Published at 17th of September 2024 6:26 pm

Chapter 100 The Queen’s Path: 8 The Heart of the Ryuumyaku

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As the dust settled and Mukade’s lifeless body lay still, the air around Sāra felt heavier, as though the very ground beneath her was holding its breath, waiting for what would happen next. The battlefield was eerily quiet, save for the distant crackling of flames and the moans of the wounded.

Sāra stood still, her hand clenched tightly around the pendant, her thoughts swirling. Mukade was gone, but the threat of the Ryuumyaku remained. She had severed Mukade’s connection to the energy, but the Ryuumyaku itself was still unstable—still dangerous. And now, without the threat of Mukade looming over them, the responsibility for what came next fell squarely on her shoulders.

Ryū approached her slowly, his sword still dripping with Mukade’s blood. His eyes, dark with exhaustion, softened when they met Sāra’s. “Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

Sāra nodded, though her mind was far from calm. “Yes. But the Ryuumyaku… It’s still there, Ryū. It’s still too dangerous to leave as it is.”

He glanced toward the distant ruins of the city, where the heart of the Ryuumyaku lay, pulsing beneath the ground like a sleeping beast. “I know. We’ve bought ourselves time by stopping Mukade, but we can’t let our guard down. The Ryuumyaku’s energy could still break free if we don’t handle it.”

Hana, covered in dust and bruises from the battle, joined them, her expression grim. “Mukade’s forces are retreating. Most of his puppets were destroyed, but we need to make sure the rest don’t regroup. And we have wounded… A lot of them.”

Sāra’s heart clenched as she looked around at the survivors. So many of them had fought to protect Rōran, risking their lives to stop Mukade. Now, with the battle over, they were left to pick up the pieces.

“We’ll need to tend to the wounded first,” Sāra said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “But then… we need to destroy the Ryuumyaku. For good.”

Hana and Ryū both nodded, though neither of them looked particularly eager at the prospect. Destroying the Ryuumyaku would mean the final end of Rōran, the last remnants of a once-great city. But they all knew it had to be done.

“Rest for now,” Sāra said, addressing the remaining soldiers who had gathered around them. “We’ll regroup and plan our next move once everyone is safe.”

The survivors began to move, carrying the wounded to makeshift tents and dousing the fires that still smoldered in the distance. Sāra watched them for a moment, then turned her gaze toward the heart of the city. The place where the Ryuumyaku was buried. The place where her journey would finally end.

Ryū came to stand beside her, his expression unreadable. “You’re thinking about what happens next.”

Sāra nodded. “I have to be. We’ve won this battle, but if we don’t deal with the Ryuumyaku, all of this will have been for nothing. Mukade may be gone, but the power he sought is still there, waiting for someone else to try and take it.”

“And you plan to destroy it?” Ryū asked, his voice low.

“I have to,” Sāra said, her tone firm. “I won’t let Rōran’s legacy become a weapon in the wrong hands. If that means sacrificing what little is left of the city, then… so be it.”

Ryū was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on the ruins. “You’re stronger than you think, Sāra. Not many people could make the decision you’ve made. It takes a lot of courage to let go of the past.”

Sāra smiled faintly, though her heart felt heavy. “I don’t feel strong. I feel… scared. But I know this is what I have to do.”

Ryū didn’t respond right away. Instead, he placed a hand on her shoulder, his touch gentle. “You’re not alone in this. We’ll figure it out together.”

Sāra looked up at him, grateful for his presence. Despite everything they had been through, despite the losses they had suffered, Ryū had stood by her side. And she knew she wouldn’t have made it this far without him.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He gave her a small, reassuring smile. “Let’s get this over with.”

_______________________________________________________________

The following day, after tending to the wounded and regrouping, Sāra, Ryū, and Hana stood at the edge of the ancient chamber that housed the Ryuumyaku. The entrance had been buried beneath rubble and sand for centuries, but now it stood exposed, a gaping wound in the earth. The energy emanating from the chamber was palpable, the air thick with the weight of the dormant power that lay beneath.

“This is it,” Sāra said quietly, her heart pounding as she stared into the darkness. “The heart of the Ryuumyaku.”

Ryū’s grip tightened on his sword. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Sāra took a deep breath, steeling herself. “I don’t have a choice.”

