Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Seth's Magical Adventure! ❯ Aftermath: The Final Battle ( Chapter 30 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YGO. Takahashi does, and he says that it was nice to see Seth's reign of jerkiness ended. I agree, though I am sad. This is the last chapter to Seth's Magical Adventure.

 

Five years later…

 

Seth stood on the balcony that overlooked his entire kingdom, watching as his army marched toward the gates, preparing to head out to fight the Espers that had come back to destroy his world. Sith had been right. Rath had come back, after all. But not as the living, breathing creature they had faced and conquered. No, this time, she had come back exactly as Sith had feared: undead. And as such, her assault had become even more nightmarish than it had been. Not only could she devastate the land and rend it blackened and spoiled, but she could now do it with forces that they couldn't even see, let alone battle. Sith had been right. Sith had been right, and Seth couldn't even believe her.

 

“How long do we have?” he asked, looking over the vastness of what was now a charred wasteland beyond the city gates. Behind him, the two guards shifted nervously. They had received a report; they did not want to report it to Seth.

 

“A-according to the scouts in the fields, we have less than a week to make it to Morag Pass before she sends out another horde,” the first guard said, as the second added, “And… and Knight Sith is insisting she sees you.” Seth sighed. Somehow, he wasn't surprised. He and Sith rarely saw eye-to-eye anymore, not with Atemu dead and his successor having been unnamed. Their friendship seemed to have ended abruptly at that point. Mainly because Sith hadn't forgiven him for nearly betraying the pharaoh himself. But she did often insist on speaking with him. Never in a friendly way, of course; it was only for the good of the people that she even bothered.

 

“Disgruntling old hag…” he muttered grumpily, and asked, “What does she want?”

 

“She says it's urgent,” one of the guards replied, and then he yelped and edged away when, lo and behold, Sith stormed in behind him. She had not waited to be admitted; such an act wasn't to be tolerated, and Seth wasn't Atemu. He wouldn't allow such insolence from, what should have been, his servant.

 

“Seth, you will listen to me this instant!” she yelled violently, pushing the guards back when they finally did decide to approach her, “How dare you do this! How dare you force us out of the kingdom! To what avail does this do, other than weaken your defense!?” Seth finally turned. So that was what this was about. He snorted.

 

“That doesn't call for being out of protocol, knight,” he said to her coolly, and rose a brow, “As to your exile, it's necessary.” Sith stopped, staring with wide, angry eyes.

 

“Necessary!” she repeated, just short of exploding, “You're THROWING US OUT! Simply because we are Espers! We have done nothing to deserve this! In fact, I myself have warned you that Rath would come back!” She had thrown her arms up in frustration, and seeing that Seth wasn't moved, she narrowed her eyes and said, “Or have you so forgotten the days when Atemu ruled?”

 

“I've forgotten nothing, knight,” Seth replied, crossing his arms, “But I have a kingdom now, and the Espers are killing us, even when half are living amongst us. I won't ask this of my kingdom to tolerate.”

 

“You are persecuting every Esper in this world!” Sith yelled back, pointing to his chest, “You are dooming us as Rath has already done! Why!? If you have another, more convincing reason, I feign to hear of it!” At this point, Seth saw that the other living high priests and some of the guards were watching through his bedroom doorway to see what was causing such a commotion. He wasn't sure if Sith wasn't doing this on purpose, and he sighed. Most would take her side in this argument. She was, after all, their hero. He shook his head.

 

“I'm acting logically,” he replied simply, and Sith cackled in disbelief.

 

“Oh, this shall be a good reason indeed,” she mused sarcastically, eyes still narrowed angrily at the king, “Do tell, Seth.” Seth winced at the lack of formality, but didn't call her on it. In the heat of her entrance, protocol no longer mattered to anyone there. Right now, it was just a battle between king and hero, ruler and savior.

 

“What would you have me do? Espers are slaughtering us, even if they're not from your side. Do you honestly wish us to let you inside unquestioningly?” Seth asked her. But his logic hadn't moved her, just as her anger hadn't swayed him. She almost sneered at him.

 

“I demand some level of loyalty on Egypt's part,” she growled, crossing her arms, “You seem to forget that it was I, not you, who saved us from Rath five years ago. Do not make me undo what seems to be a mistake.” Seth stepped back, understanding what she was implying. If he went too far, she'd join the fray as another enemy to the kingdom. And he knew he was heading in that direction. But she wasn't the only one who mattered! He had to think of his kingdom! Zork had already devastated them badly enough; they couldn't handle Rath coming back. Something had to be driven out.

 

“I must stand by what's safest, knight,” he replied firmly, but he winced at the nervousness in his own voice. It was the wrong thing to say. Sith uncrossed her arms and stormed up even closer to him. Despite being shorter, somehow, she was much more intimidating.

