth of her deteriorating health.

 

  It is not only terrifying but also demotivating. Like poison that stimulates fear weaker than pain more than an itch, that pierces the light heart like a thorn in an old sweater. Constantly reminding one of an inevitable end that will mercilessly wipe out all the efforts that one wishes to strive for.

 

  Fearing every step of endeavor is either going to fail or end at the moment before success.

 

  This is the world of Miula Haru. Yet even knowing that sending the Seed back would end her life eventually, she still sought to do the right thing, to keep the world and Herunia intact.

 

  That is truly remarkable…Tenmei Akiro praised with the nonexistent mouth that was no longer there for him to express his admiration. 

 

  At least, they tried. Tenmei Akiro recalled the last moments of the end of the world.

 

  If I had tried to communicate more with King Varche, would he hesitate in breaking the blessed realm?

 

  Or maybe he should have never invited Varche into Herunia? 

 

  It was a bet to save Sora and the Herunian Beast, and Haru also.

 

  Maybe there really is hidden wisdom to save Haru, the same way King Varche could save his loved one.

 

  Maybe we should have trusted Varche more…?

 

  Tenmei was lost. Even reduced to only his mind left Tenmei still managed to entangle himself through boggling questions he himself couldn’t answer.

 

  Because most of the questions are no longer relevant.

 

  What has happened has happened, and there is no way to undo the things anyone has done.

 

  It’s time to let go.

 

  At that moment, Tenmei was amazed that without his eyes he still could see the environment in front of him turn brighter than the dull paleness that was.

 

  It is his calling.

 

  The end where Tenmei’s memories and minds are about to be washed away to nonexistence.

 

  Wait.

 

  Wait, I don’t want to leave all this behind yet!

 

  I need more time, I need more…

  Tenmei knows there is no escape, and leaving in a frenzying fear is too sad for his liking. 

 

  But there must be a way?!

 

  A way to escape from disappearing entirely?!

 

  Won’t hurt trying now.

  Tenmei Akiro let his mind swim freely, in search of a known way possible to escape this death of the mind, and this fear of death itself.

 

  He once heard Parusefor monks dwelling high above Xin-an mounts seek the in-one-ment with Herunia through meditation. Perhaps Meditation is the key. But wait! Meditation is to calm the mind and cease the thinking of self, thus erasing one’s consciousness and connecting to the blank void of nothingness…that may sound decent for living monks, but for Tenmei who is existing solely on his remaining mind, surrendering his consciousness to nothingness sounded more like suicide right now. Tenmei quickly focused his mind to stay alive.

 

  Then he remembered another connection he had with someone through the mind, somehow.

 

  A conscious connection with the Ark’arios!

 

  Can the Ark’arios survive that Herunian Blast? Of course, he would. Tenmei had never seen the Archdemon close to dying in his whole journey. It may be defeated, but it was due to the body that carries him that caused most of the Demon’s downfall.

 

  Maybe if he connects his mind with the Ark’arios, he can be summoned by the Archdemon, like how he summoned the Astro form of Ark’arios before!

 

  It is a valid way to get himself revived!!

  Tenmei Akiro quickly focused his mind once more, as the brightening world closed in on his soul. Tenmei let his mind soar, soar towards where Ark’arios would be in the vast conscious realm.

 

  And then a jolt, a tingle did rebound from the long line of connection Tenmei had cast throughout.

 

  Tenmei was sure he hit something. Something existing.

 

  Can it be…!!!!

  “ Stop resisting, Boy Tenmei. It is Us!”

  The familiar growl of the Archdemon tear Tenmei’s world apart as the light engulfing him suddenly drove past him like a rushing bus, and as the flashing light moved passed his existence, Tenmei saw that his hands had returned. So have his feet, his body, and…his chest was blasted wide open at a side, and not a single organ, light heart, lungs, stomach, etc, was left in that cracked aperture, and all that was, stuck deep between his remaining tissue outlines replacing his vital organs, 

 

  was the Blue Exia Rune.

 

  Its resplendent gentle sea blue glow calmed Tenmei greatly from the body horror that has occurred in his insides.

 

  “ You good?” 

 

  Tenmei looked up.

 

  There sat a shadowy form in the shape of a faceless bulky man, sitting cross-legged in front of him.

  And next to the figure of ash, sat a smaller thin frame of a faceless woman engulfed in pure light.

 

  “ …Ark’arios…? Sora…?”

 

  Tenmei guessed, amazed by everything that has played out since the return of his corporal body.

 

  “ Good. Then you are not as insane as we thought you would be.” Ark’arios sighed as the shadowy hulking figure nodded slowly.

 

  “ We thought you were going mad, struggling in the void like that.” Sora’s voice came from the feminine figure of light sitting next to the Ark’arios.

