Chapter 213 [Final Event] [Closing Ceremony] [13] Alphonse Celesta



"Draven."

"I know, Charles."

Charles and Draven stopped suddenly.

"There," Charles pointed with a sense of trepidation.

A resounding boom shook the surroundings, and from within the explosion of golden light emerged the imposing figure in white armor.

In the midst of the shimmering golden light, the air crackled with an almost electric tension as Charles and Draven confronted the enigmatic figure before them. The young man stood tall in pristine white armor, his face concealed behind an enigmatic golden masquerade mask. His platinum blond hair cascaded down in a ponytail, and his mesmerizing eyes showcased a captivating heterochromia— one sapphire blue, the other gleaming silver, devoid of any emotion.

Draven's forehead glistened with sweat, a clear sign of his unease. "Charles... he is a monster," he muttered, his voice trembling with fear and awe.

The golden sparkles seemed to dance in the young man's presence, further enhancing his ethereal aura. His platinum blond ponytail swayed gracefully as a powerful gust of wind surrounded him. Draven readied himself, summoning a tempest of swirling wind that threatened devastation in its wake.

"I know..." A similar gravity settled upon Charles, who drew forth the Holy Sword of Michael, its radiant glow imbuing him with a surge of power. Ahead of them, the air distorted with golden sparkles, heralding the arrival of an overwhelming force.

The young man remained unyielding, his demeanor unshaken by the approaching onslaught. Draven propelled himself forward, delivering a thunderous punch aimed at the mysterious figure.

-BOOOOM!

But the impact had little effect. The young man simply extended his palm, effortlessly halting Draven's powerful attack. A shockwave rippled through the golden sky, showcasing the vast disparity in their strengths. Draven's expression turned to one of disbelief as he witnessed the futility of his assault.

"He's too strong," Draven gasped, realizing the magnitude of the adversary before him.

Charles nodded in agreement and instinctively grasped his Crown, an Hallow of Eden, seeking to channel its power. He could feel a surge of energy coursing through him, yet he knew it might not be enough to face this formidable foe.

A tremendous tornado encircled Draven as he summoned all his might, readying for another attempt. But the young man remained stoic, untouched by the howling gales around him.

-BOOOOM!

Draven's fist struck once more, but it was futile. The young man halted the attack effortlessly, leaving Draven in awe of the vast difference in their abilities. The realization dawned on Draven that they were facing a truly unparalleled adversary—a monster beyond their comprehension.

"Draven, move!" Charles's voice echoed urgently, snapping Draven out of his shock.

Swift as the wind, Charles appeared behind the young man, wielding the Holy Sword of Michael with astonishing speed. A golden flash illuminated the sky as the blade whistled through the air. Charles could almost taste victory, sensing the illusion of victory as he believed he had struck the man down.

But the young man reacted with unfathomable agility. A sudden kick landed with brutal force in Charles's stomach, launching him through the air like a projectile. The impact expelled the air from his lungs, causing him to spit blood as he careened past several houses, the structures crumbling in his wake.

"Charles-!" The air crackled with tension as Draven crouched down, a sense of impending danger washing over him. Reacting swiftly, he narrowly avoided the young man's deadly fists, which flew just inches above his head. But the danger was far from over.

-Bam!

A powerful knee-kick struck Draven's stomach, sending him hurtling upward. Grimacing against the pain, he summoned a tremendous amount of mana, preparing for a devastating counterattack. "Aeolus's Divine Blast!"

-BOOOOOOM!

A massive green tornado erupted from Draven's palm, hurtling towards the enigmatic figure with incredible force. The cyclone slammed into the young man's head, sending him reeling backward.

"D-Draven! Don't let him rest!" Charles, with a pale face and blood dripping from his mouth, called out urgently. Despite his injuries, he propelled himself forward in a dazzling display of golden light, determined to keep the pressure on their formidable foe.

"Yeah!" Draven roared in response, refusing to relent. He gathered another overwhelming surge of mana, ready to unleash another devastating attack.

"Ah!" Charles slashed again his sword flowing in golden light but the impact of his strike was absorbed effortlessly by the young man, who seemed unaffected by the powerful blow. The masked figure didn't flinch or show any signs of pain; instead, he looked at Charles with an enigmatic gaze, as if measuring his opponent's strength.

"Charles, we can't take him head-on!" Draven warned, still recovering from his failed attack.

Charles gritted his teeth, realizing the truth in Draven's words. The masked man before them was no ordinary foe. His power surpassed anything they had encountered before, and even the combined might of two Monarchs seemed futile against him.

As the young man stepped forward, the air around him seemed to distort with golden sparkles, and an aura of overwhelming energy emanated from his form. His presence alone was enough to make Charles and Draven feel as if they were standing before an unstoppable force of nature.

