MLII C5, P10- "Requiem For A Dream"

"Requiem For A Dream" is the tenth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's fifth Chapter. It was released on 18.04.2021.
== Plot ==
After a long and tedious battle between Ess-Kalyn the Manburner and Jared, the cruel Slithzerikai leader finally succumbs to his attacks and experiences the pain that many innocent people have felt before her, all due to her actions towards them.
However, even though it is the end for her, it is far from the end of the war. Once the evil one's soul leaves the mortal realm and separates the good and evil within her, she unleashes the final step towards the completion of her mission- to create the ultimate Unbound that will devastate both man... and country.
The dark energy that still rests within the corrupted leader's soul is enough to awaken the Unbound and grant it the final, thousanth soul that it requires to function. At the cost of being completely erased from existence, the evil part of Ess-Kalyn's soul finishes what she started.
And so, Unbound Ultima- the supreme Unbound and Ess-Kalyn's greatest creation, is created and infused with the energy of a thousand souls. Ready to wreck havoc upon the unsuspecting world around it.
His sacred mission more dangerous than it has ever been, Jared has to eliminate this universal threat. Fighting side by side with his allies, he has to create a force that can withstand the maddened creature's attacks... and win the battle.
Will the heroes prevail once again? Or will they succumb to the darkness within this powerful beast?
== Story ==
Jared and Allister notice a portal forming in a human village near the island. Soon, the portal gets bigger... and bigger.
With horror in their eyes, the two of them realize what the evil soul meant.
"Oh... oh no."- Allister mutters- "This is something that I hadn't anticipated."
Jared looks at him and points at the door.
"We must warn the others!"- He says- "Hurry!"
Jared and Allister rush outside and descend to the first floor. Meanwhile, the spirit of Ess-Kalyn temporarily vanishes from existence.
"I am so sorry, everyone."- She mutters- "I... I tried... "
The duo manages to get to the first floor. However, just as they are about to get out, a Slithzerikai warrior ambushes them and tries to stab Jared in the back.
"Watch out, kid!"- Allister yells as he wrestles the warrior away from him.
The Slithzerikai warrior manages to empower Allister and slams him into a wall. Then, he draws a sword and points it at him.
"Mr. Allister!"- Jared yells and charges towards the Slithzerikai.
Knowing that every second matter, he refrains from drawing his sword and grabs the creature by the neck.
After a brief struggle, he begins to choke him.
Meanwhile, the creature tries to stab him, but he manages to kick both his sword and spear away.
Realizing that Slithzerikai cannot choke to death as easily as humans and Vahnatai, he twists its beck as hard as he can, managing to snap it in the process.
The change is immediate. Jared watches the creature fall to the ground and die. Then, he rushes to Allister's aid and helps him get up.
"Are you okay, sir?"- He asks him- "Did this monster hurt you?"
Allister grins.
"It's okay, kid."- He responds- "We will get through thi-- "
Suddenly, he falls to his knees and coughs up blood.
Jared rushes to his aid, once again. Too late, he realizes that Allister is wounded. A single stab wound on his stomach reveals the source of this internal bleeding. It seems like the Slithzerikai managed to stab him during their struggle. 
Worse, it is infected by the poison most Slithzerikai warrior coat their bladed weapons with.
"Sir!"- Jared exclaims- "You... you are dying!"
Allister looks at the door nearby and points at it.
"It's no use trying to heal it. Soon, it will be the end of me."- He mutters- "But don't let this stop you from saving the world. Go out there. Tell your gramps that I died in here and defeat the creature before it hurts anyone."
Jared realizes that he may have to leave Allister behind. He shakes his head.
"Nonsense!"- He yells and helps him stand up- "You are going to get out of here! Alive! I will not allow you to waste your life away like this!"
His eyes begin to tear up.
"Please!"- He continues- "I do not want another person to die because of me!"
Allister notices the sadness in the boy's eyes. He remembers how he was forced to watch many of his allies and dear friends die.
