118. "You're not a monster"
In an instant, like watching photos in a smartphone's gallery, scenes of him who sacrificed himself to save Lex and the others.
One by one, scene after scene, those memories when Lex saw how he, the only one who stood before them, slowly fell to the ground and then never stood up again.
Those memories perfectly match what he witnessed now. The powerless Alice falling to the ground entirely reminded him of the nightmare he wanted to bury deep inside him and never to call it back to the surface again. The death of Max Azela.
"A, Alice…" Lex called softly, hoping she was okay. However, his last hope was cut mercilessly as Alice didn't reply. She didn't even react to Lex's call.
"Ghh," Lex gritted his teeth and used all his strength, moving his handcuffed hands and reaching for Alice.
"…" Lex let out a soundless cry to reach out as far as he could yet…
*Step
Lex' didn't realize his hands were stepped on. He tried to use more force to move them even further, but it was futile. No matter how he tried, he could move his hands further, and finally, Lex's tranced eyes saw why he couldn't move his hands.
He saw a foot stepping on his hands, and at the same time, a cackling sound registered in his brain. Lex slowly recognized the identity of that feet, and laughing, he looked upward, and the moment he saw it… his face dyed in hatred in an instant.
"BRAAAD!!!!" Lex roared like a beast.
"Ku, KUHAHAHAHA!!" Brad laughed even more gleefully, seeing Lex's reaction. "What happened to your composure from before~ ahaha" he mocked and mocked without realizing that his own end was already in sight.
In every human race or Soul-type Mana race, there's this one thing they eventually tried to do but failed to succeed. That is… to control External Mana. It's because whenever they use their Internal Mana, it isn't rare for them to end up with empty Internal Mana, at that time, whether it is when they train or in a pinch they wanted more Mana, more than their internal Mana that's when took their attention to the abundance of Natural Mana on the nature or what they called External Mana.
However, this is something that never happened to Lex. Lex has a huge reservoir of Internal Mana that is almost comparable to the titled 'Monster' in this monster-like society, he had a vast amount of Mana, but very few ways to use that Mana, the condition of Out of Internal Mana was something he never experienced.
That's why the allure of infinity External Mana couldn't tempt him like others. Why would he be jealous of infinity like External Mana when he already has infinity like Internal Mana. So rather than thinking that the neighbor's grass was greener, Lex focused on how to precisely control his abundance of Internal Mana like Livia did.
Nonetheless, the situation is different now. In the span of trading blows with Brad, Lex already tried many times to destroy or at least release himself from the seal. As long as Brad was far from Alice, Lex believed he could intercept Brad if he decided to take Alice hostage again after he released himself.
Sadly, he couldn't get himself out. He can't break the cuff or the seal with his own strength. He couldn't control his Internal Mana, and it didn't mean it blocked his senses. Even at this very moment, he could still sense his abundance of Internal Mana and the plenitude of External Mana.
"BRAAAD!!!!" Lex roared again. At the same time, he never stopped controlling his Internal Mana. It was then… in a flash, what Venti Crimson said replayed in his mind. 'There's Mana anywhere in the world' that triggered a flash of insight.
(There's also External Mana…) Lex thought it was something he always felt but took for granted that he no longer felt it was strange to have Mana in the air, unlike the first time he was introduced to Mana. So finally, like other Human races, Lex set his sight on External Mana. There are no such excuses in his mind like 'Human Race can't use External Mana' or 'I can't control External Mana' like that. The moment Lex realized there was also External Mana, his mind automatically changed shifts trying to control External Mana around him. To his surprise… it moved! The Mana moves following his control!
*Boooom!!
Brad dashed back, following his instinct. The scene in front of him gawked at him. after he escaped, a huge amount of External Mana gathered around the place where Alice and Lex were. Brad saw a massive whirlwind of Mana form.
Then from the center of that Dust Devil formed by Mana, a bright light started to leak into the outside. It was like sunlight that broke the wall of clouds and shined the ground, like a spotlight on the stage.
Before long, the Dust devil disappeared. Sucked was more appropriate to describe it. From the inside was Lex, who stood up like a zombie from the ground. Yet the most shocking thing is there are 5 elongated diamond-shaped lights on Lex's back. They are also the ones behind the disappearance of that Whirlwind of Mana.
"BRAAAAADD!!!" Lex roared again, then when Lex tried to rush toward Brad, his body slumped and fell to the ground again. Lex unconsciously controlled his External Mana to strengthen his body, yet it was blocked. Lex realized the same way his Internal Mana blocked getting out of his body. His External Mana was stopped from getting inside his body.
At this time, Brad finally snapped out of his daze. He stared at Lex in disbelief like a goldfish gaping his mouth, "Impossible," a single word came out.
