The moment Faxul's upper body emerged from the pool, the crazy King went still, flopping to the ground lifelessly.
[Target found to be incapacitated. Deactivating Ruler's Inheritance as per program.]
As the voices suddenly disappeared, Daneel finally got up from the floor, dusting his knees in the process.
Tasting blood in his mouth, he couldn't help but spit out before wiping the rest away, before looking around and seeing the mayhem that had been wrought when he had been busy trying to ignore the voices.
This waterfall and the cave seemed to have been covered by an impassable barrier for weaker humans, so there was no risk of his citizens marching in and finding this scene. So, Daneel got back to the urgent matter at hand.
The Black Raven Empire Spirit seemed to know just how jarring the Ruler's Inheritance must be, so it had waited silently while Daneel returned to his senses.
However, seeing him look around idly, it couldn't help but feel infuriated, as time was running out for it. Its Energy was being sucked away, and soon, it would have no option but to go into an endless slumber.
Compared to that, anything was fine.
It knew that its corporeal body, the stone podium, was invincible when an active attempt at possession wasn't being made.
So, if worst came to worst, the Black Raven Empire Spirit was prepared to kill this host it had worked so hard to acquire, as the alternative was much more horrifying.
True, it would be trapped in the damn podium for a long, long time again, but that was still better.
Still, it still wanted to make one last-ditch attempt at using the life of this brat's best friend to achieve what it wanted.
"Are you really prepared to see your friend die? At least, if I possess him, he will still be alive. Who knows? In the future, if you grow strong enough, you might find an opportunity to abolish my consciousness and give him back his body. I'm even prepared to be agreeable to that, as I can just shift to a new body then. Think about it, young King. You will not get a better offer. Refuse, and your friend dies. Because of you."
Indeed, Daneel had been dazed after that horrendous experience of having 1000 people inside his head.
If he hadn't broken through to become a Warrior, he would definitely have succumbed and gone mad.
All aspects of a Warrior were upgraded when compared to an Exalted Human, so it only made sense that this had been a deciding factor.
His plan had been going pretty smoothly till now. He had indeed obtained clearer information about exactly what had happened when the Heroes of the Withering Leaf Sect had been killed, so he had been able to program the system to take care of the situation.
Everything had worked out beautifully so far, including the usage of the failsafe he had placed in the Protector Raven when he had cured it of the inability to connect with Faxul.
He hadn't known what situation he would have to use it in, but he had to admit that it had definitely paid off in a large way.
Only, now, it seemed that there was finally a snag.
According to the reports, the Empire Spirit shouldn't be able to control someone without temporarily possessing them, like it had done the crazy King all those years ago.
Both he and the Black Raven Empire Spirit knew that it was a dumb thing to do, as it would just mean that Daneel could use the same method as before to keep Faxul at bay while the solution continued to extract the Energy, as it would still be vulnerable during a temporary possession. Also, this would result in Faxul becoming crazy again, and the Empire Spirit becoming injured, which might land it in a permanent slumber this time.
So, right now, Daneel found himself a bit flummoxed, but thankfully, his habit of placing failsafes everywhere just in case looked like it would pay off once again.
When Faxul had decided to use that technique of placing a secondary entity inside himself to increase his training speed, Daneel had placed a failsafe through a technique that he had given to him.
Although his friend had stopped using the technique long ago, the failsafe still remained, and using it, he could knock out Faxul just like the Protector Raven so that he could not come to harm.
Feeling very weary due to the exertion he had been through just now, Daneel decided to just end it.
"Young King, I told you that you do not have a lot of time. It is a very reasonable offer. You must consider it."
In the stone podium, there was a certain Energy level that had to be maintained in order to keep its Hero-level consciousness at an active state.
Slowly, that limit was being reached, and after that, the Black Raven Empire Spirit would enter a dormant state that might last till eternity.
So, the Empire Spirit spoke with panic, before using a different form of possession that allowed it to control Faxul and his power, without injecting its own power into him.
This would not result in Faxul going crazy, and neither would it be hurt like before.
