RE: ZERON I will return for you, even if it takes a million

Chapter 20 : The Descent into Fury

​​I tried once more to convince Frexia to trust us. This was her only chance to save her life and protect the survivors of her tribe.

​Frexia looked down at her hands, lost in thought. She whispered that she desperately wanted to help her people, but she feared it was already too late to run. She gazed into the distance, sensing a contingent of soldiers closing in—sent to arrest the instigators of the town’s chaos and, undoubtedly, to reclaim their escaped prisoner.

​She admitted that her body had reached its limit. Overusing her ice magic had dropped her internal temperature to dangerous levels, stiffening her limbs and making movement nearly impossible. She needed time for her body to thaw before she could travel on her own.

​"I can't run," she said grimly. "If I go with you now, I’ll only slow you down until they catch us all."

​I didn't hesitate. I stepped forward and swept her off her feet, carrying her in a bridal style.

​She gasped, startled, and began to struggle. "W-what are you doing? Put me down!"

​I ignored her protests and began to run. "If the problem is that you can't walk, then I’ll carry you until you're warm enough to move."

​She didn't stop complaining, insisting that she hadn't agreed to this and that accepting help from someone weaker than her was a profound disgrace to a Dragonaire.

​Lavender, running effortlessly alongside us, interjected. "Don't underestimate Master Aren. He may be human, but he possesses qualities that rival the greatest heroes."

​"Great heroes?" Frexia asked, skeptical.

​"Yes," Lavender said firmly. "He saves those in need and is willing to lay down his life for others. I know that one day, he will be the one to save the entire Zeron Kingdom."

​I felt a flush of embarrassment and tried to downplay her words. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lavender, but you really don't have to say that to everyone."

​Using the last of my physical stamina, I kept up a steady pace while carrying Frexia. We crossed lakes, navigated dense forests, and climbed steep ridges toward the Black Raven village. The air grew thinner and colder the higher we climbed. We paused only briefly to drink from rivers and catch our breath. Eventually, the frost in Frexia’s veins thawed, and she was able to move on her own again.

​After three hours of grueling travel, we reached the ancestral territory of the Black Raven tribe. But as we emerged from the treeline, we froze.

​The entrance to the village was a scene of carnage. The bodies of soldiers and tribespeople were strewn across the ground, evidence of a desperate, violent struggle. The silence of the forest was heavy, broken only by the rustle of leaves.

​"What happened here?" I whispered.

​Frexia looked like she was losing her mind. She sprinted into the village, searching frantically. Bloodstained bodies were everywhere. Ora examined one and turned back with a grim face. "The decomposition has started. They’ve been dead for at least three days."

​I was confused. My chest tightened with a sense of dread. Why had the Aksin soldiers attacked the tribe when they had already complied and surrendered Frexia? It was a massacre; even the women and children had been put to the sword. It was a mission of total extermination.

​I ran to keep up with Frexia. We burst into a large communal house where Frexia stood motionless in the center of the room. She was staring at a wooden sofa.

​In the seat sat an old man, his chest pierced by multiple spears. He looked peaceful, yet tragic.

​A cold, terrifying energy began to radiate from Frexia. Ice began to coat the walls and floor as her face contorted with a hatred so pure it was frightening. She began to curse the Aksin soldiers under her breath.

​"Frexia, wait! Calm down!" I shouted.

​The necklace around her neck flared with a blinding light. A shockwave of raw power exploded from her, throwing me backward and out of the house. She had lost all control. The man on the sofa was undoubtedly her Master and the leader of her tribe.

​As I scrambled to my feet to go back inside, the house disintegrated. Towering mountains of ice erupted from the wreckage, and a freezing gale swept through the village, biting at my skin.

​"Frexia!!"

​I could feel her presence expanding, fueled by her grief and rage. A moment later, a massive blue dragon took to the skies—the same form she had used to destroy the town of Kitam in the other timeline. She let out a roar so powerful it knocked me down again. I feared the Celestial Item had completely consumed her.

​"Please, Frexia! Think about what you're doing!"

​She ignored me, her massive wings beating the air as she soared westward. She was heading for the provincial capital of Aksin. She was going for revenge.

