That uncomfortable doesn’t leave me and I could feel it spreading throughout my body. I try to find out where it was coming from but I couldn’t. More and more time passes and the uncomfortable feeling spreads. The only change that has occurred within the dark room was that mana was flowing out of my mana pool. It was going off somewhere but I couldn’t tell where.
“Jude, wake up!”
Was that Lisa’s voice? I concentrate and I could clearly tell that it was her voice. Besides her voice, I could also hear Fifi calling out to me. That uncomfortable feeling was coming from them.
“Let your mana flow out. Fight back against ours.”
Fifi instructs me and I follow her orders. She must have a reason for this so I begin letting my mana flow out of its container. I send it into the darkness and I could feel that uncomfortable feeling disappearing. As this was happening, a light was shining through the dark room.
I opened my eyes and they were assaulted by an intense golden light. Fifi and Lisa were both hovering over me and Lisa looked dead tired.
“Y-you’re finally awake. P-please help Mako.”
Lisa collapses in my arms and I look around in confusion. We weren’t in the mansion anymore, we were inside of a vehicle. The vehicle seemed to have been through quite a beating. The back doors were wide open and the right side of the car had a massive dent in. On the other side of the car, I could see that we were pressed up against a white wall.
I look for Mako but I couldn’t see her. Gorou and Jill were both holding weapons that were all bloody from whatever they've been fighting. Gorou was holding a mace-like weapon while Jill was holding a knife. Professor Jane was in a corner of the car by herself and Goldie was leashed up while looking out the back doors. I couldn’t find Mako, William, or Gareth.
“Fifi, what’s going on?”
“No time to talk, let’s go save Mako.”
Fifi flies out the back and towards that golden light. The light was so intense but I didn’t feel any discomfort from it. This radiance and warmth feels somewhat familiar but I couldn’t quite remember it.
“Jude, you’re awake. Please save Mako!”
“You’re the only one we can count on!”
Jill and Gorou ask me to save Mako and that’s what I’ll do. If she’s ever in trouble then I’ll save her. I exit the car and was shocked at what I saw. There was a giant sun in front of me.
It was so bright that I had to cover my eyes just to see what was happening. There were bodies lying all around us but they were being sucked into the sun. I could tell that all of these bodies were once zombies but the amount of them was astonishing.
I remember why this sun feels so familiar. It’s lighting up the world just like how that flame lit up that dark room within the prison. This mana radiating off of the sun was definitely Mako’s but how could she create something so powerful. It's on the same level as my magic, Tigurka, or even stronger.
I’m sure Fifi hasn’t explained to her how to create magic so how was this possible. Mako was in the room when I taught Lisa but I only taught her the basics. It shouldn’t have been possible for Mako to create magic of this caliber. Did she figure a way to create this magic all by herself? No, I have to concentrate, I still need to find her. Considering the strength of this magic of hers, I’m sure she’s unconscious by now or worse. When I used, Tigurka, the only reason I could maintain its form was because of Tigurka supplying me with mana. Since Mako doesn't have that support then her mana pool must be sucked dry by now.
I scan the surroundings and I could see a shadow under the sun. Mako’s hands were both raised up into the air but she wasn’t moving.
“Hurry, Jude! It’s not over yet.”
I run towards Mako with Fifi flying right next to me. I can tell that Mako’s magic was quickly losing power and from Fifi’s words, our situation still hasn’t improved. Whatever Mako was fighting was still alive within that sun.
I grab Mako and jump away as her magic dissipates. She had lost consciousness from her magic. Looking behind me, a giant ball made out of burnt corpses crashes into the ground. The bodies begin to crumble into ashes and only two figures were left standing there.
It was a middle-aged man and a little girl. The middle-aged man had pale white skin and sunken eyes but there wasn’t any light behind them. He wasn’t like the zombies whose eyes turned black, they were completely white. He didn’t seem to be alive but more like a lifeless puppet.
