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Today is the 25^th Fivruory of the 505 year. There was no blowing wind to soothe the threes, no clouds in sight to overshadow the mistakes that scarred this place in unfathomable regret. A permeable silence eroded my mind as I watched over what was left of this remarkable city where humans and yumes coexisted in harmony. And even though this harmony was fabricated not on the premises of a long-dating neighbouring, but rather on top of laws and order, I have witnessed the growth of both civilisations holding each other’s hands.

The promise was becoming fulfilled, the mortals were soon able to fend for themselves. At least for this generation, before the next cataclysm.

The Black War was supposed to give them the push they needed to overcome greater crisis, what little bravery they could gather in order to summon enough strength, just enough to validate the criteria so we could doubtlessly see them as dependable, resourceful and self-sufficient. We hoped they could muster enough strength so they would stop depending on the benevolence of omnipotent guardians and protectors, so they would stop asking for the guidance of ill-intentioned grander entities. However, in the end…

Unable to defend against the unyielding demonic forces of the Limbo, the kingdoms of this old time shattered like trees against the storm one after the other. The trial happened too soon, they weren’t ready to face this level of a challenge yet. So I stepped in to endure what nobody should, to accomplish what nobody could. I ended this charade, revealing myself to the world which welcomed my arrival as a messiah’s descent. I became their beacon of light, the pillar and the helm of the mortals.

I stepped in as a saviour could, I guided them as a lord should, I taught them like a mother would.

I did my best to lead them forward, until they saw me as some sort of unappreciated threat and believed it was a good idea to try and backstab me. Needless to say their plan didn’t flow exactly as they expected. But the thing was, even I didn’t expect such form of betrayal from my own vassals, and in a fit of rage I decided to give up on their salvation.

I hated them for what they did. I despised their treacherous mannerism alongside their usual trickeries to feed their swollen ambitions, and I wholeheartedly loathed their constant bickers about any and everything. Those unnerving and unending scolds tired me, but it was ultimately their decision to get rid of me that pushed me to the edge.

It took me a few decades to finally come to terms with my anger, however, I have long lost the will to walk again in front of them. Despite me hating them, I still desired to try and aid them. That was how I chose another, less exposed path to grant them the wisdom they lacked. Instead of acting like a spearhead, I merged with them, becoming just another visage in the middle of their society.

I once was a minstrel’s help-mate and muse, travelling across the continent and filled his inspiration with tales and lessons of the past.

I once was a lord’s chief cook, nurse then advisor, looking after his wellbeing while imparting him the knowledge he would later need as a suzerain.

But most of the time, I became someone’s desperately needed support. I was their confident, their teacher, their friend.

I knew I could help them, so I did. I knew they wouldn’t last long without my intervention, so I intervened and pulled them from their bottomless pit. For a few of them, I went as far as moving heaven and earth to increase their chances of survivability.

Those were good memories, unfortunately I had to quit most of them mid-way because I sensed I was about to once again step in front of the world’s stage. I already knew what would happen if I did.

… However, I once was one step too late to retreat, and was found out by someone I didn’t expect to meet.

It occurred a few years after the nevra started to afflict the region. A whole town was on the verge of being plagued with this cruel curse before I offered my help as an acting wandering knight. After cleansing the source of the scourge, he appeared before me.

It was the second time I clashed against the Black God, however, the fight didn’t happen so differently from the first time and I somehow managed to barely stay alive at the end of the confrontation.

Maybe he saw potential in me, maybe he simply sought after my skills to turn me into one of his minion, but he did make me loyal to him.

So far I’ve obeyed him because our vision were almost parallel, and despite the minor dissimilarities we still agreed on one major point: we had to somehow educate and train the mortals so they could resist a god’s tyranny.

…

Today, I was probably walking on the brink of a terrible event, just like how it happened for the Black War, just like how it happened for the Fall. And it was happening right now, I could feel it in my soul.

… It was about time, I must save this world.

“Haliaetus!”

I called the Fallen’s name, watching the wretched fiend repeating his mistakes one more time disgusted me. How could such a powerful being, gifted since its birth with all the privileges in the divine realm, the self-proclaimed Protector of this frail world, end up as a ridiculous antagonist?

His silhouette resembled strongly Eendis, but I could also compare him to their fellow now-deceased dalenh. The black figure stood silently in the distance, his empty, shining pair of eyes glowed in my direction and were giving the same goosebumps that iced my spine the first time I confronted the demons’ patriarch.

He was not normal. He was not comparable to anything that could emerge from any mortal’s wildest idea about power supremacy.

Aseraath probably became a dalenh by cheating with a lost artefact belonging to the gods, yet the Furious Thunder was still capable enough to easily survive against the Protector. If even this judger failed against the traitor, then I as the least of the cianalas could not even hope to scratch his unrealistic body.

“Qalendra… No, you’re not Qalendra… Who are you?”

“I am Chaalith, but maybe you know me by the title of the White Rainbow.”

“The White Rainbow? No, it’s… I don’t know you. Strange… Is my memory still incomplete? Nevermind, it is not the time to worry about that.

I don’t know you, young cianala. But you possess the same benedictions as the others, and also you’re surely knowledgeable about what happened three millenniums ago. And if you have been told about how the gods threw your people away, then you have also been told about their depravity.

Now tell me, Chaalith. Do you also think I should have done things differently back then?”

… What an annoying way to ask me how he should dispose of me. I know what he has done to Aseraath, I have seen the end result he was trying to lure me in. However, I couldn’t bluntly retort against this madman either, even if I tried my best to convince him. This would either end with me submitting to the Fallen, or be done in a vain one-sided massacre.

