Eternia's Requiem
Chapter 44 – Shadows That Refused to Fall
The giant ice dagger descended from above like divine punishment.
No—
Calling it a dagger was almost insulting.
It was a mountain.
A frozen monument of death formed entirely from condensed mana, so dense that cracks spread through the air around it as it fell, releasing waves of freezing pressure that caused nearby walls and wooden supports to instantly become coated in frost.
CRRRRRRK.
The already ruined estate groaned.
Ancient pillars cracked.
Dust rained from the ceiling.
Etherius looked up.
And for the first time since entering this fight—
His expression changed.
Not fear.
Calculation.
Distance.
Angle.
Time.
Not enough.
There was no time.
No time to cast.
No time to evade.
No time to layer barriers.
No time for fusion.
No time.
The realization flashed across his mind instantly.
Too late.
The dagger descended.
Closer.
Closer—
Then suddenly—
"ETHERIUS!"
SLAM!
Something crashed into him from the side.
His vision spun.
The world flipped.
Tiles.
Dust.
Walls.
Sky.
Ground.
Nysera tackled him.
BOOOOOOM!!
The ice dagger struck.
The world exploded.
A deafening sound erupted across the ruined estate as a wave of frozen mana detonated outward like a natural disaster. Walls collapsed instantly. Ancient stone shattered into fragments. The storage building caved inward as chunks of debris and broken armor flew into the air.
The shockwave hit them moments later.
CRASH!
Etherius rolled violently across broken ground.
Dust flooded the world.
Silence disappeared.
Everything shook.
For several moments—
Nothing existed.
Only ringing.
Only dust.
Only pain.
Etherius slowly opened his eyes.
"..."
His ears rang.
His vision blurred.
Something warm touched his shoulder.
Nysera.
"...You alive?"
Silence.
"...Unfortunately."
"...Good."
Silence.
"...You could sound happier."
"...No."
Etherius coughed.
Dust.
Stone fragments.
Broken beams.
Ruins.
He slowly stood.
Nysera rose beside him.
Both immediately looked ahead.
Then—
Froze.
Because the battlefield looked wrong.
Very wrong.
Varess stood.
But—
The two guards?
Unconscious.
The corrupt noble?
Unconscious.
One buried halfway into debris.
The other hanging upside down against shattered stone.
Silence.
Nysera blinked.
"..."
"..."
"...What?"
Etherius narrowed his eyes.
No injuries.
No visible attacks.
No signs of battle.
Just—
Gone.
Knocked out.
Silence stretched.
Nysera slowly looked toward Etherius.
"...Did..."
Pause.
"...Did you do that?"
"...No."
"...Hidden spell?"
"...No."
"...Secret future technique?"
"...No."
Silence.
"..."
"..."
"...Ghost?"
Etherius looked at her.
"...What."
"...Could be ghost."
"...No."
"...Ancient spirit?"
"...No."
"...Invisible assassin?"
"...Closer."
Silence.
Etherius stared.
Someone helped.
Someone absolutely helped.
But—
Who?
And why?
Because no one should be here.
No one.
And more importantly—
No one should be capable of instantly disabling trained fighters without either of them noticing.
Not good.
Very not good.
But before thoughts continued—
BOOOOM!
Mana erupted.
Varess.
Still standing.
Still alive.
Still furious.
Dust exploded outward.
His robes fluttered violently as mana surged around him.
"...Damn thieves!"
His eyes looked feral now.
Wild.
Dangerous.
Etherius immediately recognized that expression.
Because unlike before—
Now memories returned clearly.
Varess.
Varess Ardent.
Branch-family mage.
Future Ninth Circle.
Mana Vessel Collapse patient.
Etherius narrowed his eyes.
Because in previous life—
He remembered hearing the story.
Not meeting.
Not fighting.
Just hearing.
Some commoner Ninth Circle mage had attacked a Sinclair branch estate.
Massacre.
Madness.
Revenge.
By time Etherius and Sinclair forces arrived—
Varess was already dead.
Killed.
Crushed beneath overwhelming numbers.
And afterward—
Truth surfaced.
Promises.
False cures.
Manipulation.
The branch family had promised treatment.
Hope.
Salvation.
Then discarded him.
Used him.
Lied.
Etherius stared.
So this is before that.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because unlike before—
Varess remained Eighth Circle.
Still unstable.
Still deteriorating.
Still suffering.
Etherius slowly smiled.
A plan formed.
Dangerous plan.
Painful plan.