The whites of the little girl’s eyes were black like all the other zombies but her pupil was a different color, it was green. Most zombies had yellow pupils but hers were a dark green color. The green veins in her eyes increased as she stared at us in anger. If she was a normal little girl then I would just brush it off but the pressure she emits is overwhelming.
The feeling I got from her was much more dangerous than any special zombies I’ve ever faced. It was even stronger than the prison monster. Are all little girls this terrifying? There was Eva who sent chills down my spine when I first met her, and now there’s this little girl with her incredible pressure.
“Daddy, hurt that girl! She made all of my friends disappear! Yes, I understand, I’ll go and get Mommy.”
The little girl walks towards the car and the middle-aged man rushes towards me. He approached at such an incredible speed that I was only able to erect a single wall made out of the earth but even that wasn’t able to stop him. His fist punches straight through the wall and reaches out for Mako, who was in my arms.
“Fifi, catch!”
I throw Mako into the air as hard as I can. Fifi was surprised but realizes what I was trying to do. She flies into the air and catches Mako with magic.
“How long can you hold her?”
“Ten minutes at the max.”
“Ok.”
I only have ten minutes so I have to defeat this middle-aged man within that time span but if I want to also deal with that little girl then I have to defeat this man faster. I’ll go all out from the start then. I have to defeat the two of them before my body gives out.
My heart was already racing so the chances of having a heart attack have increased. I take a deep breath and ready myself before grabbing at the middle-aged man’s arm. I pull on it and was about to use Fire Blast to destroy his arm but his other arm breaks through the wall and slaps me away. I cover my arm with rocks but that didn’t help at all. His attack destroyed it in an instant.
My body was sent flying as I could feel my right arm aching. It was just like the time I was slapped away by the prison monster’s tentacle. My body continues to tumble but I was able to regain my posture. I immediately bring my guard up but the middle-aged man wasn’t coming after me. He was crouched down and looked like he was preparing to jump.
“I won’t let you!”
I create a platform underneath me and used it to shoot me into the sky. I use Fire Blasts and fly towards the middle-aged man. He wasn’t paying any attention to me and only at Mako. If that’s the case then I’ll use this to my advantage. I was carrying a fist-sized pack of dirt and I chuck it at the middle-aged man. It hits him and explodes.
His body was sent flying away from Mako. It wasn’t as strong as the special bullets I make for Blowback Bullet but the compressed air I stored in that ball was strong enough to alter his trajectory. All he could do was flail about as he falls down to the ground. If he had magic then he probably could have escaped but I realized earlier that he couldn’t use magic.
When he and that little girl first emerged from the pile of corpses, Mako and I were quite a distance from them. If he wanted to he could have attacked us with magic but he didn’t. Even when he got closer, I was wary whether his magic was close range but it wasn’t. He had punched through the wall with pure physical strength. That was when I realized he couldn't use magic.
I use Fire Blast to adjust my position and this time I wasn’t going up, I was going down. I let gravity take control as I begin to cast magic. Even though my mana pool has grown larger, it doesn’t mean I can last forever in this fight. I’ll have to end it right here.
Stolen story; please report.
“Appear and pierce my enemy. Puncture his body and freeze him for me. Shroud of Ice Spears.”
Dozens of pencil length ice spears appear around me. I could have used earth magic and fire magic but they would take too long to cast so I decided to use ice magic. To create ice magic all I had to do was compact water mana and solidify it by cooling it.
As soon as he crashes into the ground, I send out my ice spears. These weren’t meant to damage him, they were meant to freeze his body so it’ll be easier to destroy. They fly into the dust cloud but I could see that something was wrong. The dust was clearing up but not by natural causes, the middle-aged man was moving so fast that the dust was being blown away.
The dust clears up and all of my ice spears had missed their mark. Some of them were stabbed into the ground but most of them were destroyed. To be able to deflect that many ice spears, his physical capabilities were outrageous.
“Shit, he’s trying to jump again. Become a bubble to trap him inside. Air Bubble.”
