MEMORIES OF AN OVERLORD
by Victar (vctr113062 [at] aol [dot] com)
Victar's Archive: https://www.vicfanfic.com
"I had a nasty argument with both of them, on the day they did it. They wanted me to meet them that evening, and they wouldn't say why.
"I told them that I wasn't going to skip my favorite TV shows. I didn't even care to use the recorder. I wanted to watch my shows live.
"It was the last time they asked me for help, and I just tuned out the bad feeling I had.
"What kind of selfish person treats his best friends like that? Not even a person, really. More like a monster."
Chapter Twenty-eight
Memories of a Scholar: Experiments, Evaluation, and Improvement
Anemos' voice came from the mouth of an alpaca-monster.
"Ah, greetings to all of you. Let it be duly noted that I remain alive and well."
%Rrrgh - how do character designers do this? A plain suit isn't dazzling enough, but I'm sure not wearing a tie. It's a battle to the death, not a prom.%
"Overlord Yusis and I feel that a specific fact is important to emphasize. The bargain that keeps a certain entity out of his thoughts will expire at midnight tomorrow."
%This is frustrating. I keep picturing zippers, belts, or school uniforms. None of those look good on a final boss.%
"If that deadline were to pass while the destined battle is underway... ah, let us not dwell upon such a calamitous situation."
%WHY DO I HAVE A NAME-PIN!?%
"We know that you will not be late, but we would strongly suggest arriving early. Perhaps tomorrow morning? I do recall that time being mentioned."
%'Placard of self-actualization'? That's it; you're done helping me think about this! Get back in lockup. I'll drag you out when I need you.%
"You have acquired as many strong revival beads as possible, have you not? It is extremely important that you bring them."
"Hey, Anemos. Set your lute down for a bit."
"Ah, Yusis-?"
"I need you to model some outfits."
"While 'Monster PA' is active?"
"Why should that be a problem? It's not like they can see anything."
"Very well."
"Wait, stop - that's not what I meant - I'm going to conjure these over what you're wearing. Uh, that doesn't bother you, does it?"
"It is an honor to aid you."
"Okay, good. Magic can't be shaped around an unwilling target."
"Binding spells excepted."
"Ugh, that reminds me. Hey, next Savior? I'm sure you and everyone with you has rings that block %Chains of miasma% and other stuff. That's cool. Binding spells are weird, anyway. I'm also warded against them. Let's keep our battle to the death not weird."
"Ah, Yusis, is this apparel-?"
"It's all made of time magic, not dark magic. It can't poison you, or have any other harmful effect."
"That is... reassuring?"
"Okay, now strike some poses."
"With pleasure."
"Yeah, I am definitely not doing any poses like that."
"Artistic expression is very much an individualized pursuit."
"This is really not something I'm good at. Fashion just isn't my thing, and I never played video games to dress up before."
"Not to worry; true showmanship comes from within. It will manifest regardless of your appearance."
"Maybe simpler is better, but I'm not sure what color to go with."
"Why limit yourself to only one?"
%That's it - that's brilliant-!%
Cedric remarked, "I expect that tomorrow is a most highly anticipated day for all of us."
The Holy Brand soundlessly queried, *Do all of you remember our revised emergency plan? If we sense an incoming miasma flood, then I will shapeshift my avatar and carry the warrior and the priestess into the sky. The priestess will invoke a wind magic bead to aid my liftoff, and the warrior will invoke our last teleportation bead.*
Cynthia whispered, "Yusis would be really happy to know you're watching over us so carefully, Aldea."
Laminah stated, "The communication addressed to us seems to have ceased," and reached for her halberd. "I feel especially sorry for this alpaca-monster."
%That's why you're my CHIEF SAVIOR PREPARATIONS OFFICER!%
Although the alpaca-monster attempted to rear and strike Laminah, she decapitated and dismembered the undead beast so swiftly that its body dissolved before its miasma plumes began to drift away.
Aldea, if my conjectures are correct, then Orzand and the miasma will continue to endanger Kreisia after our plan is complete. At the barest minimum, we must interrogate Overlord Yusis before we destroy the Greater Seal.
*I tire of your delusions. You have no evidence to support your 'external miasma reservoir' theory, avatar.*
When Orzand awakened at the dawn of the cycle, its miasma did not come from an Overlord.
*To the best of my knowledge, both miasma and holy power have existed in Kreisia since its origin.*
Miasma did not threaten to drown all of Kreisia until the dawn of the cycle.
