The now-full moon's reflective gaze shone down.
Obsidian and Shallow Warden stood over the defeated horseman. Their bickering halted as Obsidian concluded:
"OK! OK! Shallow, let's just be honest—there's no way this thing killed Galerius!"
"That's so true! He barely had a chance against us, ahahaha!"
They both cackled at Augustus.
Why am I so weak?
A bright blue light manifested in the middle of them, blinding all of them for only a second. Both wardens covered their eyes.
Augustus didn't pay attention, head faced down, within his own bitter thoughts.
As the light receded, a boy with white hair and purple eyes appeared, his cloak waving through the air. His voice penetrated the silence as everyone looked in shock.
"That's because I killed him."
His face was straight.
"Huh? A kid!" Shallow pointed out, surprised.
"HAHA, DON'T MAKE US LAUGH!" Obsidian burst out.
Zero's lips widened into a devious grin. He stretched his hand out. "I am his master, the true Necromancer."
Blue mana emanated from his body.
Then a ghost lady manifested beside him, copying his stance.
"Ready, Zero!" she said excitedly.
His face turned toward her, cheeks growing slightly pink. "Morwen, I thought we agreed you would hide in me?" he said sheepishly.
Shallow and Obsidian watched as they bickered.
She pouted. "No way! You also promised you would take off your cloak!"
"Fine," he said, annoyance in his voice.
He took a moment to take off the black cloak, then threw it to the side, revealing his black suit and tie.
Sorry, cloak, he thought.
An evil laugh could be heard from the air. Everyone looked up except Zero.
They all looked up, seeing nothing. But Zero already knew who it was.
He grumbled to himself: That damn wisp—I'll get her back somehow.
Shallow then turned his attention back to Zero's full suit and laughed. "You silly boy! You and your girlfriend can go back to your undead tea parties already."
Obsidian's face, however, got a little more serious as he looked at Morwen and Zero continue to bicker.
Zero looked to Morwen again, ignoring the laughing. "So, Morwen, I did it. Are you going to hide in me?"
"Why?"
"Well, as you can see, you're making me look less cool. So can you just hide within me and embarrass me less?" He gestured toward Shallow.
"OH, so I'm embarrassing now!"
"No... that's not why... you know what—"
Zero stopped himself, sighing and palming his face. "Let's just do this!"
Morwen grinned.
A bouquet of flowers popped up in the middle of them and burst, spreading a large amount of petals outward.
Shallow backed away into the air while Obsidian backed away off the building and onto another.
Blue and red petals fell down, covering a large area of the capital, all coated in blue mana.
Zero dropped his hand down, walking forward slightly, his head turning toward Shallow. Morwen disappeared.
A large pillar of petals rushed toward Obsidian, forcing him to block. But as they went past him, they left slight cuts on his body.
Obsidian looked below him, seeing the building's rock and stone being sliced up in pieces.
"Luckily, my body is so tough it can't cut through, or I would end up like this building," he said while trying to jump to another place as he was losing footing on the building.
The petals instead circled back and caught him mid-jump, starting to rotate in a sphere formation. But the sheer amount of petals literally shrouded his form.
Morwen flew around it playfully, arms out, her face full of joy, giggling at the razor-sharp shifting sphere.
Shallow Warden, seeing what happened to Obsidian, was stunned.
What is going on?
"Hey, big guy, can you make a move already so I can attack?" Zero said calmly, waving his hand.
"HUH?! How dare you address me with such words! I will smite you, child!"
Several arrows glowing in rainbow colors manifested within the air around him. He thrust his hands toward Zero as they descended like missiles.
Zero held his hand out as many more glowing purple skulls manifested around him. They flew toward the arrows, opening their maws. The arrow missiles pierced them.
The arrows went through, but the skulls snapped their maws shut before the arrows could go further, trapping them mid-air.
Shallow watched in horror as they just floated in stasis. Then his eyes focused on Zero's chilled expression. His eyes twitched, but before he could do a single thing, Zero flicked his wrist. The trapped spells flew toward him.
Each one chased him. Two caught him, exploding near him, only managing to break his barrier and send him tumbling through the air. Two more zoomed toward him, blowing up directly and eviscerating him.
The explosion shook the air.
Zero's eyes darted upward, his face unphased.