 

“You will start a war between us! Every Esper in this world will seek to kill you for this,” she warned bitterly, “Are you certain this is what you want?”

 

“It's for my people, Sith.”

 

“Your people will also stand against you!” Sith exclaimed, eyes blazing red with anger, “Do you not understand, Seth? By forcing me into exile, you've angered those you wish to protect! They feel unsafe enough as it is; you're only removing that which they see as a pillar to hold onto!” Seth's lips thinned. That was a good point, and he knew that once Sith left, his armies would have a difficult time just keeping the city from rioting. That was a good opening for Rath to use. And she'd use it. But… but they were Espers.

 

“I cannot allow the possibility for spies,” he said. This time, Sith lost her temper for good. Any thoughts of being the Knight of the Court, of being a hero, of saving anyone, vanished in that instant. She grabbed Seth by his collar and shook him. He jerked back, and now the guards came into the room, grabbing the knight's arms to stop her. She pushed them aside; it took no effort to do so. Then she turned back to Seth. He had never seen such a look of hatred in anyone's eyes before.

 

“Then I hope you realize you have made the worst foe in your own courtroom,” she said to him, in a darkness that he had never felt, “Do not ever think you will win the battle now. We shall see you on the battlefield.” She turned abruptly, ignoring the horrified stares and open mouths that were turned toward her. And she strode to the door, her blue cloak billowing. But as she reached it, Seth called out. She stopped, but did not turn to look at him as she said, “What?”

 

“We will win even without you, exiled knight. We are not a doomed country,” Seth told her curtly, “Now get out of my palace forever.” With that, Sith left, swearing to never return under Seth's rule.

 

Seth did not win the battle. He did not win the skirmishes. Indeed, without Sith, his army was thrown into chaos. Not because the other generals were incapable of controlling them, but for a far worse reason. Sith had not lied when she promised to see him in the desert; she simply hadn't stated she would be his opponent. Seth regretted exiling her now. For behind her stood an army of five thousand Espers, none of them loyal to Rath in the least. And he knew that when she had gone back to Saffernheist with news of their exile, they rallied to overthrow the new king in anger at such unfair treatment. Seth could hardly say he had expected that.

 

But what truly caused him to lose the battle wasn't Sith's appearance. It was the chaos she instilled by being there, by facing what had once been her own army. None of the soldiers could wrest the courage to strike down their old commander, and none of the people could kill their own hero. In the short weeks that passed, Sith's legacy in Egypt hadn't even dwindled. And as she had warned, they too had sided with her. But she had not retained that loyalty. Not to its full extent. Her men pressed on, slaughtering those who sided with Seth, sparing only the townsfolk and those who were smart enough to flee back to the palace. Seth could only watch as the field was littered more and more with human blood.

 

Relief had come the third day when Shaddah's troops had come to try and calm the calamity. But that relief, too, was short lived. Sith's men were even angrier by Seth's declaration of the knight gone mad, and the slander he had circulating around her had caused those less loyal to fight by his side. The only true relief was that Espers and men were both dying now, blue blood spilling as thickly as red. To Seth, he was eradicating a problem. But to the many horrified villagers in the gates, he was sealing their death.

 

“Sir, we have to stop this war!” one soldier cried to him, as they stood at the balcony again, watching as Sith advanced, cutting down every man on her path to the gateway, “Sith Winchester will kill us all!”

 

“Then the answer to that is a simple one!” Seth snapped, turning to glare at the man, “We destroy her. There is not much to be said! We kill her as she has killed our own men!” The guard, however, was not enthusiastic for that response. He recoiled in abject terror at the thought. The woman, however mad she had become, had been his mentor. She had trained him, and all of his comrades. She had taught them that death was no answer. Not unless pushed to it.

 

“How can we kill her?” the guard whispered, “She has done so much for us…” Seth growled, but didn't answer the guard. How could they kill her, indeed? Atop her black horse, she seemed almost invincible. The spears of his men couldn't harm her; she jumped out of sight and returned in less than a second, long enough to avoid being skewered. But she could hurt them, and she often did. Seth saw her sword bury itself in his men's chests more than he knew was good. But if he had concerns for trying to convince her to come back, they were forgotten. If anything, her barbaric victory only proved that all Espers were to be sent back to Oblivion, back to their own world. Even if that world was a wasteland now.

 

“Ready my personal guard!” Seth commanded, and turned to the guard by his side, “I shall go down there myself.”

 

“My lord, it's too dangerous! Sith Winchester will kill you in an instant!” the guard cried in terror, but Seth walked past without replying. He knew that was a possibility. But if his men didn't stop her, he'd be forced to. They were supposed to fight Rath; if they lost to Sith, Rath would win anyway. Sith was making a mistake.