*The Greater Seal draws in, contains, and concentrates Kreisia's miasma into a vortex. It is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that miasma trapped within the vortex cannot harm life. The curse is that concentrating miasma that greatly generates more miasma.*
My point is that in Yumarac's time, Kreisia's miasma was an authentic threat, but not a world-destroying one. If Yumarac created Orzand to seal away the miasma, a possibility that Overlord Yusis has discussed in his writings, then that seal could have concentrated miasma into a reservoir, which grew over time until Orzand awakened.
*The Overlord is driven mad. He has openly confessed as much.*
Criticizing the one who theorizes, rather than the theory itself, is a logical fallacy.
*I do not appreciate your entirely unfounded speculation that my creator also created Orzand.*
Orzand is not driven to 'Destroy all life', but rather to 'Protect Kreisia from all life'. Does that not sound as though miasma has corrupted what was once the directive to 'Protect Kreisia'?
*Orzand's goal is clear, no matter what phrasing is used.*
Overlord Yusis has also written of certain linguistic and behavioral similarities between you and-
*THE OVERLORD'S MIND IS SICKENED BY HIS OWN MIASMA! YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT EXCUSE!*
Repeating a logical fallacy does not make it any less of a fallacy.
*If you were not my ally then I would make you feel extreme agony.*
Arguing by making threats is a logical fallacy. The moment you resort to violence, you forfeit this debate.
*If there were another source of miasma within Kreisia, then I would be aware of it. Just as the Overlord is always aware of my location.*
It is possible to conceal things from the Overlord. I therefore expect that it is possible to conceal things from you.
*Who would conceal a miasma reservoir, and why?*
Yumarac, for any number of reasons. Perhaps he thought that the most effective way to protect people from it was to ensure that no one could find it. Perhaps he wished to hide from the shame of creating Orzand.
*I should have attempted to find a Lunarl priestess avatar. One with more holy power and less madness.*
Like your other creator?
"Hey, Anemos."
"Ah... Yusis? Your pardon, please."
"You've been spaced out for nearly ten minutes. It's been a long day for you, hasn't it?"
"I can continue. I was distracted because-"
"Stop right there. I keep forgetting that you need food and sleep, and you keep pushing yourself too hard. Tomorrow is the most dazzling battle to the death ever, and you'll need your full strength for it. So this, right here and right now, is the last conversation we're going to have as Overlord and Chief Savior Preparations Officer."
"I would prefer to speak as friends, Yusis."
"Whatever works. I'm sending you outside of my castle. I've shaped time magic into a traveler's stop with all the essentials, next to the front gate. The traveler's stop will last until you step out of it tomorrow morning."
"You are most generous."
"No, I'm not. I'm not being generous or merciful to the living. Your job as a corporate officer entitles you to on-site accommodations, that's all. Nothing more."
"The destined battle has not begun yet. Have we truly passed the point where your obligations as the Overlord must supersede all else?"
"We passed that point ten years ago, Anemos."
"Very well. As long as you have no regrets, then neither do I."
"You want to spare me any regrets? Then use the traveler's stop to rest and prepare yourself. Get completely ready to fight by the next Savior's side, tomorrow."
"As you wish."
"I won't monitor anything outside of this room. I'll automatically know where Aldea and you Lesser Seals are, but that's all."
"Are you completely certain that you have no further need of my assistance?"
"Don't worry. You've fulfilled your side of our bargain, and I really do have faith in you. You're night and day different from Laminah in so many ways, but honor means just as much to you as it does to her."
"That is true now. It was not true on the day that I met her. She inspired the desire to change. You made it possible to act on that desire."
"I have faith in Aldea, too. It won't read your mind without permission. When I asked it to scan people's minds ten years ago, it agreed only because lives were at stake."
"My recent interactions with the Holy Brand support your faith, and I do intend to inform it of the 'non-disclosure agreement' I have signed."
"My side of our bargain will hold until midnight tomorrow. You've told the next Savior that, right?"
"Yes, he is aware. I was distracted just now because I received a long-distance communication chant from Melinda. The next Savior asked her to send a confirmation that he will battle you tomorrow morning, and that he will bring a large quantity of potent revival beads."
"Good to know. When you see the next Savior and his allies, tell them that I said to keep those beads in easy reach, like an outside pocket or something. Relaying a direct command from the Overlord won't break your non-disclosure agreement."
"Duly noted."
"I'll work on some final touch-up preparations until all of you get here. I really want this to be special, you know?"
"Yes. I know."
"Anemos, I've been thinking something about Kreisia's future. It's a problem. A big one. The more I think about it, the more it worries me."
"That sounds foreboding."
