Chapter 1100: One Last Time
The absurd thing about life is that it can take years and years to building something, grow something or just simply do something…and yet it can only take a moment for it to be destroyed, die or undone.
Ain’t that a laugh?
-The musing of an architect who lost it all.
…
10:00
9:59
9:58
…
[Let’s go!]
[Right!]
As the Kaijin Lord and his entourage left to go and fight the Fallen, Terra was all set to retreat from the front lines with Tortallion in tow.
This entire battle has been incredibly stressful for the old kaijin, and anymore excitement would be bad for his existence. Literally.
As such, she tried her best to get Tortallion to retreat.
[Come on, Papa. We can use this time to get you something to help you recover,] Terra said as she grabbed Tortallion by his good arm. [In the worst case, you can at least retreat.]
[No, my dear Terra. Not this time,] Tortallion said as he shook his arm free from his daughter’s grasp. [It’s finally time for me to pay my debt.]
[…what?]
To say she was shocked would be an understatement.
[But, papa-!]
[No buts, this was something that was a long time coming,] Tortallion stubbornly declared as he re-drew his shield. [I failed to arrive in time to assist my brothers the first time around when they fell in battle all those years ago. And now is the time for me to make up for that-]
[That was the past! I know you have regrets but living for the past like this, is…is unhealthy!,] Terra cried in desperate frustration. [And you have more than made up for it.]
[I haven’t…I truly haven’t…]
[Yes, you have.]
…
8:00
7:59
7:58
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[You’ve rescued those children after our caravans got raided by slavers. You fought off that 7th tier sea serpent when our boats were being attacked. You have done so much to protect Undertow and its people, you don’t need to-]
[Those acts were simply my duty as a Storm Knight. Right now, is a chance to make up for the thing that led to all those happening in the first place. As of now, I can feel it. My brothers, their inheritors, are now colliding with one another. And further in, the new Lord’s kaijin and kinsmen are fighting. If I don’t go in there and fight then-]
[Then nothing! I sense it too, and that woman with Krakelios’s ink has the advantage. You don’t need to assist against that. As for those young warriors, they are significantly more vicious than you give them credit for. You don’t need to help them!]
[Even if I can sense that they’re up against opponents that are pass their levels?!]
[They’ll be fine! T-this is how youngsters grow into being proper heroes, right?! That’s what you used to tell me when I was growing up!]
[That was different.]
[How so?]
[You were trying to fight a giant crab, this is an active warzone!]
[And yet death was still present!]
[I helped you in the end.]
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4:44
4:43
4:42
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[Then what of that Grafted warriors and the Fallen’s matriarch?]
[What about them?!]
[Every fiber of my being demands I bring him down for the sanctity of my ancestors. That matriarch had done us a disservice, bringing that thing back to life and is now threatening to destroy us with it. If I don’t act-]
[That new lord is already dealing with that grave robber and his consorts are dealing with the matriarch as we speak. You don’t have to go down there and fight anymore.]
[But it’s who I am. I am a warrior and fighting to the death is-]
[Something you grew past! You’re my father, you’re a guardian of the people here. They need you to live. I need you to live! Those new Storm Knights need you to live too! They’ll need a teacher, a guide! Someone who can show them-]
[That’s not how kaijin work, and you know this. Besides, if they need a guide. I can think of no one more appropriate than you, my darling daughter.]
[Don’t you just call me that! When you’re trying to justify your death!]
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1:00
0:59
0:58
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[Enough, Terra!,] Tortallion finally yelled. [I know you don’t want me to die but my time has finally come.]
[How do you know that?!]
[Because I was going to die in a month anyways!]
[Wait…what?]
This was the first time Terra has ever heard of this news, so understandably, she was quite shocked at the announcement.
Having let the proverbial octopus out of the jar, Tortallion let out a deep sigh before explaining himself.
[Do you remember when Uncle Marlancer had to leave? And you know how we Kaijin can’t exist without a Lord,at least, not for long?]
[I…I do.]
Not too long ago, Marlancer had suddenly disappeared without saying a word to anyone, leaving for parts unknown. At least, that was the story told to the citizens of Undertow.
In reality, he had actually had said his goodbyes to Tortallion and Terra, telling them that he was close to fully breaking down. He left so that others wouldn’t suffer from his…inevitable decline.
Terra was sad at the time, but managed to keep up a strong facade.
A part of her had hoped that Marlancer would be able to find a solution out there in the wider world, and bring it back to help her father.
But alas, life was not that kind.
And now, it had become crueler.
[I was already knocking on death’s door, and I could feel that I would have to leave at least a month from now. Well…now I suppose, my time has come a little sooner,] Tortallion joked while wriggling his severed arm stump.
Evidently this dark joke didn’t go well with Terra.
[T-that just confirms that we have to retreat! I know how to use Chaos too! Maybe I can-wait…what’s this feeling?]
But before she could say anything further, a bright light began to illuminate the area in an insidious light.
The [Shadow Sovereign] was going to strike.
…
0:10
…
As the dark light of the [Shadow Sovereign] shined like a distant star, Terra and Tortallion were stunned silent.
The former because they knew that if this attack went off, then the entirety of Undertow would be wiped off the face of the planet. It would fade into the darkness, and all of its occupants would be nothing more than food for the fishes.
As for the latter, he was silent because he knew what he had to do.
After all, his kin had done the same a long, long time ago.
0:09
[Oh…I guess you were right…this was the moment I was waiting for,] Tortallion said as he began to float forward, drawing his shield.
Once the shield was settled, Tortallion began to chant something under his breath. Something that caused the surrounding aether and [Chaos] to condense around the severed stump of his arm and form into the shape of a glowing facisimile of the missing limb.
Although, there was one noticeable change.
The claws on this arm was significantly sharper.
0:08
[Papa, what are you…why can’t I move?]
At this moment, Terra wanted to fly forward and stop Tortallion from doing whatever he was planning to do…but she couldn’t.
The [Chaos] in her body had froze, while the [Chaos] in the area was holding her back. It was if reality itself was stopping her.
[Papa, papa! What are you doing?]
0:07
Once he has reached a certain point, Tortallion stopped flying, lifted his glowing arm up to the sky and began speaking aloud.
[In the name of the Kaijin Lord, Jin Miavora,I arose from the depths of Chaos.]
0:06
As these words left his mouth, his arm began to glow brighter and brighter as strange runes began to manifest.
[Using the Core of Duty as my anchor, I took upon the remnants of Sir Torwain, the shell of a Great Jade Turtle and the words of the Abyssal Guardian Mantra and established my being.]
0:05
[Upon her orders, I took on the mantle of Tortallion. Served as her hammer and shield, and defended her with all I had.]
As he spoke, Tortallion’s form began to become fuzzier and fuzzier, as if he was mirage.
0:04
[I have served valiantly as her vanguard and was leader and guide to my brothers. Grand Fang, Hammer Fang, Saw Fang, Grand Blue, Puffer, Medusina, Shockheel, Vice Shell, Clobstar, Krakelios and Marlancer.]
0:03
The shield on his arm began to glow jade green, along the rest of his fading body.
[In her absence, I have continued to serve as a guardian, protecting her legacy and her people to the best of my abilities.]
0:02
[But now, at this darkest hour, I surrender it all. My name, my memories and my existence.]
0:01
[I return myself to the void.]
CRACK!
And with this last statement, Tortallion shoved his arm into his chest and destroyed his [Core].
[And take on the name…Charybdis.]
