Ashes to Ashes (Two-in-One)

Upon hearing Diomedes' words, Drost's eyes widened in shock. "You..."

Before he could say anything more...

Suddenly, the surrounding light dimmed.

The afternoon sun vanished in an instant, as if the curtains had been drawn, and it was even getting darker.

As everything around them grew dark, only Diomedes shone with a bright light. It was like lighting a candle in a stormy night with a blackout, gradually illuminating everything around them again... except that the inanimate objects turned grayish-white, like old photographs.

Diomedes stood motionless with his hands behind his back, staring blankly at Drost.

A dim yellow flame suddenly ignited in the depths of his eyes. The flame rose for only a moment before freezing and solidifying as if a pause button had been pressed.

Under the old elf's watchful gaze, Drost's movements gradually began to slow down.

Drost's expression froze, and his outstretched hand slowed and eventually stopped. His body was also gradually losing its color.

When Drost came to a complete stop, his body turned into the same black and white as the surrounding room, like a stone statue with empty eyes, or a portrait with a ferocious and comical expression.

In an instant, Drost was subdued by Diomedes.

—Just like those who once tried to assassinate Drost, but were controlled by Diomedes.

Diomedes stared blankly at Drost, his gaze filled with sorrow, as if he were reminiscing about the past.

"Is this the strength of the Pope Guard...?"

Iver sighed softly, a longing rising in his heart.

In this timeline, Yanis left Avalon earlier than expected, presumably because Queen Sophia became a seeker of the Path of Twilight after using a potion. This fundamental shift in their positions created a rift between the two old friends.

Yanis was clearly a staunch balancer. Her return to Avalon after fifty or sixty years was solely to attend the funeral of her old friend.

The Queen's use of a magic potion to break the limits of natural lifespan clearly violated the principles of the Equilibrium Path.

Diomedes' ability to freeze time in others is clearly related to the power of the Path of Twilight.

"I thought the elves all hated the Twilight Power."

Iver, somewhat puzzled, asked a question, interrupting Diomedes's thoughts.

"That's generally true, but the Pope Guard is an exception."

Diomedes tilted his head slightly and patiently explained to his new master, "The lineage of the Pope Guard is simultaneously related to the three paths of Balance, Consecration, and Twilight..."

The old elf was in no hurry, for time was always on his side.

Iver was completely unaware of this knowledge, after all, the Pope Guard was a class that players could not obtain... because it was not a "class".

Not all elves will embark on the path of "profession". The "profession" system is a new path created by Wei Zhe. Only a race like humans, whose path of cultivation is adaptable to a wide range of situations, needs the purification of the path by "profession".

For races like elves, Child of the Moon, and dragons, who are born with a particular inclination towards a particular path, they rely more heavily on the more demanding conditions of "inheritance."

" In the Theocracy, elves generally have an adaptability to Dedication Path, just as humans usually have an adaptability to transcendence and love."

"We are basically divided into two factions: those that favor 'balance' and those that favor 'twilight,' much like political parties in human society, and they are deeply opposed to each other."

Balance comes from the elves' neutrality and their role as checkers; while twilight comes from the elves' long lifespan.

Pokémon that tend to be more proactive in intervening in the affairs of Short-lived Races and are willing to explore new things; while those that tend to be more passive and indifferent, more conservative and distant from Short-lived Races... just like humans who simply don't keep pets because they are afraid of their pets dying.

"Are you more inclined towards the twilight years? Is that why you're so nostalgic?"

"No, I am Pope Guard."

Diomedes replied, "When we receive the inheritance, we are divided into pairs, each learning the power of 'Dawn' and 'Twilight' respectively. After all, 'dedication' is the core of the Theocracy, while balance and twilight are merely means and directions..."

Bright yellow balance and dusky yellow twilight are both yellow.

Those are all lights produced by burning candles.

... Since that's the case.

Since Diomedes is the Knight of Twilight, then what Oswald possesses might be the power of "Dawn"...

Iver thought to himself.

"...well."

Diomedes's contemplation and reminiscence were ultimately interrupted by Iver. He let out a heavy sigh, "In the end, it all came to this..."

He finally moved.

Even if it's just to prove that he's not someone who dwells on the past, this sword strike is inevitable.

Diomedes extended his right hand from behind his back, his index and middle fingers together.