"I understand his pain. Once, I felt the same."- He says to himself- "Maybe it's better if I let him get me out of here instead."
Finally, he sighs and looks down. He does not say anything to Jared, but one thing is clear:
He has given up on his desire to die. At least for now.
Jared realizes that he has succeeded and grabs him by the shoulder.
"You will live through this nightmare!"- He says- "I promise!"
Then, he takes him away from the keep just as some warriors enter the room and look for them.
Slowly, the two of them approach their allies.
As they get closer, Allister looks at Jared.
"I've got to admit this, kid."- He mutters- "A month ago, I hated your gramps so much that I wanted to kill him. I also hated his entire family, including you."
He looks at the sky and smiles.
"Now, I can finally see the magnitude of my mistakes. I finally forgave him. I finally befriended him, like I did before."- He continues- "Even better, I fought alongside his grandson- something that would be unthinkable. We defeated the Manburner and now... we will defeat her greatest creation. Once and for all."
Jared nods.
"Do you think that I will succeed?"
Allister grins.
"Think?"- He responds- "I'm sure of it! Yes, he may be a beast of raw, uncontrolled power that can destroy this world in an instant, but you have something that he doesn't have. Bravery. And I'm sure that you will use it as the determining factor of this battle... and emerge victorious."
Jared smiles and wipes a tear from his eye.
"I am grateful that I met you, Mr. Allister."
Allister smiles as well.
"Me too, kid."- He responds- "Me too."
The two of them finally reach their allies. Lethal rushes forward and approaches Jared.
"Grandson, you're okay!"- He says- "Does this mean that... that this madness is over?"
Jared sighs and shakes his head.
"We won. We defeated Ess-Kalyn and erased her from existence."- He says- "However, she left one last troublemaker for us to take care of."
He points at the portal.
Aleks and Tholmen watch in shock. Meanwhile, Lethal notices that Allister is wounded and gasps.
"Allister!"- He exclaims- "What happened to you?!"
Allister grins, trying to hide the pain that he is experiencing right now.
"Just a scratch, old friend."- He mutters- "I'll be fine."
Suddenly, he coughs blood. 
Lethal realizes that his best friend's time in this world is very short. He helps him get up and rushes him to the battleship.
"Come on! Let's go!"- He yells- "Allister's dying! We must help hi-- "
Suddenly, an explosion from the portal marks the arrival of a new horror. A new beast that will torment this world until its end.
Lethal notices a small boat nearby. He leaves the battleship and gets into it.
"There's no time left! The Unbound is here!"- He yells- "Get into the boat and face it! I'll take my friend to safety!"
Jared nods.
"We will."- He says- "Stay safe, grandpa!"
Lethal nods.
"Good luck, Jared."- He says and begins to row the boat towards the lands ahead.
Meanwhile, Jared and his allies enter the battleship and take it to the nearest docks as quckly as possible. Time is of essence and every second means that they can save a person's life.
Without wasting any time to look for Lethal, all of them exit the battleship and run towards the village where the dark portal opened.
Once they arrive, they witness a creature that is the source of their nightmares.
Jared looks at it. Even though he is not afraid, he cannot help but be amazed by the massive amount of dark energy that emanates from it.
"And so, we meet."- He mutters- "Unbound Ultima."
Yes. The ultimate Unbound. A warrior's worst nightmare. Tyrant of the Underworld. And it is not far away from him.
Jared gets his first good look at the creature as it leaves the dark portal. It is twenty feet tall, very powerful and capable of tearing down an entire skyscraper with ease. Its skin is black. Dark energy is constantly emanating from it, an aura of pure terror that affects every living creature close to him and forces them to run away in fear. Its eyes are dark purple, a sign of ill intent and pure evil. Its smile- a sign of madness within its mind. A factor that makes him extremely dangerous. 
It is a power-hungry creature of darkness, created by Ess-Kalyn the Manburner to destroy the world, piece by piece. Her ultimate weapon against the world, unleashed upon this poor, unsuspecting village.
