ML C9, P10- "One More Final Battle"

"One More Final Battle" is the tenth and final Part of "Miracula Luxia" 's ninth Chapter- "King Of Hearts". It was released on 05.05.2020.
== Plot ==
As some of Bargha's most powerful defenders die fighing against the Formellian raiders, panic ensues in the city, forcing most of its still-living citizens to seek a safer haven somewhere else.
Meanwhile, Jared and the rest of his allies (save for Commander Jones, Annie, Barin and Aimee) sneak into the inner sanctum of the city and prepare for the final battle against the forces of Farrar- the fight against their tyrannical leader.
Will the brave heroes succeed and bring victory for all of Avernum? Or will all of them die and be forgotten as the war between Farrar's remaining forces and the forces of Avernum continues?
The time to find that out... is now.
== Story ==
As our heroes enter the city, they find out that everyone within it is panicking because of the death of some of their best defenders.
One of the citizens sees Jared.
"I-it's him!"- He yells.
"Run for your lives!"- Another screams.
Soon, all of the citizens begin to escape through the western gate.
John tries to stop them, but Jared doesn't allow him to.
"Leave them alone, John."- He says- "They are not our problem anymore. If Avernum wants to take them back, let them do so. If Avernum decides to crush them, do not interfere."
John nods.
"I understand. You're right about that, and I will respect your decision. You're the leader of our small group, after all."
"Plus, we're not here for them. We're here for him."
He points at a nearby window.
Jared stares at it and sees someone staring back at him. He tries to meet his gaze and find out who they are, but is unable to do in time as the person quickly backs away.
"Do you think... ?"- John says to Jared.
The young hero nods.
"Yes. Yes, it is him."
He turns to the rest of his allies.
"Are you ready to free Avernum from this scum, once and for all?"
Everyone cheers.
He turns to the nearby gate.
"Then let us do this!"
As everyone enters the inner sanctum (where Farrar is supposed to be right now), Jared finds out that not everything is alright.
"Duck!"- He yells at his allies as a flurry of arrows quickly flies towards them.
Most of the warriors do so. Unfortunately, some of the poor souls who are unable to perform the command in time are immediately pierced by countless arrows and killed on the spot.
Jared looks sadly at the fresh corpses and nods.
"Three."- He confirms the number- "Three of us have died."
"But that is no big deal! We're still not done with those lackeys and their leader. As I said earlier, as long as one of us lives, the fight will continue! No trap can crush our bravery and dedication, no matter how dangerous it may seem."
"Is that right, my allies?"
Everyone nods in unison.
He turns towards the door to Farrar's home.
He opens it and walks inside.
"Uh, sir?"- One of the soldiers says- "Maybe one of us should go first, in case it becomes dangerous further in? We can't risk losing you!"
Jared shakes his head.
"Nonsense!"- He says- "I don't want to risk other people's lives by forcing them to do what I'm supposed to! No way! I will be going first and you cannot convince me otherwise!"
"You just stand behind me and walk slowly. Trust me, everything will be fine."
Everyone nods.
Then, all of them enter the building in a neat, spread formation, to confuse Farrar's forces within the home, should they appear out of nowhere and surprise them.
However, this does not happen. Instead, a lone mage is waiting for them, staff in hand.
"Seriously?"- John says- "We've been expecting a huge amount of bandits to intercept us and all that they left is a lone mage?!"
The man smirks.
"Trust me, kid. I am no ordinary mage. I can crush all of you in a single hit."
John draws his blade and points it at him.
"You got a death wish, old man. Well, we'll see how that goes for you!"- He says.
However, Jared manages to diffuse the situation just in time. 
He inspects the man closely and sees something that his allies do not.
"I can see the look in your eyes."- He says- "Are you an Incantor?"
The man nods and lifts his hood.
"A... what?!"- John says.
Jared turns to him.
"I guess that you haven't learnt about the magical classes, John. Don't worry, I will explain them to you."
