"Haaah… haaah… haaah…" Milan's heavy breathing shattered the silence.
No damage… still? Her face twisted. Fun wasn't the word she'd use.
This was misery. Nothing short of a complete nightmare.
Her knees buckled, feet trembling. She could collapse any second but couldn't afford to.
She had to remain upright. It was pivotal for her next move.
"Out of gas already?" Crescencia asked, approaching. "Too bad. I was just starting to get fired up."
"…" Milan didn't respond. Silence followed.
She didn't need words, what she needed was focus.
Focus.
When she caught Crescencia's arm earlier, she realized two things. The first was: Crescencia used a special armor much tougher, much more powerful than a regular Absoluteness 10 Chakra skin.
As long as her body was fully guarded by that armor, piercing her defenses was simply impossible. She fully confirmed this with her last attack.
Focus.
It was infuriating, but it was reality. Milan calmed her breathing, clenching her fist.
The second thing she had realized was that Crescencia wasn't going to kill her. Milan had suspected it at first, but now she was certain.
Those invisible slashes may have appeared threatening, but not once did she sense true murderous intent behind them.
And that was what gave her a fragile spark of confidence.
"Huh?" Crescencia halted mid-step.
The snow around them had long since vanished, burned away by Milan's flames. That was expected. But this heat… this was different.
It fumed from beneath the earth, blasting heavy breaths against her soles like an awakening volcano.
"Say, do you know about the story of the Submerged Container?" Milan's voice cut through the silence.
"…"
"When the Legendary Caster and her Disaster Oarfish were trapped in an anti-chakra container, sunk at the bottom of the world's deepest ocean…" Milan's breath faltered; she coughed blood into her palm before straightening again.
"She faced two choices." She lifted two fingers, eyes flickering with grim resolve.
"Either she loses one of her strongest summons only to survive for just a few hours longer. Or she lets the oarfish destroy the tank with its brute strength."
"That way, it survives. But just for a few seconds until the water pressure crushes its summoner to death. The perfect checkmate if there ever was one."
Crescencia's concern deepened. Her stance lowered, feet planted firmly as the ground began to tremble underfoot.
"Sorry," Milan whispered, tapping her foot on the ground. "But I'm about to ignite the pockets of methane sitting underground."
And the earth immediately began to crack open, toxic fumes hissing through like smoke from ruptured pipes.
Crescencia's eyes widened.
"Shit!" She instantly covered her nose, seeking an escape.
Her Psyche Territory wasn't an option. She couldn't afford to endanger Aemedius and the others.
Milan coughed again. Dry, continuous and hollow.
"Please… understand that this is nothing personal," she steadied herself through the blood and tremors. "I have to get Lord Keres out of here…"
"Even if it means invoking the very same flame that burns Lorianth to this day."
The gas thickened, the air near impossible to breathe in.
Crescencia jaw tightened. Her gaze darted to the above overhang. She measured the distance. But it was too far. Even at full speed, she wouldn't make it in time. It was already too late.
There was no escape. Milan made sure of it.
[Conflagration of the Fifth Star: Gates of Purgatory]
A glass shattering explosion rang out, ripping the landscape from its roots.
Peaks imploded into dust, boulders launched into the sky and the sky descended into chaos and ruin.
Not even Milan and Crescencia were spared, their bodies blasted skywards by the ruthless force.
The Silver Slayer rapidly worked her fingers, shockwaves tearing debris into harmless pieces as gravity returned all that was propelled back to where they came from.
THWANG!
Their bodies jolted, colliding with something unseen yet solid.
It was Crescencia's flash phantasm. She had promptly coalesced it into a platform, keeping them a safe distance above ground.
Down below was a territorial furnace with the widespread of a raging inferno that swallowed all matter with savage hunger.
Crescencia frowned. She could feel the intense heat even at this height. The makeshift tower wasn't enough. It wouldn't hold out much longer.
She needed a better solution. To get them to safety.
Milan staggered upright. She pressed her foot against the surface, feeling the metallic sturdiness beneath her sole.
Crescencia cast her a sidelong glance.
"You didn't finish the story." She said. And Milan tilted her head, confused.
"The Legendary Caster and Disaster Oarfish both made it out alive. You left out that part."
Milan wiped away the blood on her lips, her hands trembling as she clenched them into fists, burning with flames.
