Hope

"Lisana… you…" Alissanda looked at her in shock. He only now he understood why she wore the necklace Leguna had given her daily since Annelotte's death. It wasn't just a memorial to him. It was also for the possibility of such a situation coming to pass.

She seemed to have predicted that Leguna would one day come with enough power to exact revenge. So, to stop Alissanda from being killed, she wore the necklace at all times. That was why she didn't leave the palace despite their falling out. Even though they hadn't met much, she had been paying attention to and protecting him.

"Big Bro!" Innilis came over, not sure of what was happening. She was quite worried about him and Lisana.

His expression was so dark it was terrifying. He glared at Lisana and felt the strong urge to continue the thrust and kill Alissanda, but he knew he couldn't do it. No matter his hate, Lisana was innocent and also his benefactor.

"Apart--"

Before he finished, she interrupted him, "I only want you to do this! Nothing else!"

"Lisana!" His rage burned even stronger. "Do you know what he did to me? To Annie? He almost killed you too! Do you know who you're protecting? Do you know?!"

"I do! I know all of it!" she cried, "But I love him! He's the only man I've ever loved! He gave me everything! I can't let him die! I know my request is excessive. I'm sorry, Leguna, I really am. But I beg you… Please spare him on account of the times I helped you!"

"Then who's going to spare Annie?! If I can't even avenge her, how can I face what is to come?!"

She stopped her tears from flowing and looked intently at him.

"If you really have to avenge her, take it out on me!"

The moment she spoke, she suddenly took two steps forward. Leguna's sword was still against her chest. Walking forwards would make the sword pierce her through!

"No!" Alissanda stretched his hand out desperately, but he wasn't able to save her.

Leguna predicted she would do that and hurriedly drew his sword back, so she wasn't fatally wounded. He held her in one hand and kicked Alissanda far away.

"Cough… cough…" Even though the longsword didn't pierce her heart, she was nevertheless heavily wounded. Having lost too much blood, she was at the brink of consciousness. Even so, she stubbornly stuffed the jade necklace to him. "Promise… me…"

Leguna hesitated, before he finally took the necklace and nodded.

"Then… Do me one last favor!" she said, the nervousness fading from her eyes, "Take me… away from here… I don't ever… want to see him again…"

"I… Alright, I promise you."

"Thank you…" Finally relieved, she lost consciousness.

Leguna sat heavily on the ground, as if he lost all energy. His both hands hung off his shoulders and shuddered, before his tears came gushing out like a waterfall.

"Annie… Annie…" he mumbled.

"Big Bro…" Innilis scooted over to his side with Eirinn and put her hand on his left shoulder and Eirinn's on his right.

"Is this Big Brother Leguna?" Despite not being able to perceive the world around her, she immediately knew whose shoulder she was touching. She smiled warmly and said, "Big Brother, you did something amazing today! I thank you on behalf of the innocents you saved!"

She was well aware what kind of savage battle he had fought, but she believed that he would never lose thanks to her endless confidence and trust in him. Now that the crisis was averted, she had something to give him.

"Ahem!" She cleared her throat in a joyous tone, completely unaware of the atmosphere around her. "Since you did a good thing, you deserve a reward! It's a wonderful gift!"

Even though Eirinn was quite happy, Leguna sat there, completely numb, until Eirinn carefully took out an egg-sized stone from her diatagi.

"That's…" Eirinn and Angelista's expressions completely changed at the sight of the stone. The mana coming from the stone was akin to that seen from other necromantic artifacts. However, it had a different aura, it didn't feel evil as those vile things did.

A notion Innilis would never dream of appeared in her mind. She gave Leguna a harsh shove to get his attention. With a heavy and fearful heart, she wrote on Eirinn's back, 'What is this?'

Feeling the urgency behind the question, Eirinn felt that the suspense had worked. She carefully held the stone and said something that completely lifted Leguna out from his despair. "It's a soulstone. Sis Annie's soul wasn't taken by Hell. It's been preserved in this."

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter