MLTO C3, P3

This is the third Part of "MLIV:TO" 's third Chapter.
It was released on 14.12.2022.
== Plot ==
With the bulk of the humanoid raiding squad out of the way, Geralt and his allies regroup in the temple and reinforce the defenses, hoping to prevent further damage in the first place. They think that the worst of it is finally over, but are severely mistaken when a new threat replaces what they had already faced.
In the chaos caused by the massive battle, one of the people who stayed in the temple escaped. He managed to stir all sorts of trouble and deceive the rest of his peers, effectively creating a giant mess for our heroes to clean up.
Could Emperor Redmark have a finger in those mysterious affairs?
== Story ==
While Geralt and Aaron carry Akihiro back into the safe confines of the temple, Aurelia looks back and sees another group of humanoids approaching them. They heard about what happened to their allies in here and are too enraged to even stop and laugh at their enemies.
"If that's how you want to play, then rest assured I will make it worth your while."- She says- "Here we go!"
As she runs forward to confront them with her weapon, the defenses of the temple spring to life again. The pylons emerge from the earth and blast huge waves of magic at the invaders.
While some of them are left alive due to their sheer will to keep fighting, Aurelia's interference manages to put a dent in their defense, figuratively and literally. Soon, she manages to get rid of the last of them, effectively saving the temple from another invasion.
"Well done, Aurelia!"- Geralt compliments her- "You sure know how to work your way through the creatures of darkness!"
Aurelia blushes.
"Aww. It was nothing."- She responds- "But then, it was quite a challenge. I'm glad that it's over."
She leans against one of the pylons and lovingly pats its crystal surface, as if it is the head of a beloved pet.
"And yet, I never could've done it without their help."- She adds- "I don't know what kind of geniuses managed to create those precious crystal formations, but I'm happy that I am a witness of their unquestioned power."
Geralt nods.
"Pylons are very versatile creatures. They have minds of their own and can sense an enemy invasion before they can even spot them."- He says- "It is no surprise that our new friends managed to do so well. The wisps within those crystal casings were made to fight and they are always true to their word."
Aaron shrugs.
"I'm just glad that they're not malfunctioning."- He says- "There are many stories of magical machinery killing unprepared civilians. It's never a good idea to be around them."
Geralt looks at him.
"It sounds like you've had quite the experience with things like those in the past."
Aaron nods.
"When Redmark and his people arrived, the mages installed a network of pylons to stop them. Although everything was going well and the army was being repelled, we never came to see the most important rule in magery: Everything is bound to malfunction, sooner or later. Unfortunately, that time came too soon when one of the pylons started to smoke. Then, it just... stopped working. And then, it caused a chain reaction where most of the pylons turned themselves off, while the remaining ones started blasting random people on the streets."- He says- "At the time when the tyrant's force made it in town,everything was in utter chaos. And then... then... "
He shakes his head.
"No."- He says- "I can't talk about it. Not anymore."
Geralt looks at him.
"Did something painful happen in the past?"
Aaron nods and sighs.
"I... made many mistakes."- He says- "Not all of them are worth sharing."
Akihiro sighs.
"It is best if we do not pry further."- He says- "Some things are best left in the past- the place where they belong. And I think that our little friend has gone through the worst of it."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Even worse that losing your beloved sister?"
Aaron looks down and clenches his fist.
"They... took everything from me. My parents. My brother. My homeland. I was forced to watch as everything burned down."- He says- "That day, every dream of mine was shattered. I was left alone. And I... I had to start anew. It was not easy, I assure you."
He looks up at Geralt.
"My friend."- He says- "Have you... ever wondered why I came to be here with you?"
Geralt thinks about this.
"I never truly looked into it, I have to admit."- He says- "But it has always been a curious topic. I know that you would always love to help someone, but not without some sort of a reason."
Aaron nods.
