"I hate this… Why do I have to do the boring work? I'll complain to Big Mum when we get back." Miraj, the ultimate chonkers of the sky, flew away from the battle site towards the open sea to the west.
He was fast, but even then, it took him time as he had to traverse a large stretch of land. Although that only took him a few minutes, even that felt like hours to him, unable to see the magnificent battle of his Maxy and Rat-Rat.
Eventually, he reached the sea and began to suck in much of the water in his dimensional belly. He was told not to grow larger or take in all the water. Sylvester had already calculated his speed of intake, so Miraj was to count to ten while drinking the water and storing it.
"Nine…"
"Ten! Let's go back!" Miraj chirped, finishing his task and headed straight back to Sylvester to see how the battle was going. However, he had no idea about the surprise waiting for him.
…
The battle between Sylvester and Rathagun went on for over a day, and the end of it still wasn't in sight. The loud explosions and the occasional blinding lights were frightening, but the Guardians or the elven Elders couldn't even look above them as they had trouble surrounding them.
Like hyenas, some members of various species had appeared. Wanting to take advantage of the situation, they all surrounded them and attacked. In the end, Bloodrain, Soulbreaker and the remaining elders had to join hands and fight against the attackers.
However, they had no idea what was going on in the sky inside Sylvester's Supreme Void that they couldn't even see. To their eyes, the battle was raging, but reality was more than meets the eye.
"The meat is cooked."
"No, it's not, son. I know my well-done meat."
"Why don't you just eat dry paper then?" Sylvester replied and ate his fill.
The two men sat inside what appeared to be a cave. It was all an ingenious contraption Sylvester had made. Inside his Supreme Void, being the master of all elements, he was able to create a small place to rest. For those outside, all they could see was the ongoing battle
—all thanks to the manipulation of light elements.
After Miraj eventually found them, they cooked meat, drank some juice and Sunshine Nectar while talking. This was the only way Sylvester could earn some private time with the man he shared his blood with.
There were many moments of silence between them. Both had some questions, but they didn't know where to begin. But Sylvester eventually took a leap of faith and asked him directly.
"Why didn't you just leave with Mum? You could have built a new life in Libertia or cut your ears and lived as a human. I'm sure it would have been easy for you as a Supreme Wizard," Sylvester asked him the main question.
Ashamed, Rathagun looked down, unable to match Sylvester's eyes, "I… I hesitated back then. The tensions with the dragons were high, and the war with Sol had only halted a while back. If I had left Alfia, it would have been destroyed—I regret it now, seeing what has become of my kingdom. A narcissistic, self-absorbed society that's unable to consider what's beyond the walls."
Amidst the crackling of the small fire between them, the two stared at the flames and fell deep into thought. Sylvester remembered how desperate Xavia was when he was born and what she did to raise him. Rathagun remembered the last moment before he sent Xavia away across the sea.
"Did you even love her? Or was it a mistake that you felt responsible for?" Sylvester questioned, still unable to understand how a Supreme Wizard fell in love with a simple human slave who wasn't even magically strong.
Rathagun smiled widely and reminisced about his life, "She… She is the kindest person I've met in my entire life. Elves killed her father and enslaved her, and despite that, she used her meagre magic to heal me once. The look of worry I saw on her face, despite being her enemy, woke something in me—a realization that the boundaries of species we created among us only existed in our minds, not in reality."
Sylvester's brows flared up as he nodded. Indeed, Xavia was someone like that. But he didn't let the words cloud his judgment and kept his feelings at bay. "Why still pursue her? You have a beautiful wife who's living as a broken woman. I had the chance to speak with Delimira, and she genuinely seemed to be a good person who loves you as dearly as you say you love Xavia. Isn't Delimira your childhood friend? A girl tutored since her birth to be your perfect wife? I say, don't repeat the mistakes you committed with my Mum—be a man for once."
Rathagun frowned, not knowing what Sylvester saw in Delimira, "She's a two-faced pawn of Ellitran."
"She's an innocent, stuck between her duties as a daughter and a wife. Just for once, try and take her side, hold her hand and assure her you'll stand by her. I have no doubt she will stand against her father for you—I saw that fire in her," Sylvester advised him out of his selfishness and genuineness.
"I guess…" Rathagun sighed with a long breath and wearily rubbed his face. "I do remember Delimira being kind and caring… But then, what of Xavia… I love her."
Sylvester had no clue how he was going to do it. But he had made up his mind to not give up the only mother he ever had and knew in both his lives.
"Forget her as long as she remains a mortal with less than a century left to live. Forget her because she has no desire to be a member of your harem. You either take being the King of Alfia seriously or give up everything and join Xavia for as long as she lives. Either you break your own heart by stomping on your desires to be with Xavia, or break Delimira's heart by leaving her alone after being prepared for centuries to be your wife." He painted the picture clearly to the man. There were only two options to consider.
"What about you?" Asked Rathagun. "What do you desire?"
"Peace and happiness. I respect Mum's wishes, and as long as she's happy, I will agree to anything. Tomorrow, if she wishes to be with you, I will let her go," he stated without a second wasted on thinking.