"There are various classes of mages. Some are simple-minded people who are able to cast only the simplest of spells. Others are much stronger, able to cast very deadly spells to crush their foes with."
He turns to the Incantor.
"Well, let's say that this mister is very powerful. An Incantor is almost never matched by anyone else, except for the Warlocks and Archmages, of course."
John smirks and touches the tip of his blade.
"I'm not scared of some guy who knows a lot of powerful magic! I have magic on my own. I can beat him!"
The Incantor smirks.
"Be careful what you wish for, kiddo, because I might make it come true."
John smiles.
"Why? Are you Santa? Because you surely don't look like him."
The Incantor sighs.
"No. I am not Santa. I'm better than him."
John raises his eyebrow.
"Oh really? And who are you really?"
The Incantor grins.
"Well, if I have to play by the rules of your silly game, I guess that I will be the Grinch. Why? Because I will steal something from you."
"And that something... will be your life!"
The two of them stare at each other menacingly, moments away from coming to blows.
Fortunately, Jared diffuses the situation once again. He turns to the man.
"I know that you don't really mean it. You only work for Farrar because he pays you for it. Am I right?"
The Incantor sighs.
"That worm. He's never paid me enough! Ever since I came here from the Empire as a promising young student, he took me all for himself and wasted my potential. Now I am forced to fight some unfortunate folks and risk my live in the process, possibly hurting some of them. Or maybe even worse... "
Jared smiles and pats him on the shoulder.
"You do not need to waste your time working for this weakling, my dear friend! There is a whole world for you to explore, to show your skills to."
"Just tell me where you want to go next and I will make sure that you are stationed there."
The Incantor is now in tears.
"P-promise?"- He says.
Jared nods and smiles.
"I promise. You have my word. I just want your promise to not hurt any of my friends. That's it."
The man smiles and looks up.
"Well, I've always wanted to go to the city of Formello. Such a wonderful place to live in. So many interesting people. Well, I was about to go there a few years ago, but I was stopped by Farrar and taken here."
"Do you think that you can arrange me a friendly greeting by the citizens there?"
Jared nods.
"Just like I said earlier- you have my word."
He turns to his allies.
"Alright. I want three of you to escort the Incantor to Formello. Tell the guards that he is friendly and take him in. Did you understand that?"
Three of the soldiers nod, approach the exit and wait for the man.
Just as he is about to join them, Jared stops him.
"By the way, I did not catch your name?"
The Incantor smiles.
"Oenslager. Thank you so much, Jared. I will always remember you."
"He knows me?!"- Jared says to himself, surprised that the Incantor mentioned his name as he walks out of the building and is escorted out of the city by the three warriors.
As he walks out of the city, he takes one last look at it.
"All this time, Farrar neglected me. He didn't pay me enough, he didn't instruct me. He just told me to do whatever I want."
"Well, that changes now. I am sure that the people of Formello will put me to a good use. No, I... I know it!"
"And it will be all thanks to the kind hero, Jared Kaos, who spared by life and let me join his allies in fighting the evil. I won't forget his good deed, even if the time is many years from now!"
With those thoughts in mind, the strange Incantor walks towards the city of Formello, along with the three warriors.
Meanwhile, Jared and his remaining allies enter the second floor of the house.
There they meet someone, whose back is turned to them.
Jared and John recognize him as the cruel and tyrannical leader of Bargha and the one who has been terrorizing the lands of Avernum for a very long time- Farrar.
"Alright, Farrar. It's game over for you!"- John says- "Put your hands in the air, turn around and answer for your crimes!"
Farrar smirks and touches the tip of his blade.
"I don't answer to commoners like you, Braveheart."- He says.
This infuriates John. He pulls out his blade and is about to attack Farrar.
However, he is once again stopped by Jared.
"It's okay, John. Don't get involved in this unless the situation becomes worse than it already is."- He says calmly- "Let me handle this."
John nods and steps back without another word.
Meanwhile, Jared gets closer to Farrar. He is not going to attack him, but he keeps his hand close to his blade, should it be the other way around.
