PHASE 34 - WELCOME HOME

When the pillar of light finally faded, I realized that the Heavenly Blade of Eternity: is slowly disintegrating. Molecule by molecule, it converted itself into specks of light that danced in the air. The that I withdrew from the young Tiara of the past is only good for one use, and it is safe to say that I have nothing left under my sleeve.

“Haaa…”

I exhaled out smoke to the air. I’m quite exhausted, and I don’t think I have enough prana to activate the Aether Armor if anything goes wrong. I sat on my knees and tried to gasp for air. My lungs feel like it swallowed shards of broken glass, and it's painful to breathe.

“...You’re stubborn, aren’t you?”

Aeternos is still alive. However, his Aether Armor started to fall from his body. The that I have unleashed towards him must have that effect since only and any other person related to the Frozen Soul can manage to destroy the armor.

Aeternos slowly walked forward, with his katana scratching the icy floor. The cursed crimson eyes of this future Alaric Eisenhower give the idea of madness and evil. He’s ready to strike me down.

“

Lightning surged towards the body of future Alaric Eisenhower, and I heard him moaning in pain. The God Core of Chronos is not compatible with him, but he’s forcing it to extract its time powers. As a result, future Alaric Eisenhower maintained his original form, but he is buffed with silver electricity. I can sense divine prana on his katana.

With a swift sword slash in the air, he opened a Time Gate right beside me. I guess this bastard’s only purpose of forcing himself to the God Core is just to kick me out of this timeline.

“We both know how it ends. You may have destroyed my but you still have no way of defeating me. Now… be a good boy and go back to the Phoenix Incident.”

It’s no use. I can’t move. I’ve completely depleted my prana, and my whole body aches. I guess this is as far as I go.

Future Alaric Eisenhower grabbed me by the collar. He twisted his body and readied himself for a big throw, but…

“!!!” A familiar sweet voice echoed.

“What the-!!!” Aeternos cried.

When my future self looked back, he saw someone who’s unexpected. He saw the beauty of his eternal love once again, but instead of being happy, he was filled with sorrow and disappointment. I’m pretty sure that the beautiful love of his life is filled with the same emotion too.

“I… I’m sorry, Rikkun…” Tiara muttered with tears.

“T-Tiara… what… are you doing!?” Future Alaric cried.

“I-I know that what I’m doing does not make any sense, but I believe in you. I believe in the past you who are filled with justice and devoid of evil. I know that you’re a good person, whether it’s the past, present, or future, Rikkun. That is why I have to do this.”

Tiara withdrew her hand from the back of the future Alaric Eisenhower and finally managed to remove the God Core that ought to defeat me. She’s now holding a grayish God Core of Chronos, and the God Core immediately dissolved to her chest.

“No! Give me back that God Core!” Aeternos cried. “Please, Tiara! I need to deliver my old self to the past!”

Tiara just put her hands on her chest tight and shook her head. Tears sprinkled which slightly moved my future self.

“Why… Tiara…” Evil Alaric released me from his grasp. I know his feelings. I know that he wanted to take God Core by force. But he cannot do it, especially that he will be going against the woman he loved the most. “All I did… was to love you… I just want to set things right…”

Tiara just turned away, which is a gesture that she refuses to accept the Cursed Alaric Eisenhower on her front.

“This… this is not the right thing, Alaric Eisenhower.” Finally, one of the audience: Erylle Fontaine stepped in front. She withdrew the Heavenly Blade of Time: from her chest and swung it to the right.

“Who the hell are you to judge what’s right or wrong, you bitch!” Aeternos cried.

“It must be obvious that Tiara no longer loves you,” Erylle said. “At least, not your future cursed self.”

“Shut up!”

“For the past timelines, Tiara has been preventing you from embracing the dark side. She wished for you to live happily ever after. If only she knew that you’ll do evil things just to revive her from being the Frozen Soul, I’m pretty sure that Tiara would rather stay frozen for eternity.”

“Shut up!”

Tiara finally knelt to the ground and caressed Aeternos’ face with her warm soft hands. She locked eyes to him with a puppy glare, which is the mind-control cuteness she always uses to control my consciousness.

“Rikkun… It’s true…” Tiara said.

“Tiara… no…” Aeternos cried silently.

“I love you, but I don’t want you to fall to the darkness. That is my wish.”

“...So you don’t accept me?” Aeternos muttered as he bowed down.

“I’m sorry, Rikkun.” Tiara cried.

“If you will not accept me for what I have become… THEN I JUST HAVE TO KILL ME!!!”

Suddenly, Aeternos stood up and materialized his katana Weapon Gem. He turned around with a fast spin, charging the momentum of his blade to slash my throat. This guy is trying to kill me, his past self!

However…

“!!!” Erylle immediately unleashed a golden light arrow that pierced Aeternos at the center of his heart.

“What the-!!!”

“This is your future, Alaric Eisenhower… no… Aeternos. This will be your curse. With my I am able to rewrite all the future events that will happen relating to you.” Erylle said.

A Time Gate opened just behind Aeternos which started to swallow him little by little. Aeternos tried to crawl away, but he has nothing to cling to.

“You don’t know what you’re doing, Erylle Fontaine!” Aeternos roared.

“With my Authority as the Outsider and the Gate Guardian of Multiverses, I shall bestow upon you this fate: You shall now be locked in an infinite loop of time and continue living not as Alaric Eisenhower, but Aeternos. You will return back to the Phoenix Incident and resume where Alaric Eisenhower left off. You will be the leader of the New Order, fight the Black Cross, and be defeated by ’s will. You will be delivered to Hell and only be released to unlock Tiara from the Frozen Soul. You shall fight against your past self again, only to lose and to be delivered back to the Phoenix Incident. These series of events shall happen to you over and over until the end of time.”

“NO!!! I REFUSE TO HAVE SUCH FATE!!!”

“That is the only fate for you, Aeternos,” I muttered as I mustered my regained strength to stand up. I slammed my fist to my heart and gave him a determined gaze. “Because of you… you are not me. I am not Aeternos, and you are not Alaric Eisenhower.”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

As he shouted his last word, he was immediately swallowed by the Time Gate. The Time Gate then suddenly closed thereafter, only leaving peace in this Realm of the Frozen Soul.

<>

…

There was only silence for about ten seconds.

To break the silence, I slowly walked towards the woman who was kneeling in the ground. When the cute lady noticed my footsteps, her eyes opened; revealing the most beautiful twinkling puppy-blue irises I ever saw in my life.

I lent her my hand and made a tear-jerking smile. Water droplets started to race on my cheeks as all I can feel right now is pure nostalgia and happiness.

“Tiara… let’s go home now.”

Tiara gently took my hand and I felt her soft paw...err… I mean her tender palm. She pumped her fist with her other hand, signaling the jolly embrace of our joyful reunion together.

“W-Welcome home, Rikkun!”

“Right back at you.” I laughed. “Welcome home to you too, Tiara…”