"What happened, Amael?" Victor asked as I increased my pace.
"Nothing..." I replied, my mind preoccupied with the resurgence of Nevia's mana.
Though Victor seed skeptical, he refrained from pressing further.
The last ti I sensed that unique presence was four months ago, filling with a strange mix of nostalgia and apprehension. Deep down, I knew our paths would cross again, but the prospect filled with a sense of dread.
It couldn't have been a hallucination, could it? I was certain—it was her mana.
Pushing aside my internal thoughts, I quickened my pace once more, tuning out the chaos and screams surrounding us as we entered the beleaguered palace.
It was quite a sight to witness the seat of the King, the symbol of Dolphis Capital's power, so thoroughly breached. Smoke billowed, flas licked at the crumbling structure, and the sounds of conflict echoed from every corner.
Ignoring the carnage around us, I navigated through the inner chambers with impatience, guided by the knowledge gleaned from the Ga. It was fairly easy for to know where they were.
And then, as expected...
I halted, my heart sinking as I beheld the destruction before —the wall breached, the Queen likely taken captive.
And clearly, Celeste hadn't waited for us.
Clutching my fists, I steeled myself for the confrontation ahead.
"Who do we have here?" an eerie voice echoed from the darkness beyond the shattered wall.
Erging from the shadows was a figure—a sickly-complexioned woman.
Kara...
A Commander of Behemoth.
"Where is she?" I asked icily.
"Well, that's a rather broad question, isn't it? We have several 'she's with us," Kara replied, tilting her head with a snicker.
"Celeste Indi Zestella," I replied as I closed the distance between us.
"Oh? The little Prophetess?" Kara sneered. "She's with us now. She'll be quite helpful, you'll see."
"No, she won't," I retorted.
Without hesitation, I lunged forward, closing the gap between us in an instant and delivering a powerful punch.
"Is that Amael Falkrona? I've heard quite a bit about you. But I can't understand why 'they' want you," Kara mused, her curious tone contrasting with the flurry of insect-like arms that parried my attack effortlessly.
Despite their fragile appearance, these arms were quite strong, infused with Ruah and capable of deflecting my blows with ease.
"Anathemas Fire," I muttered, summoning the fire.
Confusion flickered in Kara's eyes as she instinctively ordered her arms to strike, each tipped with a viscous liquid dripping with potent poison.
I could sense the toxicity from miles away—it was no ordinary poison.
Gritting my teeth, I let scales envelop my arms, vertical slits appearing in my pupils as I tapped into a deeper well of power, fueled by a relentless hatred that simred within.
"Move away," I growled, my patience wearing thin.
There was no ti for gas.
"Try if–"
Before Kara could finish her sentence, I surged forward, delivering a swift kick to her side.
Though her arms moved to protect her, they couldn't withstand the force of my blow.
"Ruah," I commanded, feeling the satisfying crack of bone beneath my strike.
Kara grimaced but there was still an eased smile on her face.
"Vysindra." I summoned flas to engulf my leg to burn through her defenses. Clicking my tongue, I leapt back
Kara smirked, her insect-like arms shifting into position and attacked once again. But I was prepared. Coiled with mana circles I unleashed a flurry of blows, each strike infused with the Ruah. Kara's arms moved with fluid grace, deflecting my assaults with uncanny precision. But I continued, and slowly I raised the intensity, strength and mana behind my blows.
-BAM!
With each passing mont, the intensity of our clash grew, the air crackling with the energy of our combined forces. Kara's attacks grew more ferocious, each strike aid at exploiting my weaknesses with ruthless efficiency. The walls and windows around us exploded into shards of glasses unable to withstand the pressure. "Reverse Claws of Vysindra!" Taking the timing, I unleashed a torrent of purple fire.
-BOOOOM!
Kara staggered back, montarily caught off guard by the sheer force of my attack. Several of Kara's arms shattered under the force of my attacks, but to my dismay, they quickly regenerated, displaying a disturbing resilience.