 

  “ I WAS going mad.” Tenmei admitted, eager to exchange anything just to avoid experiencing all that dread once more.

  “ But what happened?! Where are we?! Where is Everyone?! Where…where is Miula?!”

 

  “ I’ll explain, Tenmei, but we don’t have much time.” Sora in light form tried to calm the frantic Tenmei to listen to her explanations.

  “ This is the final outcome of the Herunian System’s self-defenses: Reality Termination. As I have warned before, Herunia has the power to break all Light-Children’s Reality to save its own.”

 

  “ No way…” Tenmei slowly realized the gravity of the situation at hand.

“ You mean…Herunia destroyed every living thing because Varche read its mind??”

 

  “ …Long story short, yes, but no.” Sora seemed unwilling to explain the details.

 

  “ How?!” But Tenmei was eager to know the details.

 

  With a gentle sigh, Sora continued.

  “ The Herunian Beast is designed to return any form of attack it received with a technically impenetrable layer, dimming it as the ultimate invincible defense mechanism. But the Great Strike Exia Rune Sword proved too powerful even the Herunian Beast’s Strike Force cannot protect itself from the penetration, and thus with the outer film broken, every moment counts as damage, and the receiving damage starts to build up but every single second of the film damage is too small to inflict counter strike so the Herunian Beast resorted to building up all the small damage taken and conglomerating it into one last drastic counterstrike. When Varche starts to penetrate the Herunian Deity with his Red Exia powers of understanding, the clustering damage overloaded and forced the Beast to attack, thus…bringing an end to Reality.”

 

  Tenmei Akiro processed the long-ass exposition and got his own conclusion.

 

  “ I really shouldn’t have let Varche into Herunia, right?”

 

  “ Well…all aspects considered, now might be the only way for things to work out.” 

Sora’s voice was hopeful, and Tenmei strongly doubted her claim.

 

  “ What do you mean?” Tenmei asked in wonder.

 

 With a wave, Sora sent out a ring of light that extended across the whole void around them, blowing off the midst, revealing the skyscrapers protruding beside them, and the main roads of Tron just some miles away down below.

 

  To Tenmei’s sheer astonishment, the capital was intact. But cloaked in a greyish-white hue. Citizens and soldiers stood still at their designated spots like marble statues, locked in position as if the whole world was turned to stone.

 

  “ So…Reality isn’t fully destroyed?” Tenmei tried to piece out the truth from what unbelievable sight he beheld.

 

  “ It will tarnish and disappear to dust if we are not fast enough.” Sora suddenly pointed at something below.

  “ Rio, help me fetch that child for me please.”

 

  With a whoosh, the Ark’arios was gone, and half a second later, the Ark’arios returned, in his hand was a Griffon struggling in terror until he saw Tenmei.

 

  “ Geez, bro! Your chest looks sick! And What’s wrong with the world?! What is going on?!?!”

 

  “ Griffon, I don’t have answers. Let’s just listen and do what we are told.” Tenmei suggested sage advice.

  “ By the way, why are you not a marble statue like everyone else??” Tenmei asked suspiciously, fearing that this Griffon is not the real Griffon.

 

  “ No idea. But somehow this started burning like f-ck!” Griffon rolled up his shirt to reveal his Purple Exia Rune that seared deep upon his chest, very much like Tenmei’s Exia Rune but with the skin and vital organs still intact.

  Now Tenmei was sure he was the Real Griffon.

 

  “ Good for you.” Tenmei nodded sarcastically. 

“ I don’t have lungs now.” 

 

  “ You don’t need lungs because your body has adapted to the current situation your choice has made.” 

 

  And Lo, like seeing a ghost, both Tenmei and Griffon jumped at the sight of Old King Keiken walking in to greet the folks amiably, fully transparent now, like a real ghost.

 

  “ It seems that our Exia Runes were spared by Herunia’s laws of eradication.”

  Old King Keiken chuckled sadly.

  That was when Tenmei noticed the Great Strike Exia Rune Sword was gone, and their separate Exia Runes had returned to them. 

  Herunia has shattered the Great Rune on its own, and spared their Exia Runes somehow. Why though,  Tenmei wondered. 

  But with the Exia Runes back to their bearers, that means the Exian Rune Lords have regained control over their power,  to help with the current peril!

 

  “ So, all the Exian Lords are here to help?!” Tenmei and Griffon sounded hopeful once again.

 

  “ Not all.”  And Lo spake Toshiumi the Awesome, Raphael Harute Al Seraphim, Brave of Zabanya. Though Awesomely charming and intimidatingly attractive he may still be, the Golden Lord didn't hide his ashen grave expression from them.

  The coolest and most affable of the Exian Lords have arrived to lend an awesome hand. 

 

  “ I can’t find Varche. His body is gone.” Toshiumi spoke solemnly like he was to blame, containing his anguish under his professionalism as a Ruler of the prestigious Golden Company.

