(Maia's Pov)
After leaving Cael with her, I honestly didn't even know what to do. I also forgot to have her make some colored contacts so I could go around without being stared at like that, but I guess it didn't really matter that much at this point, since I was probably seen by enough people already for the "disguise" to be useless.
Even then though… What exactly am I supposed to do?
Sighing, I kept walking around, with no real aim in mint.. I wasn't worried about them either, if anything I was just hoping she wouldn't seduce my sweet brother yet, since he's still a little boy after all. His behavior towards her, and his lack of awareness of his own limits wasn't a problem either. Since they were just leysuring around like the couple wanna be that they are, so I was pretty much just stranded, with nothing to do, and also not even able to waste some time worrying about them. Talk about unlucky, right? I definitely deserve better.
I guess I'll go back to Layra and kill some time with her…
Layra was aware not only of Luna's true identity, but also of my soon to be position, so I was at the very least able to relax around her. When I returned inside, thankfully enough the restaurant wasn't that full. I was getting some mean looks here and there as I walked in, but overall it wasn't anything I couldn't ignore.
Walking in, I raised one arm and called out to her, with my beautiful smile on full display.
"Yo, Layra! I've come to play!"
Her expression was saying something along the lines of "why the hell are you here", but oh well. Her general behavior towards me was a lot colder compared to what she was like with Cael earlier, but she's just a tsundere. Probably. Either way, as I walked towards her, she sighed while putting down a tray she had in her hands. The place was about 2 thirds full, and of course, the moment I went in, the whispering and glaring began.
"Hey, that girl's eyes…"
"She must be…"
"Filthy traitor…"
"She should just die…"
Hmm, I expected more originality… I guess I was expecting too much, huh?
Not that it mattered. I ignored it all, as it genuinely didn't bother me, considering I'd soon have power above every single one of them. Pretty cool if you ask me. Anywho, once I reached her, Layra called out to one of her colleagues.
"I'm going on a break!"
"Alright, there's no one else on break right now so go ahead!"
Then, glancing at me once with the side of her eye, as if telling me to "hurry up and start walking already" we went on our way towards the staff's break room. Once we got in, I sat down on a chair at the table. While she went towards the room's small "kitchen" counter.
"Do you want tea or coffee?"
"Tea pleaseee…"
I sank my face on the table, same with my arms. At that moment, boredom was the only way to describe what I was feeling.
"You sure got comfortable real quick, huh?"
"I can't help it, I got stranded and I have nothing else to do other than killing time with you…"
The table also made a fairly good face rest anyway.
"So she went with him on a date? Haha, seems like Cael has beaten you when it comes to romance."
"Eh, it's not like there was much I could do to stop it either way, we're talking about Her after all…"
"You have a point. So? Are you going to be bothering me until their little date is over?"
"Yeah, that was the plan. You didn't seem busy anyway, so I thought it wouldn't matter."
She let out a sigh, while making both a cup of tea for me, and some coffee for herself still.
"Listen… you can't always expect me to have time to play with you, you know?"
"Oh come on, you're never that busy! Not to mention, you're always so cold towards me, Layra! Why can't you be as nice to me as you are with Cael or Her?!"
"Because you're You."
"Ehhhh, even I'm going to get offended if you're that rude…"
She sighed once again, which should've been the 3rd so far. I'll keep counting them. Anyway, a few moments after her sigh, she turned around with both her coffee and my tea in her hands, and put them on the table before sitting on the chair in front of me. How did she manage to make them so fast? I dont have the slightest idea.
"Wuah, as fast as always!"
I eagerly took a sip, which resulted in my tongue getting a burn that would probably need medical help, had it been a regular person. Thankfully though, I wasn't one. Convenient right? I instantly healed my tongue, so the pain receptors in it didn't even have time to properly register it. So all which was left was the taste of her freshly made tea, which tasted terrifyingly good.
"How do you manage to make it so good every time…"
Almost as if melting in my chair, I savored every single sip I took, while she nonchalantly drank her coffee, which by the way, she enjoyed consuming it black. (I doubt anyone would've guessed from looking at her)
"Will you stop bothering me if I tell you how it's made?"
"Nope, no chance."
