Author Of Another World

Part 1

The wind over Frostvale Forest carried a colder weight than before.

Masashi stood before the sky-gate platform, relic shards pulsing quietly against his chest. Around him, Clara, Yulleus, Crystella, Vellia, and the search party gathered, eyes fixed on the rune-carved stone. For days, they had traveled across Centara, Annava, and Argata—chasing fragments of a map only half-complete. Now, all pieces had aligned.

Tonight, the Sky Gate would open.

Masashi stepped forward, lifting the combined relic from his pouch. The shards had fused now—flame, frost, time, wind, and void—spinning as one living core. Its light grew brighter as he approached the center of the platform.

A pulse rippled outward.

The ground trembled slightly. Trees bent. Snow scattered upward like rising stars.

Crystella narrowed her eyes, frost blade resting against her shoulder.

"It's responding," she murmured.

Masashi placed the relic onto the center of the gate. The moment it touched, all runes along the platform ignited in radiant sky-blue light.

Everyone stepped back instinctively.

From above, the clouds parted for the first time.

And there, clear as dawn, the Sky Continent finally revealed itself—an enormous floating landmass, bridges of light stretching between crystalline towers and floating spires.

A voice—not Masashi's, not Virroga's, but something older—echoed across the valley:

"The chosen… step forward."

Masashi instinctively stepped onto the platform again.

Clara followed, sword in hand. Then Yulleus. Then Crystella.

But as Vellia tried to step forward—

Her foot met an invisible wall of shimmering force. She stumbled back, eyes wide.

"What…?"

Masashi turned sharply. "Vellia—?"

She tried again. The barrier remained.

Lyren, Mikka, Sev, Orin—all of them tried in turn. None could pass.

Clara's brows furrowed. "It's only letting us through…"

Vellia stepped back, a faint tremble in her voice.

"Why…?"

Masashi clenched his fists. The relic pulsed again in his hand as if confirming it.

Yulleus said quietly, "Only the ones who gathered the fractals…"

Crystella added, voice cool as frost, "Those directly bound to the relic's core."

Masashi swallowed tightly. "This is… our fight."

Vellia met his gaze across the barrier. Her bandaged hand rested over her heart.

"Masashi. Don't waste time worrying about us. You've already brought us this far."

Masashi's voice caught. "Vellia…"

She smiled faintly. "You promised, remember? You'd decide what comes next."

For a long moment, silence hung between them—wind carrying nothing but memories.

Then Masashi took a breath. His grip on the relic tightened.

"…Right."

He turned to Clara, Yulleus, and Crystella.

"Let's go."

The platform pulsed a final time. Light surrounded them completely—gold, silver, violet. The world shifted. Sky and earth blurred together.

Vellia's voice reached them once more before they vanished:

"Don't lose."

———

Sky Continent: Arrival

Masashi opened his eyes to weightlessness.

His feet touched solid ground, but the air felt too light. Around him stretched endless sky—blue and gold clouds swirling beneath floating bridges and islands that defied gravity. Buildings carved from crystal and stone shimmered in quiet harmony.

Clara appeared beside him first, adjusting her grip on her sword.

"…We made it."

Yulleus and Crystella appeared next, blades drawn instinctively.

Masashi stepped forward, heart steady.

The relic shards floated beside him now, spinning around his wrist like living flame and light.

"This place…" Clara murmured, voice low. "It feels…"

"…like the world's heart," Yulleus finished.

Crystella's expression barely shifted, but even she looked affected by the atmosphere.

They walked forward together, boots clicking against translucent bridges. Above and below, nothing but sky stretched in every direction.

Masashi's gaze narrowed.

"There's no sign of Virroga yet."

Clara scanned ahead. "He's here. I can feel it."

They continued walking until the path opened into a grand circular plaza—massive sky-runes carved into the floor. In the center floated a single obsidian throne.

And seated upon it, one leg crossed over the other—

Virroga.

His golden eyes opened slowly, voice calm as falling ash.

"…You finally came."

Masashi drew his blade without hesitation.

"This ends here."

Virroga stood, unbothered. Around him, five floating crystals pulsed—each one a fragment of mana, stolen from the relic long ago.

"No," Virroga said. "This… begins."

The Sky Continent trembled as if the heavens themselves were falling.

Masashi stood in the heart of the floating city's final platform, facing Virroga, the King of Gotnovaric, for the last time.

Clara stood at his right, blade shimmering silver-blue.

Elra, Vellia, Yulleus, and Crystella circled the battlefield's edges, each holding back the collapsing sky with magic and force.

But when Masashi stepped forward, everyone else stayed back. This was his fight now.

Virroga's voice echoed like thunder.

"You climbed all the way here… gathered your allies… but this is where it ends."

Masashi's grip tightened around the Ember Relic, fully restored and glowing brighter than it ever had before.