 

Seth departed from his quarters with a dark scowl on his face. Never in his life did he even think Sith would be his most fearsome opponent. He had been so sure that, during the past five years, she had become a non-event toward him. They had scarcely spoken at all after Atemu's death, and he had thought that perhaps it was because she had grown too weak to stand up to him, knowing he didn't have the same kindness as Atemu held for her. Now he knew he was mistaken. All at once, it was as if the silence slammed down around him like a giant hammer, crushing the illusions he had that Sith was merely a pawn for him to use in his army. Now he saw that truly, the kingdom's welfare relied almost solely on her. Her and her damned legacy.

 

He could barely understand it as he stormed down the hallway. Why had it been that way? Why had Atemu let it be this way? He had been king! Why had he let Sith undermine him to the point of causing his own army to side with her? Seth couldn't understand. She was just an Esper. An old Esper, but still just one. Yet, when he saw the battlefield, it was clear she wasn't only an Esper. She was the Esper. His men feared her now when they had once adored her, and it was then that Seth knew he would lose. The only out was to force her back to Nesce, behind the seals she placed. If he couldn't, Egypt was done for.

 

But as he entered the expansive entrance hall, he saw that Isis and Shaddah were there, almost blocking his path, but not just quite. And that caused him to stop. Why would his own priests halt his progress? He regarded them both; Isis looked the sterner of the two. And it was she that came toward him, eyes locked on his. She was not happy.

 

“You are going to face Sith Winchester,” she said without question, and when Seth nodded, she said, “You will die, my king. Do you not see what you've done? What you're going to do?”

 

“If she is foolish enough to kill me, then Rath deserves to battle her alone,” Seth replied coolly, unconcerned for the prophecy he just received, “Priestess Isis, I was not aware you were able to see my future.” Isis shook her head. That wasn't a correct statement, and she gestured around the palace.

 

“Not your future, my king,” she said quietly, “But Sith Winchester's herself. Since she is no longer a part of our court, the blocks she placed on our items was released. I have glimpsed into her future. Your blood stains her sword.” Seth slowly blinked, as if hearing this for the first time. Now he understood her grave concern. He could change his future. He didn't have to see Sith. But he certainly couldn't change hers, and if Isis was sure she'd kill him, it wouldn't matter where Seth ended up. Sith would find him.

 

“Where?” he demanded at once, “In the palace!?”

 

“On the fields, my king,” Isis replied sadly, looking down, “You will go out there to end this war. And it will be your biggest downfall.” Seth's eyes widened for a moment, and then they narrowed. No! He didn't have to go outside at all! His first reaction was to yell, to tell her she was wrong. But then, he just laughed instead. Of all things! It was so simple. He just didn't leave the palace. Sith wouldn't be able to get in. But when he stated this, Isis simply said, “You will die on the fields, my king.”

 

“How!?” Seth demanded in frustration. By all rights, this was avoidable! Why was she so adamant about his death? Sith was not a stupid creature. She wouldn't dare break the gates. If she did, she would have an army of spirits coming after her; the priests in the temples were summoning them for defense as Seth even spoke to Isis. But what if she wasn't afraid? He shook his head again.

 

And that's when the palace shook. It was a violent tremor, more an earthquake than any attack that could have been launched. It sent Seth staggering forward, and servants down below screamed, rushing around trying to hide. The booms outside were growing in volume, however, and soon the screams were lost in it. Guards came pouring into the front doors, and one screamed up to Seth.

 

“RATH'S ARMIES HAVE COME! SITH WINCHESTER IS UNDER ASSAULT!” Seth and Isis exchanged terrified glances. A moment ago, that wouldn't have bothered Seth. But this new revelation of his death changed things. Was Sith meant to die as well?

 

“Isis, what was Sith's future?” Seth asked her, and she frowned, “Tell me! Will she too be killed?”

 

“I cannot say, my king,” she told him. Seth growled and stormed past, running down the stairs. This was madness! Just a moment ago, Sith was slaughtering his men! How had the tables turned so rapidly, so inexorably badly? Had Rath planned this to happen? By exiling Sith, had he played to the evil one's hands? Seth refused to believe that. But then… Sith's final words came back to him. `You are dooming us as Rath has!' Once again, she had been right.

 

Seth burst from the stairs and ran straight out the front doors, ignoring the guards to his left and right, and being ignored himself. He had to get to the battlefield. He had to stop this, which he himself created fully. But he knew he was most likely too late. Sith wouldn't forgive him, even if he admitted she had been right. He had gone too far once again.