Once the Unbound sets foot on the land below it, its desire to destroy everything around it finally kicks in. It looks at the village surrounding it and cackles.
Even though nobody is able to understand what it is saying, Jared manages to decipher the ancient language within his mind.
"Ahh, yes."- The Unbound says- "So this is the world that I am destined to destroy. How delightful!"
He looks at a small hut below him and smiles.
"Run, peasants!"- He continues- "Your impending doom has come, at last!"
Some terrified villagers barely manage to get away from the building before it is crushed by the Unbound's foot.
The creature sighs and swings its claw. Suddenly, a bolt of dark energy strikes a small group of fleeing villagers, killing all of them.
"Pathetic! Even after they fought in so many wars, they still cannot defend themselves?!"- The Unbound roars- "It does not matter! Even your greatest heroes cannot stop me from destroying your pathetic, little land!"
Without wasting any time, it begins to stomp on nearby building and setting others on fire with its beams of fiery energy.
"Die, you fools!"- It yells as it destroys the land around it, piece by piece.
Jared turns to his father.
"Dad!"- He yells- "The villagers are in danger! Help them out!"
Aleks nods.
"What about you?"
Jared looks at the massive Unbound. He is disturbed by the fact that he has to fight it. He has never faced something so powerful before.
However, he quickly swallows his fear and makes a decision.
"I will stay here and fight the Unbound."- He says without thinking twice- "It is my destiny and I am not going to run away from it. I will face it, like a hero!"
Aleks smiles.
"That's the spirit. son! Your mom will be proud of you!"- He says and takes everyone else with him- "We believe in you!"
Jared enters a nearby building and climbs to the roof as fast as he can.
He stands on the edge and yells.
"Over here, you fiend!"
The Unbound turns around. It is surprised that someone is trying to fight it.
Then it remembers whom it is facing and smiles.
"Jared Kaos! The human kid who defeated my master!"- He roars- "Even though you managed to kill her, her legacy still lives on within me!'
He swings his massive claw at him.
"Prepare to meet your inevitable demise!"
Jared manages to get out of the way just as the bolt of energy strikes the roof. He aims his bow at the creature and starts to shoot arrows at it.
The arrows manage to pierce its skin, but, as expected, barely affect it.
The Unbound sees the arrows that stick within it. It puts them out and throws them away.
"How interesting. You think that you can actually defeat me? Me?!"- It roars and cackles- "No! You shall be engulfed in the flames of darkness, just like everyone else!"
It breathes fire on the building, hoping to burn Jared along with it. However, the boy manages to cast a spell surrounds him with a powerful, magical shield, saving his life.
"Unbound Ultima" is infuriated by the hero's continued survival. It points a clawed hand at him:
"I've had enough of your tricks, human!"- It roars- "This is not the full extent of my power! I was hoping not to waste it on a mere human, but you seem to deserve a more explosive death!"
It swings both of its clawed hands at him wildly.
"Prepare to feel my wrath!"
Waves of pure, dark energy are launched towards Jared. Most of them miss him, but some of them get very close. Soon, they manage to break the ground under his feet and force him to fall down.
Thinking quickly, Jared manages to cast a spell on his feet. Suddenly, his descent gets slower. And slower.
Finally, it slows enough for him to land safely on the ground below.
The Unbound kneels and smashes the building's wall with its fist, creating a hole. Then, as Jared tries to recover, it kicks him through it, severely wounding him in the process.
Jared looks up as the Unbound rips the roof to shreds, looks at him and kicks Demonslayer away from him.
Chunks fall around them as the creature looks around and smiles.
"Yes! Ruin! Destruction! Despair! Everything is going according to plan!"- It roars- "Soon, there will be nothing left of your race! I will destroy everything... and everyone!"
It lifts its massive foot and approaches Jared.
"Starting with you!"
Jared tries to get away, only to realize that he is too exhausted. He sighs and shakes his head.
