Timeless Assassin

Chapter 1196: Series Finale

(A Few Minutes After The Battle, Mairon’s POV)

Mairon chuckled like a fool as he watched Terrence kneeling before Leonardo with his hands raised in surrender, because with Mauriss and Clarence dead, Moltherak defeated and Lu Han executed, the Cult had officially won the war.

After two millennia of struggle, countless sacrifices, and enough betrayals to fill an entire history book, they had finally done it..... they were the new masters of the universe!

"Holy shit, big cousin, we did it! We actually won! For a moment there, I was too stunned to move when I saw you chop off father’s legs, as I thought, damn, has big cousin betrayed us?

I swear I felt my heart break into a million pieces right there. But then you saved father’s life and showed that you weren’t a traitor after all, and I instantly felt relief flood through my senses.

But boy, oh boy, for a second did you have me."

Mairon said as he pointed accusingly toward Leonardo.

"Yeah, for a minute there, I felt like I was about to lose control of my own dagger, as those few seconds where I betrayed uncle were definitely the most stressful moments of my life.

Thankfully it all worked out for the best, because otherwise I wouldn’t have had a face left to show any of you."

Leonardo replied as he chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his neck.

The response immediately caused Mairon to burst out laughing, as the tension that had gripped his body throughout the battle finally began to fade away.

At the same time, Caleb, Anderson Silva, and Mickey James slowly made their way toward the duo with wide smiles plastered across their faces, as all three men looked considerably more relaxed than they had only a few minutes ago.

"Hey, look who’s finally free from his bonds. Good to see you again, big brother."

Mairon said as Caleb smiled warmly and pulled him into a tight hug.

The two brothers patted each other’s backs repeatedly while grinning like complete fools, as despite everything they had endured throughout the war, they were both still alive.

And right now, that was enough.

Meanwhile, Anderson Silva and Mickey James exchanged amused looks.

"I’m not going to lie, I was one second away from attacking you."

Anderson Silva admitted as he looked toward Leonardo.

"Same."

Mickey James added as he nodded immediately.

"I spent five whole minutes convincing myself that I was imagining things, and then you pulled out that dagger and started running toward the Cult Master."

He said as Leonardo groaned.

"Trust me, I wasn’t enjoying any part of it either."

Leonardo replied as everyone around him laughed, when suddenly—

*FWOOOSH*

A Fourth Dimensional tunnel opened nearby, as Leo finally returned after hunting down Lu Han.

The Cult Master stepped onto the battlefield calmly while carrying Grudgekeeper in one hand, as his gaze immediately swept across the battlefield to assess the situation.

Naturally, the first thing he searched for was Moltherak.

However, much to his surprise, it appeared that Dumpy and Veyr had already resolved the situation, because high above the battlefield, the two of them already looked relaxed and joyful.

"Look who’s here! The new master of the universe!"

Veyr shouted as he pointed dramatically toward Leo while descending from the skies, as Leo could only let out a half-amused chuckle at the declaration, as for the first time since the battle began, the atmosphere amongst the group finally turned genuinely lighthearted.

"Do you know what Moltherak crowned this ugly frog before he died?"

Veyr asked as he pointed toward Dumpy while struggling to contain his laughter.

"He said, ’I, King Moltherak, declare you the next King of Beasts.’"

Veyr continued as he chuckled heartily.

"So in that case, I, General Sparrow, declare you, Cult Master Leo Skyshard, the new Emperor of the Universe."

He announced dramatically as both he and Dumpy finally landed upon the shattered surface of Planet Phoenix Prime.

The declaration immediately caused laughter to spread through the gathered group, as even Leo found himself letting out a half-amused chuckle while shaking his head.

For several minutes afterward, Leo simply allowed the conversation to flow naturally amongst his warriors, as the survivors exchanged stories, laughed about near disasters, and celebrated the fact that against all odds, they had somehow emerged victorious.

After everything they had endured together, they deserved at least a few moments of peace.

Eventually, however, it was Veyr who noticed something that felt slightly off.

"What happened, Cult Master? Why are you not smiling? We won, didn’t we?"

Veyr asked as his smile slowly faded.

"Well, we did, but there is still the matter of hunting down Du Trask, so technically the job isn’t finished yet."

Leo replied as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Ah, live a little. We’ll get that bastard sooner or later. Him alone is no longer a threat to the organization."

Veyr replied as he waved his hand dismissively while several others nodded in agreement.

"True.

But it isn’t Du Trask that worries me."

Leo admitted as his expression only seemed to grow more serious, which caused the celebrations to quickly die down, as everyone turned toward Leo and waited for him to elaborate.

"All right."

Leo muttered as he clapped his hands together once, and summoned a row of chairs from the shattered Earth below, forming a circle amidst the devastated battlefield.

"I have something important to tell all of you, so sit down and let me explain, because what I’m about to say will probably stun most of you."

Leo said as the others slowly obeyed.

Although nobody knew exactly where the conversation was heading, many of them already felt a strange premonition forming inside their hearts that whatever Leo was about to reveal was not going to be minor.

For several moments, Leo remained silent.

He looked toward the skies above Planet Phoenix Prime, closed his eyes briefly, and carefully organized his thoughts before eventually letting out a deep sigh and turning toward his family and most trusted Commanders.