Very painful plan.
Nysera noticed immediately.
"...No."
Silence.
Etherius blinked.
"...No?"
"...That face."
"...What face."
"...That face."
Silence.
"..."
"..."
"...I dislike how you immediately know."
Nysera pointed.
"...Every terrible idea starts with that face."
Etherius sighed.
"...Support me."
"...No."
"...Support."
"...No."
"...Nysera."
"...Fine."
Silence.
"...But if I die I’m haunting you."
Etherius nodded.
"...Fair."
Varess moved.
BOOOM!
Fire dragons.
Stone spikes.
Wind blades.
Multiple circles formed simultaneously.
Eighth Circle magic.
True combat magic.
Not academy tricks.
Not sparring.
Real magic.
The kind meant to kill.
Etherius moved instantly.
Barrier.
Acceleration.
Earth shift.
Wind fusion.
Counter.
BOOOOM!
Explosions shook the estate.
Nysera stepped beside him.
Mana circles formed instantly.
Double casting.
Fire.
Stone.
Fire.
Stone.
Fire.
Stone.
Bolts erupted.
Like rain.
Like artillery.
Like machine-gun fire.
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
BOOOM!
Varess frowned.
Barrier.
Counterfire.
Detonation.
Yet attacks continued.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Nysera didn’t stop.
Wouldn’t stop.
Etherius had said barrage.
So barrage meant barrage.
Even if she had no idea what stupid plan he formed.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Walls collapsed further.
Visibility vanished.
Perfect.
Etherius immediately cast wind.
WHOOSH.
Dust spread.
Debris lifted.
Broken wood.
Stone fragments.
Everything became chaos.
Vision disappeared.
Silence vanished.
Confusion spread.
Good.
Very good.
Varess roared.
Flames erupted wildly.
Destroying visibility.
Destroying surroundings.
But not enough.
Because attacks kept coming.
Left.
Right.
Above.
Behind.
Stone.
Fire.
Stone.
Fire.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Etherius vanished.
Dark Manifest.
Darkness wrapped around him.
Invisible.
Temporary.
Limited.
But enough.
He moved silently.
One step.
Two steps.
Three—
Closer.
Closer.
Varess destroyed another fire bolt.
"...Cowards!"
More attacks.
Another direction.
Another.
Again.
Etherius moved behind him.
Then stopped.
Because now—
Came painful part.
Very painful part.
Etherius looked down.
Toward his own mana pathways.
Toward vessels.
Toward damage.
Toward sickness.
Mana Vessel Collapse.
Varess suffered from it.
Etherius knew symptoms.
Knew process.
Knew pain.
Because—
He studied countless diseases during previous life.
And now—
He intentionally copied effects.
Insanity.
Absolute insanity.
Etherius gathered mana.
More.
More.
More.
Too much.
Way too much.
His pathways screamed.
Pain exploded instantly.
CRACK.
Veins bulged.
His vision shook.
Agony spread through entire body.
Stop.
Body screamed stop.
But Etherius ignored it.
More mana.
More.
MORE.
Pain intensified.
His vessels felt like they were splitting apart.
Like molten iron poured through veins.
Like fire beneath skin.
Nysera sensed something.
Immediately looked over.
Then froze.
"...ETHERIUS?!"
Too much.
Way too much.
Yet—
Etherius continued.
Because Varess suffered same thing.
Because Etherius knew.
Because memories told him.
Mana Vessel Collapse patients sensed unstable mana instinctively.
Like poison.
Like fear.
Like death.
Etherius stepped forward.
Still invisible.
Still hidden.
Still enduring pain.
Varess suddenly froze.
Immediately.
His eyes widened.
"...What..."
Silence.
Then—
Fear.
Pure fear.
Because suddenly—
He felt it.
Massive mana.
Endless mana.
Violent mana.
Unstable mana.
Wrong mana.
Too much.
Far too much.
Varess looked around wildly.
Impossible.
Impossible impossible impossible.
How?
How could someone have this much mana?
A noble?
Has to be noble.
Only nobles.
Damn nobles.
Always nobles.
Always monsters.
Always talent.
Always—
Always—
Pain.
Head pain.
Mana fluctuations.
Memories.
Betrayal.
Promises.
Fear.
Etherius kept channeling.
Kept pushing.
More.
Pain intensified.
Blood dripped from mouth.
Vision blurred.
More.
Varess stepped backward.
Then another step.
Another.
"...No..."
Mana instability spread.
Etherius approached.
Closer.
