Chapter 218 Afternoon Grey
[Meer Calendar, March 13, 20 Years of Demon War]
Gray smoke soars up to the sky. Covering the scorching sun that made the ground beneath it dark, eerie black.
The smell of burning flesh and melting skin filled the entire ground. Tall trees with lush green leaves turned to charcoal with flying ashes.
There is no life in sight, just a nightmare of devastation from a great war. Crying over it will not change anything, it will only comfort the heart that erodes the conscience that begins to blur between violence and cruelty. Close-up of a beautiful painting with ashes of a burning future.
Creates a nightmare known as Afternoon Grey.
Arthur pushed the corpse of his friend who had started to decompose. His nose didn't twitch in the slightest, as if he had gotten used to breathing in the air of death. His dry eyes didn't feel sore, only red marks that showed the emptiness of his heart.
Seeing the end of a great battle, Arthur was speechless. Make sure that no enemy will stab him in the back. He was scared, scared because there was no more shield meat he could use.
The mana in his body was depleted greatly and his sharp mind had started to blur. Closing the path to control the mana around him. Artur is going to stick around because this isn't the first time he's been pushed to the corner, but this is the first time with his entire army killed.
Even so, he didn't know what else to do to get out of this situation. The enemy before him was extremely powerful, controlling mana beyond anything he had ever known. It was like a thunder goddess who descended from the sky only to laugh at the efforts of the mortals struggling to raise their swords in front of her.
"Artur, it's enough... For the old time's sake, I will spare you. Go! and never come here again!" said the goddess of thunder.
Arthur could only smile bitterly. His face was downcast, not out of embarrassment but to hide the bitterness in his eyes.
From the side of his vision, Arthur saw a white hand he recognized. On the ring finger of the hand, there is a diamond ring. Artur still remembers how the owner of the hand smiled when he put the diamond ring on.
Artur still remembers the girl's wide-gorgeous smile. Maybe because at that time he also had a big smile full of happiness on his face. His lips kept saying words of promise to continue with her.
But unfortunately what happened at this time was that Artur was still standing and the woman had been buried in the ground. Maybe her body had been scorched by a lightning spell that killed the whole of his army to the ground.
Artur can't help but be sad, but... Crying over her won't change anything, it's just solace in a heart that erodes conscience, which begins to blur between violence and cruelty.
Even more stupid, the culprit of all this was the person Artur knew best. Or maybe she was no longer who he knew all along.
"Did you hear me, Artur?"
Even more stupid, the culprit of all this asked him to let go of the death of everyone he loved and chose to run away from the cruel reality.
"Artur?"
Even more stupid, the culprit of all this is his own sister.
"By what name should I call you?" with a hoarse voice and a dry throat Artur asked.
"...Why do you ask that?"
"By what name should I call you?"
"...."
The silence was the answer to his question. But Artur was not satisfied, he had to listen to it... Listen to it for the umpteenth time.
"BY WHAT NAME SHOULD I CALL YOU?"
"...."
"...."
The eerie silence seemed to still the air. The smoke that soared high in the sky gathered into a gray cloud.
The gray cloud that dripped misfortune on the world.
Her silver hair that he remembered was short, had grown long past her waist. The creamy white skin that the girls of Heles city used to envy had turned a thin green like moss in a pool of water.
Her face which used to be round with baby fat filling her cheeks turned into a thin, strong chin that showed her life's journey. And the fire of hope in glittering hazel eyes turned cold like ice that would never melt.
If only her beautiful face wasn't still the same as what Artur remembered, then he would never recognize the figure in front of him was his big sister. The Sister who always guides and becomes his idol.
"I told you already. My name is Nevare the Progenitor Queen!" Nevare answered directly into Arthur's eyes extinguishing any hope left.
Artur was looking down, his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles were bleeding. The bitter smile on his face disappeared into a thin line and a growl from his gritted teeth.
Artur no longer hoped.
"You are right! You are not my sister I know! You are just a monster! Tell me, where is my sister Anna?" Artur picked up his sword which had fallen to the ground.
He didn't need to listen to the answer because he knew what Nevare would answer. He only asked her to kill the last bit of pity and doubt in his heart.