"He's right. We need to find a way to outmaneuver him," Charles said, his mind racing to come up with a plan. He knew that their only chance of survival lay in finding a weakness in their opponent or seeking an opening to escape.

-BOOOOM!

Out of nowhere, a tornado of searing flames engulfed the young man, creating a chaotic inferno. As the flames roared, a beautiful red-haired woman landed gracefully near Draven and Charles.

"Brida!" Draven immediately recognized her as Brida Toyreas, Kleah's sister.

Charles displayed a small smile, relieved to see another strong ally join them.

However, Brida's expression was far from joyous as she glared at the figure trapped inside the fiery tornado. The once-red whirlwind now exhibited streaks of golden lightning, crackling and surging with immense power.

"From where are these monsters coming?" Brida muttered in utter disbelief.

"I don't know, but it's puzzling why they appear now. Ante-Eden seems to have quite the arsenal of monsters to eradicate our Kingdom..." Draven responded, his gaze shifting from the mysterious figure to Charles, who seemed deeply troubled as he stared at the emerging threat.

"Charles, are you okay?" Draven asked with concern, having noticed Charles acting strangely since their encounter with the enigmatic young man.

"I...I think I know him..." Charles mumbled, his voice trembling.

"What?" Draven was taken aback.

"Some say that ignorance is bliss." The young man's cold, indifferent voice rang out as he removed his slightly charred golden mask. He caressed the mask for a moment before it vanished with a flick of his finger. "But I think 'curse' is the most appropriate word." His voice turned charmingly soft.

"...!"

Charles, Draven, and Brida widened their eyes in shock as the young man underwent a transformation. A radiant golden light enveloped his entire body, causing his once-white armor to elongate and transform into an elegant white battle dress armor. The strong figure now possessed perfect feminine lines, hidden but still visible beneath the armor.

Her face was nothing short of breathtaking.

With her platinum hair tied into a flowing ponytail, the young woman's enchanting heterochromia eyes locked onto the three Monarchs without a hint of exhaustion. "Charles Celesta, Draven Stormdila, Brida Teraquin, heirs of Eden's legacy, you are but insects in 'their' grand scheme of things."

Her words sent chills down their spines, and Charles could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

The young woman extended her left, soft hand, and a sublime golden scepter appeared in her grasp.

"The Scepter!" Charles immediately recognized the Hallow of Eden that had been stolen from his treasury. Then, the undeniable truth struck him. "Y-You are Alphonse Celesta?"n0Velusb.c0m

"Is that a joke, Charles?" Draven laughed weakly. "He died six hundred years ago fighting that monstrous Arvatra Princess, and..." Draven glanced at the stunning woman. "He was a man, right?"

Charles shook his head. "It's definitely him... Her eyes and the way she wields lightning are mentioned in the ancient archives of the Second Great Holy War, and... the Scepter was Alphonse's weapon..."

"I-It's impossible!" Draven stammered, struggling to comprehend the truth before his eyes. "He was a Legendary Hero who sacrificed himself in battle! A-And even if she was him, wh-why would she ally herself with those bastards of Ante-Eden?! We are her allies!"

"I-I just want my sister!" Brida cut them off, her voice trembling with emotion, as she glared at Alphonse. "Where is my sister?!"

Alphonse remained silent, refusing to answer her desperate plea.

"Father!"

Suddenly, Miranda's voice rang out from the ground. She looked up with concern etched across her face. However, when Alphonse's gaze met hers, a sense of impending danger washed over her.

"M-Miranda! What are you doing here?! Go to the Palace, find safety!" Draven urgently shouted.

"I-I..." Miranda hesitated, biting her lip. "E-Elona and Edward must be inside! I'm going to find them!" She declared, using her wind manipulation to propel herself towards the Garden.

"Jasmine." Alphonse's voice was calm and commanding.

"Should I kill her?" Another voice, dark and sinister, emerged from beside Alphonse, catching Draven's attention. To his shock, he realized that there was another person standing beside Alphonse, someone who had appeared unnoticed. This mysterious woman was clad in full grey attire, and her presence exuded the overwhelming pressure of a peak Monarch.

"No." Alphonse responded with her eyes fixed on Miranda's retreating figure. "The Cursed Princess is important. Just stop her."

"As you wish, Alphie," the woman named Jasmine replied with a sinister smile before vanishing, heading straight towards the Garden.

"NO!" Draven shouted, attempting to follow his daughter, but he was intercepted.

"Divine Blast."

-BOOOOOOOM!

The very tornado of wind that Draven had conjured was now turned against him, but instead of wind, it was now infused with deadly lightning.

"U-Ugh!" Draven's body emitted smoke as he fell from the sky, the silver glow in Alphonse's eye reflecting the cold scene.