Sword God in a World of Magic

Nobody said anything for a while.

Jerald put the letter to the side, and Shang summoned it back into his inner world.

"Are you telling the truth?" Jerald asked. "Will you do your best to stop the Abominations?"

Shang nodded. "The reason why Lucius failed is the God. The two of them have battled each other, and the God won."

"I don't plan to lose against the God."

"Lucius didn't know what he was up against, but I do."

Then, Shang looked towards the ceiling. "And maybe that is one of the reasons why the God has sent me here."

"There hasn't been another God in a long while, and the God probably wants someone he can fight with. He certainly didn't try to dissuade me from hating him."

"I don't know the origins of the Abominations, but I'm sure that the God knows of their origins. Yet, he didn't tell anybody, and he didn't do anything to stop them."

"In fact, he even gave me this Affinity, knowing fully well that the Abominations will become more powerful."

"Nevertheless, I want to kill the God and get rid of the Abominations. That's my goal."

Jerald didn't answer for a while.

"What if stopping the Abominations requires sacrificing your life?" Jerald asked.

"I don't know," Shang said after a couple of seconds. "When I have killed the God, I would have already reached the peak of power. By that point, there would be no more way to grow more powerful."

"I don't know what I would do then. Would my life be empty? Would I feel fulfilled?"

"One thing is clear. I am not someone that survives just because I want to survive. If there is nothing but emptiness and aimlessness in my life, I might be okay with sacrificing my life for the world."

"But first, I want to achieve my goals, and I won't entertain any thoughts for after I have reached my goals."

Jerald remained quiet for several seconds as he struggled with himself.

"How can I trust your words?" he asked.

"Jerald," Shang started, "you said that I am cold, selfish, and apathetic."

Jerald didn't answer.

"Then, tell me…"

"Why did I not flee towards the outside world during the civil war?"

"You wanted to kill the Council no matter what. You wanted revenge for Mattheo and George."

"Yet, you know very well that I view my own goals with the highest priority. Staying in the Skythunder Kingdom to fight the Council was an unnecessary risk."

"I could have simply gone towards the south, past the Storm Eagle Zone, jump down the Abyss, and enter the outside world."

"But I didn't."

"Why?" Shang asked.

Jerald looked at Shang.

his hostility had vanished, replaced by concern

Jerald answered after

of you," Shang repeated. "I didn't want to see my only friend in the world die.

against you, Jerald. I

can see their actions,

secret change the

I risked my life for you and that you risked your life

Silence.

to the ground with a

answer for a

your side of the story first," Jerald said

friend that had been by

value your own

of having power when the entire world is dead and empty? You might as well be the weakest human at that point, and

goal. It is a

time, I couldn't fathom what kind of

would be dead within minutes, and I would have saved

come up with an answer as to why you were choosing yourself over the world, I still trusted

to hear your side

your justification before

I was afraid

think of a good justification, and I was afraid of hearing

would need to

with eyes

I didn't want to do

"So, I simply waited."

came out of training, I would confront

just kept

For, if I contacted

and eventually, I

that you

on with

"I remarried."

"I had children."

"I led a Kingdom."

dreading another encounter with you passed, and I was happy with

then, my Communication

nightmares have

day I dreaded ultimately arrived, and I

I would

Shang didn't react.

Jerald sighed.

CRACK!

around Jerald appeared, and it broke into

intending to die to

myself appear weak

Shang's eye,