"Farrar."- He begins- "You hurt me and all the citizens of Avernum so much. You hurt them with your words, your deeds. You almost killed me. What do you have to say about that?"
John smirks.
"Yes, Farrar. What do you have to say about that?!"
Farrar shrugs.
"I feel no remorse. I feel like I have done what was good for my people back then, what they deserved the most."
"I won't say sorry."
Jared's allies suddenly snap and get closer to Farrar so they can attack him.
Jared stops them and turns around to ask more questions before he is forced to inevitably fight his nemesis.
"I understand. I have one more question for you- Where is my friend?"
"Where is Akari?"
Suddenly, Farrar turns around and grins.
"You want to know about where she is? Well, how about you see her in person?"
"What do you-- "
From somewhere behind him, Jared hears someone slowly coming towards him, but is unable to react in time as the assailant restrains him and pins him to the ground.
After making sure that he is unable to hurt Farrar, the assailant pulls him back up.
That's when he sees the face of the assailant and recognizes his childhood friend.
"Akari!"
Akari grins and puts a knife at his throat.
For a moment, Jared can feel both the cold steel of the knife itself and Akari's lust for revenge.
"Not so brave now, huh, Jared?"- She says as she looks at him.
"Leave him alone!"- John yells.
Akari turns around.
"And what if I don't? You ain't got a part in my story. He does!"
She looks at Jared once again, pure, unrestrained hatred burning in her eyes.
"So stay away, if you know what's good for you and what's not!"
She turns her attention back to Jared.
"Now where were we? Ah, yes. The part when I rid the world of your omnipresent self and show them that they can live without you!"
She presses the knife closer to Jared's throat, in an attempt to break the skin and force him to bleed to death.
As Jared struggles for his life against his former friend, Farrar watches in seeming pleasure.
Akari is about to kill the one who is the closest to her. Unfortunately, John is able to stop her in the last moment, pulling her away from Jared and throwing her into a nearby wall, breaking her knife in the process.
"I said it earlier and I'll say it now."- John says- "If anyone ever messes with my dearest friend, even if they're very close to him, I won't hesitate to kill them!"
"And I won't hesitate to kill you!"
Akari smirks as she quickly stands up to fight John.
"You made the biggest mistake in your life, chump. The mistake to challenge me. And now you will pay for it dearly!"
"And, when I'm done with you, I will kill Jared and all of his allies. One by one, I will-- "
"Shut up, for Goodness' sake!"- John yells and punches her in the face.
The fight between the two of them begins. Akari seems to have the advantage and is about to push John to the ground and punch him to death.
However, one of the soldiers reacts quickly and stomps her in the foot, barely saving John's life.
While she is distracted, John looks back and sees a window behind him.
"Well, Jared will hate me for this, but I will have to do it. It's for the good of everyone."- He says to himself.
He grabs Akari and lifts her up.
"Hey!"- She says- "What do you think you're doing?! Put me down! Put me-- "
However, John does not listen to her. Instead, he throws her out of the window, smashing her head in the ground outside in the process.
Jared stares in horror as his friend lies on the ground, slowly bleeding to death.
He grabs John by the shirt.
"You fool! Why? Why did you do that?!"
John looks at his friend sadly, unable to say anything to him.
"What are you waiting for?!"- He yells at him- "Help her!"
"But sir! She's-- "
Jared turns around and stares menacingly at the soldier who tried to talk to him.
"I know what all of you are thinking right now. Yes, I know! She's a enemy, she will kill us if she has the chance to do so."
"But she is also my friend. And I will not let a friend die because of a mistake that I made in the past. So, go down there and help her out. Now!"
The soldiers nod and go downstairs.
"But Jared! What about you? You need help against Farrar!"
Jared sighs.
"No, I don't. I will be fine. Just go down there and help my friend live! Come on, John!"
John nods sadly.
"As you say, J-Jared."- He says and runs downstairs to help Jared's childhood friend.
Jared turns his attention back to Farrar.