​If she reached the city, it would be a bloodbath. The military would be alerted, and thousands of innocent civilians would be caught in the crossfire. My mission was to prevent the birth of the "Destroyer," but the tragedy that birthed her had already happened three days ago. I couldn't undo the massacre; I could only try to stop her from adding more lives to the tally.

​I tried to follow, but I was just a man on the ground. She was a dragon in the sky. I couldn't use Rewind because she was already far beyond the range of the Time Sword's influence.

​After minutes of sprinting, my body gave out. I lost sight of her. It would take me three hours to reach the city of Akbe on foot; by then, the city would be nothing but ice and rubble.

​I wiped the sweat from my brow and looked around. Lavender and Ora were nowhere to be seen. In my panic to follow Frexia, I had left them behind. Dammit, focus, Aren.

​"I have to find them first," I muttered. I couldn't navigate the province or stop Frexia without them.

​I hurried back toward the village, but barely three minutes into my return, a cold dread washed over me. I stopped, sensing a lethal presence. I scanned the shadows, waiting.

​In my confusion, I didn't notice the massive black shape forming beneath my feet—a thick, unnatural shadow. In the blink of an eye, dozens of shadow-spears erupted from the ground, skewering my body. They tore through my stomach, back, legs, and throat.

​"Ahh!!"

​Pain—sharp and absolute—shattered my senses. In those final seconds of consciousness, I forced a Rewind.

​I was back on the path, whole and uninjured. I fell to my knees, clutching my throat. Even though the physical wounds were gone, the trauma of the sensation remained, leaving my hands trembling.

​"What's happening?"

​I gripped the Time Sword. The weapon in the shadows... it was familiar. It belonged to the assassins of the Candal family.

​A moment later, five giant tigers emerged from the woods, circling me. My instinct was right. Lazarus Candal’s assassins were here to finish me and reclaim Lavender.

​They hemmed me in, making it clear I wasn't leaving alive. I realized I could win this quickly. I triggered a Time Freeze, walked calmly to the tigers, and as time resumed, I drove my blade through their throats in one fluid motion.

​The tigers fell, but I knew the fight wasn't over. These assassins could hide in shadows. They were dangerous prey.

​As I waited for the next move, I heard a sound—the crackle of roaring flames. Lavender, in her flaming tiger form, burst through the trees to the west, being pursued by a massive lion ridden by Lazarus Candal himself.

​"Lavender!" I screamed.

​Lazarus’s weapon was different; it had shattered my magic barrier before. She was in grave danger. I ran to catch them, but they were too far for a Time Freeze. I had to close the gap.

​As I ran, a shadow-spear shot up and caught my leg. I tumbled, rolling across the dirt. As I tried to stand, another spear aimed for my face. At the last microsecond, I used Rewind.

​I reappeared a few paces back, mid-run, placing me directly behind the assassin with the spear. He didn't see me coming. I swung the Time Sword, slashing his back and sending him crashing down. Before he could recover, I lunged.

​"Yahh!"

​I drove the blade into his chest. He looked up at me, eyes wide with shock. He couldn't comprehend how I had bypassed his guard and ended up behind him. That was the greatest advantage of the Time Sword—no one understood how it worked until it was too late.

​But even as he died, he grabbed my sword, a twisted grin on his face. "You're coming with me."

​A massive shadow pooled beneath us. I recognized the technique—the precursor to a massive spear eruption. I used Rewind one more time to clear the area.

​"That was too close."

​I had escaped the trap, but I felt a sudden, crushing weakness. The Time Sword was eating my life force to fuel the resets. My body hadn't recovered from the fight with Frexia, and the consecutive jumps were taking a toll. I felt like my bones were made of lead. I wanted to collapse and never get up.

​I watched as the assassin finally went still, blood pooling beneath him. "One down."

​But I couldn't celebrate. I had to reach Lavender. Lazarus was the real threat. I forced my shaking legs to move, running until I reached the edge of a nearby lake.

​There, I found Lavender lying motionless on the ground. Lazarus was standing over her, his foot planted firmly on her back, a demonic smirk on his face.

​"Well now," he mused. "I didn't think you'd make it past my men. For a human, you're quite persistent."

​Attached to his back were fifty long, razor-sharp blades that moved in the air like the tentacles of a metallic octopus.

​"Let her go, Lazarus!!" I roared.

​I unleashed every drop of energy I had left, gripping the Time Sword with both hands. I had only one thought in my mind: Kill him.