Chapter 3203 — Chapter 3203 Ultima Ratio Regum

In the evening, Noctis was full of dismay and anger.

By the morning, he was in a low and somber mood, savoring tea in the courtyard of the inn with a distant expression on his face. Snuggle was keeping him company, hidden from sight in the draping of his colorful robe — the little doll did not say anything, so Shadow was not sure what her purpose in staying with the youth was.

It was a bit unfamiliar not to feel her tiny weight in his pocket, though... not that he minded.

Surely, he did not mind one bit.

In any case, Shadow had a lot to think about, as well. The conversation with the Altar Sage had stirred his memories, and those memories refused to leave him be. ‘Who doesn't want to be immortal?’ Shadow smiled bitterly.

Among his countless lives, there were some that had been cursed to last forever — even if none did, in the end.

He remembered being a prisoner of the Eternal City, his youthful and flawlessly healthy body infected by the virulent plague of a dead heretic's flesh. Thousands of years of torment, an eternity spent in the darkness of abyssal depths... the pain, the horror, the madness, the collapse of both his spirit and his mind.

He remembered being a Saint whose immortal body became a host for a terrifying vine. That eternity was no less traumatic to recall.

He remembered a shattered skeleton slowly crawling across a sea of obsidian dunes, denied the peaceful embrace of death even after coming uninvited to death's lightless realm.

No matter what kind of immortality Shadow could remember, it was always a curse. And how could it not be?

Death was peace, after all. Death was solace. Those who were refused its grace were doomed to never find either one. Shadow thought about his own endless and unforgiving existence. Wasn't he immortal already? If there was one thing that wielded no power over him, it was time.

However, he was not entirely immune to time, either.

Shadow would not be destroyed by its passage... but he was changing.

He was changing swiftly, in fact.

That was something he had noticed after entering the human city. Ever since meeting Snuggle, and then Noctis... ever since embarking on this misguided journey... he could not quite recognize himself.

Would the Shadow from the past have bothered to hide his identity? To get involved in the tiresome conflict of Transcendent rulers? To explain their schemes to a brash youth, let alone attempt to give that youth advice?

No. The creature Shadow had been would have never come to Arelen’s city, and even if he did, it would not have given that human any time.

But now that Shadow was surrounded by people, exposed to the bright radiance of day, the outer layers of his vast being were dissipating one after another.

What would be revealed when enough of them were gone?

He did not know, and was wary of finding out.

So even if Shadow did not care what would happen to these two Transcendent rulers and their lands, he found himself feeling troubled — no different from Noctis.

It was just that Shadow did not have to do anything, while Noctis had to do a lot.

He had to grow up, come to terms with the nuanced nature of the world, and make a difficult choice — all in the span of several days.

On the first day, Noctis remained in the courtyard of the inn, staring into the distance.

On the second day, he went outside, wandering the streets of the city and looking at the frightened refugees sheltered behind its walls.

On the third day, Noctis wanted to visit the stronghold and confront the Altar Sage... But before he could, war horns bellowed from beyond the city wall, causing a panic among the citizens.

Irian the Blade of Dawn had arrived at the head of her army.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"

Cursing loudly, Noctis hurriedly put on his outer robes. He even layered colors that weren't complementary, which revealed just how great the turmoil in his heart was.

Observing him, Shadow raised an eyebrow.

"So? Did you decide what to do?"

He was genuinely curious what the youth would choose.

Noctis stared at him for a moment, then cursed under his breath and rushed outside.

"No!"

That was a kind of choice, as well. Opening the gates of the inn, Noctis threw a look over his shoulder and added:

"Let's go take a look first. We can come up with something later."

Shadow lingered for a moment, then shrugged and followed. As he did, a squeaky voice resounded from somewhere down below.

“Wait for me! Wait for me!"

Scurrying across the floorboards, Snuggle jumped clumsily, clutched the hem of his tunic, and climbed up to sit on his shoulder.

There, she huffed while catching her breath — which amused Shadow quite a lot, considering that the little doll did not need to breathe — and pointed forward.

“Let's go! Advance!"

Shadow sighed.

Feeling like a giant who had been turned into a horse by a tiny human, he caught up with Noctis and pulled him into the shadows. A moment later, the three of them appeared on the battlements atop the wall. Arelen's soldiers were already there, hastily preparing for battle, and the Altar Sage himself had just arrived as well. He stood on the ramparts above the city gates, looking at the plain beyond with a composed expression. Winds tussled his auburn hair, and his eyes glistened in the golden light of dawn.