"And you don't know how right you are."- He responds- "When I came with you, I've been searching for redemption. I was forcefully enrolled in Redmark's group and forced to do horrible things, but I never took any pleasure in it. I was simply doing it so I could secretly spy on them. And when you arrived, I saw a new opportunity."
He looks at him.
"In other words, I joined you because I wanted to do what my people could not- helping others in a way that does not endanger them."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Does this mean that we are still friends?"
Aaron smiles.
"Of course we are!"- He says- "I never forgot what you did for me in the past, Geralt. I've always seen you as a good friend, even more so in dark times like these. And I'm glad that I made the decision to fight alongside you. It's been a fun ride so far."
Akihiro nods.
"It seems like you are quite the adventurous type, child."- He says- "Had it not been for you, this whole temple would lie in ruins. So, I thank you for stepping in to do what is right."
Aaron bows.
"And bless you, master with a golden heart, for taking my friends in when they needed you the most."- He says- "I've been staying in touch with their relatives. They were quite pleased with the decision and send their most sincere praises for your benevolence."
Akihiro smiles.
"I am flattered that there are still people who respect me as something more than a wandering teacher of the holy arts."- He says- "It has been an honor for me to teach every single one of my students, no matter how incompetent some of them turned out to be in the end."
Aaron nods.
"And that's everyone is in awe with you, sir."
Geralt looks back at the temple.
"Umm. I hate to interrupt you both, but can we get back in there."- He says- "Now that the danger of getting destroyed by hundereds of rogues has been taken care of, I am looking forward to catch my breath."
Aurelia nods.
"And a warm shower."- She adds- "Fighting enemies on the battlefield's been getting me quite dirty lately."
Akihiro smiles.
"And rest we shall."- He says- "Come on, my friends. Let us forget what happened out here."
As the four of them pass through the gates of the temple, they encounter a grisly sight. Judging by their reaction, it is clear that they were not prepared for such a thing. But that does not matter, as even the most stone-cold person would be disturbed by it... provided that they still have a heart to feel it.
On the ground around them, they encounter the corpses of many monks- the former students of Akihiro. Many of them were bashed in the head, likely by the humanoids that managed to make it inside the temple. Some of the corpses are of the creatures who are responsible for this massacre, indicating that the monks managed to fight back, despite the fact that they did not do so well.
Curiously, some of the corpses were axed in the chest. However, their heads remained undamaged, indicating that the humanoids did this on purpose. Another mystery of the wild world, bound to remain unsolved by human minds.
"Oh my god."- Aaron mumbles- "What kind of a monster would dare command those fiends to do such a thing?"
Aurelia sighs.
"One that's not in their right mind."- She says- "That's for sure."
Geralt shakes his head.
"Some of those students were running around in the hallways half an hour ago. They were in a state of panic that could not be described easily."- He says- "We tried to warm them and get them to hide, but they refused to listen to reason. And then, the horde arrived."
He looks down.
"It's my fault that they're not here anymore."- He adds- "I should have been more careful. More loyal to them."
Akihiro places his hand on Geralt's shoulder.
"My boy, I have already told you. Some things are predetermined and we are unable to fix them. no matter how hard we try to do so."- He says- "What happened here is quite unfortunate, that is true. But we must try to forget what happened and move on, our heads held high in the air."
He wipes a few tears from his eyes.
"Even though the students who perished here were so precious. Those people who were like... "- He adds solemnly- "... like children to me."
Aaron notices one of the students rise up and start to growl.
"Umm."- He says- "Is this supposed to happen?"
Akihiro raises his eyebrow.
"What?"
He turns around.
"Oh."- He says- "Oh no."
Aurelia smiles.
"That student is still alive!"- She exclaims- "What a miracle!"
She tries to run forward to greet him, but Geralt stops her.
"Aurelia, no!"- He exclaims- "Do not do it!"
Aurelia looks at him.
"But why?"- She asks- "He's back on his feet! Isn't that a good reason to believe that he's well?"
Geralt sighs.
"It seems like you don't understand anything about the undead."
