'Interesting.'

The cold voice slithered into his mind.

Leo's consciousness drifted inwardly as he stood before the reddish black swirling mist before him. He was absolutely surprised by the suddenness, "What's going on here-" Before he could even question, the reddish black mist slithered softly before him as it said,

'You are really a lucky human, you know?'

Leo frowned, "What do you mean?"

'For some reason, that Spirit is still able to retain its selfness even though it was deeply corrupted. It should have fallen fully into the Abyss, yet it clings to the last fragments of its identity. It must be because of your link with that Spirit.'

Leo frowned again, "Spirit? You mean Caelindra?"

'Indeed... I noticed it managed to stop the corrupted spirit from killing you, even for a fraction of a second. That single heartbeat of resistance was something impossible for the corrupted ones that were swallowed by Darkness. They never fight. They never hold on. Yet she did.'

Leo folded his hands, his one hand looking normal while the other was fully covered in reddish black mist, frowning slightly as he stared at them. "What are you trying to say?"

'...'

For a second, it didn't answer, just the mist swirled in slow spirals as though gathering its words, until finally,

'You may bring her back!'

Leo's eyes widened in freaking shock! What did he just hear now? He could bring back Caelindra?

For real?

"B-But I heard it's impossible to bring back those who are corrupted, right?" Leo's eyes trembled slightly with a mixture of hope and fear.

'Indeed.... that is why her condition is unique. She still managed to oppose the corruption. Deep within the heart of the corruption, she is there. Waiting. Enduring. Holding onto whatever remains of her spirit. She is waiting for an opportunity to come out.'

Leo's eyes widened, almost trembling with happiness, "Thank goodness.... oh." His legs almost gave out before he smiled weakly, nodding his head furiously as if the internal struggle inside him finally disappeared at last, replaced with raw relief.

"What should I do now? If I can bring her back, how? I tried many things, but nothing worked on her... what should I do?" He asked with a hopeful expression, his voice pleading, only to be crushed by the silence that followed.

"Hello? Are you there?"

Only silence prevailed... for a second, Leo wondered if it was playing with him, mocking him with half-truths, but then something made him realise as he sighed and muttered,

"What do you want in return?"

'.... Your other hand... Accept me!'

Leo looked at his remaining flesh-like hand, his breath shaky. He didn't know what was happening to him, or why a being like this needed something so specific from him.

"Why? What are you doing to me?"

But there was no answer. Aether clenched his fist, knowing he was signing up for something he couldn't comprehend, but what choice did he have, other than...

"Fine... I accept you."

The reddish black mist trembled before swirling up toward Leo. For a second, his entire body disappeared inside the spiralling mass before it slowly peeled away, revealing him again. He looked down at his hands... both had turned into reddish black mist.

Leo gulped inwardly with slight fear.

The mist then explained, 'In order to bring her back, you need to first kill her and summon her like how you summoned her first.'

Leo raised his eyebrows in mild shock, "Huh?"

'Also, you have to use the scabbard you got now, which is the key to suppressing her darkness. It also carries the ability to heal the person who wields it... and add your blood along with it.'

"My blood?"

'Indeed... there is a small amount of Divine energy mingled with your blood which might increase the possibility of her returning back.'

"Possibility? You mean, no definite?"

It turned silent again.

Leo's face turned furious, "You tricked me!!"

'Do I? I never said: You can... I said: You may. Do not point your accusations at me, mortal!'

The mist turned furious. Leo clenched his fist furiously before mumbling, "How much possibility are we talking about?"

'50/50.'

Veins bulged on Leo's forehead, and before he could even retort, he was forced back to his real body.

Leo gasped as his consciousness returned. He looked at the pendant scabbard and clenched it tightly, "50/50... there is hope then," he muttered with a small smile as his face slowly reunited with happiness.

With that hope, he had been crafting a plan. Since this was 50/50, he didn't want others to know what he was doing; he would rather see it through to the end, so he carefully memorised the magic circle that was carved on the storage room where he first met Caelindra.

And when he fought against Fallen Pride, when he was holding her sword in his hand, his mouth moved as something long and thick slithered in his mouth... it was nothing but that pendant scabbard that he carefully hid between his teeth. He pulled it out from his teeth and looked back as both Fallen Pride and Essa were using their final move.

