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All of the spirits were gathered together in order to prepare themselves for a great disaster that was about to destroy their entire world.
This wasn't something that they were going to decide on the spot. All of the spirits have been preparing themselves for many years. They had put many thoughts behind it so victory would be on their side.
"...." That's how the queen was thinking as she was looking down on every spirit who was in a rush so they wouldn't waste any time.
Weapons, spears, spells, or even poison. They were going to use anything so they wouldn't end up with the same fate as their dead sisters.
"This is where we fight… or we get nothing." The spirit queen thought out loud as she headed back inside her room so she could prepare herself for the war.
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In another room was Alette who also seemed to be visiting her old room where she used to stay before she was kidnapped by a dragon.
She would slide her hand around the dusty interiors who haven't been touched or used for hundreds of years.
"I've been thinking every day of the moment I would be coming back here…" Alette’s hoarse voice was gently heard as her mind began thinking how coming back here wasn't as she had expected.
She was captured by a dragon and appointed to protect its dungeon for the rest of her life.
But one day, the dragon that had imprisoned her left and never returned back to the dungeon.
The spirit couldn't care less about the dragon’s well being, but now that she was under the spell, she couldn't even think of escaping that place even if she wanted to. What if that dragon was still alive and it just didn't want to come back there? That's why she didn't want to risk thinking of escaping that place as she could die from the spell she was under.
The dragon had only ordered her one thing the moment she got captured.
And that was… 'Protect this place.'
Even though she couldn't even think of escaping, that never stopped the spirit from dreaming of returning back to her home. Back to where her sisters were, back to where her mother queen was. The place where she was born and raised. The place she used to call home.
And after thousands of years of waiting, her dream finally became true. Hatsuko and his group came to that dungeon and helped that abandoned spirit who was left to die.
Her hope of returning back home was something that she never expected. She couldn't believe her eyes that this wasn't another one of her sweet dreams.
It was true, and it was happening right in front of her.
But even after that… the sudden return of her happiness was too good to be true.
The moment she returned to her so -called 'home'... Nothing seemed familiar to her anymore.
Everyone that she used to spend time with was already dead. The great tree didn't provide life energy anymore, and to make matters worse, the strongest spirit was about to destroy everything.
And her friends, which she thought would help the spirits, were tricked into thinking they would simply conquer a dungeon, not knowing that, what laid at the last floor… would be their death.
But right now, it was already too late. Her friends were probably struggling to escape that dungeon. And the only thing she could do right now, was pray that their deaths were at least painless.
Her eyes darkened a little as she finally decided on joining the army of the spirits.
She couldn't let their friends die like that. She still hoped that at least one of them would have escaped…
"The sky… is gray…" She let out those words as she blankly looked outside.
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All of the spirits had finally gathered in one place as they were waiting for the queen to give them their order.
At the front rows was Lilita, and by her side was Alette which didn't seem to be giving any reaction.
Lilita also found it a bit weird that Alette was acting surprisingly quiet, that's why she decided to keep an eye on her in case she would do anything rash.
The spirits were fully ready as they were lined up in rows which seemed to be their main formation before heading off.
And it didn't take long before the queen came flying in front of her, wearing some light armor around her body.
Stolen story; please report.
"My children, please listen to this queen's last request." The queen requested everyone as she had placed her hand over her heart.
And of course, all of the spirits had great respect for the queen, that's why within hundreds of spirits, no one made a sound.
"The day has finally come. The day where we take back what's ours. What belongs to us! Many of your sisters have already died while protecting their land with everything they had. They sacrificed themselves for the newer generations, for a better life of what is left of us.
And these days are going to be destroyed if we don't take back the tree of life.
Do you think we'll let our sisters' sacrifice go in vain?"
All of the spirits continued listening with anger and determination that they were going to win the fight against the threat that was about to destroy their home.
“Lets go and w–” But before the queen could finish talking, the ground underneath them began shaking to the point of even collapsing a few brile looking houses they temporarily made for their weapons and stuff.
“W-what is happening?”
“The ground is moving?!”
“Has the dungeon core been released?!”
“My daughters! There is no time, we must go and kill the main core before it can recover!” The queen told the rest of the spirits as she understood that her zombified sister must have been released from her own seal.
