Yes, she could work with this. Elizabeth felt it the instant the [Gem] settled into her Soul, it was a weird feeling, she could feel an entirely new Space open at the back of her [Soulscape], it was asking for a connection, so Elizabeth let the thing connect to her [Shadow Haven] first.

The feeling of euphoria was immediate, as she felt each and every Weapon any of her minions ever used, as well as those that she had seen or touched, armor, and shields.

It was as if she knew the make of anything and everything, every fragment that made them, the materials…And what she had available to make, or to replace. She took one of the shortswords that some of her Shadow Knights used and sure enough the short sword materialized in front of her.

As if answering her questions, the Weapon’s material changed when she looked to the Iron Sand at her fee, making an obsidian sword made out of grainy materials. It was…bad, but for her? It was quite useful, since she could vibrate the material using her Lightning it was closer to a chainsaw than a short sword.

Using this new skill she summoned a second shortsword, this time the shortsword was like it had been originally summoned at first.

“[So you can summon toys now. What of it?]” [The Shadow Tide] mocked her and Elizabeth let both swords fall into the ground, neither touched the floor as both seemed to enter a riple in Space and dissapeared.

As if they had been inserted in an invisible sheat.

But Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile as her awareness of the Space continued growing, each second that passed she could see a wasteland extend farther and farther away, it was full of weapons and armor of any and all classes, bows, spears, shields, swords, maces, war hammer, at some point she even found power armors, guns, rifles and one suspicious looking space ship with a giant robot holding a shield with an eagle engraved on it.

She…didn’t think that one was actually usable.

But that made her stop and think, from where had these weapons come?

“.....help…..save….me…..I…..made….mistake….” Elizabeth heard that and the world stopped.

It was different from how she was seeing the world at an accelerated perception, it was closer to being plucked from the world and being summoned elsewhere… Wasn’t this how Mother always described speaking with [Gods] before something happened?

“...Help….me….I…want…to….live….I…didn’t….know…” Elizabeth turned around and as she did she found herself in a small fragment of rotten grass.

Surrounding this was the same wasteland she had seen covered in weapons, and in the middle of this small patch of rotten grass was…a girl.

A girl hugging a blood-stained golden sword, the same one that Akira used to summon when ranting about being a [Hero Of Justice].

“...I…wanted….help….I…wanted….a….Hero…..” The girl was crying; with each second that passed, Elizabeth felt the Space that symbolized her newest skill grow.

She tried to take a step forward, and all that happened was that the encroaching sped up, and the rotten grass dried away and gave way to the deserted badlands.

Elizabeth would probably feel bad about this whole thing, this girl was probably either a remmanent of the world were Akira had gone… Or a reflection of the [Divine Skill] he used to have.

“...we….weren’t….wrong….!” If not for the broken pieces of a staff around the girl.

“...we….were….right…!” If not for the broken blade stained in coagulated black blood.

“....I….wasn’t…..wrong!” If not for the ruined books.

A pink staff with a pink gem cracked by the middle.

Broken pieces of a sword that had evidence of being melded together and broken again….and again….and again.

Ruined books with scribbles that went from neat writing to almost childish letters and ended in weird words written in blood.

And in the middle was a golden sword that should have had a holy or divine feel, but Elizabeth couldn’t help but feel it was cursed.

“Do you want salvation?” Elizabeth asked; she felt as if her voice was resounding all around, and the encroaching into the small patch of rotten grass stopped.

“....can…you….help…me….sis….ter….?” The little girl asked as she looked up at her.

She had viridian hair and was dressed in what probably was, at some point, the attire of a princess: a fluffy crimson red dress with a tiara to match. All of it was dirtied and ravaged, as if someone had attempted to assault her.

The girl was crying tears of black blood, and even her smile seemed crocked.

image [https://i.imgur.com/6p8zuAl.png]

“....can….you….return….my…..love?” The little girl tried to raise her hand towards Elizabeth, as if to plea to her, “Can….you….return….Akira….?”

“Who are you?” Elizabeth instead asked. She had an idea of course, who else could it be.

“Ae….the…..ria….” The little girl said, trying to stand up using the Cursed holy sword to stand only for her legs to fail her. It was at that moment that Elizabeth noticed it.

The girl…she had both legs broken.

“...help…me….sister….help…me….get….Akira….back....to....life....” The girl pleaded at her, calling her Sister again and again.

“No.” Elizabeth said she would not help her.

She was aware that she had a thing for broken girls; she had collected quite some already and would probably continue to do so in the future. But this? This wasn’t broken, no…this was closer to self-mutilation.

She…Aetheria had done wrong, and didn’t admit her mistake, she had probably seen what Akira had done, endorsed it, and now was even asking for him again?

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“....why….are….you…..doing….this….we….are….sisters…What….happened….to….you….Terra….Invicta….?” The little girl asked.