Aurelia raises her eyebrow.
"Undead? Here?"- She says- "Nonsense! Those monstrosities have been gone since that renegade necromancer perished!"
She looks at the three of them hopefully.
"The undead slinked back into the shadows along with their master and never returned."- She adds- "This means that the appearance of a stray one is just an unwanted coincidence, right? Right?"
Akihiro sighs.
"In my years as a master, I have never seen someone with such high hopes."- He says- "I am sorry to say this, Aurelia, but your views of the world have been corrupted by evil. They want you to think that there was never such a thing as an undead, but that is not the case."
He waves his hand around the temple.
"Look around you. We are surrounded by them. They are everywhere."- He says- "The remnants of many fallen civilization lie below our feet. Some of them were reanimated by the foul dark magic, for whatever purposes I am afraid to speculate."
He shakes his head.
"But the curse, it is still there. It plagues us."- He says- "And we could become like them, if we are not careful."
Aurelia stares around, shocked.
"So, you mean that we're all bound to become rotten and mindless if we die?"- She asks- "What kind of a life is this?"
Akihiro sighs.
"None that you want to live."- He responds- "And I pray that this does not happen to you."
The undead growls again and approaches them.
"Sir, the undead is coming our way."- Geralt says- "We need to... "
Akihiro nods.
"Yes, yes."- He says- "Let us get this over with."
With the skill and precision of a master swordsman, Akihiro lunges forward and swings his bladed staff at the approaching undead. One blow in the head is enough to eliminate it and it falls to the ground not long after.
"There. That should do it."- Akihiro says- "Now sharpen your ears and expect the-- "
Suddenly, another undead wakes up and pounces on Akihiro. It trips him and tries to bite him, but Geralt expertly pulls it away and stabs it in the skull. Just as another one tries to do the same thing, he runs forward and grabs it by the shirt, slamming its head in the wall with all his might and shattering its skull.
Two more undead wake up. Aaron and Aurelia work together, effectively eliminating both of them before they could cause trouble, much to their allies' relief. Then, they approach the axed victims just ahead of them and stab them in the head. It is clear that they are too far gone, so it is best to take precautions so someone else does not suffer because of it.
"Yes. This is a good move."- Geralt says- "Putting them down before they open their eyes will save us a lot of trouble."
Akihiro stands still as three of his undead students shamble toward him. However, he is prepared for their attack this time. Without a moment of hesitation, he leaps back, delivers a devastating blow that trips all three of them on the ground and slashes their heads with his staff, putting all three of them down at once.
"Wow! That was impressive, sir!"- Geralt exclaims- "How did you do that?"
Akihiro smiles.
"A lot of hard work and unwavering dedication."- He responds- "They might think that I am down for good, but I always rise from the ashes, even if it seems impossible to do so. Because that is who I am- a figure of light in a sea of darkness. I fight for my students and expect nothing more than to teach them how to follow their dreams."
Aurelia wipes a tear from her eyes.
"That's a very noble goal, sir."- She says- "I'm glad that we're a part of it."
Akihiro smiles.
"A part? You are the center of it, my dear children!"- He exclaims- "At this rate, your future is looking brighter than any I have ever seen!"
Aurelia raises her eyebrow.
"So, this is good news for us?"
Akihiro smiles.
"Indeed, it is."- He responds- "In fact, it's the best news I can think of. It is very exciting."
Somewhere in the shadows, a hidden figure curses under his breath. It seems like, whoever he may be, he wanted to be the center of Akihiro's goal. Hearing that it is otherwise must be infuriating, at the very least.
Despite the fact that he nearly throws a tantrum like a little child, he does not get the attention of our heroes. This gives him the chance to sneak further back into the shadows.
After putting down all of the undead (as well as the potential ones), Geralt and his allies travel further into the temple. They see more blood, both from the monks and their attackers, as well as the discarded staffs of the fighters for justice and the massive weapons of the raiders.
