Chapter 28 : Elvaristria Hadariel

"Where are you!" I screamed with all my might, my voice getting lost in this endless field, where only the upright swords broke the monotony of the arid landscape. The ground, cracked and devastated, offered no clues as to the source of that mysterious voice.

"I asked you a question, Aleystria. Do you finally want to understand who you are?" This time, the voice became more imposing, more solemn. At her question, the ground trembled violently beneath my feet. The swords planted in the ground vibrated, making it difficult to remain standing. The earth itself seemed to protest, as if something gigantic sought to emerge.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to stay calm, but raising my voice to drown out the roar of the ground. The chanting became suddenly deafening, as if a divine being was about to descend among mortals.

"My name is Elvaristria Hadariel, wife of Aleystria Hadariel." At these words, a colossal cathedral emerged from the ground with a monumental crash. Its size was indescribable, defying all imagination. It rose, replacing the desolate battlefield with a vision of absolute beauty.

All around the cathedral stood immaculate white pillars, so tall they seemed to split the heavens, piercing the clouds themselves.

"It’s… magnificent..." I murmured, the words leaving me without realizing it.

"Aleystria, you are far too weak to reach the Prism," continued Elvaristria’s voice, cold but strangely comforting. "The Prism..." she repeated, as if obsessed with every syllable of her speech.

"Why is this Prism so important? And more importantly, who is Elvaria really in this present world?" I asked, trying to regain control against this entity that seemed to know everything.

"She is me, just as I am her. I am but her buried memories, but a fool will soon remind you of your true identity. Though you won’t learn everything, you will recover your primary abilities and part of your memories." Her voice was calm, but each word carried immense weight, like a promise of imminent revelation.

Suddenly, a purple lightning bolt ripped through the sky, striking the cathedral. I squinted, trying to see more clearly through the blinding flash. A gigantic reddish aura emanated from the roof, where the lightning had struck.

I fell to my knees, helpless, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. The power emanating from this single point above the cathedral was unimaginable. Was it a god?

"What..." I murmured, terror flooding my body, paralyzing me.

"What’s wrong, Aleystria? Does my beauty shock you? Or is it my power that terrifies you? In that case, know that you were much more powerful once..." added Elvaristria, her voice soft but tinged with cold irony.

"Your will to live is your greatest magic. It’s what gave us courage. We will strengthen it because otherwise, you will die before reaching the Prism when the minor god attacks." Her voice echoed like a distant truth that only she could master.

"The Prism... why is it so important?" I felt oppressed, my heart racing frantically. This place, this voice, everything was consuming me.

A massive red flash suddenly swept across the battlefield, originating from the cathedral and hurtling towards me at unimaginable speed. In a fraction of a second, it enveloped me.

"The Prism is not just a dungeon, Aleystria. It’s a temporal prison, a control room of the world. In your world, you were called Aley Vrodwil. The God Prism is to be taken literally: whoever takes possession of it becomes the ruler of this world. And this place, Aleystria... this place belonged to us. Until traitors..." She stopped abruptly, her voice laden with hatred.

"And what do you intend to do with me?" I replied, my voice more assured, my gaze fixed on the vastness surrounding me.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"I will train you, Aleystria. You must regain your former beauty." Her voice vibrated with unshakable determination. She locked her eyes on mine, allowing me to finally see her more clearly.

But even then, describing her appearance was impossible. Her presence was too overwhelming, too immense. Yet I knew she resembled Elvaria, with fiery red hair and piercing green eyes. But I couldn’t meet her gaze, not yet. She was far too strong.

And so began an infernal training.

In the arena of Iveralmn:

"My god... how fast!" cried Valentin, breathless. The fight between him and Elvaria had begun, but he struggled to parry her blows. Each strike from Elvaria’s sword left a red trail behind it, slicing through the air with supernatural precision.

"You dared to wink at Aley!" Elvaria screamed, her eyes burning with anger as she relentlessly attacked, aiming for his throat and arms.

"I was joking!" Valentin responded, terrified. In front of him, Elvaria seemed capable of splitting the sky to join the arena in time. Impossible, he thought.

