CHAPTER 77: NEW BEGINNING

"That sounds exciting! Finally, we get to see some action instead of just sitting here like glorified caretakers of our territories. I wonder if that freak Thugnaka is already on the move..."

Bhuka, still wearing its Punto guise, turned its small emerald head sharply, giving the man an unimpressed stare that spoke louder than any words.

"You are right," Bhuka replied, its voice even but edged. "There’s a strong chance that freak is the root cause of this chaos."

"That’s good!" Vhuka’s grin widened, his crimson eyes glittering with anticipation. He looked like a man who’d been waiting centuries for trouble. "Honestly, it’s been boring living for thousands of years. We can barely interact with our people, let alone fight beside them. Maybe it’s finally time for us Primordial Beasts to step onto the stage and have some fun ourselves!"

"Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all this time- having fun?" Bhuka said, lightly smacking him on the forehead with a vine. The impact was small, but it carried a sting of irritation.

"I mean real adventure!" Vhuka corrected, puffing his chest. Then suddenly, his expression shifted. His head turned, eyes narrowing toward the distant horizon where mountains cut the sky. His senses picked up something beyond mortal comprehension- an anomaly hidden from all ordinary sight.

Bhuka followed his gaze. Their thoughts aligned instantly.

"I see..." Bhuka murmured. "So there is that one human. Was he the cause of the Void Line?"

"He is," Bhuka answered, voice low, almost reluctant. There was weight behind those words- knowledge it wasn’t sharing, something even Vhuka seemed to feel.

Silence wrapped around them. It wasn’t the silence of strangers but that of beings communicating without words, reading threads of fate invisible to others.

Then Vhuka broke it with a dangerous smile. "Alright. I’m getting excited." He turned toward the west, where the endless dunes of the Thunga Desert waited. "I guess I should head back. Once again, sorry for the mess this crazy dog caused."

He rapped Vulkris lightly on the skull. The fire beast, once wild and proud, flinched like a scolded child, keeping its head low, its flames dimmed to embers.

Vhuka was about to leap away when Bhuka’s voice- calm but firm- halted him.

"Go. Before I get more annoyed and eat you myself."

That earned a slow grin. "You sound awfully confident for someone who hasn’t even regained their other half." He pivoted, giving Bhuka an almost mocking glance.

"Don’t forget," he said as his gaze slid toward the massive Velzar Tree towering over the battlefield, "the only reason I’m not killing you right now..."

He shifted his attention to the trembling elves gathered below.

"...is because this land is filled with beautiful women- especially that elven queen. I like her. But if I devour you, you’d fight back, and this entire forest would burn before I even started taking you seriously."

Bhuka’s emerald glow sharpened into something cold, ancient.

"Do you expect me to be afraid of you?"

"Why not? I am stronger than you."

CRAKABOOOM!

The heavens themselves cracked open. Lightning and fire ripped across the darkened sky. For a heartbeat, reality itself seemed to split- revealing the true forms hidden beneath their humanoid shells.

Two colossal dragons faced each other above the Runewood. One blazed like molten gold, its scales radiating an overwhelming heat; the other gleamed emerald, its aura heavy with ancient authority. Their fangs were bared, claws extended, ready to clash.

For everyone below- elves, wounded warriors, even Robert- the sight was soul-crushing. Many dropped to their knees, clutching their chests as if the air had been stolen from their lungs. Even those hiding behind Aetherthorn’s magical barrier trembled, their instincts screaming that they were ants watching titans prepare to erase the world.

Then, just as quickly as it had come, the vision shattered like glass.

Vhuka glanced down. He saw the terrified elves shielding children, the healers clinging to the wounded, and the few remaining warriors standing frozen, pale-faced.

"Tch," he muttered. "Too many beautiful women here to waste."

Bhuka’s small mouth curved into a smirk. "What’s wrong? Leaving already? I thought you wanted to taste my wrath."

"Don’t flatter yourself," Vhuka replied. He yanked Vulkris’ long whiskers hard, forcing the fire beast to lower itself like a broken warhorse. "I’m not retreating because of you. I just don’t feel like burning this land- and its pretty ladies- along with your ugly face."

With one effortless leap, he was airborne. Vulkris roared in pain but obeyed, unfurling its wings and following like an unwilling shadow.

Within moments, their silhouettes vanished into the smoke-streaked horizon.

Bhuka exhaled softly, its emerald body dimming. It turned, floating toward the mangled Nightral sprawled across the battlefield. The beast’s once-proud form twitched weakly, drenched in blood, eyes glazed with fear.

"I hope you learned your lesson today, cat," Bhuka said, its tone colder than its small frame suggested.

A warp door spiraled open in front of it, space bending like liquid. Without hesitation, Bhuka swallowed the Nightral into the void. In an instant, the predator that had terrorized the elves was gone- erased as if it had never existed.

Stunned silence followed.

"What... what just happened?" an elf whispered, voice cracking.

Dozens of others stood frozen, unable to process what they had witnessed. For centuries, the Runewood had believed the Queen’s Punto was nothing more than a harmless, cheerful creature. Now they knew the truth: it was a Primordial Beast, a guardian so powerful that even nightmares feared it.

Questions swirled silently in their minds. Why didn’t it intervene earlier? Why did we have to lose so many lives if such a being was here all along?

But those questions dissolved into something more primal.

Relief.

"Finally... it’s over!"

"We survived!"

"We’re alive!"

"Mama!"

"My baby!"

Laughter, sobs, and cries of joy burst through the tension. Warriors dropped their weapons and collapsed into each other’s arms. Mothers clutched children they thought they’d never see again. The broken forest echoed with the sound of life clinging to itself.