"Even if it means living alone?"
"I'm used to it now. Besides, the foes I must defeat to safeguard this world are something only achievable by my own sacrifices—as long as I can maintain the lives and smiles on the faces I cherish, I consider it all worth it," Sylvester replied and stood up.
He wasn't very sure of what the future held, but he knew that somewhere on the journey, his pursuit of peace had transformed into something far greater, with an impact on a number of lives he couldn't even count.
He hated it, but to preserve his life, the world where Xavia lived, and leave behind a place where Miraj could openly reveal himself—
He knew he had to struggle a bit more.
"Almost two days have passed. Let's end this now," Sylvester picked up his spear and quashed the fire while Miraj ate all the leftover food.
Rathagun proudly looked at his son and went forward to hug him without warning, "I can see you are struggling in your mind, my son. You have a burden on your shoulders that I cannot see nor imagine, but you only have to ask, and I will gladly share it."
'He's not that bad, I guess,' Sylvester thought.
"You know the endgame. I ask for forgiveness beforehand for all the pain you're about to suffer," Sylvester apologized as the plan to subjugate Alfia came to an end—a plan to not only win over the kingdom but also make the King the absolute ruling authority.
"Haha… It's all for the greater good. For the first time in Alfia's history, the King will finally have the ultimate authority, not the council," Rathagun said, excited for a better future.
"Here I go." Sylvester took a calming breath and broke the Supreme Void. In an instant, they found themselves in the open skies; it was time for the sunrise, and the land below was dimly lit.
Boom!
Sylvester leapt forward towards Rathagun and punched him in the face, throwing him downward towards the ground. He didn't go easy. The punches were real, to inflict pain and wounds, to seem completely lifelike.
Rathagun landed on the ground with an earth-shattering force. His entire armor was now removed, and his clothes were torn in places. His face was covered with blood, and he coughed out much more.
Thud!
Right after, Sylvester landed and grabbed Rathagun's face as the man tried to stand up. He shoved the face back on the dirt, breaking the elven King's nose. The elders and the guardians were not far away, and there seemed to be a few more spectators.
"Do you accept defeat?" Sylvester boomed.
"I-I can't…" Rathagun weakly whispered, appearing too injured.
Sylvester looked towards the Elders and punched Rathagun on the back of his head again and shoved his face into the dirt. "Do you accept your defeat?"
"I-I can't… I'm merely a king… not the c-council." Rathagun replied in a breaking, painful voice that only seemed full of air and less substance.
The sunlight finally began to fall on them, and Sylvester's body shone under it as if the heavens had spoken and declared his victory already. He was the one still standing triumphantly, and the elven King was on the ground under his feet.
Bam!
Sylvester kicked King Rathagun's back and asked again while staring at the elders, "Death or surrender?! Answer me! Do you accept defeat and acknowledge me as the ruler of all—the spearhead of all your destiny?"
Bam!
He didn't stop punching the elven King and kept his eyes staring at the remaining members of the council.
Bam!
The eight elders watched their King being beaten bloody, his life being punched out of him. Rathagun didn't even move or react to the attacks anymore. The defeat was clear as day.
"W-We accept!" Elder Ellitran groaned, still in pain from Sylvester's kick on his back. "You won… Pope Sylvester."
Bam!
Sylvester didn't stop and pointed behind towards Soulbreaker, "Guardian, bring me the declaration of unconditional surrender."
Soulbreaker quickly took out a folded parchment and handed it to Sylvester, "It's written as per your suggestions, Your Holiness."
For a few quick seconds, Sylvester read the parchment and nodded. "Elders of the elfs, sign on this, and I shall accept your defeat officially—refuse, and I will kill your King, you, and then call forth all my armies to lay siege on Alfia."
The eight elders helplessly looked at Ellitran for his decision. However, to their shock, even the unwavering, iron-willed Ellitran seemed to be shaking in fright. A twenty-six-year-old boy had defeated Alfia, and they didn't wish to imagine what an entity the Pope would be in a decade or a century.
"We shall sign." Ellitran weakly decided.
With that, Soulbreaker brought the parchment to each elder and received their signature on the left side below the terms and conditions. Then, at last, Sylvester signed on the right side of the paper, with witness signatories being Soulbreaker, Bloodrain, a random Dwarf, and a Rabbit Beastkin.
As soon as all that was done, Sylvester stumbled back away from Rathagun's body. A sudden surge of exhaustion swept through him
—first, the exhaustive battle with the Demon and then the whole theatrics with Rathagun. Years and months of schemes had finally come to fruition.
Back in Alfia, the elders were going to be hated for surrendering, while the King would be seen as the hero who fought with his life on the line. The elaborate plan to win two games in one strike had worked wonders.
"Finally!" Sylvester roared towards the sky, his hands raised in a fist as the sunlight shined on his being. "Victory!"
Almost twenty-seven years, countless battles, schemes and loss—at last, he was the unofficial ruler of the world all across.
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