Soul of Searing Steel

The warrior grabbed tightly onto the greataxe that was gathering endless lights from the surroundings. Then he plunged the axe into the ground.

The silver-white lines instantly appeared on the surface of the gray rocky ground. The holy runes appeared one after another as if they were a huge network that contained the entire world. They were spreading endlessly across the ground.

Meanwhile, a glare broke through the clouds and dispelled darkness in the surroundings.

With Joshua as the source point, a bright and unblinking light was unleashed. That light rose up into the sky straight away like a stream of silver thread, piercing through the sky and the earth as it was connecting the two, tearing a large hole on the sky that was looming with Chaos.

Under the glow of this light, the earth and the floating rock fragments gradually began to become crystal clear. Black Chaos mist was forced out. Gravity began to stabilize again. Layers and layers of ripples were spreading into the surroundings. Green grass was beginning to grow again on the earth that had been corrupted before. Newly grown trees and flowers were also sprouting again all across the land.

The cold wind with the scent of decay had once again regained some warmth and its freshness. The lifeless silent earth had once again returned to its vibrant state.

The wind got stronger.

The bodies of the three Supreme-tier Aragami began to combust and disintegrate under the shine of the radiance. Bit by bit, they gradually turned into red sparks flying in the air all around the place. These sparks went along with the strong wind that was sweeping away almost everything, brushing silently across the surface of the earth, dispersing into the mountains and everything around.

The warm light that was carrying some sparks along with it passed through the entire world. Compared to the power of Order that Joshua used, this light was much more gentle and much more penetrating. The light brushed itself across the plains and the mountains, penetrating through the decayed swarms and the frozen ocean. The light had covered the entire continent.

Quietly being buried down there, 03 had seen the light even though she was completely covered underneath countless rocks. She blinked her eyes and lifted her head. She looked at the light that swept away all the unsettling presences with a feeling of doubt and joy at the same time.

Moreila and Clyre who were slowly digging their way to the surface of the ground had also seen the light. Upon moving the rocks and sands to their back, the two of them looked at the sparks and lights that came through the rocks and dirt to their sides with surprise.

"The primal energy… has been restored?!" The elf had touched the spark. Her body was trembling as if she could not believe it, "What is going on?"

Meanwhile, the old dwarf felt that the energy in his body had increased tremendously. That sense of fatigue that stayed deep within his bones that he felt since he crossed into this world had completely vanished. He laughed out loud and said, "It doesn't matter anymore, things are taking a better turn now, isn't it?! Let's dig ourselves out first!"

The light continued to sweep across the land. Countless dimensional passages that were filled with the presence of Chaos were being sealed slowly under the influence of that power. The weaker Aragami were even set ablaze straight away by this power. The combustion of the Chaos had unleashed even more of these sparks and flames which drifted in the wind, with their radiance sweeping and cleansing this world.

Meanwhile, at every corner of the Karlis world, willingly or unwillingly, outsiders that crossed into this world due to many reasons had also sensed the outburst of an enormous power from afar. Right in the middle of a shrine among the ruins, the soul of a lady with silver hair was swept across by the radiance as well. She suddenly woke up feeling a little embarrassed.

"… uhm… how did I end up here? I remember I was just falling asleep…"

She glanced around with a bit of confusion. However, she did not expect to witness some miracle happening around her. Under the radiating silver-white light, the desolated hills and plains were beginning to sprout with green grasses, followed by the blooming of flowers.

Meanwhile, back at the source point where the light was emanating from.

In the final few seconds in the state of the 'King of Searing Soul', Joshua had truly felt what it meant by the 'Guardian of Power'.

Flames were scorching Chaos, returning this world back to Order, reviving the desolate world. That was the true power of the World's Guardian, the true power of the [King of Searing Soul].

However, a sigh was heard right after that.

"As expected, this is still not enough."

The light began to dissipate, and the flames began to go out. Joshua who just came out from the state of the 'King of the Searing Soul' was slowly pulling the black greataxe out from the ground. The armor on his body returned to normal once again. The sparks and flames that emitted from the cracks all over his armor that looked like flowery pattern were starting to disperse as well. The black Satsui Hadou was also becoming lighter before it turned back into red Combat Aura. After that, even the Combat Aura had disappeared.

Sighing, Joshua felt a little regret as he looked at the radiance and the spreading flames beside him. At that time, because he had come out of the state of the 'King of Searing Soul', the power of Order had obviously lost their source. Everything started to fade along with it.

