Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1209: The Order of Fatality and the Chaos Immortal

Several days prior, distant from Clovis City, Armin—Vale's initial disciple—continued carrying out his assignments.

He'd been posted in Veldenport, a vibrant harbor town in the modest Thalore Principality, where vessels from every corner of the continent anchored, and traders bartered rare goods.

By now, he had grown accustomed to the briny breeze and found ease in residing there… The town's tight lanes brimmed with chances and perils that thrilled him to no end…

Naturally, Armin wasn't operating solo. Over the previous six months, he'd collaborated with two dependable allies.

One was Rehan, offspring of the famed Paranormal Investigator from the Millton Kingdom. Beyond inheriting his father's fame… he possessed an innate talent for Psychic Arts and Dark Arts, rendering him essential in incidents of possession and psychological decay. His keen perceptions frequently revealed hidden facts that eluded others.

The other was Ely, child of the inaugural leader of the Order of the Evanescent Vessels. From a young age, she'd been schooled in Dark Arts and Mystic Arts… Her expertise in ceremonies and deceptions frequently rescued the team from snares set by wayward Arcanists.

As a unit, the trio had earned recognition in Veldenport as a dependable squad of Arcanists, operating beneath the Arcanist Guild.

Their duties varied from banishing malevolent entities to probing vanishings, and even apprehending wayward Arcanists misusing their abilities.

Over those six months, their fame had swelled, and they relished it much of the time, feeling like stars…

Though it hadn't appealed to them initially, the attention had gradually won them over.

Nicknamed "the trio from the Shadow Domain," their moniker echoed across inns and guild chambers.

Yet Armin sensed the moment had come to head back. He yearned to behold Clovis City once more, to stride through Marshall Academy's corridors, and to rejoin his master's realm.

He informed Rehan and Ely that the upcoming task would mark their final one in Veldenport.

"This is really the last!" Armin declared.

"Hey… You said that earlier, but when that lady cried…" Ely's words faded off.

"Ha! That's different. She's just too pitiful. I can't bear to leave her like that. Her child is only three!" Armin exclaimed.

Rehan simply laughed softly, well aware of Armin's pattern and accustomed to it already.

"Alright, alright… I heard the railway's getting repaired in a few days. We can take on one more mission." Rehan concluded.

Upon hearing they'd undertake the job, the Guildmaster brimmed with joy.

That night, the Guild handed them a fresh task.

"Ohhh… This looks intriguing. I believe it's the ideal closing mission." Rehan whispered.

Evidently, a wave of enigmatic disappearances had troubled Haydenport's waterfront area.

This other seaside town lay apart from Veldenport, yet reaching it would require merely half a day's journey.

Moreover, a train there could carry them back to the Shadow Domain.

It seemed like an ideal assignment prior to departing the area.

"Dockworkers, sailors, and even some merchants have vanished without a sign." Ely murmured while scanning the details.

Initially, the city watch suspected smuggling or banditry at sea, but the Guild's Seers picked up hints of arcane remnants around the spots. The power fluctuated wildly, alternating between Dark Arts and Mystic Arts, pointing to someone testing banned methods.

Such incidents weren't rare… Indeed, numerous Rogue Arcanists still snatched civilians for trials, particularly those delving into Dark Alchemy.

Victim counts had dwindled only because the Philosopher's Elixir was now widespread.

Armin scrutinized the document closely. "The residue could be a ruse… It's possible if somebody conceals their actions."

Rehan's brow furrowed… He hadn't considered it so deeply.

Still, Armin's remarks stemmed from more than idle speculation.

They'd encountered several situations where Arcanists masked their real aims using relics that triggered alternative Arcane Arts, baffling the probes.

Ely agreed with a nod.

"Are we on the same page? Could this tie back to the Order of Fatality again?"

The three shared looks and affirmed...

"Same thoughts…" Armin uttered at last.

"Yes… That cult might be up to something over there. We halted them locally, but perhaps they've shifted their base." Rehan grumbled.

"They're bold. They didn't pick a more remote spot." Ely remarked, shaking her head.

This wasn't a typical affair.

The Order of Fatality formed a perilous sect. Yet the trio harbored no fear!

With that, the team set off the following day…

Upon reaching the city and settling affairs at the Arcanist Guild Branch, they dove straight into probing the wharves.

"It's still buzzing here…" Rehan whispered.

The docks buzzed with clamor indeed. Shouts from seamen, cries of seabirds, waves pounding the jetties, and more…

Nevertheless, they detected the underlying tension.

