Spirit Immortal

"I don’t know the specifics, but there’s a reason why the Allfather has remained mortal for all these long years," Junius elaborated with a frown. "He wasn’t able to reach the famed realm and instead, stayed on in the world as a heretic and a hidden Spirit Saint. Without any hopes of becoming a Spirit Immortal on his own, the Allfather made plans to build a gate that could break into the Immortal Realm."

The perceptive young man perked his ears as he noted Junius’ shift in tone. "Made plans... Does that mean he failed?"

"Yes... And quite spectacularly..." The fading ghost smiled. "Did you see that Obsidian Gate that split open the Uncharted Wilderness? That was the Allfather’s expensive attempt to build that gate. Unfortunately... There’s a reason why the greatest genius of all time, Spirit Immortal Dream, failed in building that gate."

Junius shrugged his shoulder as he thought about the powerful mana that had dominated the Black Masks. "No matter how prodigious a mortal was if the Immortals above despise your existence, there’s no stepping into their threshold."

There were many a day where Ao recited the failed attempts of their enigmatic leader to open Heaven’s gate. How he struggled from a mere boy with no parents or friends, to become the most powerful human that the World Serpent had ever encountered. Junius had once admired the Allfather as the all-powerful being’s story somewhat mirrored his own. However, as time went on, Junius began to see the Allfather as what he truly was... An unscrupulous being that would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, even if it meant massacring billions in the process.

"The Allfather is trying to build a gate to the Immortal Realm, and the Black Masks are his tools to make that a reality, I..." Junius’ soul continued on, but his voice was getting softer and softer.

In the material realm, in the Tree of Illusions’ domain, every single soul was worrying about Shin’s current comatose state. Lady Seph was busy sending mana into the young man’s body while Heigui Xuegang was protecting his Prince from any harm. Therefore, they hadn’t noticed that Junius’ flat body was rapidly losing its colour. Blood ceased to flow, and the organs had all shut down. His brain, heart, lungs... Everything had been eaten alive by the potent poison that Shin prepared.

Junius’ exterior was gone, and all that remained was his astral form. He’d managed to create a link between Shin and himself during his final moments, just to transfer his mana and knowledge over; however, that was beginning to wane.

Shin’s eyes started to mist, watching Junius’ soul fade away. "Junius, you..."

"Ah... It looks like my time is up..." Shin could see Junius’ soul fading, but the man himself could feel his strength disappearing. All of his thoughts, all of his mana... It had been ripped away from his soul. "I have so much more to tell you, but it looks like it’s impossible now."

From the very beginning, Junius understood what he was getting into. The moment he took the Tree of Illusions blessing, the moment he’d decided to betray the Allfather, the man was fated to lose his life for the greater good. "Honestly, I think that this punishment is rather light... I feel sorry for the ones that I’ve killed, but I’m grateful that I get to spend my final moments with you, Shin..."

"..." Shin stared silently at the man he’d once called his brother... No, he stared at his brother, as his tear ducts began to break apart. Moments ago, Shin had nothing but hatred in his heart. He wanted to kill Junius for taking the life of Shizen, his bosom friend and partner. Shin knew that Junius was a sinner... He knew that the man had deserved everything that had come to him. He deserved this death... However, Shin’s heart felt heavy. He just couldn’t help it.

Shin hated Junius, but at the same time, a part of him loved this elder brother. The memories came flooding in. The days where Junius would stay up just to keep Shin warm. The times where Junius stood in front of him against the threat of the bullies. The Harvest Festival where Junius put his life on the line to save Shin. Even at the final moment, Junius had sacrificed his own life to benefit Shin!

In fact, all of Junius actions, no matter how vile, was due to the man’s love for the orphans and his desire to reunite them. Alas... He would never live to see the day where everyone laughed happily in the farmlands he had dreamed of.

"Don’t cry, Shin... Don’t cry for someone like me..." Junius consoled the youth with a beaming bright smile. His world was fading, but Junius could still feel the warmth of his family. Speaking of family, the man’s face softened up as he ambled towards the crying Prince.

"There is one thing that I would hope you consider... Shia... No, the remaining members of the Awter Clan... They are hiding in a hidden cave right outside the Canyon. Those that had been baptised by the Allfather will... disappear." Junius thought back to the tall task he had requested of Vellan. For betraying the Allfather, the Awter Clan would have no home in the Black Masks anymore.

"However, those that weren’t moved by the Allfather. Please, I beg you... Please take them in. Please take in Shia and... my newborn child..."

"!!!" Junius dropped a bomb right on Shin, freezing him up instantly. Shin’s lips shivered, and his face tensed up as if the sky had fallen down. Flashbacks came to the forefront of his young soul. He saw two main faces. One had a star tattoo covering his right eye, while the other was the face of the one girl Shin couldn’t face.

Gulping, he weakly breathed out: "You... have a child?"