Neither fast nor slow, it stood still and made a light, sweeping gesture in front of it.

Golden arcs of light, like whip blades or soft threads, shot out from his fingertips!

It sliced Drost's body horizontally in two! The moment the Lines of Light touched him, the gray-white Drost instantly regained his color.

However, at this moment his body had already been cut in two with an incredibly smooth cut.

He didn't even realize he had been cut in half at the waist. As his upper body fell backward, he instinctively reached forward to grab at his body, trying to regain his balance. As a result, blood burst out of his body like a flower, instantly solidifying in the air into grayish-white stone flowers after leaving his body.

In Drost's subjective consciousness, he did not see at all when Diomedes ' "Invisible Sword" was drawn.

He had no idea what Iver and Diomedes were talking about.

He only felt the surroundings darken, and he could no longer see Diomedes's sword swing—he only saw a fleeting arc of lightning in his retina before he was struck! What a fast sword!

That's a speed that even the senses can't keep up with—

By the time Drost realized what had happened, the excruciating pain had come too late.

"Uhhhhhhhhhh-"

Drost had been cut in half at the waist, let out a piercing scream and crawled on the ground.

But his voice couldn't escape the dim barrier. They were all frozen in place.

Blood, fat, and internal organs continued to flow from Drost's body, cooling and solidifying after leaving him, turning the same grayish-black color as the surrounding filter. They were mixed together, making it impossible to discern what they originally were.

Within the area illuminated by the light, only Iver and Drost were lit and had color. And only they could hear Diomedes ' voice.

The old elf with a square face looked down at Drost, whom he had watched grow up, with a complicated expression.

"I've given you many chances, Charles."

The old elf sighed, and slowly raised his right hand, which had been hanging down.

"No, don't kill me... Diomedes! Grandpa Diomedes— "

This man, who is eighty or ninety years old and overweight, revealed an intense fear in his eyes—a fear of death and the end of the world.

He screamed hysterically like a child who had fallen to the ground and was crying loudly, "I was wrong, I was wrong, Grandpa! I will change... I've changed! I know I was wrong, Miss Crowley... I was wrong! Forgive me, I will change! I don't want to die, save me!"

He had an incredibly strong will to survive, and his words were incredibly sincere. But no one around him paid any attention to him.

Neither Iver nor Diomedes were the type to soften their stance because of this. They watched him coldly as the fear in Drost's eyes hardened.

"...Please give him to me, Mr. Diomedes."

Iver politely replied, "As for the reason..."

His left hand touched the necklace on his chest, while his right hand ruthlessly flung out the Red Crystal- like card.

The red card spun and flew through the air, gradually losing its color and slowing down after leaving Iver.

But just as it froze completely in mid-air, the black butterfly mark on the card began to flutter its wings. Crimson flames erupted, transforming into a vortex.

"The Paradox Flame Butterfly!"

Iver called out her name loudly, celebrating her awakening.

The necklace on his chest trembled, then flowed out from between Iver's fingers, turning into streams of flame that disappeared into the vortex.

The two streams of flame converged, eventually transforming into four gradient red and black butterfly wings. The edges of the wings continuously cracked like black ash, while the patterns on the wings split open, revealing dazzling golden flames like magma.

Now standing at a full 1.7 meters tall, almost a head taller than Yulia's original form, the Paradox Flame Butterfly is no longer the petite and naive girl she once was.

She looked older than Yulia at that moment, and was the same age as Iver.

And it is obvious that even if Yulia were to grow a few more years older, she would not be able to reach that height.

Yulia's jet-black hair reached her ankles, turning deep red from the ends, burning with blood-like flames.

Her eyes, black with dark red irises, slowly opened, appearing cold and dangerous.

She was currently dressed in a black gauze dress resembling that of a widow. Visible crimson flames burned along the edges of the dress, making her appear as a fire Queen embraced by flames.

—She is the Paradox Flame Butterfly, nurtured to the Fifth Level by Iver.

[The Great Sin: The Paradox Flame Butterfly (The Sun, The Hanged Man)]

[Level: 47]

[The Dedication Path, Attribute: Fire]

Just as her appearance has matured... the Paradox Flame Butterfly of today has finally shed the label of "juvenile." Her consciousness has also become clear and mature, no longer as innocent and naive as in her infancy.