Being Arcanists, such vibes registered sharply with them…

"Let's keep watching…" Armin whispered.

Before long, they noted how dockhands shunned specific storage buildings or shadowy, isolated zones…

Observing this, Armin took charge, interrogating laborers and assembling a sequence of the abductions.

Simultaneously, Rehan stretched out his psychic awareness, sifting through residual minds and dreads. Meanwhile, Ely inspected the surfaces, following subtle Arcane Energy laced with taint…

"There have to be plenty of them around…" Ely stated darkly. "These tainted arcane forces serve as their signs. I suspect they're gearing up for a massive ceremony."

***

Armin scowled as the final wisps of tainted energy verified his doubts.

'It's them. The Order of Fatality.'

He balled his hands into fists. "Enough of this nonsense. We finish it now."

A wave, akin to liquid, emanated from the darkness beneath his boots.

Shadows climbed skyward, shaping a elegant but foreboding form. This was Yvaine, the Dark Spirit summoned by Vale.

Her aura exuded undeniable dread, yet it oddly comforted the three.

Despite remaining a Dark Spirit, the subtle glow of Divinity she bore set her apart as vastly superior.

Usually, Yvaine only acted if Armin's existence hung by a thread.

However, on this occasion, Armin advanced…

"Yvaine… I require your aid sooner. My Danger Instinct warns me fiercely. Delaying until I'm trapped could cost us vital chances. Please… assist us immediately."

Yvaine angled her head, employing her Divine Sense to survey the town…

She regarded him briefly, seemingly assessing his determination. Then she inclined her head. "Very well. If your instincts guide you, I'll heed them. Follow me."

The three traded gazes. Rehan and Ely felt strained yet resolute to press on…

In that manner, they trailed Yvaine as she guided them via the backstreets.

Ere long, they reached a dilapidated chapel…

"Is this it?" Armin whispered, scanning the surroundings.

Within, the reek of decay hung heavy already.

The Order of Fatality assembled inside… Dozens of devotees chanted together, squarely amid a vital rite!

They had to halt its completion!

"Thank you, Yvaine… We'll handle the rest… Now," Armin breathed.

The trio surged ahead at once, releasing their incantations.

From the ground, Armin's Dark Hands burst forth, seizing devotees and pulling them into obscurity.

Rehan's Dark Chains appeared, restraining several foes simultaneously…

Ely summoned Dark Spears, launching them toward the adversaries, breaching the vocal ring and demolishing the rite's heart.

One after another, the devotees crumpled under the synced attack.

"Ahhh… They're merely Fourth to Second Class Arcanists…" Armin whispered.

In mere moments, quiet enveloped the chapel after slaying every Cultist.

"That's right… Did we overrate them?" Rehan whispered, given that the three were Expert-Class already. They neared Master-Class Arcanist status.

Yet as those words escaped, the atmosphere altered.

An oppressive force, unprecedented in their experience, bore down on them.

The structure quaked, and from the ruined ritual ring—which they'd meant to obliterate—a silhouette arose, shrouded in Divinity!

"A Chaos Immortal..." Yvaine declared, leaving the three in shock.

Armin's pulse raced to a halt. Rehan paled, while Ely reeled backward. The Immortal's overwhelming essence choked them. They realized at once survival was impossible.

Yet Yvaine advanced, her Divinity blazing fully…

Darkness yielded to her command, crafting a shield that collided with the Immortal's presence.

"This domain isn't yours. Depart."

The Chaos Immortal eyed the formidable Dark Spirit and cackled…

Next, it charged at them!

"Hmph!"

With one motion, Yvaine ripped a shadow fissure and flung the Immortal within.

The chapel shuddered fiercely as the Dark Spirit appeared to have confined the Chaos Immortal in her darkness!

Thus, the clash concluded!

Armin dropped to his knees, perspiration streaming across his features.

Rehan and Ely shook, gasping unevenly.

"I nearly lost control…" Rehan whispered…

"No chance we'd have made it through that."

Ely bobbed her head swiftly... "Without Yvaine… we'd be gone."

Armin breathed out deeply, compelling himself upright.

He gazed at his allies, then at Yvaine, who was dissolving back into his shadow.

"Alright… We're finished here. I want to head home."

Even as he spoke, Yvaine's voice reached him, urging a swift visit to the Mystic Arts Tower…

'Mystic Arts Tower?'