It was now or never! If they didn't act now, their own everything would be taken away without even noticing it.
All of the spirits, together with the queen flew towards the tree of life so they would be ready when Ashera would be coming out, free from her own seal.
“My queen, are you sure about coming with us?” Worriedly asked Lilita who was flying by her side.
“It's my duty to watch this. My daughters are about to fight to death against a calamity. It hurts to see that many of them will die… But, I can’t allow any more of us to die like that. I may not be able to fight, that's why I’ll make sure to remember everyone who won't be able to make it back…" This was one of the bravest acts that the queen had done until now. But she didn't want to think of it that way.
Watching your own children die by the hand of your beloved sister was one of her worst nightmares she kept experiencing every time she closed her eyes.
But as a queen, she had to make a decision. A decision which would lead everyone to their victory. So there wouldn't be blood once again, so her daughters could see light, so their days would only be filled with laughter and love.
That's all the queen wanted.
While flying towards the tree of life, they noticed how the ground was shaking a lot more than previously, which alarmed a few of the spirits.
Lilita was flying ahead of every other spirit, showing the way as the leader of the army.
Not only being entrusted with leading the whole army, but also trying to keep an unfeared look on her face.
That's the kind of spirit she was trying to be while having that kind of position.
While noticing how the trees below them were continuously shaking, Lilita frowned as she clenched her long spear.
Even though she knew that she wasn't the best spirit for her position, she still was thankful to the queen, that's why she was going to do her best.
"Sisters! Prepare for impact!!" Lilita loudly announced as she raised her spear in the air.
And before they knew it, another explosion was heard somewhere near the tree of life which almost shook the whole forest around them.
Both the queen and Lilita knew that not all of the spirits were coming out of this battle unscratched, but the fact that the whole forest shook like that, put the chills down their spines.
"Ashera…" The queen softly called out to her as she was waiting for the first encounter with her beloved sister after so long.
This wasn't the kind of reunion she has been longing for, and she was already aware of that.
In order to keep the rest of the spirits alive, she was willing to do anything. And that included killing a monster that had taken over the body of her dear sister.
But as everyone was clenching their hands from the ridiculous amount of pressure, some of them were having trouble breathing from the intense wait.
Anxiety… Scared… those were two emotions that were haunting a great amount of spirits.
The wait was slowly killing the spirits, and the quake was growing stronger as time was passing by, until… it stopped.
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The queen and the rest of the spirits found this a bit weird, but they didn't let their guard down.
Cold sweat was rolling down their faces as the whole forest had become quieter to the point of where they could hear their own heartbeats.
"Did it sto—" Lilita questioned, puzzled by the sudden change of the situation. But before she could even understand what was about to happen, another loud explosion was heard near the tree of life, making a lot of rocks and dust fly around from the rumble. “—it's coming!”
“Hatsuko! There was no need to use your powers to get us out of there!”
From the dust falling down the sky, a worried voice of a girl was heard scolding someone.
“You say that, but look behind us. We would’ve been buried in there if I hadn't made a way out of here.” The boy responded back to the angry sounding girl.
The other spirits found this really weird as they were expecting the strongest spirit to burst out of there. Most of them were confused because a group of different people were visible, flying out of there as the dust was clearing up the view.
“What is happening…” The queen wondered as she realized the figures and the voices behind the dust.
She was sure that they were dead from facing one of the strongest spirits. But her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. Right in front of her was the same group of humans who brought Alette back to the spirits world.
“This isn't possible!” Lilita gasped in disbelief as her eyes were to the point of bursting out from what was happening right now.
She was the one that tricked and trapped them in the last floor where the most dangerous being was staying. She used them as bait so the rest of the spirits could have a chance against Ashera. But even though she did this for the spirits sake, that didn't change the fact that she was the one who tried killing them by trapping them in that place.
And what stood right in front of her were none other than the people who she tried killing! She didn't want to believe her eyes, but no matter how long she stared at them… they were still alive, and on top of that… without any heavy injuries.
Cold sweat was rolling down her face before noticing that her hands were actually trembling in fear.
Ashera was nowhere to be seen. And all of the spirits were prepared to risk their lives at any moment.
But Hatsuko and all of the girls coming out of the dungeon was something that no one expected.
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