Chapter 854: We Are Victorious!

...

Several hours later...

"Cheers! Ahahaha!"

"The tyranny is over! High praise to a new era! High praise to our brothers and sisters!"

"High praise!"

At the moment, a grand festival was currently happening at the Hidden Celestial Abode. No, now it was just known as the Celestial Abode. It no longer needed to remain hidden from the dangers of the world!

The intense and heavy atmosphere that previously existed was no longer anywhere to be seen.

The expressions on the faces of the celestials were one of joy and boundless excitement. Though their reaction was not strange considering the events that recently unfolded.

All four pillars had been cast into the pits of the Na'Ei Cha! Or, to be more accurate, three pillars. However, besides Izroth and a select few, no one knew of Ourami's actual fate.

But, not only were four pillars taken care of, even that old monster had been defeated. An event this important had not occurred in numerous cycles!

Of course, the reason behind the joy of the celestials was that they were finally free from the grasp of the pillars and Kyvernos. No longer did they have to sit back in fear as the pillars ran their world into the ground. No longer did the mortals and ancient races of their world have to suffer under the unfair and cruel rule of the pillars. Now, they were truly free!

Though despite their success and festive mood, this was also the celestials' way of celebrating those who perished during the great conflict. 

In the end, the number of losses on their side was not small.

Out of all the celestials that joined the assault on all fronts, roughly 40% perished in the intense clash. And, another 30% suffered from severe wounds.

Typically, the wounded would not be too huge of an issue; however, that was only the case before Astratis' recent falling out with the youngest of the Ateleigos sisters, Thanasia.

Without the aid of the Ambrosia Wing and Immortal Nectar, there was no guarantee that those who were severely wounded would ever make a complete recovery.

There were also many other potential headaches to worry about.

Now that the pillars and Kyvernos were gone, there was a massive void of authority left on the table. And, those who feared directly confronting Kyvernos and the pillars would be sure to take advantage of the chaos to attempt to solidify their influence.

As for Astratis and the other celestials, given their recent endeavors, they were in no state to wage an all-out war with those hidden forces. Therefore, for now, all they could do is attempt to stabilize the situation and hope that it did not get too far out of hand until they recovered enough strength to act.

But, regardless of the long road ahead of them, the celestials did not regret their actions. After all, to them, traveling on the long unknown road was a small price to pay.

...

Meanwhile, inside the Sanctuary at the heart of the Celestial Abode...

A group of individuals gathered in the Sanctuary. Unlike the last gathering, it felt somewhat empty. And, even though the mood outside the Sanctuary was festive, the one inside was heavy.

One thing almost every individual present had in common was that they participated in the battle against the pillars and returned with their lives.

Astratis' brother, the Son of Waves, Thalos had an eyepatch over his eye and a long scar that traveled underneath it. However, this wound was not from fighting against a pillar.

When he arrived, Thalos found that the Pillar of the East, Yia was not present. Therefore, after razing the place to the ground, he immediately left to search for traces of the missing pillar.

But, what Thalos came across on his way was a terrifying and mysterious creature who was believed to be the cause of the appearance of the blighted in their world.

Fortunately, Thalos managed to inflict a wound on the creature and used the chance to escape. But, the creature took one of his eyes in retaliation.

Thalos was furious that he was not there to help his siblings and felt the most guilt out of all those present—even if the event was beyond his control.

As for the Son of Twilight, Skos, he took care of the Pillar of the South, Schimatia, and gained a few scars in the process. But, overall, he was the one among his siblings who suffered the least amount of injuries.

The remaining celestials appeared fatigued. And, if they were not physically injured, then they certainly had some mental wounds.

The Daughter of the Eternal Vow, Ierosni, and Daughter of the Peaceful Flames, Eiritia both looked at one another with meaningful gazes. Among the siblings, they were the only two who did not participate in the battle. Therefore, at the very least, they would do their best to deal with the aftermath.

"Everyone, I know that you are exhausted and mentally drained; however, you must never forget—even for a moment—that it is because of all of your efforts that we have emerged victorious on this day. Those who we lost will never leave our minds and hearts. They shall live eternally in the history of our world as heroes who helped bring about this new era through their brave sacrifice." Ierosni stated in a calm and soothing tone.

