Chapter 652 (2/2)

“Spoken like a true member of the Spear School,” Sergeant Platton grunted.

On the battlefield, one of those few faltered as Psychic Poison hit them from too many angles. She was tall with a cascade of azure hair more perfect and clear than the sea at midday. Simply with the press of bodies, they bore her to the ground. But around her, the remaining four paragons fought that much harder. Their followers seemed to sense the desperation of their impending plight and risked themselves wildly.

Randidly’s hands itched. Those people were doomed. Even though he couldn’t see it, he sensed how low their Health was. Under the weight of that many attacks, even Randidly recognized he would be buried. And yet, he wanted to join them.

As he watched them continue to struggle, his eyes abruptly widened, and his gaze rose to the sky.

“...I do not regret choosing the spear,” Azriel announced proudly. “But I think if you ignore everything you wish to accomplish… you do yourself and the world around you a disservice. We have responsibilities. My spear is the Path to accomplishing those responsibilities. Seeking the way to have everything lay in front of you as straight as a spear… that is the only prudent Path.”

“That is a hard Path to walk,” Sergeant Platton said softly. “I wish you luck. And you, Randidly?”

Randidly gazed for a long time at the sky above the battlefield without answering. He could tell how the battle was going without even looking. Because in the sky, the Aether was reacting to what was going on below. The wind twisted and spiraled upwards. Clouds rumbled lower and pressed together into a shaft. And then the wind came down in a huge blade, the head of the spear that had somehow been formed by the perseverance of those few individuals who laid down their lives to slow the Wights’ advance.

When the spear hit the ground, it did not annihilate the Wights as Randidly expected. Instead, a tidal wave of Aether spread outwards from that point, radiating into the surrounding area. When it hit Randidly, he tasted it and felt an incomparably sharp sensation of the spear. Abruptly, his images relating to the spear focused.

Randidly let out a long breath. How did… how did these people affect the Aether with just their images…?

“Well?” Sergeant Platton prompted. The last paragon stood tall, with only a dozen spear users besides him. They cut forward, pressing deeper into the bulk of the Wight forces without pause. Only by advancing had they avoided being crushed and suffocated by the army around them.

The paragon raised his spear. His group joined him. In the sky, the Aether roiled and shifted, rising to the call.

It was emotion, Randidly realized. Aether wasn’t rising to their images per se. The System had a stranglehold over the images under its influence. That was Randidly’s greatest advantage that he had over other people; his images were relatively pure and easy to create. But somehow the emotion…

The spear users died to the man. But Randidly could close his eyes and forget that. But what he couldn’t forget… was how much each of them loved the spear.

“Yes. It is dumb you ignore other Paths,” Randidly said with a sigh. “...but how could I say such a pure love is foolish?”

“‘The valiance and fidelity of a patriot are beautiful in any man.’” Sergeant Platton said calmly. “That is a quote of the Spearman himself. Come- we must get into position. They served their purpose, and now it is time to accomplish ours.”

The group turned away, but Randidly watched a little longer, watching the still-roiling Aether in the sky above the battlefield. Randidly’s eyes were sharp as he considered the shifting forces. Why was the disturbance growing stronger? Shouldn’t the Aether cease being affected by the emotions now that the source people were dead…?

More than that, another question occurred to Randidly, and he couldn’t find an answer to it.

Where were the Masters? Where were the true powerhouses of Tellus right now?