Chapter 207: How Dare You Insult Him?! You- You! Ah… Wait…
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Aqua approached and accepted the invitation, taking a seat beside the drunk Sieran. The elf put her arms around his neck, causing Elara to blink. Even if she was drunk, wasn't that too much? He ignored the elf hanging from his neck and poured himself a drink, raising the glass to her in a silent toast.
"Thank you," he said, taking a sip. The alcohol burned his throat, but he welcomed the warmth it brought. "It's been a while since I've had something like this."
Elara studied him, nodding. "Mhm, it's from the Empire of Bea. The empire fell, and only a part of its duchy remains, so it's a rare drink. Enjoy it well. Ah, and, how old are you?" she asked, her tone casual with an underlying curiosity. "Since you have elven blood, it's hard to tell."
"I'm fifteen," Aqua replied, meeting her gaze.
She hummed thoughtfully, glancing at the dozing Sieran. "Interesting. Elves do age slower, but since you seemed quite mature for your age, along with your extraordinary strength, I wasn't sure if you were as young as you seemed to be."
She then looked at Anoria, who had a slight difference in her appearance, almost as if something had changed. That maid who smiled almost as rarely as herself, was wearing a smile as she stood.
Elara raised an eyebrow, wondering, what's up with her? A moment later she said, "Anoria, take Sieran to her room. She's had enough for tonight."
Anoria bowed and gently lifted Sieran, carrying her out of the room. The elf swung her hands around to stick to Aqua, but he just waved at her while smiling. She was carried away like a sleepy child. Elara turned her attention back to Aqua, feeling an odd sense of familiarity with him. She decided to engage in conversation, hoping to uncover more about this mysterious young man.
"So," she began, swirling the liquid in her glass, "it seems you recently found out about your Elven blood? I've never heard about you, after all. Got a story to share over a drink?" She was bored, and a little since he seemed… odd.
"A story? Not much to tell, certainly not before one of the world's Heroes," Aqua said with a light laugh, sharing a drink with her. "But sure, if you're curious."
And thus, they chatted casually for a while, discussing various topics. He started with the boring life story he had in this world after Galaxara placed him and Ruby here through reality manipulation. It was just some boring school adventure that he exaggerated for the sake of story-telling. She found them amusing.
Half an hour passed, and Aqua paused. He went silent for a bit too long that even Elara noticed. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow while sitting back relaxed, a cup in her hand. He poured himself a cup and took a sip. He had decided to push her buttons finally.
"By the way, I was wondering," he said, setting his glass down, "why aren't you making a move against the demons? You're strong."
Elara's expression darkened, and she gave him a silent look, sipping her drink. "Is that the real reason why you came here? To ask me to move? I guessed as much." She let out a sigh, "Too bad. I lack any intention to get involved in this meaningless war."
"Why not?" he pressed, his tone curious but firm. "The world will end. Billions will die. Your sole participation might help save all of that."
"Curiosity killed the cat. Sieran knows, ask her later," she replied coolly.
"Is it because of your husband?" he asked, his eyes intent on her reaction.
A shadow crossed her face, but she didn't respond immediately. "I'll overlook it since you're a kid. I think this is enough drinking. Get out, a maid will show you to your room."
"You're a member of the Hero's party, the strongest spearman, and also the wife of the Hero. What would…. he, your husband, think of you acting indifferent to this burning world?" the young half-elf dared say, even as Elara rolled the wine goblet between her thumb and index finger.
"Not another word."
Aqua took another sip, then smiled at her, his cheeks rosy from the alcohol. Was he too drunk? Maybe she should overlook this? "Why not find a new man?" he suddenly suggested, leaning closer. "If you want… I can help-"
Before he could finish, Elara's eyes flashed with rage. She stood abruptly, her hand gripping her spear. "How dare you," she hissed, lunging at him.
Aqua reacted swiftly, blocking her attack with ease. She had used a fist to attack even though she was holding the spear, so it wasn't a proper [Skill], and yet, the windows exploded from sheer pressure, sharps of glass flying outwards.
Elara wasted no time, her rage driving her forward. Her spear reacted to her emotions and flew towards her. In one fluid motion, she grabbed her spear and swung it, aiming for Aqua's side. He parried with his sword, the blade coming out of thin space and falling into his hand. The clash of metal rang through the room.
The force of the blow sent vibrations through his arms, but he held firm, meeting her eyes with a calm intensity. "I guess the Coward of the Hero's Party can only attack weaponless children?" he asked, his voice steady despite the flurry of blows.