"Well, my liege. Now... we are alone."
Farrar smiles.
"Oh, trust me. I don't need any help to fight against you."
"I will take you down all by myself and I will show Avernum and the world that I am the real hero here!"
Jared shakes his head.
"Farrar, you are speaking nonsense right now. People like you can never be heroes. They will always remember you for your bad deeds, not for your good ones!"
Farrar sighs and stares at Jared.
"You know what? I wanted to tell you something before I fight you."
Jared raises his eyebrow.
"I am listening."
Farrar coughs.
"Before I became an evil overlord, I was actually a simple mercenary. A blade for hire. A hero whom everyone respected. I helped countless cities both in the Empire and in Avernum. I helped people feel happier than they were before, helped them survive. I was just like you, a hero who cared about everyone... until I found out about the city of Bargha. A city of outcasts and misfits who lived in constant fear under the rule of a lazy Mayor. Everybody thought that the mayor is a lazy person who doesn't even move a single finger to save their city from the constantly aggressive monsters... and humans. And that's why a large part of the city was already destroyed by them. When I came in, I felt like I wanted to help them out, to get rid of this lazy fool. And I did. I killed him while he was sleeping in his bedroom, unnoticed by everyone. Most of the people thought that I simply forced him to flee. They still don't know about this, yet. But nonetheless, that is how I became the leader of this city."
"I got rid of someone who thought that he was doing good for everyone. A fake hero, you can call him. And I am not afraid to get rid of another fake hero who is standing in front of me."
"Trust me, Jared. No matter how much good you do for those people, the warriors you sacrifice to achieve your goals will always make you the bad guy in the situation. You will never be a true hero! Never!"
Jared doesn't make an expression. Instead, he simply stares at Farrar.
"I know that I have made mistakes in the past."- He says- "I know that I have hurt people. I know that I have risked their lives. I know that I have made them desperate."
"But, in the end, they all saw that my plans always worked and they were safe from hostiles such as yourself. So, I will keep doing that, even if I have to risk the lives of others to destroy scum like you. As much as I do not like that... "
Farrar grins and draws his blade.
"Then come on!"- He says- "Come at me! Fight me! Don't make those sacrifices go in vain! Don't make the ghosts of those brave warriors regret that they have died for you! Fight me until your last breath, like the real hero that you think you are!"
Jared nods and smiles as he draws his energy blade.
"If it is a fight you want, it is a fight that you will get!"- He says and lunges at him.
Farrar easily parries his attack and forces him against the window.
"Now you will feel the same pain that your friend caused to my sister-in-arms!"- Farrar yells- "Die, outsider!"
Without another word, he throws Jared out of the already-broken window, small shards of broken glass piercing through his back as he falls down.
He looks up and sees that his allies are carrying Akari away.
"Yes! Leave this place, my friends!"- He says to himself- "Don't get involved in this mess!"
He looks at Farrar who has just left the building to finish him off.
"Oh! Would you look at that!"- He says as he watches the last of the warriors get away- "It seems like the allies of the mighty Jared Kaos have left him for dead. What a shame!"
Jared sighs.
"They were valuable allies, but I don't need to risk their lives to defeat you. I will defeat you all by myself."
"Then show it to me, your inner strength."- Farrar says- "Stand up and fight back!"
With difficulty, Jared manages to stand back up.
"You still have not taken me down!"- He says.
"Heh. We'll see about that!"- Farrar says and charges towards Jared.
Good and evil engage in a fight where one of them has to prevail and change the world for good.
Jared slashes Farrar's face with his energy blade. He falls to his knees.
For a second, Jared thinks that he has already given up and smiles.
However, he simply stands back up and punches Jared in the abdomen.
While the boy is on the ground, he pulls out his huge blade and tries to stab him. However, this proves to be a fatal mistake as this gives Jared the chance to kick him in the gut.
The two of them clash their blades- one made of pure energy and the other made of the strongest metal.
The clanging of the blades echoes in the deep, dark night, signifying that the real battle has just begun.
