Beginning Beyond The Horizon

Hajime smiled, tears streaming down his pale cheeks. He said happily, "I promised to go back to Tanzang with you, but it seems I'm going to break my promise."

"Hajime," Yul said with trembling lips. "Give me back that dragon tail."

Hajime smiled and said, "Yul, you and I both know that only I can kill Eldrys."

Yul shook his head and demanded, "Come back. This is an order."

Hajime said, "A mage can rift through time and space twice in their lifetime. This is the second time I rifted through time and space." Hajime raised his right palm, and blood was still oozing from the flesh wound.

Yul's lips quivered, anger and fear crawling across his skin like millions of red ants biting him all at once. "Don't be like this, it's my responsibility to bring you all back alive." He shouted to Hajime with tears streaming down his face.

Seeing Yul's tears, Hajime smiled, tears flowing down his pale cheeks. He wanted to stand here talking to Yul for a long time, but he knew his time was running out. He said happily, "You don't need to speak, just listen to me. I know you don't like this kind of heart-to-heart conversation, but please be patient, because this is the last time I will say these words to you." Yul was about to open his mouth, but Hajime put his finger to his lips and shook his head at Yul, stopping Yul from speaking. "Who can truly understand love when it appears suddenly and without warning? Even though sometimes we both deny these feelings and believe wholeheartedly that we are not each other's true love. I know that when we first met, each of us may have different feelings about each other. I don't know about you, but for me, these feelings that came into my heart will stay in my heart forever.

All the difficulties we have faced in the past have only made it clearer to me that you are the true love I have been looking for. So, if we were separated by universes, I would happily search for you one universe at a time, until the last universe, even if that last universe transcends the Milky Way. If the highest peak of Mount Tai separates us, I am not afraid to climb with my bare hands until I reach the top. If we were separated by time, I would be willing to wait patiently without any regrets, but Yul... we are unfortunately separated by fate, and I knew I had to surrender, because even if I reached the highest level of any living mage, I would not be able to defeat fate. Goodbye Yul, I will be waiting for you at the Cinvat Bridge." He wiped away his tears. "If heaven is a little kind to me, maybe I might see you again next lifetime."

Hajime smiled at Yul, and the magic portal disappeared before Hajime's eyes. Yul turned around, and he was already standing inside the coracle boat with Abrafo, Michio, U-ri, and Bong sailing across the River of Sorrow.

Hajime opened his left palm and held the wooden eagle figure. He sighed and said, "This is our last ride together, so let's make it worthy."

Hajime threw the wooden eagle into the air, and the wooden eagle turned into a big eagle, and Hajime flew on the eagle's back. He looked across the River of Sorrow and saw Avalokitesvara standing next to the black hole that blocked the sky and the sun.

Avalokitesvara's palms carved a passage high in the sky across the River of Sorrow. Hajime and his eagle headed straight for Avalokitesvara. He knew this day would come sooner or later, so he already prepared his heart for this moment. When he saw Avalokitesvara, he remembered the last time he saw Avalokitesvara in Peace Valley.

At that time after Hajime woke up after being seriously injured, he found himself lying in the palm of Avalokitesvara. Hajime raised his head and said, "You are here to save me?"

Avalokitesvara looked down at Hajime and said, "Your mission has not been completed yet, so you cannot die. You must kill Eldrys and destroy the black hole."

Hajime said, "Please tell me how."

Avalokitesvara said, "The black hole has the power to kill Eldrys, and the only way is to use the white dragon tail to lure Eldrys into the black hole. Back then, Gia cast a spell over the emperor of heaven's spell."

Hajime asked, "What spell?"

Avalokitesvara said, "A person who are not from this universe can destroy the black hole if they are willing to sacrifice themselves with no regrets."

Hajime looked up at Avalokitesvara and said, "I am the only person who is not from this universe, so that person is me?"

Avalokitesvara nodded.

As Hajime flew toward Avalokitesvara, the memories he refused to share with Yul slowly faded away.

Eldrys shoots a stream of fire from its mouth, destroying those who stand in his way preventing him from destroying the white dragon's tail. He started flying, keeping his eyes fixed on Hajime's right hand holding the white dragon's tail, and followed Hajime over the River of Sorrow killing the demons and goblins that escaped from No Man's Land.

When Hajime entered Tanzang and continued towards the black hole, Eldrys continued to chase Hajime. His eyes were blazing, and he aimed at the white dragon's tail, destroying all buildings, houses and humans in the way. Fire erupted from his mouth, and anyone standing between him and Hajime was instantly burned.

Hajime flew into the depths of the black hole with the white dragon tail as he was being chased by Eldrys. Hajime knew that from the day he stepped into the palace, his destiny was inextricably linked to Tanzang Kingdom. He is destined to save this kingdom and its people.

The Tanzanies in the capital city watched helplessly as Eldrys chased Hajime across the River of Sorrow, entering the capital city heading towards the black hole that had blocked their afternoon sun. Some Tanzanies prayed for mercy and others began to flee the capital.

Abrafo looked back towards the riverbank, where demons and goblins rushed towards the River of Sorrow. Abrafo knew that because the coracle boat was not far enough from the riverbank, the demons and goblins could still harm them.