After a bit of struggle Lex stood up again. Now that he realized he couldn't strengthen himself, there was not much he could do.
"Circle and Burn,
Lex increased the Mana, fueling more and more Mana into his Fireball. He didn't have any technique or experience, so he filled those holes with his surplus of Mana, the same way he usually utilized his elemental glove, buying copper with gold.
Then with his intention alone, the colossal Fireball, about the size of a small vehicle, flew toward Brad. When Brad easily sliced apart, the Fireball Lex wasn't discouraged. Instead, he had already made his move.
"Just What the fuck are you!!?" Brad screamed as he saw the uncountable amount of flying Fireballs around Lex. Brad tried to dash toward Lex and end the battle as quickly as possible but was blocked by Fireball. Lex threw a few Big and Small Fireballs toward Brad to keep him busy, then accumulated more Fireballs in the back. It was the same whenever Brad decided to run away.
He knew this was the only way for him to fill the lack of quality of his power, Quantity over quality. Whenever he threw one Fireball, he would make three Fireballs on the back. He threw five, then he made over ten on the back, then it slowly accumulated,
Information? Vetus Orbis? Catching him alive? That idea had already been long gone from inside Lex's mind. There's only one thing or one purpose inside Lex's mind right now. The extermination of the being in front of him. He wanted to burn his very existence away from this world.
Then the awaited time has come…
Brad stood in a daze looking at the Fireballs above the ground like stars in the night sky, Low and High, with Lex in the middle. He was surrounded by Big and Small Fireballs. There was no escape. So it was useless even if he turned back and ran now.
[Author's note: for a better picture, you guys can think something like Gilgamesh's skill from the Fate series]
"Haha" He let out a slight laugh to mock himself, then he thought (A well-hidden card is a card that no one knows. That anyone who sees is no longer left in this world)
"Looks like I ate my own words. It was my Imagination that was lacking. Who could expect that he's a Celestial Race."
"I'm sorry "…" I can't accompany you till the end," was Brad's last word before being scorched to death along with anything behind. Brad was razed to the ground. The safety of Alice was the only thing he cared about right now.
After seeing not even his corpse was left, Lex turned his way and hurried his way toward Alice. he also destroyed his seal with External Mana without minding the damage on his hands.
Lex picked Alice's head, though there was no sign of breathing. However, Lex was surprised that he could still feel the faint beating of her heart. Without hesitation, Lex immediately took out his Magic Weapon, the gun left by his parents from his inventory. The last Yellow Bullet, the healing bullet he had… however…
It dawned on him. He was no longer in possession of that bullet! He lent the last bullet, the healing bullet, to Mare Crimson to be researched and reproduced if they could.
"DAMN IT!!" Lex cursed. When Lex slowly felt Alice's signs of life becoming weaker, he quickly brought his attention back to Alice.
"No! Please no! Alice! Alice! please, Alice, wake up!!" Unknowingly, Lex had already started to shed tears. "Not again. I don't want to lose anyone again! Please stay with me, ALICE!!!"
Yet, the reality was cruel. No matter how he screamed, Alice's sign of life never reignited and slowly faded away like a fire on a burnout candle.
"NO!!!!!!" Lex hugged Alice deeply as he cried, yet losing another one of his important people. Except for sadness, there's only regret and anger left inside him.
Anger against Vetus Orbis? No! It was anger against himself. He was clouded by anger and hatred. He tried to take revenge against Vetus Orbis because of Max's death. It finally dawned on him that rather than using his life to aim for an act of revenge, he should use his life and time to take care of what he has. Who knows when his important people suddenly leave.
Lex was reminded how he didn't care about Maya, Ella, and Alice these days when he was chasing after Vetus Orbis.
Then there's also regret (Why did I do this? Why did I chose this? Why am I so careless? Why didn't I take care of them?). There were too many reasons playing on Lex's mind as he held what he had lost very dearly in his hands.
Even so, it's a fact that no matter how many 'why' and how many 'if' he thinks and spews out, nothing can change this situation.
And finally, a single path lighted up in front of him. After who knows how long he looked for, how many times he tried, and after someone important to him sacrificed, Lex was ironically able to see his path and advance. Lex's sight, in an instant, just for a moment, became bright like billions of stars suddenly appeared in front of him. For the first time, Lex could feel and take a glimpse of 'Ether.'
*Chomp
"!!" Lex instantly woken up from his remorse when he felt a bit of pain in his neck. The next second, he felt his blood flowing out of his body from his neck.
*Glug *Glug
Lex clearly heard someone drinking on his neck, and only one person was on his neck. Lex quickly pulled Alice's body away from his neck. To his surprise, the body was rejecting his action and holding his neck as long as possible.
