Hikari: Rise Of The Weapons Master

Chapter 221 Top Of The World Tree

"Zack…" tears streamed down Emma's face. She had remembered everything from the past, except for the fact that Zack had lived through countless lives just for her and the others sake.

"I know how you are feeling Emma." Zack replied with a bitter smile. He could tell that the pink-haired girl was still shaken by the revelation he had just made.

"Do you think we will be able end things this time?" Emma questioned with a shaking voice.

"I don't know… The best we can hope for is to not die and trap our enemies." Zack replied in a grim voice.

Even with most of his powers unlocked, he wasn't confident whether he would be able to fight the other side, especially when the last member of their team was actually missing.

Though Lucifer was now on their side, Zack wasn't sure which gods were still supporting the heavens.

During the last Night's Wrath,  the gods had been divided into two sides. One side supported Apep while the other was against Apep.

Both sides had suffered heavy losses and many of the gods died during the war. In the end, the goddess of light was the one who had managed to subdue Mordred and call a temporary truce.

But unknown to her, Mordred and Apep had started conquering smaller worlds and started adding them to one big world known as Hikari.

Zack's original world, the place where he had lived during his first life, was the starting point of this. One after the other, numerous worlds had been conquered and had been compressed to form Hikari, a place thriving with mana.

'However, Hikari is simply a place where Apep keeps his army. By using his powers, he can force all people living on Hikari to fight for him.'

Emma also knew this. Both of them knew that they had to return to their original world and meet the goddess of light.

Both of them had completed the first part of the quest of day and night. It was time for them to go back and start the second part of the quest.

"Let's leave this place together." Zack asked while raising his hand towards Emma.

The pink-haired girl firmly held his hand. The two of them were suddenly surrounded by a warm golden light.

Their forms vanished from the room as they moved from one realm to another.

"You both did good." A ten-year old girl said in a prideful tone.

The girl was none other than the goddess of light, Alrecia. Mortals on earth didn't know of her since she belonged to a different realm.

"We also remember everything, Alrecia." Zack replied. He didn't bother with honorifics since he was almost as strong as the goddess.

"I know. I have been watching your journey the entire time," Alrecia replied with a sad expression. "You both can proceed with the second part of the quest."

[ Tale of Day and Night (Divine): There was once a person who was put under the night's and the day's curse yet he managed to make both the night and the day embrace him and bless him.

- Visit the top of the world tree where Hemera, the day, lives. (2/3 part of the quest)

Time limit: 5 days ]

[ Tale of Day and Night (Divine): There was once a princess whose family hated her and wanted her to die. She wanted the same but her bloodline didn't allow her to do so. Instead, she forsake the bloodline and her family and ran away.

- Visit the last temple of Artemis situated in the world of Hikari. (2/3 part of the quest)

Time limit: 5 days ]

"I am afraid we don't have a whole lot of of time left. I am teleporting you both as far as I can. May you succeed." Alrecia said with a glance at the sky of her domain.

She could tell that Apep was growing stronger by every passing day. She, on the other hand, continued to grow weaker as her temples were being destroyed.

The population was also turning to the dark side due to Apep's powers,. Alrecia knew that if Zack and his group failed, the entire world would be doomed.

"For all that has turned into dust and ashes, Will once again rise and burn." Alrecia muttered. "Only two lines of that prophecy are left to be fulfilled."

Zack's mouth fell open a little before he was teleported away. He understood what that line of the prophecy referred.

'Just like a Phoenix, we have died and were reborn from our ashes, aka our past. But this time, we will rise and burn like a fire gone out of control.' Zack thought silently.

Lance, who was still combined with Zack, felt the same. If not for his best friend and partner, he would've died within a day after being born.

It was Zack who had shared some of his life with lance so t hat he could live. The Phoenix had been living with Zack ever since and developed his own attachments to the world.

[ Zack, you better not die without finding me a bride. ]

'Oh? There's no need for that. The place where we are going will make you remember another important thing that you have forgotten.' Zack replied with a smile.

Lance wanted to ask  some questions but Zack wasn't interested in talking to him anymore. He was instead observing their surroundings.

'This is the top of the world tree…'

The place where he was standing could be described as the peak of the world. It was the topmost spot where any person, mortal or immortal, could reach.

'When the world tree had been separated, this part went to the side of the fairies. The bottom part went to the elven side.' Zack explained.

He was currently standing on top of the world tree which had taken the form of an ancient temple. Most people wouldn't have expected the top of the world to look like this.

Those people will never reach the top either.

Zack knew this place by heart even though he had only appeared here twice. It was called the palace of day, the place where Hemera lived.

Zack looked at the temple with alert eyes before sighing. He walked towards the entrance while talking to Lance.

[ Zack, why exactly are we here? ]

'We are here to meet Hemera, the goddess who was supposed to become my father's bride.'