Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

A deep rumble echoed outside. Dion, Luna, Aria, Cleo, Sheila, and Mei, who was carrying the sleeping Gina, along with Evelyn, stepped out of the tent. The sky was turning light as dawn broke in the east. They could see the city of Treevalley floating directly over the eastern part of Dion’s territory, facing Mageford and sitting right beside Dion’s main city.

Townsfolk poured out of their homes, staring up at the flying city, whose lower hull resembled an airship fitted with a lock-like mechanism at its tip. Suddenly, the entire area shook violently. Dion steadied Luna, Aria, Cleo, and Mei, who was still holding Gina, while Sheila grabbed Dion’s shoulder, and Evelyn braced herself against Sheila beside her.

”Let’s fly up,” Cleo suggested. ”Levitate!”

Cleo raised her hand, and wind-like light enveloped everyone, centering around their feet including Evelyn’s. Floating up into the air, they watched the landing process of Treevalley from above. They ascended to the deck of the zeppelin, which had been hovering in the air since their arrival, to watch the scene unfold.

”Wow...”

Everyone’s eyes widened. Just like when Mageford had arrived, the eastern part of Dion’s territory sank into the earth, opening into an immense, cavernous abyss. Clang! The city of Treevalley descended slowly into the chasm until a heavy metallic click echoed, a loud sound of iron interlocking with iron. Dust and smoke billowed out in every direction, shrouding the morning air like a thick fog. Treevalley settled perfectly into place, coming level with both the main city and Mageford to the west.

Yet the process wasn’t over. Aria stepped to the edge, looked down, and then turned back.

”Look! The three pyramids are glowing!” Aria shouted.

Everyone rushed to the railing to look down. Sure enough, the three aligned pyramids, one in Mageford’s city square, the largest behind Dion’s mansion, and one in Treevalley’s city square, were shining brilliantly. The tips of the two smaller pyramids fired laser-like beams straight toward the large central pyramid, and then, beam! a massive pillar of light shot toward the valley. Blaz! One by one, the obelisks inside the circular valley ignited, shooting light into the sky.

Then, the light vanished as if swallowed by the heavens, and everything settled into calm, the tremors subsiding entirely. Looking down, they saw the townsfolk, who had taken cover on the ground—begin to push themselves back up. But out of nowhere, blaz! a brilliant beam of light descended directly into the center of the circular valley behind Dion’s mansion. Dion, Luna, Cleo, Aria, Sheila, Mei holding Gina, and Evelyn looked up into the sky, where a terrifyingly massive, brilliantly glowing magic circle was slowly rotating.

The six beams from the obelisks had constructed a colossal magic circle in the sky, large enough to veil the entire valley.

”Whoaaah... So that’s the seal,” Dion murmured, staring up at the giant magic circle in the sky.

”This is... incredible,” Cleo added, her eyes fixed on the sight above.

”What’s going to happen now?” Mei asked, gazing upward.

”No idea... But one thing’s for sure... Something legendary is awakening,” Luna replied.

”For once, I actually agree with you, airhead princess,” Aria chimed in.

The sealed magic circle in the sky kept spinning. Residents across the main city, Mageford, and Treevalley stared up into the heavens. All the golems froze in place, and every watchtower rotated its gaze upward. Olga and Haruto watched from the bridge in absolute awe, as did Elrond and Faramir beside them. Suddenly, every moving rune within the magic circle snapped into perfect alignment, and the circle stopped spinning. A moment later, a pillar of light shot down, illuminating the valley below.

Grrrreeek!

”Whoaaaaah!”

A violent earthquake struck, shaking the land so intensely it felt like the end of the world. Even aboard the floating zeppelin, Dion, Luna, Aria, Cleo, Sheila, Mei, and Evelyn could feel the violent tremors and clutched onto one another. Suddenly, Evelyn, standing right at the edge of the deck, pointed toward the rear.

”Hey! Look at that!” she screamed.

Everyone rushed over to the edge, leaning out to look. Their eyes widened as the ground in the valley rose up, with the central obelisk acting as its axis. The land surrounding the three now-unified cities collapsed, carving out an exceptionally deep valley. From the earth behind them, a magnificent, beautiful palace slowly emerged. Built of white marble, it carried a mystical, enchanting aura, flanked by a massive goddess statue that looked entirely different from any goddess statues they had seen before the palace.