Hana stepped forward, her face pale but resolute. “We’ll stay by your side. Whatever happens.”

With a nod of determination, Sāra led the way into the chamber, the others following close behind. The walls were lined with ancient symbols, carvings that told the story of Rōran’s rise and fall, of the power that had once built the city and the chaos it had brought. Sāra’s eyes traced the familiar symbols, the history of her ancestors etched into stone.

At the center of the chamber lay the Ryuumyaku itself, a swirling mass of blue energy that pulsed with a life of its own. The power within it was immense, far greater than anything Sāra had ever felt before. It was both beautiful and terrifying, a reminder of the delicate balance between creation and destruction.

For a long moment, Sāra simply stood there, staring at the Ryuumyaku. This was the energy that had built her city, that had given her people prosperity and power. But it was also the energy that had nearly destroyed them. And now, it was up to her to end it once and for all.

She closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the pendant against her chest. The key to controlling the Ryuumyaku’s power was in her hands. She had done this before—sealed the energy, stopped it from spreading. But this time, she needed to do something far more difficult. She needed to destroy it.

The pendant began to glow as Sāra focused her chakra, drawing on the ancient power that had been passed down through her family. The energy of the Ryuumyaku responded to her call, swirling faster, its light growing brighter. The air around them crackled with power, and the ground beneath their feet trembled.

“Sāra!” Ryū called out, his voice tense. “Are you sure this is safe?”

“I don’t know,” Sāra admitted, her voice tight with concentration. “But it’s the only way.”

As the energy built, the walls of the chamber began to shake, small stones crumbling from the ceiling. The power of the Ryuumyaku was immense, far more than Sāra had anticipated. It fought against her control, resisting her attempts to contain it.

“Sāra!” Hana shouted, her voice laced with fear. “It’s too much!”

But Sāra didn’t stop. She couldn’t. The Ryuumyaku’s power had to be destroyed, no matter the cost. She pushed harder, channeling more of her chakra into the pendant, trying to force the energy to dissipate. But the Ryuumyaku resisted, its power growing stronger with every passing second.

Then, without warning, the pendant cracked.

Sāra’s heart lurched in her chest as she felt the energy slip from her grasp. The power of the Ryuumyaku surged, uncontrolled, wild. The ground beneath them split open, and a blinding light filled the chamber as the energy of the Ryuumyaku exploded outward.

“Sāra!” Ryū shouted, rushing toward her as the ground gave way.

But before he could reach her, the world around them erupted in chaos.

The last thing Sāra saw was the blinding light of the Ryuumyaku, and then… darkness.

_______________________________________________________________

When Sāra awoke, she was lying on the cold stone floor of the chamber, her body aching from the blast. The pendant was shattered, its pieces scattered around her. The air was still, the oppressive weight of the Ryuumyaku’s power gone.

“Sāra!” Ryū’s voice broke through the haze of her mind, and she felt his hands gently lifting her. “Are you alright?”

She blinked, her vision slowly clearing. “What… what happened?”

“You did it,” Ryū said, his voice filled with awe. “The Ryuumyaku… it’s gone.”

Sāra sat up slowly, her eyes scanning the chamber. The swirling mass of energy that had once been the Ryuumyaku was gone, leaving only an empty void in its place. The power that had once threatened to destroy everything had been extinguished.

“It’s over,” Sāra whispered, the weight of the realization sinking in. “The Ryuumyaku is gone.”

Ryū nodded, his expression softening. “You did it, Sāra. It’s finally over.”

Hana joined them, her face pale but relieved. “We felt the shockwave, but… it looks like you managed to destroy it. The city… it’s safe.”

Sāra took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of exhaustion and relief. The battle was over. Mukade was defeated, and the Ryuumyaku was no longer a threat. But the cost had been great. The remnants of Rōran, the city that had once been her home, lay in ruins.

“It’s time to rebuild,” Sāra said quietly, her voice filled with resolve. “We’ve lost so much, but we can start anew.”

Ryū nodded, his eyes meeting hers with unwavering support. “We’ll rebuild, Sāra. Together.”

As they made their way out of the chamber, Sāra looked back one last time at the place where the Ryuumyaku had been. It was a symbol of the past—of power and destruction, of a city lost and found. And as she stepped out into the light, she knew that the future of Rōran was in their hands.

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