Chapter 20 – When the Past Refuses to Stay Buried
The battlefield finally fell silent.
The sky, once torn apart by divine clashes and collapsing space, slowly began to heal. Cracked land stitched itself together, burning embers faded into ash, and the echoes of war dissolved into nothingness.
Sam stood at the center of it all—calm, unmoving.
A figure approached him.
One of his generals stepped forward, holding a small crystal vial filled with a radiant, liquid gold substance.
"Master," the general said respectfully, kneeling.
"This is Nirvana."
Sam's eyes flickered.
"Use it," the general continued. "Sage and Varkhad… they haven't been dead long. Their souls haven't dispersed yet. Nirvana will work instantly."
Sam didn't hesitate.
He knelt beside the fallen bodies.
Two drops of Nirvana fell onto Sage's chest.
Two drops onto Varkhad's.
The reaction was immediate.
A blinding golden light erupted, wrapping both bodies completely. The battlefield trembled—not from destruction, but from resurrection.
Bones healed. Flesh restored. Souls were pulled back forcibly into their vessels.
Moments later—
Sage's eyes snapped open.
Varkhad inhaled sharply.
They rose to their feet.
Not a single scar remained on their bodies. No sign of death. No trace of battle.
Sam quietly sealed the remaining Nirvana and stored it away.
Then—
He felt it.
A presence.
No.
Presences.
Sam turned.
Standing before him, arranged in a wide semicircle, were figures he had not seen for ages.
As soon as their eyes met his—
They all dropped to one knee.
"MASTER."
Sam froze.
"…You all—"
A tall figure stepped forward.
Silver armor reflected the dying light of the battlefield. His helm was empty—no face, no eyes—only a void.
"We are the ones you abandoned," the figure said calmly.
"But we are also the ones who never abandoned you."
Sam's pupils widened slightly.
His past had arrived.
The Eight Who Refused to Disappear
One by one, they introduced themselves.
"Yaksh," said the first.
"Death-bound Commander."
"Zingari," a woman spoke softly, her voice echoing unnaturally.
"Master of space and sound."
A figure with crimson wings laughed lightly.
"Valkyrie," she said, smirking.
"Seduction and slaughter go hand in hand."
A massive silhouette stepped forward.
"Beast King.
Reader of fate."
Another followed—his presence heavy, oppressive.
"Outer Sky King.
The undying vanguard."
A warrior surrounded by flames slammed his fist to his chest.
"Furnoss Emperor.
General of war chants."
A serpentine figure with wings folded behind him spoke next.
"Sea Serpent.
Dominator of sky and abyss."
Finally, a figure cloaked in absolute stillness stepped forward.
"Hydron," he said.
"Bearer of the Law of Endings."
Behind them stood two figures Sam already knew.
Sage.
Varkhad.
The full circle was complete.
Sam exhaled slowly.
"…I gave each of you a planet," he said.
"I let you rule entire worlds. I cut all connections between you. No one knew who lived or died."
He looked at them sharply.
"So tell me—why are you here?"
Yaksh answered first.
"You may have abandoned us, Master…
but our absolute loyalty was always yours."
Zingari stepped forward, her expression unreadable.
"We weren't just soldiers," she said quietly.
"We were family."
Her voice softened—but carried weight.
"We fought countless wars together.
And when you needed us the most…
you disappeared."
Sam clenched his fist.
"You were scattered across the universe," he replied.
"No one knew anyone else's fate. So how did you know a war would happen here?"
Furnoss Emperor answered.
"Varkhad knew."
All eyes turned to him.
"He knew Gogo was invincible," Furnoss continued.
"He knew the enemy carried Blessings of Eternity.
And he knew you refused to fully unlock your power."
Varkhad stepped forward, lowering his head.
"I called them," he admitted.
"For backup."
Sam's gaze hardened.
"Why?"
Varkhad met his eyes without fear.
"Because if I hadn't…
you would have been forced to completely break your seals."
Silence.
Then Sam turned away.
"…What's done is done," he said calmly.
"You're all free to leave."
Hydron frowned.
"Why not rule the universe again?" he asked.
"Together."
Sam turned back—his expression cold, distant.
"Because now," he said quietly,
"I have two reasons to live."
"My family."
"I don't want a throne.
I don't want war.
And I don't want my past endangering my present."
"I am happy… living a small, normal life."
For a brief moment—
Hydron saw something.
A memory.
A young Sam… holding a girl in his arms.
Hydron's expression softened.
"…You're right, Master," he said.
"Stay with your family."
"You deserve this happiness."
Zingari smiled faintly.
"When will you introduce us to them?"
"When the time comes," Sam replied.
"I'll contact you myself."
Valkyrie laughed playfully.
"And when will that time come, Master?"
