Precursor to the fall

Seth finally stopped revolving his source and fell on his behind. He knew that if things reached this level, they would only worsen.

<Iris has been summoned to the palace. Molly is accompanying her.>

‘That’s fine. Things are already turning better for us.’

<But isn’t this against host’s interests? The entire city has fallen into chaos.>

‘I know, but if we don’t force Iris to make a mistake, we have nothing to capitalize on. She’s too smart to make one, so we can only rely on Lian to make one for her. It’s a shame for all the sacrifices, but Iris had not given me any other chance.’

‘Show me their meeting.’

———

Iris was kneeling in front of King Lian, Molly sitting a few feet behind her, her body and mouth locked by energy bindings.

“Iris, why didn’t you save that student?” asked Lian.

“Your Majesty, things have been too chaotic, and I failed to notice the abduction in time.” Replied Iris.

“Do you know if any ascended knowledge has been leaked?” asked Lian next.

“It has not. I have killed every single perpetrator.”

Lian snorted and said: “After they had already killed one of your students. Do you know how weak that makes us look? Have you found the spies inciting the masses?”

“Your Majesty, I have not found any of them. With all the respect, I don’t think there are any spies.” Replied Iris.

“There are no spies? Has the entire city gone crazy out of nowhere?” asked Lian in rage, slamming the armrest of his throne before fixing his eyes on Molly. “Is it because you’ve been spending your time on your wild chase? The entire city is being turned upside down, and you still carry this bitch with you?”

Iris lowered her head and said: “Your Majesty, I believe Seth to be beh - “

“Shut up. Have you gone crazy? Ever since he beat you, you’ve acted like he’s a god, ghost, or something. I need you to stop hunting for ghosts and assist the shadows in calming down the population. Seth is the least of our problems right now.”

Iris clenched her fists and said: “I understand, Your Majesty.”

Lian snorted and waved his hand, signaling for her to go.

After seeing Iris start to float away along with Molly, his rage spiked again, and he bellowed: “PROTECTOR, HAVE I BEEN SPEAKING TO THE WALLS?”

“Guard, take that bitch and throw her into the dungeons.”

“Your Maje - “Iris’s face fell, and she turned, trying to convince Lian otherwise, but Lian didn’t even give her a chance to speak.

“That’s enough. You can start playing around after stabilizing the kingdom. The moment peace returns to the capital, you can have her back. That’s an order, protector. I don’t care what you must do, but fix things.”

After relaying his order, he motioned toward the guards, and they started dragging Molly out of the throne room under Iris’s troubled face.

“Declare a curfew. No one is allowed to leave their houses after sundown. If anyone other than academy members or guards breaks the curfew, they will be imprisoned on sight.”

———

Seth was watching the show with a broad smile on his lips.

“Oh, Lian, what a good guy you turned out to be. Making all the work for me.

<Host, she might be separated from Molly, but all her attention is focused on the dungeon. Her energy has also started gathering more in that area.>

“That’s even better. It’s time for the second part of my plan.” Muttered Seth, disappearing from the hill and appearing next to the fire ascended the underground guilds had gifted him, waiting for night to come.

Once it was completely dark outside, Seth opened his eyes and started his plan.

“I’ll teleport you inside the city. I want you to go to the academy and detonate your source right before the main gates. If anyone tries to stop you on the way, show them your energy.”

“Understood.” replied the ascended.

Seth nodded and teleported along with the ascended to an area of the city where Iris’s energy was no longer present. For his identity, he took one of the royal shadows, which would allow him to move throughout the city.

The location was far from the dungeons and the academy. Still, Seth found it even better since it would allow him to synchronize his attack with the fire ascended. Patting the ascended on the shoulder, Seth said: “Go.”

‘Calculate the time it would take for him to reach the academy.’ Seth told the system while rushing towards the inner city of the Capital.

<ETA 3 hrs and 21 minutes.>

Seth nodded and continued on his way. After two hours of constant running, he finally reached the wall leading to the inner ring. He was also carrying a tied-up man over his shoulder.

The guards gave the knocked-out man a pitiful look before opening the gate and allowing Seth to pass through. Seth quickly made his way to the dungeon with the man, and the same thing repeated at the dungeon gates.

With the unconscious man over his shoulder, Seth slowly made his way deeper into the prison, heading for Molly’s location. The closer he got to it, the denser the air energy around him became.

Seth walked down to the floor above Molly’s, threw the man into an open cell, and started conversing with a guard while keeping an eye on the countdown.