“I wasn’t alive for long enough to join the Holy Legions or any inquisitive forces for the ground. I don’t think I even met one of those gods from before or seen them from afar, they owed their existence only to the tales and lessons I have been taught through my childhood.

I respect what my parents and every other guardians were achieving because, in my eyes, they were contributing to a greater cause. I have never seen those gods being ungrateful or remotely hostile as you describe them… Not until you manifested yourself, breaking this everlasting tranquillity with your individualistic rebellion.”

“… Are you disagreeing with my choice?”

I shook my head in denial.

“I wasn’t certain how wrong my ancestors were until a third party explained everything to me, but let’s just say… Yes, you were right in freeing my people from this slavery which basically labelled us as a slightly-enough intelligent specie to interact with, yet still too primitive to comprehend the whole scheme.

We were simplistically satisfied with their boundless benevolence. We were blessed enough to rule the entire world. Perhaps keeping us ignorant was also a sort of benediction on its own…

But now, look at us, Haliaeetus. Everyone is now stranded in this place that became too large for the few that remained. Once the gods knew about your whereabouts, they metamorphosed their wrath into a sky-shattering tragedy for us.

Instead of soldiers, we suddenly became animals. Instead of believers, we suddenly turned into vermin. Miserable, disappointing insects they squashed in billions every hour. And once everything was over, it was already too late to recover.

You didn’t just sacrifice your seat as the Watcher, you also sacrificed our civilisation to repel the gods.”

“… But I did save the remnants. I saved what was left, and gave you the chance to continue living on this planet.”

“You did, and only the old ones could still hate you for crushing what basically represented their entire existence.

I never could taste the delicacies of the past, I don’t know what a flying fortress looks like nor have I seen the gods once. I was just a single child with no one to look after her, walking alone on a world too large for her while spotting scavengers gnawing at the ruins and madmen crying to the sky.

And when my eyes crossed someone else’s… I was surprised when I heard my own voice swearing this short thought:

What have we done to suffer this? What unforgivable crime have we committed to tumble so low?

…You did not save us, Haliaetus. You saved no one.”

Haliaetus remained silent, staring at my emotions, expecting some more answers from me maybe.

… So I shall comply. Luckily he seemed earful, for now.

“… You know, I will at the very least be thankful for those little, unexpected gifts you gave us before disappearing to nowhere. The boons granting us an unparalleled strength coupled with an interminable stamina and a limitless threshold of endurance was quite useful during those last centuries. It was… Fun, to blast my way through the mobs of demons, and grabbing those victories would not have been possible without it.

But most importantly, I must say this appearance is certainly more adequate to meet those mortals to the point that it has become pleasant to act as one. Maybe if I was more attached to my original biological form, I wouldn’t be able to accept as easily this situation as I did.

What gave you the inspiration for this?”

“… I thought it would be easier to blend in this new world, now that the old one has been reduced to ashes by the gods.”

… I see… It was a bit too late for repentance on my side.

But now, it was time to finish this dialogue. I closed my eyes, breathed in one last time…

“If only you knew how and when to show this caring attitude…” I whispered to myself.

… Then stared back at him before drawing my arm toward the sky. In a flash, the brilliant blue was turned ablaze, scorched by the mixed incantation crafted both from my own mana and the other damned world’s. There were no thunders, only an omnipresent reverberation in the air, or perhaps an astounding roar was more fitting to the loud shriek my summon channelled over each passing second.

“I didn’t want him to know anything about it, but now that you killed him there is no more reason to hide it!

I summon you, plates of the Shining Spear, armour of the Commander of the Golden Crusades, sigil of the White Rainbow. Come, and help me defeat the plagues of this world!”

Listening to my chant, pieces of light descended from the sky at earth-splitting speed, crashing like meteors around me before steeling my body with a set of imposing metal and warding parchments. The armour felt heavy, a sign I lost the habit of wearing it since the Black War.

Each fragment of this armour was specifically forged with the intention to fight against the unbeatable, to stand eternally against one’s master’s enemy, to face what could not be explained nor decimated. A metal immerged in the gone gods’ blessing to provide a shield against the greatest of foes. A souvenir from the previous world.

“And now! I summon you, blade who purged the Impure, who turned its fang against the Great One, who was born from the bone of the Unique. Come, and help me defeat the plagues of this world!”

Hearing the call, a small hole appeared above me, quickly gaining in size until it became large enough to engulf the devastated town. From this overwhelming portal, I grabbed the handle and pulled the sword from this exaggerated scabbard.

… I kind of hated how this whole chanting system worked, honestly. But at least it worked fast and efficiently. The sword I was wielding was proof that even this thing could be summoned at will.

Although the grip looked handmade, the blade itself did appear artificial if not for the chiselled parts and the sharpened edge. The fossil itself was collected from a one-of-a-kind demonic beast, its presence itself was sufficient to affect its surrounding.

A demonic origin circulated inside this cursed object, absorbing… No, deleting the mana it touched. An incredibly dangerous weapon, I was surprised to watch Eendis brandishing this sword before giving it back to me. I thought for sure he would have destroyed it, but maybe he predicted it would become useful again…

Sadly, he was right. It was useful, even extremely effective against a dalenh, a living being heavily depending on magic to sustain itself.

I pointed the blade at Haliaetus, challenging him to a last-man-standing.

“The gods were a threat to the old world, the one you destroyed with your own actions.

But we are now living in this new world you helped to create, and here the only threat left is you.”