”Xandor... That’s... the royal palace of Xandor,” Cleo whispered, pointing a trembling finger toward the structure.

”So that means... the three cities united to form the capital... and behind it is the palace? A power from the ancient past reborn... Wow... I can’t believe I’m seeing this with my own eyes,” Mei murmured, taking in the palace rising behind them.

”So... this land really was hiding something from thousands of years ago... Amazing,” Sheila added.

”Wow... I can’t wait to go inside that palace,” Luna said, staring at the breathtaking architecture.

”And I had no idea there was such a massive statue of Goddess Hestalia... For some reason, I feel like this is the first time I’ve ever truly seen Goddess Hestalia,” Aria remarked.

”What do you think, Dion?” Cleo asked.

All five girls turned to look at Dion, then glanced over at Evelyn, whose face was as pale as if she’d seen a ghost. They turned back to Dion, following his gaze. What Dion was staring at wasn’t the palace, nor was it the courtyard that had just been unearthed from the ground, he was staring directly at the giant statue of Goddess Hestalia standing before the palace.

Dion’s lips trembled. His face turned deathly pale and his eyes widened. He took a step forward on the deck, squinting to make sure. Unlike every other goddess statue, which had always lacked facial features, this statue had a clearly defined face. And it was a face he recognized instantly. Not just recognized, but a face he had seen constantly in his past life.

Dion squinted, staring intently at the giant face of the goddess statue, which raised its hand to the sky holding a sword and a book, much like the Statue of Liberty. The face was caked in dirt and soil, but Dion rubbed his eyes, staring until his whole body began to tremble. Once he confirmed what he was looking at,

Thud!

Dion’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the deck, his face drained of color. ”Dion!” Luna, Mei, Cleo, Sheila, and Aria rushed over the moment he fell, crouching around him in a circle.

”What’s wrong, Dion? Are you okay?” Luna asked anxiously, placing her hands on his face and forehead to check on him.

”Why did you suddenly collapse?” Cleo asked, equally terrified.

”Why do you look so frightened... What happened?” Mei asked, panic in her voice.

”What is it, Dion? Talk to us, please, what’s going on?” Aria pleaded, frantic.

”What did you see at the palace... Did you see something we didn’t?” Sheila asked, cradling the sleeping Gina while placing a hand on Dion’s head from behind.

”I’m fine... Don’t worry. Really... I’m okay,” Dion replied, raising a hand and forcing a smile.

The five girls went quiet, but not a single one stood up. Instead, they sat in a circle around Dion, placing the sleeping Gina onto his lap. They stayed by his side, ignoring the palace and asking Evelyn to keep watch over the structure as it finished rising. As Dion cradled the sleeping Gina, his mind raced in turmoil.

”The statue of Goddess Hestalia... For the very first time, a statue actually has a face... And why does that face... look like... No, it’s not just a resemblance, it’s the exact face of Nora, my youngest sister from Earth? The sister who always helped me, even when no one else in my family wanted anything to do with me?” Dion thought to himself, his face ghost-white with shock.

***

At that very moment, on the balcony of the Minatheras royal palace, Minerva stood looking toward the east. Her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. Standing beside her, Rene noticed her sudden change in posture.

”What is it, my love?” Rene asked, wrapping an arm around Minerva.

”Something has awakened over there... We must finish constructing the tower immediately,” Minerva said.

”Allow me to go investigate and destroy whatever is over there, my love,” Rene said, following Minerva’s line of sight.

”No need. Whatever has awakened over there can never hope to defeat us. But the time has come to contact our allies over there,” Minerva replied.

”Ah, of course, my love. I will dispatch someone at once,” Rene answered.

”I’m counting on you, my love,” Minerva replied.

The two turned back to face forward. Before them stood a tower resembling a ziggurat, continuously rising skyward. Built of brick and corpses, the towering structure reached high enough to blot out the sun, plunging the entire city below into darkness and a dreadful atmosphere.