Azimuth: The Elden Throne

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/Later…/

"... Phew… Children can be… Tiresome to deal with."

Visibly tired, but at the same time amused, Dale entered his room, took out his dirty shirt, and sat down near the window, exhaling lightly as he looked at the clouds pass by.

Around two hours had passed since the Clocktower had resumed function and a lot had already occurred.

After its activation, Dale stood with the researchers for a little longer until others began to arrive, curious about what was happening.

It was to no surprise they did, given how loud the bell was.

Upon explaining everything in detail, assuring them that everything was fine, he left them to their own devices and curiosities, returning to his room to rest, ready to eat a meal he had packed inside his inventory as he didn't wish to bother Illia today as she worked…

Unfortunately, mid-way through his return, he was "ambushed" by a group of children.

For him, it had been a while since he played with any children as most of them ended up with their parents or in caretaking homes repurposed to house them as a school would, but for them, it hadn't been that long at all...

Since Illia couldn't take care of every single child while the adults worked and the fact she also found a new job that was taking her time, someone had to do it in her stead.

So a few old homes were repaired and refurbished to function as makeshift schools where the elderly, together with some others would take care of them during the day, that was why Dale rarely ever saw any children as he went on with his day.

But now, such a project was still in development, it's not like creating a safe environment for hundreds of children was easy, so it wasn't unusual to see children running around the place, which ended up taking over an hour of his time.

Anyhow, he was back in his room, ready to work his magic… And lo and behold, his continuous back and forth was proving effective!

"There's not much left on my plate to be resolved, my to-do list is mostly crossed out. I'm getting there but there's still quite a bit left to resolve."

He opened his inventory, skimming through his collection until he pulled out an item, a small translucent glass ball.

/Pull... Clack clack.../

Soon enough, he pulled two others, placing them on a small table next to him, causing them to 'clink' as they rolled onto each other.

Each of the glass marbles looked slightly different from the other, not on a surface level but what each held within.

One marble seemed to contain a strong flame frozen in time, it was small, smaller than even his fingernails, looking almost like a hologram, floating inside.

The other contained a drop of a strange liquid, but it was hard to say if it was truly that and not something else, like a stain or the oxidation of a metal...

Whatever it was, the inside of the marble seemed to have cracked, and together with the stains of time, left it almost unrecognizable.

Lastly, a rather clean and smooth marble remained, however, different from the other two, it seemed blank, unremarkable, as if there was little of value in itself to be displayed.

It wasn't an empty canvas, Dale felt the Marble contained quite a little of "something" within it, however, that something was of little substance compared to the rest.

A strange thought to have when all three marbles were transparent and of similar sizes, but there was a certain aura to it that made it less appealing than its counterparts.

There wasn't much to question here as Dale already knew what these were, still, like the first time he took them out in the alternative timeline, he still felt the same, mysterious feeling as before.

Obviously, these things could only be one thing, the very same item he shared with Testros not so long ago…

[Memory Shard of an Ancient Warrior

Type: Consumable

Description: The memories of an Ancient Warrior trapped within a bauble, can be experienced and observed by shattering it.

]

[Memory Shard of a Coliseum Slave

Type: Consumable

Description: The memories of a nameless Slave trapped within a bauble, can be experienced and observed by shattering it.

]

[Memory Shard of a Bystander

Type: Consumable

Description: The memories of someone who witnessed a moment engraved in history trapped within a bauble, can be experienced and observed by shattering it.

]

"Hm… I never thought I would have this chance… To experience these again…"

There was a deep sense of fulfillment within his tone, he couldn't quite put into words how pleased he was with this opportunity.

Traveling back in time, if this was what he was experiencing, wasn't merely about that, remembering what would happen and changing it.

It was also about all of the experiences one could relive and alter, the chance to fully engrave and absorb something one was previously unable to and use it to alter the future even further.

'Experiencing a master's words as he explains things to you is certainly a nice way of learning about something, however, it falls onto one's abilities and the master's proficiency in teaching to fully bring forth change within oneself, something that can take years upon years of hard work, especially with things hard to be put into words.'

'Books can shorten the gap, but there are things a book cannot encompass, such as gestures, emotions, feelings... If there is a written language that can showcase the feeling of the airbrushing across your skin as a sword cuts through it, then such language would be beyond his mortal understanding.'

'Nonetheless, what changes if one can directly experience their abilities?'

'A change of perspective, to become the performer instead of a simple observer.'

'Not merely through their eyes, but through all five senses… Not their own but those of the master they're trying to learn from?'

'That would be the dream of all apprentices… And these allow for it, in the same way Manifestation of the perfect Self did to me before.'

'The memories of individuals left behind in the river of time, they each contain great stories and experiences for me to unfold and explore.'

'And it's no mere memory, it's more akin to a simulation of the past, allowing me to change and alter its course, though of course, it's but a memory, and nothing would change.'

'Still, instead of a Memory Shard, this should be called "A Moment Frozen in time".'

