“You don’t die for your friends, you live for them!”

- Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)

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---Hiiro---

“Ahh! It’s the onee-chan who wants to catch me,” Alice shouted.

“Princess Arisa? What are you-? S-Skely? Why… Why are you fighting Wolf?” Aria asked, dumbfounded.

Shit. I can’t explain properly while fighting. There’s no choice.

Punching Robyn, she suddenly disappeared. What I did was that I teleported her away from the room. The limit of my teleportation magic was at most 200 meters depending on the amount of mana used. That seemed to be not that far considering her speed, however, since we were underground, I teleported her 200 meters above us. This should buy me some time enough to explain everything to Aria unless Robyn creates a shortcut. Using that spell nearly took all of my remaining mana, leaving just enough to barely do manual hacking.

“Skely? What did you do to Wolf?”

“Lightning, listen to me carefully. There’s no time left.”

After that, I explained to her everything that happened. The reason why I’m fighting Robyn. What I did when she disappeared. I also introduced the people fighting together with me? And of course, I also explained how Dr. Albert created Ada.

“N-no. This can’t be. That girl… That girl is Ada? Please tell me you’re joking,” Aria squirmed while covering her mouth with her hands.

“Lightning? Do you happen to know Ada?

“She’s… She’s our childhood friend,” Aria explained while holding her forehead with her hands. “Please, Skely. Tell me you’re just joking. I can’t believe Dr. Albert will do that to her. Please, tell me---”

“Lightning!” I shouted while holding her shoulders, stopping her. “Ada is already dead. What we’re fighting is just a machine with her memories. She is not Ada. She is just a weapon.”

I’m sorry for doing this to you but we don’t have that much time.

“S… kely?” she asked.

“Listen to me. We need your help.”

After that, I told her that in order to save Robyn, I needed to hack her manually. And I needed her to fight her until I regain her controls.

“Please, I know you don’t like that form, but we need your vampire form to fight her.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized while looking down. “I can’t do it. That form is cursed. It’s filled with anti-mana. I can only use it at most once every two months.”

“A curse? What will happen if you use it more than once?”

“I will go berserk and attack anyone I see. I’m sorry. But it is too dangerous to use,” she replied.

Anti-mana. A type of energy that’s made up of life energy and negative energy. I see. That form is the embodiment of her negative feelings; in her case, her hatred towards the people who kidnaped her. That’s why she always acts almost emotionless. Because her emotions are sealed.

“That’s why, please, let me fight her without using that form,” she suggested.

“You can’t. That’s too dangerous.”

“Please, that’s the only way we can save Wolf,” Aria added holding my hands as she pleaded. “I know I’m being selfish, but, I have to do this.”

Thinking hard, it took me a few seconds before I could reply to her.

“I understand.”

“So? You guys ready to fight?” A voice of a man. It was Ciel.

After he said that, Robyn suddenly came from above us. Seem like my hunch was correct. She made a shortcut by destroying her footing.

“Tsk. Here goes the other one.” Ciel clicked

“Lightning, I believe in you.”

Please don’t die.

“Execute Program: Manual Hacking.”

Then, I was surrounded by screens producing images similar to a computer. There was also screens containing a keyboard and a mouse.

“Now, time to hack.”

***

---Dr. Albert---

“So? Who is this beautiful lady who barged into my room?”

“Your evil acts end here now, Dr. Albert,” the beautiful lady threatened.

“Oh? And what are those evil acts you speak of? Aside from doing those things to Robyn and Aria that is.”

“Stop this nonsense. We know you’re the one behind the attack on the Village of the Necromancers,” she shouted.

“Village of the Necromancers?” I laughed. “There’s no way I would attack the home of one of my friends.”

“Shut up,” she yelled. “You and the Shadow Purgatory will pay greatly for your actions.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“The Shadow Purgatory?” I chuckled. “Sorry to tell you this but I already severed all of my ties from that wretched group.”

“You can’t lie to me,” the beautiful girl screamed. “I have the means to tell if you’re lying. I’m going to capture you.”

“Capture? Don’t you think it's rude capturing me without telling me your name?”

“Tsk,” she clicked. “Just call me Sexy Demon. Now surrender quietly or---”

“Sexy Demon? I see. So you’re a succubus. I remember Khina once annihilated a succubus clan in the previous war.”

“I’m going to kill you,” she shouted, rushing towards me. However, she was stopped by an invisible barrier I’ve prepared beforehand.

“Feisty one, aren’t you. To suddenly attack… I see now,” I laughed. “To think there was a survivor from the Dreizehn clan. Beautiful lady, would you join me with my revenge?”

“There’s no way I will join the likes of you,” she screamed while repeatedly pounding the barrier. “Remove this wall this instant.”

“I think we can be friends,” I chuckled. “You see, I also hate Khina, rather, the current ruler of the country of humans. If you join with me, I’ll share you their little weakness. You can read memories, don’t you? That’s why you can tell if I’m lying or not. Read my memory and decide later. Go on I won’t bite.”

***

---Aria---

Suddenly, Robyn rushed towards Hiiro, but I quickly protected him with a Phantom Shield.

“Phantom Bullet!”