 

  Tenmei looked around the gathered Exian Rune Bearers, ancient beings and noticed something.

 

  “ Where is Miula?” Tenmei asked, sensing a trepidation in Sora’s silence.

 

 “ Where is she? Where is Miula?!” Tenmei stood up, with his voice rising.

 

 “ Tenmei.” Ark’arios rose up as well

“ She is gone.” 

  And there, as Tenmei’s eyes traveled behind Sora’s silent saddened frame, to a small high rise among the void,

 

  was Miula Haru.

 

 It seemed like she was asleep, in a dream so sweet that she refused to wake up.

  Tenmei was before Haru’s presence in no time, kneeling by her invisible bedside, touching her wrist to feel her pulse.

  Nothing.

  It was like the hole in his body had remembered the pain and ached Tenmei in every cell of his body.

 

  “ Tenmei…there is not much time…”

 

  “ …She is been petrified, like the others below…right?” Tenmei asked in denial, holding back the tears, manly tears.

“ She is affected like all the others, right?! What will happen to her when the world returns to normal?! Answer me!!”

  “ She will be dead.”

  Old Keiken King replied candidly with a heavy heart, full of sentiment.

 

  “ Tenmei…it is because of Haru that we are able to bring back this world.” Sora exclaimed, the sorrow never leaving her voice

  “ I was not fully healed by that time, and It is with the last portion of the Seed power stored in Haru that granted all of us protection before the Reality Termination wipes out all of the Exia Runes. See? The Great Strike Exia Rune Sword is shattered but its runes remain! It is all because of Haru…”

 

  And Sora broke into tears, sobbing silently in Ark’arios’ embrace.

 

  Toshiumi King was silent, mourning in his awesome way, feeling terribly sorry for all the brave women that sacrificed their lives so others can prevail.

 

  Griffon was crying his eyes out.

  And Tenmei Akiro was at a loss.

 

  

  She never had the chance to say goodbye to anyone.

 

  Not even to her parents.

  Haru had sacrificed her own fading existence, to do the right thing.

  No matter how terrified, how scared she was of disappearing and leaving all her loved ones behind, 

 

  She still made the right choice.

  Haru deserved better. 

 

  Things aren’t supposed to end like this!

  “ …I made a promise to her…” Tenmei stammered determinedly

“ I promised her…that I’ll come up with something…anything to save her……”

 

  Tenmei’s eyes were focused on his Blue Exian Rune glowing in the middle of his broken chest.

 

  “ I have to keep that promise. There is definitely a way!”

 

  “ But Tenmei, your role in saving the fleeting reality is more than crucial!” Old Keiken King reminded them of the current issue of grave import.

  “ Your Exia Rune…the Blue Exia Rune that governs Choice, the Determination of Man to face all difficulties, and the Resolve to do what is right!”

 

  “ Keiken speaks the truth,” Sora explained solemnly

“ The Herunia’s Reality Destruction has been halted temporarily, locking all the Light Children’s hearts away from sensation and consciousness instead of destroying them. 

  With your power of the Blue Exia Rune of the Mind and Choice, 

 

  combined with the Purple Exia Rune of Physical Possibilities, 

 

  the Golden Exia Rune to combat Fate, 

 

  and the Silver Exia Rune of the Eternal, 

 

  all Light Hearts can be reactivated and the rejuvenated ones, cleansed of sin, will pose no more threat to Herunia and its designs!”

 

  Tenmei Akiro thought of Sora’s words over and over and agreed wholeheartedly that the plan was a flawless one.

 

  It is the right thing to do.

 

  But he held strongly against leaving Haru behind. 

 

  Tenmei thought hard, playing out each and every scenario he could imagine that sounded feasible, just to get Haru back to the world.

 

  He’s come such a long way, faced many obstacles, and survived many near-death experiences. there is always a way out, even with sheer luck. Tenmei needs to analyze things calmly, going through all his options and tasks before him.

 

  The World needs his Blue Exia Rune to regain their minds and determination;

 

  He wants to save Haru and get her back to the existing world!

  Come on…You’ve outsmarted death too many times already, Tenmei Akiro! 

 

  Outsmart it one more time…!!!

  And as obvious as it sounds, Tenmei found the way.

 

  Like a switch turned, lighting the dark room with light.

  Tenmei Akiro knows what to do next.

 

  Griffon saw only from the expression on his sworn brother’s face did he realize Tenmei had found his own enlightenment.

  “ You got a plan, Tenmei?!” Griffon was eager to hear the details.

 

  “ …I got one, bro.” Tenmei chuckled with a long sigh, taking several deep breaths.

“ But none of you are gonna like it.”

 

  Everyone fixed Tenmei with a foreboding gaze.

