Chapter 121: The Return
The Deepest Sanctum of the Holy Cathedral.
Firelight illuminated the gargantuan space, casting long shadows against twelve massive stone pillars that supported the vaulted dome. Murals depicting the Genesis of the Great Spirit covered the ceiling, while every pillar was meticulously carved with the epics of past Saints.
Before Nick and Bruce stood an elderly man radiating a heavy, divine presence.
Pope Hupert, the supreme leader of the Holy Faith.
"Bruce... I can feel it..." Nick whispered, his voice trembling and a bit nasal from the overwhelming incense. "My dream... it's finally becoming a reality."
Bruce used a paw to cover his face, refusing to say a word. He just wanted to go back to the sewers.
The Pope's gaze settled upon them—a look that was simultaneously kind and crushingly majestic.
"Children," the Pope's voice resonated through the sanctum, every syllable ringing with crystalline authority. "Lift your heads."
Nick snapped his spine straight instantly. Bruce's fingers twitched, leaving a small gap between his claws for one eye to peek through and observe.
The Pope looked at Nick, then at Bruce, his words carrying an infectious, soul-stirring power. "Your courage shall become the first light of dawn to pierce the Evernight. Your names shall be etched alongside the Saints of old upon the dome of this very temple, revered for ten thousand generations."
Nick's eyes welled with hot tears. He dropped to one knee, slamming his right fist against his chest with a heavy thud.
"FOR THE LIGHT! FOR THE WORLD!"
Bruce jumped a foot in the air at the sudden outburst.
The Pope gave a satisfied nod, gesturing to the Cardinals flanking him. "Very well, children. Step upon the altar. The Torrent of Time awaits."
Two white-robed priests stepped forward, guiding Nick and Bruce toward a massive circular array in the center of the hall. The array was etched in pure silver, with complex runes weaving and interlocking in a dizzying pattern. At the center hovered a fluctuating crystal—the captured sliver of Temporal Mana.
Nick adjusted his collar, marching onto the array with the stride of a conqueror. Bruce watched his back, let out a weary sigh, and followed.
They stood at the center. The Pope raised his golden scepter.
"In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!"
The twelve Cardinals raised their hands in unison, their voices rising in an ancient, guttural chant.
"We offer these pure souls as anchors in the void!"
"We petition the Miracle of Retrograde to correct the broken threads of Fate!"
The silver runes ignited one by one. A pillar of blinding white light erupted from the floor, swallowing the two of ones entirely.
Bruce felt as though he had been tossed into a centrifuge spinning at terminal velocity. Up and down ceased to exist. Left and right were forgotten concepts. The sensation of time passing evaporated. All he could do was cling to Nick's leg with every ounce of his strength.
Nick, meanwhile, stood with his arms wide and eyes closed, a look of pure ecstasy on his face as he bathed in the "light of destiny."
"YES! THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE A HERO!"
Bruce heard nothing, saw nothing, and eventually squeezed his eyes shut. His final thought before losing consciousness was: The hundred gold crown advance... I think... I left it on the table...
An unknown amount of time passed.
BOOM!
A heavy impact. Bruce felt himself collide with something soft and damp, sending his senses spinning. He shook his head, crawling out of a pile of muck and rotting leaves, spitting out a mouthful of dirt.
"Pah! Hack! Ptui!"
It was pitch black. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying timber.
A forest?
"Nick? Nick, are you still in one piece?" Bruce called out, his voice carrying far into the silent woods.
"Bruce! Look!" Nick's voice drifted down from above, sounding oddly excited. "I told you the Sovereign's homeland would be different! Even the trees here grow upside down!"
Bruce squinted upward. A shaft of moonlight pierced through the canopy. Nick's foot was snagged in a thick, sturdy vine, leaving him dangling ten feet in the air, swaying back and forth like a pendulum.
"I suspect that isn't the reason," Bruce sighed.
He climbed the tree and used his utility knife to saw through the vine. Nick fell headfirst, landing squarely in the same mud pit Bruce had just escaped.
SPLAT.
Nick pulled his head out, imitating Bruce by spitting out a mouthful of muck. "Pah! Hack! Bruce, could you give me a heads-up next time?!"
"I assumed 'Heroic Landings' were supposed to be unconventional," Bruce replied dryly.
The two propped each other up, standing to survey their surroundings. It was indeed a vast, ancient forest.
"We did it, Bruce!" Nick checked his body, finding himself unharmed despite the grime. The fanaticism returned to his eyes. "We've reached the past! The era when the Demon King is at his weakest! Now, we just find him, kill him, and we save the world!"
Bruce looked at Nick's mud-caked face and decided to play the role of the bucket of cold water. "And how, exactly, do we do that?"
"By formulating a flawless assassination protocol, of course!"
Nick unbuckled a Spatial Pouch from his belt and began rummaging through it. "Look, Bruce. The Church prepared us for everything." He pulled out a crystal vial filled with a shimmering, clear liquid. "This is High-Purity Sanctified Water. To the undead, this is the ultimate lethal toxin!"
Nick wore a look of self-proclaimed tactical genius. "Phase One: Terrain Reconnaissance."
Bruce nodded, waiting for the rest.
"The Sovereign of Evernight is a sapient creature of the dark. He needs a base of operations. And where do creatures live? Near water!" Nick crept toward a small stream, holding the vial with trembling care. "We simply pour this into the river. When he gets thirsty and comes for a drink..."
Nick let out a series of high-pitched, villainous cackles. "Mission Accomplished!"
Bruce hummed along, letting out a few awkward cackles of his own to support his friend, but his smile suddenly died.
"Wait a minute, Nick."
"What? My plan is airtight!"
"I remember the Cardinal's briefing. He said the Sovereign is an Undead Lord. A skeleton."
"Yeah? So?"
"Why the hell would a skeleton need to drink water?!"
Nick's cackle froze mid-air.
The silence of the forest returned, heavy and judging. The two stood a few paces apart, staring at each other in the moonlight. The atmosphere became astronomically awkward.
Only the rustling of leaves broke the silence. After a long minute, Nick carefully tucked the vial back into his pack. He turned back to Bruce, his face a mask of deadly seriousness.
"I didn't expect the Sovereign's counter-intelligence to be this advanced," Nick whispered. "To think he's already made me fail once before we've even met!"
Bruce stared at him. "Nick... I think that was just a 'us' problem."
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