Out there on the field in front of the city, the enemy army had already assembled its ranks. Irian's warriors were far more numerous than the defenders of the city, and looked more seasoned as well.

As for their commander...

While Arelen had the air of a scholar, Irian the Blade of Dawn looked like a sharp weapon forged to cut down enemies on the battlefield.

She was a radiantly beautiful woman of tall stature, lithe and slender like a drawn sword, wearing armor crafted from white scales and polished bronze. In the rays of the rising sun, the bronze elements of her armor blazed with fiery radiance, as did the head of her long spear.

Dismounting from her snow-white warhorse, Irian raised her head and gazed at the gates of the city. Her hazel eyes were like liquid gold, and her hair was like a waterfall of warm sunlight, gathered into a braid and held in place by a bronze diadem.

“Arelen!"

Her voice boomed above the vast field, making the soldiers on the wall tremble.

“I've come to seek justice for the lives of the innocent people you slew!"

Pointing her long spear at the figure of the Altar Sage, Irian gritted her teeth and then shouted:

"Come down and face me, coward! I'll send them off to the Shadow Realm by spilling your blood!"

Arelen studied her silently from the battlements, then smiled.

“Innocent people? Those people were thieves who took that which did not belong to them. Surely, you did not bring your army here because I punished some thieves? Oh, but it looks like you did."

His smile turned cold and merciless.

“If so, why don't you come up and face me here instead?"

Irian glared at him for a moment, then laughed darkly.

“So this is how it is. It seems that you have lost all your shame, Arelen the Altar Sage! Fine, then... let us end this dispute with sharp blades instead of treacherous words. Let us show the gods which one of us deserves to be the last one standing!"

Atop the wall, Noctis clenched his fists.

“These two fools... why are they acting as if lam not even here?"

Shadow shook his head lightly.

"Oh, quite the opposite. They are both painfully aware of you. Irian is putting on a brave face, while Arelen is using the fact that you're on this side of the wall to rattle her."

A disbelieving chuckle escaped from the young hero's lips.

“Wonderful... simply wonderful. So even by doing nothing, I am still being used to bolster one side."

He smiled bitterly and shook his head.

“Ah... when I left the temple, I thought that if I was strong enough, valiant enough, and lucky enough, no enemy would be able to stand in my way. But these few days have taught me a bitter lesson, Shadow. Being strong and brave is great, sure."

His smile became a little mocking, as if he was ashamed of himself.

“But being cunning and devious is far more important. Who knew that sages would be deadlier than warriors? Alas, the word is truly mightier than the sword."

Shadow gave him a look of confusion.

“Well, of course it is. After all, any decent Shaper can turn a swordsman into a bloodstain by simply opening their mouth."

Looking the young Transcendent up and down, he sighed.

“It seems to me that you have chosen the fourth option? You are going to fight Arelen and Irian both?"

Noctis smiled crookedly.

“What's the point? What will happen if I kill both of them? Nothing good..."

He remained silent for a moment, then shook his head with a wistful expression.

“I can't do anything to resolve this situation. The best thing I can do... is do nothing."

Then, he turned and looked Shadow directly in the eye.

For a moment, a hint of hope flashed in his eyes.

“What about you, Shadow? Can you do something?"

Sitting on Shadow's shoulder, Snuggle threw a nervous glance at him.

"No, no... he can't. He promised not to kill anyone!"

Shadow remained silent, looking at Irian's army with a calm expression.

Could he do something?

And if he could, was there a reason to be involved?

Troubled, Shadow looked down.

Slowly, a strange pain permeated his entire being, forcing him to give Noctis an answer. Finally, he sighed.

"Can I? I guess I can."

On the walls of the city, the archers were nocking arrows on the strings of their bows.

Below the walls, on the field, Irian's army was preparing to charge.

The two Transcendents, former comrades, studied each other somberly. They were ready to clash and kill each other, as well. Mere moments remained until the start of the battle.

But before the first arrow pierced the radiance of dawn...

A dreadful roar suddenly split the heavens apart.

The ground quaked, and a cold wind blew

across the battlefield, causing deathly fear to grasp the hearts of mortal warriors with icy claws.

Something far more terrifying than either of the Transcendent rulers was approaching.