"Then it remains a secret."
Well, who cares anyway. At least I get to enjoy some delicious tea one way or another.
"Ah, by the way, Maia."
"What?"
"How's it going? With rebuilding your village and all."
"Hmm, it's getting colder outside, so that's definitely slowing them down a bit… but I think they should be able to at least finish enough houses for the survivors to have a proper roof over their heads during winter?"
She was casual about the question, and let me finish without interrupting. As I said, though her behavior might be frankly speaking cold or rude towards me, she was still a friend, who's also extremely considerate with her words.
"Even the fact that there are any survivors is mind blowing, you know? After all, it wasn't some bandits who attacked it, or anything like that."
Though it didn't particularly please me to hear it out loud, she was right.
"Must be. For that matter, had she not been there, we would've been all dead haha."
"…I'm impressed about how casual you are about it, more than anything…"
"I mean, I can't be depressed about it all my life, can I? Not to mention, it is true. Before unsealing my memories and some of my power, Alduin had already defeated me pretty badly, as much as I hate admitting it."
"How badly are we talking?"
You sure have a gentle tone when asking how I got defeated in a fight…
Sighing, I decided that it wasn't a big deal for me to tell her. At the very least, it would also make me look more mature if I admitted my flaws out loud, no?
"He cut my arrow around halfway of its way towards him, and both of my arms at the same time. He then pretty much threw me out of the barrier."
"Is that when she saved you?"
"Yeah, she caught me before I hit the ground, then restored my memories and some of my power."
Thinking about it, she only knew the gist of it, but neither one of us had actually told her how it played out. So she just knew we fended off The Dragon Prince, but that was about it.
"And what happened afterwards? Did you go and fight him?"
Though she was trying to remain composed, and probably try to be respectful, her curiosity was so obvious that it was honestly almost cute to see her try so hard.
"…nah. It was more or less after that, that he had felt her presence, and Alduin fled the scene. But I can't blame him."
"Hm? But wasn't there a barrier? I guess he could still have a sense of what's going on outside, but to the extent of which he'd flee the moment he felt her?"
"Oh yeah, my bad. Forgot to explain that part. The barrier that Alduin raised, had its roots inside the Spirit Realm. That's why it was so effective. Half humans, or monsters in general have a closer affinity to the spirit realm after all. It also made it almost impossible to detect within our dimension, which is why he had full confidence in his victory… until she arrived, that is."
Her eyes were practically glowing with curiosity, and it didn't seem like she had any intention of commenting either, so I continued.
"She opened a portal for herself, inside the Spirit Realm. That's when he felt her presence inside the barrier in that realm, and why he fled the scene immediately after."
After hearing that however, her expression changed instantly. Her jaw essentially dropped, as she looked at me as if asking if I was joking or not.
"I know, right? Talk about a powerhouse… After he left, he opened a few summoning circles, and a few adult dragons and some wyverns came out of it. She took care of the dragons herself, then gave Cael a sword, and made it seem as if she had left. After hiding herself, she opened a portal for me to get in, and I took care of the Wyverns, shattering the barrier along the way."
"…"
Too stunned to speak, huh? Can't blame you, Layra. Had I been the one the story was being told to, I would've reacted the same.
"I see… you two really are that strong, huh? What to say… I'm glad you're my friends and not my enemies?"
I couldn't help it. Her reply felt so natural, that I actually broke out into laughter right after.
"Hahahahaha, m-my bad! I-it's just… hahaha I didn't- ex-expect you to say that…"
She blushed, clearly getting embarrassed, thinking I was making fun of her or something probably, but at that moment it was honestly just cute.
"W-what did I say that's so funny?!"
"Hahahhahaha… I-it's just… this might've been the first time you referred to us as friends… and it's while you're saying you're glad we aren't trying to kill you because we're strong…"
She looked at me stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting that to be my answer, and as I calmed myself down, she seemed to have also composed herself.
"Is that so? I'm sorry, Maia. I didn't realize. Don't get me wrong, I'm not scared of neither one of you, and I'm not trying to say that you would kill me if you were mad-"
"Alright, alright. Stop, stop. You don't need to say it, we both know. So you really don't have to. We're both aware that you're a good person, Layra. Otherwise, you wouldn't know about either one of us, would you?"
