Chapter 23: Raizel’s Secrets

Solomon’s helmet retracted from his head as if it were organic.

His face was weary. His eyes glowed an inhumanely bright orange, and his sclera were dyed red.

He took a step toward Raizel, and his body immediately gave out.

Everything hurt. His body- his soul were in complete agony.

Even if he were to scream, it would offer him no catharsis.

This was a hell the likes of which he had never fathomed before today.

The memories of everything that he had done while in a rage slowly started to come back to him.

But he pushed past all of his agony in an attempt to reach his brother.

“Stop that, stupid… your body’s still reeling from the forced growth and manifestations… Flame, quakes, and plague all one after the other… someone’s been a real overachiever.”

Raizel collapsed shortly after Solomon did. The two of them lay together in the rubble, unmoving and on the cusp of death.

Solomon’s breathing was shallow.

The black armor he was wearing slowly vanished from his body, but his significant change in height did not diminish.

Steam rolled off his muscles in waves. Raizel let out an impressed whistle.

“…I was probably only seven feet tall or so in my day… I always wished I were a lot taller though. The giant races have it soo luckyyy…”

Solomon clenched the nearest stone with his hand.

“…Wh..What.. is going on..?”

Speaking was agonizing for Solomon. His lungs and esophagus felt like they were filled with fire.

Raizel breathed slowly so as not to exacerbate his injuries. He already knew that he was running out of time.

“…Do you believe in regression..?”

“Not… religious..”

“It’s not a church thing, genius… it’s… like a second chance… One that I was lucky enough to get.”

As Raizel stared into the sky, his eyes became distant and faraway.

“In my last life, I was a real fuck up. I got demoted in the clan when I was 14. Coudn’t swing a sword for the life of me, and since no one wanted to be my bi’an, I was pretty much screwed.

I ended up getting stuck with the coastguard instead of joining a knighthood. That was.. how I ended up finding the necklace the first time around.”

Solomon barely had the strength to lift his head. “What… is it…?”

Raizel coughed aggressively as his teeth became stained red.

“It’s just like those children’s stories. A set of armaments worn by five, or now six, immortal lords… The armor is as much a part of you now as your fingers or your di-”

“This doesn’t… make any sense…”

“I wouldn’t start losing your head now, since it’s gonna get a lot weirder soon… Being immortal and a walking catastrophe is the most uninteresting thing that’s going to happen to you in the near future.”

“I want you… to take a moment to understand how insane you sound…”

“You’re literally wearing the proof that this is all real, doofus… The other Athanatoi are going to be coming for you soon… They’re going to make you a lot of promises and fill your head with some jargon about their grand design. But you can’t fall for any of it.

They want to open another rift to somewhere they absolutely shouldn’t. If the Amnael get through, then they are going to raze every realm, not just ours…”

“Amnael..?”

“Nine-foot-tall, ugly sons of bitches that you most definitely don’t want to meet in a dark alley…” Raizel chuckled at his own joke and immediately regretted it when his stomach began to hurt.

Weakly, Solomon crawled towards his brother. “If everything you’re saying is true… why are you.. only telling me now…?”

Solomon smiled bitterly.

“I wanted to tell you before—so many times. But I guess I didn’t know how you’d take the news… I kept… pushing the date back, but… now it seems like I’m going to be leaving you behind to do all the hard work… without me.”

Raizel’s last few words were barely even a whisper. He was on his last breath and Solomon knew it.

“You selfish bastard… You don’t get to dump this on me and leave me behind…! I’m always..” Solomon winced. “Cleaning up your damn messes…”

Solomon crawled towards his brother and placed his hand over his chest.

Raizel was already turning cold.

“Don’t you dare… Fuck… Hey, listen to me..!”

Raizel had no more responses to give. Only a remnant, small smile as he stared up at the star-dotted sky.

Solomon couldn’t let this be the last image he had of his brother.

He had already lost so many people today. And he couldn’t go back and save any of them, but he could save Raizel.

He was extremely out of practice and never that great a student, but Solomon knew that there was something he could do.

Solomon clenched his fist over Raizel’s chest.

He clenched his eyes shut tightly and concentrated.

There were several failed attempts. Solomon felt blood dribble down his nose.

And then he felt a small mental spark.

A dark grey power surrounded his fist and sank into Raizel’s chest.

Solomon didn’t even get to see the ritual to completion.

The use of power he didn’t currently have was the straw to break the camel’s back.

Solomon’s core was shattered, and his mind finally blacked out.

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