"I will never forgive you for what you did to my friends!"- Jared yells.
"Oh, really now? They were your friends?"- Farrar responds- "Stop joking around. They were just a bunch of fools who fought for their own survival!"
"A bunch of fools who bravely fought for the survival of their homeland and died protecting it from scum like you!"
"I can hear their cries in the night! They scream the same thing over and over again- "Vengeance! Vengeance!". And you know what?! I will give it to them, by killing the one who caused them all this pain!"
He looks up for a moment.
"Don't you worry, o' brave heroes of Avernum. I shall avenge your deaths and show this fool that they were not in vain!"
Farrar smirks and punches the boy to the ground with his mighty fist.
He points his blade at his stomach.
"Any last words, worm?"- He says.
Jared doesn't say anything.
"Oh? Nothing to say?"- Farrar says- "How sad. I thought that you would plead me for your life, scream for mercy, try to run away like a fool-- "
"I will not give you the pleasure of making a fool out of me, Farrar!"- Jared screams- "I may die now, but I will die a hero. I will not fuel your madness with empty words!"
Farrar smiles.
"So be it. Die!"
He swings his blade at him, but before he can strike him, he is bashed in the back of the head with a brick.
Temporarily dazed, he stumbles back and falls as someone comes to help Jared out.
"John!"- Jared recognizes his friend- "But... why didn't you run away with the others?"
"And leave my friend to die here? No way! That's not what true friends do, Jared. I promised your mother that I will always be here for you. That I will always keep you safe, no matter how dangerous it will be for me."
"And I'm going to keep my promise, even if it means risking my own life to save you."
He looks at the dazed Farrar coldly.
"And now, let us slay this fool. He will regret the day he challenged all of us. We will do this for everyone who risked their own lives to protect us. For your mother! For your father! Your uncle! Jim! Everyone else who died for us to be where we are!"
"We cannot give up, Jared. We have gone too far. Need I remind you of that again?"
Jared shakes his head.
"I see, John. I will not stand back anymore. I will do what everyone wants me to do."
He stares at Farrar.
"All this time, I've been trying to spare him. Trying to show him mercy, even though he does not deserve it. Show him that even the most ruthless villains can be forgiven. But now? Now I can see that this man is hopeless. The only way he knows is the way of war. And he will not stop until every single one of us is dead."
"And I will not let that happen!"
However, just as he is about to plunge his blade into his chest, Farrar surprises him by angrily pushing him back and grabbing the brick from earlier, bashing it into John's skull.
John falls to the ground, barely conscious.
"John! No!"- Jared yells and goes by his friend's side.
John smiles.
"It's okay, Jared. I'm fine. I will... survive."
"But you need to keep fighting that fool. Use my blade along with yours and show him who is the real boss. Take him down!"
"See you on the other side, buddy... "
Having said that, John closes his eyes.
"John! NOOO!"- Jared screams as he holds his friend's hand.
He takes his friend's blade as promised and holds both it and his own blade in the air.
"Your sacrifice will not go in vain, my friend... "- Jared mutters- "I will avenge you. I promise."
"I will win this battle in your name, my friend."
He turns back to Farrar. His eyes are now flaming red, unending hatred and lust for vengeance burning inside, waiting to be unleashed upon the treacherous Farrar.
"You hurt my friends. You hurt Avernum. You killed people who are very dear to me."
"Well, you know what?!"
He points John's blade in Farrar's direction.
"This battle is not over! And I will win it, in the name of John and everyone in Avernum and the rest of the world. I will rid the world of your wretched presence, forever!"
Farrar smirks and grins, pointing his huge weapon at him.
"Go ahead and try, fool!"- He says.
Jared raises both blades in the air, emits a deafening battle cry and swings both blades at Farrar.
In the distance, Annie and the others hear Jared's battle cry and wonder if they should go back and help him out.
However, they decide against it, knowing that Jared will succeed, one way or another.
"He's a very powerful hero."- Annie says to herself- "Now, our main priority is carrying Akari back in Formello and treating her injuries before she dies, just like he wanted."