Her expression softened, melting into a smile. I genuinely wasn't laughing with that interpretation of her words, I just found it funny personally.
"I see… thank you."
"…You're welcome."
The restaurant wasn't busy enough for her to be needed, so she didn't really need to go back. We spent the next 2 hours simply killing time, and playing some of the table games that they had in that staff break room. It might not seem like it, but she's fairly passionate when it comes to competitions, which is also partly why she doesn't tell anyone how to make her special tea, as she doesn't want anyone to potentially bypass her. She's a pretty stubborn girl in the end. But either way, I glanced over to the window, and I noticed the light getting dimmer. It was probably getting closer to 6 by now.
"I wonder how much longer their date will continue on for…"
"What, are you missing your brother already?"
"Who wouldn't if their little brother was as cute and awesome as mine, though?"
"I guess you have a point. But I don't really think it'll take much long-"
"Hm? Layra?"
Before finishing her sentence, she stopped abruptly, and as if listening to someone, she raised one hand towards me as if telling me to shut up and wait. Considering her occasional nodding, and behavior, this could've been only one thing. We taught her how to use mana communication recently, so it was most likely that.
"Is it her?"
She nodded, confirming my theory, however, something was off. I'm not saying it's weird for her to reach out to a fellow friend, but given the circumstances, shouldn't she reach out to me first?
What's going on here?
I watched silently, for about a minute or so. After that, she turned towards me with a troubled expression, as if not knowing how to say whatever she had to say. I sighed, waiting for it.
"She asked if you were with me, then she gave me a task… I need to go and place an order for some food, but in the meanwhile you have to go. She's calling you."
"Something must've happened… huh? Go where though? Am I supposed to follow her mana and find out, or-"
But clearly, that wasn't the case. In the middle of the room, leaking out black and purple mana, a portal had opened. Considering that she went out of her way to escort me personally, this was probably serious. And it also meant, this portal would either take me somewhere near them, since she was still with Cael, or that he was separated from her, and this would take me straight to her. Well, I can already imagine which one it is.
"Alright. Orders from her are law, so let's both hurry up on our way. See ya later, Layra."
I waved her off, then stepped in. If my intuition was right, I'd probably end up somewhere on the sky, and while I'm sure she already prepared a stepping spot for me, while going in, I still looked down to make sure. Of course, thankfully or not, both of my guesses were right. She had already hardened some air with mana for me to walk on, and I was in fact now in the sky somewhere above the town. I scratched the back of my head, as I walked towards her, still looking down to figure out the area beneath us.
"What's going on here? Did something happen, Lun-"
However; I couldn't bring myself to refer to her by that name. After all, the one standing in front of me, was a totally different person.
This might be even more serious than I thought…
Of course, the individual named Luna was simply a persona she had created on the spot, so saying that Luna was gone would've been an exaggeration, and probably just inaccurate. However, it was definitely a sight to behold. The earlier Long, blonde and wavy hair had reverted back to her silky smooth, neck length, glistening straight black hair. Her gentle and soft facial features are nowhere to be seen, going back to her naturally captivating and sharp features, that you couldn't take your eyes off from. Her Gentle Blue eyes were replaced by mesmerizingly purple eyes, glowing with grace as she glared down coldly downwards. The best way to describe her expression was predatory. Even looking at her would be enough to give you the chills, as she observantly stared at her prey. There was no trace left of Luna.
"Guess something, did happen…"
Her gaze hadn't left the scene they were fixated on for a single instant. With her arms crossed, she simply observed, and allowed it to unfold. I glanced down, and quickly took notice of what was happening. Inside an alley, there were 5 men, and cornered against the dead end of it, were 2 kids behind Cael.
I see… so that's what happened.
"I tried to tell him… "no need to play the hero". But as you can clearly see."
Her eyes still never left him as she talked.
"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. We're talking about him after all."
"Tell me about it…"
"I can more or less guess what brought them into this situation, but care to still give me an explanation?"
Looking down, Cael and the one who seemed to be their leader were still talking, but I doubt that would last long.
