novelraw Chapter 263 263: The End Of The World
Chapter 263 263: The End Of The World
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Louis traveled the skies with Mirai by his side and the entirety of House Frostbane as well. His father sat atop his large head, shocked by the distortions in the Atmospheric Fantasium. Countless colors shimmered across the sky as Louis flew at lightning speed from the Divine Realm toward Frostbane, Mirai right beside him.
Due to the dense Fantasium in the atmosphere, warping space for something similar to teleportation was out of the question. It would have been too slow and far too energy-intensive. Thus, Louis chose the best alternative: to fly.
"I still can hardly believe you have grown so big, Louis. It all happened so fast… Thanks to your incredible new abilities, we were able to rest for a day inside that Inner Macrocosm, as you called it… but even then, it is exhausting."
"You do not have to come with us if you do not want to, Father. You can rest inside my Realm," Louis said nonchalantly.
"No, I have to go as well," Gustaf replied, his aura surging. "Surviving that hell however I could… somehow made me stronger."
"Well, at the very least you still have your fighting spirit," Louis said. "If there is something I admire about you, it is that you are willing to fight to the death… Here."
Louis opened his palm. A large golden bracelet suddenly materialized and slowly descended toward Gustaf, shrinking until it fit perfectly around his wrist. It connected directly to his soul and mind.
"W-What is this?! Incredible… a Soul Treasure?! But I cannot really… I am a Pure Esper. I have little magic in me… How is this possible?"
"That is no longer an issue, Father," Louis said. "This is a Divine Cosmic Relic, a child of Gungnir. It will elevate your fighting power and defensive capabilities to match the rest of House Frostbane."
"You can create such items?!" Gustaf was stunned.
"I am distributing them to everyone else, though yours was specially made with your abilities in mind. Most of the others only received generic rings with basic abilities," Louis explained. "Yours is a special bracelet I crafted by fusing my own psychic energy with other compatible materials. I call it a Mindscape Relic. It can connect to an Esper's Mindscape and function as a Soul Treasure without requiring extra Fantasium beyond what exists in the environment."
"T-That is genius!" Gustaf said. "I wish we could talk more about these things… If we survive all of this, my son… I will make sure to make up for all the time you have been alone."
"Thank you. Though I would rather spend it with Mirai…" Louis said. He was happy to be with his father, but he was not going to act like a child with him.
"Oh, hahaha! I suppose you are not a child anymore. I am sorry," Gustaf said, readjusting his glasses. "Nonetheless, thank you for thinking about me… Let us go save your mother."
"Yeah…"
As they flew closer, special divine spirits—Echoes of his friends connected to their consciousness and acting as extensions of their power and will—quickly approached Louis.
"Louis! We are getting closer! Hey, what about my home?!" Timothy asked. "I agreed to go save Camelot with Arthur, but you had better not forget them! I am worried about my parents and my sister!"
"If the barrier holds, I will refine the entire place and quickly move everyone to my Inner Macrocosm. They should be safe there," Louis said.
"Please do! I will help you— Ah! We are almost there!" Timothy said.
As they drew closer, Louis checked his status. He had leveled up significantly during his battles against Lisette and Minato. Defeating their Reflections and then the real versions had granted enormous quantities of EXP, which increased even further after he killed Happy the Clown and his entire Circus.
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[…]
[Your Level has increased from Level 562 to Level 696/800!]
[Your Class has Leveled Up!]
[…]
[Your Class has Leveled Up from Level 15 to Level 30/30!]
[Your Class Skill: [Stealth: Level 3] has Leveled Up to Level 5!]
[Your Class Skill: [Knife Throw: Level 3] has Leveled Up to Level 5!]
His level had risen almost to seven hundred thanks to continuously grinding Cosmic Beasts inside his Inner Macrocosm. After merging with seventy dungeon cores, it had become a gigantic dungeon that endlessly produced Cosmic Beast Monsters. These creatures were not connected to his power, so they granted full EXP when killed. Additional experience came from the Mirror World, where his army of undead constantly slew monsters. His friends, connected to his "Party" through the System, also received the passive EXP and had been leveling up rapidly this entire time.