"What I am about to reveal must remain a secret that all of you take to your graves, because the success or failure of my final plan depends entirely upon the people sitting before me right now....."

Leo began, as his declaration instantly caused everyone to turn absolutely serious.

".... Years ago, I had a conversation with Chaosbringer.

During that conversation, he asked me what I believed was the single factor holding the Cult together?

At the time, I answered that it was our shared dream that united us.

I believed that our desire to restore the Cult to its former glory was what bound us as a people.

However, Chaosbringer disagreed.

According to him, what truly united us was not our dream, but rather the suffering we endured together at the hands of the Righteous Alliance that became the social glue holding us together."

Leo explained as several people visibly straightened in their seats while old memories resurfaced within his mind.

"Back then, I dismissed his opinion.

However, after watching the rise of the Fundamentalist Faction, I gradually realized that he was right.....

Our people at our core are too divided.

Some are liberals, some are hardliners and the only reason we stay together is because we had a shared enemy....

So, now that the Righteous Alliance is gone and our eventual conquest of the Rainbow Stream is all but guaranteed, we need to confront a very uncomfortable reality.

That without a common enemy to rally around, the Cult will slowly begin tearing itself apart."

Leo continued as the statement immediately caused Mairon to raise his hand.

However, before he could speak, Leo simply gestured for him to remain silent.

"I know what you’re about to say, but hear me out first.

The Fundamentalists proved something important.

Our people are not united by ideology, and as long as we had an external enemy, those differences never truly mattered.

However, once that enemy disappears, those differences become the source of division.

Give it two hundred years. Maybe three hundred.

But eventually those divisions will widen until they become political factions, ideological factions, and eventually civil war.

And no amount of good governance will stop it forever."

Leo explained as his words left many of those present visibly unsettled.

"Which is why we need to control both sides of the coin."

Leo declared as he raised two fingers into the air, as the statement immediately confused everyone present.

"What does that even mean?"

Caleb asked as uncertainty surfaced across his face.

"It means that rather than allowing the Cult to naturally fracture someday in the future, we create the division ourselves and manage it from the very beginning.

And to accomplish that, I have already selected the two individuals who will succeed me as the next Cult Masters.

One of them will be Caleb Skyshard.

The other will be General Sparrow, who, after leaving Planet Phoenix Prime, will publicly reveal himself to the Cult under the name Aegon Veyr."

Leo declared as both Caleb and Veyr stared at him in disbelief.

"Officially, the story presented to the Cult will be that I, Cult Master Leo Skyshard, died here on Planet Phoenix Prime. frёewebnoѵēl.com

Depending on which side of the conflict a citizen belongs to, they will either believe that Caleb Skyshard betrayed me, or that Aegon Veyr betrayed me."

He continued as both men visibly paled.

"Father, what?"

Caleb asked as shock flooded his face.

"You heard me correctly.

Mairon, Leonardo and Dumpy will support Caleb’s version of events and form the House Skyshard faction.

Meanwhile Mickey James, Anderson Silva, and Veyr will form the Purist faction.

On the surface, the two sides will appear to be political rivals.

They will argue. Compete. Disagree. Occasionally even fight.

However, because we secretly control both sides, the conflict will never spiral out of control.

Every five years, representatives from both factions will meet secretly within the Eternal Garden, where I will serve as mediator.

And through that arrangement, we will ensure stability within the Cult for thousands of years."

Leo explained as the more he revealed, the more stunned everyone became.

"This is my final decision as Cult Master.

I am willing to hear your opinions, but I am not willing to debate the decision itself."

He said, as his tone made it clear to everyone that the matter had already been settled.

"This isn’t only about the future of the Cult.

Frankly speaking, I’m tired.

I’ve spent my entire life chasing strength, fighting wars, and carrying responsibilities that never seemed to end.

My wife is mortal. My brother is mortal. Many of the people I love are mortal.

And if I continue chasing power forever, one day I’ll wake up and realize that all of them are gone."

Leo admitted after a long pause as the simple confession caught everyone off guard.

"I have fulfilled the responsibilities that my ancestors left behind.

I avenged Soron.

I fulfilled the Timeless Assassin’s dream.

And I brought the Cult back to the peak of the universe.

Now I want to spend whatever time I have left with the people I love.

I want to be a husband.

I want to be a grandfather.

And I want to enjoy peace while I still have the opportunity to do so..."

Leo said, as his voice softened slightly.

"A wise man once said, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain, and I don’t want to be one.

So if you love and respect me as your leader, then respect my decision and allow me to step away.

However, if either of you truly believes you cannot carry this burden, speak now and I will find somebody else to carry this responsibility instead."

Leo finished as his gaze shifted toward Caleb and Veyr.

For several moments, neither man spoke.

As although neither of them liked the plan, both of them also respected Leo too much to deny taking on the role.

So finally, as the two of them held their tongues, Leo finally let out a deep sigh and said.

"I understand that the next two years will become tumultuous with this internal rift.

However, in the long run it will be for the best.

As of today, Cult Master Leo Skyshard is dead.

While the next generation takes over....."

Leo declared, as with that he stood up, and gestured for his men to do the same, as he smiled and patted the back of each and every one of them, while they controlled the tears forming in their eyes.