"No," Masashi said. "This is where it begins."

—

The Last Battle Begins

The sky broke into fractal lights.

Virroga unleashed a storm of sand and flame, void energy spiraling from both arms. Masashi countered with a burst of Phoenix flame—his form now fully awakened, combining fire and frost with time energy in perfect balance.

Their blades clashed. Sparks and mana waves spread across the platform, shattering stone and crystal alike.

Crystella and Yulleus took turns defending the others from falling debris while Vellia's healing magic held steady, her hand raised toward Masashi even as she knew she could not step into the fight.

Clara whispered under her breath:

"You've got this."

Masashi's strikes became faster, sharper. His flame now carried the strength of all five fractals gathered across their journey.

Even Virroga, twisted by void energy and corrupted mana, began to falter.

With a final cry, Masashi's sword, shaped now as the Phoenix Blade, slashed through Virroga's armor—cutting through darkness, cutting through fate itself.

Virroga stumbled, eyes wide, and for a brief moment, he looked… human again.

Masashi stood over him, blade lowered. No hate in his eyes. Only peace.

Virroga spoke, voice fading:

"Perhaps… it was meant… to end this way…"

The Sky Continent began collapsing. Crystals cracked. The mana storms stopped.

Masashi turned his back as Virroga vanished into light, leaving behind nothing but silence.

—

Return to Dusk-Land Kingdom

Hours later—

After finding the remaining gates and stabilizing the Sky Continent's ruins, Masashi, Clara, Elra, Vellia, Yulleus, Crystella, and their new friends Lyren, Mikka, Sev, and Orin returned to the surface world.

When they stepped through the final gate, landing once more on Dusk-Land Kingdom's shores, the sun was rising.

No cheers this time. No grand parade.

Just quiet relief.

Elra stood near the harbor steps, her eyes scanning the morning sky.

Vellia removed her bandages, revealing healed scars but calm expression.

Crystella walked beside Masashi and Clara, silent as always, yet with a faint smile this time.

Yulleus, standing near the cliffs, crossed his arms like usual. But his voice was lighter:

"Took us long enough."

Masashi exhaled, looking at all of them, then up toward the horizon.

"We made it back."

Clara stood next to him, glancing around the group.

"What now?" she asked.

Masashi looked down at the now-dormant Ember Relic in his hand, then back at her.

"We live."

—

One Month Later

Dusk-Land Kingdom Island was alive with quiet festivals again. Lanterns floated across the harbor. The city markets bustled. Life continued, as though the sky hadn't nearly fallen.

Masashi found himself on the same palace balcony where everything had once begun.

But this time, there was no relic in his hand. No burden.

Just the sound of ocean waves.

Clara joined him once more, arms folded, her usual sharpness softened.

"It really is over, huh?" she asked.

Masashi gave a small smile. "Yeah. For real this time."

Elra, Vellia, Yulleus, and Crystella were gathered in the square below. Lyren, Mikka, Sev, and Orin had chosen to stay in Dusk-Land as well, now considered part of the kingdom's protectors.

Clara nudged Masashi's shoulder lightly.

"So… no more fighting?"

Masashi shook his head.

"No. But there's still more to see."

The sky stretched wide and quiet—no floating continents, no void scars. Just clear blue and dawn light.

Masashi took a breath and said, not to Clara, but to the world itself:

"We've earned this."

And so, the story closed.

Not with a final battle.

Not with a grand prophecy.

But with peace.

The adventure wasn't erased. It wasn't forgotten.

It had simply… become part of the sky.

Part 2

The sky over Dusk-Land Kingdom Island was painted gold and crimson. Lanterns once again floated along the harbor, but this time there were no looming battles. Only quiet peace.

Masashi stood in the great marble hall of the Royal Council Palace, surrounded by banners bearing the five fractals. Clara was beside him, as were Elra, Vellia, Yulleus, and Crystella. Lyren, Mikka, Sev, and Orin stood quietly in the background.

The council leader, an elderly man named Veros, raised his voice.

"Masashi Tezuka, known as the Phoenix Knight, the Flame Sovereign, the one who stood against Time-Loop Demon, Frozenfire, and Virroga... Today, we nominate you as a candidate for the future king of Dusk-Land."

Masashi said nothing at first. His hand brushed against the pendant resting beneath his tunic. Memories of their journey flashed in his mind: broken cities, lost allies, Clara almost falling... again.

Clara leaned in quietly. "It's your call. Don't force yourself." Her voice was steady.

Masashi finally spoke. "I'm... honored." His voice carried across the chamber. "But I need time to decide."

The council nodded solemnly. "You have until the Festival of the Three Victories."