"That boy stole some bread for his little sister. They were probably lured inside that alley, or perhaps they followed them there. Me and Cael were closeby, and heard the commotion. Though It's my fault that it got to this point."
If she was blaming herself for it, then it probably meant she had done something with Cael that distracted her enough to not notice the scene unfolding closeby. But honestly, I had no intention of blaming her for it, nor asking what she had done exactly.
"When I told him that he didn't need to play the hero, I was hoping he'd just agree to go look for you together, then we'd split up and I'd go take care of it myself… but instead he insisted, and I couldn't help but agree. As soon as I got out of his sight, I came up here."
"So the reason you talked with Layra first was to take care of the kid's hunger after we solve this, huh?"
She nodded, this time not replying verbally, as her glare focused even further on the scene below. The reason was the fact that 2 men were walking towards him now, and it seemed like the chatting time was over.
"Hm… their boss isn't all muscles and no brain, huh? This seems like some kind of test, doesn't it?"
I asked curiously, as I also shifted my full focus towards the scene below us.
"Most likely. If he does too much, they'd probably jump him simultaneously. And considering his clear handicap with his clothes, Cael is simply not going to win if it gets to that."
I would've guessed this much myself… though he still seems to be putting up a bit of a fight. As expected of my little brother.
Couldn't help but grin proudly as he kicked one of them in the balls, even though he got caught almost right after.
Guess it's time for us to intervene?
However, still without looking at me, she placed her arm in front of me, clearly with the intention of stopping me.
"Are we not going down yet?"
"Just shut up and watch."
Even if you say that though…
He was pinned on the ground, and it seemed like he was talking with the boss again, but that wasn't going to last long, and she definitely knew that. I wasn't worried, since if anything, they were the ones in danger here. Considering the pace of how things were going, it didn't seem like he intended on killing Cael right away, but if even one of their muscles flinched towards an action that goes beyond what she's tolerating right now, those guys would be dead before even I could blink. And fortunately enough for them, their boss seemed to have simply ordered the guy pinning him to knock him out.
"Was it necessary to wait until he was knocked out? Do you intend on going down yourself or what?"
I honestly had no idea what she had in mind, since she was still just watching with the same cold glare, even as the guys moved on from Cael's unconscious body, and took a hold of the boy who had stolen the bread, taking him back to where the other guys were.
"He's going to get up."
"? How can you be so sure-"
Then it hit me. That might be happening right now as we're speaking, which would explain why she thinks he's going to get up. Even then though, this was just a hypothesis. It wasn't guaranteed to happen, so this was really just a faith gamble from her.
"I know he will. No one knows him better than me, after all."
I had genuinely no way or intention of denying that. After all, it wasn't an opinion or an arrogant take. It was an absolute fact. And surprisingly enough to me, but clearly not to her…
… I guess she was right after all.
He had gotten up about 30 seconds after being knocked out at most. Judging from the grin on his face, and the fact that he was able to stand, he had enhanced his body, though it definitely wouldn't last long. As their boss instantly ordered his men to go after him, and the fight unfolded with Cael taking the lead easily, I glanced towards her. And it was just as I thought. Her eyes had softened up to the point where you'd think she was about to cry, and her smile was so genuine it almost made me shed a tear of happiness on her behalf.
"I really didn't want him to take this path in this life… but I can't help but to admire it. This never has, and never will change. Whenever he puts his life on the line like an idiot, in order to save complete strangers, or anyone for that matter… That's when he Shines the brightest!."
Seeing her this happy, chuckling as she watched the scene unfold, brought me genuine happiness. Not just for her, but I was also happy that She was the one my little brother was fated with. Having someone care about you as much as she does for him, was simply not possible. She was the sole exception, even in this regard.
"Haha… seems like he ran out of mana."
She chuckled, as he fell down, clearly unable to move as the men's boss was the last one standing, moving towards him now. However, her good mood didn't last long. Her smile didn't falter, however it shifted its meaning. With a stern expression, and with a mischievous smile, she then spoke.
"I'll go get the others as well, you should go down first. Heal all of them, then immobilize the men. Have Cael and the kids go towards the restaurant, he should remember the way. I've already set up some men around the road to guard and make sure they get there safely… Afterwards, I'll come down as well."
