I.. Am God?

"This.." Matthias gasped, "Is that odd spirit.." He uttered.

"Yes.." Verdana nodded and smiled saddeningly, "The odd spirit, product of a Spirit and an Erdenkind, just wanting to avenge his family that was done injustice, led his people to free the abused, with the corruption of power and materialistic desires, became the Tyrant Lord Kelbrom that now everybody fear."

Matthias was shocked by the Triant King's story, revealing the truth about the Tyrant.

"With the creation of Ichtir en masse, and the constant rebellions against him, Kelbrom began to order his minions into invading the rebel territories, sparking the War of The Old Age."

"Kelbrom continued to capture maidens and producing Ichtir while the rebel forces unite under the Spirit Prince Selfirion. Kelbrom also defeated Amalachadh and fused him into himself, achieving absolute power over Erdenkind and his subjects."

"With the terror that Kelbrom unleashed upon the realm, I and my children joined the war against the unbridled Tyrant Lord. Me and my children with tens of thousands of soldiers from different races, Treants, and the beasts faced against the Erdenkind, Ichtir, the Thirteen Blackest Generals, and Kelbrom. After that came a long and bloody battle between the two sides that lasted for generations."

"Power really is scary. On one hand, it can do good, but it can also influence evil and corrupt the good." Matthias murmured.

Verdana nodded, "Kelbrom was a powerful and complicated adversary. If he didn't turn into a corrupted individual, he would've led his kind and rise into the new Realm Emperor of Aqiartha with full support from it." He added.

"What Realm Emperor?" Matthias asked with curiosity.

"Power that could be used for good or evil. It depends if the ruler could be easily corrupted by mortal desires." Verdana answered.

"You also need to always remember that, for you are the representation of power itself." Verdana reminded him with caution, "Your very being is that of pure authority and absolute power. Be careful not to head towards the path of evil and malevolence."

Matthias and Verdana talked for a while more. Suddenly, Verdana smiled with age slowly creeping up on him, "My time has come." He extended his hand towards the baffled Matthias and opened his palm, revealing a huge crystal ball that was being orbited by different colors of small lights, forming something that looked like an atom. "I bestow upon you all of my faith. Save this world from the claws of Kelbrom. I beg of you." Then, like a withering tree, the Triant King Verdana slowly decayed and turned into ashes, sinking deep into the clear ground.

"Hey. Hey!" Matthias gasped and yelled at the ground, calling the Triant King that was now gone without a doubt.

Outside the white realm where Matthias currently is, Princess Yuna that was currently still praying beside the hollow body of Matthias that still looked like how it is before his soul traveled inside the Triant King's realm. Out of a sudden, she jolted with worry plastered on her face. "W-What happened?"

She looked at the tree worriedly, seeing that nothing changed. She was relieved physically, but still, deep in her soul, she suddenly felt empty.

She turned to Matthias and called him, "Hey, we need to go."

No response.

She then nudged him. Because Matthias' soul was still inside, the body flops down, as if it was dead, scaring the already worried princess. "Matthias!" She cried out.

Indian the white realm, Matthias' soul jolted, as if glitching. Matthias then closed his eyes, willing the soul to return to the body.

"!!!" Matthias' body jolted and his eyes suddenly bursted wide open. He sat up straight and stood up quickly.

Matthias sighed with relief knowing that he was already in his body but suddenly..

Ppiak!

A slap flew straight at his face as the distressed Princess Yuna glared at him with a sharp stare. "You asshole!" She yelled.

"Why!?" Matthias yelled back while holding his reddened cheek. "I thought you were dead, you freak!" She berated him with irritation.

"Wha–" Matthias couldn't even finish what he wanted to say when Princess Yuna abruptly grabbed his wrist and yanked him.

"We're leaving. Hurry up!" She commanded with urgency.

"What's going on? Why the rush?" Matthias asked, baffled.

Princess Yuna turned to him and whispered, "I sensed something weird, and I am worried. We need to leave as soon as possible."

