PHASE 82 - A SIBLING’S SACRIFICE

“Helena, stop!”

A new voice echoed around the rocky field.

It came from a man with a black cloak. Underneath that coat is a bodysuit armor that is similar to those who are members of the dissolved New Order group. This man has a skull of a canine on his face.

It was Void Wolf.

“Neo…” Helena muttered as he stared upon the mysterious cloaked man. “Looks like you’ve joined the party.”

Void Wolf removed his skull mask and revealed his handsome white face with flowing spiky black hair. His appearance tells us that he is a senior, probably the very same age as Helena.

Void Wolf, or in his real name: Lironeo Amerigus is here not as an enemy. His soul has already been purified by the anti-curse therapy from the Black Cross months ago, but this is the first time he made an appearance as a Gate Guardian.

“Helena. Stop it. The fight is over.” Lironeo’s voice is slightly deeper than a male young adult’s.

“The fight is not over until one of us dies,” Helena said with an evil smirk.

“No. The fight is already over. You lost.” Lironeo argued. “Your brother has proven that he can defeat the power of the three gods. He never had a purpose in defeating the real you.”

“What do you know about us siblings, huh?” Helena cried.

“Everything,” Lironeo said.

Helena was stunned, waiting for the next words of Lironeo to wake her up.

“I know everything, Helena. I’m the one who captured you and put that . I’m the one who forced a contract between you and the devil... And I’m the one who became your dearest friend. So I am the one who will ask for forgiveness for what I have done to you.”

“I know.” Helena frowned, and her crimson eyes are about to give off tears. “But this sibling fight has nothing to do with you. This is just between a big sister fighting her baby brother.”

“It has everything to do with me, Helena.” Lironeo started to walk slowly with spread arms, completely implying that he has no intention to fight. “Your brother; Heushac, had this dream of defeating you with all the power he can get. That is why he asked for my guidance and skills to master the .”

“Y-You…” Helena’s eyes opened and her jaws hanged.

“Yes.” Lironeo smiled. “I taught him everything on how to defeat you. He trained for weeks, never wasting any second of his life idling around. He skipped classes, skipped meals, and skipped sleep just to become stronger than you. It’s because he felt guilty for your sins, for what you have done to Kristoff, to Alaric, to Tiara, and the other Gate Guardians. Heushac carried the burden for all the sins that you have made. He took all those burdens for strength, to become strong enough to stand against you. And now… He already showed you how much he has done to save you.”

The mad sword princess had her cheeks crawling with tears. The sword on her remaining hand fell down, making an echoing metallic sound. She looked at the pitiful state of her sibling. Upon realizing her fault, she fell down on her knees as she mourns and hollers.

Heushac is lying flat on the ground, but there is still a tiny speck of life in him left. His charred skin due to excessive use of Void energy on his body can still be healed. He’s just exhausted. That’s all. The emotional damage he got from his sister’s sins he endured all this time must’ve been more fatal to him.

But even though, Helena wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

“B-Baby brother… What have I done?...I’m supposed to protect you, but I-”

The blue-haired swordswoman halted muttering as she felt a gentle hug from behind. It was from his longest friend, Lironeo. The cloaked man shared the warmth of his body to the swordswoman who was eaten by her own guilt.

“It’s fine, Helena. Heushac will surely forgive you. Everybody will forgive your sins.” Lironeo muttered.

The Aether Crusade members closed in and started to circle around Helena and Lironeo. It was our leader who made the first talk for the group.

“I forgive you, Helena.” Rikkun smiled as he lent out his hand.

“Me too, Helena-senpai!” I followed up with a jolly smile.

“Alaric… Tiara…” Helena muttered as she muffled her own cries. “Are you sure that you’re all going to forgive me-”

“Of course not!” Rikkun laughed as he chinned up. “There’s no way I can ever forgive somebody who killed me-pwahak!!!”

I prevented my boyfriend from finishing his rude sentence by punching his nose. He went flying and landed on his face, twenty meters away from us.

“R-Rikkun forgives you, I-I’m sure!” I said as I tried to wave off that ruined atmosphere.

“Helena… Everyone will forgive you. Everything will be fine.” Key’s monotone started to comfort her first ever sister.

“Everybody in the Aether Crusade is always generous for giving second chances, right?” I tried to cheer my members.

“Right.” Key said in a monotone.

“Right!” Everybody else agreed by saying the same thing, albeit in a more expressive and happy manner.

“K-Key…” Helena muttered. “Everybody… Thank you…”

The once tomboyish sword princess who attained the power of the seven gods has finally descended to cry and holler in silence. She succumbed to regret and enlightenment, destroying the evil within her heart that is responsible for corrupting her soul.

<>

The battle against Helena is finally closed. Surprisingly, we won without having any casualties.

Heushac only suffered shallow burns on her skin, which is actually the side effect of him transforming into the flame giant Surtr. He never took a fatal strike from Helena’s final powerful attack, and he even bragged about matching the power of the three God Cores.

But as a result of his recklessness in using the forbidden Void spells, he won’t be able to move properly for a while. Everything he touches stings his sensitive burnt nerves. Wearing clothes and even undies made him suffer in hellish pain. I can’t even imagine the pain of having a sunburn on each and every part of my skin, but here he is, still alive and kicking.

Rikkun and I prepared all the necessary papers for Helena’s rehabilitation. We submitted all necessary forms indicating our request for Helena to have the anti-curse ritual on the Kozukata Shrine which is nearer on Dradecim City. In that way, we can visit her anytime we want.

We were glad that the Black Cross agreed to our request. Helena-senpai will stay at the shrine for three weeks until the curse on her heart has finally subsided.

The God Cores of Vishnu, Odin, Mars, Mercury, and Neptune will temporarily be kept on the shrine for further purification, which is also needed for Helena’s rehabilitation. A God Core that came from a Cursed Guardian has the possibility of being cursed too, so we have to make such precautions.

That also means that we have reserved the right to use those God Cores when the time is right to sing the .

Everything is getting well and fine. All the major enemies have been defeated, and there are no more threats to our peaceful lives except for Frozen Soul’s awakening. But...

We already have the God Core of Freyr, Neptune, Venus, Hel, Mercury, Zeus, Odin, Vishnu, Mars, Athena, and Haliya. That’s eleven God Cores in total.

Just one more, and we can finally repair the Frozen Soul and save the universe without sacrificing my soul. There are roughly four months left, and that’s a lot of time to search for the last God Core.