"I'm not ready to say what it is right now, but it's something I can't solve. I can't even let myself think about it too much."
"If this dilemma is beyond your capabilities, then perhaps...?"
"Yeah. I'll tell all of you, tomorrow. After the destined battle is over, I want you to tell other people, as many as you can. The rest will be up to you, and maybe up to all of Kreisia."
"For far too long, Kreisia has depended upon the sacrifices of off-world Saviors to survive. Whatever this peril may be, I feel as though we ought to overcome it on our own."
"In the long run, I hope that... that everything won't end in the worst possible way. I want to believe in all of you, and in Kreisia. It's just, attitudes like that don't come easily to me, you know?"
"You have made progress, Yusis."
"In the short run, Anemos..."
"Yes?"
"What's your 'good ending' going to be like?"
"My 'good ending'?"
"Yeah. What will you do, after the curse of the miasma is lifted?"
"Ah..."
"Back in my world, I used to play video games to win. Sometimes I'd watch the game's ending play out, but this won't be the first time I skipped it. I'd still like a sneak preview, if you've got one."
"I truthfully have put no thought into it at all."
"I'll just assume 'happily ever after', then."
"In the course of my life, I have had only one dream beyond the impulses of the present moment, and the desire to avoid regrets. It is the very dream that we are on the cusp of achieving."
"Yeah, okay. You still have to survive tomorrow. You, and all the others."
"I will endeavor my best, but I will have no regrets either way."
"'No regrets' is not good enough. Don't die. That goes for all of you. Whatever happens, do not die."
"Is that another 'direct command from the Overlord'?"
"Yeah. It has to be. It can't be a plea from a friend. %The Overlord makes obeisance to no one.%"
"Laminah? I need to talk to you."
"As you wish, Cynthia, but not for long. We both must rest, for tomorrow."
"I'm really worried about you."
"You should not be."
"That holy charge Aldea put in your halberd is really powerful. When you make it go off, you'll be close by. It's not like me and my charged crossbow bolts. Their charges aren't as high, and I can shoot them from further away, and holy power doesn't hurt me as much as it does you."
"You must not distract your mind with extraneous thoughts, before or during tomorrow's battle."
"Just the way you say that makes me worry."
"If we do not purify the Overlord's miasma, then we will all drown in it."
"I know you're willing to pay any price. I just think you're rushing to pay too quickly. You haven't talked to me about this, so I'm talking to you."
"I have nothing to say."
"Well, I do! When you hit that hole in Yusis' chest, I can shield you with a barrier around your body."
"You may or may not be able to do that. Tomorrow, we battle a Chronomancer. He was phenomenally fast when I dueled him, and his power has grown enormously since then. When he appears to wear an off-world talisman over his eyes, he can see all save our thoughts, and he is aware of every attack in his field of view. A targeted strike to his miasma vortex will be immensely difficult to land. I will not turn down any opportunity."
"What if you whiff and your holy charge does nothing but hurt you? Or us?"
"You have trained as a warrior for scarce weeks, and you would lecture me about such things?"
"I've been teaching myself holy magic for ten years! I know how easily it can do things you don't expect!"
"Is that so."
"Laminah, let me go first with my crossbow bolts. I'll use them to purify Yusis' miasma when I get the chance. My bolts should keep Yusis stunned, just like my holy magic stunned him before. After I use up all my bolts, you should strike with your halberd while I shield you."
"Are you a Master Tactician, now?"
"I've already talked to Cedric and Aldea about my plan. They're okay with it. They'll strike Yusis after you do, so run away fast once you use your charge."
"Your 'plan' depends upon you having the opportunity to successfully shoot a Chronomancer."
"He's not just 'a Chronomancer'. He's Yusis. I shouldn't have to say any more. You saw it, when he woke me up. You saw it, after Anemos healed you from your duel. Do you really think I won't get my chance, Laminah? Do you?"
"I wonder..."
"What? What do you wonder?"
"I wonder, have I acquired the detrimental tendency to wrongly doubt? I must maintain greater vigil over my own thoughts."
*Why do you keep asking pointless questions of me?*
The information you hold could be critical to protecting Kreisia, after we transcend the cycle. I must know about your other creator, Aldea. I must know why bringing you into existence cost her life.
*The previous cycle's Savior was extremely difficult to mold. Strengthening his soul was an abstruse task. Guiding his resolve was a stringent challenge. His endless doubts threatened to unravel my labors at every turn. His demands for useless information were close to intolerable.*
There is no such thing as useless information.
*You are worse, avatar. You are indescribably worse.*
Why did creating you destroy Yumarac's wife?