Elara gritted her teeth, her attacks becoming more frenzied. "What's the point in trying to taunt me, boy?" she asked, her voice a growl.
Aqua's movements were measured, his sword weaving through the air with precision. He blocked and parried, each clash of their weapons sending sparks flying. He could see the pain in her eyes, the turmoil that drove her rage. "Huh, maybe it's not you, but the Hero himself? You were, after all, called his reflection due to how bright your stars were compared to his sun," he said, his voice softer. "Maybe the hero was a coward, all the stories an exaggeration, and you're just following his footsteps?"
Elara's eyes blazed with fury. "You dare insult him?!" she shouted, her spear glowing with energy as she unleashed a powerful [Skill], aiming to pierce Aqua's defenses. He recognized it, after all, he helped her develop it.
How dare this brat spew such nonsense? If he wanted to die, she'd give him just that. Her skill cut through the air, causing it to explode with the sounds of butterfly bombs, going for his throat.
Aqua dodged the strike, feeling the surge of power pass by him. He countered with a swift strike of his own, their weapons meeting in a dazzling display of skill. The castle walls shook, and cracks began to spread across the floor and ceiling.
"What do you know about him?" Elara spat, her spear whirling in a deadly arc. "You know nothing, you young bastard! To speak of him in that way, when you're not even half the man he ever was!"
He who held a mountain over his shoulder to save a bird's nest, what would this brat know of his greatness?! Aqua's eyes narrowed as he blocked her attacks, his strikes becoming more forceful. "Well he must have been some loser if his first wife killed him, and his second wife became a spineless bitch," he said, his voice firm. "What a weak man he must have been. Isn't there a legend that he couldn't pull out the sword stuck in the stone?"
"YOU DARE?!" Aura of a Demi-God almost burst out of her, only restrained by her level, as another [Skill] capable of cleaving a country in half rushed toward him. "[Supernova: Scrutiny of Betelgeuse]!"
What would he know about Seriphoth, who despite failing to draw the sword from the stone, fought for humanity without a worry, until Jasmine had to connect her soul to the sword to allow him to wield it?
What would he know, how even without the symbol of a hero, the Holy Sword, he journeyed to slay the four heavenly generals? Knowing that defeat was guaranteed without the sword, he just laughed it off and walked forward. How could that be a weak man?!
"...Vagabond Style, 2nd Form, Sword that Beheads the Sea," the young man said in a soft, calm tone, as a technique so odd and complex rushed out of his sword. It evenly matched her [Skill], colliding into each other, as the room exploded. If not for the oddly perfect collision, however, the explosion would have engulfed the entire city.
That surprised her.
"Oh, now I get it," he rested his sword on his shoulder. "I guess I overestimated you. It makes sense now why you lock yourself in your castle. With such meager skills, you, in fact, wouldn't have made a difference against the demons. So I apologize for saying otherwise earlier," he let out a sigh. "Ah, and I guess since you're his reflection, the Hero must have been such a weakling as well. How pathetic."
Elara's fury grew, her spear movements becoming erratic. "Shut up, you scoundrel!" she screamed, her spear glowing brighter. She activated another [Skill], the energy from her weapon causing the air to crackle.
And when the seasons changed, only he stood by her side, for she was a young woman built to fall. A broken princess, with nothing to her name, only that stupid Seriphoth stood before her like a shield against an endless river of threats. How was such a man 'pathetic'?!
Elara's spear grew bright, and one of her strongest ultimate [Skills] burst forward.
"[The False Constellation: Seriphoth]!" is what she called it, inspired by her husband's [Grand Chariot]. It was the only technique she developed after his death, but even so, Aqua easily recognized it. After all, his mark was spread all over it. She never thought she would use it here, as she had created it for one task only: killing the Demoness Bitch.
Even Sieran couldn't block this attack without needing a few minutes to cast hundreds of spells, she was sure that this Aqua would die. She swung her spear forward with the weight of a heavy star.
Yet he met her attack head-on, his sword glowing with a dark yellow aura, like that of a solar eclipse. His hair fluttered from his own aura, his face indifferent.
He took a pose, a very familiar one, and swung his sword. It countered her perfectly; his Dark Sun aura matched her ultimate technique. Shockwaves were sent through the castle as dust and debris filled the air as the castle continued to fall apart around them.
It was [Grand Chariot, Merak].
"What the…?" Elara was stunned, noticing the familiar movements in his sword technique. Although the Vagabond Style looked odd and unfamiliar, this sword technique was familiar. Of course it was, she had seen it in action a thousand times. She slowed down a bit and began throwing weak attacks at him. The way he parried, the way he moved, and the way he countered were all familiar to her. "T-that is…"
How did he know the swordsmanship of the Hero?!
