[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 67 - 18: Curses and Sacrifices [7]

Chapter 67: Chapter 18: Curses and Sacrifices [7]

The battle dragged on for what seemed like hours. In reality, it was much shorter than that, but none of them could comprehend the true passage of time at the moment. They just wished it would all be over soon.

Gideon was exhausted. He drew back the bow and concentrated on the tendrils, panting the whole time. Not only had he overexerted himself with his magic earlier, but he also had the least stamina compared to the other Guardians. Since he had spent an entire year in the Sapphire Kingdom doing research after their journey around the world, he barely had enough time to practice his offensive and defensive skills.

To be fair, he hadn’t expected the Calamity to break out from its seal so soon. Still, it had been a mistake to slack off. Like Clay, he had also been carried away by the peace. He should’ve known that peace was always, always short-lived.

"You okay?" Elyana asked worriedly. She had been protecting herself and him for a while now since he couldn’t cast his earth magic at the moment.

Gideon nodded as he shot more arrows at the giant tendrils, watching them explode as soon as they hit the roots. He only had a few arrows left and that was it.

"I keep feeling this intense heat from behind. There’s a strong pressure in the air that’s different from the dark energy emanating from the Calamity," he said as he drew the bow back again. "Do you think...?"

Elyana nodded, her gaze dim. "It’s almost time. We just need to hold out a little longer."

"Right. We..." Gideon’s voice trailed off.

"What’s wrong?" She followed his gaze and felt the dread pool in her stomach.

The monster opened its mouth incredibly wide, much wider than before, if that was possible. Everything seemed to go still, like the beginning of a violent storm.

And then it let out an earth-shattering roar.

The ground cracked from the powerful shockwave, causing the earth beneath them to tremble. The raw power hit the Guardians like a strong, violent wind, the gust whipping against their faces.

Elyana’s crystals shattered as she was thrown backward. Gideon fell to one knee, slamming the bottom of the bow into the ground in order to stay in place.

Blade dug his fingers into the stone-covered ground, gritting his teeth as cold water from the seas splashed over him from the impact. Voss skidded back several feet before stabbing his swords into the ground to stop his movement.

Clay and Mathias, on the other hand, covered their faces with their arms and stayed in place through sheer force of will.

Finally, the roar faded, but its echoes lingered. Blade stood and shook off the ringing in his ears, channeling the last of his firepower into his fists.

The others gathered in a line, all of them tired, but never losing the fight in their eyes.

Elyana glowered as she raised her hand to summon more crystals. "Let’s go once more!" she exclaimed.

They all nodded, readying their weapons and magic.

But just as they were about to charge, a voice suddenly stopped them.

"There’s no need for that anymore."

Elyana’s heart stopped.

That was...

"...Evan?" she whispered.

Their heads whipped around in surprise, and what greeted their eyes was a sight they would never forget.

Evan was floating slightly off the ground, surrounded by glowing ribbons of light that moved around him. It seemed that tiny particles of magical energy in the area were drawn to him like nails to a magnet. The atmosphere was noticeably different than before, humming with power and intense holy magic.

His eyes were now open, resembling two bright lights. It was a bit unnerving to see. It was like he was Evan, but not Evan at the same time.

"I—It’s done," Clay breathed out in realization. "He’s finished with the merging."

"Then... what now?" Gideon asked tentatively.

"Is he about to summon the Final Spirit?" Voss asked. His shoulders were stiff with tension.

"It seems so..." Blade said slowly.

At that moment, thunder rumbled through the sky. The earth shook slightly, though not as violently as the roar of the Calamity had been.

Something was happening again. Something big.

Mathias looked back and saw that the monster seemed agitated. It was in a state of confusion, as if frozen in place for a moment. It didn’t move an inch, but its gaze was fixed on Evan’s ethereal form.

Strangely, it almost seemed as if the demonic entity was studying the current situation.

Cracks of golden light created patterns on Evan’s skin, reality distorting around him as he stretched out his arm. He was so bright that he was like the only beacon in the dim, dreary surroundings, and everyone’s eyes were glued to him.

"Sorry for taking so long," Evan said in a gentle tone, a semblance of a smile on his lips. "Don’t worry. I’m almost done."

"What’s happening...?" Elyana whispered.

At that moment, a familiar figure appeared in front of them.

It was Ansel.

He looked ragged, his features losing their usual vigor and youthful charm. Instead, his expression was replaced by a weariness that didn’t suit him.

"Ansel!" Clay exclaimed, grabbing the boy’s wrist and pulling him over to take a closer look. "You okay, buddy?"

Ansel nodded as he forced a smile. "I’m fine. Just tired."

"Aren’t we all?" Clay joked.

It was clear that he was trying to lighten the atmosphere, but Ansel still seemed exhausted. It was understandable. After all, he had been using his magic the whole time without stopping. He must be relieved not to use it for a while.

"Thank you for your efforts," Evan said. His voice seemed to echo unnaturally in the surroundings. "It’ll be all over soon."

Tears gathered in Elyana’s eyes. She felt her heart rise in her throat as she swallowed down a sob.

Everyone was silent as they stared at their Summoner.

Mathias didn’t know what to feel. It was all very strange. It was as if Evan had become more distant, but not in the literal sense. Even his voice sounded like he was slowly moving into another realm.

The sacred energies soon reached a crescendo. Evan clasped his hands in a reverent pose and chanted the last syllables of the incantation in a low whisper.

The next moment, the compressed holy magic exploded upwards in a massive column of light that parted the clouds above, shedding a bright light on the ruined city.

Evan tilted his head skywards, a determined look in his eyes.

"Come forth... the Deiridh."