 

  “ Oh, dear…” Keiken King whispered aghast, slowly picking up the idea through kin speculation.

 

  Toshiumi watched on in curious silence.

 

  “ Bro?! What are you trying to do?! Tell me, Tenmei!” Griffon begged desperately, sensing a wild determination in Tenmei’s firm eyes as our man approached where Haru lay peacefully, kneeling down close to her bedside, still breezing slowly, deeply.

 

  “ Miula Haru…I have found the way to bring you home.” Tenmei Akiro smiled with grand resolve.

 

  “ Boy, are you serious?!” Ark’arios boomed suddenly, realizing what Tenmei was about to do.

  

  “ As serious as you staying in Blessed Herunia, old friend,” Tenmei answered the Archdemon cooly, placing his hand across his shattered chest, atop the gently blazing Blue Exia Rune.

  “ Perhaps we can see each other sometime in this bright place…”

 

  Sora realized what Tenmei had in mind by glancing at his light heart, and what has revealed to her was noble, but detrimental also.

  “ Tenmei…what you do, will only–”

 

  “ That is enough.” Tenmei cut Sora short, his grin remaining as his hand now touched the surface of his flaring Blue Exia.

  “ That is enough…For it is the right thing to do.”

  Am I right, father Tenmei Tarou?

  Indeed. For the most laughs and smiles.

  And without hesitation, Tenmei sank his fingers deep, yanking the Blue Exia Rune that burned and ignited the moment his grip coiled around the flaming arches.

  Griffon gave out a stupefied gasp as he watched Tenmei slowly, steadily pulling out the full extent of his Great Exia Rune, breaking the ties and separating the last sinews attached to the rune.

 

  With one last power, one final acceleration of resolve, 

 

  the Blue Exia Rune, 

 

  yanked out of Tenmei’s chest fully,

  raised high above all, above Haru’s immobile presence.

  “ Haru……this is my last promise to you……”

 

  Tenmei panted, trying to stay straight with his failing body.

 

  “ Promise me…you’ll use this Rune…to do…the Right… thing……

 

…what am I saying…of course you will……here, take it…with care……

 

…….dont’ mind…if I go first………………goodbye…..

…….Miula… Haru…..”

 

  

…

…………….

Chapter  <ⅩⅩⅤI>

  After one more blink, the blinding light was gone.

 

  The black sky pigmented with swirling grey slowly dispersed as the edge of the horizon started to change hue, from reddish dark to orange, to dusky yellow, then soon half of the skies globed in placid blue as the sun erupted from the west, bringing onto resurging Tron new light.

 

  Nanali felt the fresh cool breeze wash over the ash in her hair and dried the tears on her cheeks. This morning was different from the rest she had come across, realizing for the first time how lush the blue of the sky could be. How warm and gentle the early sun touched their skin.

  Nanali was grateful for being alive every second in this beautiful city, though dilapidated and under rubble, still never lost its excellence, its resilience, and its pride.

 

  As Nanali scoured the ravaged boulevard before the Freedom and Justice Memorial tower pedestal, filling her eyes with the tanks blown and deserted, and the wounded men carrying each other out encouragingly, Yukari came to the stewardess, following Nanali’s gaze over the healing capital.

 

  “ What now?” Yukari asked the late prime minister’s sister with a breathy sigh.

 

  “ We mend what is broken, and rebuild what has fallen,” Nanali replied, beaming hopefully at the silhouette of the city under the rising sun.

  “ Like what we always do. Restore what is lost.”

 

  Yukari smiled in agreement.

  “ By the way…I’ve never seen that teenager that just saved us before,” Yukari whispered closely, motioning to the Reeve Lowangleen sitting exhausted and lost on the marble pedestal stairs, in a tattered diesel-smeared uniform, the golden fabrics vaguely visible anymore.

  “ Do you know him?”

 

  “ No.” Nanali replied honestly

“ But I am sure his chivalrous path to glory is right ahead of him.”

…

…………

  Murong Fu asked for a cup of tea from his courier as soon as he exited his camp.

  “ Felt like a quick hangover.” the young Lord of the south shook away the slight dizziness out of his head, letting the sun stimulate his waking vitamins. 

  “ You alright, Old master Joe?”

 

  Murong Fu gasped in surprise. His old chamberlain was weeping like a newborn babe.

 

  “ Joe! Who died?!” Murong Fu uttered hastily but the old monk could but shake his head and weep on alone.

  “ I can’t tell you…not yet.” The weeping old monk sobbed, kneeling down on the dusty ground, and prayed.

  “ Kind All mother, you have blessed us with another miracle. I thank thee on behalf of all the young light children. Please accept my kowtows.”

 

  And the old monk did as he promised, kowtowing with much reverence at the calm blue skies.

…

……….

  “ King!!” 