Shallow cackled, saying, "Clones always work! Ahaha, never failed me yet!"
He said this while raising his hand down toward Zero. But as he was casting a spell, he saw Zero's eyes already looking at him.
"Is he looking at me? Whatever."
Gold mana chains already manifested, trying to capture Zero, but Zero dashed out of it at the last second.
"You cheat!"
Morwen left Obsidian and went toward Zero, allowing him to step on the air.
He stood there as dozens of glowing purple skulls appeared around him.
Shallow's face twisted. "No way! This has to be cheating!"
They rushed toward him, snapping their maws.
Shallow flew away. Either way, they gained on him. Some latched onto his clothes and spread necrotic ooze on him.
He thrashed about mid-air, trying to swat them off as more and more clung to him, tearing his clothes. Zero ran through the air with each step—a blue pad appearing.
Morwen flew just under him.
"What is this kid?!" Shallow shouted in disarray.
Zero continued to fire skulls at Shallow while keeping up with him. The skulls completely covered Shallow.
Zero stopped in his place, a large pad of mana under him. As his eyes gleamed, he watched mana coalesce inside the pile of skulls. Gold light shone brightly out of the gaps for a moment.
Until it released a great concussive force that dispersed all the skulls and pushed everything back.
Shallow now floated, hands spread out, blood coming from his mouth, his premium clothes torn, patches of purple ooze staining them, as he panted, exhausted from the move.
"Morwen..." Zero spoke under his breath. As she disappeared, the pad underneath Zero dissipated, leaving him to fall.
Obsidian Warden swung his hammer a few times, dispersing the roses and freeing himself from the rotating rose petal sphere. The cuts on his body were now deep due to the amount he was cut in the same places.
He landed on his feet, blood flowing from different parts of his body. But he tensed his muscles, which shut up all the streams of blood.
"I need to keep going!" His body tensed as he leaped into the air.
Morwen appeared behind Shallow, uppercutting his spine. The hit sent him spiraling to the top of the castle.
Obsidian Warden came in next to Zero, spinning his hammer.
Zero looked at the hammer coming for his stomach. In that split second, gale flowed around his body.
Obsidian's brows raised. "Gale..."
As he swung, Zero's body slipped out of the path of it as he flipped around. Morwen appeared, grabbing her hand as she pulled him toward Shallow Warden.
Obsidian looked up, a vein popping on his forehead as Zero made a silly face at him.
Zero pulled Morwen in, spinning her around.
"Ready to go high, Morwen!"
They both grinned as they spun.
"GO, ZERO!"
Then he threw her up. She went flying up like an exhilarated bolt of lightning, striking Shallow Warden in the stomach.
Another barrier he placed broke instantly as Morwen's spiritual fist sunk into his stomach.
Zero slowly fell, casually, hands in his pockets, back facing down, smiling at Morwen's hit on Shallow.
As Obsidian appeared again, swinging his hammer, Zero also swung his hand into action, eyes gleaming as gale coalesced around his hand.
"Let me show you just how I killed Galerius."
Zero's strike was much swifter, and therefore it hit Obsidian's fist, his face contorting as it did, sending him plummeting down at immense speeds. The shock was heard all over the capital.
An enormous gust blew from the impact and caused earth to lift from its base due to the power of the strike.
Morwen caught Zero again as they both descended on top of Obsidian. But Obsidian's hammer swung with unrelenting force.
It hit Zero, but he had his barrier up, sending him across the capital, crashing into the ground. The blast was equal to Zero's.
A large gust of blue wind blew all the dust away. Zero appeared, his lips widened.
Morwen hung behind him, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck, her head resting near his neck too. Her eyes were closed with a satisfied smile.
"Is that better, Zero?"
"It's perfect, Morwen! Ahaha!"
Mana surged around Zero.
Obsidian charged in, his hulking frame twisting as he swung his hammer.
Zero slipped past each swing.
Obsidian kept trying. Zero just continued to dodge. "Come on, Warden! You're supposed to be the strongest guys in the capital, right?"
Obsidian roared, swinging his hammer down with his full force.
Zero backed away. The hammer created a large explosion of dust.
Zero stood there, grinning evilly as he raised his hand up. A purple flame grew within his palm.
Obsidian charged through the dust, roaring, "Get back here!"
