Both brothers looked against each other. One, possessed of full determination, ready to face and accept the truth of his life. The other, still chained by the duty of lies, corrupted and controlled in every inch of his being.

  "You've changed a lot, Rein." Luke said, using his remained will to speak.

  "Yeah, same as you. Though, you're far uglier than I imagined."

  Luke gripped his spear in annoyance, then pointed it at Rein, threatening him. "You dare to defy my will?"

  "Straight to the point, aren't you?" Rein's expression hardened. "That's right, and I'm sorry. I cannot let your chain bind me any further."

  "I see." Luke disappeared in an instant.

  Carol, enduring the searing pain of her injuries, cried out a warning. "Watch out!"

  Knowing what she was about to warn him of, Rein immediately lifted his lance. He met Luke's spear thrust exactly where it aimed.

  Despite Luke using his monstrous strength to push him aside, Rein didn't yield. He immediately broke the clash and slammed his lance into the ground, instantly erupting a few rows of Azure spikes directly toward Luke. Luke backed away, but another spike erupted where he intended to land. He threw his spear, destroying the spike and securing a safe landing.

  He gripped his spear hard, his voice resonating as he began casting the Zarikh and Leviathan spells. A vast Domain Spell formed. It was a territory created solely for the users, trapping both him and Rein inside and cutting them off from any third party disturbance.

  Carol, her eyes half closed and blinded by the blinding light of the spell's formation, gasped in shock as both brothers vanished from the battlefield.

  As Rein opened his eyes, he was shocked by the transformed landscape.

  All he saw was vast of deadly terrain covered in frozen, chilling spikes. Luke stood firm, locking his contemptuous gaze upon Rein, ready for the duel.

  "Are you the one who created this?" Rein asked, concerned by the sheer scope of the change.

  "I had to. If you insist on defeating me all by yourself." Luke immediately raised his hand, commanding the landscape to form enormous pillars of ice that lunged at Rein.

  Rein jumped back, landing and dodging the colossal spikes with ease. Without pausing, Luke summoned Ice minions at the moment Rein was still in motion. Rein noticed his brother’s tactic and pierced the minions one after another until they were gone. Next, a few Ice Golems leaped forward, but their attack was useless. Rein slammed his free hand on the ground, summoning a devastating flower of ice thorns that instantly shattered the golems.

  Frustrated by Rein's sudden increase in power, Luke charged forward, striking his spear against Rein's lance. As their weapons clashed, their gazes locked, inches apart. They broke apart, backing away. Without stopping, Rein rushed his older brother, while Luke created a terrain of spikes as a decoy. Rein slashed and pierced through the obstacles until he was close again. However, Luke stomped his spear on the ground, creating a hurricane of infectious ice that pushed Rein aside.

  His spear surged with energy. Luke spun his weapon, swinging it at Rein. The energy was so powerful it split the terrain behind Rein. Despite dodging and parrying the increasingly fast attacks, wounds began to appear on Rein's body as he tanked the deadly residual energy.

  With a final, powerful thrust from Luke, an exhausted Rein was staggered backward into a spike terrain. A mist of ice erupted upon his landing, but it wasn't enough to stop him. Rein still stood, though blood streamed from his mouth and arms, his determination unwavering.

  Annoyance morphed into fury on Luke's face. He leaped back into the sky, his spear swelling into a colossal, malevolent harpoon, ready for the kill.

  Rein responded instantly. He enhanced his lance while swinging it. Though his weapon was not nearly as massive as Luke's harpoon, he felt it was more than enough.

  Luke commanded the harpoon to plunge toward his younger brother, while Rein leaped toward the descending weapon. The sound of a loud clang echoed across the domain as their edges clashed. Luke's force was superior, but Rein pushed forward, strengthening his grip on his lance.

  (Although I cannot reset the past...)

  A flicker of his first interactions with Luke crossed his mind.

  (Although I cannot save them all...!)

  The flicker of the incident between the calamity and his family.

  The harpoon began to crack, unable to handle the pressure from Rein's weapon.

  (I can still reshape my own future...!)

  A flicker from his first interactions with his colleagues until the exam.

  The harpoon shattered completely. Luke, visibly shocked as his mask began to break, immediately commanded the fractured pieces to return, reforming his spear in his hand.

  Rein summoned a terrain of Azure ice beneath him, using it as a launchpad to hurtle toward Luke.

  The final act was upon them. Their weapons clashed one last time.

  "The duty, the lies..." Rein looked directly at Luke, a mixture of sympathy and relief washing over him. "It was nothing." Luke's spear quickly shattered, completely destroyed. "Compare to my own Ambition!" Rein roared, piercing Luke in the stomach and pinning him into the ground.

  Blood spilled from the wound. Luke's corruption and transformation faded, and the Domain Spell dissolved.

  It was a victory, though a tragically bittersweet one for Rein.

  The frozen territory around the manor slowly dissolved, and the infectious ice on Carol's organs began to recede. Shocked, Carol let the ice drain away, seizing the opportunity to rest while watching the brothers have their final moment.

