For the first time in years, Marcus felt… Alive.
Even as he set his eyes on his opponent, his entire life started to flash in front of his eyes, almost as if this was the moment that would give meaning to it all, or also make it all mean nothing, thereby relegating him to endless regret.
He could tell that his opponent was quite startled by how the situation had changed. But instead of seeing him as her main problem, the first thing she was doing was evaluating methods that she could use to escape.
The reason behind this was quite obvious: from his appearance, it had been exposed that this cavern was not as secure as she had thought it to be. If he could come in, couldn't her other enemies also follow her to this place? If so, wouldn't it be easier to leave?
We;;, Marcus wouldn't be giving her an option in that matter.
The fur coat and trousers he was wearing had a few pockets, and without any hesitation, Marcus reached for one that he hadn't opened in a very, very long time.
It had been a gift from his master who had said that he would need it when the time came for him to decide what he wanted to do with his life, and that time… Was definitely now.
It was in the shape of one of the seashells that were oft seen on the shore of the Endless Sea, crescent in shape, with the waves of the Sea etched on its surface. As soon as it was exposed to the air, an almost indiscernible song was heard, as if the shell was rejoicing that it had finally been freed from where it had been held.
That smile still present on his face, he crushed it, and by doing so… He changed everything.
Hero Northstar's eyes had widened the moment that Artefact had come out of his pocket, and even though she wasn't fast enough to let out a scream of denial from her mouth, it was visible in her eyes, which were enough to tell Xuan and Eloise, who were watching, that this newcomer was definitely going all out.
The moment the shell broke, the sound of a seagull rang gloriously in the air while a rigid barrier that almost looked like it was made out of the same material as the seashell came into being all around the cabin.
Stunned, all four women present could not help but stare at this phenomenon, as it was so rare to see barriers that were not transparent, while still being so complex.
Of them, only one knew what Marcus's actions meant, and she wasn't in a state to speak.
Glad that his master's trinket had not lost its effect even though so many decades had passed, Marcus banged his fists together with excitement, and started to walk forward.
With each step, he remembered everything that had caused him to reach this stage in his life.
In his childhood, he had been quite a lonely kid - big and dumb, he was often bullied. As he didn't even have any background, many hesitated to even talk to him, thinking that even they would be targeted by the sons and daughters of the eminent members of the Fortress if they associated with their victims.
Nothing much changed in his teenage years. He had been taken into the Fortress after his parents died because of the actions of a benefactor whom they had apparently helped, and even though he contained a good bit of talent, this fact didn't help at all, as many thought him to be entitled. He had not needed to undergo the same rigorous testing that they had gone through, so they thought him to be useless.
Marcus wasn't very concerned, though - he was just fine with spending time alone. His favorite pastime was collecting pets. They were his friends and companions, and they never judged him - always faithful, they let him have a childhood that was not marred completely by darkness.
Among them, his favorite friend had always been a trusty little turtle that he found one day, when he wandered to the shore of the Endless Sea that was present right beside the headquarters of the Fortress.
Even after all of his other friends died, this turtle was always there, calm and steady, slow and peaceful, always ready to hear his troubles.
Over time, Marcus slowly began to grow up, but if it weren't for one interaction which was definitely the turning point of his life, he would never have reached where he was now.
The Big Four had always had events were different sects would interact with each other. On one such occasion, the Fortress had been invited to the Goddess's Sanctum, and that was when he saw… Her.
In fact, even the way in which it had happened was peculiar - used to being with himself, Marcus had only gone along due to the express orders of the Vice Head of the Sect. Knowing that he would have to be in a social setting and prefer to choose his own company, he had taken along his friend.
After reaching the sanctum, he had separated from the others and been by himself, as it was usually common for him to be the butt end of all the jokes that the other members of the Fortress might use to get closer to the members of the Sanctum.
When her voice had floated into his ears, itself, he had wondered whether the birds in the morning that sung such sweet songs everyday had somehow transformed to appear beside him.
And as for what she had said… Even that changed his world completely, albeit in a different way.
"I heard you calling it a turtle. It's actually a tortoise. Can I see it?"
At once, both his friend's identity, and his own were changed when he looked up and gazed upon the most beautiful thing in the world.