But the others weren’t worried about her. See, they knew magic of that caliber would never be able to kill her. Even now, as she was lying on the ground, her wounds were closing all on their own.
Because she was a dog?
No, that wasn’t right. It was because she was a high elf, a saint.
Liliana lay on the floor with her eyes closed. Something as simple as having her body sliced apart barely registered as pain. She had experienced far, far worse. Wait. Had she? Really? She didn’t know. She didn’t want to know.
I’m tired...
Liliana continued to lie on the floor, starting to doze off. She hoped she could just stay there and drift off to sleep, awakening to find herself in her bed being gently pet by Alex. That was what she desperately wanted. She didn’t want to wake up.
So she pretended she didn’t hear. Not the howls of Layla’s breath. Not the clashing of weapons. She pretended she didn’t hear any of it.
“I know how you feel.”
Suddenly, it felt like someone was hugging her.
“You’re scared, right? You’d rather spend the rest of your life not understanding anything...”
Someone was stroking her hair. Someone she didn’t know, yet somehow did all the same. It was a stranger’s touch, but the sensation felt so familiar.
Liliana whined. Really, she understood. She knew she couldn’t stay this way forever. She knew that soon it would be time for her to step forward. But if she did...then...
“Don’t worry,” a gentle voice assured her. “You won’t disappear. No matter what, you will always be a part of me,” the speaker continued to stroke her hair affectionately. “I’m scared too. So many bad, painful things happened to me. But as long as we stick together, I know we can get through this.”
Liliana’s eyes opened.
“So, will you come with me?” The golden-haired high elf struggled to force a smile.
Liliana barked. She had to go. That was how she felt.
“Thank you...”
And then the two were one.
Since being freed from the night elf prison, this was the first time Liliana had been badly hurt. The blades of wind had thoroughly dismembered her, cleanly severing her arms and legs. But that meant...
With a loud clang, the metal caps that once bound her arms and legs fell to the floor.
“That was quite the pleasant dream.”
She raised a hand up in front of her face. It was a brand-new hand, pale and white, having never been touched by sunlight. She clenched her fingers. She was okay. She wasn’t scared.
We can do this, right?
“Bark!”
She had to go.
Liliana El Del Milfrul lifted herself off the ground, standing on her own two feet.
†††
When on the battlefield, you never had enough eyes or heads. Rank-and-file soldiers could afford to ignore everything else except the enemy right in front of them. But once you became an elite, you didn’t have that luxury. So when Emergias took his eyes off me for a brief moment, I didn’t think anything of it.
But even if it wasn’t a mistake, an opening was an opening.
“Fleeing is Taboo!”
My magic billowed forth, restraining Emergias. He scowled as any attempts he made to back away were rendered pointless. Even if he could shake off my curses, as long as I put all my strength into them, it would take him a minute. In that time, my blade would reach him. Even if not, Barbara was there to follow up. Plus, Hessel and Layla would be back any second. This was the end!
“I’m sorry. Please, forgive me!” Emergias cried, face twisting with agony.
Huh? Now he’s begging for his life? No... He wasn’t talking to me!
“Surrender...!”
Magic swirled out from the bloodied demon in his arms and from his other men lying roasted on the floor as Emergias absorbed all of it.
“Young master... Please...become king...” The now lifeless woman slipped out of his arms, hitting the ground with a thud. Meanwhile, Emergias’s presence swelled.
Dammit, he can do that?!
“My name is Emergias Izanis!” The fourth prince burgeoned with magic. “He who shall become the strongest in the demonic kingdom!” he roared, picking up the spear the woman had cast aside. “No one can bind me but the Demon King himself!”
A leathery snap filled the air as he broke the shackles of my Taboo. With the magic of so many counts and viscounts now at his disposal, Emergias’s power exploded to new heights, quickly reaching that of my own. And that was after I had taken all the power Ante had stored, and used Naming to declare myself as both Zilbagias and Alexander!
The terror and dread I felt was something I hadn’t experienced in a very long time. It was like I was discovering how absurd demons and devils could be all over again. I had done such terrible things, and sacrificed so much just to get to this point. And here he was, matching my strength like it was nothing.
“This man...is dangerous.” There was a coldness to Ante’s voice unlike ever before.
“What the hell...?!” I growled without thinking.
“That’s my line!” Emergias shouted back. “Since you were born, life has showered you with blessings every step of the way! What makes you so special?!”
Me? Blessed? It took everything I had to not erupt right then and there. For the umpteenth time that day, resolve and bloodlust roared in my chest, which I channeled into my swordspear.
Across from me, Emergias danced in a circle around his spear.
“Hunting Ground.”
A pitch-black barrier expanded from Emergias, slamming into Adamas as I took a guarded stance.
He can use Hunting Ground?! So he can take not only his subordinates’ magical power but their Bloodline Magics too?!
“Eat this!”
With lightning-fast speed, Barbara flew back into the room, slamming her rapier into the barrier. Cracks ran along its surface like an egg shell. As I moved to follow up her attack, pitch-black blades of wind fired out from within to stop my advance.
“Damn!”
“Look out!”
So his Hunting Ground blocked outside attacks while he can dish out his own from inside? That was going to be a pain. His defense wasn’t too much of a problem, but me and Barbara getting our magic stolen was another thing entirely. Barbara could retreat and resupply, but if he got a hold of mine, that would be really bad.
A violent wind accompanied by the sound of wings blew in from the outside. With the moon behind her, Layla dropped to the ground on all fours, and unleashed her breath without the slightest bit of hesitation. Blinding white light struck Emergias’s pitch-black barrier—
“Would you quiet down?” A coarse voice muttered from within. “Begone, lizard.”
Countless blades of wind raced toward Layla, scattering off her light-infused scales.
“You dragons and your strong bodies. Must be nice to be born with scales and wings!”
Dammit! Ante!
“Plunder is Taboo!” Ante and I shouted in unison, trying to erect a twofold curse against him. But our magic was intercepted by another snakelike power, evident by the curse sliding off his Hunting Ground.
“Surrender!”
“No thank you!”
Layla resisted with all her might...but even so, her body collapsed inward, like a sandcastle falling apart. For some reason or other, she had reverted back to human form, dropping to the ground.
“What...? No way...” Layla stared at her own hands in shock. And her magic, the gleaming white light that had shone over her scales, swirled into Emergias’s barrier.