271. No Easy Choice

  Above the plateau...

  Ziyue ducked under Zetius’s wing, emerging from the swirling manifestation of the shadow. She dragged his dead weight onto the rocky ground; the coolness in the air wasn’t bothering her.

  By some stroke of luck, the cruiser remained largely intact nearby — a fortunate coincidence, as Aurelia had already designated the vessel as their primary rally point.

  Sweat beaded on her pale skin as she strained to stay upright; the man was far heavier than his lean frame suggested.

  Not far from where she had shadow-stepped, Aurelia was finishing a healing spell on Astrid before frantically moving to Willhelm. Blood and mottled bruises covered every inch of his body, but he remained miraculously hornless — a definitive sign that the demonic taint had finally exited. It was a bizarre phenomenon that made Aurelia blink in disbelief. Beside her, the Prime Guardian in a white arc coat remained unconscious, a victim of the chaotic energies that had just swept the field.

  The battle was over for them.

  As Ziyue approached the craft, Astrid was the first to notice them. She wore a smug grin, waving an arm to draw their attention. "Heyyyy!"

  Ziyue hid a grimace, replacing it with a weary, wry smile.

  Explosions still rang out occasionally, and the fight still raged on the plains below. Ziyue was an assassin, not a front-line soldier. Her uncle had been explicit: her focus was search and rescue. She hated letting the others stall the battle while she sat out, but she couldn't leave Zetius exposed near the edge of the carnage.

  "I knew you’d show up," Astrid said with a toothy smile. She fidgeted with the cracked metal shards of her ruined armour.

  "This way!" Aurelia called out. She folded a towel neatly over a flat slab of rock to serve as a makeshift pillow.

  Ziyue carefully lowered Zetius’s cold, limp body onto the stone.

  After checking his vital signs, she found they were weak, but present. "Iasis!" Aurelia cried, attempting a healing surge. There was no response. The Princess bit her lip, her palms quivering as she hovered them over his chest.

  "It’s no use," Ziyue growled. "His wound is mortal. We need a Mythic-tier healer."

  "I know that!" Aurelia snapped, her eyes fixed on the fallen man. Her trembling lips mumbled the incantations, and a soothing green light flashed briefly, only to flicker out into nothingness — just as Ziyue had expected.

  Ziyue stood quietly as she rummaged through her utility pocket, feeling the cool glass. Her hand brushed against a hidden vial. It was a gift she had received long ago in the town of Tabit, a souvenir from her uncle. Inside the long, thin cylinder was a drop of Primordial Iasis — or more accurately, the distilled essence of its effect. She had been carrying this vial this whole time, waiting for a moment that truly mattered.

  A lump formed in her throat as a thunderous explosion erupted from the plateau below. Fire and wind lashed upward with unthinkable power. She could already surmise that the ambush was failing.

  Astrid saw Ziyue’s face go pale. "What’s wrong?" The brawny woman tried to push herself up, only to sink back down, drained by fatigue.

  "I..." Ziyue paused, her gaze shifting to Willhelm Mae Arden.

  A cruel dilemma took root in her mind. She could use the vial to heal Willhelm, the Lunarius mage. He was strategically vital to the war effort. Using it on Zetius felt like a waste of a world-altering resource.

  But if she didn't, Zetius would die. There was no Mythic-tier healer here, and the Fortress of Acropolis was hundreds of miles away. Would she be able to dark teleport there? Too risky.

  She had only one chance.

  She watched Aurelia’s failed attempts to knit the man’s flesh back together. His arc gauntlet was destroyed. Even if she revived him, Zetius's combat power would be secondary to a fully recovered Willhelm. Logic pointed to the Lunarius.

  Ziyue turned away from Zetius, her step faltering—

  "Don’t you dare die before me..." Her own voice echoed in her mind, a memory of a night spent over champagne and wine. They had talked about things that didn't matter, yet she remembered every second with agonising clarity. His effortless smile, the way his face creased when he chuckled, the gentle, accidental brushes of his hand against hers.

  "Sorry. I promise it won't happen again," his husky voice had replied back then.

  It was a broken promise.

  Ziyue bit her lower lip, her brows knitting in torment. Her fingers gripped the glass vial. Time was a luxury she didn't have. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears, drowning out the sounds of the distant war.

  How could I save the world, if my world is you? It was a silent, aching confession.

  Ziyue gently pushed Aurelia away. The Princess blinked at her, bemused, but Ziyue ignored the look. She popped the seal of the vial with her thumb. The liquid inside began to glow, the light expanding with sudden intensity.

  She poured the essence over the man she cared for more than anyone else in existence. She had never put a name to the feeling before, but she knew it now — a feeling that defied logic, strategy, and reality.