When the Paradox Flame Butterfly was truly under control, Iver was finally able to reinfuse its power into Yulia's body.

However, Yulia herself refused. Her pride was much stronger than Lily's — Yulia stated that she would at least advance to the Third Level through her own power, forming her own unique ability system based on her own Path Trait.

Having learned from the Night Demon's lesson, Iver did not choose to raise the Little Butterfly to the Sixth Level this time, thus triggering the balance mechanism.

When she appeared, the previously dim barrier suddenly brightened. The flames burning on her body illuminated the surrounding space, making the grayish-white things bright again and giving them color.

" —Demon Scholar? Phantom Demon... Yulia!"

Drost, delirious with pain, unconsciously cried out, "You're still alive! You're Demon Scholar!"

His eyes bulged outwards, and the vitality of Fourth Level superhuman allowed him to crawl on the ground and struggle energetically even after being cut in half at the waist.

"Not bad."

The Paradox Flame Butterfly raised the corners of its mouth slightly, revealing a smile that was devoid of any genuine mirth, "You still remember my name."

Her voice is very similar to Yulia's, only more mature and languid.

But unlike the Yulia that Iver remembered, the Paradox Flame Butterfly was much more aggressive—

She stretched out her right hand, and the swirling flames transformed into a giant hand that grabbed Drost's upper body and simply dragged it back to his lower body like a candle being glued on.

"Does it hurt a lot, Mr. Scum?"

Speaking gently, the Paradox Flame Butterfly smiled sweetly like a young girl, with her left hand behind her back.

The next moment, as the deep red flames turned into a blazing white, Drost's charred body began to heal rapidly.

The sensation, like being immersed in a warm spring, instantly dispelled Drost's pitiful screams. His brows relaxed, and his clenched fist, which had been so tightly gripped that it bled profusely, slowly loosened, the bones making a creaking sound.

She shares memories with Yulia, and in a sense, she is another Yulia.

When she was summoned by Iver, the fragments formed from the deaths of "Yulia" and "The Paradox Flame Butterfly" merged with her once more. Memories from this timeline flooded into the Paradox Flame Butterfly's sea of consciousness.

It's not just the memory of the "Paradox Flame Butterfly" that devoured Yulia's body with its demonic form... but also Yulia's unwilling and sorrowful emotions in her final moments.

When the Paradox Flame Butterfly separated from Yulia, Yulia and Isabel were not yet friends. Therefore, the Paradox Flame Butterfly and Isabel were not very close. Sofia's death did not affect her much.

However, Julia, who "saw" this world, died because of Drost's conspiracy. She lost control and almost went mad, killing Aiwass, who had been her only family since childhood. After Aiwass finally managed to stop her madness and defeat her, she wept day and night while touching the remains of the necklace.

The Paradox Flame Butterfly felt a raging fire burning in its chest.

If it were to harm herself, the Paradox Flame Butterfly wouldn't feel such intense resentment and hatred—she is the Paradox Flame Butterfly, a flame butterfly that burns itself with flames.

But to hurt Yulia, to hurt Iver... especially to let her hurt Iver herself.

This fueled the murderous intent within her, which spread like wildfire and became uncontrollable.

Just as Drost's life force was gradually recovering and becoming stronger, his consciousness slowly returned. The Paradox Flame Butterfly looked at Drost, who had reopened his eyes, and slowly raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a somewhat cruel yet blissful smile, "Pain... that's right."

"I was in a lot of pain at the time."

Accompanied by the silvery, clear laughter of the Paradox Flame Butterfly, the flames suddenly reversed again, turning into a thick, blood-red color.

The flames, hotter than before, clung to him like a malignant sore, instantly permeating Drost's entire body.

As the flames burned until Drost's consciousness blurred again, they turned white once more.

The pain subsided like the receding tide, and his body regained sensation from the tingling and warmth. Pain would never numb his senses, because each time he would return to his healthiest state.

In Drost's eyes, pure fear finally appeared. "No, no..."

"You don't want to die, right?"

The Paradox Flame Butterfly danced in the air like Queen of flames, manipulating flames of different attributes.

She stared at Drost, her dark red pupils like congealed blood. "What a coincidence, I didn't want to either."

The flames reversed again in the next moment.

This time, the Paradox Flame Butterfly did not reverse the flames. Instead, it intensified its firepower, using its intense killing intent to burn Drost to ashes.