  Rein, panting uncontrollably, felt his exhaustion hit. The lance that had pierced his brother morphed back into his familiar wand.

  "Seems like your ambition is true... Rein." Luke whispered, looking up at the sky, using the last of his will to talk.

  Rein remained silent, holding his brother in his arms.

  "I can see it so clearly, you know? The wings behind you."

  "My wings?" Rein asked, confused by the words.

  "When we clashed, they reinforced themselves. They were beautiful and clean. Just like a pure Azure element." Luke replied, coughing up blood.

  "Is that so..." Rein's tears slowly fell, landing on Luke's cheek.

  "Look at you... seems like that mask finally shattered, huh?"

  "Please... don't joke about it, Brother Luke..." Rein fought to hold back his tears.

  "Everything is my fault. For holding you to this chain... But I'm glad you managed to break it..." Luke lifted a hand, rubbing Rein's head for the first and last time. He then managed a smile, a genuine, emotional smile. "I'm so proud of you, Rein! I really am!"

  "Brother..."

  With that, Luke's hand fell limp. His eyes became hollow, a sign of no life. The person Rein had admired, who had suffered in his misery, had finally found rest.

  Rein lost control. His emotions burst out, and he cried messily, like a child mourning over loved one. Though he knew his lamenting couldn't bring Luke back, he felt the permanence of his newly forged will. From this moment, Rein decided to take the mantle of his older brother, committed to pursuing their purpose in his own, unbroken way.

  (Few months later)

  "Wake up, Rein. Wake up," Lily said, casually poking Rein's cheek.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  He only groaned in annoyance, swaying his hand vaguely, signaling he didn't want to be disturbed.

  Because of his stubbornness, she immediately pulled out her wand and morphed it into a gleaming ice sword. With a dramatically exaggerated menacing look, she slammed the sword's pommel on a nearby table, sending a sudden flash of cold that harmlessly coated the window in frost.

  Rein instantly shot up, shocked by the sudden chill and the threatening blade.

  After a minute of readying himself, Rein opened the door. Lily, the culprit, greeted him without a hint of apology.

  Rein only sighed, deciding to let it be. "So, why are you here again?"

  "Guiding you to the dining room and remind you about the meeting," Lily said. They began walking down the corridor.

  "The meeting, huh. Guess we can't avoid it."

  "Duh, of course we can't, Mr. Azerin," Lily teased, trying to make him blush.

  "You really love making me blush, Lily. That's what I don't like about you."

  She giggled in amusement. "I can't help it, okay? It's been such a long time since I've seen you have any emotion."

  "Really? Well, I kinda miss having that mask on sometimes. At least I didn't have to face all this paperwork."

  "That's the consequence of volunteering to take Brother Luke's duties, you moron. But honestly, I'm glad you finally opened up."

  Rein listened in silence.

  "After you shared all those memories and the full picture of that incident, I feel like my heart can rest easy. I guess that's why all the villagers and residents of this manor believe in you now."

  "Yeah. Thank goodness that worked out. If not, I might had to run to the countryside," Rein joked. "But there's something that's bugging me."

  "Is it the Great Calamities?"

  Rein nodded. "To think that creature actually exists in our world... with the ability to erase someone's existence. No wonder Brother Luke had a crashout."

  They stopped in front of the dining room.

  "We're here. Your colleagues are waiting inside."

  "Oh, before that. Can you call me 'Brother' again, just like you used to?" Rein asked, showing a small grin.

  "W-why should I do that?! We're not blood related, remember?!"

  "I-I guess you're right..." Rein said, his disappointment obvious.

  Lily sighed at how childish Rein was acting, but she also couldn't blame him. "Only this time, okay?"

  Rein's eyes glittered with excitement. Lily cleared her throat. "B-Brother Rein..."

  He looked like the happiest person in the world, almost swaying on his feet.

  "Can we just enter this room now?" Lily said, feeling her irritation returning.

  As they entered the room, all his colleagues which is Carol, Aria, Noire, and Saria, were seated, looking at Rein with proud smiles. The moment Rein's gaze met Revir's, they shared a single, quick nod. It was a silent sign of friendship and mutual understanding.

  Rein finally took a seat at the head of the table. The atmosphere was not intense, but rather like a casual, serious discussion between family.

  "Look at you, Rein. Now a Holder." Carol said, proud that her colleague had finally found his purpose.

  "Thanks for the kind words, Carol. But it's not official yet."

  "Well, take your time. You'll eventually declare yourself as the new Head, right?" Aria said, assuring him.

  "Yeah. But beforehand, let's get to the main topic."

  "The war, isn't it?" Noire said, his tone serious.

  "No. That's not what we'll be discussing today. There’s been no progress in the war between two territory. Even the Tempest Holder hasn't sent any new message to us."

  Everyone showed a confused expression, including Lily, who was sitting beside him.

  "If that's the case, what are we going to talk about?" Carol pressed, desperate for an answer.

  "It's about the Calamities."

  Revir's brows twitched. He instantly knew where Rein was going.

