Chapter 380: [Vol.3] Quest 297- Moving On

Epimetheus looks up at the Fissure as it slowly grows smaller.

The feeling of this cut differed from the others he had over his long life.

His warm blood leaves him as the coldness of the ground slowly invades his body, stealing his warmth.

"Sleep hero of old." Cirrus walked up to him, but not enough to obstruct his view of the sky. "Existence is behind you now. Enjoy the silence." Cirrus then stabs his leg, and by this point, he has lost all feeling.

White Night then pulsated more and more, and the handle then grew longer and longer. The Corrupted flames then got sucked into White Night and put into Epimetheus’s body. No longer could he heal. His body is dying.

‘Alright, I am ensuring no flame escapes, I will be using your mana to increase my range.’ Vesta said.

‘Take as much as you need to end this.’

Cirrus could feel his mana being drained drastically, and all the flames in Olympia converge at White Night and go into Epimetheus’s body, which is sealed.

FUUUUUU~!!!

FUUUUUU~!!!

FUUUUUU~!!!

FUUUUUU~!!!

‘How lucky Epimetheus’s body has been exposed to the flame for so many centuries that his body became the best container for it.’ thought Vesta.

"Finally," Epimetheus said weakly. "You are far greater than your mother, Alcides."

"!" Cirrus froze for a second. "If you're gonna say you're my father, that is some cheap bullshit."

"Ha… Hahahahaha!!!" He laughed out loud as more blood pooled around him. "No… I am not. If anything, I am probably an ancestor to you and a good chunk of the population."

"I guess that’s what you meant by heroes love their women."

'Given how old he is he must have left some descendants over the years.'

"Alcides… You got that name from me. She, Nephele, asked if she could name you. If you turned out to be a boy, Alcides would be your name; if you were a girl, it would be Helle, or was it, Ellie? Doesn’t matter now, does it? Alcides." He wore a bloodstained smile.

"You're lucky. Only those closest to me know that. Tell me when you met my mother again, did she—"

"No. I know about as much as your father as you do."

"Then where was the river you two fought by?"

"You think we fought Cough! Cough!" He coughed up blood. His time was nearing, yet Cirrus still had more questions. "Your… mother ran away… from me for 8 miles with half her body… broken and… burned. I do not… kn… ow."

His eyes slowly grow dull.

"It is a shame you ended up this way."

Epimetheus smiles a bit more.

"A king has honor and people to... remember them. Heroes have their bravery… and legends. Poets… have their hearts and… stories spun and told… for generations. Yet I have… only rage left. Thank… you… again for… this release. My… mind is… no longer… cloudy with… anger."

Cirrus knew he couldn’t keep asking questions.

"… Any last requests, o’ hero of mine?"

Epimetheus smiles even more. Happy at least that the one who finished his story was his only fan.

"Bury…. me… with… my friends…"

"Very—Hm?" Cirrus, in the corner of his eye, saw and heard someone coming.

Epimetheus' eyelids get heavier and heavier when he looks out of the corner of his eye at a familiar girl.

A divinity, distant yet familiar to him, comes off her before it explodes into a mighty, regal flame of colors.

"Pro… methe…. us!!!" More life came to his eyes as a fury kept him going.

Cirrus looked to see a young teenage girl with tan skin, long, slicked-back black hair, and blue eyes wearing a pink dress with orange ribbons exposing her stomach.

"So… you are Prometheus?" Cirrus said, looking at the stone-faced goddess.

Her divinity was something indeed. It reminded him of Hephaestus and Hestia, a powerful fire on the level of presence of the likes of Ouranos and Amaterasu, a god-king.

"I am." Her Arcanum rose even more, raising her hand to the Fissure, and with her Arcanum, the Fissure was quickly properly fixed, leaving the sky to once again be dyed by the setting sun.

She then quickly stopped her Arcanum and divinity from leaking.

She walked up to Epimetheus, kneeling next to her child before she long left.

"Ilia… I had thought… Rhea was you… You piece of shit."

His words were soaked with hatred, anger, and loathing for the one who set him on the path of the hero.