[Your Class has reached Max Level. Do you wish to Class Change?]
[Your Class has accumulated a large quantity of Surplus Class EXP.]
[Do you wish to use the EXP to enhance your Class Change Options or keep it to level up after choosing a Class?]
"Keep it," he ordered.
Ding!
[Confirmed. Showcasing available Classes.]
[Bandit – Tier 2]
Specializing in pillaging and using brute force to surprise and kill enemies in large groups, Bandits are impeccable survivors of the wild. They use their abilities to rob and kill indiscriminately, possessing greater Strength than other Rogue Classes.
[Thief – Tier 2]
Fast, nimble, and with sticky fingers. Thieves specialize in only one thing: stealing. No one is better at it. With their advanced stealth abilities, poison manipulation, and stealing hands, little can escape their fingers… as long as they do not get caught in the act.
[Adventurer – Tier 2]
Adventurers are all-rounders that know how to survive and learn a bit of everything. They specialize in traveling and wielding bows and knives. They are often seen with an animal companion by their side. They have no strong specialization but possess brighter futures.
"Hm."
Louis read everything attentively. Unfortunately, there was no further explanation, and he was running out of time, so he quickly made his decision.
Bandit was out of the question.
Thief seemed interesting. Its power, amplified based on his current level, could let him steal almost anything.
Adventurer was also appealing. Although it seemed "simple," these general skills could evolve into incredible ones with his power level.
He thought using his Accelerated Mind Spell, combining Psychic Abilities and Time Magic, and quickly calculated the best choice.
Ding!
[You have chosen the Class: [Thief – Tier 2: Level 30/60]]
[You learned the Class Skill: [Steal: Level 1]]
[You learned the Class Skill: [Poison Dart: Level 1]]
[Your Agility Stat has increased by +10,000,000]
[Your Dexterity Stat has increased by +8,000,000]
[Your Strength Stat has increased by +7,000,000]
[Your Intelligence Stat has increased by +5,000,000]
[The Class Bonuses and Skills have been adjusted to match your current Realm of Power for better and more stable growth.]
"Not bad."
Louis felt power flow through him. Those bonus stats were substantial, enough to make even someone as large as him feel revitalized.
But that was not everything yet.
[Accumulated Class EXP has been administered.]
[Your Class has Leveled Up!]
[…]
[Your Class has Leveled Up from Level 30 to Level 60/60!]
[Your Class Skill: [Stealth: Level 5] has Leveled Up to Level 7!]
[Your Class Skill: [Knife Throw: Level 5] has Leveled Up to Level 7!]
[Your Class Skill: [Steal: Level 1] has Leveled Up to Level 4!]
[Your Class Skill: [Poison Dart: Level 1] has Leveled Up to Level 4!]
"Enough for another thirty levels?"
Louis decided to choose the next class right away.
Ding!
[Showcasing available Classes…]
[Barbarian – Tier 3]
An evolved form of the Bandit, even more specialized in physical attack and destruction. The Barbarian also possesses great robbing abilities and fights almost like a raging berserker at the same time.
[Assassin – Tier 3]
A specialized Rogue that does not seek to just steal items, but to rob their victims of their lives themselves. Incredibly stealthy, capable of conjuring illusions and unleashing devastating, quick, and deadly attacks with any kind of weapon. Cold-blooded killers.
[Ninja – Tier 3]
Trained to become spies and assassins, Ninjas specialize in quick movement, stealth, and special magic called Ninjutsu. They rely on summons, illusions, and kunai to deal damage and distract foes. Their last resort ability allows them to burn their life away to destroy their opponents, even at the cost of their own.
"…"
Louis read the descriptions in silence and nodded. Ninja seemed like the best option overall, but he was also interested in Assassin.
Elevated to his power level, would Assassin not be the strongest?
Yet Ninja seemed very versatile, so he was not completely sure yet.
"No, I should not hesitate."
He shook his head and wasted no time, choosing his third class change.
Ding!
