2256 Phantasmas Memories

-----

Redgaria could hear the fight continue in the background, as he felt a warm healing light cover his entire body, an elf girl had just arrived in the scene, healing him immediately. It was Faylen, who quickly cradled him inside a special tree she created right there.

"Stay there please, and don't move, I did my best to heal you, but your wounds might open again… We'll need more dedicated elixirs for this! We have to defeat the Recessed first… So stay still!"

She couldn't help it, although her kind heart wanted to tend his wounds well, Nephiana, Charlotte, and Altani were battling with all their might against Demiurgus and barely managing to stop him, he was that powerful.

Faylen rapidly joined them, summoning her Spirits and her Wood Spirit Bow Ego Weapon, firing a dozen Spirit Arrows that exploded upon contact, explosions of bright light consuming Demiurgus back.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"…"

Redgaria heard the fight go on, his consciousness drifting in and out. The pain, frustration, and suffering he felt because of Phantasmas death was still weighing him down.

"I was so fucking dumb…"

This Universe was vast, near endless, full of dangers and mysterious.

But above all, endless dangers.

He thought that things would simply continue to be the same, that it would be similar than back in Genesis.

That things would always remain within a certain scope.

But that wasn't true beyond the Universe and everything else outside of it.

An endless Reality full of threats and dangers, suffering and despair awaiting every corner if you weren't careful.

He had looked down on Kireina's bravery, without realizing how much courage and mental strength was required to safe the unknown of the Universe beyond.

The dangers, the monsters, and the chances of dying.

The Recessed here were nothing but a small taste of such a thing, their power simply in another level, overwhelming and ridiculous.

He thought that he could at least stop one for enough time with his Cosmic Powers.

"I got too cocky…"

Phantasmas appeared in his mind again, that wise and old Drakon had taught him more things than he wanted to admit.

"Redgaria, my master, tell me one thing, do you feel fulfilled now that your sister is by your side?"

"Why are you asking such a question?"

"I am curious. You could simply choose to remain living happily at her side, yet you chose to fight again, at Kireina and her family's side. Why?"

"…"

It was a hard question to answer, she had asked him that just a day before they went into this raid. It was an important event, everyone depended on Kireina, and if she could manage to obtain a Star and further evolve, then everyone else would be able to progress as well and increase their chances of surviving, alongside being able to go rescue the rest of the stranded members.

Yet, Redgaria could have just chosen not to care. It wasn't his problem anymore, right?

"Maybe I feel like it's my responsibility now…"

"Why?"

"Maybe because… Because these people are like… the only thing closer to a family I've ever had…"

"Oh…"

"And… Because I would disappoint my sister if I told her I chose not to use this power I gained to sit on my ass doing nothing. Happy now?!"

"Hahah! I am! Thank you for answering with all your honesty… I see now, that my master is someone that likes to hide his emotions, but fails quite miserably at that!"

"Shut up already…"

"I suppose I am quite the opposite."

"What?"

Redgaria remembered glancing into her empty eyes, the flames of her phantasmal soul flickering.

"I show you that I am quite emotional… But since I've died that I've never felt anything ever again. My soul feels so cold, my body as well. Everything is so cold, the warmth of the living, I will never be able to experience it again."

"Phantasmas…"

"Or so I used to think. When I met you, my master. I was able to finally experience it again. The connection between our souls allowed me to feel those emotions again, through you. Your living, breathing body is also there. I am glad you chose not to become an Undead, because… it is honestly very lonely."

"…You're not alone, I'm here, so stop talking nonsense."

"Heh… I suppose so."

Redgaria's consciousness kept drifting, memories of his friend continued appearing, tears flowing from his eyes.

"Why did you had to die…"

"Dammit…"

"Why did I get attached?!"

"Phantasmas…"

"Why did you leave me…?"

Within the depths of his Soul, Redgaria's Cosmic Essence slowly replenished. The thousands of souls he was connected to as a Necromancer started glowing, his phantasmal powers responding to his emotions, to his call as their master.

His World Realm shook, the clouds blackened, the nether seas created endless storms, their powers and essences converging together, refining themselves.

"So, master? Why did you become a necromancer?"

He remembered her question.

"Why, you ask? It's because I like controlling people, and Undead are loyal…"

Phantasmas only laughed at that answer.

"You're lying, I can tell…"

"…"

Redgaria remained in silence, he realized he couldn't lie to a Maxima Summon, connected to his soul.

"There's another reason, isn't it?"

He remained in silence but decided to once more open up.

"It's because I don't want to let them go…"

"Oh?"

"I've always been alone… My sister died, sacrificed. I killed my entire Kingdom in retaliation. And the only thing I obtained was even more loneliness…"

"So you…?"

"I wanted company. I hated myself for what I did, I hated the world, I hated life… but I also hated death, I didn't want them to go, I didn't want them to die because of my own mistakes, because of my own insanity… Even now, I live tormented by my sins."

"Master…"

"I just didn't want to be alone…"

FLASH!

His Cosmic Soul surged, his Origin glowed, all his powers connected, a chance occurred within his Cosmic Skill, an awakening because of fulfilling certain conditions.

[Your Unique Cosmic Skill: [Primordial World-Conquering Evil Necromancer Authority: [Bones]: Lv2] has fulfilled all Awakening Conditions and has awakened into Unique Cosmic Skill: [Lone Necromancer King's Cosmic Authority: [Undead, Souls, Bones, Death]: Lv3]!]

The loneliness he felt, it became an expression of the power he acquired.

Phantasmas' skeletal hand glowed with phantasmal energies, slowly merging with his own body, and so did the thousands of Undead he kept.

His body started to change.

The Undead responded to his call, to the call of their lone master. They longed to be his company, to be by his side for eternity.

They became one with him, a single entity, so he would never be alone, ever again…

BOOOM!

The wooden cradle exploded with phantasmal and black nether flames, as Redgaria surged amidst the battle, Altani, Charlotte, and Nephiana were struggling to keep up with Demiurgus endless tricks, and Faylen could barely keep up with healing them while fighting.

Yet their fight was interrumpted as the presence of something else surged within the palace. Their eyes all directed towards him, Redgaria.

His form completely different, his body now made of countless bones aligned together, resembling an armored titan, a king with a crown of black bones, and a dark blue cape.

A scythe materialized in his right hand, as his deep, phantasmal blue eyes looked sorrowfully at the world, and at Demiurgus.

"You'll pay for taking her away from me…"

-----