  "I found a lost history book in the library," Rein said, pulling the book out with his storage spell. "It states that the Calamities have been around far longer than the first Flame Eclipse war." He pointed to a page. "There are a total of four Calamities, each with unique abilities. One of them possesses the ability to erase someone's existence. It was called Existential Erasure."

  The group’s tension immediately spiked.

  "So what are you trying to do with these 'Calamities' you're talking about?" Revir asked, a slight hint of fury in his tone.

  "There's a Calamity in our territory. And that creature has the same exact ability."

  Revir sighed, disappointment heavy in his voice. "You want to seal this creature away, am I right?"

  "Y-Yeah. How did you know that?"

  "Just my gut. But if you want to seal a creature permanently, you have to find the one specialized for that job." Revir instantly stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "We have to find a Sealer. They're the ones responsible for sealing these kinds of creatures."

  "Sealer, huh. How can you be so sure they're suitable for this job?" Rein asked, needing detailed information.

  "They possess an ability no Margias or Holder has. You must rely on them if you want to prevent another chaos like the one we just faced a few months back."

  "Do you know their location?" Carol asked.

  "I... I don't know yet. But I can request my friends out there to guide us. Only then can we find the Sealer."

  "Alright, it seems we've reached an agreement," Rein said as everyone stood up.

  "I suggest we all ready ourselves for the next few days. After that, we'll meet again outside the manor." Carol suggested, looking at Rein. "How does the plan sound, Rein?"

  He nodded, but Lily pressed his clothes, frustrated. "Are you going to leave us again?" she asked, sadness in her tone.

  "Don't worry. I'm not leaving this time," he said, reassuring her and gently rubbing her head. "I have to do this to prevent that creature from reawakening. While I'm gone, can you take care of the household and the people around here?"

  "Sure. But promise you'll never leave us again, okay?"

  "Yeah, I promise." he said, giving her a reassuring smile.

  At deep cold night, Mira walked into the center of the forest where the chief Maid, Mary, awaited her arrival.

  "You're here." Mary said, her tone calm.

  Mira bowed, guilt evident. "I'm sorry for the action I took, Miss Mary. I shouldn't have ignored your order."

  "What was the Order I gave you?"

  "To watch and protect the Priestess."

  "Correct. And you ignored it by helping your old master instead," Mary said, fury entering her tone as she swung her hand. The trees behind Mira were easily sliced in half. "Why did you help them? Explain your reason."

  "I couldn't help it, Miss Mary. Seeing that my old master, whose my own father served, was undergoing an existential crisis, I felt compelled to help him resolve it."

  "And?"

  Mira raised her head, her expression flat, showing no fear. "I want to finish the duty left behind by my parents. Because that's what our family always does."

  "Is that so?"

  Mira remained silent.

  Mary sighed, accepting Mira's decision. "I will tolerate your action for now. But after this, you must accept your new duty. Understand?"

  "I will, Miss Mary. As a Zarikh, because you resurrected me from the dead."

  (Few years ago.)

  Mary walked through the cemetery at night, surveying the graves for a suitable candidate. A weathered gravestone caught her attention.

  "Hmm, Mira Lousilks. Died five years ago from an incurable disease," she murmured, reading the inscription. "I guess this should do."

  Mary poured her Ender onto Mira's grave. A dark light enveloped the earth, and a living hand appeared. Mary extended her own, helping Mira climb out of the grave.

  Mira shivered, feeling the impossible cold temperature of the night.

  Mary smiled at the sight of the newly alive girl. "You seem happy enough."

  "Who are you? Where is my father?"

  "There's no need for questions, Mira. The only thing you must know is that you're going to serve under me."

  Mira backed away in wary. "What are you trying to do? I'm not your servant, or anyone else's, okay?"

  "Ah, the motto. Well, not that I care about it." She tossed a maid outfit to Mira. "We don't have much time. Like it or not, you have to follow me."

  "But how did you revive me? There's no spell in this world that can do that."

  "It’s not simply revival. It is resurrection to something new."

  "Resurrection to something new?" Mira repeated. Her eyes widened in horror as the true meaning of Mary's words dawned on her.

  "Indeed. You're a Zarikh now. Just like us."

  The flashback ended. Mary stood before her, mumbling in annoyance.

  "Honestly, that Chris really had the nerve to tear a page from Lord Leviathan's grimoire. I expect Dein is furious right now."

  "The one who started this chaos is Mr. Chris?" Mira asked, surprised.

  "You bet. But I can't blame him. He's too playful and always messing around, despite being a grown adult."

  (Dein, Chris, and Mary. The higher ups and the top of the chain for the Zarikh. They must be the closest to the Leviathan. There are two others like them, but I don't know who they are yet. For now, I need to keep a close eye on them.) Mira thought, looking intently as Mary walked deeper into the forest.

  "No reason for you to think about something, Mira. We have a job to do."

  "R-right. I'm sorry, Miss Mary," she said, quickly following her.

  Thus, the cold night passed, the sound of an owl chirping loudly as they walked into the forest.

  [Arc 2:Ended]