[You have chosen the Class: [Assassin – Tier 3: Level 60/100]]
[You learned the Class Skill: [Assassination: Level 1]]
[You learned the Class Skill: [Shadow Double: Level 1]]
[Your Agility Stat has increased by +20,000,000]
[Your Dexterity Stat has increased by +16,000,000]
[Your Strength Stat has increased by +14,000,000]
[Your Intelligence Stat has increased by +10,000,000]
[The Class Bonuses and Skills have been adjusted to match your current Realm of Power for better and more stable growth.]
"Perfect…"
Louis nodded, feeling more ready than before as he checked his status one last time.
♢♢♢♢
[Name]: [Louis Drakeheart Yggdrasil]
[True Name]: [None]
[Species]: [Celestial Heavenly Ash Dragon King: Rank 12: Peak Stage]
[Species Level]: [Level 696/800]
[Class]: [Assassin – Rank 3]
[Class Level]: [Level 60/100]
[Core Spiral Tier]: [Hollow Spiral of the Ashen Wyrm: Tier 2 – Ashen Sovereign]
[Core Spiral Abilities]: [Fated Villain–Tier 2] [Mask of Morpheus–Tier 2] [Draconic Rebirth–Tier 2] [Narrative Defiance–Tier 2] [Mask of Inevitability–Tier 2] [Reality Command–Tier 2]
[Cultivation Rank]: [Rank 8: Galaxy Monarch – Peak Stage]
[Ascendancy Laws]: [Regressor] [King] [Dragon] [Time] [Pierce] [Soul] [Devour] [Swords] [Holy Light] [Healing] [Thorn] [Armor] [Curses] [Fire] [Madness]
[Time Essence]: [169,600,000]
[Draconic Essence]: [157,800,000]
[Vitality]: [49,500,000]
[Strength]: [71,500,000]
[Intelligence]: [65,500,000]
[Agility]: [82,500,000]
[Dexterity]: [75,500,000]
[Magic]: [49,500,000]
[Fantasium]: [152,300,000]
[Fantasium Affinity]: [30%]
[Madness Index]: [10%]
[Evolution Threshold]: [20%]
[Species Skills]
[Fragile Shell: Level 10]
… (rest of status unchanged for brevity, as per your instructions)
♢♢♢♢
"Alright, I have everything I can. The rest is up to us," Louis said, looking into the distance and noticing something completely insane.
A gigantic piece of land was floating above the entire territory of Frostbane, covering hundreds of kilometers across the sky and completely blocking the sun and the lights above.
"W-What is that?!" Timothy asked.
"It seems like… a whole flying continent?!" Mirai asked.
"W-What is this? Is it a fragment of Yggdrasil? No, that cannot be…!" Gustaf shook his head. "The energy signatures I am getting from it are— Ah! Careful!"
RUMBLE!
From the gigantic floating continent, a mass of darkness emerged. Everyone realized this was not just a piece of floating land but part of a warped Fantasy Realm.
The mass of darkness transformed into thousands of gigantic arms with large palms. Red eyes stared at Louis's immense body, firing dozens of lasers in an attempt to stop them.
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
Louis immediately knew who this darkness belonged to and whose titanic continent this was.
"You are kidding me?! The Abyssal Mother?!" Louis asked, clenching his teeth as he summoned his weapon. "Gungnir! Destroy them all!"
He thrust forward. Each attack resembled a rampaging supernova that exploded with radiant celestial light everywhere.
RUMBLE!
BOOOOMMMM!!!
The massive accumulation of attacks blew through all the hands, disintegrating them into dust. His final strike, charged to the maximum using the Rune of Slaughter that had now become part of Gungnir's abilities, tore through the floating continent. His power was so vast that it destroyed half of it.
"I think I know what that place is…" Mirai said as realization dawned on her. "It must be the Weeping Nest! What was once Africa! I cannot believe it. Did she really bring her whole continent here? Why?!"
"Why is she even here to begin with?" Zorba wondered. "This is odd… Why would she get involved when there are other threats?"
"It is indeed strange, Zorba," Gustaf nodded. "But… Ah, we do not have any time to wonder."
