Chap 11

The chapter opens with Leonhart alone, extinguishing a campfire inside the house. It's late at night, and the others are already asleep. He watches intently as each spark fades away.

He recalls his wife lighting that same fire to warm the house while preparing their two children for bed, a smile on her face.

The extinguished flame reflected in Leonhart's eyes, stirring painful memories. He checked every corner of the area, ensuring no ember remained.

The fire in the hearth crackled softly as Leonhart's family drifted to sleep, the night's tranquility enveloping them while Leonhart sat by the lake's edge, enjoying the peaceful evening. The scene focused on the flame, small and safe, a silent guardian of the night.

Leonhart used a protective item, forming alert seals around the campsite. His gaze carried a sad, bitter air.

The flame grew slowly, licking at the furniture and curtains. Danger lurked silently as Leonhart's family slept on, unaware of the looming disaster.

Leonhart's breathing was heavy. He sat down, recalling that fateful night. Every precaution he took now was a tribute to those he had lost.

The blaze consumed the house in minutes, the flames roaring with unstoppable fury. Screams echoed as the family tried to escape, Leonhart struggling to get them out, but it was too late. The fire, once a small, comforting glow, had become a devouring monster, too powerful to approach.

Leonhart stood, his gaze resolute. He would never again let fire slip from his control. Ignis was both an ally and a responsibility, and he vowed to honor that duality.

The scene cuts to the next day. Birds soar overhead, and the sun rises on the horizon. Izumi is training alone, experimenting with different ways to use his Divine Art. He imbues his fists with it while punching a nearby tree. His strikes leave strange damage on the wood—clean yet massive, with signs of impact mixed with smooth, heavy destruction.

Suddenly, he finds himself in a place filled with shadows. Memories linger in the air, moments of weakness. One catches Izumi's attention: him trying to protect someone dear, but his strength always falling short, defeated time and again, his adversaries laughing at his state. Though he managed to shield that figure momentarily, they always ended up in danger again because Izumi could never subdue his foes—only sacrifice himself.

The shadows wandering the space were those of everyone who had humiliated him, reminders of every lost fight. Izumi recognized each one, each bringing greater pain than the last.

The environment dissipated along with the shadows, revealing the Empty Temple, Excidium's Realm.

Izumi recognizes the place—it's the same one he saw when "captured" by Lumen, but this time he has a much broader view. The temple holds nothing but covered windows, support pillars, a staircase, and a large closed door at the top. Above the door, Excidium hangs chained, the coils still snaking around him, binding his soul and raw power.

Excidium: "This sanctuary represents my soul… and yours…"

Izumi: "What do you want?"

Excidium: "…Empty… and weak…"

Izumi looks on, confused and slightly shocked by Excidium's indifference, so different from the fury he'd shown before.

Excidium: "…It represents the shadow that haunts and torments us…"

Izumi: "And what do you think we have in common!? All you seek is destruction and chaos! We could never be the same!"

Excidium: "Then what do you seek, child?"

Izumi pauses, thrown off by the question, but soon responds.

Izumi: "I just want to protect the people who matter to me!"

Excidium: "And what's the difference? While I destroy to protect, you protect by destroying. We're all the same—actions that lead to hatred, which can be a devastating dragon or a wingless bird… it's just a matter of perspective."

Izumi stops, speechless, listening but his mind rejecting it all.

Excidium: "You refuse this…? I've seen your memories… you always destroy yourself to protect, inside and out, but it doesn't have to be that way… you can have power, stop being weak."

Shadows rise from the ground, slowly taking form—grotesque, distorted versions of his friends and acquaintances, shambling toward a figure. It doesn't take long for Izumi to recognize her as his mother, sitting on the ground, weeping, helpless. The shadows taunt him, calling him weak, laughing, hurling insults. Izumi feels a growing sadness mix with rage, power coursing through his body. He charges at the figures.

He positions himself near his mother, trying to shield her. He strikes the monsters with fists imbued with Void, far more powerful here, dealing significant damage. He aims for their torsos and finishes with their heads, each punch carrying unnatural force, its impact palpable even from a distance.

The aberrations fall one after another, their warped bodies crumpling under Izumi's blows, but they always rise again. The laughter and mockery only grow louder, and Izumi feels his weakness acutely. His sadness turns to hatred, Ether leaking from his body like mist, overflowing.

Amid this sea of emotion, he summons a katana forged from Ether. Excidium seems surprised, a small smile creeping across his face.

Izumi advances on the figures, slashing, severing, and decapitating them all. His movements are swift, though somewhat clumsy. His wide eyes radiate only negative emotions; even the soulless figures feel his pure, murderous intent, steeped in hatred.