"… That I am." Her eyes looked sad. "I am sorry I didn't give you the choice of being a hero. You did not possess the ability to follow the path I forced upon you. But you kept praying for people’s salivations on Archro Hill. You tortured yourself with your powerlessness, yet still tried to help others. That is why I gave you Ethon, so you could finally give them salvation. No hero is ever born; they are made through struggle and adversity. That is why you were able to protect this land for 3000 years."

"Yes… I fought, and I fought, and I fought... I could never rest because of that." Tears came down his face. "I was… cursed with immortality, forced to… keep fighting in this hell that was not even my making… Never able to be in love, live comfortably… I do… not regret that decision… for all the pain… and life spared. But… I hate you for it." His eyes were full of anger and sadness, as each word and breath was a painful chore to do.

"I know that."

"I… want to… kill you."

Epimetheus held complex feelings for Prometheus. On one hand, he understands why he was made a hero, but on the other, he is angry about being picked as the hero. Retrospectively, Epimetheus had more bad days than good. All the benefits that came with being a hero were ones he tasted for only a fleeting moment in his life. Now only contradictory feelings mix and mesh together with the one who opened this path for him.

Prometheus gently picks up his head and puts it on her lap. Her eyes grow watery while his blood stains her dress.

"I understand."

"The only… good… I did… was… to have saved… enough… for him to be born…" Epimetheus glanced at Cirrus.

Prometheus looked at Cirrus, and he looked at her with cold indifference. She could see the look of distaste in his gaze.

"Tell me… hero… are… there more… potential heroes?" he asked weakly.

"There are. I am sure you would have seen them while I was away."

"Ah… the… rabbit… and… Neph… ilim…" he looks to the darkening sky and smiles. "I’m… glad… my work… my life… my suffering... wasn’t… meaning… less… thank you… and…… be... happy… that… is my… last… request of… you."

"Epimetheus," Prometheus said solemnly. "Know that even if all your good deeds were never rewarded but punished. I should have told you. I should have come down from the heavens and told you that being heroic isn’t about getting what you want or living out your dreams. I should have told you… I should have told you that you possess the greatest quality a hero can ever have: the inhuman will—the courage to leave all that." Tears fell from her face onto Epimetheus. "You knew deep down that you wouldn’t be rewarded for doing good, yet you did it all the same."

"Pro…me…thus…"

Prometheus holds his hand as more of his body begins to slowly turn to ash.

"Know that though your life was never one you dreamed of, it is one you can be proud of."

"…ck… u."

His eyes finally closed, and he took his last breath.

The hero who fought for humanity for three thousand years has found his rest as his body is slowly covered by a black flame that shoots up into the heavens.

Bwoosh!!!

It was a spectacle to witness a mortal leave in the same fashion as a god, leaving only ash behind as the sun sets over the horizon and the night comes.

 

With his death, Cirrus walks away.

"I promise you, Epimetheus," Cirrus said with resolve.

"… Goodbye, Hero of Hope," Prometheus said sobbingly, yet still stone-faced. The flame did not so much as burn a single skin cell or fiber of her clothes. "Thank you for letting my child sleep."

"You truly are a horrible goddess." Cirrus stops walking. "Who would thank the one who killed their child?"

"… Yes. I truly am a failure in many ways." Prometheus collects her child’s ashes with her dress. "Goodbye."

Cirrus walks away again; he stores White Night in his shadow with the remains of Ethon and leaves a good distance before Fafnir returned to his shadow and came out to take him back to Ai and Artemis.

 

Picking up as much ash as Prometheus could, she arrived at Archro Hill.

"It would seem the end of your tale has found its way into a larger one. I will make sure you will no longer be a fool... I shall atone for my cowardice… both to you and to Gekai. I will take the burden I placed on you because of my shameful actions. Scold me, Zeus… insult me, gods in the heavens… and laugh at me… Epimetheus. I am the greatest fool of all of heaven… and atonement is what I can offer you… my bright child."

The wind picks up and carries the ashes with it.

"Sure thing, you stupid idiot."

Prometheus turned to see a familiar face.

"Ah… Zeus. Go on. Scold me."

"You are already doing that to yourself. You also should stop crying. It’ll ruin the beauty of that stone face of yours." Zeus said, removing his hood.

"… Why are you here?" Prometheus said, ignoring his comments.

"I have been in Olympia for quite some time! I was here for a few months."