The green grass that was sprouting, and the flowers that were blooming, everything started to wither and get reduced to dust and sand. The refreshing air was once again filled with the scent of decay. The land was no longer vibrant as everything returned back to their desolate state.

"The Python of Steel is right… My flame is still too weak now. The souls that I've managed to gather so far is still too little."

The mark of a crown on his forehead was gradually fading. After that, it turned back into a sky-green crystal orb and fell right back into his palm. The Flame Seed in the center of the Azurite was still combusting though. Although it seemed a little stronger than before, however, the flame still looked weak.

"The powers of the Supreme-tier Aragami were scorched away by the Flame Seed's Order energy and are being turned into the power of the 'King of Searing Soul'. There's not even a tiny bit of Experience Points even though the battle was so intesnse… What a shame, and a waste… cough cough !"

After saying that mockingly, Joshua suddenly coughed. He frowned as he could feel that the inner side of his body became hollow.

The radiance of magic power flashed by. The black greataxe in his hand had returned to its original state. Ling had once again appeared right by his side. The young man got closer in order to provide support to Joshua who seemed to be very shaky, struggling to even stand up straight. He helped Joshua to stand still on his feet.

"Master... your face?!"

A confused voice was heard. Ling lifted his head up and looked at his Master's face. He was a little shocked to see that the young face of his Master had now become filled with wrinkles. It was obvious that he looked much older than before.

"Don't worry, this is just the after effects of using the burning power excessively. I'll recover gradually over time. But I cannot simply engage myself in battle in the meantime."

Explaining slowly with one word after another, Joshua furrowed his eyebrows. However, his mind was elsewhere, thinking about something else.

"According to the Python of Steel, Famine, Plague and one other Evil God without a clear name are currently spying on the Mycroft Continent… It's no wonder that there were so many incidents happening back in the distant north. Based on the numerous incidents that were happening all across the region, it seemed that the gods had managed to fend off the first invasion of Chaos behind the scenes. Upon having some careful thoughts, regardless of whether it was the demons from the dark abyss or the Pentashade Dragons, actually, they are merely the tentacles of the Evil Gods that are attempting to invade the world… So I've already engaged in battles with Chaos many times over without even realizing it?"

There were truly a lot of enemies staying hidden in the dark.

Upon setting his thoughts there, Joshua could not help but clench his fists. Then he spoke in a deep voice, "It seems that we have a long way to go in the cleaning process."

Kachak kachak.

Along came the sounds where the dirt and sand were dug.

Not far away, the surface of the ground bulged up. Along with the appearance of golden Combat Aura and the green primal energy, Moreila and Clyre had finally made their way out of the ground after a long time.

Due to the battles that happened a while ago and the unbalanced gravity, across the surface of the entire land, there was no longer the slightest uneven spot. The first thing that the elf and the old dwarf saw after they climbed out of the ground was Joshua, standing right before them. After their eyes met, they quickly walk up to the spot where the warrior was standing. Meanwhile, Joshua and Ling went up to them as well.

When the two sides met, they did not have much words to say or even much to greet. Clyre asked in a gentle yet surprised tone, "Joshua, your hair… what happened?"

Moreila had also looked at Joshua with the same look on his face as the elf's. Although he was much shorter, however, he could still see Joshua's hair. He was momentarily stunned.

"Joshua, why do you look so much older now?"

Touching his head above his neck with curiosity and plucking one of the hairs off his head, Joshua noticed that the hair in his palm right now was fully silvery-white. Upon remaining quiet for a brief moment, he shook his head and said, "It's alright. The battle was a little intense just now. So I've used up some of my vitality to battle. I've rested for over a brief period of time, I'm feeling much better now."

"The elves have the fruits of the mother tree which can restore the vitality of a person. When I return to the distant land in the south, I'll surely give you a few."

"You have my thanks then."

Boom!!!

Suddenly, fierce sounds of thunder rumbled across the sky, along with green and white lightning flashing by. A blue door slowly expanded out of the void by the side as if someone was restraining the speed of its expansion. However, even though that was the case, within the gap of time where a few breaths were taken in, the diameter of the dimensional rift had expanded up to ten meters. Meanwhile, a presence that was extremely familiar was felt coming into the Karlis world along with the expansion of the blue door.

"Dimensional rift!"

Fixing their gaze on the door that was linking the two worlds, Moreila had an extremely joyful look on his face. He spoke in a loud voice, "The rift is reopening again!"