That stopped Elizabeth. She looked down on herself, and sure enough, she was still on her Thunder Queen shift; she had not changed; she didn’t look different at all; she was not wearing Roman clothes like the purple-haired girl, nor was she dressed as this princess girl.

Why was she thinking that she was Terra Invicta?

“I am not Terra Invicta. I am Elizabeth Starbright.” Elizabeth answered as she raised her arm, a thousand blades raised behind her, “You allowed that bug to earn power, you allowed him to abuse his power, you granted him free reign to torment Your People, and when he strayed further from the path of a Hero. What did you do?”

“....he….was….doing….his….best……as….best…as….he….could!” The little girl almost snarled at Elizabeth, her eyes changing from pain to hate.

“Worse, you allowed him to hurt someone who I love. Two people I love…” Elizabeth called…no….Elizabeth willed for the remains of the three Hero Regalias to fly towards her Skill. “And now you ask for help? What did you do when Rossie asked for help? When Rena cried for help as she was tortured? When Michael was killed for amusement?”

Each word Elizabeth said a hundred more weapons fly towards them, flying around the small patch of rotten grass.

“I….am….a….god!....the….puny….humans….must….worship….me!” Aetheria snarled, trying to encroach upon Elizabeth’s Domain, only for the rotten grass to burn with the contact.

“Wrong.” Elizabeth said shaking her head, “You aren’t a god, you were a World.”

Elizabeth wasn’t sure why this difference mattered, but she knew it to be true.

“And now you don’t have a world anymore, do you? Neither do you have faithful believers….besides that vermin over there.” Elizabeth smirked as she pointed towards the cursed holy sword.

The girl hugged the sword with her whole body as if to try to protect it.

“leave….us….alone….!” The girl glared at her, as if Elizabeth was about to steal something from her, “You….already….have….all….that….I….had….left!”

The girl then motioned to the floating weapons behind Elizabeth, “My….guardian….spirits….my…. Divinity….my….Heroes….leave….Akira…Alone!”

So this was part of her Divinity? Had she tried to worm herself into Elizabeth like this? To resurrect Akira later?

So that was what happened to his Soul after he left; Elizabeth had wondered about that, she had found Akira’s body, but no evidence of his Mind or Soul after all. But to think that he had run away like a little kid to the Being who he had betrayed…

And then that same Being, Aetheria, had attempted to embrace him?

Disgusting.

“I will, I do not want him or anything.” Elizabeth smiled sweetly, counting what she had available at the moment. She was sure there weren’t any patches of Rotten Grass anywhere else; she made sure to BURN anything she found.

“...really…?” The girl’s eyes shone in red light, it didn’t felt malicious, more like…innocent? It was as if it were the eyes of a girl who had found she could run away with his boyfriend.

“Yes, I will not take him from you, you can have it all for yourself.” Elizabeth, however, didn’t like what she had to do. “I swear it, no part of you or him will ever be part of me or those that are mine.”

Elizabeth felt the words sink as if to make the statement more sure.

“!” The little girl’s smile blossomed even more, “...thank…you…sister….!”

And continued on rambling and rambling about going to marry Akira, about how much she loved him, about how much he loved her…It was…pitiful.

“I hope in some place, in some time, you may reincarnate with him. And may both of you enjoy each other’s presence for all eternity. For you deserve each other.” Elizabeth said as she raised her arm to the skies.

A thousand upon a thousand weapons primed, pointed at the small patch of rotten grass.

“...sis….ter….?” The little girl turned to look at Elizabeth questioning what was happening.

“Divine Judgement - Railgun.” Elizabeth, however only uttered those words as her answer; each and every Weapon available to her at the moment became suffused with Thunder and was shot at the small patch of rotten grass.

Elizabeth felt a pain in her chest as part of her skill was gauged from her, but even so, she endured it. She would suffer not the Akira and Aetheria inside her Soul.

She continued barraging it, when she felt the last strand of rotten grass evaporate? She continued.

When she felt the body of Aetheria crumble into small pieces as the little girl extended her arm toward the sword? Elizabeth continued her barrage.

When the last remaining part was the cursed sword?

She continued her barrage.

She focused all her weapons on that sword, making sure to break it as much as possible. Making sure everything was cleansed in her Holy Lightning.

She continued the barrage, one hundred, two hundred....five hundred....one thousand... She continued sending the barrage forward, ensuring each strand of grass was burned, each gram of dirt was obliterated, and nothing would remain.

She didn't want anything of that world, she had taken plenty of it already. The only good things about that world that would remain would be the skill and the weapons that she had already taken.

"....you....will....regret....this...." As soon as everything was burnt away the only thing that remained was a small green gem. It...didn't seem to be like the [Sin Gems] that Elizabeth had been seeing.

It gave her a weird feeling, more akin to a seed than a gem. Elizabeth felt that she should take it, and something told her that if she took that seed, she would gain power beyond what she knew.

That she would be able to grow, to blossom into what she was destined to be. That she would be able to resurrect.

All she needed was to extend her hand...take hold of it...and make it hers.