 

  The golden company and the Northern forces gathered at the top of the flying Vilencian aircraft carrier cheered as the Golden Monarch returned from the heavens, like a sun of his own right, descending onto the ones yearning for his return.

 

  “ Toshiumi…!” Mio was tearing up as the awesome lord reunited with his jovial crew of valiant heroes, and his beloved wife, cured of the curse and leaving their dark past behind.

 

  “ The tomorrow is brighter than ever.” King Toshiumi Al Seraphim promised to all his loyal comrades, and to his beloved partner Mio.

  “ Indeed.” Rang chuckled, fanning his feathered fan gently to his chest, with his wife Agnes accompanying him as they stood at the side of the Vilencain airship, marveling at great Tron from high above. 

 

  “ But Rang, now that the Golden company’s nemesis is gone, what else is there to accomplish?” Agnes asked her husband curiously, who laughed wholesomely to the skies.

 

  “ Many things await to be enlightened, my dear!” Rang drew out both of his arms wide, his robes like wings swaying at his back.

  “ This is but the first chapter of the rise of the Golden Empire, Agnes. My first pack of strategies for the start of a long volume of the Golden Epics, the Aurelian Veda, if you will! The age of the Golden Reign over Kingdeniom has just so begun…” 

 

  And Rang spake no more and hid his ideas under his mischievous chuckles. Even Agnes his wife has no idea what Rang was up to for the future of the Golden Empire.

  

…

…………..

 

 

 

  Staring at the same skies as the Golden Company,  the two Clansmen of the Red Exian Lord gazed blankly at the dawning skies.

 

  Waiting for their Lord that will never return. 

 

  “ No blood, no bone, 

 

  No ash, No regret, 

 

  Our Lord’s star shines forever…”

 

  Flaming and Pablo both sang, chanting with great pride, their loyal voices reaching the bright heavens.

  With the passing of the young King Varche Scrirocco, first of his name, a new age of Terminas has slowly been ushered in place. What kind of age would it be for the floating isle, can only be seen in the near future.

…

……….

  Meanwhile, as the firefighters and the health care services filed in to relieve the city and its residents from injury and misfortune, a group of medics found two gravely wounded persons in the basement of the Memorial Tower. How these two people got there, they have zero ideas. 

 

  Just then, crawling up with just half of her upper body, terrifying all the medics gathering around, Varis pointed at the bloody man lying next to her.

 

  “ Heal him…first…” Varis advised resourcefully, enduring the pain of her lost limbs.

“ I…will…..be……fine….”

 

  “ What are you talking about?!” 

 

  The medics suddenly gave way as a bossy schoolgirl stormed into the basement and carried Varis’ upper body up with much care.

 

  Luka then heaved Varis onto her back and strapped her tight, leaving the basement grounds as she gathered Varis’ scattered parts along the way.

 

  “ We’ve got to get you fixed! Otherwise, how do we get Tenmei back!”

 

  “ …Tenmei…what happened…?!” Varis asked with a grave sense of worry surging up in her calm voice.

 

  Luka didn’t immediately reply, for she too wasn’t fully aware of all that had happened during all the spliced parts of their memories. 

…

………….

  

  

 

  With their own group of damage control squad, the Parusefor knights tended the wounded and inquired about some Masters that claimed to have missed a part of memory during the heat of battle.

  Hassan Hellsing was one of them, unable to remember the extent of the happenings after the enormous blast of light from above a couple of minutes ago, but he sure experienced a loss of reality during the short period of time.

  The other Parusefors felt it too.

 

  “ That must be a strong disturbance in the force…!” Sven surmised to Hassan, who shook his head in brooding disapproval.

 

  “ Not a disturbance. It’s more like The Strike Force was halted.” Riella of the cosmos sword joined in and replied, supporting her dizzy head with one hand. But then a commotion nearby caught the Parusefor masters’ attention.

 

  “ Master Riella, I think it’s Griffon.” new Parusefor Master Marian Amatsuina pointed behind them, at a small crowd gathered and buzzing in haste.

  “ He seems to know something we do not.”

  The Parusefors rushed to the gathering and saw Griffon kneeling on the ground alongside many others, including medics who were all surrounding a figure lying on the ground as the military doctors hurried proficiently to secure the one in the center’s vital welfare.

 

  Sven looked around and was surprised by what he saw.

 

  “ Griffon? What happened?! Why the manly tears??” The Lancer master asked hurriedly to know what happened.

 

  But for long Griffon could but weep desperately, unable to answer any questions asked of the spliced moment in time. So they waited.

 

  The medics then sighed in relief, putting their gears aside and nodding to King Hector Zefield and Nina standing close by worriedly.

 

  “ The patient is secured.” The military surgeon promised assuringly

“ She will be fine after a good time’s rest.”