With that, all of the remaining warriors leave the area, carrying the injured and unconscious Akari back to Formello for treatment, leaving Jared and John to fend for themselves.
Meanwhile, Jared easily gains the upper hand and pushes Farrar's huge blade to the ground, breaking his leg.
He points both blades at his throat.
"I hate you!"- He says- "I hate you so much!"
Farrar laughs.
"Hate me all you want, John will not come back! Even if you kill me right now, he will still be dead!"
"But let me tell you this. I. Will not. Die."- He says, stabs Jared in the leg and grabs his sword.
As Jared stumbles back, Farrar laughs.
"Yes! I did it!"- He says- "It's over for you, hero of Avernum!"
Jared smiles as he stands back up.
"On the opposite side, my friend, it is over for you."
"What?!"
Farrar is taken by surprise when Jared casts a powerful light spell against him.
"Cleanse him!"- He yells and blasts Farrar with the spell, which temporarily blinds him.
"Ah!"- Farrar says- "My eyes! MY EYES! IT BURNS! AHH!"
Farrar slowly stumbles back to the Pit of Death nearby, unable to stop.
Instead of letting him fall to his death, Jared decides to let him live and pulls him away from the pit. However, he grabs his sword while he is still blinded and throws it into the pit.
When Farrar's eyesight finally returns, he sees Jared pointing his two blades at him.
"It's over, Farrar."- The boy says calmly.
Farrar tries to look for his sword. However, he soon realizes that the blade is gone.
"You shouldn't bother to look for your sword."- Jared says- "It is gone. Forever."
Farrar gasps.
"I-impossible!"- He yells- "I cannot be defeated!"
"Admit it, Farrar!"- Jared responds- "There is nowhere to run! Nowhere to hide! Your fate is in my hands now!"
Farrar smiles.
"Well then, why don't you finish me off? Avenge all of the souls, whose deaths I caused with my bad deeds?"
"Well? Why don't you? Their souls scream for vengeance. Deliver it to them!"
Jared looks at the sky and shakes his head.
"No, Farrar. I have done too many mistakes before. I will not make one again."
He makes sure that Farrar is unable to run away. Once he's convinced of that, he simply puts the two blades on his back and approaches an unconscious John.
"Jared! Come back here!"- Farrar screams- "Come back and finish this, Jared! Do you hear me?!"
"Come here!"
Jared shakes his head and watches as a large platoon of soldiers arrives in the now-deserted city of Bargha.
"Sir!"- One of the soldiers says- "We have been sent by King Starrus The Second himself to assist you!"
"There is no need for that, soldier. We won."- Jared responds.
Another soldier looks at Farrar and recognizes him.
"This is the leader of the Barghans?"- He says- "But... why is he still alive?"
Jared shakes his head and sighs.
"Don't worry about him. He is no longer a threat to any of us."
"Take him to the royal prison."
"But sir!"- The first soldier says- "He's too dangerous to be left alive!"
"Do I need to repeat myself?"- Jared responds- "This man is no longer a threat to anyone. He is a broken-down man who has lost his will to fight."
"So, take him to the prison. Now."- He says calmly.
All of the soldiers bow.
"We understand your decision, young hero."- The first soldier says- "And we respect it. Well done. His Majesty will be very proud of you."
He turns to look at the rest of the soldiers.
"Take this broken fool to the prisons where he belongs!"
The soldiers nod and grab Farrar, expecting some sort of resistance from him.
However, he does not do anything. He simply tilts his head down and sighs.
"So this is the end on my reign."- He mutters- "My army slain, my city destroyed, its inhabitants driven away."
"However, I was spared by my biggest enemy, even after all that I have done to him and everyone else."
He looks at Jared and smiles.
"Thank you, Jared. Perhaps you are a true hero, after all. I'll continue observing your progress from the prison. Maybe one day we'll be able to talk about our adventures."
Jared smiles back.
"I will be looking forward to that."
