Seizing the Coreflame, The Fire-Stealer Appears

"Why would it be like that?"

Hyacine was the most shocked. The stories she had heard since childhood were all about how the Sun-ember Knight was a hero, a great figure who had initiated the Flamechase Journey.

But now, someone was telling her that this hero who started the journey had, in the end, become the one who attacked the people, the culprit who caused the Sky Clan to be reduced to living on the ground.

Hyacine knew that legends passed down for a thousand years would always undergo unrealistic adaptations.

But this situation was a bit too unrealistic, wasn't it?

Hyacine took a deep breath, composed herself, and looked up at Solabis and Lunabis. She said seriously, "You two, can you tell me everything? The information we have here is that the abandonment of the Sky City was due to conflicts among the various tribes within the city."

Solabis and Lunabis glanced at each other, then at Derick and the others standing nearby, and began to speak, "Alright, we will tell you everything we know. First, what you said about tribal conflict… that was indeed a normal phenomenon in the Sky City."

"The conflict between the Sun People and the Rain People was the most intense. Aquila loved the sunlight, so the Sun People, even when their skin was scorched and cracked, would keep the Celestial Tapestry permanently set to sunshine, causing the entire Amphoreus to be enveloped by the scorching sun. The Rain People naturally did not want to see this happen, so they fought with the Sun People for many years."

"And after many years of campaigns, the half-blood of the Sun and Rain People, the Sun-ember Knight Seneos, appeared out of nowhere, defeated Aquila, and returned everything to normal. This is probably what you all know."

"Yes, that's what we know."

Lunabis sighed, "Yes, what a beautiful ending to the story. The hero became a hero, defeated the evil Titan, and restored normalcy to this world. But… who cares about what happened next?"

After the hero's epic, did everyone's character get infected and sublimate into that of a saint?

Although Lunabis didn't say it out loud, this thought had already appeared in the minds of Derick, Hyacine, and the others.

"People only care about the hero's great power and her legendary adventures, but no one ever cares about her character. When Seneos defeated Aquila, the people of the Sky City didn't see it as a mortal defeating a god, but as a new god defeating an old one."

"So, a large number of new believers who worshiped Seneos appeared and began to persecute the former believers of Aquila?" Hyacine, who was well-read in the classics of the Grove of Epiphany, had already figured out what had happened.

Derick was even more aware of the attacks on heretics in religious wars from his past life.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Solabis understood that they knew what had happened without further explanation and skipped over the part about religious persecution, continuing, "Seneos thought that after she defeated Aquila, the people would have a beautiful future. But she never expected that the problems they encountered would be even more numerous than before she defeated Aquila. So she became angry, disappointed in the people of the sky, and finally chose to merge with Aquila, causing them all to fall from the sky into the mortal realm."

Hearing its words, Derick and the others couldn't help but fall silent.

Seneos was a hero, no doubt, but her actions were too direct, relying on martial prowess to end everything. But some things simply cannot be solved by force alone. The road to reconstruction is winding and shrouded in mist; no one knows the best way forward. Simply forging ahead might lead one down the wrong path entirely.

Castorice's gaze turned to Derick.

"Derick, it seems your idea is correct. After we save Amphoreus, we absolutely cannot stay here."

Derick's way of doing things was very similar to Seneos's: no matter the problem, he would just slash and kill until it was over. Castorice was also a little worried that in the future, after Derick became the hero who saved all of Amphoreus, another cult that worshiped him would appear and destroy the previous faiths.

At this point, Derick wanting to leave Amphoreus completely was an extremely wise decision.

He would directly tell all the people of Amphoreus that he was leaving and would not return. No matter how much they worshiped him, he would not give them any protection. Their future needed to be created with their own hands.

In that case, even if a cult worshiping Derick still formed, its size would not be large enough to pose a destructive threat to other cults. With Caenis and the others around, things would eventually be resolved.

Derick proudly puffed out his chest.

Although his original intention was just to be lazy, as long as he didn't say it out loud, he was wise, divine, and possessed of martial prowess, with a foresight that reached far beyond.

"Look at you, so proud." Cipher rolled her eyes at him.

"This isn't over yet, you know? We still have to go fight Aquila."

Cipher turned to look at the two winged beasts and said, "No matter if the one holding the Core Flame now is Aquila or Seneos, if she continues like this, she will only bring harm to Amphoreus. We have to take back her Core Flame and begin the path of salvation. Are you going to help us save the world, or are you going to protect the remnant consciousness of Seneos?"

"We will naturally choose the former," Lunabis and Solabis looked at each other and said in unison.

"The one we followed back then was the Sun-ember Knight Seneos who wanted to defeat tyranny and save the world. Not this creature who is now guarding the Titan's Core Flame. She has already lost her sanity. Giving her a dignified end is the best choice."

"Alright, then let's set off again!" Derick and the others prepared to depart once more.

Before they left, Solabis first walked over to the instrument that controlled the Celestial Tapestry. It tapped its foot on it, and its mouth began to chant. As it finished its ancient words, the surroundings instantly brightened.

Solabis had turned on the Celestial Tapestry.

"Let's go. We can set off now!" Solabis said to Derick and the others.

Derick nodded.

At the same time, Polyxia lowered her body, gesturing for the others to stand on her head.

When everyone was steady, Derick said to Lunabis and the others, "Next, you will have to lead the way."

The two winged beasts flew into the sky, and Derick and his group, riding on Polyxia, followed closely behind.

Looking down, they saw a huge pool, and in the pool flowed what looked like molten gold.

"What is this?" Derick couldn't help but ask.