"I know how the story ends," her eyes burned with resolve. "But in this case… you're not the one inside the container."
Crescencia's pupils shrank.
When did she—? Her mind snapped back, rifling through the moments before the blast.
Was it right before the explosion? Or even earlier?
When exactly had she let god-boy slip from her sight?
She had made a mistake. A fatal one.
Milan took a battle stance, the flames around her trembling fists burning intensely. "Ready whenever you are."
"You can't even set up your chakra skin. Do you really want to keep going like this?" Crescencia asked, audibly edged.
"…" Milan said nothing. It was true, she was almost out of chakra.
However, she couldn't retreat. Not yet. Not without guarantee that Crescencia would never be able to chase after them.
She lunged forward, throwing her scorching fist at Crescencia's chest. But Crescencia vanished, reappearing behind her.
Milan spun, expecting the move, yet she could only meet an invisible slash with her blazing kick.
CLANG!
Sparks flew, the collision ringing in her foot. But the blade felt dull, posing no lethal threat.
Milan jumped and twisted, unleashing a rapid double roundhouse kick which Crescencia narrowly evaded by creating distance.
The battle continued.
Crimson trails whirled as Milan pressed on with a series of blazing punches. Crescencia slipped between the blows, but the heat itself boxed her in, giving her no room to counter.
The final punch struck Crescencia's side, fire flaring brighter, charring a hole into her shirt. Blood splattered but it wasn't hers.
Milan's finger wounds had reopened, her knuckles battered from hitting armor.
Crescencia retaliated with a wicked headbutt, cracking Milan's skull like it had been hammered.
Her head went blank. Blood leaked through her nose. But she staggered back, shaking herself into focus.
Then the air shifted. Without hesitation, Milan splayed her fingers, invoking the first star and a massive ball of fire roared with fury.
An invisible slash tore it apart, a metallic hiss echoing through the air.
Milan hissed.
"Almost got her." She murmured, breaths becoming ragged and thin.
She charged in again, aiming for a shoulder tackle. But Crescencia flickered out of the way, reappearing behind and planting a kick square in her back.
The force threw Milan off the invisible tower, sending her down.
Wind smacked her ears, pain shooting through her body. But terror tore deeper as the inferno widened its mouth, ready to consume her whole.
Her mind scrambled, scanning for options. There was nothing to grab. She desperately tried activating her chakra skin.
But it failed, blood gushing through her mouth and nose.
Black and white fragments began flashing in her mind—memories, fears and regrets, stabbing deep into her heart.
Not like this. Her stomach lurched into her throat.
Tears soaked her eyes. And every heartbeat was stretched thin with horrible wind peeling every sensation away from her skin.
"I'm so sorry, Vicky." She shut her eyes, surrendering to fate.
But then, someone snatched her arm.
Death deferred.
Her eyes flung open and saw Crescencia holding on desperately. She had lowered the invisible tower to the height Milan had fallen to, wearing a distraught look on her face.
"Hang on tight!" She shouted.
Milan's brows shot up in disbelief. Thick smoke gusted against her hair and feet, the wild pit of fire yawning just inches below.
"Why?" She asked, her voice cracking.
Crescencia didn't respond. Her grip loosened, slick with sweat. But she refused to let go.
"I-I… I've been trying to kill you this whole time," Milan sniffed, unable to hide the snort in her nose and the trembling in her voice. "A… and I-I'm sure you've realized it. Lord Keres is long gone, you don't have to cough… you don't have to—"
"Shut up!" Crescencia snapped, pulling with even more strength. "I'm going after him once I get you to safety!"
Her Silver hair whipped in the heat, loose strands sticking to her face as she maneuvered, hanging on with one hand and heaving Milan with the other.
The fire crackled like a hungry beast devouring steel, but Milan heard only the pounding of her own heartbeat.
BA-DUMP!
A tender warmth enveloped her whole body as she gazed up at Crescencia, hope glimmering in her eyes.
BA-DUMP!
The fierce look on her face, her unwavering strength, her radiant silver hair. She looked like a hero straight out of a fairy tale. It was the coolest thing Milan had ever seen.
BA-DUMP!
Tears rolled down her cheeks, her lips quivering into a smile.
But then the illusion of survival suddenly dispersed. The invisible tower tipped and Crescencia's weight dragged her down like heavy stone.
