Hikari: Rise Of The Weapons Master

'Ah…  lance, you are going to remain here and start your love story.' Zack said mentally.

He knew that if took the Phoenix with him, things would get tough for both of them. His mother, Nyx, lived in a place where any creature of light would feel suffocated.

Lance was the biggest example of such a creature so it was probably better for him to stay back and try to secure some babies with the companion of a primordial goddess.

"So you will be sending me to the bottom of the world tree?" Zack questioned Hemera.

"Naturally. I guess I won't wake up until the next decade but it doesn't matter." Hemera waved her hand again. "Good luck in your journey."

Zack immediately threw lance out of his body. The Phoenix came out just in time to see Zack vanishing from his spot

"So, uh, where can I meet this eagle of yours?" Lance questioned.

"You can meet her at the top of the temple. But be careful, Maia is known for being violent." Hemera replied with a smile. "I won't be offering you any help either."

The goddess of day closed her eyes and prepared to sleep for the next ten years. But inside her heart, she hoped that Zack would succeed in his task.

***

"Ugh…" Zack muttered while landing on solid ground again.

He felt like he had just spent a day inside a washing machine. This was expected since Zack had just went from the top of the world to the bottom in a matter of seconds.

'Wait, this is not the bottom of the world.' Zack suddenly paused when he saw light pouring into his surroundings.

He was currently standing near a tree with an extremely thick trunk. He was surrounded by a lot of other trees as well, half of which were not known to him.

'This is the elven realm…'

Zack remembered that Nyx and Hemera couldn't visit each others domains. The goddess of day ha just teleported him to the nearest possible place which was the Elven realm.

He would've to climb the world tree in a downwards manner if he wanted to reach the bottom of the world to meet Nyx.

'My quest has also been updated.'

[ Tale of Day and Night (Divine): There was once a person who was put under the night's and the day's curse yet he managed to make both the night and the day embrace him and bless him.

- Visit the bottom of the world tree where Nyx, the night, lives. (3 /3 part of the quest)

Time limit: 3 days ]

'I wonder if Emma has completed her quest.' Zack thought silently.

He stared at the thick trunk of the world tree. A fond memory entered his mind, making him smile despite the circumstances.

'I wish Mia was here with me. Both of us had first met in this place when I was accompanying my father.'

Zack had gotten lost while traveling with his father and had ended up in the Elven realm. He had been seventeen back then and already had Eva as his fiancée.

He had met the spirit of the world tree then and had received Chastiefol from her. Zack wondered why Mia had given him the spear back then.

Every time he had asked her that question, she had refused to answer him. The only thing he had ever gotten out of her mouth on the topic was:

"It was necessary to save your life. I couldn't let someone like you suffer more than you already were."

Zack now understood that Mia had gotten to know about the curse placed on him. Back then, the elven realm wasn't friendly towards people from other race.

They would have located Zack if not for Chastiefol covering him in its glow. Unfortunately, that spear was supposed to be handed to the strongest fairy king ever.

'My life has been one crises after the other.' Zack sighed.

"But that's what makes it unique and fun. If you could go back, would you remove all the drama?" A feminine voice suddenly asked him.

The beautiful woman in the green dress appeared in front of Zack. He could finally see that she had long black hair and her eyes were both blue and green.

"I won't do that, Mia. If I did that, I wouldn't have met all of you." Zack replied with a smile as he looked at the spirit of the world tree.

Mia once had been one of the strongest spirits to exist in the entire world. But after the world tree had split into two parts, her powers had been halved.

The creation of Yggdrasil's jewel had further weakened her yet she had still held on. She was one of the four wives that Zack had in his first life.

"You know what to do, don't you?" Mia questioned with a smile.

"The path of mirrors is the only thing that can connect the two parts of Yggdrasil. To enter it, one requires the blessings of Hemera, the day, and Nyx, the night." Zack recited the words that Mia had told him long ago.

"But to travel through the path without losing one's sanity, the jewel of Yggdrasil is a requirement," Mia finished. "You have half of my heart with you. Use it wisely, Zack."

"I won't lose it even if I have to sacrifice my own heart to do so. I will join Yggdrasil and provide you your powers again. Once that happens, all of us will defeat Apep and Mordred together." Zack said sincerely.

"I believe in you." Mia nodded. Though she wasn't present there in her real form, Mia still moved forward and cupped her hands around Zack's cheeks.

The latter felt a cool sensation pass over his body but he couldn't feel Mia's touch.

"Good luck. Save yourself even if you have to sacrifice half of my heart for it," Mia whispered in his ears.

Her lips lightly brushed over his before she stepped back. Her spiritual form vanished, leaving Zack alone.

'You know I won't do that,' Zack thought with a humorless chuckle.

His eyes focused on the trunk of the world tree. Zack stepped forward with a determined expression and placed his right hand on the trunk.

It was time for him to climb down and meet his mother.