Published at 17th of September 2024 6:25 pm

Chapter 98 The Queen’s Path: 6 The Price of Sacrifice

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The morning sun rose over the desert, casting long shadows across the ruins of Rōran. The survivors, battered and weary, gathered around the small fires that still smoldered from the previous night. Their faces were etched with exhaustion, their eyes heavy with the weight of the recent battles. But there was also a quiet resolve among them, a shared understanding that their fight was far from over.

Sāra stood at the edge of the camp, her eyes scanning the horizon as the sun bathed the land in a harsh, golden light. The memories of her conversation with Ryū the night before still echoed in her mind. Destroying the Ryuumyaku—the lifeblood of Rōran—was not a decision she had come to lightly. But as she looked out over the remnants of her city, the choice felt inevitable. It was the only way to prevent Mukade from ever using the power again.

Ryū approached her, his movements slow, still favoring the side where he had been injured. “You’ve been up since before dawn,” he said quietly, coming to stand beside her. “I don’t blame you. It’s a lot to take in.”

Sāra nodded, her gaze still fixed on the horizon. “I can’t stop thinking about what will happen if we go through with this,” she said softly. “Rōran was built on the Ryuumyaku’s energy. If we destroy it, the last remnants of the city will crumble.”

Ryū’s expression softened as he followed her gaze. “Rōran was more than the Ryuumyaku,” he said. “Your people—your family—built this place with their hands, their hearts. They gave it life. The energy beneath the city may have powered its rise, but it’s the people who gave it meaning. That doesn’t disappear, even if the Ryuumyaku is gone.”

Sāra sighed, the weight of her decision still heavy on her chest. “I just… I wanted to rebuild. To give my people a future. But it seems like everything I try to hold on to is slipping away.”

Ryū gently placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her in the present. “Sometimes holding on to the past only makes the future harder to find. You’ve already saved Rōran once, Sāra. Now, you’re fighting to save the world from something even greater. That’s a legacy in itself.”

Sāra smiled faintly, appreciating his words but still uncertain. “I suppose we should start planning. We can’t afford to waste any time.”

Ryū nodded. “We’ll need to talk to Hana and the others. If we’re going to destroy the Ryuumyaku, we’ll need to figure out how. And we’ll need to be prepared for whatever Mukade throws at us.”

The two of them made their way back to the camp, where Hana and the rest of the survivors were already gathered, discussing their next steps. As Sāra approached, the group fell silent, their eyes turning toward her expectantly.

“We need to talk,” Sāra began, her voice steady despite the uncertainty in her heart. “I’ve made a decision. We can’t leave the Ryuumyaku sealed like this. It’s too dangerous. If Mukade finds a way to break the seal, we’ll be right back where we started. I believe we need to destroy it. Permanently.”

A murmur rippled through the group, a mixture of shock and unease. Sāra could see the hesitation in their faces—some of them had grown up in Rōran, had lived their whole lives connected to the energy of the Ryuumyaku. To destroy it would mean the final death of their homeland, the last tether to a city that had once thrived.

Hana was the first to speak. “Destroying the Ryuumyaku…” She trailed off, frowning as she considered the implications. “That would end any hope of rebuilding Rōran. It would erase everything that’s left.”

“I know,” Sāra said, her voice calm but resolute. “But Mukade won’t stop. If we don’t destroy the Ryuumyaku, he’ll keep coming for it. And eventually, he’ll succeed. The only way to stop him for good is to take away his power source.”

Another member of the group, an older man named Akio, shook his head, his brow furrowed. “The Ryuumyaku has been a part of Rōran for generations. It’s what made this city possible. Are you sure there’s no other way?”

“I’ve thought about this,” Sāra replied. “I don’t want to destroy the last piece of our legacy. But if we don’t, Mukade will destroy much more than that. I’m asking all of you to trust me on this.”

There was a long silence as the group absorbed her words. Hana exchanged a glance with Ryū, then stepped forward. “If this is what it takes to stop Mukade, then I’m with you, Sāra,” she said. “But we’ll need a plan. The Ryuumyaku isn’t just going to go quietly. Its energy is powerful—too powerful to simply destroy without consequences.”

Sāra nodded. “That’s why we need to figure out how to control the release of energy. The pendant can help, but I don’t think it will be enough on its own. We’ll need to find a way to disperse the energy safely, or we’ll risk another explosion like before.”

Ryū frowned thoughtfully. “We’ll also need to consider Mukade’s next move. If he realizes we’re planning to destroy the Ryuumyaku, he’ll come after us with everything he’s got.”

“We need to strike first,” Hana said, her eyes narrowing with determination. “If we can find Mukade before he regains his strength, we’ll have the upper hand. But we’ll need to act fast.”

Sāra looked around at the faces of her companions, each of them resolute despite their uncertainty. They were all risking everything to stop Mukade, to protect what little remained of Rōran. And now, she was asking them to take on an even greater challenge: to sacrifice the very thing they had fought so hard to protect.

“I know this won’t be easy,” Sāra said quietly. “But it’s the only way. We have to stop him—for good.”

The group nodded in agreement, and Sāra felt a surge of gratitude for their loyalty and courage. Together, they would face whatever came next, no matter how daunting the challenge.

_______________________________________________________________

The days that followed were a blur of preparation. Sāra and her companions worked tirelessly to develop a plan to destroy the Ryuumyaku, consulting ancient texts and piecing together whatever knowledge they could find about its creation. The energy had been harnessed long ago by her ancestors, and while much of the knowledge had been lost over the centuries, there were still fragments of wisdom that could guide them.

They discovered that the Ryuumyaku’s power was tied to the very earth beneath Rōran, its energy coursing through ancient veins deep within the planet. To destroy it would require severing its connection to the land, releasing the energy in a controlled manner so that it would disperse harmlessly into the atmosphere. But doing so would be incredibly dangerous—if they miscalculated, the resulting explosion could devastate not only Rōran but the entire region.

As they worked, there was little rest. Mukade’s absence weighed heavily on all of them. He had disappeared without a trace, but no one believed he was truly gone. The tension in the air was palpable, every day bringing the possibility of his return.

It wasn’t long before their fears were realized.

Late one evening, as Sāra and Ryū were poring over a map of the ancient tunnels that ran beneath the city, a scout burst into the tent, breathless and wide-eyed.

“Sāra! Mukade—he’s back!”

Sāra’s heart leaped into her throat. “Where?”

“The southern outskirts,” the scout replied, gasping for breath. “He’s attacking the outpost we set up there. It’s him, and he’s… stronger. We need reinforcements now.”

Ryū was on his feet in an instant, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. “We’ll go.”

Sāra stood as well, her pulse racing. Mukade had returned, and if the scout’s words were true, he had somehow grown even more powerful. She had no idea how he had regained his strength so quickly, but it didn’t matter now. They had to stop him before he reached the heart of the city—and the Ryuumyaku.

“Hana, gather everyone,” Sāra said, her voice urgent but calm. “We need to move now. Mukade can’t get any closer to the Ryuumyaku.”

The group moved quickly, gathering their weapons and preparing for battle. Sāra’s heart pounded as they made their way toward the southern outskirts of the ruins, her thoughts racing. If Mukade reached the Ryuumyaku, all of their efforts to seal it would be for nothing. They had to stop him here, no matter the cost.

As they approached the battlefield, the ground beneath them began to tremble, and in the distance, Sāra could see the faint glow of Mukade’s chakra pulsing through the air like a dark, malevolent beacon.

The final battle had begun.

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