C-could it be… N-no, that's impossible. Then? How?
Soon, she concluded. "Ah, must be Jasmine, right? Did Jasmine teach? She should have chosen someone better!" she wondered aloud, her strikes growing fierce once again. Was this why he was trying to berate the old hero? To prove he was better?
Aqua didn't respond, his focus on the battle. He matched her movements with an eerie familiarity, his technique mirroring the training they had shared in the past. Before Jasmine was in the picture. "Asking those meaningless questions when you're not even strong enough to save you, and your lover's home. What, are you going to beg me to spare you since I am your husband's successor?"
"...."
"I am not sure what to do, since it seems that the Hero of this world wasn't that much of a Hero. Seeing you right now, perhaps it was all fake. It seems he was just a lying weak man pretending to be strong; a nobody who accomplished nothing and yapped about everything," he said with a loud, mocking chuckle, while Elara's anger exploded like a dam.
"Accomplished nothing?!" Her voice was hoarse, it broke, as she yelled and clashed with his blade. Three hundred years have passed, yet from every old farmer to every child born in a noble family, they believed these Outer Gods would have tucked their tail and fled the world if Seriphoth the Hero was alive.
When the Goddess lost, they believed the Hero would succeed.
What the fuck did this imbecile mean by 'accomplished nothing'?!
This world's symbol of peace, he who saved billions single-handedly, he who stood as a shield against the spears of evil, he who would let a robber steal his pouch as he had to feed his sick daughter back home, how dare this bastard say that man had accomplished nothing?!
Her spear grazed his cheek, drawing blood, and his eyes seemed to tremble in strange excitement. She growled, continuing her endless assault. While the people in the city panicked thinking it was the end of the world, and while her own castle broke down around her, she continued like there was no tomorrow.
Her spear stabbed him on his left shoulder.
"Oh, a lucky shot?"
"DIE!"
Elara didn't catch onto his movement from the beginning, she was too enraged to pay any notice to that. But as the fight continued, his movement pattern began to look oddly familiar; it did not derive from a swordsmanship technique, rather it was a rhythm form that was practiced to match against her in particular.
A form that she was familiar with, one that she remembered every time she held her spear. After all, she had trained against it for years. Elara's anger began to wane, replaced by confusion and recognition. Each clash of their weapons brought back memories, and her eyes widened. These movements and this dance, it was something they practiced together. In that cave where none but them lived.
"Y-you..." she shouted, her eyes glossy as she pointed her spear at him. forming an ultimate technique. One that they had developed in the cave "I'll kill you if this is a trick, you bastard!"
She was losing her mind, this technique could pulverize an Empire, and only one man could counter it. Even the Demon King had to avoid this [Skill]. She cared little that this would erase Thalindra from the map.
Aqua looked at her sharply, his own sword shining like the sun.
Then, his Qi disappeared and he smiled. He broke off his fighting pose, dropped his sword, and spread his arms wide.
"Well," his hair turned black, eyes purple, as a wave of Qi passed over him. The world seemed to pause for Elara. "If my princess wants me dead, how can I even resist?"
Elara's ultimate technique faltered, and her expression froze. She stared ahead like a dumbstruck painting, before gritting her teeth and growling in frustration. "Fucker!" She screamed, kicking the ground, as her spear clattered on the ground, "You fucking bastard!" She lunged at him, her punches landing on his chest.
Aqua fell to the floor, and Elara landed on top of him, her fists raining down on him. Yet, they were the hits of a little girl, weak and ineffective, even as tears trailed down her face. "You bastard, you imbecile!"
Her… her suspicions were true.
The realization had already claimed her heart.
Half of the massive castle lay in ruins around them, the destruction a result of their battle. Amidst the debris and chaos, two old friends, lovers, were reunited. Elara's tears continued to flow as she pounded weakly on Aqua's chest. She sobbed, "H-how dare you show your face here, after leaving me to suffer on my own?!"
Aqua wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice filled with regret. "I'm here now… You'll never be alone again."
The weight of their past hung in the air, a poignant reminder of the bond they shared. In that moment, surrounded by the remnants of their battle, they found solace in each other's arms. Princess Elara cried, she shed tears that had dried out centuries ago, and unlike last time, they were tears of absolute happiness.
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Author Note: 😔🔥Sunday, let's put a goal of 350 stones for two chapters tomorrow. We're always very close to 300, so just vote, we'll make it!!
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