Ascenders Rift

Chapter 124: The Fallen Hero Fidelis, Prelude to an Epic Clash

With a resonant sound, a large door opened to reveal a dark chamber. Once this happened, a series of candles connected to various pillars illuminated a carpet at their center as it trailed towards a flight of stairs. At the summits of these stairs was a throne that stood before a wide red curtain, with a picture frame hidden behind. The windows of this room, now shining with a dim light from the outside world.

When Evan and the others entered this room, their eyes were immediately drawn towards the throne. There, a silhouette shrouded in the darkness slowly began to reveal itself, due to the lights that lit up around it.

It was the figure of a man, far different from the previous skeleton's noticed in the castle before, a handsome male with pale skin that wore dark armor with a red cape attached to its back. His face was slim, with dark hair that fell to his back with some of it covering his square-shaped forehead and eyes, leaving only his straight nose and fine lips visible.

A single claymore with a stylized sword guard was plunged into the ground at the throne's side, resting in an upraised manner, as its edge shimmered in bright lights. If one paid attention to this sword, they would see the beautiful markings, 'For the Glory of Tusalon, Darkness shall fall to the Havengaurd,' giving this sword a rich kind of history.

Evan looked at that sword with a hint of remembrance, as everyone who looked at this man had glowing eyes as if they used the inspection skill. Soon, the details of the silent man appeared before their eyes.

[Fidelis - The Fallen Hero of Tusalon - Level 9 ]

[Race - Human Undead (Ancient) | State - Stage 1 Ascended Lifeform]

[All stats have returned to the stats of lifeforms earlier years, all except for his sealed Aura Power.]

[Class - Aura Swordsman]

[Health - 1100]

[Aura Power - 80 : Sealed]

[Strength - 109]

[Vitality - 0]

[Agility - 100]

[Defense - 90]

[Skills:]

[Aura Gaurd - A power that forms a barrier of pure Aura Power that repel attacks of all kinds.]

[Aura Blade Storm A destructive sword storm formed by pure Aura Power, capable of annihilating any foe who crosses its path.]

[?????? : Sealed]

[?????? : Sealed]

When Joe and the others saw Fidelis stats, their faces sunk as they wanted to curse to Evan, but sadly, the situation was already too late for any such action.

Suddenly, the eyes of Fidelis started to shine in bright golden red lights. His body began to emanate a slight amount of power that was of a similar color to his glowing eyes, as his fingers gripped his throne's armrest tightly, causing it to crack.

Not long after, he lifted his head, revealing his eyes to everyone as he spoke in a resonant voice, "Humans from another world, have you come to end my misery?"

"That is correct," Evan replied with a serious expression.

Joe and the others looked at this in silence as they readied themselves for combat at any given time.

Fidelis having heard those words, glanced at Evan as he spoke, "For eons, I've rested here, many have come to challenge us, but none of them had survived even the two who once guarded the King's Hall. I suppose you being here is fate itself, and maybe, you will be able to end this torment..."

Upon saying this, the palace started to shake as terrifying power began to rise from Fidelis's body as he slowly sat up from the throne. As he stood, his voice sounded across the room as he continued to speak, "There was a time when I was once a hero of these lands, sworn to protect it from its adversaries. However, that time faded during the age of the Mad King, and age where I failed to protect this world from its true danger, transforming me into what you see before you. A vestige of my former self, destined to be a scourge on the very lands I once swore an oath to protect, those who were dear to me suffering and even worse fate..."

Upon speaking to here, Fidelis had finally stood up completely, reaching a height of 2.5 meters, giving off an intimidating presence to all within the room as his powers had reached a saturated point.

Fidelis then reached his hand for his claymore as he spoke again, "My future is already a loss, but yours... might have hope. Humans from another world, do your best now, for though it is that I seek to die, the power of a 'Great Will' has cursed me, and I must fight you with everything I have. Come, draw your weapons and face me in this final battle!"

After grasping the swords firmly, a sharp power exploded from his body, sending ripples everywhere as Fidelis adopted a one arm sword stance. His body was slanted forward with his claymore gripped to the side with its edge facing the wall behind him. 

Looking at his posture, one would notice that his free arm was placed before his chest as if his gauntlet was a shield as his palms had its fingers curved like a claw.

Evan, seeing this, willed for his Void Sword to appear as he shouted to everyone, "Everyone get ready!"

Following Evan's words, he too adopted a similar stance as Fidelis with his void sword reaching the same size much like that of a claymore.

"Evan, if I don't live through this, I swear that I'll beat you to death on the road to the otherworld!" Joe said as he raised his shield as his body exploded in his earthen colored energy.

"Save your if's for later, it's better to live and kick his ass!' Rick said as he adopted a spear stance holding the shaft with both of his arms, as it the tip faced Fidelis directions.

"Emmy, Layla, we're counting on you," Breya said as she glanced at Layla, who had readied her scepter.

"Don't worry, I've got your backs," Layla replied.

"Leave it to us," Emilia replied with a somewhat confident look as she knocked her golden bow.

Following their words, everyone had begun to erupt with their powers, causing a colorful array of energies to clash against the rippling auras of Fidelis.

Fidelis wasn't surprised by this; he knew that they must have been strong to best those two guardians. Instead, what caught his interest were two individuals, the first was Layla, who has somewhat familiar purplish looking energies, and the second was Evan who had adopted his very same battle posture.

He had recalled sensing the energies of his past lover; as such, he already had an idea of what Layla was, but as for Evan, he stared at him deeply as he thought, 'This boy... where did learn the stances of an Aura Swordsman? No matter, I hope he's mastered it enough to preserve his life...'

Though Fidelis was in thought, he didn't stop his actions, as the moment he assumed his battle stance and gathered enough momentum, his foot which pressed against the ground caused it to crack apart as his body vanished like a blurry remnant shade of golden red.

"Not good!" Rick said as his body similarly vanished, moving like a blurry figure of white as his spear glowed.

With a swishing sound, Fidelis had appeared directly before Evan, chopping his claymore in a crossway slash to sever his head from his body. 

Fidelis was too fast, as the moment he appeared and cut his sword, other than Rick, no one noticed his appearance until the very last moment.

Breya, whose senses were out of the norm, might have picked up on him, but as she wasn't the target for the disaster, it happened much later. She didn't even have the time to launch her threads towards him and could only now watch with a darkened expression.

"Evan, watch out!' Joe now shouted as he rushed over to use his shield, but despite being close by, Fidelis was simply too fast for Joe to do anything. He only looked like he was moving in ultra-slow motion.

Emilia and Layla looked at this with pale faces as they couldn't do anything to save Evan from death. Rick, who was the quickest to act was still a few seconds from striking his spear on the sword, he wouldn't make it in time.

The sword hummed as it shimmered in a cold light, leaving a trailing line as it cut a graceful arc through the air. It swept across Evan's location, cutting through his neck without even a strand of resistance as he stared at Fidelis with a look that implied he didn't notice that had occurred.

As this happened, Rick's counter had only arrived. Yet, Fidelis merely used his free arm that was positioned before him to hit Rick's spear to the side, causing Rick to smash into the ground with his spear plunged into the concrete. He then once more raised his sword, turning to look at the headless human as he cut Evan's body into two halves, the edge of his claymore striking the ground to create a massive boom.

Bang! With an explosion, a shockwave spread out along with colorful energies that pushed everyone back by a few meters, as the towering and mighty silhouette of Fidelis, stood within the sea of energy gazing at his foe's with his glowing eyes, preluding the start of a terrifying battle.