I created my own system

"Aaron" she slowly called

She wants to hear him and know if his heart is no longer bound the same way as before. The dark past has to be cut down now or it will keep haunting them in the future.

"Come here"

Vesta urged though Aaron hesitated.

"Is this right?"

Apollo question, trauma should be treated slowly and patiently not something like this.

"You throwing him like that causes more damage than healing, I know you only wanted him to move on but is this the only way? Pushing a person with trauma into situations that trigger them under the guise of helping them cope, it's not only ineffective but potentially harmful"

Apollo clenched his fist before saying "I am really worried"

He wants to help but curing traumas isn't his speciality. He can't even cure himself with his own traumas so he is uncertain what to do.

"It's now or never Aaron" Braiden added before approaching Alya.

"Are you calm now?"

The girl nodded though her arms still trembled.

"Hold on to me"

Apollo looked at them and finally realized something.

"They are the same as me"

For them removing the source of their pain will free them from all the wounds they receive. The boy realized that he had the same perception. That is why he wants to kill his brother. He also believes that eliminating them could mean healing the scars he receives.

Their regret and anguish will fill the pain they once felt. After all a debt has to be paid.

However, was that the correct answer?

Will killing them really help them heal?

Apollo shakes his head and looks at the current situation.

It doesn't really matter if it was right or wrong, what really matters is to get what they wanted. After all those people who hurt them didn't think twice to inflict pain on others so why would they hesitate?

It doesn't matter if they become the same as the one who hurt them. What truly matters is that they made them realize that they made a monster through their action. A monster that will come to hunt them down.

A truly fitting end for these people is to experience the things they have done.

Aaron walked forward his steps were slow as if he was thinking about his next actions.

"It's okay"

Apollo finally said his thoughts causing Aaron to look at him.

"Do what you think will make you feel comfortable"

His words serve as encouragement for his friend and so the unsure boy steps forward towards the being who once filled his head with nightmares.

"Hello, do you remember me?"

Aaron asked as soon as he arrived.

The hooded woman looked at the person who was speaking to her though her eyes were still hazy from the spell.

"I don't really hate you"

"!?"

"What?"

"Hmm?"

The three were quite surprised while Alya was a bit more calm.

"Looking back at the past I truly never hated anyone of you. What I hated back then was myself. If I was strong enough to fight back then I wouldn't be able to experience the things I did"

"Rowan also felt the same way. He hated himself more than anyone else"

"However I think now is the time to settle these things, I want to move on and live my life without shackles. So today I shall forgive myself and also you"

Aaron then bowed and added "If it weren't for you I wouldn't be able to meet all the people who are with me now, even though I lose many people along the way. It's time for me to accept they are gone now"

Truth be told Apollo thought that Aaron would immediately torture or kill his perpetrator however he instead forgave them.

"I'm done now," he said feeling refreshed.

"That was really nice" In contrast to Aaron, Braiden's emotionless voice sends a bone-chilling aura to those who hear it.

"I am sorry but sometimes forgiving is not always the answer"

He lifted his saber and started cutting the limps of the paladin.

"My mom was the only thing I had..."

Tears began to fall from his eyes as he continued "And you took her away from me"

Aaron stood where he was completely understanding the situation. They might have similar experiences but people have their own way of coping. This was probably Braiden's way of healing, making his perpetrator taste his own medicine.

While the paladin was being tortured the hooded woman slowly crawled away though there was no room for escape.

"Don't worry you won't die like that" Vesta said, appearing right behind her.

The woman became scared though Vesta hadn't done anything yet.

"Close your eyes"

As she said those words she took her flute again and began playing. The hypnotic melody sounded again taking the nameless female priest to an eternal slumber.

"In the end, we never get to hear her name"

Alya said seeing her lifeless body on the ground.

"You don't really need to know their names, what truly matters is that you know what they did to you, and now they have paid for it"

Apollo said though his focus was on something else.

"I hope this helps you all" he added.

"Thanks, Apollo"

"You are welcome"

........

On the surface of the tenth temple Apollo currently confronts his enemies.

"Hmm...it seems like everything below has been settled...now then"

His eyes moved and fell over the man in front of him.

"I wonder how long will you be able to keep this up"

His voice was neutral as if nothing could attract his attention. This reaction made his opponent mad, being treated like an insignificant fool made his pride crumble.

However, there is nothing he can do since he can't remove the spell that currently binds him.

"You will die in 10 seconds"

Continue your adventure at m|v-l'e-NovelFire

Apollo said before turning his back on one thousand paladins of the tenth temple.

The spell Manus maledicta bounded the army of paladins while slowly draining their lives.

The more strength you put in, the faster the spells eat you.

The burned charcoal hands that suddenly spawn on the tainted ground continue to bind their target. No matter the spell or technique they used everything was directly absorbed by the spell.

[Notification Alert!

One thousand men are recorded dead!

Total kill tally: 3000

Remaining enemies: 10,000]

Currently, the main forces force of the temple is divided in two. One on the outer temple, fighting one hundred mechanical soldiers and Apollo while the remaining was inside the inner temple. The outer temple planned to buy time for the inner to temple finish casting their spells. However, their opponent was capable of disrupting it while trying to destroy their barrier.

"There are more people here than the one in the eleventh temple"

[The eleventh lost quite a lot of people from their last attack on the city]

"When did they attack?"

[The day of the entrance exam it was actually a joint attack between the sixth and eleventh however due to your intervention, the tower's and especially the emperor's, their numbers were trimmed down more than half, while the sixth was completely obliterated]

"I see thank you"

He then summons his spear and flies up like the rest of him.

"The barrier is still strong"

[It's a spell cast by the Archbishop and the rest of the remaining bishops of the temple]

"Hmmm...Those priests are also trying to break the lock I put on the space. Though I don't know if there is a spell that can cancel a God's authority"

[It's good we upgraded them before the fight]

"I am glad as well"

While they converse the remaining Apollos continuously rain the barrier with a spell though it doesn't seem effective, until...

A crack finally emerged though it didn't give any satisfaction because of how tiny it was.

Apollo felt the mana freeze signifying a mana domain had been established.

"Should I clash mine with theirs?"

[You may since the enemies' joint release their Mana domain which created a resonance and now became one]

"A resonance of Mana domain however you can just break it, I don't even need to release mine"

[I can though will that satisfy you? You have been thinking of finding an opponent who can test the limitations of your new level]

"It's okay I'll probably do that later, since we still have plenty of opponents to fight, I can have more choices on how to fight them"

Jeremiah made a mental nod trying to show that he agreed with his Creator.

But then the barrier changes making Apollo frown.

"This is the sixth time the barrier changed"

[Because you already broke the barrier six times as well]

"Hmm, this barrier seems different"

[I shall scan it]

"Okay"

Then Apollo ordered a mechanical soldier to stop killing the priest it was fighting and switch towards the barrier.

"Attack it" he ordered and obediently the soldier obeyed.

A cannon transforms from the mechanical soldier's arms, and this cannon releases a powerful blast going fast at the barrier.

A loud noise reverberated and to Apollo's surprise, it was his soldier that received the damage.

"Interesting"

He could only say while playfully playing with his spear.