Time slowed.
The Silver Slayer twisted mid-fall, wrapping Milan tightly in her arms.
Doom was certain.
But just as the raging heat tried to swallow them, something happened.
A column of radiant light struck. And they crashed into solid earth. Only smoother and colder instead.
They were saved.
Milan doubled over coughing, blood splattering red against the snow. Her body was wrecked, but she was alive. She was relieved.
Meanwhile Crescencia crouched, tracing her fingers along the concentric rings etched on the floor.
"Compacted portal?" A familiar technique. One that transported the target to a marked point within the user's range.
"The archer boy, huh?" She muttered. That explained Keres' sudden disappearance.
They must've planned it all along. To pull god boy out when she wasn't looking.
She looped her thumb and forefinger into a ring, peering through like a makeshift spyglass.
There! She spotted something.
It appeared smaller than a dot but with enough focus, she caught the faint outline of the little archer, perched high, far off into the mountainside.
He pulled his bowstring, watching quietly. Perhaps waiting for an opportunity to extract Milan.
No, that wasn't right. He would have rescued only Milan earlier if that were the case.
So what exactly was he waiting for?
She turned her head and her gaze landed on the entryway to the Forbidden Thicket.
Could it be? Her eyes widened.
It all came together at that moment.
Crescencia shut her eyes, inhaling a soft breath.
"You're nothing but a cutting tool, a lowly human blade. So don't you ever try to reach for the stars because your hands will never touch them."
Her father's words rang into her mind.
And he was right. She could never become like the heroes she looked up to as a child. The only thing she had ever been good at was cutting down whatever stood in her way.
Although, this aptitude earned her the moniker, 'The Silver Slayer,' that didn't mean she was a merciless killer with no restraints.
Right, she had never killed off anyone who didn't deserve it. She always made sure her victims were guilty scum that reeked of the evils they had committed.
This conviction was of equal value to her own life. To break it was spiritual suicide, murder of her own soul.
But there was something she feared much more than death.
It was failure.
Crescencia exhaled, her breath misting in the cold air. She couldn't afford to fail. No matter the situation or reason.
Rolan was waiting for an opportunity to send her and Milan into the thicket. Milan's weakened state didn't matter.
As long as Crescencia was stripped of her Flash Phantasm and Phantom Skin, who knew what other measures they had prepared to stop her?
But her life was what mattered the least here. What really churned her stomach was the terror of being associated with failure.
That was far worse than spiritual suicide. Where she was from, it was self annihilation with an eternity of suffering.
Milan forced her trembling body upright. She felt a squeezing tightness in her chest as blood and sweat dripped down her forehead.
She coughed again. Blood stained her palm and her legs buckled, dropping her to one knee.
She couldn't carry on with the battle. Every feeling of animosity faded the moment Crescencia saved her from falling. Plus her body wouldn't permit another square off even if she wanted to continue.
Crescencia extended one hand and gently cupped her left cheek.
"You did well pulling off a plan of this level," her voice softened. "It's my loss." Crescencia added.
Milan averted her gaze, her cheeks flushed. There was a short but heavy silence until she responded.
"No," she drew a short breath. "I couldn't… cough… cough… couldn't deal any damage even though you were holding back"
Crescencia shook her head sideways, shutting her eyes. She wanted to speak but her jaw refused to open, a single teardrop rolling down her cheek.
"Ah…" Milan resumed. "I almost forgot… thank you for saving me." She added with a bitter smile on her lips.
Crescencia's fingers trembled. Her heart screamed in agony, but she buried it.
An instrument of destruction was never to show even a tiny glimpse of weakness. This was the path she had decided to take. No second thoughts. No room for regret.
"Your breathing," Crescencia gently swiped her thumb across Milan's cheek. "You must be in pain."
"…"
"You know… it hurts less when you put one hand on your stomach… and breathe slowly." Crescencia's voice carried a demonstrative emphasis.
And Milan did as she said, releasing slow, deep breaths. It helped her relax, easing her pain.
Her lips opened slightly, teasing gratitude.
But that was the exact same moment it happened.
Crescencia's arm swept back. Her invisible blade sang forward, faster than thought.
And blood sprayed all over, striping against her hair and clothes.
Purple strands scattered like petals, tumbling weightlessly to the ground.
A muted plop echoed.
Then there was silence.