 

“MY HORSE!” he yelled, and his mare came galloping from the stables, stunning the young servant who had been trying to tame her. She let out a thunderous whinny, and Seth climbed onto her back. Amidst the chaos and terror, it was as if nothing truly mattered anymore. Nothing other than getting out there and seeing this through. Seth knew he was going to die; but the question was, would Sith? Kings came and went, but heroes lived forever, and Egypt had its hero. Seth was not that hero.

 

When guards began to see their king atop his horse, they immediately stopped fleeing from the attacks, and went to the stables to grab steeds as well. Very quickly, Seth had a ring of his finest with him, both from the palace and from the bloody war beyond the safety of his gates. And when presented with a report, he was told that indeed, Sith was cornered. She needed help. But then Seth wondered, why help her? Hadn't she made her choices to play against him? Then, he shook his head. What on earth did that even matter? Her choice was made out of pain. Pain that he had caused. He had to right this. He simply turned toward the gates into the city and yelled, “To the battlefield!” And, they were off.

 

The screams returned once they reached the city proper, and Seth saw that his gates had been broken after all. But not by Sith; no, what came pouring out after the helpless men and women were demons spawned from the darkest abyss. Monsters that Sith herself vowed to kill. Monsters that Rath could summon. Seth could only growl. Rath had known what was happening, and she played her hand well. Now she could destroy her cousin and the throne of Egypt in one shot; they were two things that stood in her way to conquering this world. Seth couldn't let that happen. He had made a promise to Atemu.

 

But the farther into the city they went, the harder it was to get to the gates. Villagers and wounded guards and magicians alike swarmed around, trying to get somewhere and getting nowhere at the same time. Many died before even reaching those gates. The demons proved to be merciless; men were skewered with shards of hardened darkness that fizzled and disappeared once death struck their targets. But Seth did see something that brought him hope. Espers were retreating into the city, and they were dispatching the monsters with a single swipe of their blades. But Sith wasn't among them. Seth simply nodded, and continued on.

 

The desert, he saw, was becoming a gathering place of crumpled bodies and burned flesh. Men and women, humans and Espers, werewolves and vampires, any forms of magical race, lined the bloodied paths snaking through the vast dunes. Not one of them were alive. The guards began to lose their morale at seeing so many victims, but Seth had to press on. He had to stop this. Even if it killed him, he now saw that everything Sith said was true. Indeed, by exiling her, he sentenced his people to this fate. To die by the magic of an evil mind. As king… no, as Atemu's cousin and successor, he had to end this and realign his kingdom with Sith. That was the only chance of survival. But the problem was getting her to say yes. As it was, she was under attack. If she was dead before they found her, then Egypt as a whole was doomed. The entire world as Seth knew it might not even survive. Not without Sith to slay Rath.

 

Thankfully, the battle wasn't waged far beyond the expanse. Already, Seth could see the fighting, could hear the swords ringing against each other, and could feel the rippling of the fabrics of space as magic was thrown across the battlefield. He finally slowed. The battle was elevating to a fatal state to anyone who simply entered it at the wrong place. Charging right in would be a foolish move indeed. But what could he do!? Sith was down there; he saw her clear in sight. And Rath was above, raining down bolts of energy as Sith's horse tried to dodge them, Sith trying to slash at the woman while simultaneously riding.

 

“She doesn't stand a chance!” one guard cried out in terror, watching as a bolt finally slammed into the black mare, sending Sith sprawling to the ground. Another looked at Seth and said, “What do we do, sir!?” Seth's brows creased. That was easy enough. They had to help Sith.

 

“We help Sith Winchester,” the king growled angrily, and shouted, “Move out!” All around, Seth's soldiers cheered and they once again rushed down toward the battlefield. Rath, for now, was distracted with finding her cousin. But she wouldn't be that way forever. Seth had to make this count. He shouted and cursed, and urged his horse to charge fast and strong. Many Espers turned toward the source of the noise; many more were stunned or confused from the ensuing chaos as well. Seth's side of the battle dropped their weapons or fled back toward the palace, knowing that with the king there, Sith might not strike them. Sith's side of the battle couldn't even fight at all; they no longer knew who was friend or foe. Likewise, it was of similar status for the Espers supposedly on Rath's side.

 

“What the hell is going on!?” cried one wolfish Esper, eyes widening as a horse sped his way. Another, darker Esper beside him pushed him to the ground, both of them falling out of harm's way.

 

“Who in hell cares!? Run!” the dark Esper replied, and the two scrambled away as another horse rushed by, its rider screaming as he threw his spear toward Rath. This time, Rath caught the movement and turned, barely catching the spear in her hand. She hissed. It drew a nice line of black blood that ran down her arm as she snapped the spear in two. And she let them fall.

 

“So, then Egypt's coward finally decides to face me head on, eh?” Rath called, mouth turning up in a feral grin, “It's about time, Atemu! …Eh?” For a moment, she was shocked as she saw Seth riding up on the royal mare. Then, she understood. Her wicked grin returned as she said, “Atemu is no longer alive.”