*Every day, every day you hound me with superfluous inquiries, specious theories, baseless speculation, and unfounded insults toward my creator.*
You had two creators, Holy Brand. Yumarac used Altean chanting to guide his Lunarl priestess wife. She shaped holy power into what would become you. You have not said how they gave you consciousness-
*What is there to say about that? Do you know precisely how your progenitors gave you consciousness?*
So, you do not know how your own mind came to be.
*No more than you know how yours came to be.*
When you were created, did you have enough awareness to understand why one of your creators perished?
*If I answer you, will you cease this worthless interrogation and take the rest you need, so that we may lift the curse of the miasma tomorrow?*
For the sake of protecting Kreisia, will you also agree to-
*Enough. It is insulting that you would lecture me against taking the smallest risk!*
I did not intend any insult. If I have been insufficiently respectful, then I apologize.
*Very well. I will answer your inquiry, and we will attempt to interrogate the Overlord before destroying the Greater Seal.*
Thank you, Aldea. I accept your magnanimous offer.
*One of the maddened Overlord's written theories happens to be correct. My creator's wife was too innocent and kind-hearted to withstand the responsibility for creating me, and therefore creating Kreisia's cycle. The shock of learning the cycle's requirements horrified her so greatly that she lost control of the holy power, and her physical form did not endure.*
I suspected as much.
*Now, uphold your word and cease asking questions, if only for one night.*
Holy Brand Aldea, you are a dutiful protector, but you are also a terrible scholar.
Dawn was breaking when Kreisia's native-born Savior used the Holy Brand Aldea to teleport himself and two of his companions to the front gate of Overlord Yusis' castle. The Savior's third companion emerged from a small, magically crafted traveler's stop nearby. The traveler's stop immediately dissolved away, as if recognizing that it was no longer needed.
"It is good to see all of you again," Anemos said, smoothly. "Perhaps there is no need to reiterate this, but I am pleased to be alive."
Cynthia hugged him.
"Ah-!" the bard gasped. "My darling, that is a tad forceful!"
"Thank you so much for helping Yusis," she whispered, easing the tightness of her squeeze a little. "I knew you'd be okay. I knew it all along, but I'm so happy-!"
"Your faith also helped, far more than you might know. Just as Laminah's courage did." He lightly returned her embrace. She let him go, beaming with a sunny smile.
The bard remarked, "Before we proceed, all of you must understand a constraint of paramount importance. I have signed a written vow of honor not to divulge any information about Overlord Yusis' preparations for the destined battle."
*You have 'signed a written vow of honor'?* Aldea soundlessly queried.
"Yusis calls the pact a 'non-disclosure agreement'."
Cedric calmly addressed the holy sword. "We are fortunate that our companion is able to rejoin us at all. Overlord Yusis has stated in his obelisk writings that he must approach the destined battle 'seriously'. He cannot intentionally place himself at a severe disadvantage."
The bard shrugged, and showed a hint of an ironic smile. "It would seem that my personal combat prowess is so limited that permitting me to battle alongside the Savior is merely a lesser disadvantage, and an acceptable trade for services rendered."
Laminah resolutely stated, "Anemos, I apologize for doubting you."
The bard raised a light green eyebrow. "For doubting me, but not for striking me?"
The warrior closed her eyes, put one hand on her chest, and breathed deeply. Her expression was unreadable as she let her hand fall and opened her eyes. "Anemos, I apologize for striking you. That was a dishonorable wrongness I must never commit again, upon you or any other."
Anemos' hint of a smile transformed into an expression of heartfelt warmth. "Apologies gladly accepted."
Cedric produced a small drawstring sack. "We have spent all our remaining funds on potent revival beads, and are each carrying a quantity. Here is your share."
"I am thankful that you took my messages to heart." The bard accepted the plain sack from Cedric, and examined it. "Ah, you had the foresight to enclose these in a covering enchanted to resist miasma. Excellent."
Anemos placed the sack of revival beads in an outside pocket of his vest, adding, "Yusis has expressly commanded that all of you keep these in accessible reach, as I am doing. I cannot offer any other battle advice at this time."
Cedric nodded. His hands shifted so swiftly and fluidly that their movements were difficult to track; then he lightly patted one of his sleeves. Laminah and Cynthia also adjusted the locations of their revival beads.
*Bard, were you truly audacious enough to sign a contract with the Overlord?*
"Yes," Anemos affirmed. "Yusis' faith in me is pivotal to the bargain that keeps a certain presence out of his thoughts. If I were to compromise our 'non-disclosure agreement', then his Savior mind could be erased. My own mind might be forfeit as well; Yusis was uncertain whether the presence could inflict that penalty upon me."