"Here they come," Abrafo stood up, clutched tightly his sword in his hand. "This could be the end of us." He turned to look at Bong, grabbed Bong's collar, pulled Bong toward him and kissed Bong on the lips. "I'm sorry...for bringing you here to die."

Bong smiled at Abrafo with happy tears and said, "I don't regret it, it's worth it."

From above the Tanzanies and Bong, a wave of arrows flew over them, killing and injuring some of the demons and goblins closest to the riverbank, but the demons and goblins continued to advance towards the riverbank. Just twenty feet away from the riverbank, hundreds of hundred-foot-tall golden male statues were lined up along the riverbank. The sound of the spell resounded through the sky, causing the demons and goblins to cover their ears, and another wave of arrows fell on the demons and goblins. The arrows that landed turned into golden spears, and thousands of golden soldiers rushed out from the River of Sorrow. Each one grabbed a spear and started fighting against the demons and goblins.

U-ri said shockingly, "So, this is the magic wall built to protect Tanzang from enemy invasion."

As the others in the boat watched the Golden Warriors fight goblins and demons, Yul's eyes never left Hajime. He watched Eldrys flew upward towards Hajime with his mouth wide open and when he saw Hajime refusing to defend, his heart screamed in pain. At this moment, he finally understood that Hajime was not trying to escape Eldrys's wrath, but Hajime was using himself as bait to lead Eldrys into the black hole. Yul watched as Eldrys opened his mouth, flew directly towards Hajime, and swallowed Hajime.

"Hajime!" Yul screamed in tears.

Yul's painful screamed made Abrafo, Michio, U-ri and Bong turn their heads to look for Eldrys. When they found Eldrys, Eldrys had already swallowed Hajime.

Hajime closed his eyes and heard many voices shouting; the familiar voices of nursing staff shouting and doctors giving orders, but he didn't care. He tried his best to push the unwanted voices out of his mind and think only of the happy times he shared with his loved ones. He knew deep down that if he were to take his last breath, his last breath would be a meaningful last breath, filled with only happiness and no regrets.

Hajime had a smile on his face, the faces of two family members and friends appearing in his mind. Even though he knew dead is about to approach him within minutes, he still had a smile on his face. There were tears of happiness in his eyes, knowing that his death would bring hope to many people, and his heart was at peace. He closed his eyes and imagined himself sitting at a long table eating with his friends. He saw himself sitting at one end of the table. Looking down, he saw that the people sitting around the long table were all the people he had met during his short journey. He saw Lixin and Lixin's nine subordinates, Kexin, Baishui, Jiāo, Zoya, Fufu, Bong, Abrafo, Michio, U-ri, and Yul holding Meiji in his arms and smiling at Hajime. 

Yul said with a smile, "I said, I will always be by your side until the last moment."

Hajime murmured happily, "May my loved ones, cross the River of Sorrow safely." When he entered Eldrys's mouth everything went dark, and he was finally free.

The black hole that originally will take twenty years to appear and destroy them suddenly appeared. Everything that was supposed to happen in the near future suddenly decided to happen today, dashing all of Jawara's hopes the moment the black hole appeared in the evening sky. Jawara stood outside the palace, overlooking the River of Sorrow, watching Eldrys chasing a huge flying eagle into the black hole, and thousands of unknown creatures coming from nowhere, trying to cross the River of Sorrow.

"Your Highness," Kazan said. "We have to go underground and hide."

Jawara looked at his citizens, and at Eldrys who roared incessantly in the black hole. He sighed and said, "General Kazan, whether we stand here or hide underground, the black hole will swallow us anyway." He pointed to the black hole above the capital. "We choose to die with dignity with our people rather than a cowardly king who goes into hiding." Jawara looked at his ministers. "In these final moments, please return to your family for a formal final farewell. Everyone does not need to be with us."

"Your highness," the ministers said in unison.

The ministers, guards, and maids knelt down one after another. "We will remain here with His Highness until the very end," they said in unison.

After Eldrys swallowed Hajime, the energy of the black hole pulled Eldrys into the depths of the black hole more intensely than before, and thousands of bright rays of light from the white dragon tail began to emit from Eldrys's body. Eldrys turned around and tried to escape from the black hole, but the powerful force of the black hole pulled him deeper and refused to let him escape. Eldrys roared loudly and tried to escape, and the white dragon tails exploded. Eldrys's began to light up, and then thousands of rays of light shot out from Eldry's body, illuminating the entire black hole. The black hole that originally shrouded Tangzang Kingdom was illuminated by light. Eldrys's body that has been torn into thousands of pieces sending thousands of light beams punctured through the black hole. 

The moment the black hole was destroyed, the portal opened by the Tanzanies disappeared. The wall protecting the River of Sorrows collapsed, and a strong wave of energy went straight to the incoming demons, and goblins instantly evaporated it. 

Inside the coracle boat floating on the River of Sorrow, Yul looked down and found Meiji crying in U-ri's arms. He reached out and hugged Meiji, trying to calm Meiji down. As he looked at Meiji crying in his arms. He suddenly remembered Zoya's prediction about his future. Zoya's words rang in his ears.

Yul looked down at Meiji, tears streaming down his eyes, and he murmured, "It turns out this is my hands holding my bleeding-heart fill with tears."