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!"
A scream filled with grief echoed from the Weeping Nest as her face suddenly emerged amidst it, warping reality around her.
Endless darkness filled the night, and then countless hands descended. Red eyes fired beams of darkness and grief.
"WHY DO YOU GET IN MY WAY AGAIN? I MUST… BRING HAPPINESS TO THIS WORLD!"
She cried. Her tears warped reality and turned into giant spheres of crimson flames that crashed toward Louis and everyone else. Many of the undead Louis had summoned were instantly incinerated, dying on the spot.
BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
Naturally, as a Tier 0 Venerable at the same level or superior to Lisette and Minato, the Abyssal Mother was a monstrously strong Entity!
"I think I know why she is here…" Anastasia appeared beside Louis in her Spiritual Avatar, quickly holding the spirit of her original sword and cutting through the tears alongside everyone else. "The Dimensional Labyrinth is emerging from the south pole, right? She must have sensed it and escaped from being eaten. I have heard that only Venerables could even escape it using their Fantasy Realms!"
"So she is running! Where to?" Mirai asked, swinging her katana and slicing through the hundreds of red tears coming their way.
"It does not make sense," Louis said, approaching the Weeping Nest. "Why would she run straight to the capital?! She is aiming for my mother again. This damn bitch will not leave her alone!"
Louis, who had been mostly calm and composed since leaving the dungeon, completely lost control with a furious roar. He charged energy and unleashed the most destructive Eclipsing Breath he could muster.
BOOOMMM!!!
Several consecutive explosions bombarded the Weeping Nest, causing it to disintegrate rapidly as the darkness the Abyssal Mother had accumulated for so long faded away.
The barrier, a bubble that kept everything inside, exploded and popped, revealing a giant sea of countless souls echoing in unison in endless bliss.
However, the truth was far darker. Every soul resembled rotting corpses and skeletons, howling together while smiling in bliss as red and black roses grew across their bodies.
"OOOOHHHHHHHHH!"
As their voices combined, a giantess emerged amidst the sea of despair and pain she had absorbed from countless humans to bring them to an eternal paradise—this very sea of death and souls.
"Ah… Louis… it is nice to see you in person…"
She spoke softly, motherly, with a kind smile.
She had dark gray skin, hundreds of long skeletal arms, and a long black dress made of ghostly shadows resembling the night, gleaming with purple and red eye-shaped stars.
Long black hair like the night itself spread everywhere. She had several red eyes across her face, a beautiful small nose, and a mouth with big black lips.
She covered most of the eyes on her face with a giant black cloth wrapped around her head and seemed to be constantly weeping, black and red tears pouring from her eyes.
"My child… why do you not join me? Let us stop fighting. Soma told me you believe in me. Is that true?"
"Of course not. I cannot believe that fool believed that back then. Is he retarded?"
"Eh? It is not true?! S-Soma…! You lied to me?!"
Suddenly, from her own body, Soma emerged, shocked.
"I had no idea, Mother! Please forgive me!"
"Haa… T-That is not good. What are we going to do now?"
"We simply must take him by force, yes?"
"Then… my Weeping Children, come to me."
From the Sea of the Abyss, from within the very Paradise inside it, four other powerful beings emerged. All of them were her "Weeping Children."
Incredibly strong followers and Priests of her Church that had spread her word across the world and grown her church to what it was now.
Each one was intricately unique in appearance and powers, surging with darkness and…
"Weaklings, begone."
"Celestial Judgement."
The sky turned white, and celestial beams descended, annihilating the Weeping Children before they could even have time to shine.
"AAAAAGGGHHHH!"
The Abyssal Mother screamed in agony as she saw her children disintegrate. Their souls could not even be recovered, as Louis made sure they died completely.
Her Sea of Grief and Pain also twisted and burned. Hundreds, thousands, then millions of souls started escaping Paradise, ascending to the real afterlife.
"NOOOOO!!! W-WHAT IS THIS LIGHT?! WHAT IS THIS LIIIIIIIGHT?!"
The Abyssal Mother screamed in horrifying pain as she burned. Ashes spread across her body and exploded consecutively, weakening her terribly.