"She has a sharp sense." Matthias thought to himself. He knew what the cause of that feeling was. The death of the Triant King Verdana's soul would affect at least something with his worshippers, be it they suddenly becoming sad, worried, or even straight up know that he is gone.

Matthias turned to gaze at the flourishing tree behind him. Even though the glorious tree still stands lushly and filled with vitality, knowing that it was but a soulless vessel that would only continue living until it finally reached the end of its life, decaying and being devoured by the ground, Matthias was once again shown realization of the cycle of life and death.

As a plant, the tree as a seed grows and escapes the land that was shackling it, showing its existence to the world not as a meager seed but as an infant plant. It grows slowly and reaches its peak, with its weak stem becoming a hardened trunk to face thousands of storms, its small branches becoming home for birds and creatures alike. Its buds turn into lush green leaves to become cover for everyone from the heat.

But time will come for a mighty tree to fall. With years going by and its vitality worn, the hardened trunk chips and cracks, the branches falling off because of its weakness, and its once lush greens drying into yellow and autumn orange leaves falling down, decorating the ground.

Matthias sighed at the glorious tree's fate and suddenly had an idea. He turned to Princess Yuna and said, "Wait for me." He then flew up with his control of the wind.

He flew to the back of the tree where no one could see him and broke a branch of the tree, storing it inside his spatial ring. He then flew down and returned to Princess Yuna's side, "Let's go!" He beckoned.

After saying their farewells, Matthias and Princess Yuna hopped on their horses and rode back to the Forest of Ganae.

At Ichosterse, the Black Tower of the Ichtir. As always, the Tyrant Lord sar on his mighty ominous throne, unable to move.

Suddenly, his eyes opened wide and he crackled with laughter and glee, "Hahaha! Finally, that distasteful old pack of soil is dead!" He yelled with utmost joy.

"Delfir!" He called out, but no one responded for a long time. He changed who he was calling, "Siph!" Still, no one responded.

"Where are they?!" He yelled with irritation and anger.

p On the path to Ganae, Matthias and Princess Yuna were rushing back with full speed.

Suddenly, from the top of the trees, thirteen black-cloaked figures landed down perfectly, surrounding them with no escape.

The two's horses neighed as they stopped forcefully. Matthias and Princess Yuna turned to look at each other and nodded with mutual understanding.

They jumped down and prepared for a battle while their horses ran in panic. Not being able to stop them, Matthias resigned and summoned the laws and prepared to utilize them at any moment. He then detached the sword at his waist and threw it to the princess. Princess Yuna drew the sword from its scabbard and took her stance.

As if looking at fools, the thirteen crackled with laughter and mockery. One of them mocked the two with an irritating voice, "Oh? They will fight? How scary! Hahahaha!"

"How laughable they are, can't even resign to their own fate!" Another added.

"Enough talk. Let's just get over this." Another man lazily demanded.

With that, they each took off their hoods, revealing their faces. "The Elven Templars?!" Princess Yuna suddenly exclaimed.

"Who?" Matthias whispered. "The Elven Templars were fifteen elves under my deceased uncle's command that suddenly vanished. We supposed that they were already dead, but I guess I was wrong." Princess Yuna replied.

"Alive? I find that unbelievable." Matthias shook his head with incredulity, because the thirteen people in front of him had something in common; their bodies reeked of death energy!

"Yes. I remembered we are the Elven Templars, aren't we?" One of the figures 'ohhed'.

"Eng! The bodies were! Hahahaha!" Another answered with an eerie laughter.

"Bodies?" Princess Yuna grimaced and glared at the thirteen 'elves'. "Who are you all?" She growled with the grip on the sword in her hand tightening.

"We?" The 'elves' asked simultaneously. "We are His Excellency's greatest generals since the Old Age. His Thirteen Blackest Generals!" They declared with heartfelt pride.

Hearing them, Matthias and Princess Yuna grimaced and became solemn. Their eyes were suddenly filled with determination to fight.

Looking around, Matthias roamed his eyes for something. He suddenly fixated on a direction and displayed eyes filled with determination.

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