'There was much I was unable to experience and rummage through during my first time experiencing it, a lot of time was wasted doing meaningless things, and a lot of changes were brushed off due to my lack of awareness and understanding of what was going on.'

'If the original memory was about a man going through his last week in a country before leaving it, then even if I change the memory and do not leave the country, the memory will still abruptly end as the original timeline comes to a close, even if I wished for the contrary.'

'But not this time… Today, I'll change those and experience everything these ancient memories have to offer.'

"..."

'I don't know how long I'll stay within them… But I'm ready. I brushed my teeth and took a shower, there's nothing else for me to do.'

'It's not that late in the day, but worse comes to worst, since everyone is already occupied, there shouldn't be much of an issue with me vanishing for the rest of the day, although I'm sure some are bound to complain...'

'Yumi will probably get upset that I didn't visit her for a few days straight, depending on how long the first memory lasts, I could take a break to sort my thoughts and visit her in the meantime.'

'Regardless... It's time.'

Dale began from the bottom to the top, beggining with the memory he found least appealing.

/Cr-Crack!/

[Ding]

[Entering the memories of a Coliseum Slave]

…

/Meanwhile.../

/CLANG!/

/CLING!/

"HUAAA!"

/SPLATTER!/

"DAMMIT! They've breached J1! The entire area has fallen!"

"REPORT! J5 has fallen!"

"REPORT! J3 has fallen!"

"REPORT!..."

"..."

/SLASH!/

/PIERCE!/

/CUT!/

About 80 years ago, thousands of warriors let out their final screams, stepping onto the afterlife as they shed away the last drops of blood in their veins for the sake of their families and kin that awaited their returns beyond the green sea.

Atop a stained and broken wall, they fought tooth and nail to defend their homes from the ever-marching armies of monsters that covered the horizon.

/SLASH!/

Within them, a young boy with unruly hair stood amidst a peloton of Knights, swinging his sword with a cynical expression as Devil after Devil fell before him.

The boy had no armor, only simple leather clothes, his sword was nothing impressive, yet, it remained sharp even after a dozen swings, not dulling in the slightest.

His steps were heavy, filled with power and elegance as he danced amidst the monster's swipes, each powerful enough to blast his body to pieces.

He collided his blade against their claws with such precision that he sliced through them like a cutter through sausages, mincing through the waves of beasts with violence and lack of compassion.

This was far beyond the sword's capabilities, it was the swordsman's ability to maximize his strength, this was his swordsmanship, simple, but effective, a day he had dreamed of time and time again but could never live again…

But today, he would change things, one slash at a time.

With each beast he slew, it meant one less beast for the Soldiers to worry about.

This was the insurrection of a lone youth who wished to change an already gone past...

/Flash…/

Testro's sword ignited with energy as he looked at a tall, slender monster facing three knights in full armor, similar to the armor Dale once recovered from the Catacombs, albeit now, they were in pristine condition… Aside from all the blood and scars in it…

The beast was muscular and distorted, it didn't move frequently, often remaining in place, yet, its reaction speed was tremendous, moving in and out of position with momentary and controlled bursts of speed.

Any that dropped their guards around it would feel what it meant to be a fish before a grinder.

/SLASH!/

/CLANG!/

Even to the trainer Knights, the Devil was a worthy, challenging foe, clashing with them and pinning them down, preventing them from helping at other fronts.

Usually, it would've been dispatched swiftly with the cooperation of half a dozen soldiers, but today, things were beyond saving.

All Archers had been forced back, those that still remained had already run out of arrows, using now daggers and swords to fight back the incoming tide.

The Mages had retreated, already too tired to continue, focusing their efforts on recovering and maintaining the magical defenses of the Wall running.

Every now and then, amidst explosions and screams, siege weapons would fall and be destroyed as the tide took over section after section of the wall.

The skies were lit with heavy artillery fire, almost bloating the sun with smoke as thousands of Devils fell every second.

The soldiers fought valiantly to protect and maintain those stations, knowing full well that if the suppressive fire was to end, theirs would come soon after.

/TREMBLE!/

From time to time, the world shook as gargantuan Devils walked, some crashing down onto the ground as powerful experts took them down, either from their sole effort or through the combined might of the Wall's defenses.

Beyond the wall, hell was let loose on the earth.

From time to time, Testros could recognize famed Heroes of the Corps, their weapons and clothes glistering in the wind as they took down the beasts from the past.

Yes, he could see them, the retired Generals, the few still alive, the instructors, their relatives, parents... Children...

All fought for one singular purpose, their survival.

And he was no different.

/SPLAT!/

However, it was clear…

/SLASH!/

That every second that passed…

/CRUSH!/

Another one fell to the tide, being bitten and torn to pieces as their screams were muffled by the blood raining down from the skies.

The only difference was how they went out, some screamed in madness, others in sadness, a few in ecstasy and wrath as they drowned their minds in sorrow and adrenaline.

/SLASH!/

"!"

/Thud…/

To Testros, this monster would've shaken the young him to his very core…

But to the current him, it barely puts on a challenge.