Seeing the golden pool, Hyacine quickly warned, "Down there is the boiling Golden Pool. It's the divine energy that drives the Eye of Twilight. We absolutely must not fall down there later. If we do, everyone except Derry will not survive."

"It's that dangerous? Luckily, I still have some sense and didn't plan to scoop some up to take back with me when I saw all that gold," Cipher said, patting her ample chest.

"You're really professional," Derick said to Cipher.

"Of course!" Cipher puffed out her chest proudly. "After all, as long as I obtain enough money, the Oracle's Prophecy can't catch up to me."

"Oracle's Prophecy? Didn't you already give me the authority of the Titan of Deceit?"

"Oh dear, I forgot. You won't blame me, right, nyaa~"

Cipher struck a coquettish pose.

Castorice retorted from the side, "This habit of adding 'nyaa' to the end of your sentences was a fad from a thousand years ago."

"Renaissance? This is a renaissance! You just don't get it!" Cipher said shamelessly.

"Recently, in Okhema, there has been no such cultural revival." Castorice was a renowned fan-fiction author and was extremely familiar with cultural trends. Cipher's lie couldn't deceive her at all.

"It's fine, there will be one sooner or later."

Even though she was exposed, Cipher's face remained shameless.

Solabis and the others led Derick's group to a new Celestial Tapestry. Looking at it, Solabis quickly went to the control instrument and began to make this area bright as well.

After it was brightened, Aquila, or rather Seneos, continued to fly upwards. Derick and the others continued their pursuit.

They chased all the way to the highest level of the Eye of Twilight. Solabis opened the last Celestial Tapestry, illuminating the entire space. At the same time, through the change in weather, they cornered Aquila.

Aquila had no choice but to appear before Derick and the others again.

Energy was still leaking from the wounds on its mangled body, and its entire state seemed extremely weak. It spread its wings, which had been tattered by Derick, and prepared for a new round of attacks.

The surrounding environment changed again. From the scorching sun that had been releasing flames, it turned into a sky filled with dark thunderclouds.

Aquila spread its wings wide and unleashed a terrifying lightning attack towards them.

Lightning bolts rained down one after another, forming a cage of lightning around Derick's group. Derick swung the Lance of Divine Retribution, forming a shield to block the lightning strikes.

Lunabis and Solabis were not so lucky. The two winged beasts were at the forefront, and in the face of Aquila's thunderstorm attack, they failed to dodge in time. Two bolts of lightning struck them, sending them plummeting downwards. Fortunately, there was a platform where they fell, so they didn't fall into the Golden Pool.

Derick blocked the lightning.

"This lightning is really dense. Derry-boy, do you have a way?" Cipher asked Derick.

"A way? Of course, I do," Derick nodded.

Looking at Castorice, he said to her, "In a moment, you and Polyxia block this lightning."

"I know." Castorice nodded.

Then, Derick lowered the defense of the Lance of Divine Retribution. Castorice swung her scythe, and Polyxia opened her draconic maw, breathing out a stream of her attack. The energies of Castorice and Polyxia converged, forming a light purple barrier that blocked the lightning released by Aquila.

Derick breathed a small sigh of relief and then took out a coin from his hand.

[Super Speed] activated!

Derick pushed off with his feet and charged straight for Aquila's body. With the power of the Titan of Deceit, he passed directly through the lightning.

Aquila was suddenly alarmed. It flapped its wings and hastily retreated. As it retreated, its main eye in its chest cavity rotated and released a giant thunderbolt, several dozen meters thick, straight at Derick.

Derick didn't have time to use the Lance of Divine Retribution to pierce this thunderbolt. Instead, he threw the lance into the air to gather energy and block the attack.

Seeing this, Aquila's eyeball rotated, and it even looked a little pleased.

But in the next second, Derick swung his other arm. The purple energy of the Titan of Death appeared, forming a giant arm a hundred meters long.

Aquila let out an extremely ugly shriek.

Derick's giant arm, imbued with the energy of the Titan of Death, directly grabbed its neck. The energy of the Titan of Death entered Aquila's body, causing its entire form to be covered in purple. The lightning it was releasing was also interrupted.

The attack that had been threatening Castorice and the others vanished.

Aquila struggled violently, trying to attack Derick. But Derick was now tightly gripping its neck, wrenching it backward. Little by little, the gash in Aquila's neck widened.

Derick had found the location of the Core Flame within its body.

Then, Derick charged into its body, rushed to the location of the Core Flame, reached out, and forcibly snatched it.

The Core Flame of the Sky Titan was in his hands.

Seeing this, Castorice and the others couldn't help but smile.

It's finally over… or is it?

Before they could even be happy, Cipher, looking behind her, suddenly shrieked, "Castorice, look out! It's the Flame-Reaver! He's here!"

The Flame-Reaver had used his remnant to reach the Eye of Twilight.

After a period of recovery, he had finally restored his body's condition. Now, he had arrived at the battlefield of Derick and Aquila, ready to join the war.

"Hey, that guy." Cipher stared and said.

Castorice, however, glanced at the Flame-Reaver without any hesitation and said to Polyxia, "Let's go. We'll stop the Flame-Reaver together."

"Cipher, hold on to Hyacine. Don't let either of you fall off Polyxia's back."

Cipher nodded.

She didn't suggest hiding in a safe place first. The Flame-Reaver was not like Aquila, a Titan who had nearly lost its mind. His strength was great, and his combat intelligence was not to be underestimated. If Cipher took Hyacine to hide on the side, the Flame-Reaver would definitely go after them to exploit that opening.

Pulling Hyacine close, Cipher flexed her agile legs.

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