Price of Return

The smell of burning filled Void's lungs. The oak wood left behind an intense, thick, resinous smoke, and the stone walls gave off a dry smell that barely allowed him to breathe properly.

Void slowly began to open his eyes. The fire around him had intensified, creating an intense heat. After opening his eyes, Void's mind quickly filled with memories of the battle he'd just had. He clutched his head as a result.

After that moment of pain, Void began to cough violently. 'Shit... I have to get out of here.' he thought, trying to get to his feet.

He covered his nose with his shirt. His strength still hadn't returned, which meant it hadn't been long since the battle had ended. Void had to hold his katana like a cane to walk.

The pain was intense; every muscle in his body was crying out for him to stop. But Void had to endure it.

Kaiser, on the other hand, had left in the middle of the battle and headed toward the imperial throne. 'It would have been faster if he'd helped...' Void thought, annoyed.

His steps were slow and calculated, trying to avoid the flames that were quickly spreading through the corridor.

However, he was walking too slowly, and his oxygen was dwindling. Void looked around, trying to find a way to buy himself at least a few minutes.

After searching for a few moments, he found it: a large window to one side. Bending down in pain, he picked up a piece of stone that had been thrown up by the battle. With all his might, he threw it at the window.

With a simple swing, his arm seemed to have been broken. Void grimaced in pain, trying to suppress the screams he wished he could let out. And on top of that, the stone had bounced off the glass.

'Really?' Void thought, annoyed. Painfully, he approached the window and picked up the stone again. He switched hands and... CRASH! The glass shattered.

Pure, fresh air quickly entered the hallway, as if trying to fight the flames. Void inhaled deeply, refreshing his lungs. The rain gently pattered his face, relieving the heat he felt.

The air in the room was contrasting, fresh and oppressive. Still, it was possible to breathe. The flames began to stir, fearing the air that entered along with the raindrops. The fire slowly began to die down, though it wasn't enough, as the larger flames only fed on those drops.

Void walked near the edge of the room, intending to break every window he passed. Crash... Crash... Crash... He could no longer feel his arm, yet the thought that if he reached the throne room, it would all be over was driving him forward.

Finally, the flames practically came to an end, leaving only a few small remnants that would slowly fade away.

In front of Void, a few meters away, a large gate stood imposingly, a once glorious gate now just another room. The gate was ajar, emphasizing that Kaiser had already passed through there.

He walked carefully, trying to reach the gate with his own steps. Step by step, he finally reached the gate, but he saw a scene that was hard to believe.

Dozens of knights lay dead on the bloody ground, many of them with swords or spears stuck in their chests.

Void let out a sigh, tired of all the blood that had been spilled. 'Is this really the right thing to do?' he wondered, taking a step into the room.

It was impossible for Kaiser to do this, not only because it was difficult for him to kill someone, but because his commanding ability meant he couldn't kill so many people on his own. However, one thing he could do was brainwashing, which could be betrayed by seeing how the knights seemed to have had a battle among themselves.

He walked along the red carpet leading to the throne, which hid the blood spilled on it. Void tried to ignore the fallen knights.

A few steps halted his steps, and at the top was the emperor's throne, which was hidden in shadows, afraid to reveal itself.

CRAAACK! The sky was ripped open by that dry crack that lit up the entire room. The Emperor of Azkai sat on the throne, his head tilted to one side, and the crown seemed close to falling to the ground. Finally, a long spear pierced through his head could be seen.

Clang... The dry sound of the crown falling was quickly absorbed by the carpet. The Azkai Empire had fallen in a single day.

Void's eyes stared into the darkness. The emperor's death wasn't something he cared about, but wasn't the plan to manipulate him? Several thoughts flashed through Void's mind, but they were interrupted.

"Soon, the rest of the group will be here." Kaiser interrupted, emerging from the darkness.

Void glanced sideways at Kaiser. "Wasn't the plan to manipulate him?" he asked, his words clear.