"Ierosni is right. I know there must be some among you who blame yourselves for being unable to save those who were with you, but this is not a shame your heart should bear. Everyone was aware of the possibility of never returning. Yet, even then, they still chose to walk forward without wavering. Right now, they would not want you, who they fought beside, to feel shame. They would want you to hold your heads up high and announce for all the world to hear—we are victorious!" Eiritia declared proudly.

Those who heard Eiritia shout those words were taken aback. The usually reserved Eiritia was proudly raising her voice for all to hear.

Even the usually strict and frightening Ierosni was using a calm and soothing voice to comfort them.

While it was true that they could not shake off the battle that happened earlier today, at the very least, they could take that first step toward the future they fought so hard to achieve. Was this not the least they could do for their brothers and sisters who gave their lives?

"We are victorious!" Nomii cried out as she stood to her feet.

"We are victorious!" Kyamakri shouted.

"We are victorious!" Skos followed.

"We are..."

Soon enough, every celestial was on their foot, chanting those three words. And, it did not take long for their voice to reach outside of the Sanctuary.

"We are victorious! We are victorious! We are victorious!"

All the celestials on the Celestials Abode cried out at the top of their lungs.

With their combined chant, their voices carried hundreds of meters away from the Celestial Abode.

It was not until this glorious moment that a new era had truly begun in the Ancient Celestial Realm.

...

"Oh? Those guys sure know how to have a good time. You sure we shouldn't have joined them up there?" Hakros asked as he gazed up at the Celestial Abode in the distance.

"It is their victory to celebrate. As outsiders, is it not only right that we give them a moment among themselves? Not to mention, I am certain that they have a lot to deal with now that a power vacuum exists." Sychia commented.

"Sychia is correct. We have done our part. For now, we should give them proper time to reorganize themselves and mourn their losses. Besides, that matter may be settled, but... Could it be that you already forgot?" Izroth said calmly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Treasures and all that before the portal appears." Hakros grumbled.

"Don't worry. We've collected more than enough treasures from the palace treasure room. I am talking about the thing I need to confirm before we leave this place." Izroth stated with a carefree smile.

"Hm?" Both Hakros and Sychia looked at Izroth as a hint of curiosity appeared in their eyes.

What could be so important that Izroth was willing to set aside seeking more treasures when their time was already limited?

Of course, what Hakros and Sychia did not know was that Izroth had no need to get all the treasures this time around. And, it was due to one of the items he received after clearing the SSS-ranked quest.

〈System Alert: 1/1 Accompany «Rebellious Son of Thunder, Astratis» to the «Celestial Battlegrounds» and survive until the end while emerging victorious.〉

〈System Alert: Congratulations, you have completed the quest «The Rebel & The Liberator(3)»!〉

〈System Alert: You have received permanent access to the «Celestial Abode».〉

〈System Alert: You have received x1 «Elixir of Immortality».〉

〈System Alert: You have received x1 «Realm Key».〉

〈System Alert: You have received x1 «Lost Scroll of the Ancient Realm».〉

Item Name: Elixir of Immortality(Unique*)

Usage: Upon consuming this elixir, the user will become immortal for 1 hour. During this time, the user will experience the following effect(s):

-Immediately restores health and all other energy sources to 100%.

-Expel all negative effects.

-Unable to die.

-Unable to receive damage.

-Ignores all forms of crowd control.

-After 24 hours passes upon consumption, the user will gain a permanent benefit from this elixir. This effect cannot be ignored.

Cooldown: None

Name: Realm Key(Magical Item)

Rank: SSS

Durability: 150,000/150,000

Owner: Izroth

Linked Realm: Ancient Celestial Realm

Portal Access: Available [N/A]

Usage: The user can open a portal to the [Ancient Celestial Realm] once every seven days. Portals formed by this key will automatically disappear after one hour and reappear at the same location seven days later for one hour. The owner of this key may close the portal at their will.

Special Note: A mysterious key capable of creating a portal to another realm.