In order to hasten the brat further, it made a metallic knife appear in midair using Faxul's mageroot before making it float in front of his chest, point first.
The only vulnerability with this would be that the brat might try to overpower its target, but the Hero-level barrier which was still active took care of that.
Yes! This time, it was definitely going to work! Besides, it was prepared.
Seeing this sight, Daneel nodded decisively while telling the system, "Activate the failsafe inside Faxul."
[Activating]
The King of Lanthanor was just about to sigh in relief due to everything being resolved, but instead, he gawked as he saw nothing happening.
[Hero-level interference detected. Failsafe has failed to activate.]
As this message echoed in Daneel's mind, the Empire Spirit spoke in a gloating tone, and this time, Daneel really did get an expression of slight panic on his face, as he wondered about what he was going to do.
"Hahaha, I was right! You did fool me once, but were you really so naïve to think that it would work a second time? I am a millennia-old Mage, you fool! You caught me off guard then, but I was prepared now! You have no more avenues to explore! Decide! Kill your friend, or save him later! It's an easy choice!"
…
Meanwhile, after being placed in the slumber, Faxul had been watching in a half-asleep state as all the events in the inner cave unfolded.
When he saw his friend regally call on the people of Lanthanor, he had felt himself boiling with excitement and pride.
Yes, this was his friend!
Someone who had risen up from being a commoner to become a King, and who would surely march forward to become an Emperor.
Hell, he could even see hints of that now.
Alas, his fate wasn't anywhere as good.
Along with those feelings, regret and shame had kept washing through Faxul's consciousness.
Again, his friend was here to save him. Again, he was going to live by his grace.
There was nothing wrong about it but…it just seemed so pathetic.
A burden.
That feeling from before returned, and once again, Faxul found himself remembering how he had done nothing, ever, to help Daneel, at least not in a way that was not even close to being compared to what he had done for him.
Useless. That was what he was.
Still, pushing all these feelings aside, Faxul had watched on, and when he saw the Protector Raven almost pierce his friend, he had been so afraid.
Thankfully, the Protector Raven stopped at the last moment, which made Faxul think that his friend really had grown into becoming a perfect planner, or, in this case, schemer.
Although thoughts like these gave him brief moments of brevity, again and again, Faxul couldn't help but return to the bottomless pit of self-pity and regret that he wallowed in.
Once. Just once, he wished he could help Daneel.
He had gotten used to this feeling of not having control of his body at all, but suddenly, when the Empire Spirit took control of him to create that blade, everything changed.
Why did it seem as if…he had felt this before?
Yes! He definitely had!
Back when he had fought off that entity, Faxul had felt like this then.
That feeling of a foreign consciousness invading him, trying to take over everything.
Only, now, that foreign consciousness had succeeded, but Faxul suddenly realized something.
If he tried, he believed that he could take back control, at least for a moment!
Yes, with all those hours spent pushing against that entity, Faxul was confident that he could accomplish this.
However, what use could it be?
While he asked himself this question, the Empire Spirit spoke that statement which finally made the confident expression on Daneel's face crack.
As his closest friend, Faxul could tell that Daneel had finally hit a brick wall. He didn't have a plan to handle this.
Realizing this, Faxul went into a mode of panic, looking for a way to perhaps make his wish of helping his friend come true by using that moment for something.
Hastily, he went through the two options given by the Black Raven Empire Spirit.
The first would mean him dying, and although Faxul didn't want to die as he had so many things left to do, he wouldn't have a say in that matter.
The second meant him being trapped in his own body for a long long time, while he could only watch as the Empire Spirit committed untold and unmeasurable crimes against the people of Angaria.
No! He didn't want that!
Not to mention, in that case, his friend would have to train hard and look for ways to 'save' him again.
Again, he would be a burden to be borne.
No. He was sick of it.
Time seemed to pass slowly in the state he was in, so Faxul thought long and hard about what he should do.
He considered everything, from using that moment of control to have Daneel snatch him away to somehow extricating himself from the barrier in order to help Daneel.
However, he knew that none of them would work.
Only one option remained, and no matter how sad it made Faxul, he chose it with determination.
