Maple Syrup!
Rita imdiately recognized the voice of the newcor.
She knew this voice too well, having heard it for ten years in High Tower, and for several more years in Binast. Whether as a child, teenager, or adult, she knew this voice at every stage of life.
But unlike Verdant Verdant Whisper · Windrush, who seed to relax upon seeing Maple Syrup, Rita’s heart sank.
She couldn’t see Maple Syrup’s expression, but she knew it wasn’t going to be good.
Since learning that Lania KaiaWither had put together a World Skill, Rita had been closely monitoring the battlefield chat channel. After that day, Maple Syrup had stopped joking around or speaking as frequently as before.
The few tis she had spoken were to exchange intelligence for contribution points since the start of the "Quiet Mountain" ga.
This was unlike anything Rita had ever experienced.
Even when she had completely destroyed Maple Burn’s Light Wings in the "Card Swap" ga, or when she had left with BS in the "My World" ga... Maple Syrup had never behaved like this.
Rita could guess a few reasons why.
Neither of those events had crushed Maple Syrup’s hopes and ideals.
The first one needed no further explanation— the rose token could only resurrect one daughter, and even if Maple Syrup had stolen the Orange-Red Light Wings from Maple Burn, she wouldn’t dare give them back. The second one didn’t signify the end of the story.
Rita understood Maple Syrup. They were of the sa kind— as long as there was hope, as long as the ga hadn’t reached its final second, a temporary setback wouldn’t crush them.
So, even though they were rivals, even though Maple Syrup had once tried to kill her in the "Card Swap" ga, and even though Rita had destroyed the Orange-Red Light Wings, none of that had changed the fact that they appreciated each other.
But all of that had co to an end when Uncharted Star Sea erged and the Clock Pendulum crisis arrived.
If it weren’t for BS Rita stealing Mistblade in the "Player Relic" ga and allowing BS to break free from the Invasion Sequence... how would Lania Kaia have ended up in a situation where she had no World Skill left? How would those leaders have forced her to hand over the Forest Sea shards?
Maple Syrup stared at the top of BS Rita’s head, her thoughts drifting.
The skill she had gained after drinking the cup of [Forest Sea] had long warned her: fate had repeatedly pushed her toward becoming a nesis to BS Rita.
Back then, she thought the term "nesis" was too heavy. She and BS Rita were tied in many ways, but that was it— what made them neses?
She thought maybe the skill was telling her that BS Rita, who was growing so rapidly, would one day beco her most formidable opponent. Or maybe it was because BS Rita was connected to the last shard of Forest Sea in BS. Or perhaps it had sothing to do with their strange identities when they first t in High Tower...
It wasn’t until the mont she had to hand over the eight Forest Sea shards that she finally understood what "nesis" truly ant.
There were many powerful enemies, but only BS Rita had repeatedly made her taste defeat— whether actively or passively. Only BS Rita had repeatedly caused her plans to fail until her dreams were shattered.
In the "Player Relic" ga, BS Rita had so many options, but she chose to take Mistblade, the only one in Lania Kaia who had a World Skill...
But the reason she took Mistblade was because in the "Card Swap" ga, she, Mistblade, and Rita had the best relationship. She understood Mistblade and knew that Mistblade wouldn’t be swayed by emotions. If she brought Mistblade back to BS and succeeded in negotiating, it would greatly benefit BS.
And further back... it was when she had, by rare chance, helped Rita et Mistblade at the gem shop entrance.
Where had it all gone wrong?
The cell was silent.
Noticing the tense atmosphere, Verdant Verdant Whisper · Windrush didn’t speak either. She poured all her emotions and frustrations into the battlefield chat channel.
Maple Syrup didn’t speak. Rita stayed silent as well, staring blankly at the shadow of the wings on the ground.
What was she thinking?
That day, outside the war cruise ship store, those scruffy words that the wind had carried still echoed in her mind.
"When the world fades, the one who stubbornly wants to reshape it is the world’s only true treasure."
What about now...
The shadows and breaths drew closer.
—"What should I do? I can’t leave without killing you at least once..."
Although Rita had a passive resurrection skill, [Give a Chance], in this ga, she didn’t want to use it just yet.
She lowered her voice and tried to reason, "Killing would affect your score for this ga."
Maple Syrup’s deep laugh echoed in her ear. A hand reached around from behind the cross and pressed a dagger to Rita’s throat. "You’re really sly. I thought you’d say sothing like, ’The death knell has already started ringing, and Forest Sea can never be remade...’"
With her constitution at only 10 points, Rita had just 100 health points. Unless Maple Syrup used a special interrogation skill like BeaconCicada, this single stab would clear all of her health points.
Rita tilted her head back slightly, trying to keep as much distance as possible from the dagger. "What you said is true, but I can’t be the one to say it."
Just like after the ga version update, when all the leaders in Lania Kaia knew that even if they didn’t go after Maple Syrup, as long as they wanted to protect Lania Kaia’s Oak Owl, Maple Syrup would be more than willing to hand over the Forest Sea shards.
But that day, all the leaders gathered at Polar Day City and "forced" Maple Syrup to hand over the Forest Sea shards.
All the races that had fought wars in Uncharted Star Sea, only to live together afterward, were like this. They were scarred, full of hatred, but at certain monts, they could still be considerate of each other’s deepest wounds.
The blade shifted slightly, and blood began to flow from the wound. The cut wasn’t deep, but the blood quickly ran down her neck, the blade slicing downward.
Health -1 -1 -1 -1...
—"Do you have anything else you want to say?"
...
[Verdant Verdant Whisper · Windrush]: Lania Kaia Maple Syrup appeared behind BS Rita like a ghost. I almost died of fright! I thought she was here to save BS Rita, but turns out she’s here to kill her.
[Verdant Verdant Whisper · Windrush]: My vengeance is finally being avenged! So touching, I get to witness this mont! I saw it—my vengeance is repaid!
[BS Mistblade]: [Cat’s Ideal] would be crying at this mont.
[Verdant Verdant Whisper · Windrush]: ...I don’t want to talk to you. So what’s the deal between the two of them?
[BS Crab]: Well, it’s a long story. Which version do you want to hear?
[DawnCicada]: Stop with the small talk. Say sothing I want to hear. Did BS Rita die yet?
[Winter Sea Frenzied Shark]: Yeah, yeah!!
[Verdant Verdant Whisper · Windrush]: Not yet, but close. She has a short blade stuck in her neck. Lania Kaia Maple Syrup asked if she had anything else to say.
[DawnCicada]: Is she really trying to kill her? How can you let BS Rita speak at a ti like this?!
[Winter Sea Frenzied Shark]: Yeah, yeah!
[Verdant Verdant Whisper · Windrush]: Sigh, who knows?
[Yet oranige Pomango]: Heh, this is how she was in the "Card Swap" ga.
Ash Cinders, who had been up all night gathering intelligence and was now able to relax with a biscuit, was watching with great interest. So many enemies for her apprentice...
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