In order to increase the possibility.

He knew this was going to be the end. He had put the scabbard onto the sword that was covered with his blood. He made sure every bit of his blood flowed on it as the small scabbard pendant, covered in blood, stuck to the sword, and when he stabbed her with this, the scabbard entered her body along with his blood.

He did everything, not sure if the blood was enough. He even gave her the kiss that contained nothing but blood.

He made sure to give her everything, too much even, just to increase the possibility.

And once he had done that, the next thing was to... carve the magic circle.

For that, he used the relic — and blood dripped from his leg as he worked. He carved the ground with nothing but the relic and his blood.

He wasn't just following the highest building. He followed it because that was the point where it all began... the magic circle that was carved into the ground. He gave his absolute best to replicate it!

Even though there were many mishaps, even though his leg trembled and his vision blurred, he did it with everything he had.

And when it was over... in that final moment, he just kept inhaling mana.

In order to summon her... he needed mana, right?

He kept inhaling, drawing it into his lungs, while fighting against the monsters that looked down on him—treated him like a piece of filth. Yet he held his breath, kept it all inside, inhaling as much as he possibly could. His chest expanded. It burned heavily. The pressure was unbearable.

But he didn't stop.

He kept inhaling even as he fought with nothing but his raw strength.

And once he reached the peak... when his lungs couldn't take it anymore, when they began to shine and burn furiously, unable to contain the mana inside him...

He finally utilised it.

He fucking exhaled as he muttered:

"Summon... Caelindra Pendragon!"

SSNNNNNNNGGGGG!!!

The sound roared like a divine blade being unsheathed across the heavens.

The carved magic circle, drowned in his blood, suddenly pulsed once, twice before erupting into a furious glow.

A violent surge of mana tore out of Leo's chest. The shockwave rippled across the battlefield, cracking stone and forcing dust into the air.

The pool of blood surrounding him vibrated… then lifted as if gravity had forgotten it.

It liquefied into light.

Ssshhhhh!

The blood stretched thin, turned translucent, and ignited into a golden blaze that raced through the etched grooves of the circle. Every line burned brighter and brighter, until—

Ssshhhh~

Camazotz and Dracula froze.

Leo tilted his head... slowly. A half-smile tugged at his mouth.

Something moved behind him.

A streak.

A flash.

A divine slit of platinum light cut through the air so fast the sound reached them a heartbeat late.

They didn't even process it until they saw the aftermath.

A shimmering platinum sword cleaved the blood spear mid-flight—And the severed halves evaporated like smoke.

Chuuuckk!

The same blade punched through Camazotz's chest.

His body jolted. His wings spasmed. His jaw dropped in disbelief a second before an unseen force slammed into him.

His entire figure shot upward like a fired projectile.

The wind tore past his ears as he spun, helpless, rising higher and higher. He looked down... the person who stabbed him and forcing him up!

Caelindra.

Her cold emerald eyes never blinked. Streams of green particles rose from her hair like drifting embers. Silver-green armour wrapped around her form, shining as if forged from moonlight and leaves.

"Y-You?" he croaked.

In less than a blink, Camazotz hurtled upward, past clouds, past the thin blue halo of the sky.

He opened his mouth to scream when…

He felt it.

Heat.

His skin prickled, heartbeat stuttered.

He slowly turned his head and saw it—

The horizon curved beneath him.

The sky had turned black.

And sunlight washed over his body.

"N-No. No…" His voice cracked. Terror drained the colour from his face. His pupils shrank to pinpoints.

"NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

His flesh ignited.

Fire swallowed him whole in a single blinding flare. His silhouette disintegrated before he could even lift his hands to shield himself.

Muscles, bones, wings.... gone in a heartbeat!!

He turned to ash.

Then the ash scattered into nothing.

Not even a trace remained.

Caelindra hovered alone in the void of the upper sky, her green eyes cold as she watched the last particle vanish.

Then she twisted her body downward.

Her boots kicked against the air like solid ground.

She dropped.

Faster.

And faster.

And faster—

A silver-green comet falling back toward the battlefield, trailing shimmering particles behind her.

A divine meteor returning to the world below.

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