 

“For one who is about to die for endangering my friends and our kingdom, you have some nerve to speak of the previous king!” Seth yelled back, as a guard beside him helped Sith to her feet. She stared up at Seth in disbelief. So, he had decided to help her, after all. Now she began to feel bad for killing his men. She turned back to Rath as well.

 

“How dare you use my own people against me! For that, you shall also pay dearly!” Sith cried out, and drew her sword, “Zealacht will feast on your blood this day.” But both threats had no effect on Rath. She threw back her head and laughed. Her laugh, wicked and high pitched, boomed across the entire desert, and seemed to make the sky flash in red for just a few moments. The guards around both Esper and king shivered, fearing for their lives at that moment. But neither Sith nor Seth had that luxury.

 

“You both failed to successfully kill me last time, and yet you think you can do so today?” Rath asked them, and laughed again, “You aren't even fit to fight my pets, let alone myself!”

 

“They are if they have us!” came a cry from below, and Rath turned. And now her mouth dropped. Swords and spears alike had been raised, and raised by the Espers. But it wasn't from Sith's side; Rath's own men were aiming their weapons at her. The one who had cried out spoke again, “You've sentenced us long enough, vile creature of the abyss!”

 

“What!?” Rath screeched, eyes beginning to glow red as she glared down at what had once been a loyal army, “You dare to side with these vermin!?”

 

“You're the one who kept us locked up in the ruins for five years. It's about time we get our revenge,” said another dark Esper, “FOR SITH WINCHESTER!” Seth watched in mild amusement as that chant spread all across the non-human ranks, rumbling the desert like a thunderstorm. Sith herself just snorted, a confident smirk forming on her face as she watched her cousin's reaction. Rath was mortified. All at once, in a massive tide, her army went against her. This… this was unforgivable!

 

“HOW DARE YOU ALL!” Rath screamed, and her voice cut through the chant like a knife through butter, “No one… NO ONE DISCARDS ME AND LIVES!” The sky blackened immediately, and any enthusiasm at seeing Sith alive and well was instantly squashed. Rath's voice echoed for minutes, but no other sound was made; no one was brave enough to speak. Tension rose in waves, and even though no magic was being cast, the ground began to tremble as if angered by the betrayal of the Espers as well. One of Seth's guards shivered.

 

“W-what is that, sir!?” he asked Seth, as another said, “Commander, what do we do!?” Seth and Sith exchanged glances. There was nothing that could be done. Rath was opening up Oblivion as they spoke, and she was too high for even Sith to reach now. Sith nodded with understanding when Seth didn't speak; she knew that only she could kill Rath now. It would take a leap of faith, and Sith was the only one who could leap into the air high enough to do this. And it might still even kill her.

 

Her bravery always impressed Seth. If there was any one thing the former priest could credit to the old knight, it was that she never backed away. Even now, she didn't back down from Rath. Taking her sword, Sith knelt on the ground for just a second, gathering every last reserve of energy she could muster. This jump would be the highest she'd ever made yet, and if she was lucky, her wings would unfold and let her glide back down. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and leapt into the air. And she flew upwards at a speed no other Esper could match. No dragon, no demon, nothing could have gone so high and so fast in a single shot. She could scarcely hear the cheers below her as she burst through the dark clouds, and could barely see the misty gloom as she passed it. No, her eyes were on one target and one target only: Rath Winchester.

 

Thoughts of her home flooded her mind as she soared higher into the air. Sith had to do this. She had to succeed and strike Rath in one shot. Not just for the Espers, but for Seth, too. She may die from this, but it would be his kingdom that suffered eternally, not hers. For the Espers were a race mightier than time itself, and they would revolt and eventually kill Rath if she did not. But humans weren't so lucky. When she first promised Atemu that she'd protect whomever he chose to succeed him, she didn't imagine she'd be willing to die for that person. But now she knew she had to be. The entire universe would be put in jeopardy if Oblivion was opened up and allowed to swallow even one world. She had just one shot… just one chance to get an edge on her hated enemy.

 

But Sith Winchester never got that chance. As soon as she was within striking distance, something else struck her. Everyone down below screamed and gasped in agony. A gigantic, purple blast of lightning hit the old knight head-on, and she spiraled out of control, slamming into the ground far below her. But the shock of seeing her defeated was not what terrified them all. No, what was even worse was that Rath wasn't the one to shoot Sith Winchester. It was someone else, someone nearly as strong.

 

“What the hell did that!?” one vampire asked, as a soldier screamed, “Commander!” The soldier rushed over to where his commander had fallen, but another blast struck just before he reached her, blocking him off. This time, he saw who had attacked Sith. It was another dark Esper, clad in a gray cloak much like Rath was. Her long, brown hair flew over her shoulders, and on one eye was a lens of some sort.