The sun cast amber light through the tall windows of the Royal Council Palace. Masashi stood quietly by himself, staring at the sprawling kingdom beyond the glass: rivers winding through white-stone streets, skyships drifting lazily over the harbor, flags bearing the five fractals fluttering in the wind.

The echoes of the council's nomination still rang in his head.

"You have until the Festival of the Three Victories."

That gave him a week.

Seven days to decide if he would step into something far beyond battles or relics—into leading an entire kingdom.

Clara leaned against the far wall, arms crossed as always. Her gaze followed him calmly.

"You're really thinking about it," she said finally.

Masashi didn't look away from the window. "I didn't think I would."

"I figured you'd refuse on the spot," Clara admitted, voice dry. "That's more your style."

Masashi's hand rested lightly on the Ember Relic, now dormant and bound to a silver chain around his neck. "That's what I thought, too. But…"

"But what?"

Masashi let out a slow breath. "This place deserves someone who won't ruin it."

"Then why not you?" Clara asked, stepping forward now, stopping beside him. "You already lead when it matters."

Masashi shook his head slightly. "Fighting's different from ruling. When there's a fight, I know what to do. But deciding laws? Guiding cities? Dealing with people's everyday lives..."

"Sounds boring, huh?" Clara offered with a faint smirk.

Masashi actually smiled a little at that. "Maybe."

Clara looked toward the window, mirroring his stance. For a moment, the two stood in silence.

"Masashi," she said quietly after a pause, "don't think about it like fate choosing you. Or the council choosing you. Think about why you're here."

Masashi glanced at her. "Why I'm here?"

"You fought all this time for people like Vellia. Yulleus. Elra. Me. You always said you just wanted to help."

Masashi closed his eyes for a long breath.

"…Right."

It wasn't about power. It never was.

It was about protecting what mattered. No different from the first day he stepped into this world.

"Come on," Clara said, nudging his shoulder lightly. "The others are waiting."

—

Later That Day: Council Gardens

Masashi found Elra, Vellia, Yulleus, Crystella, Lyren, Mikka, Sev, and Orin gathered in the outer gardens, standing beneath silver-leafed trees. Lanterns already hung between the branches in preparation for the festival.

When Masashi approached, the conversations paused.

Yulleus was the first to speak. "So?" he asked, folding his arms. "You really thinking of saying yes?"

Masashi didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at each of them—people he'd come to call friends, and something more.

"Would it be so strange if I did?" Masashi asked calmly.

Yulleus grunted, but didn't argue.

Elra tilted her head thoughtfully. "Not strange. Just unexpected."

Vellia stepped forward next, her voice softer than usual. "You've already carried all of us this far. Maybe it's time to carry a kingdom."

Masashi's fingers brushed the pendant again. He could feel the dormant relic's faint pulse there, like it was listening.

Crystella, silent as always, only nodded once. That was enough.

Even Lyren, standing with one hand on his spear, shrugged lightly. "If it's you, I don't mind."

Sev and Orin chimed in together, as usual:

"Better than some council puppet."

"At least you don't wear shiny gold robes yet."

Masashi gave a small laugh. "Thanks."

—

Later That Night: Masashi's Balcony

When the stars rose, Masashi found himself alone on his balcony again, watching the sky. This time, he wasn't brooding.

He was… choosing.

Clara stepped up beside him one more time, holding a lantern in her hand.

"Figured you might want to light one," she said.

Masashi took it quietly, holding the base. Together, they lit the wick.

The flame flickered gold.

"What would you write on it?" Clara asked.

Masashi thought for a moment, then answered softly:

"That I'll never stop writing."

Clara's brow raised slightly. "A king… and still a writer?"

Masashi smiled as they let the lantern drift up into the sky, joining hundreds of others already floating there.

"Why not?" he said. "The story's not over yet."

Part 3

The Festival of the Three Victories lit the skies over Dusk-Land Kingdom with color and music. Banners draped from every tower. Lanterns floated along the rivers and harbor, painting golden trails in the evening light.

In the heart of the kingdom, the marble plaza had been transformed into a grand stage.

At the center, Masashi stood before the Royal Council, clad in formal black and silver armor trimmed with dusk-blue. The pendant and relic rested hidden beneath his mantle—silent, but present.

Around him stood Clara, Yulleus, Elra, Crystella, Vellia, Lyren, Mikka, Sev, and Orin. The kingdom had gathered in full, citizens watching from balconies, rooftops, and beyond.

The council elder Veros raised his staff, voice carrying across the plaza.

"Masashi Tezuka. You stand here today not as warrior nor wanderer, but as a candidate to lead the kingdom. Will you accept this path, to guide Dusk-Land into its future?"

Masashi exhaled slowly.

Clara gave him a quiet nod.

Yulleus stood, arms crossed, eyes serious but expectant.

Elra, Vellia, Crystella—each of them watching, waiting.

Masashi stepped forward.

