The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Klaus glared at Knox for a full minute before sighing. There was no point in trying to make sense of all the weirdness in his life.

“So, if none of you managed to locate any of the Star Lights, does that mean I’m the one who has to do all the work?” Klaus asked.

“Among other things… yes,” Knox replied with a smile.

“Among other things?” Klaus narrowed his eyes just enough to let Knox know he wasn’t joking.

“Let’s not dwell on that yet. The most important thing is you’ve managed to find a Star Light and even awakened the legendary Skybound. You’ve already completed at least 4% of the journey,” Knox laughed.

“4%… Are you for real?” Klaus asked though he knew it was pointless. “Why am I here?” Klaus questioned.

“Isn’t it obvious? You came here after unsealing the first seal on the bow, allowing you to unlock the Sky Piercing Bow Art,” Knox said. As soon as he spoke, Klaus felt the technique enter his mind.

“Let me guess, you’re the creator of this technique,” Klaus asked, even though he already knew the answer.

“It was one of my masterpieces… our masterpiece,” Knox answered with a cheerful smile.

“This works well for me. I guess I won’t have to worry about finding the perfect technique for Hanna,” Klaus muttered.

“That you don’t have to worry about at all. After all, this is more than enough for the Star Light to protect herself and unleash the true power of the bow,” Knox said.

“Her name is Hanna, and if you truly are the past me, then she is also your sister. Do you get that?” Klaus narrowed his gaze at Knox.

“I do,” Knox nodded.

“Now, what can you tell me about the bow and why Hanna was the one who awakened it and not me?” Klaus asked.

“It’s simple, actually. The bow is linked to the Paragon Star, and since she is now a carrier of a key to unlock one of such stars and is even in possession of a stolen Heavenly Lightning constitution, the bow deemed her worthy to summon her.

But fear not, you can summon her anytime you want,” Knox explained.

“Her… is the bow a person?” Klaus was struggling to understand many of the things he had been hearing and seeing over the past few months.

“You’ve only unsealed the first of the Seven Seals, so you won’t truly know what the bow is actually made of, but soon you will. And trust me, you wouldn’t want to underestimate her, even now, in her dormant state. Don’t underestimate her”

Klaus sighed and decided to take a step back while he was still sane. At least, as far as he was concerned, he was the one alive, not the others.

“You can send me away now, Knox. I think I’ve had my fill of you. Any more time I spent here, and I’m afraid I’ll lose my mind,” Klaus said with a sigh.

Knox laughed, shaking his head. “Just so you know, no matter what, never let anything happen to the Star Light. Her soul is now linked to Skybound, so soul attacks can’t hurt her. But until she fully awakens her constitution, you have to make sure she stays safe.

Also, a part of my life is in the bow. When you feel like remembering, you know what to do.”

“You don’t have to tell me what to do. Hanna is my sister; naturally, it’s my job to make sure she’s okay,” Klaus shrugged.

“I hope you remember that. Now, off you go…” Knox waved his hand, and Klaus opened his eyes to the outside world.

“Weird fellow,” he muttered.

“Brother…”

“Klaus…”

Everyone moved toward him with worried expressions. Klaus’s mother immediately cupped his cheeks, turning his head to check if he was alright.

“I’m fine, Mom, no need to be dramatic,” Klaus said with a laugh.

“Thank the heavens,” his mother said.

Klaus laughed, knowing full well the heavens would have been rejoicing by now if something bad had happened to him.

“What happened, brother? I can feel the bow is stronger now,” Hanna said, looking at it.

“About that…” Klaus smiled. “Come closer,” he gestured, and Hanna stepped closer. Klaus placed his thumb on her forehead and transmitted the Sky Piercing Bow Art technique to her.

“Is that…” Hanna began but couldn’t finish her sentence.

“Yes, that is a technique made specifically for this bow,” Klaus replied. “No need to think too much about it. Just master this technique, and your skills will become unrivaled.”

Hanna looked at Klaus for a few more seconds and then reached in and hugged him, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you, brother,” she muttered through her sobs.

“No need to cry, Hanna. It’s just a technique,” Klaus said, rubbing her back.

Although it was a normal thing for him, the others weren’t exactly used to such advanced techniques. Even the academy wouldn’t be able to provide them with half of what Klaus planned on giving them.

After a while, Hanna broke the hug. “Now that we’re done crying, do you all want to team up and see if you can shake my foundation, or should we call it a day?” Klaus asked.

“We want to team up,” Lily was the first to answer. Klaus just smiled and waited for them to get ready. After a few minutes, all seven of them stood before him, ready for a combat session that lasted only 20 minutes.

In the end, Klaus defeated them, ensuring they felt the pain deep in their bones. By the time he was done, none of them were able to move their fingers.

Luna and Nuna used their shadow abilities to move the others to their rooms to recover.

“That was brutal, Klaus. Not even your girlfriends were spared,” Nuna said to Klaus, who was munching on an apple.

“The monsters and zombies won’t make it easy on them, so I’m just drilling the pain into them before they face the real thing,” Klaus replied, showing no hint of sympathy for what he had done to his friends.

“Still, you could have gone easier on them, especially, your girlfriends and your sister” Luna commented. However, they all knew Klaus was right—no monster would show them mercy.

The rest of the day was spent talking about random things. That night, Klaus spent time with Miriam, who had missed him dearly, even though it had only been a few weeks since they last saw each other.

They spent the entire night embracing each other, only stopping when the sun rose. They eventually fell asleep, and Klaus woke up three hours later to hold a meeting with the twins.

It was time to make his move against the Dark Order. He had only seven weeks before it would be time to go to the Academy.

He wants to speed-run things before leaving.

Luna and Nuna were more than happy to help him take down their mother and her organization. After all, just a few months ago, she had been their slave master. No slave would ever wish goodwill upon their master.