Izumi finishes, panting, leaving only himself and his mother on the ground, still crying.

Excidium, with an echoing voice: "See?"

Izumi snaps back to sanity with a jolt and looks at Excidium.

Excidium: "You need only look around to see our nature."

The scene reveals the figures strewn across the ground, dead, their limbs scattered, blood coating the space. They're no longer distorted but appear as the normal people Izumi knows.

Izumi realizes what he's done and collapses, denying it all. His shock is too overwhelming to even move his body or eyes.

Excidium: "Controlling the void isn't just about wanting to be whole—it's about accepting your natures and truths. Only one who sees the world from every angle can truly know nothingness."

The remains of those figures melt into the floor like a viscous liquid, slowly vanishing. Izumi looks back to see the same happening to his mother, realizing none of it was real.

Excidium: "Just accept it, Izumi. If we join forces, we can be more powerful than anyone alive and achieve any goal. All it takes is…"

Izumi, interrupting: "No! I won't… I won't accept it… I won't bow to you! I'll prove we're different!"

Excidium, disappointed: "You're a fool… you don't even realize what you're capable of…"

Only then does Izumi notice the sword in his hand, forged during the battle.

Excidium: "The battle is just beginning. When the time comes, we'll see if your resolve is enough."

The temple begins to be swallowed by darkness, bit by bit. Izumi awakens in front of the tree he was training on, his arm outstretched, hands bleeding, the tree toppled. The scene shows Leonhart in the background, startled as he watches.

The scene shifts to a dense forest, the silence stark, broken only by the chirping of a few birds and Genesis's steady footsteps. He moves along a narrow path, his gaze serious and wandering, until he stops abruptly. Something catches his eye. From the corner of his vision, he spots a human figure and, without hesitation, prepares an attack, forming a glowing spike.

Genesis: (firmly) "Show yourself."

Kael: (with a serene voice, stepping from the shadows) "Ah, you finally noticed me. Seems I got careless."

Genesis hurls the spike with deadly precision, but Kael dodges gracefully, maintaining a calm smile.

Genesis: (serious, already forming another spike) "So, what are you doing here?"

Kael: (emerging from the shadows, revealing his tall, lean frame, dark skin, and short white dreadlocks) "Easy, easy. I don't want to fight."

Genesis holds his defensive stance, eyes locked on Kael.

Kael: (smiling) "I'm Kael, Son of Tanvo, from Kintô. I'm the bearer of…"

Genesis: (interrupting, with a tone of recognition) "Mnemos."

Kael chuckles softly, surprised and impressed.

Kael: (smiling) "Looks like I don't need an introduction, do I, Genesis?"

Genesis: (still poised for combat) "What are you doing here?"

Kael: (keeping his smile) "Actually, I've been following you since the village of Koro. I found a vessel there before the chaos broke out. Since then, I've been watching you in that little town nearby, at the trade hub, your cult… Honestly, I'm impressed. Never thought someone like you would just go shopping."

Genesis: (raising an eyebrow, still wary) "What would a Judge want with me if not to kill me?"

Kael: (serious) "At first, I did plan to. I was just waiting for the right moment. But I got curious about your motives, so I decided to watch from a distance. Well, you found me anyway."

Genesis slowly lowers his guard, surprised by the revelation.

Genesis: (curious) "So, you won't stop me?"

Kael: (kneeling on one knee, head bowed) "Not yet, at least. I want to see where this goes."

Genesis: (raising his guard again) "If there's still a chance you'll try to stop me, then I should kill you now."

Kael: (lifting his gaze, serious) "If you think you can kill me now, then take my head."

Genesis glances around, noticing figures hidden in the trees—strangely, they fill him with a deep dread, though he maintains his calm demeanor. Finally, he disarms himself and turns, gesturing for Kael to follow.

Genesis: (with an authoritative tone) "Get up. We're going to your homeland."

Kael gives a small smile, lowering his head in relief.

Kael: (quietly, almost whispering) "What a relief…"

As Kael takes his first steps, he poses one last question, his curiosity evident.

Kael: (confused) "But one thing I still don't get… How do you plan to heal people?"

Genesis: (looking directly at Kael, his gaze frank and determined) "I will restore humanity to its original state—pure, before any evil or sin entered their hearts."

Kael studies Genesis for a moment, pondering his words. Without further questions, he begins to follow.

The chapter closes with the new duo walking through the forest, the atmosphere dense and somber around them. As they advance, the scenery opens up, revealing the Kingdom in the distance—their final destination. The Kingdom's imposing silhouette rises against the horizon, just a few hours' walk away.