And when he made that choice, he felt relief and even slight happiness spread through him.
For once, he was going to be useful.
For once, he was not going to be a burden.
And for once, he was going to be…a good friend.
…
Along with the slight panic, Daneel had begun to quickly run through every option in his mind with the system.
Alas, most of them were made moot by that damn barrier, and the others would require time which he didn't have.
In fact, at one point, Daneel even started to consider whether he should agree and let the possession continue. Maybe he could alert the Heroes of the Big 4 and fight with them to stop the Black Raven Empire Spirit. He could definitely find some way to stop him, right?
However, his gut told him that this would be a bad choice, as the damn Empire Spirit had already shown its intelligence. No way it would be foolish enough to fall for such things.
So, what then? He was supposed to let his best friend die?
No, it would be like he was killing him!
The one person who had been with him from the very start. The one who had helped him in every step, while also being a moral and emotional support which Daneel relied on unconsciously.
The one he considered as close as his kin.
How could he do it?
Yes, it might save a lot of people in the long run.
But could he get over the pain that would come from this?
As Daneel's expression started to twist, the Empire Spirit got even more impatient, as the limit had almost been reached. In 12 seconds, it would be sent into the slumber. So, it spoke again, and this time would be the last time.
"Enough. 10 seconds. In 10 seconds, extract me from this solution and be on your way, or your friend dies, and I become invulnerable again. Choose. 10,9,8,7…"
As the countdown began, each number seemed to bombard against Daneel's chest, making his heart beat faster while a tornado seemed to be swirling in his head, making a mess out of his thoughts.
On one side was the survival of Angaria itself, while on the other, was his best friend's life.
'I shouldn't have to make this choice!'
He screamed this in his head, but it was futile. He had to make it, and it had to be now.
"5, 4, 3…"
As the end of the countdown approached, Daneel felt as if he were going mad for real this time.
Just as he was going to make the toughest decision in his life, something changed.
"On-No! How did you-"
Right before the countdown ended, Faxul's eyes, which had been half closed till now, suddenly opened.
Seeing this, Daneel felt as if he had just been struck by thunder.
Those eyes. That expression. That smile.
It was Faxul!
But how did he-
Before he could even voice this question in his mind, Faxul spoke in a voice that was filled with regret, but also…joy.
"Daneel. Thank you for everything. I wish I could repay you many times over, but alas, this is all I can do. Know that I am doing this of my own volition-you are not at fault. I wished to see the day when you would become an Emperor to rule over Angaria. Although my road ends here, I will be watching from above: make sure you accomplish it, and more. Farewell, my friend."
As the last word left Faxul's mouth, he grasped the blade that had been floating in front of his chest and plunged it right into his heart.
At the same moment, the voice of the Black Raven Empire Spirit reverberated in the cave for the last time.
"NO! YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE CAPABLE OF THIS! I WILL NOT BE DRAGGED INTO SLUMBER! I AM THE IMPERIAL BLACK RAVEN OF THE EMPIRE OF ANGARIA! I WILL NOT-"
As Faxul's lifeless body plopped into the pool, the Empire Spirit's voice also got cut off, before the barrier that was around Faxul became deactivated.
Instantly, Daneel flew to the pool in a mindless frenzy as he extracted Faxul's body and grasped him in his arms.
"System, heal him!"
[Target has deceased. Cause: Extensive damage to the heart. System cannot hea-]
"I DON'T CARE! HEAL HIM! NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!"
[Target has deceased. System is currently incapable of curing such a state.]
"NO! SHUT UP! JUST HEAL HIM!"
As Daneel continued to hug the lifeless corpse of his friend, he kept screaming at the system hysterically.
Why did it have to be this way? Why couldn't Faxul have just kept himself alive? WHY?!
Slowly, as his eyes started to turn bloodshot, the rage that had begun to grow inside Daneel started to warp him in irrevocable ways.
However, just as the King of Lanthanor was about to become someone completely different, the Empire Spirit of Lanthanor, Drakos, who had been silent all this while spoke in his head, making him pause and see hope.
"Young King, I have a way to help your friend."