Chapter 21: Frostbound Vengeance and the Masked Reunion
Prologue: The Sovereign's Gambit
The battlefield trembled under the weight of Nero's summon—a Calamity of Frost, its glacial claws rending the earth. Soldiers froze mid-scream, their terror etched in ice. General Zoke's blade gleamed, but Nero's gaze never wavered.
Nero (coldly):
"Your king built his throne on lies. Let's see how it burns."
Arata lunged, desperation fueling his strikes. Nero sidestepped, a blur of azure flame, and whispered:
Nero:
"Tell Fernando I remember every betrayal."
Scene 1: The Void Walker's Secret
Zoke's transformation rippled through the air—a vortex of void energy swallowing light itself. The Calamity's head crumbled in his grip, ichor sizzling against his resurrected flesh.
Zoke (to Kenta):
"He's no mere rebel. That power… it's him."
Kenta's eyes narrowed. Nero's fleeing figure mirrored a ghost from their past—Nero Almik, the boy they'd slain.
Kenta (muttering):
"Impossible. Unless…"
Scene 2: The King's Web
Fernando's sanctum reeked of incense and deceit. Arata knelt, his report dripping with venom.
Arata:
"Relatives. Leverage. We'll gut his heart before he strikes."
The king's smile was a knife. "Bring the sister. Alive."
Deep below, the Primordial's chains rattled—a hunger stirred.
Scene 3: Bonds Reforged
Nero's hood fell, revealing the horned visage that haunted Sayuri's nightmares. Miku's gasp broke the silence.
Miku (teary-eyed):
"Brother… you're cold."
Nero lifted her, the frost on his skin retreating. "Fashionably so, little star."
Eri materialized, her alchemical form flickering. Miku's curiosity erupted.
Miku (grinning):
"Wife?"
Eri (blushing):
"Focus, child!"
Scene 4: The Goddess's Trap
Keisuke's dagger halted mid-swing. The altar was empty—no goddess, only a demon's leer.
Calignar (hissing):
"Alesta's gone. But you… you'll make fine offerings."
Yoshito's cursed eye flared. "Run. Now."
Too late. Shadows swallowed the chamber.
Epilogue: The Storm Approaches
Nero's Mindscape — Midnight
Eri's voice echoed through the void: "The dungeon—it's a graveyard."
Nero's fists ignited. "Fernando thinks he's won. Let's show him hell."
Far above, the moon bled crimson—a omen. The Primordial laughed.
Author's Note:
Betrayals deepen, and bonds are tested. Nero's duality sharpens—savior and destroyer. Next: Altar of the Forgotten, where gods fall, and demons rise.
—Where the only truth is blood.