"I can see how Hera is having a hard time finding you. You have gotten better at hiding your divinity and scent. You no longer smell like women or cheap alcohol."

"I've been clean for a while now... I should go now. I saw some fun things, but Hera is around."

"Before you go, tell me, what do you think of Cirrus Zephyr? You who have a keen eye for those with the bearings of a hero."

"For one, he is a smart kid with a good heart and an even better face. I am sure when he eventually bites the dust, they will remember him for eons to come, along with Epimetheus, as the tragic hero who was put to rest."

"Then do you think he will slay the Black Dragon?"

"I am sure of it." Zeus turned his back and walked away. "I am sure he will be The Last Hero. You saw what he did. I don’t need to explain more than that."

"Yes… I have also seen Ananke’s strings on him. His fate has been determined."

"I saw full well. Whatever Heaven is planning, Cirrus cannot escape it."

"Her strings will choke him as they did for Epimetheus. Epimetheus' attempts to ward Cirrus off this path were for naught."

"Yes… Heh. Cirrus truly is a monster, and fate will be the one to eat him. So I am afraid if you wish to help him, it will be for nothing."

"Kek." Prometheus clenched her fists, and her stone face broke for the first time. "I now fully know why the gods hate fate. It ruins everything. Giving him one of your Divine Weapons, Bronte, it is obvious where his road leads."

"Heavy is the head that wears a crown." Zeus looks out into the night sky, which is filled with stars. "He will be The Last Hero to harbor the fate of heroes and usher in the new."

 

While returning to the Sacred Chamber.

"I noticed you also took the broken divine weapon as well," said Vesta, coming out of a wisp of fire. "What do you plan on doing with it?"

"I don’t know, but I figured a divine weapon is dangerous even if it’s broken, so who knows? It might come in handy one day."

"Let us hope not; making White Night was already something unthinkable, but to create more Divine Weapons is something I will not allow."

"I’m sure Ouranos will agree with you on that, and if I made more, it would only cheapen the status a Divine Weapon has."

"So master, who is this little thing floating by you?" Fafnir asked.

"I am Vesta, an aspect of a goddess."

"Hmm… Circe, what do you think?"

‘I think we have some questions that need answers! For one, where is Nox?’

"…" Cirrus's expression darkened a bit.

Vesta took notice of it and promptly acted.

"Quiet! Can you not see your master is not in the best state of mind to answer your questions! If you should ask, then I shall do it!!"

‘Well… at least she good at reading you. Sorry, Cirrus. I just…’

"We do not feel Nox," Fafnir said.

"… I will leave it to Vesta to explain. For now, I need to keep a promise and go to sleep. My body is burning up, exhaustion is finally setting in."

"Hm. Seems the power you gained needs to fully flow through your body." Vesta said.

‘Yeah, it happens when Nox uses her magic to its full capabilities. He just needs to update his status.’

"How very handy."

"Say aspect," said Fafnir.

"What is it?"

"What would happen if some cinders from the corrupted flame were to escape and spread?"

"Why would you ask such an insane question? If that were to happen, I and every god would feel it."

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"Yes, but what if it were to happen? I mean, the flame has never been corrupted up to this point, right? So maybe it changed?"

"Yeah, I am curious about that, too," Cirrus said.

"Then your fate, Cirrus, is sealed. The only other container that could hold it is White Night, in a limited capacity, and you. Unfortunately, because I'm occupying White Night, it doesn’t have much room for the flame, so it will directly cause you harm in some unknown form. Slowly killing you. Pray that it is merely a foolish thought and that it does not find another person."

"Can't it find a host in a monster?" asked Fafnir.

"Hmph! No. I believe it would still have some standards. Unless, of course, the corruption has fundamentally altered it, in which case... shit."

"But can’t you purify it if Hestia helps?" Cirrus said.

"To expand on that further, no. I cannot purify it, and neither could Hestia. Think of this. The purifying process is to drive from A to B. Now Hestia, the lazy goddess that she is, is too lazy to drive there, so they created me, her attribute or authority, in the form of the flame. Now that I left her, I took the keys, but she is still in the car. If she wields White Night to purify the flame, it will be like her taking the keys and then trying to drive back home drunk. Do you get it now?"

"Yeah. Hestia will most likely get herself killed trying to purify it, and you can’t do it anymore since your separation from the main body, Hestia; will no longer have authority to purify."

