Holyark

IV

As the weight of the Ultima Tree's revelations settled upon Blaze, a wave of dizziness washed over him. The cavern began to spin, the glowing crystals blurring into streaks of light. He stumbled, reaching out to steady himself against the tree's massive trunk.

Through the haze of his fading consciousness, Blaze heard the tree's voice, now distant and echoing. "The time will come where you have to face him, your greatest adversary, the one whom you Christians call Satan or The Devil."

The words sent a chill through Blaze's body, even as he fought to remain standing. Satan? The Devil? This was beyond anything he could have imagined when he first entered the cave. His ordinary life seemed like a distant memory now, replaced by a destiny he couldn't fully comprehend.

As his vision darkened at the edges, Blaze's mind raced with questions. How was he, a simple small-town guy, supposed to face the embodiment of evil itself? What did his birthmark truly signify? And how was the Obori Shard connected to all of this?

He felt his knees buckle, his body giving in to the overwhelming sensations. As he sank to the ground, the cool earth beneath him, Blaze's last conscious thought was of the immense responsibility that had been thrust upon him. The fate of many worlds, the tree had said. And now, apparently, a confrontation with Satan himself.

The glowing crystals of the Ultima Tree swirled in his fading vision, a kaleidoscope of light and color. In those final moments before unconsciousness took him, Blaze felt a mix of fear and determination. Whatever lay ahead, whatever his true destiny might be, he knew his life would never be the same.

As darkness enveloped him, Blaze Aegis, the newly chosen wielder of the Obori Shard, slipped into a deep, dream-filled sleep at the base of the ancient, mystical tree.