 

“Go near this one and I'll kill her,” the woman said darkly, “No one attacks lord Rath and lives to tell of it.” That silenced the commotion instantly. Everyone froze where they stood, too afraid of the fate of their hero to know what to do to help her. Rath just laughed hysterically. Even with her entire army on Sith's side, just knowing Sith was going to die was more than enough to halt them all in their tracks. Even if Oblivion itself was against her, that wouldn't be enough to stop her. Not when Sith was so close to being killed once and for all. She looked down at her loyal underling and nodded approvingly. Then she glanced over at Seth. He looked so pitiful, with his paltry army behind him. She grinned wickedly.

 

“Kill them all!” she shouted, and the woman below was only too happy to oblige. She raised her arms, and multiple lightning blasts came forth now, knocking the enormous army flat onto their backs. Many were caught directly in the blasts, their skin frying upon contact. Those that weren't were sent flying across the field, often slamming into the ground and dying on impact. Espers fared much better than their human counterparts; both sides began to aid everyone, no longer caring who had fought whom. But Rath wasn't done. The woman unleashed hundred of lightning bolts at once, and this time, every one that struck the ground sent a shockwave that exploded into a mass of fiery outrage. Horses screamed and soldiers fled, both sides being slaughtered mercilessly in the onslaught of power. Seth could do nothing now. He had to escape or he couldn't help Sith at all. He turned his horse toward the palace. If he could get there, he might survive long enough to reach Sceppiro and save Sith.

 

But he wouldn't get there. Rath saw his movement, and so did her minion. The woman snapped her fingers, and the lightning rained down around him. But Seth's horse was faster still, dodging them as though the mare had been trained to do so all her life. She galloped onward, Seth picking up one soldier who had survived the massive storm. But his horse wasn't fast enough to outrun the bolts forever. The second soldier left the horse unbalanced, and she toppled when the third bolt struck close to her. Seth and the soldier went under, the soldier screaming as the horse accidentally crushed him; Seth was lucky enough to roll away before he was killed.

 

“SITH!” he called, getting up when another bolt struck where he had just been. All around him, dead men and women lay, of all races and being. Rath was murdering everyone and everything, and he realized he might be next. Sith could already be dead. And yet he knew she wasn't. If she was, Rath wouldn't be doing this. He ran forward, dodging another bolt, and then a third one. Sith had to be somewhere. It was just a matter of finding her.

 

“Sith, where are you!?” he called again. He got a blast of lightning as a response, and danced to his left to avoid being singed. Then he dove under a boulder, knowing it would only serve him for so long before Rath and her minion blew it apart. He just needed some time to think. If he could get to Sith, he might be able to escape with her. But then what? Rath would go after them both, and with Sith injured, he couldn't possibly hope to escape. There had to be something he could do.

 

But he knew there wasn't. Isis had been right. Coming here was his downfall, and now he understood why. She hadn't said Sith would kill him; she merely said coming would get him killed. Damn it all, he should have known! But it was too late now. Now, he was trapped behind a boulder, and any minute he would hear Sith being killed. Except that, as he waited for that fateful scream, he realized nothing was happening. There was no more yelling, no sound of steel ringing against steel, no magical onslaught to speak of. It was as if nothing existed any longer. Seth blinked, wondering what could've happened. And he risked peeking over the edge of the boulder. Everyone he could see was dead already, lying in pools of black, blue, and red blood. Everyone… all of his soldiers, all of his allies, everyone was dead. He muffled a horrified scream as he took it all in. How was it that he survived that, while everyone around him perished so quickly?

 

Quickly, he scurried around the boulder, out into the open once more. Perhaps Rath fled now, seeing that everything had been destroyed in her thunderstorm. He certainly couldn't see her anywhere. Taking a few deep breaths to calm his rapidly-beating heart, Seth looked around carefully for any sign that Sith was still there. It no longer mattered if she was alive or not; as long as he got her body out of the field, Rath couldn't resurrect her as she herself had been. He knew that if Sith returned as an undead warrior, that was that, and the entire world might be doomed. Thankfully, he saw her not too far from where he was standing. But whether she was alive or not, he couldn't yet see. He'd have to look.

 

But as he went closer, something began to feel wrong. Sith was just lying there; Rath could have taken her away and disposed of her if she was such a threat. So why hadn't she? Seth stepped running and slowed down to barely a walk. The closer he got, the worse the feeling became, until his mind practically shouted that this was a trap. He forced himself to heed that. As much as he prayed Sith was alive, he had to think of his own safety, too. He finally stopped entirely, staring. He was still too far away to see if she was breathing, but he had a feeling now that at least, she might still be alive. For moments, he simply watched, waiting. Rath had to be close, and she had to be watching. But nothing stirred. He took a step closer, when ten minutes finally passed. Nothing happened.