But Zero fired the flame. It entered into Obsidian. His whole body thudded.
His body stopped on its own, about to fall, but he pulled—he put his foot down. His body was shaking.
"I need to fight it with my soul. Can't let it..."
"Mmm, that's interesting. You're fighting back the effects. Not many people can fight back a soul attack, but your soul is strong. Haha!"
Zero made a finger gun with his hand, then pointed it at Obsidian, gale coalescing at Zero's fingertip.
"Hey, Warden! Look over here!"
Obsidian's eyes widened as he looked up. "No way... that's his technique."
Zero fired a bullet of gale, but with the pressure of a cannon shot.
It hit his chest, pushing him back a bit.
"I got to stay focused. I need to fight back against this thing." Sweat appeared all over his body.
Zero started firing the blue gale cannons. He laughed maniacally.
Blood started to drip from Obsidian's mouth after the tenth one, but at this point, his body had slightly relaxed and his face looked less tense.
Morwen's eyes flashed open, commenting, "Zero, he's fought against the soul attack, but the strain has hastened his own life expectancy. His soul is very weak now." She closed her eyes again.
Zero's laughter slowly faded hearing this. His mouth straightened, and he walked to the side of the brute, placing a hand on his arm, looking forward.
"You fought against me well, old man, but you've clearly reached your limit. Stay down this time."
A burst of blue gale came from his hand, blasting Obsidian back across the capital.
"Well, that was upsetting, Morwen..."
"You still have that other Warden, remember?"
"That's right. Where did he go?"
Zero looked around.
"TAKE THIS, YOU DAMN KID!"
Gold spikes protruded from the ground at a fast rate, heading toward Zero. But all he did was stand there, hands in his pockets, his suit jacket blowing.
Just as the spikes were about to reach him, he took a step toward them, sending out a purple shockwave that rippled outward. It stopped the golden spikes just shy of his face, one just under his chin.
Zero just stepped away from it, silently chuckling to himself, hands still in his pockets.
The rest of the shockwave didn't push back or cause destruction—it just spread out, disrupting magic as it hit Shallow. His hands started to spark with purple electricity.
"I can't use magic!" Shallow was also hovering over the ground. Now his feet were on the ground.
Zero just stood there waiting from afar, staring straight at Shallow as he struggled with his magic, hands in his pockets.
Zero's eyes widened as an idea hit his mind.
"Oh, Morwen, by the way, what do you think about Mora?"
"Mmm, I actually like that one! Yeah, that's probably your best one!"
She smiled.
"What do you mean it's my best one? I had other good ones... like Ghost Lord."
"Don't even start!" Mora laughed.
"But Mora, I'm serious—I'm good at nicknaming."
"I think everyone can agree you're horrible at nicknaming."
Two echoes came out—Augustus and Alana. "100%."
"Let's be honest here, Zero!" Mora responded, still laughing.
Zero frowned. "Whatever."
Shallow was still struggling, sparks coming out of his hands.
"Come on! I am the great Shallow Warden!" he yelled.
Mana slowly formed at his fingertips, forming into a spell.
"YES, OK!"
He brought both hands together, producing fire, condensing it into a flame lance with all his might. Then he threw it. It soared toward Zero.
Zero lifted his hand upward. Moonlight shone upon his hand. It accumulated in his palm, then slowly made the shape of a lance, condensing and forming—moonlight forged, shimmering in the darkness.
"Let's see whose lance is better."
He then threw it.
The moonlight lance sliced right through the original flame spear. The halves exploded on each half.
"There is no way a kid in a suit just killed me..."
The moonlight lance reached Shallow Warden, hitting him and staking him into the wall. And exploding in ethereal moonlight, eviscerating the Warden along with the wall.
Then Zero took his sweet time walking toward Obsidian Warden. Mora still rested on him snugly.
Standing over Obsidian Warden, he smirked.
At this point, light started to breach the sky, filling it with a somber orange. A single ray of light descended upon Obsidian on the warm morning.
As Zero got closer, it revealed Obsidian's battered and broken body and spirit. He lay on a small heap of rubble, his long black hair messy.
When Zero reached Obsidian, he looked down on him.
Obsidian's eyes remained closed.
"So you really killed Galerius?"
"I did."
He coughed.