"I…" His voice was steady, calm. "Accept."

Cheers erupted through the plaza. Fireworks ignited in gold and violet arcs. Clara allowed herself a rare smile. Lyren gave a low whistle.

But just as Veros lifted the ceremonial crown toward Masashi—

A voice cut through everything:

"Don't take the crown!"

The plaza fell into absolute silence.

Everyone turned toward the voice. From between the crowd and council banners, a figure stepped forward.

A woman.

She wore a long, dark dress—elegant yet severe. Midnight black, trimmed with muted silver. Her hair was pale, almost white-blue, flowing like frost-touched silk. Her eyes were sharp, cold as ice, but there was something undeniably beautiful about her.

A mage's crest shimmered faintly at her collar.

Clara instinctively moved closer to Masashi, hand near her blade. Yulleus narrowed his eyes instantly. Crystella's frost aura sharpened without a word.

The council elder barked, "Who dares—?"

The woman ignored him. Her gaze was locked onto Masashi alone.

"You must not take the crown," she repeated, voice like snow falling on stone. Calm. Absolute.

Masashi, steady despite the tension, spoke evenly:

"Who are you?"

The woman stepped onto the stage itself now, her steps silent.

"My name… isn't important yet." Her eyes softened just slightly. "I came to warn you."

The plaza buzzed with whispers, but no one dared interrupt.

Masashi kept his voice low, measured.

"Warn me of what?"

The woman lifted one hand, and for a brief moment, a circle of frost and black-rune magic shimmered around her wrist—ancient, unfamiliar even to Elra.

"If you take the crown," she said quietly, "you will lose yourself."

A pulse of cold wind swept through the square. The flames in nearby lanterns flickered dangerously.

Crystella's voice broke the quiet, sharp as always. "Who sent you?"

The woman didn't look at her. Only at Masashi.

"This isn't about who sent me. It's about saving your fate."

Masashi stepped forward slightly, his eyes narrowing. "I've already chosen my path."

"And you still don't understand what's at the end of it."

Yulleus muttered under his breath, "Masashi…"

The woman took another step closer, now barely arm's length from him.

"The Phoenix Relic… the Fractals… the Sky Continent… You believe everything is over. But it isn't. Taking the crown ties you to Dusk-Land's lifeline. To this world's cycle."

Clara finally snapped:

"Explain. Now."

The woman turned her eyes toward Clara—measuring her, but without hostility.

"There is a larger curse behind this world. The same force that created the Time-Loop Demon. Frozenfire. Even Virroga was just another thread."

Masashi's pulse quickened, but he kept steady.

"What kind of curse?"

The woman's voice dropped to a whisper now, her eyes glinting faint silver:

"This world... Astraterra... repeats."

The plaza grew cold. Even the wind seemed to stop.

"What do you mean… repeats?" Masashi asked slowly.

The woman let her hand fall.

"You were meant to become king. Meant to lead. Meant to fight... again. And again. And again. Every time this cycle ends, it starts again."

Elra's voice was low now, thoughtful and sharp. "A time cycle. Beyond what even I know."

The woman nodded once.

"But," she added carefully, "it hasn't fully activated yet. That's why I'm here."

Masashi's hand tightened into a fist.

"Why me?"

"Because you're the anomaly." Her voice softened slightly now. "You're the author."

That word hung in the air like lightning.

Masashi's expression froze completely.

"Author…?"

The woman's eyes flicked down to the pendant beneath his mantle.

"That relic isn't just a relic. It's the seed of this world's script."

No one spoke.

Even Clara seemed taken off guard now, her usual sharpness dulled by pure confusion.

The woman looked around at all of them: Clara, Yulleus, Elra, Vellia, Crystella, Lyren, Mikka, Sev, and Orin.

"I came here to break the cycle. But I can't do it alone."

Masashi exhaled slowly.

"Then tell me."

He lifted his head fully now—eyes steady, no longer just caught between king and wanderer.

"If I don't take the crown… what happens?"

The woman answered quietly:

"You stay free."

Her hand lowered completely now.

"You can choose what happens next. Truly. No more loops. No more destiny."

The council elder tried to protest again, but this time Masashi raised his hand, silencing everyone.

"…Everyone," he said quietly, glancing back at his friends, "give me a moment."

Clara hesitated, then nodded once. Yulleus grunted but stepped back. The others followed.

Now only Masashi and the mysterious woman stood in the center of the plaza—lanterns drifting in the cold wind.

Masashi spoke carefully:

"Before I decide... tell me your name."

The woman was quiet for a long time.

Then she spoke, voice almost too soft to hear:

"…Selvaria."

Masashi's heart gave a quiet jolt.

That name...

Familiar, somehow.

He didn't know why.

But whatever came next—

He knew this story wasn't finished.

Not yet.