Yes, their losses were devastating- half their people were gone, and nearly sixty percent of their fighters had fallen- but they were still breathing. And in that moment, survival was enough.

Bhuka stood like a small green flame atop the massive Grand Velzar tree that Queen Elarya had become. It didn’t move. It didn’t speak. But its presence radiated such overwhelming authority that no beast would dare approach the Runewood now.

Kardel stepped forward, his boots crunching over splintered roots. He looked up at the towering Velzar form. "Queen Mother... the fight is over. I believe it is safe to return to your true form now."

Elarya’s deep voice drifted like wind through ancient leaves. "Thank you for your concern, Kardel. But this is the price I must pay."

Murmurs spread quickly.

"W-what do you mean, Your Majesty?"

There was a long, heavy pause before she answered.

"The reason I rarely use this form is because the mana it consumes is extraordinary. It will take twelve years- at minimum- before I can recover enough energy to return to my true self."

The elves froze. Shock rippled through them like a wave.

"Twelve years..."

"She’ll remain like this for twelve years?"

"My queen..."

Tears welled in many eyes. Some covered their mouths, others bowed their heads. Their queen had given up her freedom for over a decade- just to save them.

Kardel’s hands clenched tightly at his sides. He and Rhiki exchanged a brief look. They knew the depth of Elarya’s sacrifices better than anyone. She had already once fought her own brother, Kael’thus, to protect the Runewood from the Dark Fate. Now she was sacrificing again- silently, without complaint.

Pride mixed with grief. Their queen wasn’t just their leader; she was their shield, their root, their unshakable heart.

But the Dark Fate could wait. For now, survival came first.

The elves began moving, emerging cautiously from the Aetherthorn’s protective barrier. Healers rushed to the injured, their glowing palms working frantically. Craftsmen and civilians scavenged for supplies, dragging fallen branches, clearing paths, and searching for survivors trapped under debris.

Despite the devastation, their movements were steady, almost desperate. They knew the faster they worked, the faster hope could grow again.

Farther away, Robert knelt behind a massive cracked boulder. His arms trembled as he cleaned Auren’s wounds. The boy’s face was pale, his breathing uneven, but at least he was alive.

Robert’s own chest ached. Sweat dripped down his back. He whispered to himself like a mantra, "Stay with me, kid... just stay with me."

Then-

CRASH! BOOM!

The ground quaked. A massive shadow swallowed him whole. Robert spun around- and froze.

Vulkris stood towering above him, molten eyes staring down. But there was no rage now. Its flames were dim. Its head lowered like an obedient hound awaiting orders.

Robert’s heart pounded painfully in his ears. He felt every instinct scream at him to run, but his body wouldn’t move.

Then a figure stepped out from Vulkris’ shadow. Calm. Effortless. Dangerous.

"So this is him..." the man murmured, crouching down beside Auren as if Robert wasn’t even there. "Are you this interesting human’s father?"

Robert swallowed and nodded. He didn’t dare speak. Anyone who could leash a beast like Vulkris with nothing but a look was beyond comprehension.

Vhuka’s crimson eyes scanned Auren. For a brief second, they glowed like burning coals, as though they were seeing not just flesh but the boy’s very soul.

"Impressive," Vhuka said softly. "This child truly has no Divine Frame, yet he managed to craft his own techniques- his own power. Rare. Very rare."

He glanced over his shoulder at Vulkris. "I can’t believe this human almost took you out, Vuldog," he said with a mocking chuckle.

The beast lowered its head even further.

Vhuka turned back to Auren and placed his hand gently on the boy’s abdomen. A soft, mysterious light radiated from his palm, sinking into Auren’s body like warm water.

"This is your reward for your bravery, kid," he murmured.

Auren’s breathing steadied. Some color returned to his cheeks. The tension in his limbs loosened as if a great weight had been lifted.

Vhuka straightened, then leapt effortlessly onto Vulkris’ head. The fire beast spread its wings, ready to depart.

Just before they vanished into the horizon, Vhuka looked back. For a fleeting moment, something that wasn’t mockery- but interest- passed across his face.

"See you soon, kid," he said softly.

Then they were gone, leaving only the smell of smoke and the faint beat of distant wings.

Austerra Kingdom – Throne Room

Meanwhile, far away from Runewood and into human territory, within the heart of the Austerra Kingdom, the grand throne room blazed with light and celebration.

A young man now sat upon the throne- a stranger to most, yet already crowned their king.

His features were strikingly resembled that of king Aurelus: sharp, handsome lines, golden hair that caught the torchlight like fire, and eyes that gleamed with an unnatural luster.

In his hand rested a staff crowned by a sculpted golden phoenix, while upon his brow sat the royal crown, symbol of Austerra’s authority.

All around him, the air trembled with cheers. Soldiers, nobles, court attendants, and even envoys from neighboring kingdoms raised their voices in unison:

"LONG LIVE KING AUBORN!""LONG LIVE!"

"LONG LIVE!"

"LONG LIVE!"

The chants rolled through the massive hall like thunder. Thousands outside the palace joined the chorus, their cries echoing across the city.

This was the empire’s chosen replacement for King Aurelus- the ruler who had dared defy their envoy and had since vanished after a mysterious clash.

Auborn sat still, letting the praise wash over him. Then, slowly, a smile spread across his lips- a smile too sharp, too wide, betraying something darker than royal pride.

"Finally..." he whispered under his breath, almost laughing.

"This throne... this power... it’s all mine."

The golden hue in his eyes deepened, shifting from brilliance to something far more sinister-hungry, almost predatory.

Beneath the roar of celebration, he murmured softly, a vow meant for ears unseen:

"Thank you, Dark Fate. I will not disappoint you."