"You know, all of this feels like a bad omen somehow."- Geralt says- "Perhaps we should sneak the rest of the students out of the temple and get out before more enemies arrive? This place is certainly not safe anymore."
Akihiro sighs.
"I have to say that I agree with the young man."- He says- "At first, I thought that this temple can be restored. That we could forget what happened and keep on living our lives. But now, I can see that I was wrong. When something is taken away from you, it is very hard to take it back."
He looks back at the gates.
"This means that we need to leave our sacred temple behind before more souls suffer because of it."- He says- "My students deserve better than this."
Geralt nods.
"And we shall give them something better."- He says- "Now, let's go. We have a lot of work to do, even though the worst of it has already passed."
Ignoring the reek of doom all around them, the four heroes step further into the temple, unafraid and well-prepared. They listen carefully for any signs that might lead them to the remaining students, hoping that they could find them before it is too late.
As they round a corner, they find themselves surrounded by undead on both sides while a person's evil laugh can be heard in the shadows.
"Hmm. This laughter, the joy that he takes in watching others suffer... "- Akihiro mutters- "My children. I hate to disturb you like this, but we might have a murderer on the loose."
Aurelia sighs.
"Oh, great."- She mutters- "Another thing to worry about."
Akihiro smiles.
"Fear not, though."- He says- "If my speculations are correct, then I think that I might know who we are dealing with."
Geralt raises his eyebrow.
"Could he be one of your people, by any chance?"
Somewhere in the shadows, a quiet curse can be heard."
"From a more advanced perspective, that may be the case."- Akihiro says- "However, we can't just go in the temple and start blaming the rest of the students for our misfortunes. We need to have a mind over matter, to understand the nature of the culprit."
Aaron nods.
"If there's someone hiding behind the undead attack, then it's clear that it might be the same person who sent the humanoids after us."- He says- "But did they force them to attack us without a plan of some sort? Or was it carefully devised? What do you think?"
Geralt sighs.
"No matter what their intentions might have been at the start, I suspect that the undead who once resembled the monks are the least of our worries right now."
True to their word, a new group of undead rises from the ashes. However, it looks like some of the humanoids who perished in the battle came back to haunt their enemies without any remorse.
Our heroes are backed into a corner by the massive undead beasts, forced to extend their defensive abilities until the pylons are activated. However, when they finally rise up, they receive a rather unpleasant surprise.
Aaron's warning from earlier is proven true when one of the pylons starts to malfuntion. For a moment, it turns red. Then blue. Then back to red. And then, much to their surprise, they start to blast every living creature around it with its magic.
This causes a mass malfunction among the rest of the pylons. Our heroes are forced to back down as the creatures go wild and blast the undead (and themselves) with their magic.
One of the undead humanoids approaches Aurelia and grabs her by the leg. She starts to scream, but Geralt stops her just in time.
"Do not... say... a word."- He whispers to her- "Let me handle this."
He gets up and grabs a chunk of rock from the ground. Then, as the rest of his allies wonder what he is doing, he throws it at a nearby pylon, successfully getting its attention.
When the creature senses Geralt's presence, something within its simple mind starts to click. It focuses its attention on him, causing it to unleash a powerful blast in his direction.
"Crouch!"- Geralt yells as he runs back- "Now!"
The four of them duck behind one of the undead humanoids and watch as it is blasted with raw magic. The undead that is holding onto Aurelia's leg suffers the same fate soon after its ally's demise.
In a matter of just a few seconds, the rogue pylons make short work of the undead. Then, they blast each other down, leaving nothing but charred bits of crystal behind. Soon, there is almost nothing left of them, although Geralt and Akihiro are barely able to calm down three of them.
"Those are the last surviviors of our defenses."- Akihiro says- "They are tame, but we should not overexert them. Their power is immense and we should use it wisely."
Geralt nods.
"We shall not expend their power any further than we already have."- He says- "Come on. We need to save the students."