Lights flickered up and down the length of the Holy Brand.
*So you can tell us nothing more.*
"Is that a problem?"
Aldea's flickering lights momentarily froze in a checkered pattern.
*You have presented a compelling argument against extracting information out of your thoughts, in addition to what mortals term 'respect'.*
"I am quite pleased that it is not a problem."
*Given your precarious situation, I strongly advise that you refrain from communicating anything to any of us, during the entire battle to the death. I will relay any commands we have for you.*
"That sounds most prudent. However, before we enter the castle, I do have a twofold boon to ask."
Anemos withdrew a colorless crystal and a small violet case from his vest.
Although Overlord Yusis' castle was strikingly decorated with colorful murals of off-world legends, there were no obstacles or monsters within. Neither were there any solid miasma-objects, save for two statues depicting a Royal Guard and a Royal Mage. Cedric and Aldea purified both statues, then briskly led the way to the throne room.
Cedric paused before the throne room's double doors, and focused his thoughts into a question.
Aldea, what do you detect inside?
*The Overlord awaits. More, I cannot discern.*
Cedric turned to address the others. "I will keep this brief. We are about to confront a dear friend, who is also a Chronomancer Overlord. Do not underestimate him."
Laminah resolved, "I shall not. He deserves no less than the greatest respect, in battle."
Cynthia piped up, "We have to fight with all our strength, but it will turn out okay. No matter what else he is, he's Yusis. He's the Savior I summoned."
Anemos mused, "When last I spoke with him, he did emphasize a direct command addressed to all of us. It was, 'Whatever happens, do not die.'"
*Avatar. Allies. Do not use spells or magic items to empower yourselves yet. Be prepared to ration your battle enhancements. This will very likely be a long and grueling war of attrition.*
Cedric held the Holy Brand ready as Laminah pushed open the double doors. She was the first to enter, followed by Cedric, with Anemos and Cynthia flanking him on either side.
Darkness and miasma-smoke filled the room. Poisonous vapors made Cedric's skin itch and his eyes water. The Holy Brand glowed, illuminating the surroundings, and redoubling the anti-poison ward protecting its avatar.
Music played from no visible source. The song was grim and discordant. Its tense, eerie sounds seemed unusually distorted from those a stringed instrument would naturally make, similar to the harrowing distortions of a monster's voice.
The Overlord was nowhere to be seen. Cedric noted that the wide, open area was far more spacious than the Royal Castle's throne room, and had no visible furnishings. The ceiling was so high as to be beyond sight, hidden by a thick layer of drifting black fog.
"Overlord Yusis. Show yourself," Cedric commanded. "It is time for our destined battle to the death."
%That voice...% The dark, harrowing response lingered ominously, yet there was no visual sign of the speaker.
'That voice' - Aldea, is he not using his power of 'Vision'?
*I sense no evidence of such a power.* Cedric knew that the Holy Brand was carefully keeping their mental communication private. The ability to relay information that the Overlord could not overhear was one of very few advantages they had, against an opponent who could manipulate time itself.
%Cedric? Seriously?%
Can he see us, any more than we can see him?
*Whether he can or not, the Overlord is always aware of where the Lesser Seals and I are. We cannot ambush him.*
%You are the next Savior?% Pinpointing the source of the Overlord's harsh, antagonistic words was impossible; his contempt seemed to resonate from all sides.
*The warrior warns that we must not assume avatar form prematurely.*
Acknowledged.
"Yes, Yusis," Cedric purposefully declared. "I have come to save you, and all of Kreisia, from the curse of the miasma."
%Uh-huh. Okay. Let's get the saving started, then.%
Aldea, where is he?
*He has chosen not to conceal his miasma vortex within a shapeshifted form, as expected. His vortex is high above us, constantly moving in irregular patterns, at superlative speed. Even with our combined power, we likely could not overtake him, let alone land a successful strike.*
%Kreisia has a lot of victims for you to save, you know.%
High above us - is he flying?
*He may have shapeshifted into a flying monster, while keeping his vortex as an open target. I cannot detect the Greater Seal's current form, amid all the smoke overhead.*
%Endless mode - start!%
Pairs upon pairs of glowing yellow eyes with vertically slitted pupils blazed all around Cedric and his three companions. The misshapen monsters surrounding them vaguely resembled Vargs, Lunarls, and Alteans.
*The warrior says to let her, the bard, and the priestess expend their power battling these monsters. Conserve ours, avatar.*
Acknowledged.