"… got it."
I sighed, as I waited for the coolest moment for me to appear on the scene, while she disappeared before I could even notice. Reading their lips, I could more or less make out what they were saying.
"Uhmm, something about last words? And Ashford…? He sure is making this seem like a big deal, huh? Cael seems to be saying none? "I won't need them after all"…"
I couldn't help but grin once again. That little brat wasn't scared one bit! He was sure that I would save him… I'm honored. And I guess this was also my sign, to finally go.
Well said… my dear little brother!
I then started dashing down, slowly enough to give the man time to actually move out of the way.
"What are you-"
Thank god this was slow enough for him to notice…
Though he still had managed to back down only about 5 steps, as he stopped talking, while I landed where he was standing earlier.
"You're late…Maia."
Ignoring the man, I turned around, looking down to meet Cael's eyes as he had shifted on his back.
"The Hero is supposed to arrive last on the scene, no?"
We both chuckled, neither one of us being worried in the slightest about the situation.
"Give me a second, alright? I'll heal and restore your stamina after that."
"By all means, go ahead, miss Hero…"
As I lifted my gaze from Cael, I glanced over at the little girl cornered up at the end of the alley.
"You don't have to worry anymore. Everything will be fine, alright?"
Though she was too scared to speak, she did manage to point behind me with her finger. When I looked towards the target, as expected, it was none other than her older brother. Seeing that, the man tried to run towards him, probably intending on using him as a hostage, but I had no intention of allowing this little girl, or that boy to get traumatized more than this. So before he could, I easily ourtan him, grabbing the boy in my arms, and bringing him back to his sister. From his point of view, I don't think he even saw me move honestly. Though I think Cael might've. Either way, after getting back in front of Cael, that was when I had finally looked him in the eyes for the first time.
"Those eyes-!… I see. So you're the infamous older sister that bullied the guards this morning."
I glanced over my back, looking at Cael then back at him as if asking if I had heard that correctly, and once he nodded, I sighed, turning back to the man.
"No, no… I'm the one who got sexually harassed and almost molested, you know? How has the story been twisted so much already?"
"…Well, it doesn't matter. I'll admit it, I have no idea where you came from, but that dashing speed was incredible. On top of that, I couldn't even see you take that boy from near me, and take him back to his sister. You're clearly in a different league."
"I'm glad that you're not stupid enough to ignore that? I don't know what else you want me to say."
His eyebrows twitched at my comment, clearly irritating him. Not that it mattered though.
"How about this? I'll heal your men, as long as you let my little brother and those kids go on their way."
"I don't mind, but how would I know that you're not bluffing?"
"If you're genuinely delusional enough to think I'd bluff about something like this, then I'll take back my earlier compliment, you know?"
I tilted my head in confusion. Did I actually overestimate his intelligence?
"… alright."
He then moved out of the way, leaning against a wall, making space on the other side of the alley. Turning around towards the kids and Cael, I healed all 3 of them simultaneously, and replenished their stamina, which didn't take longer than about 3 seconds in total.
"Cael, take the kids back to Layra's restaurant. You don't have to worry about anyone else trying to get in your way, alright?"
He got up from the ground, then nodded before walking towards the 2 kids in the back. They were clearly hesitant, however, the little girl was the one that took Cael's hand first, followed by her brother, and all 3 of them started cautiously walking towards the exit of the alley. I kept my eyes on the man, ready to slice off his arm if he tried to lay a finger on them, but fortunately enough it didn't seem like I needed to put in that much effort. After the kids were out of the picture completely, he went back towards the center of the alley, as if blocking the exit for some mysterious reason.
"I've done my part."
"Yeah, yeah. How commemorable, you allowed a bunch of kids that you beat up earlier to go after I forced you to, wow! So amazing!"
Waving my hands in the air, I then glanced towards the 4 men on the ground, and healed them as well.
They all got up on their feet, and walked towards their boss, stopping in front of him.
"Don't you think you 5 are a bit too close to the exit?"
Yeah… I definitely overestimated his intelligence.
"The deal only included me allowing the kids to go, no? I've never consented to any of us being captured."