"Correct, so the best I can do is seal it with the powers I kept."

"Which are?"

"Sealing and—Hm?" She looked surprised by something.

"What is it?"

"Heh. It seems that having forged a contract with you has changed me a bit more than I assumed. Elpis sure is a wild thing. It would seem it gave me powers to further bolster your magic with the half of Elpis that remained inside you, Cirrus."

"So you’re an electric spirit? And is it safe to have Elpis inside of me? Or half of it, I guess?"

"I wouldn’t call myself that. After all, I am the aspect of a goddess of flame, and so—Bwoo-ackle!" It was an odd sight to see. It appeared to be a red flame but acted more like electricity with sharp lines.

"That is both very cool and very weird. Maybe we can use it to forge some cool things!"

"I am not your portable forge." She looked at it and then extinguished it. "I will admit it is unique. But to answer your Elpis question, yes. It is only half of its power. Nox has that other with her."

"Any health issues or…?"

"None. Your body is strong enough, or I guess compatible enough, to host it with a soul to bear with it."

"… That implies my soul will be in danger?"

"Oh, no. From what I examined, your soul is perfectly... hold on a second. Bwoosh!" Vesta quickly disappears.

"Master, I am not fond of her," Fafnir said.

"Don’t worry. You’ll get used to her, eventually."

Bwoosh!

Vesta reappears.

"Alright, so I checked, and you are fine. But when you update your status and have that flow of power fully processed, things will most probably change."

"… Neat. Like what?"

"Your soul, most likely. I am seeing some changes already."

"Great."

 

Sacred Chamber.

"I am back in what?" Cirrus said, arriving back with Fafnir.

"10 minutes and 59 seconds," Hecton said, popping up.

"See told—Ugh…" The mental fatigue he built up crashed down on him.

He wobbled a bit as if his legs had turned to jelly.

"Cirrus!!" Ai quickly goes up and grabs him.

"I’m… too tired for this. (Circe)." His armor disengages, and Circe appears next to him.

"Ugh… What a short, yet long day." Circe said, holding her head.

Hecton grabs Circe before she touches the ground.

"Hecton, get the potions!!" Ai shouted frustratedly as she kneeled.

"Yeah um…" Cirrus’s eyes slowly closed. "Imma… just gonna sleep a bit…"

Cirrus closes his eyes and finally sleeps.

Ai and Artemis look at how peaceful Cirrus’s face was.

"… Hey Artemis, is it me or does the scar make him look hotter?" Ai said, smiling a bit, her tail swaying.

"Hmm…" Artemis puts his arm around her shoulder. "I think so. Now help me carry him back."

 

The next day.

Thump-thump! Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

"…" Malion’s heart beats quickly as she thinks about Cirrus.

‘Why does my heart dance so when I think of Nephele’s son?’

Every time she closed her eyes, she could see his arrival. His humbling, almost divine appearance captured her mind and heart. But it wasn’t just his appearance; it was his strength, his power.

When she thinks of him, she feels safe and relaxed. A feeling she found seldom but more frequently when she spent three years in the snowy north, surrounded by the opposite color of the monster that made her fearful of the darkness.

"Seems my grandson's got another maiden’s heart, huh?" Hera said, smirking.

Malion looks at her goddess.

"This? This is what you call... love?"

"Yes. From what I see, you and those other elves are the same."

Hera points to Ryuu, who is torn between seeing Cirrus and not. Ryuu was hesitant to walk into the building as Cirrus was resting.

"That elf... is she—"

"Another one, Cirrus enamored. From the looks of it, she is really bottling up her emotions. Without a push, she won’t get far."

"Then why not help her? You like to help—"

"I want you to take his spot as his third wife, Malion. He is a good man, and… I do not want you to keep fearing the dark."

Malion looks at her goddess with a bit of surprise.

"Was… was that kindness?"

"Good luck, Malion. Now, where is Hestia’s child? He sure is hard to find?"

Malion watched as Hera walked off, trying to find Bell.

"… Hm." Malion’s gaze returned to Ryuu.

She saw how Ryuu was on the fence about whether she should follow her heart or keep it buried.

‘I… I will accept your advice, Hera, but if Ryuu wishes to find happiness, I will not stop her.’