I harden a pocket of air around him but he easily breaks through it. Even if it wasn't able to completely stop him, as long as it slowed him down it was enough for me. This was the opportunity I was waiting for. I extend my right arm and grab him as I’m plummeting down. I use whatever strength I had and throw him back into the ground while using wind magic to slow my descent.
“Solidify the earth and become chains to hold down my enemies. Chains of the Earth.”
Chains appear from the ground and wrap around his body. I pull at the chains and they tighten around his body. I’m going to decapitate him using this method. Since I can’t fight him in close range and he blocks my long-range attacks then the only way to kill him is to make an inescapable trap.
He struggles to free himself but my chains weren’t going to be easily broken. It’s still a part of the earth under him so it’s the same as him trying to fight against the entire ground.
“H-how!?”
Massive cracks begin to appear below him. At this rate he really will escape, I have to kill him! I pull on the chains harder but they shatter, he had broken through them. I try to create more chains to hold him down but now he knows to avoid them. Every single one of my attack was being blocked.
“Jude, I can’t hold her any longer!”
I took too much time. I have to put everything at risk if I want to kill this zombie. He’s too strong for any of my regular magic so I have to use something stronger, even if it consumes most of my mana.
“Ice…”
I barely start my chant when the middle-aged man’s body falls onto the ground. He had been shot through the head and looking at where it came from, it was from William’s gun. Since he had been so occupied with defending himself from my magic he hadn’t sensed William’s bullet coming straight at him. I’m fortunate that William was able to kill him so easily, now I don’t have to waste more mana.
It seems like both William and Gareth had been repairing the car on the outside. That was why I didn’t see them earlier. The hood of the car was propped up and William must have realized I was in trouble when the middle-aged man had crashed into the ground.
I focus my attention toward Mako and catch her as she fell from the sky. Now that I have time to look at her, she had holes all over her clothes. Some large and some small, but they must have happened when she was fighting against all those zombies. I would have expected there to be serious injuries but there wasn’t any, only dried blood. A sense of relief washes over me but the battle wasn't over yet, I still had to deal with that little girl.
“Fifi, do you think we can beat that little girl?”
“Zero percent chance. The only thing we can do is run.”
“I see. What should I do?”
Fifi explains the plan and that seems the only possible way we can escape from here. I hold Mako tight and began running towards the car. I yell to William if the car was fine but it wasn’t working so I tell him to just hurry up and get in the car.
“Fifi, let’s send the car straight up instead of a ramp.”
“Ok.”
We got close enough to the car that I could hear two people speaking. The contents of their conversation wasn’t anything happy.
“Why don’t you want to come home with me, Mommy? Let’s go home!”
“No! No! No! I won’t go with you!”
“But Daddy’s waiting for you. He’s been so lonely without you, Mommy.”
“I’m not your Mommy anymore. You’re already dead, Mary! Both you and John!”
“What are you talking about Mommy!? I’m right here. I’m still alive. Daddy’s right over there punishing that girl who made all my friends disappear. Oh, yeah, I’ve made a lot of friends since the last time we met. I’ll introduce you to them.”
“You’re not real! The two of you aren’t real!”
Professor Jane holds her head in denial as she avoids eye contact with the little girl named Mary. It seems like this little girl was her daughter and that man I was fighting was her husband. Mary reaches her hand out towards Professor Jane but she slaps it away. Her hand lowers down in dejection.
“Why, Mommy? Why? Why can’t we all just go home? Why won’t you two just come home and spend time with me!?”
“I don’t want to spend time with a monster like you! You’re not my daughter!”
“WHY, MOMMY!!! WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME ANYMORE!!!”
Mary’s hands tighten and her body shakes in rage. Green veins begin appearing all over her body and her strength was rising. If I don’t stop this right now then everyone will die.
“I’LL TAKE YOU HOME IF I HAVE TO FORCE YOU!!!”
“No!!! Don’t come any closer!!!”
“I’m sorry that I have to do this. Please don’t hate me.”
