Chapter 911: Arbiter
It was unlike anything either of them had ever seen, a radiant glow that consumed everything in its path.
"What is this?!" K'arba'diel roared, shielding his eyes.
Rey squinted against the light, his instincts screaming at him to prepare for another attack.
From within the light, a massive Magic Circle began to form, its intricate runes glowing with an otherworldly brilliance.
The circle expanded, encompassing both Rey and the Dragon Emperor.
"THIS IS ?!" The two of them yelled out instantly.
It was similar-no, identical to the Magic Circle within the Chamber Of Ancients; an invincible power that was sure to take effect due to the nature of the Ancient Magic. "HOW-?!"
Before they could say anything more, the two were silenced by the presence of a third party. Right then, before they could fully process who it was, a voice rang out-clear, authoritative, and filled with an ominous edge.
"I've finally got you."
For a fleeting moment, everything seemed still-time, sound, even the air itself.
Then, as the brilliance of the light began to subside, Rey's blurry vision locked onto a figure standing at the epicenter of the chaos. The figure was tall and composed, clad in a flowing, dark coat that billowed slightly in the unnatural breeze emanating from the massive magic circle etched into the ground.
-Adrien Chase.
'Adrien...?'
Rey's heart sank, though he struggled to grasp why.
Relief flooded him momentarily.
'He's here to help, isn't he?' Adrien had always been an unknown factor in his mind, but he had fought beside them once. Besides, he was Rey's co-conspirator when it came to the plan that got them into this mess, to begin with.
Surely, now of all times-
"Adrien..." Rey's voice cracked, his exhaustion evident. His blade was heavy in his hand, his body trembling after nearly a year of relentless combat with the Dragon Emperor.
"You're... here to end this, right?"
Adrien chuckled softly, an almost melodious sound that sent chills down Rey's spine.
"End it? Oh, Rey." His tone was light, almost amused, yet there was an undertone of something colder, sharper.
"You misunderstand. I'm not here to help you. I'm here to help myself."
Rey's breath caught as Adrien casually stepped forward, his boots crunching against shattered stones. Behind him, the Dragon Emperor snarled, his enormous form writhing against the shimmering restraints of the magic circle.
Though battered and bleeding, the Emperor's malice was as potent as ever. Adrien cast the monstrous ruler only the briefest of glances, his attention firmly on Rey.
"I must say," Adrien continued, inspecting the glowing circle with a detached air, "you two have done me quite the favor. The collateral damage? Magnificent. The death toll? Impressive. And best of all, you've eliminated every other obstacle for me."
Rey's confusion deepened, but so did his unease. "What are you talking about? Adrien, we're on the same side. We've always been-"
"'On the same side'?" Adrien interrupted, his voice laced with mockery. He shook his head slowly, a shadow of a smile playing on his lips. "Oh, Rey. You really believed that, didn't you? How quaint. I would've thought that, after all this time, you'd see the bigger picture."
Realization began to creep into Rey's mind, but it was an ugly, jagged thing he didn't want to accept. "You... knew. About the Great Old Dragon Lord in the Chamber of Ancients?" No, that wasn't it.
"You tipped it off... didn't you?!" He growled.
Adrien didn't flinch.
If anything, his smile widened slightly, the faintest glint of satisfaction in his eyes.
Rey's voice rose, raw and accusing.
"Alicia died because of you! She trusted the plan that you agreed to! We were supposed to do this together, and you-!"
"We were," Adrien admitted calmly. "And that was your first mistake."
The world seemed to freeze at those words.
Rey stared at Adrien, disbelief and fury colliding in his chest. His knuckles whitened as he gripped his sword tighter.
"You..." His voice shook. "You don't even care, do you?"
Adrien tilted his head, as if considering the question.
"Care? No, not particularly. I didn't want to resort to that method, if I'm honest. But you? You left me no choice, Rey. You're... stubborn. Unyielding. You were going to be a thorn in my side, no matter what I tried. If I couldn't control you, I had to break you."
Rey's breath came in shallow bursts, his chest heaving with the weight of Adrien's words. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
"And now," Adrien continued, his tone almost conversational, "look at you. All your allies? Gone. Lucielle? Out of the picture. Adonis? Well, we both know how that turned out. And here you are, Rey. Alone. Exhausted. Vulnerable." He spread his arms as if presenting a gift.
"Exactly where I need you to be."
Rey's eyes burned, his mind racing through everything that had happened-Alicia's death, the ambush, the betrayals. It all clicked into place, the pieces forming a grim mosaic with Adrien at its center.
"Why?" he asked hoarsely. "Why are you doing this? I thought... I thought you wanted to go home. To Earth. Like Alicia did."
Adrien's smile faded, replaced by something colder, more calculating.
"Home?"
His voice echoed as he moved closer to the Circle.
"Earth was never my home, Rey. Nor is H'Trae. All of this-" He gestured around them, to the ruins, to the magic circle, to the broken sky above. "It's a lie. A construct. A façade hiding the
truth."
"The truth?" Rey's voice was tinged with desperation. "What truth?"
Adrien's eyes gleamed with an almost fanatical light. "The truth of the real world. Beyond this falsehood. Beyond this... existence. I don't expect you to understand, Rey. You've always been too rooted in what you can see, what you can feel. But me? I see the cracks in the surface. And I intend to shatter them."
Rey staggered back a step, shaking his head. "You're insane."
"Perhaps," Adrien conceded. "But insanity is the price of clarity."
The Dragon Emperor roared from within the circle, his voice like grinding stone. "Human! Do you think your schemes can bind me forever? I will-"
Adrien snapped his fingers without even sparing the creature a glance. The circle flared, and the Emperor howled in pain, his body writhing as if the magic itself were tearing him apart.
Adrien turned back to Rey, his smile returning. "See? Even he is powerless here. And so are
you."
Rey's hand trembled as he raised his sword, his fury bubbling over. "I won't let you get away with this."
Adrien chuckled softly, almost pityingly. "Get away with it? Oh, Rey. I already have."
The magic circle pulsed brighter, its runes humming with ominous energy. Adrien stepped back, his expression serene as if everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned. "Goodbye, Rey," he said, his voice light, almost casual. "And thank you for playing your part."
"I'LL KILL YOU !!!"
Rey lunged forward, desperation driving him, but he was too late. Adrien turned his back, walking away as the magic flared between them. Just before he vanished from view, Adrien glanced over his shoulder, his smile razor-sharp.
"It truly didn't have to end this way, Rey. I quite liked you."
~VWUUUUSH!~
"Farewell..."