Grand Return System

One Sword to End It All [Part 3]

He thought he’d be able to show his worth now.

He had thought his name would no longer exist below the shadow of Zeon.

Yet in the end...

He had still lost.

Gareth slowly raised his head.

His battered eyes moved across the battlefield.

Then he saw them.

The disciples.

They stood among the debris, staring at him.

Their faces were pale.

Some were shivering so violently that they could hardly keep their feet.

Others had tears gathering in their eyes.

A few desperately looked toward Gareth.

They were waiting.

Waiting for him to say something.

Waiting for him to stand back up.

Waiting for some miracle.

Anything that might save them from the destiny they already felt deep down.

Gareth stared at them silently.

Their eyes were filled with fear.

They trusted him.

That realization cut deeper than the sword.

For years, he had been the supports of this old orthodoxy.

To these disciples, he wasn’t simply Gareth.

He was their protector.

Their elder.

Their final hope.

As long as Gareth stood, they’d thought, they’d had a chance.

But now...

Gareth could barely stand himself.

His lips trembled.

He wanted to say something.

He wanted to reassure them.

He simply wanted to tell them that things would turn out alright.

But the words refused to come.

That because, for the first time in his life, Gareth knew he couldn’t lie to himself.

He couldn’t promise them salvation.

He couldn’t promise victory.

He was so absolute in what he thought, he couldn’t even tell you that he would be alive in a few minutes.

His eye washed over the old ruins they were standing in.

This place had been his life.

He had spent countless years protecting it.

He had seen others’ apprentices flourish under it.

And he had borne its legacy through the darkest times.

He’d wanted to bring it back to what it once was.

Above all, he’d desperately wanted to prove that his life was not here to stay in the shadow of Zeon.

But now...

His inheritance, which he had risked his life to save, was falling to ruin.

And it would be happening while he’s alive.

By his own hands.

Gareth’s jaw tightened.

He couldn’t accept it.

He couldn’t.

It hurt so much just to think of watching this ancient orthodoxy die because he had not succeeded, more than the jagged anguish tearing him apart.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

He simply lowered his eyes.

His fists slowly tightened at his sides.

Then-

A faint pressure descended beside him.

The air shifted.

Dust lifted from the ground.

Several disciples instinctively stepped backward.

A figure landed silently beside Gareth.

Leon.

The charming man in the black robes stood as if he had just casually entered the battlefield.

His long black hair, which was shoulder length, was waving in the wind behind him.

His purple eyes were calm.

Deep.

Unreadable.

There was no excitement in them.

No arrogance.

There’s not even a smidgen of happiness after the fight.

His black robes swayed gently around him.

Very fine lines of amethyst stitched into the fabric shimmered as the breeze blew them.

The remains of the Supreme Demonic Sword was in his hand.

Even broken, the weapon still loomed threatening.

Its broken blade pointed directly toward Gareth.

Gareth’s eyes slowly lifted.

He looked at Leon.

For a moment, neither man spoke.

The followers surrounding them didn’t make a sound.

It was as though the whole of the battlefield was holding its breath.

Leon looked down at Gareth.

His expression didn’t change.

It was not in his eyes. No signs of rage, no signs of ecstasy. Not even the knowing grin of victory.

Just indifference.

After all that had happened, to Gareth, his defeat was nearly nothing.

Leon’s lips slowly parted.

"Gareth."

His voice was calm.

Almost casual.

As if they were just talking to each other and not standing in the middle of an ugly fight.

Leon looked at him for a while then went on.

"Did you just wake up from your beautiful dream?"

Gareth lowered his head.

His breathing was heavy.

His body was broken, and he felt as if each new step brought another surge of pain.

But the pain itself no longer mattered.

He had already given everything he had.

Gareth had spared no one in the fight today.

It was he who had released the strange aura that had been latched in him.

He had revealed his Dark Body.

He had pushed his cultivation to its maximum.

His rage had burned hotter than ever.

His hatred had driven him forward.

His very pride had been hurled into that last stand.

He had fought with everything he possessed.

Everything he had built over the years.

All that he thought that he would be able to raise above him.

And yet...

He still lost.

Completely.

There was no excuse left.

No hidden card.

No strength waiting to be revealed.

Nothing...nothing that could make the difference.

The defeat was absolute.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Gareth slowly closed his eyes.

Momentarily everything outside in the world around him fell strangely silent.

Then he opened them again.

What ever feeling lingered in his eyes had disappeared.

He looked toward Leon.

There was no pleading.

No attempt to bargain.

No unwillingness to accept what had happened.

He had lost.

And now he understood what came next.

Gareth took a slow breath.

Then he said, with the last power remaining in his body.

"Do it!"

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Grand Return System* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scoturn777

Creator of Grand Return System

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