"This... this is not what I agreed to."- He says to himself- "I wanted to die an honorable death, but... getting crushed into an unrecognizable mass? Nobody wants to die this way!"
Realizing that he cannot do anything to change his destiny, he closes his eyes.
Just as the Unbound is about to stomp him, a girl appears behind its other foot.
It is Marinette! And she is holding Demonslayer in her right hand.
"Stay away from my brother, you monster!"- She yells and stabs the blade into its foot.
Suddenly, its flesh starts to melt. Although this is only a minor wound, it hurts the Unbound greatly.
"Ahh... ahh!"- It screams- "What have you done?!"
Marinette smiles.
"Just as I suspected."- She says- "It's got demonic energy, just like its creator."
Treviass rushes forward and helps her get out of the way as the creature stumbles back. The two of them approach Jared and help him stand up.
"Mari?"- Jared mutters- "What... are you doing here?"
Marinette smiles.
"I told you that I will always protect you, didn't I?"- She says- "I'm here to keep that promise!"
Treviass sighs.
"I warned her about how dangerous it is, but she refused to listen."- He mutters- "Your safety is much more important than her own, it seems."
Jared smiles and hugs her.
"Thank you, sister."- He says- "I knew that I could count on you."
Marinette smiles again.
"Same here, little brother."
The three of them watch as the Unbound angrily pulls Demonslayer out of its foot and tries to break it. Its enormous efforts turn out to be in vain. Even though it is still cracked, it is not going to break that easily- a sign of quality worksmanship.
It sighs and throws the blade away as it faces them.
"This... this is the Unbound?"- Marinette says- "It's huge! How can we possibly defeat such a creature?!"
Jared sighs and shakes his head.
"I am not sure. Not anymore."- He mutters- "All of my efforts turn out to be in vain, no matter how hard I try to make it otherwise. It is way too powerful for us, let alone an unsuspecting innocent."
Suddenly, the spirits of Seiko and Ess-Kalyn appear in front of them.
"Children."- Seiko says- "We think that there's a way to defeat the Unbound!"
Jared, Marinette and Treviass stare at Ess-Kalyn, surprised.
Ess-Kalyn nods.
"Yes. We have found a way to counter this mad creature's attacks against it."- She says.
Then, she sighs.
"However."- She hastens to add- "What we are about to do might be too much for you to handle, Jared."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"How dangerous could it be?"
Ess-Kalyn shakes her head.
"The amount of power that I am about to give you... it will be immense. It will send a massive wave of dark energy within your body, a power that can modify your very being and make you a completely different person."- She says- "This is the power of your ancestors- the Kaos family. We fear that their dark abilities are the only thing that can help you defeat such a powerful creature."
Jared is horrified.
"So, you mean that I must fight darkness... with darkness?!"
Ess-Kalyn nods.
"Sadly, yes."- She says stoically- "It is the only way to win this war."
Jared shakes his head.
"No! I do not want to bear the corruption of my wicked ancestors!"- He yells- "There must be another way!"
Ess-Kalyn looks at him.
"This is the only way, Jared!"- She yells at him- "You can either take it and defeat this evil... or refuse and die along with your friends."
Forced to make a decision between saving the world or watching it lie in ruins, Jared looks down. He does not want to use the dark powers, even though it is for something good. His heart cannot allow him to do it.'
"I... I cannot... "
Suddenly, a spirit appears behind the five of them. It is a majestic creature, shining with a brilliant, white light.
"I think that this is completely unneccessary, ladies."- He says.
Jared gets a good look at him. He recognizes someone that he has never seen before in his life.
"Are you... "- He mutters- "Are you... Adam Kaos?"
Marinette looks at him.
"Who?"
Jared shakes his head.
"Adam Kaos is one of the earliest members of the Kaos family. He is the reason why so many people respected us, even when we were corrupted by the darkness."- He says- "He is a hero from a time long past. He is responsible for defeating countless enemies, including some creatures that are lost to history nowadays. He is a brave warrior who has always strived to protect the innocent and destroy the evil that endangered this world, just like I am right now. And he is always respected by the people around him for his good deeds."