Closer.
Varess stared into dust.
Saw nothing.
Felt everything.
Then—
Darkness.
His body collapsed.
THUD.
Silence.
Dust slowly settled.
Nysera stared.
"..."
"..."
"...What."
Etherius breathed heavily.
Very heavily.
"...Plan."
Silence.
"...THAT WAS NOT PLAN."
"...Worked."
"...YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE DYING."
Etherius coughed blood.
"...Minor issue."
"...MINOR?!"
Silence.
Nysera looked ready to kill him.
Again.
Normal friendship things.
Etherius slowly stood.
Barely.
"...Leave."
"...Now."
Silence.
No arguments.
Because both knew.
Too much noise.
Too much destruction.
Someone would come.
Soon.
Very soon.
WHOOSH.
They jumped.
Rooftops again.
Wind rushed past.
Silence.
Then—
Nysera spoke.
"...Question."
"...Hm."
"...How were guards knocked out."
Silence.
Etherius narrowed eyes.
Because he knew.
Someone helped.
Someone dangerous.
Someone unseen.
Someone who knew exactly when to interfere.
Who?
Why?
Did they know him?
Follow him?
Watch him?
Trouble.
Potentially enormous trouble.
Not good.
Not good at all.
Far away—
Elsewhere—
Training grounds.
Completely opposite atmosphere.
"...HAHAHAHA!!"
Leon laughed.
Actually laughed.
Loudly.
Very loudly.
Golden light wrapped around him.
Swirling.
Flowing.
Circling his body like tiny rivers of sunlight.
Ancient magic.
Strength Enhancement.
Success.
Actual success.
Leon stared at his hands.
Then looked at Eternia.
Then Kael.
Then hands again.
"...I DID IT!!"
BOOOOM.
He jumped.
Too hard.
Way too hard.
Accidentally launched fifteen feet upward.
"...AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
CRASH.
Tree.
Silence.
Kael stared.
"..."
"..."
"...Amazing."
Leon fell.
Face first.
"...Ow."
Then stood instantly.
"...I DID IT!"
Again.
Again.
Again.
Jumping.
Running.
Laughing.
Smiling.
Because—
For first time—
Magic listened.
Actually listened.
Not delayed.
Not rejected.
Not failed.
Worked.
Worked.
Actually worked.
Leon felt happiness spreading through entire body.
Not because of power.
No.
Because somebody stayed.
Somebody helped.
Somebody believed.
Nobody ever did before.
Not truly.
Yet Eternia did.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Leon looked toward her.
Warmth spread through chest.
Friend.
Real friend.
Maybe family too.
Kael sighed dramatically.
"...I hate talented people."
Leon immediately looked offended.
"...You literally flip through air."
"...Business talent."
"...That’s not business talent."
"...It absolutely is."
Eternia stared.
Then froze.
Because something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
No backlash.
No strain.
No ancient corruption.
Nothing.
Silence.
Her eyes widened.
Because Ancient Magic always demanded cost.
Always.
Pain.
Mental burden.
Mana loss.
Physical strain.
Something.
Yet Leon looked perfectly fine.
Perfectly.
Eternia stared harder.
Then remembered.
Whirlpool.
Converging mana.
His mana pulled inward.
Not outward.
Wait—
WAIT.
Eyes widened further.
No way.
Absolutely no way.
Unless—
Unless his mana absorbed side effects before circulation.
Unless convergence stabilized feedback.
Unless— 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Eternia’s eyes lit up.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Leon saw expression.
Immediately felt fear.
"...E-Eternia?"
No response.
"...Eternia?"
She grabbed him.
Immediately.
"...DUEL ME."
Silence.
Leon blinked.
"...What."
"...NOW."
"...WHAT."
"...I NEED ANSWERS."
"...WHAT ANSWERS?!"
Kael slowly backed away.
Very slowly.
"...Nope."
"...Absolutely not."
"...I recognize that face."
"...Science face."
"...Madness face."
"...Research face."
Eternia dragged Leon away.
Immediately.
Leon screamed.
Kael sighed.
"...Poor Leon."
Silence.
Pause.
"...Actually poor everyone."
Far away—
On distant rooftop—
Unknown eyes watched.
Watching Etherius.
Watching Eternia.
Watching all of them.
Silently.
Patiently.
As if waiting.
As if observing.
As if smiling.
And hidden beneath endless darkness—
Something ancient slowly opened its eyes.
Just slightly.
Just enough.
Because pieces...
Were beginning to move.