As the four of them run back into the main hall, they notice a head peeking out of the door to the left of them.
"Psst! Master!"- A lone monk says- "Over here!"
Geralt and Aurelia stare at each other.
"Do you really believe this shady person, Aurelia?"
Aurelia shakes her head.
"Not at all."
Akihiro sighs.
"We have no choice."- He says- "If this is truly one of the students, then he could lead us to the rest of them. Then, we can drag them away and get on with our lives."
Regretfully, our heroes decide to follow the monk into a ruined section of the temple. There, they see him walk down some stairs and wonder if he isn't leading them into the lair of something dangerous. And yet, they have no other choice but to follow him, so they do.
At the bottom of the stairs, they run into a band of monks. However, their eyes have become red and they look like they want to murder our heroes instead of helping them. 
"Students! There you are!"- Akihiro exclaims and runs up to them- "We thought that everyone was gone! What happened?"
One of the students steps forward. 
"Actually, master."- He says- "You should worry about what will happen to you."
Too late, Akihiro and Aurelia realize that they have fallen into a clever trap. Trapped between two portals, the two of them have nowhere else to go... until Akihiro seems something familiar on the other side of the portal in front of him.
"My family!"- He exclaims- "I can't believe it! It's them!"
He runs forward, unaware of the obvious trap that was set for him.
"Master Akihiro!"- Aurelia exclaims and tries to stop him- "Those freaks want to take advantage of your sentimentality! Don't let them take it away!"
Akihiro shakes his head.
"It doesn't matter."- He says- "Here I come, everyone!"
And then, he runs foward without any regrets.
"Master!"
Aurelia is forced to step into the portal as well, in an attempt to stop him. However, it is too late, as both of them are whisked away from this place and teleported somewhere else.
"You... you monsters!"- Geralt yells- "What did they ever do to you?!"
One of the students laughs.
"Our master dragged us down! He thought that we were docile imbeciles who were going to obey his commands. We pretended to tag along, but it was only a matter of time before we could show our true colors."- He says- "As for that chick? Well, she's been quite annoying. It's best if she disappeared alongside him, for good measure."
He smiles.
"And now, it's your turn to face the same fate as them."
Geralt clenches his fist. He charges up a powerful magical attack, intending to get his revenge of the rogue monks who took away his closest allies.
"I will not succumb to your fiendish regiment!"- He yells- "If you think that I am just a quiet little lamb, then you are greatly mistaken!"
Aaron looks at him, surprised.
"Geralt?"- He says- "What's happening?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"Stay back, Aaron."- He says- "Things just got personal. Very personal."
Like a lion pouncing toward its prey, our young hero rushes forward and runs toward the unstable portal. Much to everyone's surprise, he emerges on the other side unharmed, having broken the connection between the magical device and its destination.
"It.., it can't be!"- One of the rogue monks exclaims- "Who are you? What are you?"
Geralt glares at them.
"I am the embodiment of light. The enforcer of justice."- He says- "In the darkest times, I am the brightest light. And I never surrender, especially to miscreants like you!"
Geralt lets out a fierce battle cry and rushes forward. He slams his enchanted fist into the wall, creating a chain reaction that ends with him unleashing a massive shockwave toward the unsuspecting rogues. 
Many of his enemies are incinerated by the blast. Those lucky few foolishly attempt to fight back, but their attacks are cut short when Aaron joins the fight and finishes them off.
As the two heroes watch the portal behind them disappear, they lie next to a wall and try to catch their breath. Then, they hear someone chuckling and clapping.
"Impressive. Truly impressive."- A male voice says- "If I knew that you were this good, I was going to send more of them."
Geralt glares up.
"And who are we talking to?"
They hear more chuckling.
"You want to know more?"- He asks- "Well, come out and see for yourselves!"
Aaron looks at his friend.
"I don't trust this. Not a single bit."- He says- "What if it's another trap?"
Geralt sighs.