"Well, I guess we were all going to die one day. Today we just learned how."
Zero's eyes gleamed blue, using Morwen's vision. His eyes widened. "You know that unless killed now, your soul won't pass on, right?"
"Yeah, I understand... Normally, Arconians kill themselves before that or find a way to die so they can pass on."
Zero scoffed. "Whatever conceived your race really hated you."
"But... I don't even think I deserve to pass on. I couldn't face my wife or my son."
The atmosphere grew quiet as the Book of the Abyss flew in beside Zero. It snapped open.
"Bring forth the Chain of Languish."
"What's that?"
A chain coated in withering mana protruded from the book's center, mana rippling from its pages.
"This will just hasten the process. Since, for a dying old man, you still have quite a lot left in you. Even with all the times you have been drained of your soul's life, you still manage to have a lot left."
"Well, they call me Obsidian for a reason." He chuffed to himself.
As the chain slowly dove into Obsidian's chest.
"How long do you want?" Zero said, his eyes closed while the chain continued to endlessly pour into his chest.
"Until it's quiet."
Zero waited a minute before reaching his hand out, forming scissors with his fingers, and closing his two fingers, snapping the chain. As the rest went within Obsidian, it wrapped around his soul, squeezing it.
Obsidian felt a thud within him. But he quickly relaxed.
"Thanks."
Mora smiled as her mana surrounded them.
Time to go, she whispered.
"Oh, wait. What were Galerius's last words to you?"
Zero paused for a moment. He looked up to the sky. The warm breeze flowed through him.
He told me that I'm not completely evil...
Obsidian smiled softly. "Sounds just like him. Haha." He laughed weakly.
Mora and Zero flew away through the capital.
Zero restored Skull Lord, giving him a pat for trying his best. And restored Arceus. Then he flew through the capital.
"Where are those bonewalkers? I felt their presences get weaker before I even got to the capital."
Zero, still looking through Mora's eyes: "Ah, there."
He flew down, landing next to the remains of Bonewalker Two. "How did you both get destroyed? At least your souls are still burning to be alive."
As Zero rebuilt Bonewalker Two, its body formed back into full, large form.
Zero also looked off to the far side, seeing a pile of rotted guts.
"Ew, they stink!"
Bonewalker Two, now completely done, had a new scar on its forehead resembling a star. It knelt, looking off to the side in shame of its failure.
Zero didn't say a thing. He just turned around, walking toward Wraith. But as soon as he applied Mora's mana to its remains, its own mana burst outward.
Black miasma shadows stretched throughout the area as the bonewalker's body was being formed within it.
It screeched in rage, its body writhing around on its knees, as its orb sockets burned even more viciously.
Zero just stood there, unfazed. Mora didn't even acknowledge it, just rearranging her arms to get a tighter grip on Zero.
"Okay, you can calm down now," Zero said, unimpressed.
But Wraith kept screeching, its mana spreading out even more.
"I said that's..."
Zero raised his hand. "Enough."
His tone was stern and cold as he smacked Wraith Skeleton in the face. Everything stopped.
Wraith Skeleton just held the side of its face.
As Zero pointed at him: "I told you to stop. Before, you didn't listen."
Wraith Skeleton's head looked down. "Hey, don't get sad now. I told you to..."
Zero looked to the side, seeing Bonewalker Two's jaw clattering as it pointed at Wraith Skeleton, as if mocking it.
Zero's face darkened. His finger curled toward Bonewalker Two, gesturing it to come.
Bonewalker Two's skeletal body sagged as it walked over.
"Kneel," Zero spoke.
It did as he said, only to get backhanded.
Both were now holding the sides of their faces.
"How did you both get destroyed?! Huh?"
He looked at them both, but they turned their heads away in shame.
He continued to lecture them, Mora still holding on to him.
"It better have been some really strong enemies." Zero huffed as he put his hands on their skulls.
He put his hands on their heads, his eyes shining purple. "Mmm, oh... never mind. You did pretty well at the start. Ooo, those dried-up guts make a lot of sense now... brutal. Oh, real D-ranks?"
He let go. "Okay, I'll give you credit. Those two were probably just out of your league. But if they were really D-ranks, they shouldn't be too far off from you too, considering you both killed many D-ranks by yourselves. Definitely something to do with those runes they had on them—something truly weird. The only way you could be that strong at D-rank is if you were me, but they're not, so. Anyway—"
Zero stopped himself while chuckling.