Iver reached out and gently stroked the hair of the Paradox Flame Butterfly. It was a similar touch to Yulia's, only a little hot... like a glass filled with boiling water.

She just squinted like Little Cat and remained silent.

After gaining complete intellect, she made her first appearance by appearing quite cruel...

... Now that I've calmed down, I feel a little embarrassed.

But she didn't regret it. The Paradox Flame Butterfly thought to itself.

If she had to do it again, she would still do the same thing.

She would feel happy, but also sad, if she saw Iver avenge her and torment Drost for her and Yulia.

... That was the sorrow of relatives being forced to seek revenge and having their hands stained with blood.

Because in her memory... and also in Yulia's memory, Iver was the older brother who was always very gentle, but occasionally seemed a little weak.

He would stay up all night to keep Yulia company when she was feeling unwell; he would also take time off work to stay home with her when Yulia felt lonely at home.

Back when he lived in the Orphanage, Iver's favorite food was fried cod. He would be very happy when he ate fried cod, Yulia would stare at him blankly—a look that no orphan with parents and homeless should have, a look as bright as the sun.

For those who lack hope, that is the color of hope.

Perhaps because Yulia was always looking at him, Iver assumed that she also liked fried cod fillets. Therefore, he would always steel himself and give her most of them.

But actually, Yulia didn't like fried fish at all. It was too greasy for her; she preferred vegetables and desserts.

But whenever Iver gave her food, Yulia felt a warmth in her chest. It was a feeling that made her want to cry... the taste of "family" from Yulia's memories, a feeling she had never known since she could remember.

Yulia knew that she and Iver were never the same kind of people from the very beginning.

Iver had family when he was a child.

He has his own father and mother, and even memories of living with them. He vaguely remembers their faces and names, but the memories are not very vivid.

But Yulia was an abandoned child. She had been an orphan since she could remember. She didn't even know her own surname, let alone whether her parents were still alive.

Iver is like the sun that has fallen to the bottom of the valley; one day he will rise again. There will eventually be many people around him; he will not be the first, nor the last.

But Yulia was a bat who had lived in the valley since birth. She had only ever seen one kind of light, and that was the light of the sun.

However, in Yulia's memory... Iver was actually much more fragile than she was.

He is very afraid of pain; he will cry if he bumps his head or hand. He is also very afraid of bleeding; when he accidentally fell and scraped his knee and it bled, he was so scared that he thought he was going to die.

Iver wasn't the type with few desires. Quite the opposite, he was very greedy... He felt a pang of heartache every time he gave away something he liked to someone else.

He was also very timid, much more timid than Yulia. Yulia was never actually afraid of the dark, but Iver was always afraid of the dark... He wasn't afraid of ghosts, but afraid that someone in there would kill him, just like his parents.

... Even so.

He was willing to hurt himself without mercy and feed his blood to her; he was willing to give up what he liked to Yulia, who was not related to him by blood; he was clearly timid but pretended to be brave in an attempt to protect Yulia.

Therefore, Yulia would pretend to be weak so that Iver could protect her.

Because she is now Iver's "sister".

But the Paradox Flame Butterfly is different.

She is Magic Creature, a phantom. A paradoxical beast that should not exist.

She was a cruel and insane fire demon who nearly burned Iver alive in this world, only regaining her senses at the last moment. Now, it wouldn't be unreasonable for her to burn Drost to death several more times...

Just as the Paradox Flame Butterfly was feeling somewhat disappointed, Iver suddenly spoke up, saying, "You're quite kind."

"Healing him twice was enough to kill him completely... If it were me, I would have killed him at least ten times. As expected, even the most wicked demons of the Path of Dedication can't be that bad."

The Paradox Flame Butterfly raised its head and stared blankly at Iver.

Iver gently touched her and softly called out, "Are you tired? Come back and rest for a while."

Her lips slowly curved upwards, and her body shattered, transforming into a fiery butterfly that slowly came to rest on Iver's fingertip.

... That was by no means a sign of tenderness towards Yulia.

She finally felt it clearly.

That is a light that belongs only to oneself.

—Only when Drost turned to ashes did the Paradox Flame Butterfly completely separate itself from Yulia.

Update complete! My sleep schedule is messed up again, so I'm sacrificing a new book by an old author!