[A/N: I wept writing this chapter. I dunno why I'm such a masochist]

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Chapter 88

So, you are the child of heavens, I presume?

Only Kris could understand the words of the dragon.

Child of Heavens? I remember that’s what the High Sages of EXO used to call me. I guess it’s because I could talk to dragons and even ask for their aid in battle. But you, I’ve never seen you before… Kris answered but he did not utter any words; it was like the communication was purely mental between him and the great black dragon.

I am Fei the Great. Tianlong’s descendant.

Kris’ eyes widened, You’re the descendant of the dragon whose fangs were used to forge Tianlong the sword? Both their eyes shifted to the sword that was struck against the ground below them.

Precisely the reason why you were able to summon me.

But how come I wasn’t able to summon you before?

Because you weren’t strong enough. Do you think you can just summon the strongest dragon with ample knowledge and powers?

Kris winced. It’s not that he was too confident in his powers, just confident enough to believe that he didn’t have just ‘ample’ knowledge and strength.

Is it because I got something from the seed?

Not just that…

Please explain further.

It’s because it’s only now that you’ve really found your resolve.

“Resolve?” Kris voiced out the word aloud. He closed his eyes and went back into mental communication with Fei.

You see, you’ve always thought that your only purpose was to fulfil your duties as a leader. Of course, you cared about the people around you, but you saw caring for them as just a part of your duties. But ever since you came into this planet after you’ve lost everything – it was then things inside of you started changing. In other words, you’ve only recently found out who you really are – not just the Leader of the 12 Forces, but the person everyone looks up to and depends on. And most importantly, a friend.

Kris smiled a thoughtful smile, but what does that have to do with you coming out only now?

Well, do you think I’d like to lend my strength to someone who was as stiff as your previous self?

Kris chuckled.

Now, let’s finish this.

As Fei roared a fierce roar that could shake even the planets in outer space, more dragons started materializing, ending up with a whole army of them.

 Everything then happened so fast: The black dragon, commanded an army of dragons who fought with all the remaining creatures that were still left alive.

Baekhyun carried Suho, then Cheonsa and finally Cheonji to a safer place Lay had found – which was only a few meters away from where they were a few minutes ago. Lay started healing Cheonsa first, then Suho and lastly Cheonji. The healer then collapsed and leaned his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder as he felt terribly exhausted from all the healing he had been doing ever since the battles started. Lay was sweating cold, his skin pale and his lips terribly dry.

“You did a great job, hyung!” Baekhyun mused as he let Lay rest. He then directed his eyes to everything that was happening back where Kris and Strife were left.

Kris shot downwards to where Strife was standing motionless.

“Good thing you have a healer in your group, or else, you would have slit my throat right then and there, am I right, my son?”

Kris winced at the last words ‘my son.’

“Aren’t you going to fight back?” Kris growled.

“How else? All my warriors have already been defeated”

Kris ignored his answer, “You were going to kill my friends even after all the people in EXO have already been killed by you? Wasn’t that enough for you?”

“You were planning to restore everything that I successfully taken revenge on. And the Tree of Life should never be used again for that damned planet’s purposes”

“That damned planet that we call ‘home’”

“It should not have been our home had their people did not destroy ours”

“Those people you killed, they were innocent, Strife! They had nothing to do with what the ancestors of EXO did to you…to our ancestors”

Strife laughed at his son’s desperate attempts to shake his principles, “Says the one who was confused moments ago”

“When she told me to seek what my heart holds – there I saw the people who were more of a family to me than you ever were. And that moment I realized, those people you wanted to avenge – they were people whom I never felt inside me. I am part Chromenian, but the woman who conceived me was from EXO, I lived my life in EXO, I found my life’s purpose in EXO and I met my friends there. And because of the mission EXO has given me, I met my salvation – the only person who has successfully opened my heart. Strife can you not see? My heart first belonged to EXO” Kris explained as he took slow steps towards his father.

Strife did not say anything.

“Father….let us stop this now. Too many people have suffered”

Strife smirked, “You’ve gotten soft. I didn’t train you to become like that. Aren’t you going to kill me after all that happened? I killed your people. I destroyed your planet”

Kris stopped.

“I even tried to kill your friends and the young woman you loved. What happened inside you, Kris?”

Kris smiled but his smile did not reach his ears, “After losing so much, I learned to value life better than before, father”

Strife chuckled, “Is that so…”

The next set of events shocked Kris. Strife released the gravity that was pulling his body down – which sent him levitating upwards towards the black hole that was about to close. Kris panicked and he flew immediately upwards – with his hands reaching his father.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Kris shouted in midair.

“THERE IS NOTHING LEFT FOR ME TO DO, KRIS. GO BACK TO THE PEOPLE YOU CONSIDER YOUR FAMILY AND FORGET I EVER EXISTED”

“I CAN’T DO THAT! YOU ARE STILL MY FATHER! YOU TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING!”

Strife smiled, “I DIDN’T. I ONLY TAUGHT YOU HOW TO BATTLE – BUT THE THINGS YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW – YOU ACQUIRED THEM BY YOURSELF”

“COME WITH US! IT’S NOT TOO LATE!”

“IT’S TOO LATE. IT WAS TOO LATE ALREADY. EVERYTHING ENDED WHEN I TRIED TO TAKE YOUR LIFE AWAY. THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE LEFT”

“FATHER!”

“FATHER!” Kris shouted as Strife decreased and decreased the gravity more. The force that was inside the black hole immediately him up and as the skies finally cleared after every dragon had cleared the area, the black hole that took his father already closed and was seemingly wiped out of the sky.

Baekhyun closed his eyes as the battles finally ended. Suho, who was the only one conscious right now as Lay, Cheonsa and Cheonji also slept, saw Kris landed with his head hung low.

“It’s finally over. In the end, Kris had to still take the heaviest blow”

As Suho’s words escaped his lips, he heard Kris roar with pain of loss in his voice. And as if on a cue, the child of heavens fell on the ground unconscious. 

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[A/N: ...and so, the battle finally ends.]