"It's useless... You should follow us if you don't want to get hurt," Kara taunted with a smirk, her tone dripping with mockery.
"Amael!"
Victor's voice cut through the tension as he finally caught up with , accompanied by Selene.
"Victor," I called out.
"Y-Yeah?" Victor responded, taken aback by my tone.
"Can you take care of her? I need to get down. Celeste might be here," I said, annoyance lacing my words.
"Yeah, leave it to ," Victor replied with a grin.
"I'll stay with him," Selene said, as she chose to stand by Victor's side.
It was a relief knowing they would have each other's backs. I wasn't sure if he could handle a Commander of Behemoth alone.
"Do you think I'll kindly let you pass?!" Kara laughed hysterically as she lunged forward, her arms poised to strike.
"Raven Sword!" Victor's voice rang as he summoned a massive broadsword into existence before , its large presence blocking Kara's advance.
"Thanks," I muttered to Victor as I strode past Kara.
Her arms lashed out in retaliation, but Selene intercepted, thrusting her rapier and severing the limbs with a swift, precise motion.
"You're heading towards death, ahahaha!" Kara's laughter echoed behind , unsettling in its jubilance.
Descending the stairs, I felt my senses beginning to dull, overwheld by the thick waves of Prana emanating from the Horn below. But I couldn't afford to lose focus. I heightened my senses to their maximum.
Finally, I ca to a halt, my gaze drawn to the sight before —the giant jar of water draining to reveal the Horn, the ground around it marred by destruction and ice, evidence of Celeste's fight.
A man stood before the Horn, his back to , while nearby, the Queen lay on the brink of death, her lifeblood pooling beneath her.
Nora stood nearby, arms crossed, her gaze sharp as she noticed my arrival.
Scanning the area, I located Celeste—bruised, bloodied, and bound to the wall, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of .
But amidst the chaos, I sensed sothing amiss—'her' presence had vanished completely.
"You arrive at a good timing, Amael Falkrona," Nora remarked with a smile. "At least we don't have to go searching for you."
Ignoring her taunts, I took a step forward, summoning Samara's power to appear before Celeste. With a swift motion, I released her from her bonds, hoisting her onto my shoulder before leaping away to safety, landing on the ground a safe distance away from the impending danger.
Celeste avoided eting my gaze, her expression fraught with sha and tremors wracking her body.
I know very well what she was feeling.
Powerlessness.
A feeling I had been used to last year.
"You fought well," I murmured softly, gently placing her against the wall.
Silent tears welled in Celeste's eyes as she bit her lip, her fingers clutching desperately at my sleeves.
"Nora, take the Queen and leave," Lomar commanded abruptly, his attention still fixed on the Horn before us.
Confusion flickered across Nora's features at the unexpected directive. "I thought you intended to kill her?"
Lomar's gaze remained on the Horn. "Plans have changed. She may yet prove useful to us alive. Leave now. I'll retrieve the Horn and join you with their two bodies once I'm finished."
A smirk played across Nora's lips, her gaze flickering briefly to and Celeste as Lomar referred to us as "two bodies."
"Very well," she acquiesced, lifting the Queen onto her shoulder before departing, shooting a final contemptuous glare before disappearing into the shadows.
"If you surrender now, your death can be swift and painless," Lomar offered.
I gently removed Celeste's grip from my sleeves and turned to face him.
"But if you choose to resist," Lomar continued, his tone cold, "I'll make you watch her suffer before I end you in the most excruciating manner imaginable."
As he turned to face , his tail squird with malevolent intent.
A fleeting thought crossed my mind, a connection between the Ga and my role as the supposed Antagonist of the Second Ga. The resemblance between the character I played and Leon, coupled with the possibility of it being rooted in Edward's genes, lingered in my thoughts.
"You sound remarkably like your bitch of sister, Lomar," I retorted, a smirk playing at the corners of my lips. Against scum like them...
"I hope you won't regret your embarrassing words when you will groan under my feet."
There was no need to restrain that side of —not now, not ever.
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