 

  “  Thank god…” Nina too started sobbing with joy as she followed the medics that carried the unconscious one on a stretcher toward a readied ambulance nearby.

  She was nearly awake, but Nina assured her to lie down and rest.

  “ It’s alright, Haru. Everything will be just fine.” 

 

  Haru shook her head wearily at the vague assumption.

 

  Things don’t sound right at all.

 

  Her world was swirling, her body sweating yet cold to the bone; 

 

  Her hair was no longer blue but brown, 

 

  like how it was before she encountered the Seed.

  And her right palm, throbbing with heat with a numb sensation at the center, glowing mysteriously among his blurry vision.

 

  Holding up her hand with her palm facing down, Haru saw amongst all the blur around her world, 

  The Blue Exia Rune glowing crystal clear at the surface of her palm.

  This is not hers.

 

  She never had this Rune before, nor did she earn its presence in any way.

 

  There can only be one reason left.

  Haru frantically tried to sit up, but the sudden rocking of the stretcher cut her short as she fell back, realizing she was being pushed into a white vehicle full of medical personnel.

 

  “ Wait….” Haru breathed, trying as hard to make a sound, but all that came out of her lips were faint airy whispers.

  “ Wait…please…”

 

  But the shoving and shacking of the rushing vehicle blurred her vision and Haru fell back to drowsing slumber.

  She only wished to know where Tenmei went.

…

……….

  “ The dawn of the new age had come, sister.” Prince Edmund Keiken strolled alongside his sister Isabel and his silent stewardess Tricia, walking past the joyous folk returning to their homes, gazing kindly at the people that looked up upon the royal family’s guidance. 

  For years he has followed the ways of the Keiken Pilgrimage and with all he learned and saw throughout his journeys and the experiences he encountered, Prince Edmund was ready to lead Great Kingdeniom onto its next page of history. 

  “ Our duties to look over our light-hearted brethren and fortify the Laws of Exia has come early. Sister, your pilgrimage to become the protector of the heirs of light shall start soon. I’ll help you arrange it.”

 

  “ It’s alright, brother.” Princess Isabel replied with a resourceful smile

“ I have decided my own path of pilgrimage. I will continue our father’s research on the origin of the Exia Runes, and finish what Emperor Father started. ”

 

  Through her sister’s eyes, Princess Edmund knew the Princess’ resolve was well sorted out. All he needs is to give her his blessings and consent.

  “ That is very impressive, Isabel.”

…

……….

  With the help of the southern and northern warlords, and the lead of the late emperor’s stewardess Nanali Hikaru, who later became the next Prime Minister, capital Tron soon regained its former pride, making new relations and decent negotiations with the provinces over great Kingdeniom.

 

  Lord Murong Fu of Xin-an, Lord Gasolia, and Lord Hector Zefield of Isandor were granted honorary titles, and so were the noble warlords of Vilencia, Phaldemon King, Chapez Aznable King, Charion King, etc; all were bestowed rights to precious lands and sponsorships from the Tron regime for their noble contributions to assisting the cause in stopping the Illuminatus League and saving the capital.

  Months after the Tron dispute did a wave of change spread across the Kingdeniom continent.

  The Golden Company, with their power of military prowess and unparalleled wealth, under the Awesome Entrepreneur Toshiumi Al Seraphim’s dominance, made a firm meritorious alliance with the Tron Government led by Nanali Hikaru, joining forces in politics, international wellfares, and more. The alliance’s first move was by nominating Toshiumi, Lord of the Golden Exia Rune as the nation’s secretary of state. Further paving the path of the Golden Empire’s rise to prominence.

  

  Meanwhile, the floating isle Terminas had begun its election for a new ruler to lead the techno city of nobles, at the same time studying what the late King Varche had left behind, in a data-saving device that his loyal Clansmen Flaming Genale and Pablo Roaneru had retrieved before their King’s untimely disappearance.

  Around that time, by tracking the devices and data the Illuminatus League used to breech much national security, the Kingdeniom government had succeeded in apprehending relevant members of the League, with the help of former Illuminatus League associate, now head of inter-continent security Varis, with Nison Char as her right-hand man.

  Luka went on her own journey in secret, as would be revealed in the near future perhaps.

  Having aided the capital with their stunning abilities, the Parusefor tribes were also bestowed honorary titles, promising to put more Parusefor cultures into educational curriculums and granting more Parusefor students scholarships to pursue their goals in prestigious Kingdeniom Universities. By the way, Tron University is the most respected and highly rated institution in the world, more on to that later.

 

  Master Striker of Lance Sven went on to invest in many profitable assets and became a millionaire in Tron, but the Parusefor members have been preaching to his ear and also to his wife, Riella of the cosmos’ ear, on a growing need to elect a New Prime Paruseforon to lead the Tribe. This bothered Sven greatly and Sven refused to discuss the matter for the time being. Surely, the Parusefors have to eventually elect a new Prime through challenge and tournament, which is another story in its own right.