"It is the Celestial Light I inherited from my mother," Louis said, holding Gungnir. "Do you like it?!"
"Y-YOUR MOTHER? NO… I AM… THE ONLY MOTHER YOU NEED!!!"
Suddenly, the Abyssal Mother tore her own torso apart, revealing an endless mass of red flesh, organs, pulsating tissue, and bones sprouting everywhere.
"What is she doing?!" Mirai cried.
"She tore herself apart?!" Timothy wondered.
"She is a monster. Watch out!" said Gustaf.
From her torn body, countless monsters made of her own flesh and bones emerged, buzzing toward Louis and his companions like insectoid angels.
"Weak."
But Louis was not amused.
His army manifested. Millions of cosmic undead charged forward.
His companions fought fiercely, and his father unleashed his now-enhanced Psychic Abilities upon the foes.
In mere seconds, her entire army of monstrous flesh creatures was completely annihilated!
Louis mercilessly thrust his spear toward her heart, piercing it as black blood splattered everywhere.
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
Her Reality-Warping Barrier was easily destroyed by Gungnir's tip, leaving her completely defenseless as Louis targeted her Fantasy Heart, aiming to destroy her Spiral.
Her hands trembled as she touched Louis while crying.
But she was not dead yet!
Even though Louis had done that, she remained alive and… somewhat playful? This attitude of hers made Louis furious.
"Y-You…! Ngh?!" he groaned, realizing black tendrils had wrapped around Gungnir and his arm, stopping him from moving.
His friends and his father constantly attacked the Abyssal Mother, but even as they dealt damage, she did not care. Her healing powers were immense as a Tier 0 Beyonder of the Spiral of Compassion. There was nothing she could not heal.
However…
"Ah… my child… you already… accepted me?"
She caressed Louis's hands. At that moment, Handy appeared on his shoulder, glancing at the Abyssal Mother with shock and… compassion.
"Handy?! Wait, do not go! You are not her anymore!"
Handy looked back at Louis with her eye filled with sorrow.
"…I know, Master, but I am also a piece of her."
"Eh?"
This entire time Louis had thought she was actually just a different monster, but…
The truth was far from that.
"You are…"
"I have been accompanying you this entire time. As weak as I am, I have healed you and seen you fight… I love you like my son, my dear Master. And this life as Handy is not bad either."
"…"
"To think I would have the privilege of meeting my other self from this timeline. Life is truly full of wonders, right?"
"Handy, wait! You are not her!"
"I… I am, technically."
Louis was taken aback. He clenched his teeth and glared at her hatefully.
"…! Are you betraying me?!"
Louis was shocked. Handy was his familiar. She had even evolved to her current level and everything.
Was she really going to do this now?
But…
"No…"
Handy looked at the Abyssal Mother.
"As I lived by your side… I regained my own sanity and began to think of the horrible things I did…"
"…"
Handy looked at the Abyssal Mother and then back at Louis.
"I have seen you struggle and fight for what you believe is right…"
"And through that I… I was able to finally understand I was wrong."
"Even if I am just a piece of the original…"
"I want to help you, and her…"
"Handy… so it was always… you…"
Handy did not have a mouth so she could not smile, but her eyes were filled with gratitude and kindness.
"Thank you, Master… for making me remember why I was once a human and… for what I truly fought… once…"
Louis suddenly saw dozens of memories of the Abyssal Mother when she was still a human, before she mutated into what she became after reaching Tier 0.
How she was once a beautiful woman who traveled the world healing people and protecting the weak. How she dedicated her life to making a better world.
Because she had lost her own home, her own family, and everyone she loved… she never wanted anybody else to suffer the same fate.
But as she traveled more and more, she began to realize how much suffering this world held and that no matter how hard she tried, it would never cease.
Thus, in her ultimate ascension, this despair led her to another path—one where she could forge a paradise for all these people, especially the children…
But of course, it was too extreme, and she was wrong.
"Aaahh… what an adorable little thing…" the Abyssal Mother muttered as blood poured from her mouth. "W-What are you doing— Ahhh? What? Wait, aaaahhhh!"