  Love.

  The illuminating droplets fell, soaking into Zetius’s skin. A deep, peaceful hum reverberated through the air.

  Astrid watched with disbelief, her mouth hanging open. Aurelia clasped her hands over her nose, her eyes wide and unblinking.

  The silence was shattered as Zetius felt a rush of energy, the same primal surge he had experienced during his rebirth. A renewal of power erupted through his veins. He lurched upward, his eyes snapping open.

  He found someone cradling him in a tight embrace. The fragrance of wildflowers filled his nostrils.

  "Ziyue?" he muttered, his mind a haze of confusion.

  "Hmm." There was a faint sniff before she let go.

  He studied her for a moment. Her eyes were rimmed with a redness so subtle he wasn't sure he’d actually seen it.

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  "Welcome back, you heartless liar," she said. There was no venom in her voice, only a relieved, genial smile.

  "What just happened? Did you just use a Primordial Iasis? How?" Zetius frowned, looking at his palms. His flesh was miraculous, devoid of any scarring or damage. He could move his fingers effortlessly.

  "It’s my secret power," she said, pulling back to stand up.

  Still dazed, Zetius brushed his hair back. Ziyue momentarily faltered; the man looked incredibly handsome in the crimson moonlight.

  "What happened to Ignius? Did we win?" He blurted out the first question to come to mind.

  She scoffed. "Far from it." She pointed toward the rumbling thunder in the distance. The battle was clearly still fuming. "My uncle, Lupus, and Frain are down there."

  "Frain is here?" Cubie’s voice boomed as the construct awakened.

  "Yes, and don't scare me like that," Ziyue snapped at his chest, watching the glowing cube flash. Despite her tone, she extended a hand to help him.

  With Ziyue’s assistance, Zetius pulled himself to his feet. He felt wonderfully light, the chill air crisp in his lungs. "That means they need my help."

  "T~thank you," Aurelia said, rising on trembling legs.

  "It’s nothing..." Ziyue waved her off, walking lazily over to check on Astrid.

  In the medbag nearby, she found the med-kit lying inside and sighed. The Princess clearly didn't know how to properly dress a wound. Ziyue began tending to the burly woman, who was struggling to sit up.

  "Zeta! You're back!" Astrid gave a genuine smile, wincing as Ziyue applied a cooling gel to her stomach.

  "I’m glad you’re fine, too." He smiled.

  "I’m indestructible!" Astrid boasted, though she hissed when Ziyue wrapped the bandage too tightly around her injured arm.

  "You rest here," Zetius ordered.

  "Fine," Astrid obeyed, far too exhausted for her usual banter.

  Zetius surveyed the others. He breathed easier seeing Friederich was alive. Then his gaze drifted to the right, and his breath hitched. Willhelm. The mage lay sprawled in the snow and dirt, looking "exorcised." There was no pain on his features, only a stillness that appeared far too serene. His heart skipped a beat. But Celestius Serene said… He recalled what she had said, but he pushed the thought aside. It wasn't important right now.

  Zetius looked at Aurelia, who was tailing him like a shadow. "Aurelia, can you still fight?" His tone was more brusque than he intended.

  The girl looked up and nodded promptly. Cubie emerged from his chest, hovering in its cube form. "I’m good to go, too!"

  An affectionate smile touched Aurelia’s lips. "Thanks, Cubie."

  "Let’s survey the fight. Come on," Zetius suggested, pointing toward the edge of the cliff. It was as good a vantage point as any.

  They moved together across the accumulating carpet of snow.

  On the ruined battlefield below...

  "Let’s concentrate our attack again! Just like we practised!" Jovian shouted to Lupus, signalling for a synchronised strike. She nodded grimly.

  Beside them, Frain blocked a blast with her axes. The slivers of energy ripped through the ground, carving deep grooves into the earth.

  Her clothes were soaked in sweat and blood. Lupus spat a crimson glob from her mouth and turned back to her enemy. Her expression remained steadfast, though beneath the surface, she was a widow consumed by the need for vengeance.

  "The old me would have been impressed by you, Lunarius Lupus Hoffmann," Ignius said. His voice was soft as he levitated, maintaining a strategic height advantage against their melee-based style.

  "But Jovian is just using you," he chuckled, his eyes shifting to the man. "Cursed by knowledge, he knows his own strengths too well."

  Ignius let out a dark laugh. "And you... You are expendable."

  Lupus responded with a deep, primal growl. "Shut your mouth!"

  He grinned in self-satisfaction. "Alright, I will rip those legs apart again! And this time you won’t hop again." Venom dripping in his tone.

  "Frain—Go!" Lupus yelled.

