CHAPTER 31: ATHANASIA P5
~31.5~
*****
“That isn’t the last asteroid! There are many more!”
Kye’s eyes widened. “What?” She gritted her teeth. “Then there is more to this than is recorded in the history books.” She flared her aether, enough that Athanasia looked on in awe.
“What incredible aether...”
“I’m just as surprised that you not only know what aether is, but can also manipulate it. Even in my present, most cannot.”
Athanasia shook her head. “I dare not claim to be skilled with it. I can only reliably shield myself with it. Although, if I was still on the island when the asteroid struck it... I’d probably have died. I was halfway to you when it hit.”
“Yes. I sensed you coming. I was prepared to help, but you didn’t need it.” Kye smirked. “You have much promise, but now is not the time to talk.” She turned her eyes toward the huge rock speeding toward the main island. “Soon, it will be over. But before that, I must go beyond the atmosphere and direct the remaining threats away from the planet.”
“Are you certain you should act at all? I’m concerned that just by saving our lives, you are gambling with the timeline.”
Kye shook her head. “No. History cannot change. I can do nothing that will affect it.” She turned and held a hand toward Athanasia. “Listen closely. I want you to remain in the sky and do nothing. Keep yourself hidden until I return for you.”
The princess shook her head. “No. I will come with you.”
Kye smiled reluctantly. “I thought you might say that.” From her outstretched hand, Kye funneled aether to her new friend. “If you’re coming, do as I say. Space is dangerous. One misstep is death. The lack of pressure, air, and protection from the star’s radiation are each a danger on their own. Do not rely on mana to protect you. Rely only on aether. Do you understand?”
The princess nodded. “Yes. I trust you, Elysia.”
Kye smiled. “Joey?”
“I’ll keep her safe.”
“Then let’s go.”
Athanasia and Joey took Kye’s hand, and the two warped into space. Just as the blonde princess said, there were indeed many more asteroids hurtling toward the planet. The mana she sensed was stronger, too.
“Can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve connected us through the system. The NeuraPhone doesn’t exist in this era, but I can still make the system perform its functions. Perks of being the system creator.”
Kye smirked and Athanasia giggled.
“One moment while I connect the others.”
“I can hear you,” Sanae said.
“I can, too,” Alethea said.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“I can, as well,” Joey added.
“Same,” Kaede chimed in.
“I’m here,” Rei said.
“I’m here!” Sora added enthusiastically.
Kye mentally sighed over the call. “Of everyone that jumped through, I really wish you hadn’t, Rei and Sora. You two are to stay with Athanasia. Lily, Ally, are you in this call now, too?”
““Yes, Princess,”” they replied.
“Okay, good. It looks like there is a strong source of mana up here. Do you sense it, Athanasia? It’s in that direction.” She pointed.
“You may call me Athy. I sense it.”
“We’ll work our way toward it, and I’ll use some grandiose magic to get their attention. If I can make them desperate, they might give away their exact location easier.”
Kye held her hand up and formed four orbs of aether that began pulsating. Athanasia watched with curious eyes.
“What is this spell? That pulsating effect is... strangely alluring.”
“This might be the first time casting this spell without holding back. Everyone not here, teleport to me. Ally, protect Athy, Rei, and Sora with your void magic. Joey will stay with me in weapon form. Alethea, Sanae, and Liliana... probably stay behind me for now. Everyone not here.”
Everyone else appeared behind her and quickly set up their defenses before Kye loosed her spell. “Go! <
Kye flung her hand forward and the pulsating orbs flew into the distance. With her other hand, she created several more mana orbs, colored black but with a white aura around them.
“Now! <
“Wow...”
First, the Detonation triggered. It was far more massive than any Kye had ever cast.
“In truth, the Detonation was only used to earn the enemy’s attention. While it will push the asteroids around a little, what will have the biggest impact are the Singularities. The gravity they generate will pull at the asteroids out of their intended trajectory.”
Just as she said, the asteroids passed by them harmlessly, each having no chance of impacting the planet. Her plan worked better than she expected. Almost immediately after the last asteroid passed by, a huge burst of mana hurtled toward them. Kye narrowed her eyes and held out her hand. Jouten appeared, and she intercepted the burst of mana. A man with a sword clashed with her. His face was riddled with shock when his impact did not push Kye back in the slightest.
Kye smirked and expanded her aether so that she could speak to him. “Hello.”
“Who are you? One with power as great as yours was not here before.”
Kye smirked and said only what she thought would upset him. “I’m just a passerby that happened by this planet just in time to spare it from further destruction.”
“Lies!” He flared his mana and tried to attack Kye, but she merely grabbed the blade of his sword with her hand, then crushed it. “What?!”
Then she grabbed him by the throat and glared into his eyes. “Your stunt just set back civilization on this planet by thousands of years. Who sent you here to commit this atrocity? Does the name ‘Phantom’ ring any bells?” His eyes widened, confirming Kye’s suspicions. “I see.” Instead of reaching for her hand to pull himself from her grasp, he reached his right hand toward his left, specifically to a ring. Kye noticed and quickly intercepted with her free hand. She overloaded the ring with aether and destroyed it. “No. You’re not going anywhere. You’ll answer for-”
An intense burst of black mana engulfed the man, prompting Kye to release him and pull away. The’s man’s body quickly disintegrated.
“What?” Sanae said.
Kye sighed. “His ring must have had a death spell attached to it, triggered the moment the ring was destroyed.”
“How awful!” Athanasia added.
Kye shook her head. “For a mercy, it killed him quickly. His soul is already gone. It’ll be reborn somewhere else.”
“Reincarnation?”
“Yes. Such is the way of things.” Kye turned to the princess briefly, then toward the planet. “We can’t go back there.”
“W-what?”
“You and your brothers are presumed dead, and I have no place in this era. We cannot return to Terra. Instead, we can go elsewhere.”
“You know another planet we can go to?”
Kye nodded. “It’s not exactly a planet, but we can go and be safe there.”
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Revision: 2024-10-1