Handy slowly merged with her, beginning to bleach the Abyssal Mother's body. White and gray colors spread across her pitch-black form, contaminating her with Louis's Ashes of Despair, reversed into Light of Hope.
"AAAAAHHHHHH!"
As she burned and grew weaker, the Weeping Nest exploded, and the giantess fell from the skies. Louis gasped, tears streaming down his face, still processing everything he had seen.
"Handy!!!"
He rushed down to catch her, but she was already gone, merged with the Abyssal Mother.
However, that connection remained, albeit faint.
"Master…"
"…!"
"I am weakening her as much as I can…"
"…Handy, wait!"
"Please… you must finish her… bring an end to what she has done… At least… in this timeline, she has to rest…"
"…"
"Hurry… before I hurt more people…"
Louis rushed down with everyone else as the Abyssal Mother crashed into the wasteland separating the capital from the farmlands.
BOOOMMM!!!
A massive explosion ensued, spreading darkness and shadows everywhere, followed by specters emerging, born from her grief and pain.
"AAAAAHHH! WAAAAHHH! GAAAHHHHH!"
She continued weeping. Hundreds of black arms surged endlessly from her body as she began to rapidly crawl her way toward the capital.
RUMBLE!
The ground beneath her trembled and cracked. Anywhere she moved, the world seemed to be coming to an end.
"She is moving to the capital, damn it!" Gustaf said.
"She is too fast!" Mirai said.
"We have to hurry. Come on!" Louis grabbed everyone and flew as fast as he could.
However, as he got there, a sudden crack in space appeared between him and his destination, forcing him to stop.
CRASH!
From the crack in space, countless vines with sharp thorns emerged, covered in bright red roses with eyes on them.
"You? Why now?!"
To Louis's annoyance, yet another "old friend" had shown up, and it was no one other than the one who had tormented him several times before.
"The Gardener?!" Mirai gasped.
"My flower… I have returned… after traveling across the Dimensional Labyrinth… I have claimed my true form… together with my brother… Let us… let us create a beautiful garden…"
An endless mass of vegetation poured through the dimensional cracks, crashing over Louis and overwhelming him, throwing him down into the wastelands below.
CRAAAASH!
"Nnnggh! You are not weak. What happened?! You were only Level 5 before!"
The mass of vines, flowers, and other plants popped up dozens of eyes, analyzing what Louis had become and finding his form incredibly fascinating.
"I have ascended… Level 10!"
"Level 10, huh? Well, that would have definitely been a problem… before."
RUMBLE!
Louis kicked the Gardener away, sending the giant creature into the skies.
Gungnir shone brightly as he thrust the spear forward.
Supernova explosions ensued, shaped like coiling cosmic dragons, tearing through the endless body of the Gardener.
"You have committed a terrible mistake by showing up here in your true form!"
Louis roared. His entire aura surged as he transformed into a storm of Holy Light, Ashes, Flames of Ruin, and more elements combined.
He used all his boosting skills, then disappeared completely using Stealth, and unleashed Knife Throw and Poison Dart on her.
Knife Throw created almost a hundred knives now, all made of black void, shadows, and starlight, bombarding her and exploding on contact.
Poison Dart, at his current power level, triggered as giant spears made of the most corrosive miasma ever created, literally melting and killing the Gardener's plants the moment they pierced, causing explosions of acid.
They were both amazing skills despite seemingly being low level!
Stealth was also excellent, helping him easily avoid damage by becoming completely invisible even to a Level 10 Grievance.
His father and his friends' spiritual forms attacked the Gardener constantly, tearing it to shreds as much as possible to hurry the fight.
"NNNGGHH…! GAAAHHHH! NOT ENOUGH?! NOT… ENOUGH FOR OUR GARDEN?!"
As she cried, tears streaming down her countless eyes, she noticed someone fighting her.
Timothy, clenching his teeth in his spiritual form, swung his giant golden axe, splitting her apart.
"…"
And the Gardener… stopped moving entirely once she saw him.