"Until then."- Farrar continues- "Farewell. And good luck."
Having said his piece, Farrar is carried away by the soldiers.
"What a weirdo... "- The soldier says and joins his comrades in carrying the new prisoner away.
Meanwhile, Jared and John are left behind at the ruins of the former, glorious city of Bargha, all alone.
That's when John finally wakes up. He looks at Jared and smiles.
"I don't need to ask the question, because I already know the answer."- He says- "The good deed is done. And you are the one who is responsible for it."
Jared nods and smiles warmly.
"Yes. Yes I did."
He decides to hide the detail that he spared Farrar, thinking that it would be better if John realized it by himself.
John looks back at Bargha's eastern gates. He looks back and sees that Jared is trying to help him stand up.
"Well?"- The boy says- "Shall we?"
John nods and smiles.
"Of course, best friend."
Jared helps John stand up and the two of them slowly stumble away from the city of Bargha, leaving the useless, smoking ruin behind them for good.
On the road, Jared looks at John.
"You know what, John?"- He asks him.
"Hm?"
"All this time, I've never thought that I could find a friend like you. I've always thought that I would find friends like Annie, like Commander Jones. But you, you, my friend are the best person that has ever appeared in my life."
John grins.
"It's the same for me, buddy."- He says- "I've always thought that I would live a normal life, as one of Duskwood's hunters, not going to any adventures. But from the very moment when you arrived, I realized that my life would eventually change for the best. Well, I didn't expect to turn against you, but I am glad that I learned my mistake and came back."
He pats Jared on the back.
"We've been made to be a team, Jared. A team of cute, charming, brave and kind heroes who boldly look the enemy in the eye without any fear."
Jared nods and smiles.
"I could say nothing else, other than that I agree with all that you just said! And that I am glad to have met you when I arrived in Duskwood."
"Me too, buddy. Me too."- John says and hugs his friend.
After hugging each other, the two boys arrive back in Formello and are welcomed back with the highest honors by the survivors.
"Jared!"- Annie says and hugs her friend to say hello.
"You won't guess who came to visit us while you were away!"
Jared looks ahead and sees someone approaching him.
"Your Majesty!"- Jared exclaims as he sees who the person is- King Starrus The Second.
His Majesty shakes Jared's hand eagerly and smiles.
"Jared."- He begins- "Today, you, my friend have made history for the lands of Avernum. Thanks to your endless efforts and unending bravery, the cruel Farrar and his forces have been finally defeated and their base- the city of Bargha, is now in ruins! And it is all thanks you!"
Jared smiles and shakes his head.
"No, sir."- He says- "Yes, I may have done a lot, but those people deserve to be congratulated more than me."
He points at everyone around him.
"All of those people are the real heroes here. I was just the one who led them to victory. They were the ones who fought the enemies at the gates and gained us entry. They are the ones who helped me reach Farrar. And they are the ones who saved my best friend from the clutches of death."
"For that, those brave souls deserve a huge round of applause."- He says and claps loudly to honor the bravery of his allies.
Soon, the king joins Jared in the clapping. And then everyone else.
Once they're done, His Majesty smiles.
"Bravo, Jared!"- He says- "Unlike most of the heroes, who would take the responsibility of winning a battle all for themselves, you shared the responsibility with your fellow Avernites and you showed all of us that you are indeed the true hero that your father claimed you to be."
"For that, I gladly bestow upon you the title... Hero of Avernum!"
Jared bows down deeply.
"I am honored to be the one, on whom the title is bestowed upon. I will carry it proudly and always remember who I really am."
"The Hero of Avernum."
Everyone applauds Jared and cheers for him.
Suddenly, His Majesty bows down.
"Y-Your Majesty!"- Jared says- "Don't-- "
"No, Jared."- He says- "I am required to bow down to the great Hero of Avernum whenever we meet. And I shall not break the rules now."
He slowly stands back up and raises his fist in the air.
"Long live the Hero of Avernum!"- He yells.
