Hakros drew his fist back and unleashed a devastating punch that caused the surrounding space to ripple and briefly distort.
At the same time, Izroth’s Sword of the Storm was on a direct path towards the right side of Ourami’s neck.
As Hakros’ fist approached, Ourami lifted his left hand and held out his palm to intercept the blow.
Simultaneously, the pillar’s metallic-like tail moved swiftly to deflect Izroth’s sword strike!
…
Somewhere on the battlefield in the Fourth Heart of the World…
Swoosh!
An elegant blade swept across a member of the serpent ancient race as a stream of cherry blossoms drifted in the air around it.
Thump!
The ancient race’s body fell to the ground as the blade was returned to its sheath.
“There seems to be no end to them,” Sychia said to herself as she released a small sigh and sheathed her blade.
After parting ways with Izroth and Hakros, Sychia joined the celestials in clearing out the remnants of Ourami’s forces on the outskirts of the battlefield.
Initially, the Thousand Blossom Maiden wanted to join Izroth; however, Izroth requested that she lend her aid to the celestials. After all, even if the core of Ourami’s forces were wiped out, there were still some strong ancient races under his command.
Since Izroth was her benefactor, Sychia decided to accept his request. Nevertheless, she could not help but feel restless after feeling the earth beneath her feet tremble several times due to the ongoing battles in the distance.
If anything happened to Izroth, not only would she never be able to properly repay the debts she owed him, but perhaps the only chance to save her master would disappear along with him. How could she be at ease when there was so much at stake?
But, more importantly…
“Everything is going well. There have been a few injuries on our side, but that much is to be expected on a battlefield. We have reduced their overall numbers by roughly eighty percent and the battle is starting to look favorable for our side. It is going smoothly for us—that is why I cannot understand. Why can I not rid myself of this terrible premonition?” Sychia internalized as her gaze peered into the distance.
For some time now, Sychia could not shake this feeling that something terrible was approaching them; however, she could not explain it.
Even though she had a detection skill, it was on the same level as Tox’s, let alone Izroth’s. Therefore, if something truly was approaching, they should have detected it much earlier on than she did. Though what Sychia felt was more akin to a “gut feeling”.
Suddenly, Sychia felt a gentle wind pass by her as the scent of sweet liqueur flooded her nostrils. Even without looking, Sychia could immediately identify the person by the aroma alone at this point.
“What are you staring at so feverously, girl? Are you concerned about your companions?” Methysria asked as she arrived next to Sychia and drank from her gourd.
The Daughter of Spirits was the only celestial in this part of the battlefield along with Sychia and took care of most of the ancient races in the area.
Companions? Sychia was not sure if that was the correct term to describe their situation. They had not known one another long enough to be considered companions. Regardless, the Thousand Blossom Maiden did not exactly dislike Methysria’s way of phrasing their connection.
“Yes. I suppose you could say that.” Sychia replied calmly.
She paused for a moment and then continued, “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
Methysria let out a small breath of satisfaction as she lowered the gourd from her lips and responded, “Sure.”
“Why did you choose to stay back and help here instead of going to fight the ones you call pillars?” Sychia questioned.
Sychia did not know Methysria’s exact strength, but according to Izroth, the Daughter of Spirits was at the late stage of the legendary realm in Mortal Realm terms.
While there was a distinct power gap between the late-stage and those at the peak of the legendary realm like the pillars, in the end, they were still both powerhouses in their own right. That’s why Sychia was curious as to why Methysria did not rush to help Izroth and Hakros, or even her own ally, Astratis.
“You sure ask some questions that hit hard, girl. But, well, it’s not like I necessarily keep it a secret or anything. To put it simply, my ability is not suitable for team combat. That and it won’t work on anything that’s already drunk.” Methysria answered.
“Are you saying the pillars fighting right now are drunk?” Sychia’s brows rose as she was taken aback by the Daughter of Spirits’ words.
“That’s right. Though it’s not the type of drunk you’re thinking about.” Methysria chuckled.
She then explained, “The way my ability works is that those who are exposed to my liqueur for too long become drunk on that which they desire. It causes them to lose rationality and eventually turn into mindless beasts.”
“For most, it is power or influence; however, the pillars already have both in excess. To them, there is nothing more important than maintaining their absolute authority. Tell me, how can someone who is already drunk well beyond a point of normalcy enjoy the taste of the liqueur that passes between their lips?” Methysria stated calmly.
“I see… Your circumstances are unfortunate.” Sychia said with a hint of pity contained in her voice.
From the sound of things, the pillars were the natural bane of Methysria. Not only that, but her ability could even affect her own allies, so she was unable to fight in the same area as them for a prolonged period of time.
“Heh, what’s this? Don’t tell me you feel sorry for me?~ Girl, let me tell you, there are those born under circumstances outside their control. In that kind of situation, there are only two things someone can do. Either they give up and accept the path they’ve been given to tread, or they push forward and create a path of their own. Right now, we’re all creating our own paths. And, it’s possible that those paths may lead to the edge of a cliff. However… So what? Isn’t it better to go out on your own terms rather than those that were prearranged for you?” A calming smile appeared on Methysria’s face.
“Your own terms…” Sychia muttered to herself as she thought of her master.
Indeed, Sychia’s fate was one that had been predetermined. If not for her master taking her in and creating a new road, Sychia would have also been forced to make a choice similar to the one Methysria spoke of.
“Alright, let’s end things here. We can talk over a nice drink when we return victorious to the abode. We may have cleaned up the majority of the forces, but there is still work to be done.” Methysria stated.
“Yes.”
Soon after, Sychia and Methysria started to make their way towards a different area of the battlefield.
As they traveled, Sychia could not help but think back to Methysria’s words.
For some reason, she felt fine being around Methysria. At first, she did not understand why. However, after hearing Methysria speak about her abilities, Sychia concluded that she was so “drunk” on something that she was not affected by Methysria’s liqueur. But, the question sat in her mind—just what was the poison of her choice?
Sychia cleared her mind and pushed the thought to the back of her head. She knew that now was not the time for soul searching.
“Among the four pillars, where does the Pillar of the West stand in terms of strength?” Sychia inquired.
“Strength is a relative term among the pillars. However, if we are speaking strictly in terms of pure strength and combat potential it’s, without a doubt, the Pillar of the West, Ourami.” Methysria responded.
Sychia frowned and furrowed her brows as she said, “If that is true, why did Astratis choose not to face him directly?”
It did not make sense for Astratis to leave the stronger of the two opponents to someone else given his standing among the celestials.
“As I said, strength is relative. If your companions, who rely heavily on physical attacks, had to face the Pillar of the East, their fates would have been sealed before the battle even started. Speaking frankly, if it was any pillar other than the Pillar of the West, the situation would not be good for your companions. However, since it is Ourami, at the very least, they have a chance to fight back and wait for Astratis.” Methysria commented.
“It sounds like the Pillar of the West is an oddity among the pillars.”
“You’re right. He is an oddity. When it comes to the pillars, the Pillar of the West is the only one to ever have inherited the position after it was relinquished by his father. Unfortunately, he was born with a cursed body. Though calling it unfortunate feels wrong to say.”
“Cursed?”
