Chapter 32 : Aftermath

"Elvie! Where are you?!" I shouted, my voice breaking under the weight of panic. My heart, already wounded by the battle, shatters. The thought of having lost Elvaria eats me from the inside. We fought together. Everyone saw her by my side, but now... she's gone. She must have been hit by the magical attacks at the critical moment.

The capital’s arena is reduced to nothing, as are the surrounding buildings. Yet, miraculously, Iveralmn still stands, though its foundations seem to waver under the shock of the cataclysm I unleashed.

"What is this?!" suddenly screams a female voice. Mercuria. Her face is twisted in pure madness as she gazes at the sky, where her beloved god was just annihilated.

"No… I just want… Mommy, I miss you, Mommy…" she murmurs before collapsing in sobs. She cries profusely, her yellow dress stained with her tears. She is on her knees, pathetic, but I don't care. If Elvaria is hurt, or worse... because of her... I'll slit her throat without the slightest hesitation.

"A-Aley, you're quite different from our last meeting," a masculine voice intervenes. Valentin approaches, a forced smile plastered on his face.

"Can we consider that you've won the tournament and... marry you? After finding Elvaria, of course," adds Princess Alfira, her smile naively dazzling. But she is interrupted.

"Don't talk nonsense! Phloriphis hasn't even had her moment of glory! She would have wiped your ridiculous god in no time," proclaims a deep, irritating voice. It’s a king, from the country of Voltruite. Beside him, a red-haired girl, hidden under a hood, observes the scene silently.

My heart leaps with hope, and I shout, "Elvie, is that you?!" with a smile filled with joy. But I'm quickly cut off.

"What are you saying? I am Phloriphis Azrael, your next opponent," she declares in a cold voice. "Mercuria is disqualified for summoning a god and using forbidden dark magic."

I frown, irritated. "If you're not Elvaria and you don't know where she is, what use are you?" I snap at her sharply.

"How dare you—" she begins to respond, but I vanish before she can finish her sentence.

In an instant, I use Quick Step, racing through the capital at a breathtaking speed. My body cuts through the air, creating shockwaves that knock everything in their path, sending citizens flying against walls, destroying streets under the force of my passage. I no longer care.

"That’s Aley from Novus Obris!—ARGH!" An adventurer tries to greet me, but I pass so quickly near him that the shockwave hurls him violently against a wall. I don't know if he's hurt, it's not my priority.

"Elvaria! Please, answer me!" I screamed more and more desperately, fear gnawing at my soul. Every moment without a response kills me little by little.

I continue my frantic race through the streets until I stumble upon a dark alley. Four men stand there, gathered around something on the ground. I stop, breathless, my eyes narrowing under the shadow of the buildings.

I enter the alley, my steps slow, calculated, almost silent. "What are you looking at?" I say in a calm, but icy voice. They don't even turn around. One of them, snickering, replies without caring.

"We found the pretty girl from Novus Obris. She's out cold after her attack. We were going to have some fun with her. Wanna join us?" he says, his tone dripping with disdain.

My heart stops for a moment.

It’s Elvaria. She's there, lying unconscious at their feet. They didn’t even turn to see who’s speaking. They continue to eye her like vultures ready to tear into their prey.

The rage builds in me. A dull, devastating anger. My thoughts blur under the intensity of my hatred. These men... want to touch Elvaria. My Elvaria. They dare...?

No.

I can’t just scare them.

I don't want to just scare them.

"Excuse me," I say, approaching. "I think I’ll join you." A smile forms on my face, a sinister, venomous smile. The four men turn around, surprised, their laughter choking in their throats when they recognize me.

"I-It's Aley..." stammers one of them, backing away.

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I draw my sword and, without the slightest hesitation, I brutally plunge it into the throat of the nearest one. He gurgles, blood bubbling from his mouth as he desperately tries to breathe.

"Forgive us! I have a daughter!" another cries, terrified.

"You have a daughter?" I murmured, my eyes dark, my tone icy. They think they can reason with me. Ridiculous.

"Yes! I have a son too! My daughter’s name is—" He doesn't have time to finish. My blade dances through the air and slashes his throat with surgical precision. His head rolls to the ground, leaving a trail of thick blood.

"Fred!" shouts one of the two remaining men, in panic.

I murmur, almost to myself, "Aleytria Reinforcement... Will to Live." My gaze is empty, absent. I raise my sword above my head. They stare at me, petrified, unable to move. Their legs tremble under the weight of terror.