%Looks like we're still on a first name basis, Cedric. That's fine. You don't even have to bow.%
Anemos invoked a counter-chant against the Altean-monsters, even as Laminah turned her halberd upon the Varg-monsters and Cynthia interrupted the Lunarl-monsters' magic with a flash of holy power.
%I'll just smash you into the ground instead. Do you remember when I said you disgust me?%
Cedric paid no attention to his companions as they burned, cut, and blasted the attacking monsters. Instead, he strained to discern the Overlord's movements amid the roiling smoke.
%I thought my game would end before I could tell you why.%
That oppressive voice does not give any clue to his changing location. Is his speech truly sound at all? Is it physically generated?
*Why are you asking-*
You must trust me! I will request nothing superficial at a time like this!
%It's because losing people, or the threat of losing them, has not broken you.%
Aldea, you must tell me anything you know!
*His dark magic voice is not physically generated. It is similar to how I communicate, but it deceives your mind into thinking of it as 'sound'.*
%Your sister? Your village? Laminah signs up to become a Lesser Seal? You suffer all the pain and keep trying, keep rallying, keep believing in others. Even in the likes of me.%
*This deception of 'sound' gives him drawbacks that I do not have. His 'audible' range to the living is no greater than that of true sound, and he cannot restrict his communication to one or more specific beings in the manner that I can.*
%You knew exactly what I was from the day we met, but you believed in me.%
Does his illusionary voice employ sound?
*Yes. It is sound created by minor magic.*
He is not using it. Perhaps he cannot. He may be committing his concentration to something else.
%You should not be sane.%
Laminah bisected a row of shambling monsters with a great swing of her halberd.
%You should not be able to function.%
Anemos repelled a stumbling group of undead with waves of sound and magic, followed by a firestorm.
%You should not be able to believe in anyone, especially not me!%
Cynthia attacked with a wide burst of holy power, reducing multiple monsters to miasma plumes, then reached for a healing bead to use on herself.
%YOU SHOULD BE A PSYCHOPATH OR A SHATTERED WRECK AND YOU'RE NOT! Do you realize what an unforgivably high standard that is? Do you understand why I hate you?%
"Your miasma is the true source of your hatred, Yusis," Cedric evenly returned.
%Really. You think so.%
"Yes. That is precisely what I think, and it is one more reason why I am here to destroy all of your miasma forever!"
%I know you're here to clean out the glorified miasma sewer. What if your janitor work condemns Kreisia, instead of saving it? Endless mode is about to get harder, by the way. You can't keep slacking off forever, Cedric.%
Whenever Cedric's companions destroyed an attacking monster, another took its place. Now their undead enemies were primarily feline, from small wildcats to lions, tigers, and manticores.
*The warrior stresses that she will inform you if your contribution is required.*
Acknowledged.
"Explain why you suspect Kreisia could be condemned, Yusis."
%Oh, I will. I'm glad I'm telling you, Cedric, and not some unfortunate off-worlder summoned into Kreisia's all-devouring cycle.%
When Yusis wrestles with a difficult problem, he prefers to be in motion. He has relentlessly roamed the Royal Castle more than once, while deep in thought.
%If Kreisia's miasma is destroyed, then nothing will hold back the growth of its holy power. Remember how Aldea's shrine used to repel living people and animals? Before I drowned it, that is.%
I believe it is the same now. He is in motion because this matter troubles him greatly.
*Avatar, he is moving so that we cannot strike him. We are in a losing standoff. He is summoning 'endless' monsters to wear us down.*
The two motives are not mutually exclusive.
%What if all of Kreisia turns into a shining rock of holy power, where no one and nothing can live? What then, 'Savior Cedric'?%
"I have also contemplated this potential issue."
If I can startle him, he may halt his 'pacing' long enough for us to have one chance.
%Endless mode is about to get harder. Just so you know.%
Newly summoned monsters now appeared reptilian; a few of them were taller than Laminah.
Yusis is compelled to battle us 'seriously'. I am convinced that he is not attacking us directly because he cannot. Perhaps he has no form to attack with.
"Yusis, holy power is 'love of life'. It does not desire to destroy what it loves. Quite the opposite."
%Really. Imagine not wanting to destroy what you love. Now there's something to think about. For, say, ten years?%
I think the thick smoke overhead is not concealing the Greater Seal. I think it is the Greater Seal.
"Unlike miasma, which can only be wielded by the undead, holy power freely allows the living to shape it, as long as that crafting is done with love of life."