Gorou swings his mace-like weapon against Mary’s head but as soon as it touches, it melts into green sludge. William pulls Gorou back and shots begin to fire but after the third bullet, nothing comes out. Mary was completely fine.
“Everyone hold onto something!”
Fifi and I jump into the car from the back and begin raising the car. We used earth magic to create a platform on the side of the wall to raise the car up like an elevator.
Looking down, Mary’s hand reached out, trying to grab ahold of Professor Jane. Green tears were streaming down the side of her face. She was frightening just a moment ago but all I can feel now is pity. That little ghost girl, Eva, and now Mary, were both rejected by their parents. The pain they must have gone through must be terrible. I was lucky enough to have both of my parents love and care for me while they were alive.
“I-I’m sorry, but I have people I have to protect.”
“COME BACK!!!”
The platform quickly rises up and we were already halfway up the wall. I look down at Mary and her hands were raised towards the sky. I could tell right away that she was using magic but what kind, I didn’t know. Suddenly, the ground beneath her begin to crack and I could see a hand, no, multiple hands rising out of the ground. It wasn’t just happening around her, it was happening all throughout the fields.
Hundreds of bodies rose from the dead and began flocking towards her. Some of them seemed fresh, some of them were rotting, and some of them were basically bones. Mary smiled as the zombies began to carry her towards us. Her speed was definitely faster than ours so she’ll catch up in seconds.
While I was thinking of a solution, I suddenly felt something licking my hand. Goldie was rubbing his head on my arm and licking my hand to try and comfort me. He heard broken through his leash.
“It’ll be fine, Goldie. I’ll get all of us out of here.”
Goldie looks at me then he looks at Mary who was quickly approaching. He stares at Mary before letting out a sad howl. It was different from his strong growls when someone he doesn’t like approaches him. I try to calm him down by petting him but he continues to howl. Once he was done, he licks my hand and rubs his head against my arm again.
I don’t know why but I feel like Goldie was saying his farewells to me. He was trying to communicate to me about something as he continues to stare at Mary. The love and care behind those eyes were all for Mary.
“I see. She was your previous owner, isn’t she?”
Goldie barks in affirmation.
“If that’s your decision then I’ll support it. Go ahead, Goldie.”
I pet Goldie’s head one last time and he licks my hand one last time. He happily barks at me, telling me that I’ll be fine even without him. Goldie looks at me one last time before running out the back of the car.
I didn’t know Goldie for very long but he already holds an irreplaceable position in my heart.
“G-Goldie!”
“Why’d he jump.”
“It’s fine. It was his decision.”
I’m sure they don’t understand me but I’ll explain it to them later. Right now, I just want to burn this last memory of Goldie into my mind.
“R-Ricky!!!”
Mary was surprised at the sudden appearance of her dog but Goldie didn’t waste his opportunity. He opens his mouth and latched onto her right arm. Her arm begins to turn black but her green veins were fighting back. It was a struggle between Goldie and Mary.
“OWW!! Why, Ricky! Why are you biting me!? I just want to bring Mommy home!!”
Mary and Goldie disappear from my view as we reach the top of the wall. Mary was occupied with Goldie so she stopped chasing after us. Now our objective was to get down the wall.
“Why is there an old man on the wall?”
“Gareth, drive off of the wall right now!!!”
“What!? The car doesn’t work, remember.”
Why is he here? I didn’t think we would escape danger to just be in more danger.
“The aliens didn’t come. Was I wrong? No, I can’t be. The aliens should have realized it by now since everything is waking up. Even the ancient ones should be waking up so why aren’t they here then!?”
The old man was incoherently muttering about aliens again. We can’t stay up here with him or we’ll die. Should I force the car off of the wall but how am I going to land it. This car must weigh more than a ton and I don’t think I can land it safely.
“With how much mana is spreading around this planet, they’ll surely fight for it. Maybe the World Eater will come for it. I don’t want to die when that happens so I have to become stronger. My strength is nothing compared to those aliens. I guess I’ll eat that child to increase my strength, it’s not much but it's better than nothing.”