Kristine was sitting by herself atop a hill looking into the distance while Feishu was cooking food for both of them.
"AIYA! It's been a month... and your classmates are still sending me letters asking if you'd rejoin them in the war against the demi-humans..." Feishu whined as she received yet another carrier pigeon.
"They think that I'd move on from him in just a month and go against everything I believe in...?"
"I mean... it's not like you two spent a lot of time together. Weren't you two separated only a few weeks after dating and went your separate ways to find what this world is all about?" Feishu asked.
"You are right that we didn't have most time together but I think it's sense of loyalty we felt towards each other. So, to me, that means all. He believed in me and led me down this path of seeking truth on my own and reach my own conclusions. Not saying our relationship was perfect but I could say there was a sense of maturity in it. With how we both respected each other throughout everything."
"Sounds like bunch of excuses to me..." Feishu chuckled and served Kristine chicken soup. "But now that he is gone... what plans do you have moving forward? You've been avoiding this conversation for a while now but at some point you have to face reality."
"I have not reached my answer yet. But a part of me still believes he is alive out there somewhere."
"There you go with your delusions." Chen climbed up holding a deer he had hunted for dinner. He placed it on the ground and started cleaning up. "You have helped us a lot in Shulian and that boyfriend of yours too. So, we, in turn, want the best for you two too. I think it's best if you continue moving forward. You're still trying to find the Gods who summoned you here and on top of that, you want to kill them. I have never even heard of someone as blasphemous as you."
"You're right... but now is not the time. Till I've gotten my answers from the heavens, I will not stop."
...
At the same time, somewhere far away in a desolate desert.
"My, my... You look very handsome today, professor." Charlotte smiled as she landed on the ground joining her colleague.
"Of course. It is indeed a special day for all of us, so, I had to put my best makeup."
"So, what's the plan?"
"To find the remains of king Askai. Kenji talked about winter's constellation. We have to find more about it."
The two continued walking for several hours before they reached a certain place where the sky was torn open and purple lighted oozed from it. Everything in that area had turned to stone, from animals to trees, it spared nothing. A sole door stood in the middle of all this leading to a tomb. The sight was overwhelming as the power leaking from the tear was felt by even the ascendants but neither made a statement about it. They entered the door and was welcomed by a technology they had never seen before. Walls were made of metal sheets with blue light running across the walls in a specific geometric pattern.
"He was ahead of his time, huh...?" Charlotte smiled.
"That would be an understatement. This is... some sort of elemental energy but... not the ones we are used to." He checked the blue light patterns on the walls.
"He was a link and had access to knowledge that no one else did but one of the main reasons the heavens took care of him was because he knew a little too much. He had learned how to harness the purest form of elemental energy. As you see the magic we have is driven from a base. We are yet to understand what this base energy is and how it converts into elemental energy and why we can't understand it." Charlotte spoke.
"Purest form? Even I've never heard of such accomplishment... scratch that. I never even know a base elemental energy even existed. Seems like the entire building is filled with such energy and is still keeping all the mechanisms up and running."
"You are right. This is the true power of links. The five of them were not... nothings. Askai was just... the first to betray." Charlotte said.
"The first...? And you know awful lot about him. Let me guess your secret, young lady." He smirked and looked at her. "Or... maybe I am wrong." He minded his own business and kept looking through the tomb.
"So about Kenji, how sure are you that he is still out and about?" Professor asked.
"No comments. If I give you the right answer... then it won't be as fun, y'know."
As the two continued down the hallway, their path was intercepted by a monster from the assembly.
"What's a monster doing here...?" Professor, who wasn't much of a fighter, decided to stand back and let Charlotte take the stage.
"I will cleanse you of your sins, link of death." The monster spoke as seven orbs emerged from it's body and revolved around it's body. Each orb corresponding an element.
"So I was right?" Professor chuckled.
"But... how does it know?" Charlotte was somewhat confused before she charged at the monster. It formed multiple shields around itself including an ice shield which was an issue as Charlotte had no way of breaking it since elemental shields were immune to attack of same element and Charlotte exceled at ice magic in specific.
...
Meanwhile, Kenji was training with Amina who was not stronger than me anymore. Compared to our first meeting, I had gotten significantly stronger but her gimmicky pressurized collapses were still an issue. While in my flight mode, I usually use my shield to block out attacks but her collapse has some mechanism where it bypasses my shield entirely. It doesn't hurt me but it still makes me fumble. Which by itself is bad, as it gives her some time to launch attacks at me while I manage myself.
"Still weak, are we?" Amina laughed but I decided to play reckless and launched myself at her and slammed my feet right into her stomach thrusting her onto the ground.
"Still weak, are we?" I got on her and healed her immediately.
"Ugh! Unfair! I'm a crown princess, treat me as such." She sat up and whined at me. In contrast to our first meeting, she had changed drastically. At least now she is not trying to murder me for being a human.
"Your highness! The collaboration has launched their first attack at the other side." The knight informed us.
"I see... Kenji..."
"I'm on your side, don't worry. Anyways, which nation have they attacked?" I asked the knight.
"They're going after Grumania first since the king has recently passed away and the new king is still not experienced enough."
"Grumania... Fine. The army has started moving. How many days till they reach Grumania?" I asked.
"Give or take seven days."
"I'll clear things out for them. I will personally handle the outlanders from my world. You can inform the king about it."
"They made a move faster than I had expected. You going to handle your classmates... why exactly?"
"Personal reasons. I have no option but to fight... so why not choose to fight someone I want to." I responded and shrugged.