LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 334: All Else Be Damned.
"Just so you are all aware, leaving and turning your backs on the fight will not affect the outcome of anything other than you being a part of it." Sol added harshly. "All you will have done is remove yourselves from this part of history, I will still protect you, I will still provide shelter inside of my Collective," He concluded, closing his eyes and turning to Ikaris.
"Isn't that a little harsh?" One person asked looking to the man next to him with his brows furrowed and his teeth clenched. "What the hell, they're basically telling us that even if we stop fighting for the cause we will just be forgotten and cast aside, why are we even here?"
"Of course, it is supposed to be that way, the Princess has given more for and to this war more than anyone else and we all know it, even if she disappeared for such a long time and lost her memories, the things she did before that point for the Vatui still ring, they still echo across the Grand Emporium, we came running when we heard that she had returned, but we have not met any of the standards that she requires of us, we are weak, dependent, headless birds," The other man huffed at the complaint from his friend.
"You might want to leave after what felt like an insult, but I learned a lot here today after seeing two fights scaled so greatly that my mind couldn't even be blown," He stared at his hand, balling his fist slowly until it began shaking as he tried channelling his mana to the maximum output, and then added it to the surging Vatui energy within himself.
"I am weak, all of us are; the goddess of war could have killed the Clan head whenever she wanted despite being inferior in overall power, yet she perished the thought and taunted her into drawing on latent power, she made Cecelia stronger than she has ever been before while all she did was try to kill her."
"That is true power, she won the fight, she won the test of morality, she is superior to us not just as a race, but as a person, no amount of power can make up for being a shitty person, berate me all you want for speaking of our leader in such low regard but I will stand by my words; we all need to adapt and become like the goddess of war is, her strength comes from more than the power she possesses."
"It is strength of heart."
"Do you know where else such power lies?" He looked up from his fist and to Ikaris who was staring directly at him as was everyone else.
"The princess, Ikaris, she has so much compassion that despite not knowing what a Vatui is, she still came running to our aid, despite our weakness she continues to urge us to grow stronger, she continues to be that shining beacon in the dark void that she has always been, and yet we have ungratefully soaked up her mercy and shown nothing in return, even when she has brought the greatest weapon to our doorstep freely." He shook his hand and raised his fist as high as he could.
"I will continue to stand with you, Ikaris, even when the void is lit ablaze and my bones are burning with it, I refuse to be dependent on you forever, I want to one day possess power over all my enemies, I will fight whatever war you will and win at whatever cost, all else be damned!" He exclaimed. "I will follow the example of the strong, and forever walk the path of evolution!"
The man's friend shook his head staring at him in disbelief and whispering in a hushed tone: "They just said our presence is irrelevant, are you seriousl-"
"ALL ELSE BE DAMNED!!" Cosmo, the large warrior that had been tested by Dina, raised his voice as well in the new salute, also raising his mana and energy in tandem until he could feel the strain of it on his body and then after that point; he continued to raise his power until he suddenly leaned forward and coughed up a mouthful of blood, causing Arla, who was the first responder to most wounds and injuries to step in his direction but Ikaris forbade her from attending to him with a raise of her hand.
"Rrahh!" The man stood firmly once more reaching for the skies with his fist as a massive pulse of hybrid mana exploded from his body like a tidal.
"Yeahhh!!" Another Vatui woman raised both her fists to the air summoning everything she had to the surface and grinding her teeth as the mana she exerted had a similar reaction as Cosmo's did when she pushed herself too far.
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"This is madness." The Vatui man shook his head when more than half of the overall seventy-plus people who were actively in the fight before, saluted and drove their bodies into strain in what seemed to him like a contageous bout of insanity.
"Okay, I can see that she will be in good hands from now on," Sol raised his hand to everyone with a smile, quieting the uproar as his single gesture suppressed their mana and healed their injuries right where they stood. "This is good, I am proud of you all," He nodded and then looked at the first man who had protested.
"As for those who disagree with the new rules," He gestured again, and in an instant they all vanished from where they stood. "You are free to stay under my wing and relish in the shame of your weakness.
"I will only allow those with unwavering loyalty to stand at her side, these are dangerous times, there is an enemy around every corner, there are powers beyond your wildest imaginations lurking out there, so be sure to grow so strong that one day she may stand behind you as the one protected, be sure to become so overbearingly powerful that the enemies of bold will cower as they once did!" He raised his hand as well and then the crowd exploded into another round of cheer.
"On the topic of enemies," Dina spoke after thr cheering had dwindled. "The Godslayer who was here at the outpost earlier was sent as aide by the Resistance," She stepped up to Ikaris's side and cleared her throat again. "He was sent to help, but he was also sent to spy," She clarified herself when she saw the people before her get bright with smiles of more hope.
"He is not an ally, and I say this knowing that there are members of the resistance here right now who joined our ranks within the last two months," She glanced at several of them while the crowd grew noisy and suspicious.
"The problem does not lie in the members of the resistance, do not blame theman or the woman who stands next to you, nobody here is a traitor, the issue lies within the leadership, I know many of you only had the resistance as a backing and beacon for the longest while now, but while the double-faced organisation has been feeding you hope through a fence for all these years, they have similarly been meeting monthly quotas with the Emporium!"
"Many millions of refugees who sought shelter in the arms of the Ressistance have been smuggled directly into the Emporium's Harvesting camps, which is why as of this moment, the resistance is off-limits, contact with them will result in repercussions, and all those who are in their bases unknowingly serving their enemy will be pulled out with their leaders and associates facing the severity of his crimes by the hand that has been leading us," She gestured to Ikaris and the goddess stepped forward and nodded at her.
"After the fight against the outpost, I extended a hand of mercy toward the Vatui Nobleman who leads the resistance; he has refused to comply, he has refused to acknowledge my warnings, so I will be launching a full assault on his base along with my retainers and the strongest amongst you all, you will witness it with your own eyes; do not attack unless I command you to, do not even raise a hand unless I order it, there are many innocent among them, is that understood?" Ikaris implored and recieved a loud chorus of roars in agreement from the people.
"This will be your first step in redeeming the name of the Éloén clan for some, and proving your worth as inheritors of the will of power carried by the goddess of war for others, the [Nightmare Prism] will be opened and revealed in exactly one month, whether they survive or not is going to be based on their efforts, should they survive they will return triumphant and more powerful than ever before, and should they fail, it will serve as a warning be up to the rest of you to carry on after their failure and succeed where they did not."
Ikaris used her mana to create a physical tesseract with seven sides resembling the prism's outward appearance in her palm, sharing the vision of Cecelia being banished into it and Sol added the Vision of Dr'ul being sent away directly into their heads as well, while the final timer for the resistance appeared above them showing the last five minutes remaining.
"This is how much time remains of their mercy, at the call of your name, step forward and recieve my blessing."