And Nevare mercilessly replied as Artur imagined "She is dead and all that's left is me, Nevare".
Raising his sword and getting into a fighting stance, Arthur's face turned resolute. There was no more compassion and doubt in his heart, only grudges, bitterness, and venom burning his hatred.
"Then I will avenge her!"
Artur attacked.
"You can't beat me. Aren't you also aware of your limits?" Nevare just smiled seeing Artur's desperate attempt.
Electricity enveloped his body again, making him feel like he had lightning armor. The electric blade created in his hand incinerated the air around him. This fight had been too long and it was high time he ended it.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"
Artur forced his constellation, using the flesh and blood in his body as mana-building materials. The mana river within his body was churning again, flowing out and controlling the mana color surrounding his body.
They are siblings, so the blood in their bodies makes Artur and Nevare have the same spell faction. The spell faction is very rare and is one of the deadliest.
Lightning.
Although the way the two of them used magic was completely different.
"DOMAIN!"
Artur used the mana in his body to be able to communicate with the mana in nature. The higher the constellation level he has, the greater the influence he will have on mana in nature. In this way, Artur is able to change nature's mana color to match his spell faction.
"Pringgadani!"
Meanwhile, Nevare uses magic differently. When becoming a monster Nevare has lost the ability to communicate with mana. However, she gains a new power in its stead. The ability to make mana bow down to her like a servant to its ruler.
The higher the constellation level she has, the wider her power over mana. Making Nevare not need to negotiate with mana but forcing them to change according to what she wants.
A transparent blue dome seemed to overflow from Arthur's body. The gray air around him changed, the ash turned into electricity and even the air molecules turned into electricity. Within the transparent blue dome, the laws of the world seemed to change.
The air molecules that had turned into electricity flowed and coalesced around Arthur's body. Forming a blue figure that soars to the sky, with sharp teeth, two horns on the head, wings spread wide, and a body covered with hard scales.
"[2nd God's Form: Lightning Dragon]!"
"Are you not aware of your own limits?"
Nevare said coldly. Her body was increasingly glowing with electricity flowing in every cell. The gray cloud that covered the sky suddenly churned, giving space for heaven's punishment to pass.
*JDAARRR!!!
The air around Nevare was burning, the electric armor that covered her upper body crawled over her entire body, becoming full-body armor. Two blue wings spread behind her, so wide they covered Arthur's entire vision.
Her long silver hair fell to the ground waving like it was resisting gravity. The ground around it turned white as it was burned by the heat capable of melting iron. The blue aura pulled Nevare's body flying a few inches from the ground, like a goddess who descended from the sky and refused to be defiled by the dirt of the earth.
Doing a grabbing motion Nevare pulled the mythical great sword from her chest. The mythical great sword was taller than she, the blade was enveloped in thunderbolt which made the air around it freeze.
"2nd God's Form: The Armor of Zeus!"
Her glittering hazel eyes turned blue with electricity radiating from them. Staring at Arthur's dragon figure threateningly, made all the hairs on his neck tremble.
"Last warning brat! GO HOME!"
Nevare's voice boomed making the world shake.
Artur felt that this was the limit of Nevare's patience, if he continued to oppose her then he would really be killed in this place. Artur knew that if he backed down now that Nevare would not come after him, he could return home to the alliance and survive with the name of a hero behind him.
However...
The soldiers who accompanied him in battle, the fellow mages who helped him in trouble, and his wife whom he loved. They will all be buried in this place with their bodies destroyed by fire. Leaving only ash floating into the sky that forms a gray cloud.
"huft... huft.. huft... huft... huft... ha.. ha...ha... ha... AH... AH... AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
The Lightning Dragon roared, expelling all fear, anxiety, doubt, and cowardice from his heart. His wings flapped and his claws spread out. His eyes stared at Nevare with vengeance and hatred, there was no turning back for him, only forward toward his enemy.
"Fine, then! Let me bury you with the other human!" seeing the resolution in Artur's eyes, Nevare killed the last bit of pity in her heart.
"NEVARE!!!!!!!!" Arthur shot forward.
"DIE BRAT!!!!!" Nevare shot forward.
In that afternoon gray, the relationship between the two of them was cut off, leaving a detestable new story to be told.