Chapter 366: The Origin Of Spirits

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Riven’s psychic power and spirit power came together at once. He focused on that presence and managed to gather what little remained of it. It was the last will of Quetzalcoatl, a small piece of his soul that was already fading.

"Ahh..."

"Quetzalcoatl?!"

Ignias was shocked. Her eyes opened wide as she stared at the feathers in Riven’s hands.

"Are you there?! Quetzalcoatl!"

She called his name again, her voice rising. The bird began to change. A faint silhouette formed from green and gold light, taking the rough shape of the serpent-bird they both knew. It hovered for a second, thin and unclear, the colors shifting but never fully solid. The presence was so weak that it looked ready to disappear at any moment.

"Riven...! Do something. Maybe we can put him inside a spirit stone and..."

"And then what?"

"?!"

"Then what, Ignias? We force what little remains of him to fight for us? Do you really think that’s the right thing to do?"

"..."

"He’s already too weak. If I did that, all that would remain is a faint trace of spirit energy. His mind, his memories... everything would disappear, no matter what I do."

Ignias fell silent and looked at Quetzalcoatl. Her mouth opened as if he wanted to argue, but no words came out. The answer was already clear, even if she refused to accept it.

"However, I did this because I wanted to see if it was still possible to speak with what remains of him before he fades away. At most, he has a few minutes left."

Ignias stepped closer, unable to keep the desperation from her voice. "Quetzal...! Quetzalcoatl, do you remember me, old friend? It’s me! Ignias!"

For a moment, Quetzalcoatl gave no answer. His gaze wandered without focus, and his breathing came in short, uneven gasps, was he even himself anymore?

Then his eyes shifted toward the familiar voice, toward the dragoness.

An old friend.

Who would have thought?

"Ahhh... Ig... Ignias...?"

Amidst all of this suffering, as whatever remained of him slowly faded away.

He’d see someone very dear to him, thought to have long been dead.

"Yes, it’s me!" Ignias answered at once, moving closer. "I’m here, Quetzal. I’m right here."

"...I see."

Quetzalcoatl’s eyes brightened for a moment.

His consiousness returned to him, it was very fragile but unmistakable, and the sight made Ignias hold her breath in both sorrow and happiness mixed into something she couldn’t quite describe.

"Old friend... I am glad... you’re alive..."

His voice came faint but sounded relieved to see Ignias was alive.

"Quetzal! Please stay! Stay with me!" Ignias reached toward him, but his trembling hand stopped before it could touch him, afraid that even the slightest contact might cause the fading spirit to vanish.

Quetzalcoatl tried to smile, but the expression barely formed. "...I’m sorry."

"No...! NO!" Ignias shouted, her voice breaking. She shook his head again and again, as if refusing the truth could somehow keep his friend from leaving.

"They... took everything from me... My strength... my very soul... has been drained. I... do not have much time left..." Each word seemed harder for him to speak than the last, and the light around his body flickered with every breath, weakening constantly. Whatever remained of him was incredibly faint, and soon about to disappear entirely.

He looked at Riven for a brief moment, studying his presence and the power he carried within him. Though his sight was fading, something about Riven caught his attention.

"Young man... Your power... I have never seen... such a bright light before..."

"..."

Riven said nothing. He could only meet Quetzalcoatl’s weakening gaze, knowing that whatever the dying spirit had sensed in him was important, yet unable to bring himself to ask about it now.

"The union of so many lives... it’s... it was beautiful... thank you."

The union of many lives... Did he mean the battle they had? Was Quetzalcoatl consious then?

Feeling bad for the Esper, Riven finally spoke.

"Can I do something for you before you pass away?"

"Please... save the rest... the Espers... before it’s too late...!"

"The others?"

"Yes... I will tell you... everything... everything I know..."

"?!"

Riven’s eyes widened as Quetzalcoatl passed his memories on to him. The visions came in broken fragments, brief flashes of places and lives he had never known. Each memory carried enough information for him to understand more about the ancient Esper. His mind struggled to keep up as countless images rushed through it, one after another, until the world around him seemed to disappear.

"T-This is...!"

And then he saw it, a beautiful World of Espers.

It was an endless Spiritual Plane composed of every element, connected to other worlds and realms beyond anything Riven had imagined. Rivers of pure water wound between vast forests, flames burned without consuming the lands around them, and islands floated beneath skies filled with creatures of wind and lightning. Every element of that world was alive.

Quetzalcoatl ruled the skies alongside many brothers and sisters. Others watched over the seas, volcanoes, mountains, and forests. Every element had its own ruler, as well as countless Espers who lived beneath their protection. Quetzalcoatl flew freely among them, respected by many and feared by those who dared threaten his domain.

It was a beautiful world of elemental beings. Conflict still existed, but it had never reached this point. The Supreme Ruler of the Spirits, Bahamut, oversaw them all and ruled with great wisdom. Even the strongest Espers listened when he spoke, for his decisions had kept their world from destroying itself for countless generations.

But then other memories surged forward, darker and far more painful. Quetzalcoatl had been tricked by humans, especially those capable of matching his power, warriors of SSS Rank or even the mysterious L Rank. They had approached him with false promises, hiding their true intentions until it was too late. Riven felt Quetzalcoatl’s confusion turn into rage, then despair, as the betrayal unfolded before his eyes.

The one who had deceived Quetzalcoatl and eventually kidnapped him, bringing him to this place, was a tall man with a dazzling, handsome appearance, short blond hair, and glistening emerald eyes. His face appeared clearly among the scattered memories. He stood before the wounded Esper without fear, wearing the same confident smile Riven remembered all too well.

"Gawain..."

Riven’s eldest brother. The strongest son of Arthur, and the only one whose strength was said to be second to their father’s.

The realization of who this man was sent a chill through Riven’s spine as the last fragments of Quetzalcoatl’s memories faded away.

Of all the people he might have expected to find behind this, he had never imagined seeing his own brother.

But now that he thought about it... yeah, it was all too obvious he’d be involved.

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