RE:volt! Chapter 45: Precipice of Freedom

“NOOOO!” Ark screamed, racing off toward the burning building despite Thirty-Four and Three’s cries to stop. Even Isa reached out, calling him an idiot as Ark dodged his foot aimed to trip him and kept running. 

“That idiot.” Isa muttered as the two girls chased after Ark racing toward the fence. 

Immediately everyone’s eyes went wide as Ark casually hopped the fence, the boy racing forward and only stopping as another explosion broke from the building, stopping Ark in his tracks. 

Thirty-Four looked down at the fence, the electric wall that had served as her pin for so long obstructing her legs from moving forward. But… Six-Two-Six had crossed that threshold, had managed to get across with it hurting him so she would be-

“AAAAH!” 

The pain-filled shriek of Thirty-Four snapped Ark’s head in her direction, the girl laying on the ground screaming as her collar turned on and had began electrocuting her due to her attempt at following Ark. At her side, her sister and Axel were already attempting to drag her away, pulling at the screaming girl whose fingers were locked around the wire, prevent the group from rescuing her .

“Pry her hands open so we can move her!”

“I can’t! It’s too close to the wire!”

“IT’S KILLING HER!”

“Shit.” Ark muttered before racing back, running over to the group who had wide eyes before he reached up to the girl frothing at the mouth and placed his hands on her collar.

“Prepare to catch her!” Ark ordered before finally uncorking his mana just enough until the flow of energy seeped into his muscles. 

“What?! What are-” Thirty-Three began but stopped as Ark flexed and pulled, breaking the collar that was electrocuting her sister. 

Without the currents of electricity locking her muscles up, Thirty-Four’s hand released the wire, allowing her body to drop into Isa and Thirty-Three's arms as Ark hopped the fence.

“Come here.” Ark ordered before going one by one and breaking their collars amidst the chaos of the battle raging around them. 

“Y-you-” Thirty-Three muttered she and the other stunned at what Ark was doing, each slave slack-jawed and dumbfounded that Ark had so casually broken their shackles.

“This is the only opportunity we'll ever get at this. Listen to me! ARE YOU LISTENING!” Ark barked, his eyes flaring with golden energy that snapped everyone to attention. “There is a river north of here. Stay together and run, take Thirty-Four and don't stop until you cross it. This is our only chance at freedom. Do not waste it!”

At Ark's words, the group of teens could only stare and balk as they processed what Ark was telling them to do. 

Freedom? A foreign word to those gathered who'd only known servitude. 

“What are you doing standing around?! RUN!” Ark roared, his dragon's gaze activating and sending the teens scattering.

Ark turned his head back to the raging inferno that was the main house, his teeth clenching as he reached up to his neck and tugged, the metal band around his neck twisting before it broke with a loud snap.

This was it. No turning back, putting a foot forward where he-

Suddenly Ark's world changed, he was in the reality sphere, Irelix sitting on her throne casting her eyes at Ark. 

“What are you doing?” The dragon said, glaring at him with furious eyes shining gold.

“What do you think I’m doing? Why did you drag me here?! How did you drag me here?!” Ark demanded, staring at the progenitor of dragons.

“Please, do you think your body belongs to you and you alone? Need I remind you that we are conjoined? Not just at the soul, but on the physical level as well.” Irelix stated, the dragon rolling her eyes as she did so.

“Ok, but WHY DID YOU DRAG ME HERE?!”

“To talk some sense into you.” Irelix said, her slanted eyes pulsing with magic power. “Are you really going to charge in there to rescue one frail old monkey and some mewling who was nice to you once?”

 “It's not like that, I made a promise-”

“Oh dear me above, are you actually about to spew some nonsense about monkey honor?” Irelix said, her face twisted in disgust. 

“It's not about honor, it's about keeping my word.” Ark hissed. “About helping those who helped me and settling debts owed.”

“Debts? Owed? He is but a pawn! A tool to be used and discarded who even begged you to save yourself. Yet here you are, rushing to throw your life away for a man who-”

“Shut the fuck up lizard!” Ark yelled, standing face to face with Irelix and standing over the woman. “Why am I trying to explain the concepts of duty, bonds, and morality to a species that has none of that. You don't love, you don't nurture, all you do is take, dominate, and destroy anything that disagrees with you.”

Irelix scowled, her face twisted with fury before she sent a blast of energy toward Ark that surprisingly did nothing against the man. 

“Surprised? Yeah, it took me a while, but I figured out how this reality sphere shit works.” Ark said, staring at the woman as a copy of his cursed sword Belrog appeared in his hand and he was suddenly wrapped in familiar crimson gold armor.

“You are a fool. This is a golden opportunity to flee. To be free and enact your revenge! And you would throw it all away?!”

“I won't betray who I am just because I was betrayed. I honor Liana’s wishes, and I WILL have my revenge. But I'll do it on my own terms, not by compromising who I am!” Ark spat back.

Irelix leaned forward out of her throne, her face nose to nose with Ark’s.

“You can't save them all.” Irelix hissed.

“I know that.” Ark said, his eyes narrowing as he met the dragon’s eyes.

“And the chances are high, that you'll outlive every one of these inferior apes.” Irelix said, a tinge of what Ark denoted as sadness coating her voice.

“What?”

“You are a dragonling, a being mixed with my immortal soul. Even if they were to cultivate and refine their cores to the utmost purity you'll still outlive every ape you'll ever come across. A hundred years, a thousand, everything around you will no longer be relevant or matter as the ages pass.” Irelix spat, standing up to come eye level with Ark who blinked as he processed the revelation. “Knowing that, will you still sacrifice yourself to save these mortals?”

Ark grimaced, his teeth grinding against themselves. 

“Yes. The journey is just as important as the destination. If I abandoned them knowing I could have saved them, it would haunt me even a thousand years from now.” Ark replied, his gaze unwavering. “I know… that I can't save them all…But I'll save who I can.”

“Tsk. Naive brat.” Irelix said, the barren world vanish with Ark returning to the flames that surrounded him.

***

Without wasting a moment, Ark shook himself from his momentary stupor and was off, the teen racing toward the burning building as magical power hummed in the air from the clash of mana users clashing.

Unbeknownst to Ark, a man with red eyes wearing a black butler’s uniform with white gloves stood above his barracks, the man coated by shadows. The butler squinted at Ark, his mouth shaped into a grin that revealed rows of inhuman teeth.

Sebastian observed with giddy excitement, the events unfurling before him far beyond his expectations as he licked his lips.

“Well isn't this a lovely turn of events.” The demon said, smiling ear to ear.