Adam smiles.
"I am glad that my ancestor knows everything about the Kaos family's most ancient hero."- He says- "But this is not the reason why I am here."
He approaches Jared and places his ghostly hand on his shoulder.
"Young hero, I awoke from my eternal slumber to lend you a hand. I sensed a disturbance in the force and I realized that this evil is too powerful to defeat by you and your family."- He continues- "Maybe my assistance can help us turn the tides of this hopeless battle in our favor."
Jared nods.
"Yes, sir."- He says- "Let us defeat this creature together!"
Adam smiles again.
"Such enthusiasm! Such bravery!"- He says- "You remind me of the time when I used to be alive. I am so happy to see that there is still a true hero in our family!'
He touches his chest with the palm of his left hand.
"Now, let me infuse your body with my power. The power of light!"- He continues- "The power of those who always fight for the good of everyone! The strength of a thousand souls, connected with their savior. Now, I shall grant you a power that you were denied as a child!"
Suddenly, a massive wave of energy strikes Jared in the chest. He stumbles back, dazed.
"Focus, child!"- Adam says to him- "This is not going to be easy! I need you to forget about that creature and focus on your inner power! Unleash it and bring forth your true self to destroy this villain! Make the world respect you, as it respected me! Show them that there is nothing to fear!"
Jared nods.
"You... you are right."- He mutters- "The fear within us... it is just an illusion, caused by the Unbound to bend the truth. There is nothing to fear. Nothing."
Adam smiles.
"Yes! That's it!"- He says- "We're almost there! Keep believing in yourself!"
Suddenly, Jared begins to float in the air. A large pair of angelic wings appear on his shoulders, amazing everyone below.
Meanwhile, his appearance changes. His eyes become pearl white. His armor also becomes white, matching the color of his eyes. 
As for Ragnarok... let's just say that it has become more powerful than it has ever been. A blade of pure light, ready to slay creatures of darkness and bring purity to this world.
Adam smiles again.
"This... is the true Jared."- He says- "The savior of this world. The bringer of light. The timeless hero who has saved so many souls. A soul of pure light, hidden within a youth's body, waiting to be unleashed."
Jared flies near the massive Unbound's head and looks at it. Any thrace of fear in his eyes is long gone. Instead, it is replaced with determination and a sense of duty towards the people of this world.
"That is enough, creature."- He says- "Now, prepare to be banished back into the Underworld, from whence you came!"
The Unbound takes a step back, surprised.
"Who do you think you are, human?!"- He roars- "I will destroy you!"
Jared smiles.
"You will see the magnitude of your own mistake."
Too late, the Unbound notices another sword forming in Jared's right hand. It is Demonslayer, its blade infused with holy energy.
"Die, fiend!"- He screams and charges.
The Unbound tries to throw him back, but Jared turns out to be too fast. He manages to avoid its blows with ease, spinning in the air like a ballerina. Meanwhile, his wings create a holy aura around him, pushing the Unbound back with tremendous force.
"This battle is far from over!"- The Unbound roars and charges.
Jared manages to avoid its blows again, spinning around and slicing it in the neck.
As the creature stumbles back, it notices Jared's sister, kneels and grabs her.
"Marinette! No!"- Treviass yells as he tries to free her.
Sadly, the creature's grasp is too strong. It manages to pull her away from him.
The Unbound looks at her and cackles.
"So, you're the one who tried to kill me earlier!"- It roars- "It's time for you to die! In front of your brother!"
Moments later, he starts to choke her. His grasp is strong enough to start suffocating her within seconds. She is barely able to breathe.
"Can't... breathe... "- She mumbles- "Little brother... help... "
The Unbound cackes.
"Well now, how do you like this?!"- It roars- "Your sister's going to die! Soon, you will be nex-- "
Suddenly, Jared appears to the right of him and swings both of his swords into the creature's arm.