  Her arc-boots coalesced with golden light. She slammed them against the ground, shattering stone underfoot. With her eyes locked on the airborne target, she sprinted toward the edge of the crater and leapt. A ring of shockwaves ruptured behind her.

  Weaving slithering fire between his fingers, Ignius flicked his arms back. "Empyrion!" The burst boosted him forward. He became a streak of raging fire, a living meteor. The two forces of nature converged in mid-air at terminal speed.

  "THIS IS FOR JACK!" Lupus’s visceral scream was nearly lost to the wind. Her mouth opened unnaturally wide, revealing her canine fangs.

  Ignius arched his arm, leading with a fist of flame so intense it glowed a pale, deadly blue.

  In a swift, smooth motion, Lupus clicked her boots. Her descent became an erratic, piercing spiral.

  For a second, time seemed to distort.

  Lupus wove through the air; Ignius’s fist struck only empty space. His eyes bulged.

  Her boot slammed into his throat with a thunderous boom. The air exploded, sending him spiralling backward. His claws grasped wildly at his neck, his voice reduced to a guttural, hoarse rasp.

  Her silver hair whipped back as Lupus manoeuvred mid-air. One of her feet was bare, the skin already blossoming with angry red bruises.

  "DIE!" Lupus plunged toward him with her good leg. Ignius desperately wove a curtain of flame, spinning himself to regain balance.

  "YAAAA!" Lupus shrieked, a siren’s wail as she changed direction mid-fall. She swung her leg, wrapping it around Ignius’s throat.

  The man let out a desperate cough as they both plummeted into the incline of the crater. They rolled violently, over and over. Lupus grunted, interlocking her limbs and tightening her vice-like grip.

  "URRRGH!" Another feral cry tore from Ignius’s damaged vocal cords.

  Ignius scrambled to his feet, his claws prying and scratching at Lupus’s thighs. Blood sprayed as he ripped into her flesh. She gritted her teeth against the agony, slamming her elbows into his head in a rapid, blurring rhythm.

  From the top of the mountain, Zetius watched the bloodbath with dread. "Is that Lupus wrestling with Ignius?"

  From this height, their figures were smaller than his thumb.

  "Seems like it — Over there! Frain is moving in fast!" Aurelia pointed toward the sprinting lioness. Frain’s blonde hair was easily distinguishable even from afar.

  The scuffle on the crumbling plateau continued for what felt like an eternity. Ignius’s head throbbed; his brain refused to function. His throat was constricted, his incantations interrupted. The more he struggled, clawing desperately at her, the wilder the berserker became.

  Finally, Ignius saw the glint of the blade Hemileos. Instinctively, he raised his arm. The blade bit deep. His hand found Lupus’s arm, and he swung with full force, dislodging her and hurling her to the ground.

  Frain arrived, her axe biting into his torso. The sharp edge tasted blood and lodged firmly in his side.

  "Arrgh!" Ignius screamed. He threw a wild punch at Frain’s head. She ducked, countering with another brutal swing.

  Blood and sweat splashed the crimson snow. Ignius’s shoulder slumped as the muscles were severed.

  But it wasn't enough to stop him. Ignius balled his fist, aiming for Frain’s face. She tried to pull her axe free, but it was stuck.

  Lupus surged back into the fray, her fingers clamping around his forearm like a vice. She jerked his fist downward just as it whistled toward Frain’s temple, the force of the redirect sending a jolt through her own shoulders.

  With his arms locked in a three-way struggle, Ignius let out a guttural snarl. He had no hands free, but he had one weapon left.

  He snapped his head back and lunged forward. A sickening crack echoed through the plateau as his forehead collided with Frain’s bridge.

  The world went black for the lioness. Her grip on the embedded axes faltered, and she sprawled backward into the red slush, her knees buckling.

  "No!" Lupus’s eyes widened in horror. She tried to scramble up, but Ignius’s overwhelming, supernatural force was an insurmountable wall, pushing her back as he fought to reclaim the battlefield.

  Ignius gripped the handle of the axe in his side and ripped it out. The bloody edge gleamed with malice.

  Lupus was too slow, too distracted to evade.

  Then came a wet, sickening puncture. The tip of a winding blade burst through the centre of Ignius’s chest.

  "Die, you sick cunt!" Jovian grimaced with pure contempt. He twisted the blade deeper.

  A wet gasp escaped Ignius, full of suffering and terror. He coughed profusely, crimson spilling from his mouth. His teeth were stained red; his pupils dilated in shock. His body began to spasm wildly.

  "Die already!" Jovian shifted to a reverse grip and shoved the blade upward.

  Ignius’s trembling hand rose. It wasn't a sign of surrender. Far from it.