"Huh?"
Timothy stared back, and everyone seemed to fall silent as the Gardener gave him all her attention in an instant.
"What? What is wrong?" he asked. "You…! Why are you?!"
"Brother?"
Suddenly, a seemingly lucid voice emerged from the Gardener.
Her largest rose opened and bloomed, revealing the humanoid body of someone already lost within the vines.
And yet, unmistakably familiar to Timothy.
It was the girl who had always nagged him and annoyed him since she was born.
But also someone he loved, and someone he would do anything for.
"S-Sis… sister?"
The reveal left everyone speechless. Even Gustaf did not know how to make sense of such a thing.
Then, memories.
A flood of memories reached everyone's minds, coming from the Gardener's own aura.
In that moment, they saw her.
Her story.
Timothy's sister, and how she fell into despair after he died in a different world.
In that world, she developed her abilities when he and… actually, the whole village disappeared alongside the Frostbane Kingdom.
In a cataclysm provoked by the mad princess, Lisette.
She originated from Lisette's universe!
This entire time…
Louis had been fighting Timothy's own sister.
"I was left… to die… a world without life… hopeless… but power awakened… I… cried… for so long… filling the world… with flowers… until I never felt alone anymore…"
Timothy felt an overwhelming sensation of guilt and frustration for having died in that timeline, for not being able to save his sister.
"I am sorry..! Sister! I…!"
He tried to fly toward her and hug her, but she stopped him.
"Don't… Nnggh… lucidity… only temporary… brother… please… please take me down… before… Aahhhh! Before the garden… the garden takes over…"
"The garden?"
Timothy realized that his sister was no longer alive. She had long ago been eaten by "The Garden" that she created in that ruined world.
The fusion of both created The Gardener, someone forever looking for the most beautiful flowers for her eternal garden in the emerald moon.
The Emerald Moon belonged to a bedtime story she always listened to before sleeping, about a little fairy that planted flowers on the moon.
"No, wait! Surely we can do something—"
"TIMOTHY!"
Louis grabbed Timothy beforehand. As he was pushed away, Louis's entire arm was torn apart by dozens of vines tearing through his flesh and bones with ease.
"BEAUTIFUL FLOWER… YOU BELONG… TO ME…"
The Gardener's creepy eye returned, glaring at Louis as dozens of flowers sprouted from the arm he lost, but he quickly regrew a new one.
"Timothy, you heard her… we have to do this!"
"But…!"
"No buts! Are you in or not?!"
"…"
Timothy hesitated, but after hearing his sister's voice, he nodded reluctantly.
"Let us do this quickly…"
He accepted with heavy reluctance and advanced toward the Gardener with Louis. The giant monstrosity started shaking and going insane.
"Brother…! Please…!"
Her voice echoed more and more as Timothy's axe blazed with golden spirit flames, his Spiral of Harvest resonating with the power of Fate.
His Incarnations emerged and then merged with his Spiritual Avatar. Louis charged at her with Mirai and the rest, attacking the Gardener from every angle.
Giant knives made of cosmic energy, void, and darkness pierced her body and then exploded. Needles with deadly miasma seeped deep into her plant body, melting her apart.
But she constantly kept regrowing. Louis bombarded her with Celestial Judgement and more, while Zorba conjured Death Specters and the power of a part of his Undead Army, beginning to overwhelm the Gardener.
Then the rest attacked from all angles at the same time. Anastasia's sword cut through, Agustina's hammer smashed it apart, and Mirai's katana sliced cleanly.
The ten cores that the Gardener had refined began to crack and shatter one by one as Louis accelerated everyone's speed with his Time Magic.
Gustaf conjured powerful Gravitational Forces and unleashed his Psychic Spiritualization as well. A giant made of dark purple void surged forward, attacking the Gardener with an immense psychic assault.
Meanwhile, Timothy rushed across the destruction, tears streaming down his face. He was sorry that things had to be this way and that he had only found out now.
He could not be there for her in that other world, but he would make sure to be by her side in this one.
"I am sorry, sister…!"
In that moment, Timothy evolved.
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