Still, Lex used more strength to pull Alice's body away. Then he saw the dazed eyes of Alice looking at him.
"Lex... Thirsty… Blood…"
"Ah…" Lex was astonished beyond belief, but he released Alice from his clutch. Alice slowly went to Lex's neck and bit his neck again, drinking his blood.
"Ha ha ha," Lex laughed weakly, then slowly embraced Alice dearly, slowly another type of tear appeared in his eyes. "Thank you, I'm so glad" Lex buried his head in Alice's neck and let out a muffled voice. "It's a miracle that I'll never let go."
*Glug *Glug
Lex had already lost quite a lot of blood from fighting Brad, and now Alice had drunk blood from him. Lex felt his sight a bit blurry, and a faint headache appeared. Still, stopping Alice was the last thing he could think of. It was then…
Lex no longer heard someone drinking on his neck or felt Alice sucking his neck. Instead, the sensation of her lips slowly growing apart, then Alice only buried her head on Lex. Just when Lex thinks that Alice fell asleep.
*Hiks
"Uuu… kuuh…"
Lex was stunned when he heard Alice weeping. He quickly pulled Alice and looked at her face to face.
Alice tried to hide from him but was soon held by Lex. Lex could see Alice's messed up face.
"What happened…? Why are you crying...?" Lex asked softly and kindly
"Uuu…" Alice only kept weeping and again tried to pull away from Lex but was again held by Lex.
"Can't you tell me…?" Lex then wiped her tears with his slightly damaged and rough hands. "it's okay if you can't tell me, but don't push me away… please" at the end, it was Lex's own selfishness not to be separated from her again.
"…" Alice was silent for a moment and slowly opened her lovely lips "Lex..." she called.
"hmm?" Lex softly replied.
"Uu…" Alice almost started crying again but held herself. "We finally met again..."
"Mm"
"There are many things I wanted to tell you…."
"Mm"
"There are many things I wanted to do with you…."
"Mm"
"There are so many things… but… but… *Hiks Uuu… But, I can't be with you anymore…." Alice slowly said.
"Mm- Hm!?" Lex was shocked by her last sentence. But he quickly recollected himself. "But why?" he softly asked.
Alice could still feel the sweet taste of her tongue. She also could feel her sharpened fangs. "Kuh…" Alice felt it was really hard to speak it out loud, she didn't want to recognize it, but she didn't have a chance. "I'm a monster…." Alice spoke so quietly that Lex almost didn't get it.
Alice turned her head away. She wanted to see Lex's reaction, but at the same time, she was also afraid to be rejected. She also didn't have the slightest idea how her parents were going to react to her condition now.
"Alice…" Lex called. When Alice denied looking at him, Lex pulled her face again. "Alice…" Lex called her name again. Lex reached out to her lips and her fangs. He knew Alice turned into a Vampire, but with Brad's death, he didn't have to be afraid of her being enslaved too.
Alice realized what Lex was trying to do and tried to struggle and push him away. "It's okay," Lex calmed her down. Lex opened her lips a little, and he touched her fang, "It's fine. Look, it's just a little sharp, nothing changes. It's still cute."
Alice weakly shook her head. "Even at this point, I felt a sweet smell from your neck… I felt like attacking you at any moment since earlier."
"It's fine. You can drink my blood," Lex said, "You just drink mine, and there's nothing wrong with me, right?"
Still, Alice shook her head again. "I can't, Lex. I saw how that guy killed someone by biting them. If by any chance I-" before Alice finished her words, her mouth was immediately covered by Lex... with his own.
"Mmhm!?" Alice was surprised, it was only for an instant, but Alice definitely felt his lips sensation.
"Alice Versalis!" Lex called with a louder voice.
"!!"
"you're not a monster, Alice."
"But I-"
"No! you're not!" Lex didn't let her finish "no matter what others say, you are You!"
"Even if you deny yourself. To me, you're still you!"
"Alice, you don't have to be afraid," Lex said, then he touched his head onto hears with only a slight distance between their faces. "You will never be alone anymore. No matter what. I'll always be by your side from now on. Forever by your side."
"Kuh, Uuuu… kusu…Uuuu…" Alice finally broke down in tears letting out all of her grievances on Lex's chest. What she's afraid of the most is losing her place. What if her parents rejected her? What if she hurt Lex. She didn't want to hurt them but also didn't want to be alone. It was a contradictory wish. When she decided to endure it alone, he came, not letting her away, no matter what.
Both of them didn't know the existence of others watching them at this moment. Lex was obviously exhausted beyond the limit. Unless something endangers their life, he won't feel a thing. The person who saw them...Kate unconsciously runs away from that place.
Still, the three of them didn't know that one more person had fallen unconscious nearby.