"Haha, good point, good point. I guess it was my mistake for not saying it outloud, since I thought that even idiots like you would understand, but clearly it was my mistake, hahaha! So let me put it out clearly…"
I paused before finishing my sentence, then created a wall of fire behind them, sealing off the alley.
"…You guys aren't getting out of here yet. It's not a request, it's an Order."
They were all clearly annoyed, and I couldn't really blame them honestly, if anything I was on their side. 5 grown men being cornered by a 14 year old girl, must be a terrible hit to their ego. I really do sympathize with them. And for that matter, I'm not even mad about what they did to Cael, it was technically his fault after all.
"Look, I'm telling you this for your own good. The least trouble you cause now, the better your chances of getting any mercy are."
"H-hah! As if we need your mercy! A little girl won't be the reason we end up in jail!"
Fortunately, it wasn't the boss who talked, since he wasn't actually That stupid. It was one of the brutes, so I simply sighed it off as a clear sign of an underdeveloped brain. Then, making a rope out of flames, I tied it around them, since they were conveniently close already.
"W-what's this?! What is going on!"
"R-release us! We're not scared to fight you!"
"You bitch… you'll pay for this!"
"I'll rip you to shreds once we're free!"
Their boss being the only one who was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. Lifting them up via the fire rope, I placed them on the dead end side of the alley, leaving them on the ground, tied up together, and removing the fire wall behind us.
"W-what are you going to do to us?!"
"I know… you're trying to scare us, that's what this is!"
"Y-yeah… that must be it!"
"You're bluffing! We won't allow ourselves to be scared by you!"
Again, their boss kept his silence, as he probably realized it by now. But I guess I couldn't expect the same from the brutes, huh? It was about time anyway, so I decided to lay it out frankly.
"Listen… I don't know what makes you guys think that, but I'll go directly to the point. I'm not mad at you, if anything I'm worried on your behalf."
2 of them were confused, one was angrier, meanwhile the last out of the brutes seemed to have caught up on where I was going.
"What I'm saying is. The one you should be scared of isn't me. I'm not the one who's going to hurt you after all. Isn't that right…"
I hadn't paused my sentence. However, in the mere split nanosecond in between saying "right" and my next word, as if appearing out of thin air, landing on a single foot first, leaving behind trails of her purple and black aura, and glaring down at them, waiting for me to finish my sentence, she appeared. Who appeared?… I guess it's about time I finally said her name out loud. Isn't that right…
"Mio."
It took a few moments, but due to the air surrounding us chilling so much that even I was getting shivers down my spine, they finally noticed her, and as she stared down at them, with her purple eyes staring deep into their soul, none of them managed to let out a single word, nor scream. They seemed to have unconsciously accepted what was to come.
"I'd rather not stand while watching this, mind making me a seat, Mio?"
She simply glanced at me, her cold eyes victimizing even me for a split second, before a chair appeared next to me out of thin air. Mio. Of course, the name wasn't particularly rare or special, however, given the circumstances, and due to their faces, it was obvious that they had clearly realized who they had in front of her.
"I told you, didn't I?"
A portal then opened above them, and I made enough space inside the rope, to fit the next two who fell in, their faces being the exact same as the one brutes and their boss'.
"You guys are perhaps the most unfortunate people in the entire world right now. That's the sole reason as for why I have absolutely no hatred towards any of you. You're the ones unlucky enough to have messed with Cael after all. Causing him harm was the biggest mistake of your lives. Since He isn't just the eldest son of the Ashfords. He also happens to be… the boy that The Sentinels Of Ascendancy's Commander, Mio, Loves."
They all simultaneously looked at her, and as if signaling that the introduction time was over, it was then that it began. Extending a layer of her mana in the small area surrounding us, then condensing its margins to such an extent, that she separated the confined space in which we were inside from all of reality, on every single dimensional and existential plane. Sounds ridiculous right? After all, we're talking about something that a human's mind shouldn't even be able to fathom. Yet here we are. The air inside was cold. With the sole exceptions of Mio and myself as I had gotten used to this space already some time ago, they were all experiencing the same thing, even just existing within this now separate dimension under her reign. And while it didn't affect me currently, I still vividly remembered what it felt like enough to describe it.
