Bonds of Darkness: Swordmen's Redemption

Chapter Forty-Eight: Convergence P.3

In the tranquil realm of ethereal light, Jingliu found solace atop a majestic tree, its branches adorned with leaves shimmering in a soft, healing luminescence. The night sky, crowned with a moon that had always been a symbol of comfort, now cast a foreign glow over her contemplative figure.

A year had passed in this timeless sanctuary, her skills honed to a transcendent level, yet the flow of time—or its stillness—had left her spirit unrested.

The revelation from Pluto, during a moment of rare vulnerability, had unsettled her further; in this realm, time was an inconsequential concept, allowing her the freedom to return to Xianzhou without losing a moment.

Yet, this gift of timelessness brought with it a burden of isolation and the uncertainty of her place among those she would return to. Would her newfound prowess inspire awe or fear?

Such thoughts weighed heavily on her mind, even as the memories of her few but faithful friends—Yara, Seris, Adabas, Mono, Pluto, and Holos—brought a fleeting smile to her face.

As she gazed upon the moon, now a bright blue orb in full bloom, Jingliu remained unaware of the ominous connection it harbored. A malevolent presence, linked to the lunar essence, began to stir, sensing her profound contemplation. The tranquility of the night was about to be disrupted, setting the stage for a confrontation that would test the very limits of Jingliu's strength and resolve.

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In the dim twilight that shrouded the labyrinth, Y/N faced the relentless onslaught of the Great Ones' minions, their persistence a testament to the dark power he sought to overcome. Hours had melted away in his search for Sandra, the quest morphing into an ordeal of nightmarish proportions. Igris, his stalwart companion, had been dispatched on a separate mission, leaving Y/N to navigate the treacherous paths alone, yet unfettered by the prospect of unleashing his full might should a Great One dare to confront him directly.

The Great Ones, beings of unfathomable power, had long exploited the greed of mortals, offering forbidden knowledge as bait to corrupt and ensnare. Y/N, however, had fortified his mind against such manipulations, his resolve hardened by encounters past and the wisdom gleaned from those battles. As he delved deeper, the arcane signatures that had led him here dissipated, the labyrinth's twisted corridors now silent, its threats vanquished.

With the path cleared, Y/N reached out through the shadows to Igris, their connection a lifeline in the darkness. "Igris, the labyrinth is clear. We've routed them," he communicated, vigilant for any sign of deceit or ambush from the remnants of the Great Ones' influence.

"Roger," came the terse reply, a signal that spurred Y/N to action. He prepared the shadows to envelop Igris, warning, "I'm bringing you through the shadows. Stay calm." The Abyssal Gate, a portal wrought of darkest night, opened before Y/N, leading him to a kingdom now further decayed, a testament to the havoc wrought in mere hours.

Igris emerged from the shadows, his armor a canvas of battle, stained with the blood of comrades fallen. The sight of another sword, likely borne in memory of a fallen ally, prompted a moment of silent reverence from Y/N for those who had met a warrior's end.

Yet, time for mourning was a luxury they could not afford. The castle, a dying behemoth of stone, awaited their resolve. "Let us get a move on," Y/N urged, stepping towards the daunting silhouette of the castle, with Igris in tow.

Within the desolate grandeur of the castle, Y/N and Igris ventured into the grand chamber, where the decay of time and magic had marred the once proud portraits into grotesque silhouettes, their faces twisted into false visages. "Igris, do the insides of this castle look as you remembered?" Y/N inquired, his voice echoing slightly in the hollow expanse.

Igris surveyed the surroundings, his gaze lingering on the unfamiliar distortions of the paintings. "No... these are different, but the exterior remains unmistakably the same," he replied, the weight of his observation not lost on him.

Y/N nodded, absorbing the implications. "I see..." he murmured, extending his senses and shadows to probe the castle's depths. Their path seemed clear, yet his mind was awash with thoughts of the Great Ones' insidious influence, their capacity to warp reality with the corrupted insights they provided to mortals.

As he contemplated the discrepancies in the historical record of his world—no mention of Idrila or the war that now consumed them—he realized the chilling possibility: perhaps the realm of Idrila, and by extension the Great Ones themselves, did not truly exist in his world. 

This hypothesis was further supported when Y/N conjured the book of map from his shadows, its pages obscured by fog, especially around where Idrila should have been, confirming his suspicions of a grand deceit.

Their discovery seemed to trigger a mechanism within the castle, for the grand doors swung open, revealing the throne room. Igris unsheathed his sword, its steel glinting alongside Y/N's ornate dagger, as they prepared to confront whatever awaited them.

The throne room transformed before their eyes, its walls giving way to a nightmarish vista of destruction, framed by a blood-red moon. At the throne stood a figure, a little girl with sunny hair and eyes, seemingly innocent yet incongruously present.

"Lady Sandra!" Igris exclaimed, stepping forward only to be halted by Y/N's arm. The figure before them, though bearing Sandra's visage, was not her but a Great One in her guise.

Gazing at the red moon, then back at the deceptive form of the child, Y/N recognized the malevolent entity before them. "Moon Presence," he uttered, the name evoking the transformation of the figure into a nightmarish deity, its form a horrifying amalgamation of human and eldritch anatomy, devoid of a true face, replaced by a maw of tentacles.

"Igris, prepare yourself," Y/N commanded, his voice steady against the palpable dread emanating from the deity. Igris, though shaken, readied his stance, influenced by Y/N's unwavering resolve and the protective aura he conjured to shield them from the Great One's oppressive fear.

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In the shadowed confines of the throne room, Y/N and Igris faced the Moon Presence, an entity whose speed and ferocity defied comprehension. Igris was swiftly overpowered, struck down by the deity's tendrilled onslaught, his form collapsing under the force of its wrath. 

The Moon Presence's cries, a cacophony of eldritch terror, threatened to unravel the very fabric of reality, its voice tearing through the air with a violence that fractured the world around them.

Y/N, undeterred by the chaos, wielded his telekinesis with precision, ensuring Sandra and Igris were removed from immediate danger. Turning his attention back to the Great One, Y/N enveloped himself in a cocoon of shadows, a barrier against the deity's sonic assault. Cloaked in his armor of Abyss, he charged, a specter of vengeance against the nightmarish foe.

The Moon Presence, in response, conjured a celestial fury, hurling the essence of a star towards Y/N. The explosion shattered the throne room, a supernova within the castle walls. In the brief distraction of safeguarding his fallen allies with a shadowy shield, Y/N found himself vulnerable. The Moon Presence seized this moment, its grotesque limb piercing Y/N's chest to claim his heart.

Huh?

In this moment, Y/N was engulfed by a maelstrom of emotions—fear, regret, an overwhelming sense of finality. His thoughts spiraled into despair.

Why...? Why? WHY? WHY??? WHY??? WHY!?!?

As death's shadow loomed, the Great One discarded Y/N's lifeless form.

Yet, as the end seemed certain, the shadows around Y/N began to stir with newfound intensity, a miasma of Abyss swirling with a purpose.

End of Chapter

A/N: Long chapter coming in next. Don't forget to vote to show your support. Thank you!