MLII C8, P4- "Caesura Of Destruction"

"Caesura Of Destruction" is the fourth Part of "Miracula Luxia II" 's eighth Chapter. It was released on 06.08.2021.
== Plot ==
A single mistake makes everything much worse for our heroes. During the night, an imp sneaks into the room where the black jar is being held and attempts to destroy it.
Jared manages to kill it before it can attack anyone and cause chaos among the populace. However, it is too late as the jar is destroyed moments after the creature's demise.
Either way, their worst fears have been justified. The inevitable has happened. Grah-Hoth's spirit has been unleashed from its prison. Soon, it will join the rest of his body and grant him incredible power- something that will allow him to destroy everything (and everyone) that stands in his way.
The end is coming near for one of the sides in this long and tiring war. All that our heroes have left to do... is to prepare for the worst and fight their enemies until their last breaths are spent and hope that they can overcome the armies of Darkness once again. Just like they always have until now.
== Story ==
Grah-Hoth inspects Jared. He does not like what he sees.
"Yes. My minions warned me about your mysterious powers."- He says- "You might be stronger than I think you are."
Jared glares at him.
"Well."- He says- "There is only one way to find that out."
He draws his weapon and prepares to strike.
"Die, you evil fiend!"- He yells and charges. 
Unfortunately, Grah-Hoth is always ready to fight. Even as a spirit, his battle prowess is still unmatched.
The moment he sees that Jared is attacking him, he steps back and unleashes a gout of flame. A tremendous, magical force that violently pushes our hero back and throws him out of a nearby window and onto the street below.
As he tries to recover from this attack, Grah-Hoth jumps down, stares down at him and smiles.
"I've seen heroes who fight much better than you do."- He says- "Perhaps you're not quite as strong as they think you are."
Jared takes a moment to stand up. When he finally does, he points his blade at him and removes some pieces of glass from both of his shoulders.
"Oh. I am just getting started."- He responds- "You have not seen everything that I have to offer."
He kneels and prepares to charge again. 
"Prepare yourself."- He says- "Because, if you underestimate me... you will be making a fatal mistake."
Having said that, he attacks.
Grah-Hoth tries to use the same tactic to defeat him. He breathes another gout of flame, in an attempt to trap him in a corner.
However, Jared is already prepared for this. Using his weapon- the legendary sword known as Ragnarok, he manages to block Grah-Hoth's attack...
And send it right back at him.
Grah-Hoth is struck by the returning gout of flame. He roars as his upper left arm starts to burn due to the intense heat.
However, he soon recovers from this attack. As the flame disappears, he stands back up and smiles.
"You are making this seem like a minor setback."- Jared says to him- "May I ask how you manage to stand so tall in the face of such a danger?"
Grah-Hoth grins. He is clearly ready to gloat over his many victories over the past few centuries. Or the heroes that he has slain. Or the greatest things that he has achieved.
His foolishness has no bounds.
"I am a member of a mighty race of demons. We are known... as the Haakai."- He begins- "Unlike our lesser cousins, we are able to conjure power spells and use them against our enemies- better than any of your weak mages ever will. We have minds of steel and we can never be truly controlled by anyone, no matter how hard they try to do so."
He takes a deep breath.
"And, most importantly... "
He looks away for a second and sees that Jared is getting ready to cast a powerful spell.
"Wait!"- He yells- "What are you doing?"
However, his question remains unnoticed. Jared lifts his blade in the air and stares at the sky as it slowly turns gray.
"Feel the rage of the Heavens and Earth as I unleash the power of the gods themselves upon you!"- He yells- "Ragnarok Ultima!"
He swings the blade and slams it into the ground.
Suddenly, a huge earthquake knocks Grah-Hoth's spirit off-balance. When he tries to recover, he looks at the sky above him.
"What in the-- "
He is not given the chance to react. A few moments later, a lightning strikes him.
And then another.
And another.
It is as if the gods themselves are angry at Grah-Hoth and want to unleash their rage upon him, making him pay for his crimes in the process.
As he sits stunned for a few seconds, he fails to notice Jared sneaking up behind him and preparing to strike.