An indescribable and absolute sense of despair. Perhaps the ones who fall victims to this already instinctively know, there's no way out. In fact, I'm the only one who's ever seen this and gotten out of it alive. The purest form of fear conceptually imaginable. And loneliness so profound that would normally numb you completely… but within this space, nothing was possible unless she allowed it, which meant they were all forced to experience all of those at once, and the loneliness wasn't able to numb their emotions either.
"Are you going to kill them?"
"No. We'll need them at the trial later. I guess that'll make them the first survivors of this space besides you. Aren't they lucky?"
"Lucky, huh? I won't comment on that…"
She smirked, clearly aware of the fact that her sarcasm was anything but funny, then went back to her cold expression.
"Though thinking about it, we haven't named this space yet, huh?"
"I've rarely used it after all, so I never thought I would need one. Got any suggestions?"
What should we name it? This space was something effectively impossible in a certain way, after all, it allowed her to do something that not even the gods could. It is a law that all of existence and reality obeys. No one can directly manipulate the mana that consists of a living being's body. Wherever it's spiritually or physically. However…
"… you can start, while I think about it."
"Alright."
Within this space, everything was under her control. Including the very laws of reality. And the living proof was unfolding before my eyes. Out of nowhere, the lower halves of all of their bodies puffed up, and exploded uniformly. However, no blood, flesh or bones were able to get out of my rope, or touch the ground. Instantly disappearing into nothingness, their severed half bodies had fallen on the ground. And although I wasn't the one who did it, the rope surrounding them, which I had made out of flames with my own mana was reduced to nothingness, all of it happening without her even lifting a finger.
""""""Aaahhhhgggghaaaaagggggh"""""""
They all screamed. They were all suffering. They had felt all of it, which would've normally killed them instantly. But within this space Not even death was allowed unless she wanted it. So they were forced to feel all of it, on top of the base effects this space had on them. Then, committing another violation of a law of existence, although she wasn't actually the only one who could do it… well, she could only do it within this space, but either way. She regenerated the entire lower halves that had imploded, of all of them simultaneously, and instantly, only to make them explode once again. She was simply repeating this gruesome and merciless cycle, without any room for denying her will. At that moment, the only sound filling this entire space was only that of screams.
Considering what happens here whenever she uses it, and how it works…
Its structure was probably similar to a barrier from outside? I think that if there was anyone watching, they should be able to see everything going on inside, though they probably wouldn't hear any of it. And the only way you could describe it given the context of its usage, this was a field of Death. Though it might sound corny, or cool depending on who you tell this name to… noticing that I was about to speak, the sound of their screams were instantly toned down, enough for her to hear me as she side eyed me.
"How about…"The Empress' Purgatory"? These guys aside, whenever you use it, they end up dying afterwards, and you're technically sending them to a higher place?"
She sighed, looking kinda disappointed in my name, but then spoke in her usual casual tone now, as it seemed that her anger had started to dissipate.
"Call it whatever. Though I won't guarantee I'll actually use that name."
"Come on, it isn't that bad!"
"… whatever makes you sleep at night, my dear best friend, Maia."
I also sighed, which by the way, don't we all do it a bit too much? I often see Cael sigh as well… maybe we should all just sigh a bit less. Anyway, I'll cut this short, since it kept going for about 20 minutes ish? About the time it took for Cael and the kids to reach Layra's restaurant. After finishing up her torture time, she opened back up the surrounding space. And though I thought I had heard a weird sound, I didn't care enough to check. Neither did Mio clearly, as we both just deduced it was probably a bird or something.
"I guess they should've arrived by now?"
"Yeah, I heard from Layra just now. I'll teleport these guys somewhere, then I'll go back there as Luna."
"Thought you wanted me to tell Cael you went on your way home or something, honestly."
"Hm? Oh no, haha… I'm still going to scold him properly for what he did. But I'll go easy on him since Luna is still technically a stranger, and everything was fine in the end."
I'm sorry, Cael… you're done for.
As I sinently sent a prayer to Cael in my head, and after getting a disappointed stare from Mio, we both went on our ways, intending on meeting at the restaurant.