 

“…Sith?” As soon as he said her name, something happened. Before he even had time to react, before he could even move, a final, fatal blast of lightning hit him dead on. He screamed, feeling every watt of electricity dance up his spine, every prick and shock on his skin. The lightning burned him, and though the spell lasted seconds, those seconds felt like years to him, and in an instant, he was on the ground. And he wouldn't be getting up. But something else had. He could only barely see something slowly stand, and slowly walk over to him. The figure bent down to examine him… and he saw… it was Sith! She was alive, after all. But she was far from fine. Blood streaked her face and her clothing.

 

“Sith… I'm sorry, Sith…” he whispered, his voice oddly dry and old, “What I said… about you… I was wrong, Sith… I never… should have…” Sith shook her head and touched his face gently. She knew what was happening; he was dying. Egypt would lose a second king in only a few short minutes.

 

“Silence, my friend,” she replied gently, eyes watering, “Now is no time for regret. Rath is still upon us… and…” Sith stopped, realizing that Seth wasn't listening to her. Something wasn't right again. Tilting her head, she knelt and laid him on his back. And she saw what was wrong. Seth was dead.

 

“N-no!” she gasped, and then screamed, “NO! No, Seth, no!! You can't! You can't die on me! Think of Egypt! Think of Atemu! My god, SETH!” But there was no use. Seth was dead, and she couldn't help him. Sith finally screamed. For all of her strength and all of her ability, she couldn't do anything for Egypt. In fact, it was her family that destroyed it at all. No, this just couldn't be happening… and yet, Seth was in her arms, dead. Her tears splashed onto his face as she sobbed, and slowly, she said, “I'll avenge you, my friend.” And as she let go and stood up, she vowed to keep that promise.

 

“RATH!” she screamed, looking up into the dark sky, where nothing but silence stood, “Come out here and face me, you damned coward! I'm the one you want to kill! Leave Egypt alone!”

 

“Leave it alone?” Rath's voice sounded, but she was nowhere in sight, “My dear cousin, Egypt is all but destroyed. There's nothing left of it now.”

 

“Why have you done this!?” Sith demanded angrily, looking all around but failing to see any sign of her cousin, “Why, Rath!? Why destroy this world!? What have humans done to deserve this? What have Espers and the others done!?” Her voice boomed across the desert, and she waited for her answer. Rath didn't speak for some time, but when she did… she no longer sounded insane, nor even really furious. She seemed calm now.

 

“Why?” Rath repeated, almost amused, “Sith, Sith, Sith… you really don't understand what I'm doing?”

 

“I understand that you've killed my king, my friends, and my own mother and father,” Sith replied bitterly, eyes narrowing, “But no, I don't understand why. What do you have against me? Why do you want the throne? Why destroy it!?”

 

“I don't want the throne, Sith,” came the calm response, and Sith frowned deeper, “Look around us. Everywhere, priests and magicians lay dead. Casters of magic far weaker than ours, and people who do not believe in the old language anymore.” Sith looked, and saw what Rath said, but to her, all she could see was a massacre of the very people she loved. She shook her head.

 

“What are you saying!? That they all deserve to die!?” Sith demanded, and shook her head more vigorously, “Who are you to decide this!?”

 

“You and I both know that magic only has such a reserve, Sith. The more different variations there are, the more and more Oblivion comes to collapsing. I'm cleansing this world,” Rath told her, but Sith didn't believe a word of it. Cleansing the world? She murdered Seth, Bakura, and everyone else Sith saw. If anything, she infected the earth with cursed blood.

 

“You're massacring everything! You're mad!” Sith yelled furiously, clutching her sword even tighter than before, “You've opened Oblivion, and you're insane! You must be!”

 

“I've opened Oblivion specifically for this purpose,” Rath told her, and now she finally appeared. She no longer looked like the insane woman Sith had slain five years before, “I will destroy every variation of magic until the Espers are the only ones left to wield it.”

 

“Then I will stop you!” Sith declared, and locked her sword on level with Rath's neck. Rath just laughed. Sith really didn't even care about what she was saying. The poor thing would never understand what happened. Even if she did kill Rath, it was too late. This world was on the verge of being swallowed. All Rath's second death would do was delay it for a few more years. Oblivion could wait for that.

 

“That's adorable,” Rath said to her, and held up a hand, “But your sword will do nothing against me. I have the power to kill you, and to destroy this world in one blow.” Sith noticed that, as Rath spoke, the ground beneath them began to rumble again, and the sky appeared to be glowing red underneath the black clouds. The old knight's eyes widened in terror. She could already feel the magic of the Espers swirling in Rath's hand.