"It's the dimensional rift connecting to the Mycroft Continent."

The elf clapped her hands in glee then sighed in relief. "Finally, we can go back."

"It seems that someone coming to get us from the opposite side."

Unlike the dwarves and elves, Joshua could sense a different trace of presence coming from the waves of the dimensional rift as he had rich experiences now. Right by the other side of the passage, there was a person who had an extremely powerful strength trying to limit the expansion of the dimensional space, causing it not to get activated too fast while maintaining the stability of the dimensional passage for a smooth travel across worlds.

Without much talk, everyone ran towards the direction where the dimensional rift was located. However, after running for a brief moment, Joshua stopped in his track.

Moreila and Clyre then looked at him with uncertainty written all over their faces.

"You guys go ahead."

Joshua stopped and stood on the ground. His face seemed to be hesitating over something though. However, he calmed himself right after that, "There's something I must do first."

Upon saying that, he did not give the opportunity for Moreila and Clyre to ask their questions. He turned around and walked towards the location where the mountains collapsed.

Upon raising up their right hands, before they could keep Joshua from turning around, the old dwarf and Clyre could only look at Joshua as he started running into the distance. Meanwhile, Ling nodded at the two of them before he immediately followed the footsteps of his Master.

Not long after, Joshua and Ling had arrived at the spot where 03 was buried underneath the rubble.

"Let's start digging."

Speaking in brief words, Joshua focused all his remaining energy that was not much left and started digging swiftly into the rubble. Meanwhile, Ling was also aiding the warrior in silence.

One Upper Gold tier and one Perfect Silver tier. The two of them worked together with only one goal, to dig through rubble looking for the runic core of 03. They were digging so fast that there was no way they could go even faster already. Not long after, they had already dug at least hundreds of meters down from the surface of the earth. After that, they vaguely felt the presence of the crystal sun.

Upon changing their directions, they instantly dug down to the location where the gigantic crystal ball was. The Karlisi's creation of Order had now been completely extinguished. The only thing remained was a slight electrical light flashing in gold.

Meanwhile, right beneath the crystal sun, at the dark and deep entrance, a magical projection with black wings and light blue hair was standing silently over there. She was wearing a white lab coat. She was looking at Joshua and Ling with a confused and troubled expression.

"Warrior from the outside world… what are you doing here?" 03 asked gently. Her voice sounded like the remaining candle that would extinguish anytime now, "I can sense it. The door of the void has been activated… You can all go back to your world now…"

"I'm bringing you along."

Interrupting 03 from speaking further, Joshua straight away gave her a simple answer.

"What's the point? Is there any meaning in doing so…?"

The blue hair of the A.I was drifting with the wind like a whispered voice coming from the front, "My world and creators have been destroyed, and the Chaos monsters have been killed… Now, the greatest motivation that has been supporting me has vanished…"

She lifted her head and looked at Joshua. The eyes of 03 were dull and lifeless. "I have no meaning to exist anymore, let me rest… Let me die along with this world, to rest for eternity."

"Do you want to die? But I'm not here to ask for your opinion."

Ignoring the thoughts of this projection, Joshua brought Ling along with him as the two of them walked past the side of the projection and walked all the way toward the core of the fortress.

"You have more meaning to go on living now. Plus, I'm not the kind of person who would sit by the side and look at the person who has helped me before to perish by herself."

"…"

Remaining silent as she looked at Joshua and Ling walking through the deep and long passage leading towards her core, 03 seemed to be thinking about something. After that, along with a relaxed sigh, her projection faded slowly.

After walking for a while, Joshua once again arrived at the Central Doctrine Area.

The immensely large dome-shaped pit remained the same as before. It seemed to be slightly out of shape because of the impacts the fortress had sustained all the while back then. Meanwhile, the magic radiance that was surging on top of the heads were much dimmer than before. It seemed that the stored energy was almost depleted. Meanwhile, right beneath the metallic city, the magic mist had become much thinner than ever now.

Jumping directly down and using Combat Aura to slow down his speed falling down towards the ground, Joshua brought along Ling and entered the [Central Doctrine Area] once again.

The huge metallic city where 03's body was located.

Countless spires of towering metallic towers were shimmering with faint magical energy now. The weakened electricals were still maintaining the operations of these great magical creations. Upon estimating their own whereabouts in the area, Joshua immediately went towards a specific direction without the slightest hesitation on his face.