Suddenly, Valentin let out a scream. Elvaria’s sword had grazed him, but he knew she was holding back from seriously injuring him. She wasn’t really trying to kill him. Behind that cold exterior, he could sense the smile of a child playing with a new toy.

"You’re strong!" Elvaria suddenly exclaimed, smiling. Valentin, however, tightened his grip on his sword, preparing to use his magic.

"My magic, you see, is called 'Regret.' It feeds on regrets, a force you cannot counter, you who live joyfully with Aley." His voice was calm, courteous, despite Elvaria’s furious assaults. Suddenly, he sheathed his sword and summoned a blade made of pure darkness, grasping it with both hands. The emotions disappeared from his eyes, replaced by an absolute void.

Valentin, now animated by his magic, seemed changed. The dark blade he wielded appeared to swallow the light itself, and his movements became more determined, heavier. This magic, fueled by regret, made his strikes more powerful against those who lived without regret, against those like Elvaria, who seemed to escape any form of remorse.

"Regret..." he murmured, his sword vibrating with a sinister energy. He suddenly brought the weapon down on Elvaria, convinced she would dodge at the last second with her supersonic speed. Yet, to his great surprise, she didn’t move.

The weapon struck her, hitting her head first.

"What?! Elvaria, are you okay?!" Valentin cried, terrified by the impact that had raised a cloud of dust around her. For a moment, he thought he had seriously injured her, but when she emerged from the debris, unharmed, her face bore an almost disappointed expression.

"Honestly… your attack wasn’t very impressive." Elvaria stood upright, without a scratch, before an astonished audience. Her eyes reflected a certain embarrassment, as if she had hoped for more from this fight. She then threw herself at Valentin, like a red comet, hurling him against the arena walls with disconcerting ease.

The shock was monumental, but Valentin was the most horrified of all. How? he thought. How could someone like Elvaria withstand my attack?

Doubt crept into his mind. His magic was designed to strike harder against those without regrets. It was his ultimate weapon against the happy, those who lived without remorse. But if Elvaria had resisted... it could only mean one thing: she must harbor a regret so deep, so immense... that even she wasn’t aware of it. But Valentin immediately dismissed the idea. No, he thought. It’s impossible that Elvaria is hiding such a heavy regret. She’s too carefree, too lively. It must be a stroke of luck.

"The winner of this match is Elvaria of Novus Obris!" declared the referee, his voice echoing throughout the arena. The crowd, which had remained silent in astonishment until then, suddenly erupted in cheers of joy and admiration. But in the royal boxes, the kings of other nations wore expressions of frustration. They had never seen such power.

The King of Verdesable murmured through clenched teeth: "How is this possible? She was toying with Valentin... She didn’t even take this fight seriously..." His words were followed by an exasperated sigh from the other sovereigns.

Almus, the King of Iveralmn, on the other hand, wore a satisfied smile. Beside him, his daughter, Alfira Si Iveralmn, looked overjoyed.

"Father! I will soon marry Aley!" Alfira exclaimed, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Patience, fool. By what right do you speak to me so familiarly—" Almus didn’t have time to finish his sentence, abruptly cut off by his daughter’s unhealthy, menacing gaze. He knew that smile was no joke. Alfira, having copied part of Aley’s strength, could easily ruin his kingdom if he dared defy her.

On Aley’s side:

"Argh..." I sighed, the pain radiating from every fiber of my body. My muscles burned, broken from the effort. I could feel nothing but the overwhelming pain engulfing me.

It had now been several minutes since the battle against this version of Elvaria had begun. She was far too strong, too fast. Every attack I launched had been countered with disconcerting ease. Even my technique 'Will To Live' had been useless.

"We have no more time. The training will resume tonight. For now, return to the me of the present." Elvaristria’s voice was still present in my mind, resonating like a distant bell.

And suddenly, darkness surrounded me once again. The world disappeared beneath my feet, before a flash of light burst forth, bringing me abruptly back to the exact place where I stood in the arena.