  And yes, Sven and Riella later got married sometime after the War of Tron.

 

  Speaking of marriages, one was held a year after the war of Tron in Isandor where the Lord of Isandor’s eldest daughter Nina Zefield was wedded to Parusefor Master Griffon, a former outcast but now Master Striker of grand caliber and much accolades. Both Isandor and the Parusefors came to give their blessings, and so did the bride and groom’s friends and family.

 

  All seemed nice and fair over New Kingdeniom.

  Was what Professor McHiggins of Kingdeniom University thought as he pour a cup of iced coke to indulge himself in some late-night reading on the papers about the recent discoveries following the intrusion into the blessed Realm nearly a year before, made by the illegal science facility the Illuminatus League. The League may be abolished and its members mostly in jail, but their work and accomplishments in the research field are undoubtedly paramount.

 

  As a man in his early fifties, George McHiggins was widely considered a cozy young soul trapped in a plump short body, rolling around the college students explaining his expertise on meta-physics and energies corresponding to the unexplainable realms in his own exciting story-like fashion. Many aged graduates of Kingdeniom University still remember the wild hypotheticals and bizarre tales professor McHiggins would tell his students to help them understand the unknown powers that exist and are currently at work around them.

  To him, Meta-physics is like the skills and power abilities of the characters that play a role in ancient history use. Though this kind of thinking may make the lessons sound more interesting than most, his queer unrealistic ideas were shunned and unrecognized by either his colleagues or the institutes.

 

  But that didn’t bother professor McHiggins much. Being a successful professor was never his calling.

 

  Cracking the code of Light and understanding the esoteric messages of Blessed Herunia has been professor McHiggins’ lifelong dream since he was a young highschooler daydreaming about ancient civilizations using Light as a weapon to fight against Demons with technologies higher advanced than the ones now. 

  He was considering writing a book about that, merging history and scientific research about Herunia and adding some of his wild imaginations into an educational novel that could possibly sell billions of copies if done right.

  Better think of a catchy name for this scientific rendering of a historic epic, McHiggins wondered.

 

  “ How about…Into The Light? Doesn’t roll off the tongue very well…does it? How about…….Before The Light? Before Light! Yes! Before–”

 

  Before professor Mchiggins could blurt out the name of his next novel one more time, his U-phone shivered on his messy desk and the fat professor swam in the sea of papers to fetch his phone from underneath the white flurry of dislodged pages.

 

  George McHiggins squinted at his screen.

 

  It’s his intern calling.

 

  “ My oh my, what can it be at this time of hour?” the professor lay back and wondered.

 

  McHiggins rarely had interns, not because he doesn’t like company, but because most companions couldn’t stand his unhinged thought process and out-worldly thinking. But this intern, a freshman at Kingdeniom University and also a major in the same Meta-Physics McHiggins is well versed in, was a hard-learning, resourceful, well-organized girl with rumors that she had passed the University’s entrance exam with flying colors, and McHiggins could sense that genius in her.

  There, an ever-burning passion was inside of her, pushing her to find the truth and methods to resolve each coming problem. That is a good mentality, McHiggins believed, for those that dwell in the world of ultra-natural powers and energy forces that are beyond light-hearted kind’s reach.

 

  But sometimes, his intern’s diligent hard-working mentality was hard to catch up even for professor McHiggins himself, and the professor was sure there might be extra papers to look into after answering his young intern’s call.

  Guess I’ll be needing more than a cup of coke, Mchiggins planned to spend the night.

 

  “ Hello. Miula? It’s the dead of the night right now…You are outside?! Yuidis be good, where are you?!?!”

 

  Mchiggins was at his feet now.

 

  He listened to the fast voice spoken to him enthusiastically, the excitement from her voice seemed to reach the professor’s ear.

 

  “ …I see…” Mchiggins nodded, his heart also pumping now

“ I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  Professor Mchiggins have collaborated with the Tron forest department years ago to set up energy detection devices all over the Tron mountain to track if there are supernatural or outer-worldly energies flowing in the woods.

  The detectors are set in Tron mount for a couple of reasons, one being it was where the Ark’arios and the first Keiken and Nero fought, a battle of light-hearted kind against demonry. Words have it that the large concave on the top of Tron mount was blown up by the Archdemon Ark’arios itself, and the only way to know if this is true is to ask the Archdemon itself, which is sadly no longer possible.

  The second reason to set up detectors in Mount Tron being of its sacred nature and the historical evidence supporting that Mount Tron used to bear a large engine of ancient technologies buried deep under the forest. Sadly only meager parts of ancient metal shards and gear are discovered, and most of them are kept in McHiggins’ vaulted shelf in his office.

