Level Up Legacy

"And… you want us to unseal that terrifying power?" blinked Fey at Arthur Silvera, who had noticed her just now. He stared at her for several seconds before raising his brows with surprise.

"If this is not the White Fairy who left me to die once and saved me a month later," smiled Arthur Silvera, and Fey was speechless. It was true that she did not care about him the first time they met, but her brother advised her otherwise.

"Ahem," coughed the White Fairy with slight embarrassment. "The first time we met, I was fighting against that serpent," pointed Fey at the giant monster bombed by the Calamity Spider. "I had my hands full… even brother was…."

"I know, don't worry," smiled Arthur as he waved his hand. "How is Yuran?"

"Is this the time to catch up?" asked Azkavan with a twitching brow. The two of them laughed before turning toward Amelio again.  "Arthur Silvera, you mentioned unsealing him? How is that going to achieve anything other than getting us killed?"

"The seal acts as protection to both him and us. If we can get him to reach his limits, we can effectively harm him. However, if he does reach that state, then we are going to be killed instantly."

"…that is why your plan sounds like suicide, kidra," said Devan, who was still sitting crossed-legged. "Furthermore, that man is still strangely looking at you while quietly listening to our conversation. He does not seem to panic."

"I am intrigued," said Amelio with a grin as he stared at them. "How would removing the seal cause me any harm? I placed it on my body long ago because the world could not handle my existence. You should be aware of the reason, Arthur."

"The world rejects his existence?" muttered Fey with confusion. "Is it possible that he is talking about the split?"

Arthur nodded. Everyone here was aware of the terrifying truth that the world had been once split into Alka and Earth. However, they did not know that the split was the reason guardians could not exist in this world.

"I doubted as such," muttered Arthur while staring at Amelio. "You sealed your strength to avoid being trapped in the void between the two worlds. A cunning plan indeed to be the strongest existence in the world."

"You are correct," smiled Amelio. "I managed to find out about the split from the man I once befriended: the Scholar Guardian, Jizo! He wanted to take the rune back but failed after realizing the amount of strength I gathered."

"Then, you managed to seal your strength to avoid the world rejecting your existence. Fallen God Amelio," smiled Arthur, "you live in eternal fear."

"Who do you think is the reason behind that?" grinned Amelio as he raised his arm. "I have… lived in this lame state that I evolved from for thousands of years… while being unable to do anything about it. I dreamt of killing you every day, Arthur Silvera."

"Why is he blaming Arthur-ra?" asked Devan while standing. "Well, regardless of what history the two of you have, our goal is clear: to push this bastard past his limits to that the seal comes off."

"And after that, we must survive until Arthur Silvera defeats him?" muttered Azkavan with doubt. "Are we going to trust a Vetus-ranker with our lives?"

The other three were silent, as an Astra-ranker was far more trustworthy than a Vetus-ranker. However, after combining their strength earlier, all they managed to do was inflict temporary wounds on Amelio. The only injury that still bleeds was the one Arthur Silvera gave him.

"I will not ask any of you to trust me," Arthur said with his back toward the four. "Whether you are a part of this or not, it does not matter. I will attack just the same and try to unseal him. You have to kill me if you don't want to do that."

The four were silent before staring at Amelio and then at Arthur. As Ilia Perli opened his mouth to answer, a ringing came from his ring. The Major's eyes widened as he hurried to tap the golden ring, allowing a screen to appear in front of the crowd.

"Your Majesty!" kneeled Ilia Perli at once, and the other guild masters did as well. The soldiers who were far away could not do the same because they were still fighting against the Skywalkers.

"Be at east, as I know that you are fighting against the calamity at the moment," said the Yalen King with the same apathetic expression before looking toward Arthur. "It seems you have no respect for your king, Arthur Silvera."

"My knees are getting too old to bend, Your Majesty," said Arthur without flustering. "You should be seeing the broadcast from the drones, so choosing this time to call should be for an important reason."

"It is indeed," said the Yalen King as his violet eyes glowed. "You have ensured that the world sees everything that happens in this battle, but do not expect mercy. For wrongful accusations against the thrones, you have been labeled a traitor of the Yalveran Union."

"I have been notified by that already," smiled Arthur. "However, that should not be the only reason for your appearance. Is there anything that…"

"Ilia Perli," interrupted the king while shifting his gaze toward the Lightning God. "You are to capture Arthur Silvera this instant, whether he is alive or dead. After that, Kera will be the second priority."

"…My King?" muttered Ilia Perli while raising his head. "Arthur Silvera has monsters, shadows, and the Calamity Spider on his side. If we lose their support and make an enemy of them, then our troops will…."

"I received the demands of the calamity known as Amelio," said the Yalen King while staring straight at Ilia Perli. "Kera shall be given to him in exchange for aiding us in capturing Arthur Silvera."

The words shook the hearts of those present, but Arthur maintained his smile. Ilia Perli opened his mouth several times, and every other soldier, demihuman, and shadow stopped fighting. However, the sounds of the serpent fighting against the Calamity Spider still rang in their ears.

"…give up… Kera?" muttered Ilia Perli as his eyes kept losing focus, clearly shaken by the command. "Your Majesty… we have… sacrificed too many lives to take down the calamity."

Ilia Perli turned to look at the corpses he had ignored so far. His soldiers who lost their lives, the ones he raised with his two hands, were still bleeding from their wounds after Amelio took their lives.

"How are we supposed to negotiate with the monster who terrorized our kingdom? How are we supposed to make an enemy of the man who fought with us, saved us, and bled for this land?" asked Ilia Perli with an increasingly loud voice as he rose from his kneeling.

"You don't need to think, Ilia Perli," said the Yalen King. "I know more things than any other man alive. Arthur Silvera… cannot live. This is for the sake of our safety and the world."

Ilia Perli was silent while staring at the violet eyes of the king. Then, he turned toward Arthur Silvera, who still had a smile. The golden and violet eyes turned to meet his, and Ilia Perli realized the truth.

"You expected this command?" asked Major Ilia with shock.

"I knew this would be the result of my revelations," said Arthur Silvera with the same smile. "It does not matter whether my actions are right or wrong. As long as I oppose those in power, then I will always be the villain."

"If you knew that you would be treated this way, then why would you risk your life for this city?" asked Ilia Perli with confusion. "There will be no merit or reward awaiting you, only endless pursuit."

"It does not matter, Major Ilia," grinned Arthur Silvera while turning toward him. "I fight for the same reason as you: to protect this city. It is the place I was raised, after all."

Ilia Perli clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. The king was still watching them, seeming to know what would unfold next. But then, all strength in his body faded as Ilia Perli remembered the king could see the future.

"My blind faith is being tested for the first time," said Ilia Perli while turning toward the three guild masters. "We are to turn sides now and team up with the calamity. The orders have changed."

The three guild masters raised their heads, and their faces were expressionless. Then, one by one, the guild masters rose from their kneeling position and stood in front of Arthur.

The shadows beneath the four began to waver as several figures rose from them. Ruki was one of them, and she chose to stand in front of Arthur, shielding him. The gobkins landed from the skies around Arthur, standing behind him.

"Humans… are always idiotic," said Ruki while glaring at the three guild masters and the soldiers. "Fuck your blind faith."