 

“You wouldn't dare!” Sith cried out, and backed away, “No! You can't! Not Oregashyn! Rath, you'll destroy everything!” But Rath was just smiling as Sith begged her to stop. No, there would be no stopping her. Not this time.

 

“You know the only thing that can stop me is another forbidden spell, Sith. And you know you won't use it,” Rath replied calmly, and then gently said, “Goodbye, little cousin.” She unleashed the spell, and Sith felt space itself warp and bend, as though not even the planes above could comprehend just what was going to happen. Sith took a deep breath. Rath would kill everyone, and if she was stopped, the world was in jeopardy anyway. The only difference would be how many parts of this world that survived. The answer was very few. But Sith had to believe in those very few.

 

The next thing Sith understood was just how severe her situation was. Right before the fatal blasts, right before the world halted its march, she screamed `Oregashyn!' herself, unleashing an equally deadly blast of magical energy at Rath. Both spells collided in an instant, and for exactly twelve minutes and twelve seconds, the world knew nothing but blackness. Space and time warped and tore into themselves as the spells battled each other, one willpower trying to dominate the other. But in the end, the spells erupted and fizzled, neither being able to best the other. And when it ended, Rath was alone. Nothing remained of the field anymore; the sand was completely level and all corpses had been incinerated. The stars didn't light, and the wind didn't blow. Everything was dead.

 

“So she tried to stop me anyway,” Rath said quietly, and then shook her head, “Stupid creature… heh… heheh…” Rath threw back her head and laughed hysterically. In the end, she had prevailed! After years of banishment, after years of being locked away, she had done it! She unleashed Oblivion, and she killed the very people who were responsible! And now she was free to go and continue her bloody conquest. There were still many worlds to destroy for twisting magic for their own uses. Not even Bahamut would stop her, and Sith certainly wouldn't. Not any longer. It was almost too hysterical.

 

A slash of that damned purple sword abruptly ended Rath's train of thought. In one instant, she had been laughing, relishing the fact that Sith was dead. But in the next, she felt the pain of that magical blade, of Zealacht slicing through her very being, slicing the space she was in, tearing the very atoms that made her up. And in that instant, Rath's body was split into two, both halves collapsing onto the ground. Neither half moved. And when it was said and done, Sith sheathed her blade, ignoring the black blood that now stained her clothes.

 

“I did not try,” Sith said grimly, and turned away, “I succeeded.”

 

“And you did well, sis,” came a voice behind her, and Sith turned to see Sceppiro standing there. But despite his praise, he did not look pleased. “We're in trouble. You've unleashed the forbidden spells. Bahamut is already on his way here.”

 

“I know this,” Sith replied, pushing past him, “That's why I'm going to get my things and…” She stopped, and turned to Sceppiro. Just how did he even know this? Currently, he took out his own sword, its blue blade glowing as he made an arc above his head. Space was torn open again; Sith saw the remnants of the void from where she stood. “Sceppiro, what are you doing!?”

 

“We're escaping,” the older Esper said, and turned to his sister, “Come on.”

 

“We can't! Are you insane!? Sceppiro, we can't leave this world!” Sith cried in exasperation, “This is my responsibility! I can't just run away!” She yelped when Sceppiro stormed over and grabbed her wrists. He all but dragged her toward the torn space, and though she struggled, he was strong enough to get her to look at him. He looked very haggard.

 

“Listen to me, Sith! If he catches you, he's going to damn you here! I can't allow that!” he exclaimed, and then calmed himself, “I'm your brother, Sith. It'll be okay. I already know where we can go from here, but it's going to take a very long time to get there. You have to trust me, okay?” But Sith was shaking her head, trying to get away. Sceppiro stopped her, and shook her hard. “Sith, trust me! Do you trust me!?”

 

“Y-yes…”

 

“Then let's go,” he said, and pushed Sith through the tear. Before he himself left, he turned just once more to the bloody, empty desert, and said, “From this day forth, I, as king of the Espers, demand that the traitors of our kingdom be exiled from our race. All who have served Rath, and continue to, will be feared as the Mystics. And all who have lost their power due to Rath, will be known only as Chesiers. No longer will the Espers be known to the men of this world. And no longer will we have Mystics spoiling the Esper heritage. This, I declare.” And with that, Sceppiro departed. And he didn't look back. There was nothing to look back to.

 

-----------------------------(End Story)

 

And so Seth's Magical Adventure finally comes to an end. And not a particularly good one, either. After years of struggle, and after years of partnership with Sith, it all came down to one blow between Espers, good and evil. And in the end, neither won. Thank you for reading Seth's Magical Adventure. It's been two and a half years since starting this story, and I have to say it did well. So, as a final favor, do click the Review button and tell me what you thought.