The swing manages to free Marinette from his grasp and leaves a nasty wound in the process. 
As the Unbound's flesh begins to burn, Jared catches Marinette, flies to the ground and casts a healing spell on her.
In a few moments, she manages to recover from her wounds.
"I'll be fine."- She mutters and smiles- "Go get him!"
Jared nods and flies towards the Unbound.
"You tried to kill my sister. How pathetic of you, coward!"- He yells- "But the result... will always be the same!"
He swings his swords at him, easily breaking the Unbound's defenses and stabbing it in the chest.
It tries to throw a lightning bolt at him, only for our hero to deflect it and hit him instead.
The creature roars in pain and stumbles back.
Jared creates a massive energy shield behind him, managing to save a large group of people from being crushed.
"Run, good people!"- He says to them- "This place is not safe! Let me handle this!"
The citizens immediately run away from the scene as the Unbound falls to its knees.
"Why?!"- It roars- "Why are you so powerful?!"
Jared smiles.
"Remember what you told me earlier? About your true power?"- He says to him- "Well, this... is the full extent of my power!"
Suddenly, Heaven's Gate appears behind him and opens its doors, temporarily blinding the Unbound.
Even though it is blinded, the creature still tries to step forward. It grabs Jared and grins.
As Heaven's Gate closes its doors, he notices that he has caught Jared.
"There's nowhere left to run, hero!"- It roars- "It's all over!"
Jared nods.
"I agree."- He says- "It is, indeed, the end. For one of us."
Suddenly, the Unbound's entire hand starts to crack, as if it is made of glass. 
Jared smiles.
"Or, rather... "- He adds- "it is the end for you."
The Unbound screams as both of its hands vanish from existence. It stumbles back, terrified.
"Fool!"- It roars- "Just because you removed by arms doesn't mean that you've won! I am the mightiest creature of all and I will-- "
Jared has had enough of the Unbound. He charges before it can finish its sentence and slices his way into its body.
Soon, he digs his way out, managing to destroy its heart in the process.
Now that its heart is gone, the Unbound begins to lose whatever power it has left. Soon, it will be nothing but a hollow shell of its mighty self.
However, Jared is not satisfied by the fact that it will be a mindless creature. He knows that it will still be a danger to the world and that he must kill it, here and now.
He flies in the air and descends as quickly as he can, delivering a devastating blow with his swords.
Everyone watches, amazed, as both Ragnarok and Demonslayer rend through the Unbound's flesh and tear it apart, effectively cutting it in half.
"This... is the strength of our bond!"- Jared yells as he descends- "And you will never break it!"
With a final, double stab in the temple, Jared flies away as the massive creature explodes into a shadowy mist of evil energy- the same energy that used to inhabit many of the mysterious creatures not too long ago.
As the creature explodes, it lets out a final scream. Up until its inevitable demise, it thought that it could defeat Jared and his allies. Only the clutches of death made it realize how wrong it was.
However, it is too late. The changes have taken effect... and there is no going back.
And so, the legendary creature known as "Unbound Ultima" falls for the last time. A creature that was made to destroy this world and its inhabitants, eradicated from this plane of existence and purified by the holy energy within Ragnarok and Demonslayer. A sworn enemy of this world, sent back from whence it came.
The tale of the twisted Unbound that terrorised the world for such a short time... is finally over.
As the souls of the Unbound that were infused within this creature float away, Jared slowly descends to the ground. His eyes return to normal.
He looks at his allies and smiles.
"It is done, everyone. The evil one... has been eradicated."- He says- "Once again, the world is safe. The dream is alive. The hope within our hearts did not fade away."
He looks at the sky and smiles again.
"It is over."- He concludes his speech- "We have won."
== Trivia ==
* The words of Unbound Ultima ("Die, you fools!") are a reference to a famous sentence that is said by Gandalf the Grey/White from "Lord of the Rings" ("Fly, you fools!").