Absolute Law

Kristel saw it clearly.

If Frill hadn’t been so obsessed with answers, she could’ve noticed the way Alphazzel had pulled Kaimera closer to himself at the same moment Smyl had emerged. She would’ve let go in time, giving her enough space to intercept the faunel’s attack on Katherine.

The Princess had been caught completely off guard despite her perspective. She had never considered that the enemy was also capable of fusing.

Or is it a Tether?

It didn’t matter. Her momentary hesitation, along with Frill’s resistance, had been more than enough time for Smyl to deal what would’ve been a fatal blow. The Aria’s instincts had saved her life, in exchange for an arm.

Everything was already too late. Their fusion had completely dispersed the moment Frill’s arm had been severed. The Aria doubled over on the ground, pressing her head on the dirty cobblestones while she applied pressure on what remained of her limb using her other hand and stomach. She was in shock and didn’t even consider sealing the wound with Samesia.

Vynore. Smyl’s singular word echoed in the Princess’s head. If that’s true, then Samesia wouldn’t even matter.

“Now only you remain, Princess,” the traitorous Iristan said. His Vyndivalian sword swirled with meiyal as he pointed it towards her.

“Yes, Smyl,” Alphazzel followed with sarcasm. “Taunt your Princess. You did so much to get this upper hand.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, faunel.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, faunel!” Alphazzel repeated, mocking the traitor like he would when making fun of a kid. “That’s what you sound like, you stupid motherfucker. Bad mouth me all you want, but I did all the work. Stop trying to act like Frein. He’s out of your league.”

“You!” Smyl shouted his frustration. “We’re in the middle of a fight here!”

While the faunel laughed out loud, Kristel prepared herself.

There was no way she would allow herself to go down without giving it her all. She Drew Sandai-Kaimera in both hands, wielding them in such a condensed state that they looked more like long daggers than swords. She crouched low, stalking like a vork, with both weapons on guard in front of her face.

Her two opponents saw her and promptly stopped horsing around. Before the fight began, however, they noticed movement not far from them.

“Don’t count me out just yet, traitor,” Katherine said, struggling on her feet. Her stomach wound was gone, already completely healed, but she was still suffering from mild Art fatigue. She spared a glance at Frill before turning to Kristel. The Princess immediately understood.

Frill’s fire hadn’t died yet. She kept shooting piercing glances at Smyl like a cornered yuma, threatening to bite the moment he lowered his guard. But she was clearly still in pain, screaming whenever she succumbed to the injury.

Kristel stood her ground while Katherine made her way towards Frill. Their plan was obvious, but their threat was just as real. It quickly became a battle of attrition.

The Lady knew she couldn’t move quickly. She was still recovering, first of all, and she couldn’t risk their two opponents just using large blasts of meiyal attacks. While her pace could be faster, it was just as much of a tell that her guard was as high as possible.

Kristel’s focus was at its highest point as well. Eyes wide, responding to every movement with the correct reaction. She was dwelling deep in her awareness, conscious of how important it was for Katherine to reach Frill.

Smyl kept shaking his head. He was trying his best to intercept the Lady. But every movement he made, Kristel was on top of it, flexing her muscles in the exact moment he attempted a move.

“This is quite interesting,” Alphazzel said. “You seem to be struggling, Smyl. Do you need help?”

“Obviously!”

With that, the faunel nonchalantly pushed the traitor towards Kristel. The sudden action forced Smyl to commit, brandishing his Vynore Weapon with whatever poise there was left for him to muster.

Although surprised, the Princess didn’t miss the faunel preparing to use his freezing Meiyal Weaving. In a sudden burst of speed brought upon by Nidai-Ascensia combined with Sandai-Siffera, Kristel moved like a blur. She instantly invaded Smyl’s space, allowing her to push the traitor straight back at the faunel.

A barrage of Katastrofera, courtesy of Katherine, assaulted the duo. At the same time, she took this chance to reach Frill.

“Useless,” Alphazzel said, pushing Smyl away. “Half a faunel, knows two disciplines, provided a Vynore Weapon, and still can’t hit a little girl! Pathetic!”

“You knew it was going to happen!” said the former Sky Knight. “You deliberately did it because you knew it was going to happen!”

“Of course I did!” The faunel pointed angrily at Kristel and her companions. “Look at them! Look at how they’re struggling! They know they’re going to lose, but they’re not giving up! No hesitation. No backing down. If you’re even at least half—no, if you’re even just a quarter of their competence, then you can at least face your Destiny with some dignity, you squat!”

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“This is going to hurt,” Katherine whispered to Frill. Kristel guarded them. Whatever those two were arguing about, they didn’t care. All that mattered was for them to heal Frill.

“Vynore’s a big problem,” the Lady continued. She summoned Frill’s severed arm using meiyal control. She lay it on her side, while pulling out a vial of some potion from her Spatiera. “We’ll deal with trying to reattach the arm later, but for now, I have to stop the bleeding. This will help you numb.”

Katherine poured the potion’s contents over Frill’s stump, causing her to scream as the foreign substance’s initial contact aggravated the wound. She felt the effects almost instantaneously, fortunately enough.

Next, the Lady’s hand began to ignite as she Drew Ferenfra. Without waiting for Frill’s permission, she held it to the stump, causing the Aria’s flesh to sizzle. She didn’t react at all.

The smell of burning flesh assaulted Kristel’s senses. It wasn’t her first time experiencing such a smell, given that she had participated in many Rituals of Peace. But the kneejerk reaction of repulsion never quite became familiar.

“It’s no use,” Katherine said. “The Vynore’s blocking even my Ferenfra. Kristel, you need to buy time. Sandai-Samesia.”