%Like how Aldea was shaped?%
"The Holy Brand Aldea is indeed an example-"
%Aldea, I still hate you - so much-!%
"-and regardless of the animosity you feel toward it, you must remember that it is absolutely devoted to protecting life."
Laminah bellowed a ferocious war cry.
Cynthia conjured her crossbow and shot blazing red bolts of fire magic.
Anemos strummed his lute and invoked bardic magic to entangle attacking monsters.
%So, will you start a new all-devouring cycle? Will the new cycle's victims give up their lives to shape holy power?%
Cedric steadfastly rejoined, "My studies of holy magic support my contention that Kreisia's excess holy power can be shaped without destroying any lives."
%Did your 'studies' cover how Yumarac sacrificed his wife to shape Aldea?%
"Yumarac's wife is an outlier, and Aldea has confirmed your theory about why she perished. She lost control over the holy power when she learned the horrific requirements of the cycle she helped create."
%Aldea actually chose to tell you something? Now I really hate you.%
Instruct Anemos to unleash a storm of bardic wind magic to clear the smoke overhead, on our command. Instruct Cynthia to attack the Overlord's airborne miasma vortex with a holy burst, as soon as Anemos' windstorm reveals it.
%Endless mode is about to get harder. It will keep getting harder, until you exhaust all your strength and collapse. Then I will force you to suffer agonizing pain.%
Fewer monsters appeared, but the ones that did loomed large and ferocious. Cedric did not turn his head. On the periphery of his vision, he saw a charging bull-monster slam into Cynthia's holy barrier, while Laminah hacked at its neck with her halberd, and Anemos invoked bardic magic to entangle a ram-monster.
Instruct Laminah to finish off the monsters when we execute our coordinated strike.
"Yusis, Kreisia has selfishly consumed off-world Saviors for far too long. We have deprived other worlds of all the accomplishments, wisdom, and leadership those Saviors could have provided, if only they had been permitted to find their own destinies!"
%I'll give you that point for every off-world Savior other than me.%
"After we transcend the cycle, I believe that Kreisia can at last give back to the worlds beyond! When Kreisia's holy power runs abundant, we can shape the overflow into more beings, similar to Aldea."
%More Aldeas? You seriously want to mass-produce Aldeas?% The sneering scorn in the Overlord's dark voice gave way to a twining thread of incredulity.
"They will not be precisely the same as Aldea - not made to perpetuate a merciless cycle. They will be free to protect and aid life with compassion, with their own will and judgment. They will have the same volition that every living person has!"
%Endless mode is about to get harder, Cedric!%
Cedric saw the smoke-obscured outlines of two advancing dragons, on the far sides of the room.
*The warrior says that the three of them can vanquish one of these dragons, but they will need us to battle the second.*
Tell her and the others that all of us are about to be empowered.
"Yusis, I dream that we will send these holy beings to other worlds, to help their inhabitants in any way they need, and show our gratitude for the sacrifices our Saviors have made!"
%You want to send Aldeas beyond Kreisia?% The Overlord's incredulity intensified into astonished disbelief, and the drifting overhead smoke curled on itself in an unusual pattern.
"We will send the very first one to your world!"
%YOU'RE SENDING AN ALDEA TO MY WORLD!?% The Overlord's disbelief erupted into unbridled rage, and the overhead smoke appeared to stop moving entirely.
*The vortex has-!*
NOW! Cedric commanded.
*NOW, ALL OF YOU!* Aldea broadcasted.
Cedric surrendered his being to the Holy Brand. He did not have full control of his actions, as Aldea's avatar. At best, he could guide and influence the Holy Brand, as a passenger along for the ride.
Aldea's skill in Chronomancy was limited. Yumarac had only passed on a segment of his expertise to the Holy Brand. That knowledge had been unusable when the "corruption" of off-world Saviors restricted Aldea's power, and when the "holy resistance" of Aldea's avatar was not high enough to withstand such profound, reality-distorting magic.
Now, with the wholehearted support of a true avatar, a native Kreisian free of "corruption" and possessing sufficient "holy resistance" to avoid disintegration, Aldea could bend the passage of time not only for itself, but also for a select few allied with it. Aldea had other powers, as well.
Aldea's avatar shapeshifted into an incandescent phoenix, now truly a physical being, not just light and holy magic. The great firebird flew upward at time-twisting speed toward the miasma vortex it sensed, which had been "pacing" in irregular patterns until shock froze it in mid-"pace".
Anemos was not fully aware of the Chronomancy enhancement upon him. He was astounded when his bardic magic to summon a windstorm instantly erupted, clearing the overhead smoke and revealing a pulsing, jet-black sphere of supremely concentrated miasma. Cynthia, also empowered by Chronomancy, sent an intense burst of holy power at the high, hovering target.