"I want better next time. Can't add you to my ranks if you're going to lose like this."
They both looked down at the dirt.
"Zero!"
A familiar female voice called.
Zero turned around, seeing Alana and Augustus, Arceus walk up.
One of Mora's eyes opened.
"Oh, Alana, Augustus. Haven't seen you two in a long while."
"What was with that damn note you left us with? Why couldn't you just tell us in advance you were going to go earlier?"
"Well, plans change. I ran into a few surprises, that's all." He scratched the back of his head.
"Anyway, I got this for someone..."
Alana looked confused.
Zero pulled out a single black rose and presented it to Alana.
She looked at it, then at him. A mouth slit opened on her wisp body and extended into a giant maw, consuming the flower whole. Zero pulled his own hand away before she could eat it too.
She started munching on it. "Thanks."
Everyone, including the bonewalkers, deadpanned.
As she munched on the rose, she looked around. "What?" she said, muffled.
"You're disgusting," Mora said.
"And boring," Zero added.
"Mistress, you weren't supposed to eat it."
"OH." Alana spat it out. Mora turned Zero around, facing the bonewalkers, as it came out in a green mush with miasma mixed into it.
"Alright, better?"
Zero was already talking to the bonewalkers.
Augustus just looked away, petting Arceus.
"You go into that castle and finish off anyone left." He pointed at Wraith.
"And you help Augustus group the army."
"I will deal with transport. Oh, and Alana, go with Wraith."
Zero flew up.
Seeing a boats docked at coastline,
"I remember that coastline all too well" mora says quietly
Zero is just quiet.
As they land there on high port above the coastline.
At a high port above the shipping coastline.
Looking at the dock area, he walks the up the biggest ship.
How many do you think this boat can carry morwen?"
she opens her eyes, "think I have seen that boat before", she flies toward
The ship bore three masts and a broad, imposing frame. Its hull was wide-bellied and deep, with long, graceful curves that swelled into a sturdy, fuller midsection and rose into high, protective sides.
"Oh this is the VC Caravel it's a transport ship to get people to the region of Isolde, it usually carries around 10,000"
"Only?"
"yeah not many people like to travel to different regions in viscura is these big ships are barely used usually people travel there in the smaller boats. But the only reason they didn't build more was because no more than 500-1000, people would go to the region every year.
She floats infront of him,
Waiting for his response, "ok, Morwen go tell Augustus to group up 10,000 undead in good condition and leave the injured plus the excess here."
"Also don't come back by yourself come back with the others…"
"Sure I will take my time Zero." She lets go of him disappearing.
She happily leaves as he walks slowly on to the ship looking at the sun,
Breathing in and out…. He pulls out a marble, its core red and blue he lifted it up into the sky.
Memories spin in his mind.
Promise me...
I promise.
Zero…
"Freya.."
All undead boarded the hull, skulls lords' big body was left in the capital, while Zero kept his souls.
Augustus steered the ship Zero wearing his black cloak now, leaned against the side looking at the sun.
Alana popped by
"Hey zero…"
"Yeah?"
"I saw that ghost girl being extra clingy on you what's going on? I thought you were enslaving her."
"I didn't have to a thing she came on her own terms."
"yeah but don't you think your bit took close to her."
Zero face stayed "why does that any of that matter."
"Just saying its not good idea to get too close to your servants."
"Why did you let that warden live?"
"I don't know. I felt like it."
"That doesn't sound like a you think at all."
"Well, Alana I have only been alive for a month and 12 days, you also only know me for that time too. So, who knows I could change."
"True but I still don't think you could change."
"Not even a bit?"
He looks at her now floating beside him,
"Nope not even a little."
"well, I guess we will just have to see on this new dawn."
They both look at the sun rise ahead,
Zero raises his hand toward the sun, excitement brewing within him.
"I feel it.. all to well…"
Alana looks at Zero, for moment
He smirks, "And I can't wait for what's next."
Her eye narrows, as if nostalgic,
then she closes her eyes
Looking to his horizon, "To a new dawn" she finishes
They all sail of to the distance to the next region of Isolde.
The End