The air felt thick, heavy with an unspoken tension, as Ezra and the group made their way through the dense forests on the outskirts of Liones. Each step was measured, careful, as if even the slightest disturbance might wake something that was better left undisturbed. The group had been traveling for hours, their journey marked only by the rustling of leaves and the distant howls of creatures unseen.
Ezra's mind, however, was far from calm. The countdown on his system interface ticked on relentlessly. It felt like a ticking clock, counting down not just to the eventual confrontation, but to something far greater, something he couldn't yet fully grasp.
[Countdown to the Main Story: 134,890 Hours]
The tension in the group was palpable. Each of them knew that time was running out, that they were nearing a confrontation that could change the world. Yet, as they approached Liones, Ezra couldn't shake the feeling that something was off—an almost imperceptible shift in the very air around them.
"It's too quiet," Ban remarked, his voice low as he peered through the trees. "Where are the guards? The knights?"
"They should be here," Merlin responded, her brow furrowed. "Liones is usually well-defended. Something's wrong."
Escanor's eyes scanned the horizon, his posture stiff as if sensing the same unease. "Whatever it is, we'll deal with it. We've faced worse."
Ezra nodded, but his unease only grew. The closer they got, the more distant Liones seemed. He had expected to hear the bustle of a city, the sounds of people and life. But all that greeted them was an eerie silence, as though the very heart of the kingdom had been stilled.
As they crossed into the outer limits of Liones, the sight that met them was beyond anything they could have anticipated.
The once-proud kingdom, a beacon of light and hope, was now a shadow of its former self. Buildings lay in ruins, the streets empty, and the once-beautiful castle that had housed royalty was now but a crumbling shell. The walls were scarred with deep gouges, and there was an unnatural stillness to everything, as if the kingdom had been abandoned in haste.
Ezra's heart sank. This was supposed to be a sanctuary. A place of strength. Now it was a battlefield, a shattered kingdom.
"This isn't right," Meliodas muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. "Who could have done this?"
Diane's voice cracked with anger. "We need to find out what happened here. There are people—innocents—who still need help."
"I agree," Merlin said, her eyes scanning the area. "But we need to be cautious. Whoever did this is still out there."
As the group moved deeper into the ruined city, the atmosphere grew even more oppressive. The weight of the destruction seemed to press down on them, each step forward revealing more of the carnage. The buildings that had once stood tall now lay in ruins, the streets littered with debris. Ezra could almost feel the history of the place, the legacy of its people, crumbling around them.
And then, in the distance, they saw it.
A figure stood on the steps of the ruined castle, silhouetted against the darkened sky. It was a solitary figure, draped in tattered robes, their back turned to the group. A strange aura radiated from them, an energy that made the air around them crackle.
Ezra's instincts flared. This person wasn't just another survivor. They were the cause.
Before anyone could react, the figure spoke, their voice low, carrying a strange echo, as if it resonated from a place beyond time.
"You're late," they said, their words cold, detached. "I've been waiting for you."
The group froze. Ezra's heart raced as he tried to make sense of what was happening. The person before them was powerful—he could feel it in every fiber of his being.
"We've been expecting you," the figure continued. "The ones who would come to challenge the darkness."
Ezra's blood ran cold. "Who are you?"
The figure slowly turned to face them, revealing a face Ezra recognized from his deepest nightmares.
It was him.
A twisted version of himself—an echo of the darkness that lived within him.
"You may call me the Watcher," the figure said, their voice twisted with mockery. "But you've always known who I am, haven't you?"
Ezra's mind reeled. The Watcher. It was the same entity that had been tracking him, the one whose presence had lingered in the system. But now it stood before him, a reflection of the darkness he feared might one day consume him.
"You…" Ezra's voice faltered as he tried to steady himself. "You're the one who's been manipulating everything. The one behind the destruction of Liones."
The Watcher's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "Not everything. But I am the one who has watched. Watched you grow, watched you falter, and watched you fail. And now, I will watch you fall."
Ezra's pulse quickened. The countdown continued to tick away on his system, its message growing ever clearer. Whatever was coming, it was now. He could feel the weight of fate pressing down on him, the impending clash with the darkness he had tried so hard to avoid.
But this time, it wasn't just a fight for survival.
It was a fight for his very soul.
[Countdown to the Main Story: 134,790 Hours]