"Railgun." But Elizabeth did not, instead, she willed a lightning bolt to bloom from her forehead and shot at the stupid Gem.

The lightning bolt shifted into a yellow spear that snaped the Gem in two. For a second, Elizabeth feared that she had broken her newest skill, but instead, what happened was that the wasteland took the previous Space and made a small puddle of water. The remains of the Gem sprinkled into the water as the presence of Aetheria disappeared; Elizabeth however didn't let her guard down and rained down Divine Lightning into that puddle.

She then focused as much of her Divine Mana as she could to make sure nothing that wasn't her would remain.

"I wish I had more time to deal with you and Akira, but I have other things to deal with..." Elizabeth said while eyeing the puddle. "Reginald."

image [https://i.imgur.com/GuP9viK.png ]

"You called Mistress?" There was the sound of Lightning striking beside Elizabeth.

She had called the small dragon before remembering that most of her Minions were stuck behind the Shadow Shield away from her at the moment, so it was impossible for anyone to come to her call. Or should be impossible anyway.

"...what's with the look? And the googles?" Elizabeth asked, turning to look at the small butler who was now wearing a golden suit and a pair of goggles atop his head.

"You do realize that no Shadow Minion can come near you right now, right?" The small butler said shrugging, "I had to Shift to make sure I could come, so these are part of the deal. A reflection on your side."

...Elizabeth remembered the appareance of Alexanders, and sure enough, the asshole had weared googles a few times. Dang it.

"What can I do for you Mistress?" Reginald asked walking around the small puddle. "I assume it has to do with this bounty you got yourself?"

He was smarter than she liked, but he was right.

"Yes, I need to make sure nothing bad comes from this while I deal with [The Shadow Tide]." Elizabeth said, then turned to stare again to the Minion. "Can the other Shadow Dragons do like you?"

If she could get help from the [Shadow Haven]...

"No." But Reginald answered with a shake of his head, "Not most of them, they are bound to your Shadows. Unlike myself, who was unmoored and then rejoined. I am no longer bound to your Shadows but to you Mistress. There are some Minions that can, and you have seen them already."

There were?

"Who?" Elizabeth asked confused, she hadn't seen any other minion around wielding Lightning... The only people using it right now was Elizabeth and...

"The High Valkyrie Order." Reginald said nodding his head as he turned to look at Elizabeth, "They aren't bound to your Shadows either. Or to you, for that matter, but they feed from your Soul as their creation came from you. Also, Lady Aura is not bound to your Shadows; she is, however, bound to your Space."

What?

"But she was...She was made from a Shadow Doppelganger?" Elizabeth said confused.

"Close, she was made from a Doppelganger, the fact that it was a Shadow one is secondary. She...That one is dangerous Mistress. If not for her loyalty I would have advised to dispose of her." Reginald said seriously. Then he turned back to the puddle, "I will deal with this for now, Mistress. May I take upon some resources from you?"

Was he asking permission? That was a first.

"All my resources are always available to my minions, you know this." Elizabeth answered; she felt the pull on her skill and noticed how some swords and other weapons rose from the ground.

"I know, Mistress, and while I appreciate the trust, you should restrain what you grant us." Reginald said, pointing his clawed hand at the weapons. "Clarent, the Hero King killer sword."

The first Weapon that he pointed was a long sword with red pulsing veins, it gave Elizabeth shudders.

"The Harpe of Perseus, The bloodline extinguisher." Next he pointed to a sword with a weird hook at the top.

"The Sword of Damocles." A bastard sword that hovered ominously.

"The Spear of Longinus, The Glaive of Kali, Gungnir..." Reginald continued naming famed weapons that Elizabeth knew of myth, and others that she didn't.

"What...how... are these...?" Elizabeth asked, looking at each Weapon. She got the feeling that she could summon them in the real world too. Then remembered it, Akira had summoned weapons from myths too right?

"This is why you should restrain what you allow us to do, your skill can tap into The Akasha Records. Make myths into reality and pull them into the world. What do you think would happen if I or any other minions pull a dragon-killer sword?" Reginald said as he commanded the weapons to hover around the puddle. "What would happen if I were to channel your skill and call upon a weapon drenched in the Jörmungandr's Poison?"

The what?

"The world's serpent that killed a famed Thunder God." Reginald said, "You need to beware of us Mistress, as we grow we became independent, and with that comes all kind of emotions and feelings. Some of us are still grateful and want to fully serve you. But...there are some of us with interest in other things besides you."

Elizabeth couldn't help but remember Beatrice, the little girl who loved Rossie as a Mother...

And the Valkyrie Order that Reginald had admitted were also Minions...And yet didn't obey or respect Elizabeth.

"Even so, I want to believe in my Minions." Elizabeth said shaking her head, "I will trust you all. And deal with the consequences."

And in that tone Elizabeth allowed her consciousness to return to the real world. She still had a [Shadow Tide] to deal with.