Laminah was fully aware of the Chronomancy affecting her. While the others unleashed their combined efforts upon the Overlord's vortex, she immediately dashed to one of the dragons and swung her halberd to sever its head and limbs before it had any opportunity to react. Even as the first dragon dissolved, Laminah sprinted to the second dragon and dismembered it into miasma plumes so quickly that it never completed its attempt to counterattack.
Cynthia's holy burst enveloped and paralyzed the Overlord's miasma vortex, well before Aldea's avian form arrived on level with the jet-black sphere. Aldea assumed Cedric's avatar form in midair, white-gold fire-eyes blazing, flaming Holy Brand held ready to strike-
-to purify-
%AGHK!%
Aldea's expenditure of power was so great that its drained avatar plummeted. Its Chronomancy faded away. Aldea's avatar barely shapeshifted into avian form in time to make an awkward, flapping landing, then reverted to the body of a blue-eyed, golden-haired Lunarl, gasping for breath and struggling to remain upright.
Aldea, how much-?
*We may have purified one-fourth. No more than that, surely.*
Cedric spared a quick glance upward. The Overlord's miasma vortex was nowhere to be seen.
%Not bad. You interrupted my combined channel of the Assassin Overlord and Master Tactician Overlord signature spells.%
Windstorm-scattered smoke coalesced in the back of the room.
%I can only use Shapechange into Vapor once a day. That's fine. I got what I wanted out of it. I got to have an actual conversation with the next Savior.%
Laminah, Anemos, and Cynthia guarded Cedric on three sides. Laminah drew upon her armor's enhancements to sharpen her perceptions. Anemos invoked bardic magic to temporarily strengthen the team's resistance to physical attacks. Cynthia swiftly cast a spell to mend her allies' injuries, then used a healing bead on herself.
%I didn't even have to make you suffer before moving on from phase one.%
In an acute pulse of dark magic, everything changed.
Though poisonous miasma still drifted about, it no longer drastically obscured sight. A chaotic, clashing excess of scenes and figures danced in every direction, lighting up the surroundings in a fantastic, illusionary display. Vibrant copies of all the colorful murals in Overlord Yusis' castle, the mysterious depictions of his world's legends, animated spectacular reenactions of epic battles.
The pervasive music transformed; it no longer resembled distorted sounds from a stringed instrument. Its pace quickened and its melody surged with grandiose, otherworldly sounds far beyond the range of Cedric's experience, although he recognized elements of Anemos' battle hymn artistry within the pulse-churning, heart-pounding drive of the music's core beat.
On the far side of the room was the guise of Kreisia's most unlikely Savior, intently appraising Cedric through rectangular-lensed, necromantic-magic glasses. He was dressed in a shimmering, formal suit that gradually shifted between dark-colored hues, like a shadowy, mesmerizing prism. The hypnotic visual effect extended to matching gloves on his hands, and dapper shoes on his feet. His swirling miasma vortex was openly visible in his chest; smoky vapors from its steady churn spilled from his front and back, stirring his disheveled brown hair.
Overlord Yusis adjusted his glasses. Cloying ripples of invisible dark power permeated the atmosphere. A callous, coldly analytical quality affected his comportment, as he spoke with the illusion of an unremarkable tenor voice.
"You can't keep up with me all the time, can you Cedric? Not even close. I've got one more thing to tell you, now that we're kicking off phase two - the most dazzling battle to the death ever!"
Laminah started to charge.
Anemos started to call an empowering burst of bardic magic.
Cynthia started to summon a holy barrier, but before she could shape the magic into a form strong enough to defend against Kreisia's most dangerous undead monster, he had already advanced with time-distorting speed. He made three flips; on the third, he vaulted over Laminah's head and gracefully cast down a large miasma-sculpture, in the form of a blooming, jet-black rose. The miasma-rose burst into jet-black fireworks as it battered Laminah; the impact made her stumble and fall. The Chronomancer Overlord completed his elaborate assault with dive that he transformed into a midair somersault and heel drop on Kreisia's native-born Savior.
Cedric slammed into the ground, hard enough to shock his skull. His vision turned black.
Then his eyes snapped open to the brilliant lights surrounding him, and dark magic engulfed his body in three seconds of hideous agony.
With one hand extended and empty, the Overlord displayed a crazed smile as he looked down on his tormented opponent.
%Your suffering is not over yet!%
End of Chapter Twenty-eight: Experiments, Evaluation, and Improvement