"This is for all the brave heroes that you have slain during your miserable existence!"- He yells and swings his blade at him.
What the Haakai does not notice as well is that Ragnarok is enchanted with powerful magic that is unleashed when the blade comes in contact with an enemy. And it does not matter if it is corporeal or not, the devastating effect is still applied.
Unable to do anything to defend himself, he is thrown into a wall. Even though he manages to pass through it, he still feels the pain as if he was in his original body.
He rises back up and shakes his head.
"Enough of this nonsense!"- He roars- "I can see the determination in your eyes. You want to kill me... and you will stop at nothing to achieve it."
He grins, revealing two sets of viciously sharp teeth.
"Very well, hero. I will not underestimate you anymore. I shall fight you with the full power that I have gained throughout the years."- He says- "However, it won't be here. I want you to face me at the peak of my powers... and I will make sure of it."
He grins.
"Meet me at my castle. I will open a portal for you to reach me."- He says- "Fight me over there and show me that you're as powerful as they claim that you are! Let's see whether you'll be able to save this world from me and my minions... or die like all of the pathetic peasants before you!"
With that, Grah-Hoth's spirit leaves this plane of existence, presumably to rejoin his body in the lands below.
Jared looks at the sky. It has turned black. Rain is falling from above, making everything seem like a realistic painting that depicts all of the sadness within this world.
And, as he looks back at the lands in front of him, things get from bad to worse. Suddenly, monsters start to appear within the city, having spawned from the black portals that open everywhere within. Guards attempt to get rid of them, but they are easily killed before they can even make their first move.
Jared falls on his knees and watches helplessly as the monsters start to tear down every building that they see in front of them.
"I... I have failed."- He says- "I have failed to protect the city. And now, everyone is going to suffer. Because of me. Because of my inability to make the correct decisions."
He slams the ground with his fists.
"Why am I always so weak? So insecure?"- He continues- "Why do I always manage to betray everyone's trust?"
Someone places their hand on his shoulder. He looks up and sees his grandfather- Lethal.
"I disagree with this, Jared."- He says- "You're the most wonderful grandson a grandfather like myself could ever ask for. Your actions have shown me that you are truly meant to be a hero. Your bravery, your wisdom, your intelligence and every other skill that you possess, they make you more unique than any other hero who has ever fought evil before you. And, please, stop blaming yourself for things that are inevitable. They were meant to happen, to test our skills and to show the world whether we're capable of handling our enemies with courage and valor... or run away and hide like cowards."
He sighs.
"Some things in life just cannot be avoided, child."- He says calmly- "The question is whether you can overcome the fear of losing someone and moving on to protect those who still mean something to you... or sit down and grieve for what has already been lost. It is what happened to your grandma. And it is the same for your uncle... and your mother."
He stares into his eyes and sees the fear within.
"So, tell me."- He continues- "Are you just going to lay down and cry about the ones that you could have saved? Or are you going to stand up, like the hero that you have always been, and continue fighting for the things that still remain? And, if you will, are you ready to face your greatest fears and overcome them, for the sake of your family, your friends and, most importantly, yourself? Are you ready to do what no one has done before and defeat the one who has been tormenting our people for so long?"
A few moments later, Jared stands up. His eyes beam with determination. His hand is close to his weapon.
Many things are still unclear for him. However, there is one thing that illuminates the path towards Destiny. Like a candle that shines in the abyss of darkness and despair.
And it is called Hope.
"No matter how dark things may get for me, I will always shine in my brightest, most brilliant light of joy and hope. I will not let my own mistakes to shackle me and pull me back towards the dark past. I will fight for a brighter future, even if it is just with my bare hands."- He says- "I am ready, grandpa. I am ready to face Grah-Hoth and make him pay for all the despair that he has caused to those poor souls, all of the hope that he destroyed in the blink of an eye. I shall be the soldier of the Heavens who will fight the emissary of the Underworld... and show him that I am not afraid!"
Lethal smiles and pats him on the shoulder.
"That's the spirit, my boy!"- He says to him- "Now, come with me. There is still much that needs to be done."
== Trivia ==
* The name of this Part is a reference to a song by HololiveEN VTuber IRyS known as "Caesura of Despair".