Chapter 1235  Torn

Miko looked at him with a pained expression that did not escape Arthur"s notice. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him that he was making the world his enemy, and to stop him. But instead, she bit her lips and turned away.

"An evil person does not believe they are evil. Everyone has their reasons to justify their actions, Arthur," she warned him before creating a portal to leave. Then, she half-turned toward him. "And if you don"t listen to our pleas, how are you different?"

Arthur stood atop the balcony, feeling the weight of her gaze followed by ripples of her teleportation. Arthur closed his eyes. Her words struck a chord because, in this decision, Arthur knew that he was being evil.

A world thrown into chaos because of one man"s decision.

Then, he laughed, not in joy nor madness, but in utter helplessness. To save his love, he must abandon his morals. He must become the evil he once wished to uproot, the selfishness of the strong he abhorred.

"What am I supposed to do?" he demanded an answer from the world. "What is the right choice here?"

And the realization struck him like a sledgehammer. His father also had to decide between the people he cared about and the millions of souls this planet had. Arthur suffered the choices of his father, as would Diana.

Another laugh burst out from his chest, a growl akin to a beast. His eyes hardened in resolve, forsaking his earlier hesitation about his decision.

The difference between a miserable hero and an unforgivable devil is the courage to become evil. Arthur knew what it felt like to be the sacrifice, and he would never let Dia suffer the same fate.

Footsteps rang behind him, and he turned to find Oriole wearing a thin smile. "Are you also here to dissuade me?"

"Is that what my face tells you?" asked the alchemist as he stood beside Arthur on the balcony. "There are no more envoys regarding the merge, but there will be those who wish to stop you."

"Let them do as they please, for I am unstoppable," retorted Arthur. "How do you feel about becoming a villain, Oriole?"

"Black was always my color," Oriole laughed as he leaned on the railings. "Can I have an evil name like Dark Alchemist or something?"

"Only if you throw bombs at the adventures from your tower," laughed Arthur as his mood improved because of his friend. "You know, Oriole, you are the only one who has a chance to stop me. But you never did."

"Because I have seen what you"ve been through," replied Oriole without looking at his friend. His hand clenched into a fist as he lowered his head. "How could I ask you to give up the one thing that makes you happy?"

The words floated between them, refusing to leave the night"s cold air. Oriole raised his head and patted Arthur"s shoulder before leaving as well.

"Whatever path you choose to travel, I will travel too."

Arthur smiled as the footsteps echoed behind him, and it was time for him to leave. Since he refused every envoy, they will take a different route. He needed to ensure that no one harmed Diana before midnight.

His foot rose and rested on the railing before he jumped, floating through the night as weightless as a feather. Without needing a portal, he disappeared from the night as if he never existed.

At the other end of the portal he traveled was the lush green garden he created. The plants and flowers turned to face him when he landed on the gra.s.s.

"You met me as a gardener," muttered Arthur as he looked at the frozen princess. "And now I became one just for your sake."

Arthur walked among the flowers, and they shifted away to make way for him. It was not their instinct to survive but to respect the creator of life. His eyes softened as he reached the giant ice mountain, and his lips puckered in sadness. Then, his hands traced the ice separating them.

"How I wish to save you now?" muttered Arthur as he closed his eyes. "How I long for your voice, scent, and warmth?"

But Arthur knew that he needed to wait until it was his birthday. Diana wished to meet him on this day, and he would answer her wishes.

Arthur stood in the lingering silence of the icy cavern, the weight of his decisions pressing down upon him like the cold itself. As he gazed at the serene face of Diana, forever captured in her frozen slumber, his heart ached with a mixture of dread and determination. His fingers grazed the cold, hard surface of the ice, tracing lines that seemed to blur and merge with the tears in his eyes.

"I know what I am about to do," Arthur spoke softly, his voice barely a whisper amidst the echo of the cavern. "It will change everything. For us, for the worlds, for all that we know. And yet, I cannot see another path that brings you back to me." His hand paused on the ice, his touch lingering as if he could reach through and feel her warmth once again.

The cavern"s silence was profound, a stark reminder of the isolation his choices had carved around him. "But am I doing the right thing, Diana? For the love of one, should many suffer?" He pressed his forehead against the ice, the chill biting his skin, yet unable to cool the turmoil within.