 

  According to what his intern, who has been monitoring all the tracking devices he had set over Kingdeniom this semester, said, then it is highly likely that this is something of scientific relevance.

 

  One of the devices has been alarming for the past half hour and security footage near the devices has caught sight of bright signals that caused the screen to turn pale.

 

  McHiggins hummed his favorite song as he drove up the mountain highway, looking forward to a breakthrough in Herunian knowledge.

 

  What he saw was more than just a breakthrough.

 

  The Sky seemed to have cracked open on its own, revealing light and sparkling cosmos and Stars dazzling many colors from within.

  Mchiggins left his car and started running all the way up the slope, puffing and wheezing after just a minute of running.

 

  “ Professor!”

 

  McHiggins rejoiced as the voice of his intern neared his exhausted presence.

 

  The professor looked up, to see his intern, standing up high a couple of miles away, her silhouette standing out amongst the protruding trees aside from where she stood, her dark brownish curly hair swaying as her slim arm waved energetically down at him, while the opened cosmos of purple, green, turquoise, blue, red, gold, orange, a million colors of stars and stardust blooming behind her.

 

  Miula Haru couldn’t wait to show what she had found.

 

  “ Don’t get too close, Miula!” Professor Mchiggins quickly grabbed his energy sensor out of his day bag.

  “ The energy currents are extremely high! And…and…”

 

  McHiggins wasn’t sure what was happening according to his scanner.

 

  “ I know!” Haru called out in reply, heading back up the mount, higher and closer to the opening high above.

 

  Does she know?? McHiggins finally had a grasp of what was going in. With his kin-experienced eyes, scanning the readings and color grams altogether, the professor knew what was going on.

 

  “ Miula, stay back!!” McHiggins shouted at the top of his lungs

“ Something is coming out of there!!!” 

 

  Haru didn’t reply, and her silhouette had ventured out of McHiggins’ sight. Reluctantly and worried, the plump professor forced his heavy load up the mountain and came to where Miula Haru stood, right under the cleft of Light.

 

  It was beyond stunning. Cycles of light swirled accordingly in mighty streams, blowing the stardusts here and there, forming a universe and dissolving in a second, only to form another starry universe in the next.

 

  Professor McHiggins’ tears welled up and he let them flow freely down his oily round cheeks.

 

  The trackers and sensory devices were all recording the happenings in real-time, but McHiggins still wanted to take a photo with his U-phone to commemorate this moment that felt like a dream.

 

  As the Professor peered at the opening cosmos with the screen of his phone, he saw a flashing object glisten resplendently in the middle of the cleft.

 

  “ Professor, something’s coming out!” 

 

  “ I know, that’s what I told you! Let’s bounce!”

 

  Shielding Haru with his big posture, McHiggins and Haru backend several miles away, hearing a howling growing louder and the winds starting to bellow.

  Even the cleft of light in the sky was shuddering at what was about to descend out from within, which sailed like a comet across the sky, drawing a thin line of pallid white over the black Tron mount, brushing a deep path amongst the pine trees until it landed in a deep muffled boom near the top of mount Tron.

 

  “ For crying out loud, I am driving up there!” McHiggins was about to head back to his convertible when he realized Haru was gone, rushing up the slope at full speed, running as fast as her shoes could take her, brushing off branches and twigs along the way.

 

  Nothing could possibly stop her now. 

 

  After years of searching and monitoring each tracking device, sending low wave signals around the rumored sensitive areas, this is it.

 

  This is what she was waiting for, this is what it’s all about.

 

  With the Blue Exia Rune glowing on her palm, acting like a beacon guiding her path, Haru raced up to the top of the mount, panting and exhausted, but still, she made it.

 

  A crater was already there, steaming with smoke, emanating a warm air that blew the night breeze on top of the mountains away.

 

  Flashes of light were still vaguely glistening across the path from which the descending object came.

 

  Gingerly, Haru stepped forward.

 

  The center highrise of the crater was glowing, with gentle hues of many colors beaming all at once around the perimeter. 

 

  There, Haru saw, among all the lights and dazzles, under the starry skies and the closing cleft of light that slowly dispersed into stardust, upon the rocky surface risen like a smooth wrought bed, 

 

  lay the one she had longed to meet ever since the night of the War of Tron, 

 

  the one who found her in the depth of the Freedom and Justice Memorial Tower, 

 

  bringing her out to the world on an unexpected journey, 

 

  saving her many times while she too saved his.

  The memories flowed within her like a mighty stream, as the one who lay amongst Light finally made a small twitch, trembling slightly while his exposed body slowly rose upon the support of his arms.

 Miula Haru had finally found what she was looking for.

    Love.

   

   

 Tenmei Akiro woke up in a world he had long since forgotten, wrapped in a warm tight embrace.

 Great Strike Exia

Justice Fight ~The Brave Legend~

 

The End