"He was born just before your friend Shizen arrived." Junius nodded.

BOOM!!!

Shin felt like a war pike had been thrust against his head. Junius had killed Shizen not out of cold blood like he’d initially thought, but as a defence for his newborn and his family. Shin felt like the entire world was crashing down on his soul. If Shin was in Junius’ position and Kanari or his beloved partners were in trouble, would he have done the same?

There was no need to ask... If anyone of his loved ones were threatened, Shin would do everything in his power to protect them, even if it meant killing another child’s father.

Not knowing the turmoil in Shin’s heart, Junius continued to beg. "Shin... You and I both know how it’s like to grow up without any parents... Without a true family. I can’t be there for my child, but I wish is that he’ll live a life free of any battles. I wish... That he’ll live the life that I wanted for all of us. I know it’s too much to ask, especially from a sinner like me, but the boy is pure and innocent. Please... Take care of him when I’m gone."

"I... I..." Shin tripped on his words.

"Shin... I beg of you..."

"..." The young Prince looked Junius straight in the eye. He was literally a ghost fading away and was in no position to ask for any demands. Yet, the man’s eyes were unyielding. Not with fear, but with complete sadness. Junius didn’t want his child to suffer the same fate as he did. The fate of one that killed their way into the battlefield, without a single regard of human life.

Shin looked down at his feet as the inner turmoil in his heart faded. There was a new glint in his eyes, one of pure dedication and resolve. ’That’s right! What am I hesitating for?! A child bears no ill will... I can’t just turn my back on an innocent soul!!!’

"I... Give my word..." The youth declared. "As long as I live, I swear that your child would never suffer a day in his life!"

Shin’s booming voice brought a big smile to Junius’ face. "Now, that’s the Shin that I know..."

Junius took approached the sobbing Shin, his arms turning fainter by the second. It was finally time. The mana that had held his soul to the mortal realm had dissipated into nothingness. There was nothing binding Junius anymore. It was time... For the Blade of Death to die.

"Shin, there’s so much that I want to tell you... So much that I want to say... But none of that matters now..." Junius attempted to touch Shin with his astral hands, only to completely miss the mark. Junius couldn’t touch Shin anymore... He couldn’t touch anything anymore. All of his senses were dulling. His vision blurred and hearing deafened. However, even with the world blackening, he could still make out the figure of his beloved younger brother. The brother he had let down time and time again.

"There’s only one thing that I wanted to say, only one thing that I needed to say..." Just like Shin before him, the waterworks started to fall down from the stoic man’s face. Junius had thought he had rid himself of those emotions years ago when he became the Blade of Death to carry out the Allfather’s will. However, now there was nothing of the sort. Now... There was only a grieving man, and his beloved younger brother.

"Shin... I’m sorry..."

That one statement froze Shin. He watched as Junius, the indomitable figure that always seemed so far away, grow more faint by the second. "I’m sorry for all the pain and suffering I’ve put you through... I didn’t mean for it to be this way. I just wanted everyone to be happy. I’m sorry for killing Ariel... I’m sorry for killing Lily... I’m sorry for killing Shizen... Shin, I’m..."

Light spewed out from the fading soul and without even saying his final goodbye... Junius was gone. He couldn’t even finish his apology before his soul disappeared from the world forever. Shin’s entire being remained silent as he watched the light of Junius’ soul slowly fade away. There was no one there, but him and the Celestial Dragon, but strangely, Shin felt like he could hear the final words that Junius wanted to say. No, he knew the two words very well... They were words that he’d repeated many times before and would probably do so many times again.

’I’m sorry...’

Junius gentle voice echoed through Shin’s heart. The coldness, the anger that Shin had all melted away. Shin rushed to the Uncharted Wilderness with the desire to send Junius to the netherworld, gaining vengeance for his fallen best friend.

Shin had accomplished what he sought out to do. He had killed Junius, but oddly enough... Shin didn’t feel vindicated. He didn’t even feel accomplished. All he felt, was a colossal void wrenching at his heart. By all measurements, Shin had come out on top. He’d ended the Black Masks’ influence in the west, destroyed the Obsidian Gate that could spawn millions of Umbras, weakened the Allfather, killed the Blade of Death and was even on the verge of breaking into Rank 60. However, Shin didn’t feel accomplished in the slightest. Far from it in fact.

He looked up at the celestial sky. Gorgeous milky stars twinkled while the night deepened on. Light from Junius’ mana shone underneath Shin’s feet. The Celestial Dragon spun around twice before roaming its way onto the seventh crystal obelisk. It was preparing... It was preparing itself for its master’s ascent.

Junius soul turned into gorgeous astral wisps, and they universally rose to the heavens. It was a scene to behold, watching thousands of spectral lights gracing the celestial stars. Shin watched the light as spiritual energies flowed into his fingers.

And in the end...

Just like the youth’s face...

The heavens let out a single, mournful... tear.

✵✵✵

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