The Last Ruler: The Return of the Goddess
The Voice's

A while had passed since Altair and the others had walked closer towards that ice castle. For the first few moments everything was still fine, but then the beginning of darkness came back and dropped countless snowflakes towards them.

A cold wind blew, as if intending to stop their steps and drive them away from there. Something in that place did not allow them to come near and try to hinder them.

" Ughhh! The cold air began to seep in again." said Remilia rather anxious about the problem of this situation.

Yi then replied, "I'll increase my strength." he said.

But before he actually did that, Altair first stopped him. " No! Nay! If you give too much of your energy to the sky-splitting spear, he will continue to absorb it until your energy and vitality are exhausted!" he said in a somewhat panic.

" What..?"

" I still can't control my strength completely, so I didn't completely suppress this spear. All this time he was in a locked state, and it was Lumine who helped control my strength. I'm afraid that if the sacred bird that gave her power is too big the key will be destroyed..."

That sounds very important. Moreover, if you imagine a spear with a mass weight like a star is released. With his strength that was also yet to be measured, it could have been an even more terrifying calamity.

Yi nodded his head understanding that, no one wants to risk total extinction in the world.

Altair was also glad he understood, when...

Brugh...

" Huh?? What's that..??" Aksa was surprised by that.

They heard the sound of something falling to the ground with such a loud sound. And also the snow-shaking footsteps under their feet, being heard and felt at all costs.

Bugh...

The sound of the step stopped, and a black shadow with an enormous form appeared before their barrier. It was very surprising, those who saw how big the creature could barely breathe properly.

The creature's appearance slowly blazed between the snow, a monster with a gorilla-like body, but white-feathered with a lizard-like long tail and a bull's head.

Groarrs...

He shouted towards them with a loud voice, and directed his hands full of sharp claws towards them.

Seeing that, Altair pulled his spear from the starting position. He lifted it up and immediately turned the cold barrier into a sturdy barrier.

Krriyitts...

" Yah!!"

The sound of the monster's hooves trying to scrape its guard was loud, Altair persisted as much as possible to withstand the monster's power. But unfortunately, he was not yet strong enough to make a defense...

Cracks... Cracks..

" Huh..?!!"

Altair was surprised by his protective guard that began to disintegrate, he immediately turned to look at friends and shouted...

" Retreat!!"

Cracks... Prang..!!

Bugh!!

The protector was crushed and the monster slammed his hand into the snow. At the same time, Israhi and the others retreated away. Even Altair threw his own body to dodge that powerful attack.

" Wakhs! What the fuck is with the monster's power?!!" Aksa was really surprised by that sudden thing.

" I can't help my protector.." On the other hand, Altair was a little shocked because the monster was able to break through it.

It was the patron taught by Zico, of course he might be disappointed that it was not as strong as Zico had ever shown. He has been trying for years to master it.

" Altair, focus!"

He gasps when he hears Mira yelling at him, but when Altair lifts his head, the monster is already in front of him...

" Oh no... " Altair was fully aware that it had been the softest to dodge, when the monster raised its hand above its head. " ...I'm gonna get..!" that's what Altair thought.

Shutt... Bugh!...

But before the monster's huge hand hit him, Israhi moved faster and lunged and pushed herself and Altair to dodge. The two fell into the snow together.

While the monster itself, Aksa directly shot out several arrows with poison to him. Followed by Remilia who binds it using chains and electricity. That's when Derrick came in and cut off his head.

The head of the monster fell on the snow with liquid coming out of it, yet it was quite unique...

" The blood is purple" said Derrick, looking at his sword covered in blood from the monster.

" That means that the monster is really infected." Yi said then made all the attention to him, " ...And because of that, it seems true that this place is now controlled by a Ruler. Because this kind of monster will always surround the chaos." he continued.

" So, we have to prepare for this kind of monster, right?" ask Remilia anyway.

" But still... The numbers will really be a problem." Aksa then answered.

" I'm more worried about something else."

Derrick said that when his attention was then on Altair, because it was the other attention also on him.

Altair was not far from there, still sitting on the snow accompanied by Israhi. However, there seems to be something strange about him. It had been their feelings since they arrived in this village...

" Altair, can you hear me? Are you all right?" Israhi tried to confirm it.

But Altair remained silent and did not respond to anything he said, as if fixated on something they could not see there.

" Altrade..."

He looked like a person who was hypnotized by something.

Altair himself was unsure, yet he felt something as if it was himself. And it's...

" ... tair.. Altair!!"

" H-huh??"

He regained his senses when Mira was in front of him, yelling for him and grasping both hands until Altair himself was surprised. Not only him, but his other friends are the same...

" Hey, what's up? Are you hurt??" Aksa asked with a face so worried.

" Altair, please tell me why are you like this? What do you feel in this place??" when Mira then asked something important in this place. " I know you didn't do this for the village or the people in it." he continued.

Altair who heard him was a little surprised, but then he turned his attention in the other direction. He seemed hesitant, even with the answer he wanted to say himself.

" ...I don't know."

" You don't know??" Mira was confused by that answer, especially with the others.

At first he was also convinced that he was doing this because Altair was good or because he was just curious. But during the trip he is not as happy as usual, he just looks like.

" I feel. I hear something." said Altair anyway.

" Do you hear what Altair is??" Derrick also became curious about it, the article is. Except for what they believe is near them.

" It's like someone asked me to come here."

Mira instantly fell silent as she said that, her expression as if unsure or?

Well, it does and gets more confusing for them. But apparently...

" I'm sorry, actually, I heard something like that." Remilia raised her hand and said that to them.

Making everyone look at him in surprise. Why are only the two of them hearing such a thing while they are not?

" Is it because Remilia is a lightning controller, so she can hear a very distant sound??" Aksa started questioning this.

Yi who heard it said, "It could be."

" What about Altair?"

" Maybe because he can control space, it indirectly affects him through empty space and sharpens his hearing" Israhi explained.

" Is there such a thing?"

" It could. Even so, people who had innate space power were rare. So it's hard to explain it in detail." Mira also agreed.

He stood up, holding Altair's hand, which he held tightly.

" Are we going to go back or move forward?" he also asked them.

There was indeed no necessity for them to do that, Altair did not force them either. He just said it, that personal opinion was a different thing.

" Yes, we've come this far. Returning to the village was a bit too troublesome. Moreover, the castle has also been seen from here." said Aksa later, pointing to the big blue and white building behind him.

" It's true.."

Since the appearance of the monster earlier the storm won so a little calmer and the distance of sight was increased, it made it easier for them. It's just that it also makes the monsters that exist, so it looks clearly clustered behind trees and snow not far from them.

" There are many of them too.." Yi said so after seeing all that.

Derrick who heard him swung his sword and said, "Let's get them done first just see what's in there" he said.

The decision is unanimous...

They will continue this journey.