———

Iris was flying around the city with a frown, listening for any people breaking the curfew. Still, Iris’s attention was mainly focused on Molly, and she was careful not to move too far away from the dungeons.

Since the king ordered Molly’s imprisonment, she was getting increasingly nervous.

As she was flying over the marketplace, ready to round up some drunkards, she picked up on a vast fire energy concentration from The Academy front gates.

Her heart sank, and she quickly dashed in that direction. She knew instantly what that meant—a fire source detonation.

———

When Iris moved toward the academy at full speed, Seth suddenly hit the guard he was chatting with and appeared next to the imprisoned Molly.

His destruction energy exploded outward, wiping all other traces of air energy in an area of 50 feet in less than a second. He next grabbed Molly’s hand and blinked away.

“SETH!!!” A roar resounded throughout the city as Seth kept traveling in quick blinks while carrying Molly’s body.

The roar immediately caused a chain reaction in the underground guilds. Necros created an earth shell and started traveling deep underground along with Xendar.

Seth kept skipping through space while the system showed him an image of Iris. His gamble proved correct since Iris was focused on killing the fire ascended before he could detonate his source.

By the time Iris was done ‘defusing’ the ascended that was about to blow up more than half of the academy, Seth and Molly were already out of her energy’s range. However, she could still feel his presence in the air.

Without hesitation, she started flying after him, her voice resounding throughout the academy. “All ascended, move to the royal palace and protect the king.”

———

Seth continued teleporting for an entire hour, having long reached miles away from the city, when he suddenly stopped in a wide open field and turned around.

In a manner of seconds, Iris appeared in the sky above, looking down at Seth. Seeing that Molly was in his arms, she heaved a sigh of relief.

“You thought you could get away from me?” asked Iris right after.

Seth shook his head and said: “I figured you’d catch up to me. After all, I’m just a fourth shell ascended and also carrying someone else.”

Seeing Seth’s calm expression, Iris frowned and listened around, but there was no trace of any other human as far as he senses could feel.

“Don’t worry. I’m alone. Who could I bring to ambush a sixth shell double source ascended? Anyone coming with me would only be throwing their lives away for nothing.”

Iris snorted, and flames started to appear around her hands slowly. “Let’s see how you plan on fighting and keeping her safe simultaneously.”

Seth sighed and asked: “Do we have to fight, Iris? Can’t we work together? You can even rule over Oath yourself, no longer under the feet of some idiotic king. You can honor your Oath by protecting the kingdom Aidan loved so much and not his stupid descendants that had brought it to the brink of ruin….”

“Are those your final words?” asked Iris indifferently.

“Maya still hopes you will reconsider. You know she cried when I told you I might have to kill you?” said Seth, feeling the air and fire energy traveling towards him.

Iris’s expression finally changed, and she stopped her attack, asking: “Is she alright?”

Seth nodded with a smile: “She is. She’s, in fact, the queen of the kingdom I had formed in the south… she also misses you, Iris. You’re the only person she didn’t want to leave behind when we left, treasuring you more than even her family, but alas….”

“Can’t you do it for her? Just look away for a moment, and everything will be over.”

“We both know your oath will only end in tragedy… if it’s not by my hands, it will be by the alliance’s hands.”

“Every kingdom around Oath is waiting for a chance to attack. The ascended in the far north are growing stronger by the day while the ones in Oath are only growing fewer in numbers….”

“Even if you somehow pull out a miracle and manage to fight the alliance off, your mission will still end up in tragedy. The ambition of other kingdoms will still lead them to place their eyes on you.”

“Do you think you alone can protect this Kingdom forever?”

Iris’s breathing became somewhat ragged as she stared into Seth’s eyes for a long time before finally shaking her head.

“Even if I can’t, I’ll die along with it. My Oath is my Life. Once my oath is broken, so will my life. I know you are right, I’ve always known you were right, but that doesn’t change anything.”

“I love Maya more than she, you, or anyone else might think, and I would do almost anything for her, but I will never betray my oath and who I am.”

Iris’s expression turned cold again, and she continued: “Also, I don’t think you’re in a position to negotiate with me. All I have to do is survive your strange ability enough to end your life. And you also have to protect that girl in your arms.”

“Isn’t it amusing how you were just preaching to me about my oath bringing my downfall when you’re about to forfeit your life for a human girl?”

Seth sighed, and the Molly in his arms slowly transformed, becoming smaller and smaller until it seamlessly got absorbed into Seth’s arm.

Seth smiled at the stunned Iris, and his destruction energy started expanding around his body.

“Then I guess there’s only one way for this to end.”