I bring it down. A shockwave of unprecedented violence explodes around us, literally pulverizing their bodies into a mass of flesh and blood. They're dead. More dead than dead.

The alley is silent now.

I turn to Elvaria, still unconscious, her body covered in wounds, marks left by the god’s attacks. Slowly, I lower myself and take her in my arms, holding her close.

"It’s going to be okay, Elvie... I’m here now," I whispered in her ear. Then, without waiting, I use Quick Step to bring her back to Varilis and Valentin. Maybe they can heal her.

And this time, I won’t let anyone touch her.

I rush through the capital once more, still holding Elvaria against me. The city is in ruins, debris littering the streets, remnants of the battle against the god, but I have only one thought in mind: healing her. The ruins of Iveralmn's arena are in sight, where Valentin and Varilis are engaged in discussion with journalists and political figures. The god’s appearance has shaken too many things. Yet, Almus Si Iveralmn, the king of the continent, categorically refuses to cancel the tournament, seeing in this event a political opportunity too precious to abandon.

"Soon, Elvie... soon..." I murmured to Elvaria, still in my arms. She is unconscious, exhausted from the battle, but I can still feel her breathing, weak but present. I’ve slowed my pace not to jolt her, passing through the streets I myself ravaged coming here. The damage is impressive, but no one seems gravely injured, which reassures me.

Seeing this, I speed up slightly. The arena ruins are in sight. Valentin is deep in conversation with the king of Verdesable, reminding me that Verdesable is my next destination after this. There’s a dungeon to conquer there, and the dwarf blacksmiths of Voltruite are also waiting for us to reinforce our equipment. But none of that matters right now. The priority is Elvie. I must save her.

"Valentin!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the ruins. At the sound of my call, Valentin stops and turns, his eyes searching for the source of the shout. When he sees me, he immediately runs toward me.

"You found her! I’ll start healing her right away!" he yells, visibly relieved. I gently lay Elvaria on the ground; her wounds are numerous, her body seems so fragile after everything she’s been through.

Valentin places his hands above her body, and a green light emanates from his palms. The healing magic begins to take effect, some of her wounds slowly closing.

"It’s working!" I exclaimed, filled with hope, my heart racing.

But Valentin suddenly grimaces in pain. "Guh..." He sweats, his eyes closed, his face marked by the strain.

"I... I can't do it..." he murmurs, concentrating even more magic. His hands tremble under the effort, but Elvaria still doesn’t wake up.

"Damn it, no, no, no..." I feel the frustration building in me, my fists clenching. This is my fault. I gave the order for Elvie to charge at the monster’s chest, to give it everything she had. I should’ve protected her. The rage rises within me, but before I can explode, a man in a long priest’s robe steps in. It’s Varilis, the archpriest of the Western Church.

"Allow me to help," he says calmly, a peaceful smile on his lips. Without waiting for a response, he kneels beside Elvaria’s body and places his hands above her.

"Éponea’s Grace..." he murmurs softly. A powerful, colorless magic radiates from his hands, an energy so warm you can almost feel it physically. Instantly, Elvaria’s wounds heal as if by magic, her breathing becomes steadier, and suddenly, she opens her eyes.

"Elvie!" I said, my throat tightening, tears welling up in my eyes. Seeing her return to consciousness filled me with an indescribable joy.

"Aley..." she murmured weakly before falling back into a deep sleep. It was no longer the exhaustion from her wounds that overwhelmed her, just a natural fatigue after the hell we had endured. Her life was no longer in danger.

"Thank you, Var. That magic was truly powerful," I said, a huge smile of relief spreading across my face, my gaze settling on the archpriest.

He responded with a mysterious smile before rising to his feet. "Never underestimate an archpriest, Aley. You might regret it. Keep that in mind, especially if you ever visit the Holy Land. And I know you will. You and Elvaria are adventurers, after all."

Valentin, shocked by what had just happened, began to speak as well. "So, I struggle to heal my friend's girlfriend, and then a man I don't even know shows up and saves her in an instant? What's the point of me being here? I couldn't do anything during the fight either..."

He seemed dejected, his morale at its lowest.

I looked at him, and with a playful smile, I said, "Oh, come on, Valentin. We'll go celebrate at the guild tonight, if you want." At these words, his mood changed instantly. He turned away, trying to hide his smile.

"I-I d-don't m-mind..." he said shyly before getting up and returning to his king. As for me...

I bent down and picked Elvaria up in my arms again. She was still asleep, but now she was safe. I carried her to the inn, where she could finally rest. Tonight would be a boys' night out. Well... I supposed.