"We have no choice, but to keep fighting."- He says- "This is our best bet... for now."
He looks up.
"In addition, that is our only way out."- He says- "So we are trapped here, whether we want it or not."
Having no other choice but to fall for another trap, our heroes climb the stairs and find themselves surrounded by another group of renegade monks.
"So, you finally made it here."- A voice coming from above him is heard- "It took you a bit longer than I expected. Still, it's good enough."
Geralt looks up and sees a very familiar face. He can barely believe it.
"No way."- He says- "Is that you, Shura?"
Shura lifts his hood and smiles.
"It is."
Geralt looks at him.
"But why?"- He asks- "Why did you do this?"
Shura smiles.
"I did this because our so-called master has gone too far. He allowed himself to become one with the light and forgot the most important thing that he always had- his own purity."- He says- "Since I wanted to teach him a lesson, I hired some of my best peers to help us out. Of course, they were too busy perfecting their own abilities to worry about something which might endanger us all."
Aaron raises his eyebrow.
"And how could an old, docile man ever endanger someone as evil as you?"- He asks him- "Why are you being so heartless?"
Shura clenches his fist.
"Believe me, he's worse than you think he is. He takes students in, takes them through a series of tests that unlock their hidden abilities and tells everyone that he's doing this for the good of everyone."- He says- "But the truth, it is different. He only does it so he could allow others to do his dirty work. He wants others to become heroes, so he could live for a hundred more years... and maybe even more than that. He's never been a good guy- he's a wretch in a saint's clothing!"
Geralt sighs.
"Says the madman who caused the destruction of an entire temple and the deaths of many innocent people."
Shura looks up and sighs.
"Anyway, my plan did not go very well. Most of those loyal to Akihiro were still loyal to him and my plans were bound to fail."- He says- "So, I had to devise a more... sinister approach, so I could convince them that their precious master will not save them from a real danger. And that's where the humanoid invasion came in."
He smiles.
"Once the rest of those clowns fell apart, it was easy to recruit those who remained. They were too afraid of what we could do, so they joined forces with us. And then, I allowed them to see the true power that I've gained, the potential that was nearly stripped away."- He says- "It all went well... until the four of you ruined everything that I worked for."
He cackles.
"Now that the two of them are gone, the rest of you are easy prey for my hunters."- He says- "You shall not make it out."
Geralt and Aaron draw their weapons.
"We will not suffer the same fate as the rest of your unfortunate victims!"- Geralt yells- "Do your worst, traitor!"
Shura smiles.
"Oh, but I will not be here to witness your defeat."- He says- "I have things to do elsewhere. So, I have to take my leave."
Aaron looks at him.
"You're leaving us in the heat of the battle?!"- He yells- "What kind of a leader are you?!"
Shura smiles again.
"A wise one."
He turns around,
"But nothing is quite over yet, Kaos."- He says to Geralt- "Watch your back. You have something that I want and I will take it."
He takes a step forward.
"Farewell, heroes."
Then, he leaves our heroes to their fate.
"Stay strong, my friend."- Geralt says to Aaron- "This is only the start of our struggles."
Meanwhile, Akihiro and Aurelia find themselves in a different part of the temple. Surprised that the portal wrenched them so far away from home, they wonder where they are supposed to go next. Then, they hear growling coming from nearby.
When they round a corner, they find themselves face to face with an undead Ryozo. It seems like the young monk found himself in a troubling situation, tried to run away and was slaughtered in a unusually brutal matter, soon reanimating and attempting to hunt down the rest of the living beings in the area.
"Ryozo, my boy."- Akihiro says- "Who would dare to do this to you?"
Ryozo continues to growl as he approaches them.
"Umm, master. That's not Ryo."- Aurelia says- "It's a completely different being."
Akihiro sighs.
"Yes."- He says- "I just had a wishful thinking. I was hoping that he is still in there, but that is not the case."
He readies his staff.
"Very well."- He adds- "Let us put his tortured soul to rest."