A few minutes later, he had arrived right beside the tallest runic mechanical building located right at the center of the city.

The magic radiance was flashing as an endless stream of magic energy was transmitted down here. The projection of 03 had once again appeared by the side of Joshua. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something. However, she was being interrupted by the warrior straight away.

"Say no more."

Joshua turned his head over towards the projection of 03. His words became a little domineering this time, "You want to die, but I'm not going to allow it. The thing is simple. It's futile for you to say more about it."

As he was talking, he could not help but sneer, "Chaos has yet to perish. The Evil Gods are yet to die. If you die now, you will be making things too convenient to those monsters, don't you think? Furthermore, you've never seen a normal world of Order since you're born into a world that has already been invaded by the Evil Gods, right?"

"Don't you want to have a look at it? Have a look at the normal world, and also the scene where I crush Chaos and tear those Evil Gods apart bit by bit?"

"…"

Slightly opening up her mouth, 03 attempted to say something once again. However, this time, even though no one would interrupt her, she did not know what to speak of. The A.I created by the Karlisi could only sigh aloud. However, unconsciously, a smile appeared on her face.

Perhaps.

Stepping on air, Joshua approached the tip of the runic high tower one step after another. There was a cylindrical runic core that emanated violet-blue radiance. Right on top of the transparent core that was made of crystals and metal substances, there was an endless stream of magic radiance flowing around it. Numerous layers of runes were flowing all around the runic core like the flowing water. The core seemed to be reflecting all wisdom in the entire world.

Joshua knew clearly, other than this runic core itself, the entire metallic city were just boosters for the core to control the movement and outer design of the moving fortress. The soul of 03 would be living on in this crystal clear crystallized metal. Bringing her along would be the same as bringing along the entire moving fortress with him.

Upon touching the runic core, Joshua lifted it from the groove that was holding it with only one of his hands. The hand that came in contact with her was a sense of warmth, along with a series of snowflakes flashing about. Then, the projection of 03 faded slowly.

Right before she disappeared, 03 looked at Joshua with a complex expression. Looking into the eyes of the black-haired warrior for a brief moment, she bit her lip and gently said, "Thank you."

"No need to thank me."

—Rumble!

Right after 03's core was removed from the place, the entire metallic city started cracking, with a large number of fiery sparks. Meanwhile, on the outer surface of the moving fortress, the entire fortress was trembling violently.

The crystal sun that was embedded right on the tallest spot of the silver-white pyramid was already on the verge of being destroyed. As the core was absent, the process of destruction had been accelerated.

Along with an intense flash of golden light, countless cracks appeared on its surface . The rapid energy flashed, and the crystal sun was being blown apart. The power of Order had engulfed the entire land in its most furious state, blasting and sweeping away all the rocks and gravel that were covering the fortress.

Along with numerous splashes of rocks and earth, there was a red ball of light quickly flying out of the gold semi-circular energy shield that was created by the explosion of crystal sun. The red ball of light was carrying two persons and one blue cylindrical crystal that was as large as a human size.

They flew right towards the blue door that was floating in the middle of the air.

*****

[Mythical Event - King of Searing Soul]

[Astral calendar, Age of Desolation, Year 1,314, the central area of the Mount Monadra. Visitors from outer worlds has descended into the Karlis world. With the help of the smart moving fortress and the God of Steel, the warrior from the outside world had consecutively defeated many Supreme-tier Aragami and Chaos Daemons. With his effort of doing so, the Flame Seed was temporarily ignited, transforming into the form 'King of Searing Soul', reawakened the world. Although the effort to reawaken the world ended in failure, however, the such a feat was enough to let the gods in the heavens and the Evil Gods in the voids know your name. Remember, the gods are watching all the time.]

[Starfall, Year 832, 1st of March, 10.09 a.m.]

[Visitors from the outside world have returned to their own world. ]

*****

The Karlis world was on the verge of destruction.

The earth was barren. Across the dusty plains, decaying sand and rocks were the only thing left that made up everything.

It seemed that everything has been corrupted by Chaos. And the light that had been lighted up for a brief period of time had absolutely no way to completely change the world that has begun to fall into the abyss.

The wind lingered over the plains and gravel across the ground, bringing ripples that looked like waves.

Meanwhile, where the wind could not reach, within a small curly steel scrap.

A silver-white flower was blooming quietly.

—Volume 3, A World Without Fire. The End.