As he lost himself in his troubled thoughts, the air in the cavern shifted subtly. The faint, almost imperceptible ripple of spatial waves stirred the stillness. Arthur"s eyes snapped open, his body tensing as he straightened, turning to face the new threat. The training and instincts honed over years of conflict surged to the forefront, readying him for what was to come.

From the shadows of the cavern, figures emerged, their forms blurred momentarily by the manipulation of s.p.a.ce around them. The lead figure was unmistakable even before his features came into clear view. Kirk Berilo, his presence as sharp as the frosty air, his eyes filled with a cold fury and determination.

"Arthur," Kirk called out, his voice echoing in the vast s.p.a.ce, "your ambitions end here. We cannot allow you to doom the worlds for your personal goals."

Miko stepped forward, her blonde hair almost glowing in the dim light, her expression pained yet resolute. "Arthur, please," she implored. "Think of the countless lives at stake. Is this really the only way?"

Echo, older and graver, remained silent, his eyes a.s.sessing the cavern"s strategic points, his hand never straying far from the blade at his side.

Arthur faced them, his expression hardening. "You come to stop me, to deny me my last chance at saving her?" He spread his arms wide, his gaze sweeping over each of them. "I cannot turn back. Not now. Not after everything."

Kirk stepped closer, his own powers of s.p.a.ce manipulation shimmering around him, ready to strike. "I was your prisoner, Arthur, but I learned. Learned that sometimes, the greatest courage is in stepping back from the brink. You imprison yourself in this quest, blind to the destruction it will bring."

Arthur"s laugh was hollow, resonating through the cavern. "And you think you can stop me? All of you?" He glanced at each of them, his eyes finally settling on Miko. "You, who I considered a friend, come here to kill me?"

Miko"s voice wavered, "To save you from yourself, Arthur. To save all of us."

The air thickened as the a.s.sa.s.sins spread out, their movements fluid, each step measured and precise. Arthur knew he was outnumbered, but he was far from defeated. His hand moved to his own blade, the metal gleaming with a light that seemed unnatural in the cavern"s gloom.

Arthur stood in the echoing cavern, surrounded by flickering shadows of spatial manipulation. a.s.sa.s.sins darted in and out of portals, attacking from all angles. With a thunderous roar, Arthur released a surge of black lightning. It shattered the portals, their collapse echoing sharply through the icy s.p.a.ce.

"Enough!" Arthur"s voice boomed, his figure unyielding. The a.s.sa.s.sins regrouped, their faces a mix of shock and resolve.

Echo, the world"s top a.s.sa.s.sin, moved forward. His movements were fluid, barely touching the ground. He drew a thin wire, aiming for a stealthy strike. Arthur was ready. He parried with Nightmare, his black dagger that hummed with dark energy. Sparks flew where the dark energy met the steel.

Arthur"s calm was chilling. He countered each attack with precision. His wrathful power made his attacks devastating and protected him from harm.

Kirk Berilo, frustrated, used s.p.a.ce manipulation to launch a direct attack. But Arthur dodged and countered, pushing Kirk back easily.

"You underestimate my resolve," Arthur said, his voice cold and echoing. "I"ve embraced darkness and chaos. Your weapons are no match for me."

Miko stepped forward, her face torn between desperation and conflict. "Arthur, please! This isn"t you! You"re losing your humanity for a love that—"

Arthur interrupted, his face hardening. "My humanity was a worthy sacrifice," he declared. "I do this for Diana. Can you blame me for using all my power to ensure our future?"

He raised Nightmare, sending a wave of dark energy that knocked the a.s.sa.s.sins back. They slid across the icy floor, struggling to stand.

Echo was the first to recover. He realized their mission was futile. He signaled the others. Reluctantly, Kirk nodded, and they began to retreat, disappearing through their portals. Miko hesitated, her eyes locked on Arthur"s.

"As long as you choose this path, we are enemies," she said, her voice shaking. "The world will fight back. We will return, with more force."

With those words, she vanished. Arthur was left alone, the cavern silent but for the sound of his heavy breathing. He walked back to the ice block holding Diana. His movements were slow, weighed down by his choices.

He touched the ice, his face softening with vulnerability. "Diana," he whispered, "for us, I"ll face the world. I"ll endure the hatred and the battles. Because nothing else matters except seeing you again."

The cavern stayed silent, a witness to the inner conflict of a man torn between love and the consequences of his actions. He stood ready, armed with dark powers and a firm resolve, prepared to change reality for a chance at his future with Diana.