"Hahaha..." Kaiser laughed nervously. He placed his hand behind his head. "Seeing they had no chance, the emperor decided to end his life..." he said with forced sadness.

Void returned his gaze to the throne. It was simply impossible. How could he use such a long spear? And above all, how could his head be halfway through the spear?

Lie. Something was happening, and Void wasn't part of that plan. He looked down. Now he had two options: abandon the plans or continue to the end.

Void didn't really care if his true goal was also conquest; as long as he returned to Earth, what happened in this world was none of his business.

He let out a sigh. His eyes filled with sadness, and inside, he couldn't stop blaming himself. 'If I hadn't written the novel in the first place, none of this would have happened...' That thought kept repeating itself in his mind.

"The plan remains the same..." Kaiser interrupted. "The goal is still to leave this world; the variables don't matter." he added with a smile.

Void continued without looking up. 'Yes... As long as I leave this world, it doesn't matter what they do...' he thought, convincing himself of his decision. "Do whatever you want," he said before sitting exhausted on a step.

The silence was continuous. Even the rain had stopped, as if he had only cried during the fall of the empire.

Kaiser coughed a couple of times. "It's impressive how strong you've become..." he said with an awkward laugh. There was no response. "...But why do you use your ability so often? Don't you know it takes a mental toll?" he asked curiously, trying to start a conversation.

However, again there was no response. Kaiser focused his gaze on Void and after a few moments realized he had fallen asleep.

"I guess he's exhausted..." he said, gently lowering his head. "...Do you think I like this? I'm the one who suffers the most." he said sadly, close to tears.

He sat on the ground and hugged his knees. "I just want to come back to earth..." his voice cracked.

...

"...It's going to be difficult." "...That's why we had to do this." "...I don't think they'll notice."

A few conversations had caused Void to slowly open his eyes.

He blinked a few times, trying to focus his vision. "What's going on?" he wondered. After focusing his gaze, he saw that the group had finally reunited.

Void wanted to go unnoticed, but felt the need to stretch; it seemed he'd rested for a long time.

As he stretched, Blake looked back, observing him. "Have you woken up yet?" he asked with a calm smile, as if what they had done was unimportant.

Void didn't respond and simply listened to the conversation they were having.

"Anyway, Kaiser, now that he's dead, you're going to have to act like the emperor," said the leader, seemingly upset by the emperor's death. "Genesis will create an illusion so everyone will think you're him." he added.

The young woman, without delay, began to make some drawings with her fingers in the air. For Void, this was something strange, but it was a unique ability, so he couldn't underestimate it.

After a few seconds, the young woman stopped and with a click, ordered. "Generate."

Kaiser was surrounded by golden lines that eventually covered him completely. And like a chrysalis, the golden energy began to crack.

Finally, he revealed himself. Kaiser had a different appearance. A middle-aged man with white hair that reached his shoulders. His attire was worthy of an emperor, with decor around his entire body and multiple jewels on his hands and neck.

"With this, we should be able to go unnoticed for a while." said the leader. "Void, I have another job for you." He glanced at him.

Void looked down. He didn't want to get further involved in this, but it seemed inevitable. "Genesis." said the leader without adding another word.

Again, the young woman began to trace something in the air, this time in Void's direction. And after a few seconds, golden energy began to surround him.

CRK... CRK... The energy began to crack, finally shattering and vanishing into thin air.

Void looked at his body curiously. Nothing had changed; his body remained the same, but the change seemed to be lost on him...

The group watched him, trying to contain their laughter. Void gritted his teeth and picked up a small piece of carpet from the floor. "Exchange" he said angrily.

A small crystal appeared in his hand, reflecting the figure of an obese, unsightly man.

Void squeezed the crystal tightly, causing it to shatter and his hand to bleed.

The leader snorted, trying not to laugh. "Your job is to pretend to be the greatest merchant in Lyncandel and thus gain entry to the Targassian empire." he explained, trying to maintain a straight face.