Elysia in Another World

Chapter 28: The Rogue Slayer P7
~28.7~
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No one said anything about fending off the very King of the World! And now she knows my mana. From someone like that, there’s nowhere to hide.

Lana braced herself and waited for Kye to move. Kye appeared to be floating in place, only watching, but she was far from doing nothing.

To Eve the Primordial, I pray. Please save her. I know your rules. I know you won’t use your power to interfere, but your skills as the mortal Evelyn Barrett are needed at the least. Save her!

Kaede skillfully kept Alethea in place with her Radiance while Hannah and Layla set to work with their healing magic. But there was a problem.

“This is very bad,” Layla said, looking at the wound. “How did this happen?”

Kaede glanced toward Lana. “Her power was far greater than we imagined. For a mortal to be that... no, that’s not important. If Alethea could have summoned Gaia instead of me, this would not have happened. I am not enough as I am now.”

“There’s no point putting yourself down,” Hannah said. “It is-”

“I’m not. I’m being objective. This body is a far cry from being enough. Alethea has had two decades to build herself here. I’ve had a few years, and only a few months as an adult. I am not enough to be her weapon in a real battle, not yet. If she had Gaia, this would not have happened.”

Hannah nodded. Her focus did not waver in the slightest. “That girl was able to put enough force into an attack to pierce Alethea’s defense? What a monster.”

“Healing a mortal wound is nearly impossible, and this is about as bad as it gets,” Layla said. “How is she even alive right now?”

“The instant it happened, I wrapped her with my Radiance. It’s by pure will that I’m able to do this. My raw output may be miniscule right now, but I have experience. At a cellular level, I’m using my Radiance to keep everything connected.”

Layla and Hannah exchanged glances, then looked back at the wound on Alethea’s neck. Hannah said, “I doubt even I could have done that. It’s frightening sometimes seeing what you from Athas can do with your power.”

Another white portal appeared in front of Kye, and through it came Evelyn. Kye took her hand and pleaded. “Save her!”

Evelyn glanced at Alethea. “That’s why I’m here.” Before she joined them, she eyed Lana and used her power to force a telepathic message upon her. “Learn to ask for help. The King has great love for her people, yet what you have done has sparked an anger in her great enough for her heart to waver, but it is not too late. You believe yourself too far gone to deserve help. You believe your own course is to do the Phantom’s bidding. Remember what Luma said to you. Pray. Learn to ask for help.” She turned back to Kye for a moment, “Don’t hurt yourself.”

Lana’s eyes widened as she heard Evelyn’s message. She couldn’t figure out how somebody could speak directly to her like that. What the hell? How in the world? Even the strongest telepaths can’t breach past Lord Phantom’s mana. Who is that woman? How could she do that so easily?

Kye narrowed her eyes and floated toward the black cat, triggering her to jump back. Kye disappeared from her sight, and she suddenly stopped. The angry king teleported behind and caught the cat girl. “Why do you obey him?”

Lana twisted around and swung her blade at Kye’s neck, but Kye blocked it with her own weapon. “What is this? How did that woman speak to my mind?”

Kye sighed. “I see. So that’s what she was doing.”

“Who is she?”

“If she spoke to you, take it to heart.” A moment of forgiveness washed over Kye’s eyes, but she quickly hardened. “No, it doesn’t matter. What you’ve done...” Her anger flared, and she punched Lana square in the stomach. The cat girl spat up blood as she was sent backwards into the black void. Kye followed up with an imbued sword strike, one she intentionally held back with, and allowed Lana to block. Despite her anger, her desire to not harm the girl in front of her was still great.

“She told me to pray.” Lana gritted her teeth. “But why should I? Lady Luma told me to pray. But what would that accomplish? She said you would hear it, but what could you possibly do to help me?”

SLAP! It echoed throughout the empty blackness around them.

“I’ve been hearing cries for help on your behalf! Everyone that loves you has prayed. Your brother, the Black Cat tribe, your former peers from the academy, and Luma. I can hear them all. I’ve even heard your voice.”

“W-what? I haven’t prayed!”

Kye shook her head. “Recall the dreams you’ve had lately. You’ve begged for help. You unconsciously prayed then, just enough that I could hear you. But you’ve been silent while awake.”

“W-what? Impossible. I’ve had no such dreams!”

Kye sighed and kept attacking half-heartedly. Lana used an incredible amount of power to defeat Alethea in an instant, but that power was doing her no good against Kye. She only did the bare minimum to keep Lana on her toes.

They’re actually serious? If I pray, then she will hear it? But what’s the difference between praying and speaking to her? Why do these people want to help me? I’m not worth the trouble. Far from it. If you truly want to help me, keep my brother safe. He’s a good kid. If not for the threat against him, maybe I could escape Lord Phantom’s grasp, but I can’t do that so long as the threat exists.

The look in Lana’s eyes hardened as she defended herself from Kye’s attacks. She looked Kye dead in the eye.

That’s how it is. If you truly can hear prayer, and can help... let this be it. King of the World, I do the bidding of Lord Phantom. If I do not, he has another assassin ready to eliminate my brother. If you can keep my brother safe, perhaps I can escape this madness, too.

Kye stopped and smiled. “I see.”

Lana was hesitant, but stopped as well. “You see?”

“Your prayer was clear. Your brother is in danger. We’ll make that our priority.”

“What?” Lana almost dropped her weapon out of shock. “Truly? But... why would you help me? I’ve killed so many! I don’t deserve it!”

“Don’t deserve it?” Kye scoffed. “That’s not for you to decide.” Kye shook her head and held a finger up to Lana. “One moment.” She floated over to the group taking care of Alethea. All three healers were fast at work applying healing magic, but the more fatal the wound, the more it resists healing. Kye began channeling aether until she formed a spherical barrier around the entire group, Lana included. “Elysium, hear me. I am King. Move us to my home in the Alcanus Royal Palace.”

“Command acknowledged. Using the provided aether to transport all present entities from the Upper Void to the Alcanus Royal Palace.” In a flash of light, everyone was suddenly in a bedroom within the palace.

“What just happened?” Lana asked.

Kye shot her an angry glance. “You will stay still and do nothing.” Lana stepped back instinctively. “Don’t mistake my calm demeanor. I am angry and I am struggling with maintaining rational thought.” The transportation placed Alethea on the bed with the other four around her, their magic unbroken. Kaede’s Radiance kept Alethea safe while the other three were constantly channeling healing magic.

“How is it going?”

Layla and Evelyn didn’t speak. Hannah looked up. She had tears in her eyes. “I don’t sense her soul any longer. There’s no mana in her body. It’s all dissipated.”

“No.” Kye’s expression didn’t change. “That’s a lie.”

Evelyn stopped her channeling and stood up. “I knew the moment I arrived that she was gone. Her soul has returned. There’s nothing more to do for this body. It’s done. She was dead the moment her neck was severed. Kaede was so focused on keeping Alethea’s body alive that she did not realize Maya’s soul had already left it.”

“No.”

“Kye, sweetie-”

“NO!” Kye looked Evelyn in the eyes, her own filled with tears. “She’s not-!”

“Elysia, don’t forget you’ve already died once here, too. Yet here you are. Now, cease this display and come with me. There’s no point in any of this.” Evelyn snapped her fingers and whisked herself and Kye away, leaving the rest confused.

*****

Revision: 2024-9-9