“Surely you don’t have the time for that,” Alphazzel interrupted, breaking free from whatever argument he was having with Smyl.

A tear in space opened from behind him. It resembled Spatiera in many aspects, except its size. It was as huge as the giant, two headed yuma. From within emerged a head of a Jaws Lurking In The Forest. Only that, there were five heads combined in one body.

“You’re familiar with this particular Nightmare, yes?” Alphazzel teased. “I’m sure you’re aware by now of my preferred aesthetics. Many heads in one body. More heads, more perfect. And five heads, I’m pretty sure, is too much for you to handle, Princess.”

Kristel was aware. The five-headed abomination was giving off a presence similar to a Deep Nightmare. Far greater than the Mist That Carries The Nightmare that they had encountered in Minaveil. The added heads were far from simple additive boosts. They were exponential.

“What in the world…” Katherine gasped. “I’ve never seen something like that.”

“Don’t stop healing,” Kristel commanded, her voice confident despite the danger they were in. “I’ll handle this myself.”

Alphazzel laughed. “Surely, you jest! Tell you what, I’ll ask you one last time. Surrender Frill and the Lady, and I will let you go. Sorry… We will let you go. Don’t want to discredit my useless friend here.”

“No.” The reply came quick and confident.

“Then you leave us no choice, foolish Monarch.”

At the words of Alphazzel, the five-headed Forest Jaws heaved its heads. Elemental power surged from within each jaw. Three of them were fire, while the other two were lightning.

Kristel couldn’t find a way to fight all those heads offensively. The moment she left where she stood to attack one or two heads, the rest would surely fire off at Katherine and Frill. Moving them would be risky as well. Not only would it distract the Lady and worsen the Aria’s condition, there was no way of telling if the Nightmare’s attacks would hit them. Not even at her highest speed.

“Nidai-Rakkera!” Without any other choice, she Drew a barrier Meiyal Art.

“Ridiculous!” Alphazzel laughed. “You better hope that works!”

The Jaws Lurking In The Forest fired its elemental breaths. Kristel’s barrier broke in a matter of seconds, but it gave them enough time to predict the trajectory of the attack and move out of the way. Katherine and Frill were unscathed, but she wasn’t so lucky.

The Princess’s left arm was caught in the blast, burning away the sleeve of her battle gear and a good amount of her skin. Even after she had fortified herself with Sandai-Siffera, she still suffered significant damage. She began to Drew Samesia while keeping an eye on the pseudo-dragon and the faunel.

Smyl was nowhere to be found.

Kristel heard a thud. She quickly turned and saw the traitor kicking Katherine out of the way.

The Lady was at full Art fatigue now, unable to heal Frill at all. He followed up by stabbing another Vynore Weapon straight into her thigh, pinning it to the ground. Katherine struggled, but without Siffera to protect herself, the punch that followed left her on the dirt, unmoving.

Smyl took his time, leisurely walking towards Frill while looking at Kristel. The Princess moved to intercept, but the five-headed Forest Jaws stepped on her way, aiming another set of deadly breath attacks.

Frill stood, Drawing one Meiyal Art after another. She held Smyl back, but Alphazzel took advantage of the distraction. He froze her for a moment, giving the traitorous Sky Knight enough time to kick her down. He stepped on her grievous wound, pressing with his dirty boot as forcefully as he could. She screamed in excruciating pain, her struggles too weak.

Tears appeared in Kristel’s eyes. She couldn’t help it. She couldn’t protect anyone.

“Stop,” she whispered weakly, aware that her enemies wouldn’t listen.

“You know what we’re asking for, Princess,” Alphazzel said in return. He approached nonchalantly and lifted her by the neck. Kristel tried to retaliate, but quickly realized that her limbs had been frozen in place. He had deliberately left her head free, in order to show her the hopelessness of their situation.

“And we now have what we want. We don’t care about you anymore. I guess I can use your head for something. Combine the three of you. That would be interesting. Go ahead, Smyl. Kill Brymeia’s vessel. We can always get the next one.”

Smyl wordlessly Flourished a Weapon. It looked similarly to the axe that had murdered Liona. Frill, noticing what it was, stopped moving. Her desperation overpowered by the realization.

“Kristel, don’t give up,” Evanclad whispered from her Mind Palace. “You know you can still win this.”

“Not even Verdict can help,” Kristel retaliated. She had tried to summon that power numerous times during this fight. But it was ever fleeting. A power within reach, but her will and physical strength just couldn’t grasp it. It had taken a toll far greater than just Art fatigue.

“That’s not the only power you have, my dear heir,” Evanclad said. “You have my blood. My Destiny. Of course, you have my Blessing. Embrace who you are, Kristel. Embrace the Monarch you’re supposed to be.”

There was no backing out now. There were no choices left. Whether it was Destiny calling, weaving events that had led to this moment… That had forced Katherine out of commission. That had severed Frill’s right arm. It didn’t really matter.

If this is what Destiny wants, then so be it.

“Stop.”

There was no movement. The strong hand crushing her windpipe lost all its force. Kristel dropped to the ground, breathing desperately as she realized she was no longer frozen.

She turned and saw Alphazzel’s expression of disbelief as it was his turn to remain frozen. Smyl was frozen as well, his axe touching the very skin of Frill’s throat. Katherine, who had faked her unconsciousness, was also there, stuck in place while sneaking behind the traitor.

“This can’t be,” Alphazzel struggled to say, pushing against whatever force was stopping his actions with his absurd command over meiyal. “After all this time, you actually do have it. Law of the First Monarch…”

She didn’t care about his realization. There were other important things for them to settle right now. So she did what any sane person would do at this moment. Kristel pointed at him, mustering her meiyal.

“Shut up.”