His sword flashed with light, his muscles tensed as he felt his Mana monetarily ignite within his body.

His weak and faint Vitality... Burning with the intensity of a youth was brought forward by an unknown force, giving strength to his frail flesh.

He executed his technique, a basic swing, the moment the beast acted, taking its head as his prize...

/Crack…/

"..."

But despite his cautious control, his sword still broke as he swung it down at the Devil.

He managed to kill it, but his sword was now…

"Private, take this." One of the Knights exclaimed as they threw a large two-handed claymore at him

It didn't matter if the sword was too large, the Knight gave it to him, knowing full well that small blades wouldn't do much against these creatures.

Indeed, it didn't matter how wide one's weapon was as one reached towards higher levels of mastery, however, what could a Knight expect from a Private? What he saw was already astounding and given the circumstances, he couldn't think for long, much less give orders to the private.

What they needed now was short, meaningful actions.

"Well take care of things here, regroup with the others, kill everything on your path!" He ordered as he shoved his sword at the demon's heart

He wasn't the only one that did it as the other Knights did the same.

/Shine.../

Red Vitality soon rose from their blades as they recovered from their injuries, but as they finished with the Devil, their words did not end.

"You must relay to the Commander that J2 is about to fall!"

"... YES SIR!" Testros exclaimed with his youthful voice as he had difficulty thinking what to say, it was almost loud enough to burst his vocal cords apart

"Heh, don't die kid." One of them said as they rushed back to the battlefield, and soon after, the sounds of swords clashing began to echo

"..."

Once again, he had changed the past.

Before, those three Knights fought diligently for hours, being pushed back and regrouping with others until they reached the Private quarters where he was stationed at.

There, he would be tasked with relaying to the Commander about the fall of J2, J referring to the section of the Wall he was relayed to.

It had to be done personally as most communications were currently completely in disarray and occupied with other important messages, or already broken beyond repair.

It was at that time that Testros, who was nothing but a Private Squire at the time, was forced to leave the backlines with his compatriots to relay the sad news to the Commander, who was currently giving orders atop the central area of the Wall.

Upon reaching him thanks to the sacrifices of all his friends, those he grew up with and trained for the greater part of his life, he was told by the Commander to turn back and flee.

The greatest dishonor for the past him who had just lost everyone he knew as they performed their duties, how could he do such a thing?!

He wanted to die with his sword in hand too… But his legs ran in the opposite direction...

He ran and ran, further and further away, and the screams eventually vanished within the tree leaves...

But not the smell of blood.

He crossed rivers, avoided monsters, ate decaying flesh, hid within moldy trees, ate bugs, and crawled in manure as he avoided the beasts of the Southern Woods for several days on end, barely even sleeping…

And eventually, he arrived at Resko.

He thought he would be able to call for reinforcements once he relayed what had happened, but the only thing he managed to do was cause the remaining people in the City to flee North, leaving him and those who could not leave back.

That was the day his heart broke apart as he witnessed firsthand the essence of Human nature, and the day he lost his will.

The days passed as he lived like a bum, waiting for his death once the Wall fell, but nothing came, which gave rise to hope.

He hoped the soldiers would come for him, pick him back up… But no one came.

Days turned to weeks, months, years… Decades… A century almost.

He doesn't remember when he grasped the sword, the same one he held just now, the same one he held tightly as he ran, and began to swing it.

Up and down, left and right, the basic movements all Privates learn before becoming proper soldiers…

Time and time again, he promised he would not grow rusty as he did not wish to embarrass his superiors, the friends who took care of him as he grew up.

But when 50 years passed, he came to realize… That he was truly, all alone… And that in the little chance he had of a second life had now been wasted clinging onto something that would never come to pass.

That was when he began to despair, when his will truly began to shake.

A few decades later, a tired and broken Testros met a youth, someone with the determination to change the world and accomplish his goals.

He saw him as a great candidate to maintain the Corp's traditions, its very last soldier.

He would make him a Commander.

/Grasp…/

"If we hold long enough… The Infantry will return…" Testros mumbled to himself as he looked at the battlefield

If they lasted enough for the frontlines to recede after cutting down the enemy's reinforcements, then there was a chance to turn back and alter their fate.

Sarferato would survive together with his troops, so as long as the Wall clung tightly to hope, there was a chance they could last.

There were many things the Commander had yet to employ to defend the Wall, things he could not order for their execution due to a myriad of reasons.

If those things could be employed, then there was a chance they could...

... Deep down, he knew such a thing was impossible, but what else could he do?

He had to do something... Anything was better then... Running away.

Today, Testros felt vulnerable, weak, and incompetent…

However, at the same time, he felt so very much… Alive!

/Shine…/

Between his fingers, rising through his arm and chest, energy began to gather…

"I will… Change this." He said out loud as he forcibly poured mana onto his heart

A process he already went through so before, today, he would be pushing his body to the limit…

And beyond!

'Just like he did. Today, I'll open...'

'The Heart Gate!'

/SHINE!/

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