Standing Here, I Realized
If not for the healing factor of the latching formerly-tarnished souls, Jack's skin would be scrapped by the heat, charred into nothingness.
The rate of the things happening both within and out of Jack's side was escalating at an even faster pace with every moment he skydived into the floating island of flesh.
The black fleshy portals spawned faster and in denser volume as if it was in desperation. Likewise, the pale portals and its countering armored limbs increased in its speed.
Although some of the plasma projectiles managed to slip past by the arms of the pale. The same with some of the ever stretching black tentacles that were piercing the air as it reached for the falling sun.
Jack tried to swing his glaive.
It was heavy, more so than anything he could imagine despite him accelerating downward faster than sonic speed.
The weapon was moving still, just not in the right velocity that he wanted to perform. Because of the late swinging, some of the limbs reached for his body before he could even slashed it.
But instead of halting the falling sun, the ever growing limbs were splitting and branching to surround the white comet.
The moment Jack finally swung the glaive after a lag, it unleashed a decapitating shockwave that travelled through the relentless limbs onto their source, clashing with the fleshy portals and eradicating it.
Perceiving such a feat had stimulated the abomination to commence its strongest attack.
The monster's grotesque mouth yawned and spread its long neck into two separate eerie elongated jaws. A high condensation of energy was being formed in-between the gap.
Before it could unleash its destructive blast, a giant pale portal appeared and summoned an armored arm opposed to its size and slammed the unconnected neck into the ground.
The ball of destruction dissipated completely. More portals and armored pale limbs appeared and they began to restrain the monstrous black dragon onto its submission.
Its head then got redirected to face the falling white by more armored limbs in the vicinity like set of torturous chains.
With the entity no longer able to move anything of its own other than mindlessly summoning more fleshy portal, its eyes began to get clearer and clearer.
Cruciatus could finally see the world once again. Although, his vision was already half damaged by the amount of light that got refracted within his vision.
"Such a light… Such a warmth… Oh, how I missed this feeling…"
A seemingly satisfied grin could be seen stretched on the black abomination's face. Not only that he was relieved that his action was rewarded, he managed to stay true to his feeling to the end without succumbing to becoming a marionette of the 'Mother'.
He was blinded by the sun.
His memory became clearer and clearer. Everything about his purpose, the good will of the many tarnished souls that were protecting him and supporting him till the bitter end.
He finally knew what strength truly was.
"Did you see that? 'Mother'?"
The 'Mother' didn't respond.
"You said that I'm the strongest."
The 'Mother' didn't correct.
At the last final twenty seconds before the meltdown of the white sun reaching the surface, Cruciatus graced the will of the many with his pure stretching pair of wings like that of an angel.
Both of his white feathers and eyes were fixated on the light, just like the sunflower, seeking for warmth. "One shan't find strength within the capability to endure through pain. There hasn't been a moment where I thought that suffering is the catalyst that makes me strong.
"The true strength lies within the willpower to confront the inevitable. And for once, I have never had the courage nor the drive to confront everything till this moment. But you, Jack Armstrong, were different."
The angel within the abomination howled, screaming out his desire through every inch of his existence.
"I! CRUCIATUS! DECLARE YOU AS THE STRONGEST!"
The glaive landed at Cruciatus' heart, releasing the pain and meaningless suffering that he had gone through.
The realm was consumed by the light.
[A Unique Mutation has occurred_
[One Sin And One Hundred Good Deeds {MX}: The twelfth apostle had sold the ultimate lifeform's purpose to the crowned violent, resulting in a huge sin, and one hundred prevented bigger sins that would be spread to the world if the betrayal didn't happen_
[The torch shall be inherited to the new savior, allowing the host and the tentacle to manifest and call upon the 'one hundred holy souls' to bless the host's vessel.]
[New Mutation Trait had been recorded_
[Soulbinded Type: A type of mutation that can be utilized or performed whether the host have or not have the mentioned tentacle as a body part_
[Current Mutation that bear this Trait>>
[One Sin And One Hundred Good Deeds {MX}]
Embers waft towards the ceiling, fluttering and spinning about as a flock of numerous golden ashes that had been freed from their torments.
The bright sky had its rays orchestrated by many yellow clouds. Its wind whistled a soothing hymn. From the light fell slowly descending glowing marbles, leaving dotted trails until they kissed the ground and blessed the ground as a glinting pulse.
In the middle of all of it, there was a vibrant knight of pale laying down, gazing at the light above. He didn't mind his cracked armor, pierced by a straight and honest glaive. The weapon was dissipating into fragments that was later transformed into a floating lotus.
In front of Cruciatus' feet, was a man of resolution.
The man's iridescent white hair reverted to its original color once again. His eyes dimmed into vibrant red, an ambitious, and unrelenting red.
Jack looked up, trying to find out what was the thing that made his friend stare so passionately onto the above. He couldn't find it, but maybe because he already knew the answer.
"We're not so different, aren't we?"
"I'm glad that you came here, Jack."
"I did what I promised."
Cruciatus tried to reach his hand towards the light.
"You're the brightest treasure I've ever had.My memory is clear now.
"This world is cruel, Jack. The sins were hidden but it will eventually resurface once again. Those sins would corrupt the world without doubt.
"There will be many victims, many innocent plunged into the darkness… All because there was someone, or something, who had put this layer of facade into a game. A game where everything didn't matter, only for those in attendance to realize that everything indeed matters.
"To counteract it, one must become the savior. Only by sin, one can destroy another sin. The thing that I was born for, and you, will be the new bearer of the 'Forbidden'." Cruciatus deliberately redirected his limp hand toward Jack, pointing at him with his forefinger. "I shall pass my torch to you. From now on, you will be the new bearer of the 'Forbidden', Jack Armstrong."
[ {182151315111111} has been inherited.]
[Your stats within this world have been altered, Jack.]
[< < < < < < < < < < < Cruciatus then immediately clutched his hand into a fist. Ember dust could be seen seeping out from the crevice of his fingers.
"I have one final gift for you." He then opened his clutch. A long shaft of the same geometrical scale-guard glave was extended from the light that was coming from it. "This weapon was once a friend of mine.
"He gave me a dagger, to protect myself. The dagger grows along with me. Now, my protector has reached maturity. I want you to protect this glaive in my steed. In exchange, the weapon will protect you."
Jack reached for the handle of the glaive. Unlike the one that he once gripped and swung, this very same glaive was as light as a newborn's feather.
"I'll make sure to bring it anywhere with me." A solemn yet melancholic smile appeared on Jack's face. "I'll bring it to the sky, and have it soar above the wind in your stead."
Hearing those words, the pale knight began to laugh wholeheartedly. "Haah, If so! Make sure that I shine the world! Brighter than any stars!"
"Will do, my friend, will do."
"Thank you."
Behind the pale helmet, a pair of red orbs glinted from a certain angle. Both looked at each other, smiling with contempt, as if the man who stood there was actually watching his own shadow.
Cruciatus put on his widest smile, before dissipating into dancing golden dust that fluttered to the light.