The spell quickly shot her, but she was unscratched. She then looked at me and prepared for an attack before dashing towards me. However, I cast Phantom Shield again deflecting her attack. She then jumped backward covering our distance.

“Robby.”

Robyn immediately dashed around the room, attempting to confuse me.

As usual, you’re fast.

Moving swiftly, a normal person wouldn’t be able to see her.

But, I can still follow your movements.

Robyn then charged towards me, however, I immediately used my scythe and cast a spell. “Phantom shield.”

The shield didn’t break, however, the force from her attack was too strong, and I was knocked back a little. Robyn dashed around again and attacked simultaneously. I couldn’t do anything but defend myself--- She was just too fast.

“I know. I can’t defend forever by doing this.”

Robyn attacked again, breaking my shield. The force accumulated was too much, the spell couldn’t keep up, and I was thrown quite far.

She then stared at me as if mocking my very being.

“What’s wrong, Aria? Stop using Necromancy and use your Curse!” A voice from a memory.

“No, I won’t use that form against you again!”

She suddenly roared. It was as if she was telling me to shut up.

Robyn dashed again and grabbed me. She then threw me in the middle of the room and struck me with a series of attacks in every direction possible. Each time, she was roaring as she hit me with her attacks.

“Phantom shield!”

However, she was moving too fast. I couldn’t keep up; I could only defend myself.

Once more, the shield broke, I was hit and was thrown into the wall of the room creating some cracks.

She then looked down on me.

“If you won’t fight me seriously then I might as well end this!” A different memory resurfaced.

After preparing her stance, Robyn leaped at me while roaring, attempting to claw me; she was faster than before.

However, I was not hurt, for a wall of ice appeared and blocked her attack. She then fell to the ground and immediately moved back.

She continued roaring as if she was laughing.

As I grabbed my necklace, I closed my eyes and stopped for a bit. “No!” Then, I opened my eyes and slowly let go of my necklace. “I won’t let hatred fight you again! I will fight you as myself, as a friend!”

***

Robyn dropped on all fours while roaring as if she was angry before leaping. Within an instant, she reached top speed. Our distance was twenty meters. Robyn could cover that distance within a second. But, I immediately defended with my scythe combined with a barrier. My feet slid backward because of the force, but I successfully stopped it by freezing my feet and the floor.

Using cursed lightning, I could freeze anything hit by it. However, compared to when I was in Vampire form. What I could use was just a percentage of its full strength.

But, this is enough.

“Black Lightning!”

Lighting shot from my scythe towards Robyn immediately freezing her. I then jumped backward preparing to slash her. However, she immediately broke free and blocked my attack by catching the blade with her hands.

“Life Drain!”

Saying that Robyn immediately let go and jumped backward.

“Black Lightning Field.”

Tugging my scythe to the floor, it then froze the ground and extended just enough so that it wouldn’t affect Ciel’s fight, but still limiting Robyn’s speed.

“Black Lightning Body.”

Black lightning quickly enveloped my entire body. Doing this would increase my speed and strength. It would also allow me to fly. Though still not as strong as my vampire form, it was enough to fight Robyn since I didn't have to win; I only had to buy some time.

After that, I flew around the room, leaving trails of ice everywhere, shooting Robyn with lightning, but she blocked them every time.

Robyn, after our fight, I vowed to myself that I would never enter that form again against you.

Rushing towards her, I attacked Robyn with my scythe, but she blocked it with her hands, upon which I immediately activated life drain.

I trained and trained every day mastering this technique. So that I could fight you without using that.

Robyn tried to jump away but I already froze her footing.

Using that form fills my mind with hatred. I see anyone as an opponent and attack them.

Robyn roared and punched me upwards which threw me, but I immediately regain my controls.

I don’t want to fight you while thinking that way. Robyn, you are not my opponent.

Flying upwards to gain momentum, I immediately dived down using my scythe to attack.

“BLACK LIGHTNING DIVE!”

You are my best friend.

An explosion occurred destroying the ice from the ground and creating a mild quake.

As the smoke cleared, Robyn is still standing with me lying on the ground with a broken scythe. However…

“Lightning, I’ve successfully hacked Wolf’s controls,” Hiiro shouted, running towards me.

Hearing that, my consciousness faded.

***

---Hiiro---

“Emi, hurry, scan Aria’s body.”

[Emi] Scanning… Scan complete. Master, Aria is unconscious but she’s still alive.

“Thank God.”

“Skely, take Lightning with you and escape this lab,” a voice behind me. It was Robyn

“What are you talking about? We can’t just leave you---“

“And what can you do?!” she shouted. “Aria is unconscious and you don’t have enough mana left!”

Hearing that stopped me for a bit.

She’s right. I only have mana left enough to maintain Zero. Fighting together, we’ll just drag them down. This is not a fantasy world where I can magically get stronger through something like the power of friendship. This is the reality. Things like that don’t exist.

“Ok. We’ll go. But take care of yourself.”

Please don’t die.

After that, I carried Aria and walked towards the door. But before I could go out, Robyn called out to me.

“Skely,” she shouted. “Please tell Aria, I’m sorry.”

“Will do.”

***

Time passed, I waited for them outside the building. However, the one who met with me was not them but an explosion coming from the lab. It was so intense that it produced large earthquakes. And Robyn? She and Lucie were nowhere to be found.