Sam smirked.
"Soon."
He stepped forward, standing before them all.
"You are all free."
"No oaths."
"No wars."
One by one, they hugged him.
Even beings who ruled planets…
were emotional.
Portals opened.
The generals departed—each returning to their worlds.
Sam stopped Sage before he left.
"Not you," Sam said.
"You stay."
Sage nodded silently.
As the last portal closed—
Sam stood alone again.
The war was over.
But his past?
It clearly wasn't.
Sam and Sage returned to Team Slaughter's base tower in silence.
The colossal structure rose like a scar against the sky—black stone, ancient runes, and the lingering smell of blood and war. This place was not built for comfort. It was built for survival.
Inside the throne chamber, Sage raised his hand.
A soft emerald glow spread through the air as healing energy wrapped around Sam's body. Cracks in Sam's aura slowly sealed, torn flesh restored, exhaustion forced back into the depths of his immortal body.
Yet… something was wrong.
The wounds healed, but the weight in Sam's presence did not.
Sam walked forward and sat down on the obsidian throne.
The moment he did, the chamber seemed to respond.
Wind surged unnaturally, causing his long blond hair to flutter behind him. His cloak swayed like the shadow of a fallen king. Sam sat calmly—back straight, eyes cold, expression unreadable.
Not a warrior.
Not a god.
A ruler.
Sage knelt on one knee, his voice respectful but steady.
"Master… you said you wanted to talk."
Sam did not answer immediately.
His crimson eyes stared into nothingness, as if gazing through worlds layered atop one another.
Finally, he spoke.
"Sage… there is something you must know."
Sage looked up, surprised by the seriousness in Sam's tone.
"Among my ten generals," Sam continued, "you are the closest to me. Which is why you deserve the truth."
Sage lowered his head slightly.
"Thank you for your trust, Master. But… what is troubling you?"
Sam's fingers slowly tightened against the armrest of the throne.
"Tell me," Sam asked quietly,
"Why do you think I didn't unlock my seal on the battlefield?"
Sage answered without hesitation.
"Because you did not want the universe to learn that the God Slayer still lives. You erased your existence from history. If you fully awakened… you would be dragged back into your past life."
Sage paused, then asked carefully,
"Is that not the reason?"
Sam shook his head.
Slowly.
"No."
The word carried weight.
"I am becoming weaker," Sam said.
Sage's eyes widened.
"Weaker…?" he echoed.
Sam continued, voice low and heavy.
"I cannot use my full power even if I want to. The seal on me was not placed by my own hand."
Sage stiffened.
"Then… who—"
"I cannot tell you," Sam interrupted calmly.
"Not yet."
The silence in the chamber deepened.
"For now, understand this," Sam said.
"I can only use thirty percent of my power."
Sage clenched his fists.
"And worse," Sam added,
"even that is slowly declining."
Sage looked at the sword resting near the throne.
"The Diamond Sword…" he whispered.
Sam nodded.
"It is bound to my existence. As my power weakens, so does the sword."
Sam exhaled slowly.
"And now that Gogo is dead… the truth has spread. Not just in this universe—"
He lifted his gaze.
"—but across the multiverse."
Sage felt a chill run down his spine.
"They know the God Slayer lives," Sam continued.
"They just don't know where I am."
Yet.
"That silence won't last long," Sam said.
"When they find me… the storm will return."
Sage lowered his head deeply.
"Then tell me, Master," he said firmly.
"What can I do?"
Sam stood up from the throne.
His presence alone made the chamber feel smaller.
"I want you to become the leader of the Red Legion."
Sage froze.
"Master… that position belongs to you. I can serve as an acting leader—"
"This is not a request," Sam said.
His voice did not rise.
It didn't need to.
"It is an order."
Sage swallowed, then bowed deeply.
"I will obey," he said without hesitation.
"Always."
Moments later, the entire Red Legion was assembled.
Sam stood before them.
He raised one hand.
"From this moment forward," Sam announced,
"Sage is the leader of the Red Legion."
No arguments.
No resistance.
The Legion bowed as one.
Sage stepped forward, kneeling.
"Thank you… for your trust, Master."
Sam turned away, returning to his throne.
He sat there silently.
Ruthlessly calm.
Inside his mind, only one thought echoed.
"My past will not let me go."
A pause.
"But this time…"
His crimson eyes burned quietly.
"I will not run."
— End of the Red Legion Saga —
You are not ready for what's coming next.
Sam's past.
Sam's enemies.
The truth behind his immortality.
If you want answers to all of this—
keep following Crown and Ash,
and don't forget to drop your thoughts in the comments.
Author's Note:
Chapters up to Chapter 20 are now complete.
From here onward, new chapters will be released twice a week, every Wednesday and Sunday at 8:00 AM.