"Long live the Hero of Avernum!!!"- Everyone repeats.
His Majesty smiles when he realizes how much everyone respects their new hero.
"But now I shall take my leave. Goodbye, o' brave hero and good luck in your future endeavors, wherever you go next!"
He and his soldiers bow down one last time and leave the city of Formello to go back to the Castle.
The crowd quickly disperses and goes back to doing its everyday deeds.
Jared looks around, but is unable to find his friend.
"Where is Akari?"- He asks Annie.
She points at a nearby tent.
"Right there. She's waiting for you."- She says.
Jared enters the tent and sees Akari lying in it, all bandaged up.
She smiles warmly.
"Good to see you, old friend."- She says calmly.
Jared quickly grabs her hand and kisses it.
"Oh my!"- Akari says and blushes- "You're such a gentleman!"
Jared smiles and holds Akari's hand near his forehead.
"Aki... "- He begins- "I am so, so sorry for hurting you earlier. Please, forgive me! I cannot bear this burden anymore!"
Akari smiles and touches Jared's cheek with her other hand.
"The one who should say sorry about their actions is me."- She says- "All this time, I thought that you wanted to hurt me. That you wanted to stay only with John and Annie. That you didn't care about me anymore."
"Do not say that!"- Jared says- "Of course I am still caring about you!"
"Yes, yes. I know. But I still wanted to hurt you. Because... because Farrar was close to me. And I wanted to protect him while hurting you. My lust for revenge was burning deep into my heart and I could not stop it."
She breaks down into tears and hugs Jared.
"I won't expect you to... forgive me, after all I have done and I will not beg for forgiveness. I will instead let you decide what to do with me. My fate... is in your hands."
Jared smiles and hugs her back.
"Why would I not forgive the one who has been with me ever since I was a kid?"- He says- "Aki, you're like a sister to me. A sister who has always cared about my well-being. A... younger sister."
"You mean so much to me, Aki."
"Same for me, Jared."- Akari responds- "Same for me."
A few days later, Jared and a still-bandaged Akari are sitting on Formello's southern wall while everyone is rebuilding it.
"Aki."- Jared begins- "I... I wanted to ask you something."
"Ask away, my friend!"- Akari says cheerfully.
Jared takes a deep breath and begins.
"What you told me earlier when you were in that house... that you loved me. Did you really mean it?"
This sudden question catches Akari off-guard. She blushes uncontrollably.
"Um. I... I... "- She stutters, unable to reveal the truth.
Jared smiles and holds her hand in his.
"Well, even if you did not mean it, I want to tell this to you. I love you. And I always will."
Having said that, Jared seals the deal by kissing Akari.
"So... warm."- Akari says to herself as she kisses Jared back.
The two of them continue to kiss as the moss above them illuminates theim with a beautiful white light.
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And so, a new sun rises. A new world has been built, all thanks to Jared and his friends. The evil known as Farrar has been eradicated once and for all.
Soon after the capture of Farrar, the rest of his soldiers decide to join Spire's militia and help them vanquish all the remaining evil in the Abyss, intent of becoming better people.
Commander Jones remains the leader of Formello. Barin and Aimee remain with him. Under the Commander, or rather, the new mayor's rule, the city flourishes. Its walls become the strongest and most reliable out of those of the other cities in Avernum. Its soldiers become the most brave and determined, fighting the enemy like no other army ever could, with such courage and valor.
Meanwhile, Jared, Lethal, Akari, John and Annie return to the city of Paris and help the mayor restore all the damage that Farrar and his humanoid army has done.
Both the lands below and above the ground have been restored to their former glory, much stronger and more determined than ever.
Although the fear from before still remains in the hearts, courage has also built in them and fortified them for good. Now those hearts beat stronger than ever before, for the good of the people... and the world.
And it is all thanks to a man named Jared Kaos- the little boy from Paris who grew up and taught everyone around him a valuable lesson- to believe in themselves and to never lose the hope for a new, better world.
Long live the Hero of Avernum and The World.
The end.