Malion took a deep breath and walked up to Ryuu.

"Ryuu." Malion nodded.

"L-Lady Malion." Ryuu bows, having learned that Malion was a Dark High Elf.

"No need for lady. We have fought side by side as comrades. In my eyes, we are equal."

"I… I see. Malion." Ryuu struggles a bit with saying her name without honorifics. "Are you going to see Cirrus?"

"I am. I have recently found that I am in love with him."

"W-what!?" Ryuu shook and took a few steps back. "W-w-what do you mean!?" Her face was red.

"Well, that is what Hera said. If there is one thing I can have faith that she wouldn’t play around with or toy with, it's the emotions of her children."

"I-is that so… I haven’t formally met Lady Hera but have seen her around, and she is…" Ryuu remembers seeing Hera’s face closely match Cirrus’s and the time she shouted out commands. "… Something."

"Lady Aphrodite once described her as a quote ‘Spoiled manipulative valley girl with brains.’ I don’t know what that means, but I feel it fits her rather well. Anyway, Ryuu. Come along, do not hesitate, and see him." Malion walked up to her and picked her up.

"W-wait! Lady Malion!!" Ryuu blushed even more.

Malion opened the door and entered the building.

"It’s Malion, and do not hesitate to say it. My rival should have the same courage as me."

"Huh!? R-rival!? What do you mean!?"

"You are also in love with him, no? Lady Hera said you needed a push."

"I-I am quite fine, Lady Malion!"

"Malion."

"Malion! I h-have chosen when to confess!"

"Hoh?" Malion stopped and placed Ryuu down in front of her. "Explain." Malion has her hands firmly on Ryuu’s shoulders. Malion’s height of 6’1ft (185cm) towers over Ryuu. "You are not leaving until you give me a good enough reason. Why?"

"I…" Ryuu avoided Malion’s gaze. "I wish to speak my heart... when we reclaim our fellow Familia back from the Dungeon."

"The Dungeon? Then shouldn’t their bodies be—"

"That is a long story that I—" The look in Ryuu’s familiar eyes caught Malion’s gaze.

"You do not need to say more." She raised her hand to stop her from speaking. "I know your eyes well. If you do not wish to speak words of pain, that is fine. I understand."

Ryuu found sympathy in Malion. As one of the Hera Familia, she would know the pain of losing her Familia.

"Thank you… I appreciate you trying to help me, but... I know when I will confess."

"Very well. But you should at least see him as a friend for now."

"… Yes, as a friend, I should see him."

Malion's slight push went to go a long way for Ryuu.

 

That same day some cinders travel upon the black winds of a spirit.

In the northern region of the continent, west of the Empire, in a section of the Dedine desert, a black ember travels through the air into the land of death. The ember reaches the Desert of Black Ash and falls. It soaks into the cursed land, reaching a massive magic stone. The magic stone then throbbed with power.

Two days later.

In the open sea, miles away from any land, a black ember falls into the sea. No bubbles form from it; it simply sways down, deeper and deeper, reaching the very bottom of the sea, where a massive skull of a sea creature lay with no fauna but flora around. The ember falls onto the forehead, where a third eye socket was, and throbs. The water current began to shift and move as black ash gathered around it.

Three days later.

Far, far up in the very north of the continent, where only two seasons exist: summer and winter. Dragon’s pure black as the void of space looks at an ember trickling down their valley. It went down to the depths of the valley, being carried further and further down by the wind currents created by the flap of the dragon’s wings.

At the very end and bottom of the valley, a king lay asleep. The ember makes it drowsily open its left eye. The ember emits a very weak and corrupted power. It slowly wobbles its way to the king's right eye and enters it.

The One-Eyed King returned to sleep, and its one aching wound throbbed in relief.

 

Down in the Dungeon’s Depths.

"…." A figure wakes up half-awake. The presence of the Corrupted Flame jolts it from its growing development. "Typhon." The room where the figure occupies shakes. "Thank you for... telling me."

They close their eyes and return to sleep.

Before them, several magic stone cocoons lay. One cocoon thumped slightly faster.

The embers of hate are never so easily extinguished, and they find new lands to grow and spread under the god's eyes. Mutating to one day avenge it's fallen champion.

 

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