The two turned to see a young guard.
Pent asks him, “Ken. What did you see?”
“It wasn’t clear at first because of the mist.”
“!”
“But then I saw it, a dark blue skinned woman. With horns just like a devil from the old tales and she wears armor. There’s a tail from her back too.”
“An armored devil?” Siola asked.
“Ken, is that true? A devil caused all this?”
Siola commands, “Gather the survivors, there’s something else I need to check.”
“W-Wait, ma’am!”
Her and her two companions went to the dock. The place underneath it connects to the underground of which Lyra and her subordinates used to live.
Now her subordinates are accursed undead.
Siola cast a sign, “Divine Purification.”
The undead soon twitches and turning as they fall to the ground. One by one are being dealt with but then Siola got to the main chamber at the spot where she relinquished control over her body to Luosa.
Lyra chuckles, “Heh, this is the place where it all started huh.”
“You don’t know just how much I’ve been through here. At least, it’s memories now.”
She realizes that her leader is awfully quiet.
“Come on, Siola. Spill it. What’s on your mind?”
“The one who attacked the town is a devil?”
“Or so he said.”
“But still, I thought you said an Eternal or Ethereal will not be attacking us, Xania?”
“Yes, my lady. That much I’m certain.”
“Are you saying… all that power… is from a Transcendental and below?”
“Considering what you have achieved despite your short time being a human, my lady. There may be another gifted one. And Devil spawns and/or the devils themselves are indeed capable of so much more.”
“Right.”
“If I might suggest. There are the survivors that we ought to offer a helping hand.”
“Yeah… Yeah, let’s go.”
Xania smiles and have her arm around Siola’s shoulder, reassuring her further.
They soon return to Pent in the barracks and there the survivors have indeed gathered to seek aid, they become rowdy.
“What do we do?”
“Our home.”
“I was asleep when it happened.”
“What’re we going to do?”
Siola see a few familiar faces there.
“Dwarf, you made it out alive, I see.”
“Huh?!” veins pops, but then he remembers, “You. The lass who bought those irons. Where they gone? You ditch em?”
“The mace was burnt into nothing, but I still have the crossbow with me.”
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Showing it to him slightly from the mini portal.
“Ay, you got the dimension pocket or whatever. Come to think of it. You look different from what I remember. The eyes and that thing on your forehead.”
“Think they suit me?”
“Aye.”
“Heh, good to see you, dwarf.”
“Oi, I have a name.”
Siola went to see an old man sitting by the barrack. The very same old man she met at the shrine of Armalia. But then Pent suddenly walk up to her.
“Ma’am, would you spare a bit of your Heal for the people? The guards and the survivors are gathered but there’s no potion left.”
“Should’ve waited for me, but I guess I should’ve told them that I’ll use it before I left.”
The old man caught a glance at Siola, her forehead. His eyes widened.
Siola turns to the center of the survivors. The old man reaches out to her but his hand retracted back and he knelt. Pent noticed the old man. His eyes glowing with shock and most important of all, hope. The sight of Siola’s back as he clasps his hands together.
He prayed, “O my Lady of Light, you have not forsaken us. Thank you.”
Pent eyes widened as he sees Siola clasping her hands together.
“O our lady of Light, grant thy servant the power to aid all these people. To restore a part of their life who has been lost.”
Light shines through the sky, golden particles gather all around her.
Siola opens her arms, “Mass Heal.”
Golden wave spreads throughout the town. Healing those within it. From simple cuts to deep wounds, all restored back together as the dark sky turns bright.
Pent’s eyes closed as he feels the warmth of the magic.
But he knows, it is no magic.
It’s a miracle.
“Saintess.”
Muttered a person within a crowd. Pent and the others were confused by what he said. Until he took a step forward and kneel, he starts to pray. His cut wounds, his burnt wounds, healing. One by one, Pent sees the people follows. Praying to the Divine Order through her.
The golden white light shines through her.
Somewhere out there are realms of the gods. One as such is full of clouds, many lives in these clouds. Growing plants, eating meat, there are houses and couriers. At the deepest part of it lies a grand pavilion. Within this realm, lies the Ruler of Divine Order.
She took a human form, yet large and tall. Golden white hair, irises shining brightly. She sits not at her mighty throne, but the edge of the balcony behind it. Seeing a growth spurt of a plant amidst an enormous tree in the distance. She smiles.
Winged human landed on the pavilion, hasted, she kneels at the ruler.
“My lady, Armalia, your servant has returned.”
“…” her eyes gleaming at the sight of those sprouts still growing.
“My lady?”
Breathing deeply, “How was it?”
“The death of lord Ludwig’s daughter has sent the gods unease. With Mage of the Abyss gone, the Abyss is becoming unruly, prompting the End Kings to make their moves in several Lost Realms and the surface world.”
“And Ludwig?”
“Unfortunately, he dismissed me before I can even set foot in Prison Realm. With both him and Replica no longer hold the title, it’s very possible that instead of finding a replacement, both now has met the requirement of becoming the very ruler of the Abyss.”
“…” she smiles, “Unlikely, but what about Lehdrith?”
“He seems pleased about the daughter’s passing.”
“Mm, and Hellblade?”
“Chaos brewed. He’s eager to launch an attack on the Abyss, right at this very moment.”
Sighing as she stood, “It seems that the four of us needs to have a conversation.”
“Call them for me, would you?”
Sweats slightly dropping, “At once, my lady.”
As she left, Armalia look at the growing sprout once more and smiles.
In the breezing cold of the morn, in the burning town that is Clearwater Creek, Siola and her companions are helping the city’s reparation and mourning.
Blessing those who have fallen. Their life cut short by the monster she once encountered. Eyes weary, seeing all these people she doesn’t know, died.
‘Because of me.’
‘With every life I took, it ought to be the same.’
‘What was lost in my sleep, what was lost in my wake. All those people, all those creatures. What is it that I’m supposed to think of them?’
‘That this is the way of life?’
‘Is this how it naturally is?’
‘I fought to survive.’
‘When was the last time I kill for the same reason?’
“Ma’am?”
Tilting her head upward, she turns to see Pent.
“Please, take this.”
Brows raised, Siola takes a look inside the box, and it’s a necklace.
* Druid’s Might / Epic / Increases HP, MP, SP. Enhances nature-type spells, earth-type spells, and water-type spells
“I know it’s presumptuous of me to be giving you this after everything that you have done for us, but it is all that we have… what I have.”
“Thanks, Pent.”
“N-No… um… no. Without you, there wouldn’t even be any reason for us to rebuilt if the people themselves are all… gone. But thanks to you, there’s still hope for us.”
“…”
She smiles, “You ever believed in miracles, Pent?”
“Pardon? I mean, of course. What you did for us.”
Chuckles, “I was merely making use of what my lady gave me, but… I’m thinking about life. All those people we buried today. Maybe if I had come a little sooner, maybe it all can be prevented.”
“Please don’t say that, Ma’am. Fate brought you here, and if you weren’t here, then…”
‘No, Pent. Fate didn’t bring me here. My mistake was. And I chose to come here.’
‘Had I taken a different path, none of this would’ve happened.’
“Life, as precious as they are, it’s all depends on the choices we make, the outcome of it. Maybe I’m a little too late in seeing it, but I hope… that I can do better.”
“…” he smiles, “Better late than never as they say.”
He kneels, “Thank you for being here, St. Mithra.”
Her eyes widened at the sound of that familiar word, “Mithra…” her eyes teary, she smiles. Glancing to the sunrise in the horizon, she chuckles.