Chapter 40: Curruption

Strands of platinum hair continue to emit turquoise flames, slowly it flows out, and ascend only to turn blue when fading.

The dry blood, flakes into ascending ash from Alecia's arms, and the rest of her body. The center part from the clothing of her top is torn, showing only her cleavage.

From her hands, the last bit of blood flakes off. She tighten them into fists. Raising her head slightly, Alecia closes her eyes with a smile of delight.

Standing at the other end of the prison hall, are Aven, and Raine; the turquoise light, begins to shine on their bodies.

Gritting her teeth with a glare, Raine tightens her fists.

"You were suppose to be dead..." She muttered under her breath.

Still with a smile, Aven continues to stare Alecia, watching as the flaming turquoise aura flow around her body.

"Alecia..." His smile fades.

"What's going on with you?"

"Alecia!" Raine shouted out, and takes a step forward.

"You were dead! How are you alive?" Her voice echoed through the hallway of cells. Only for Alecia to keep her eyes closed, as if she is in a world of her own.

After a moment of silence, Raine steps towards her, stomping with each step she takes.

"Answer me!" She shouted out, still glaring at her.

Alecia's eyes open, her pupils glowing brighter. With a huff from her voice, the flames around her body starts surging, creating a strong gust of wind that flows out in all directions, forcing Raine to slide back.

Both Raine, and Aven shield their eyes from dust coming from Alecia's presence. In the center of where she stands, through the soaring wind, a loud sound of an unnerving laughter is heard. Slowly her feet lifts up from the floor, leaving them both to hang as she levitates. Blankly, she stares ahead as the flaming energy rushes around her body, and through her very being. Such a euphoric sansation; such a rush.

Slowly lowering his arm, Aven stares attentively at her, marveling at the bright glow radiating from her body. He can no longer see her appearance, only her silhouette. After a moment of watching, something tugs at his mind, a familiar feeling. Evertime he tries to recall it, he fails.

The light from her body slowly dims, Alecia's appearance is now visible, turquoise flames continue to flow from her body. Quietly, she stands still, eyes drawn to the floor. This power that flows within her; it's a feeling that one cannot describe.

Smiling at the thought, and at the different emotions she's feeling at once. Alecia stares ahead at cell in front of her, it is a reminder of how she felt before, the same way she felt for a long time. The cell is open, no one there. Just like the freed prisoner who resided within that confined space before, absalute freedom, and joy courses through her.

How can she forget, she turns her gaze to Raine. Her burning eyes narrow at the sight of the enemy before her.

"Oh, Raine," Alecia said, moving her foot forward, and starts walking towards her; the flames themselves spew out from under the soles of her boots with every step.

"The reasons for my living is not important," she continued with a smile on her face, making sure that Raine sees how much alive she actually is.

"The only important thing now... is to make this day... your last." A grin cracks on her face, meeting Raine's glaring eyes.

"You want to kill her?" Aven asked, fixing his eyes on Alecia with a frown.

"Stay out of this, Aven." Her eyes still locked on Raine.

Aven moves his head back with eyebrows raised. Looking at her now, she seems so different, so sure with herself.

Frowning, and clinching her jaw, Raine watches her revived enemy. Her eye  pupils ignite with a sapphire glow.

"Typical," she said, going into a stance.

"I'll make sure you stay dead this time!"

With a growl, sapphire flames surge out, and flows around her body, only for the flaming wings to sprout from her back once more.

Moving into a stance as well, hearing such words, only urges Alecia to chuckle, almost feeling pity for Raine. The turquoise flames around her body, surge faster.

"Oh, dear Gin," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"I'd like to see you try it."

Alecia grins once more, and lets out a small giggle, hoping to provoke Raine, waiting for her to make the first move.

"You have no right to mention my race," the flames around Raine, surges violently.

"You caused enough damage already!"

Raine moves her one foot back, the flaming wings on her back spreads out. Within a moment, her eyes widen widen with a gasp, and with that, a gust of wind blows her hair back. Inches from her, she sees Alecia, now looking into her turquoise eyes. feeling a soft warmth, Raine looks down to see Alecia's hand on her cheek.

"You're correct, Raine," she said, her voice, sounding cold, and unsettling; causing Raine's eyes to widen. Her hand moves under the gin's chin, and gently holds her jaw.

"I've did many terrible things," she continued, a grin forms on her face.

"I left countless civilisations in ruin." She starts chuckling.

Now to set it in Raine's mind, she moves closer, her lips inches from her ear.

"Just like, how I took everything from you, and ruined your own world," she whispered, her lips twists into another grin. Gritting her teeth after hearing her words, Raine pulls Alecia's hand from her face, and swings a punch, only to hit air, just then she gasps out, causing her to crouch down, now holding her stomach with her eyes shut.

Eyes still closed, Raine stays in the same position for a moment, only to hear Alecia's laugh behind herself. She opens her eyes, and looks over her shoulder to see the white haired woman with her back turned.

Looking at the palm of her hand once more, Alecia stops laughing, still keeping a smirk on her face.

"It's a wonderful feeling," she said, lowering her hand, and turns to Raine.

"Seeing how I'm getting to you, knowing what buttons to push."

She slouches over with her hands on her thighs, her gaze fixed on Raine. Oh how she sees the rage, and hate building in her eyes.

"If only things were different," she said, tilting her head slightly.

"You'd be with your precious loved ones."

Tightening her fists, the flames around them surges, only for Raine to stand up. The sapphire flames surges violently from her body. With a loud scream, she swings a hard kick, connecting it with Alecia's face, causing her to stumble back. Raine moves in, and lands a few more hard punches to her face.

After a moment, she kicks Alecia to the nearest wall, only for her to leap forward, with her hand now clutched around her throat, she pins her against the wall.

"How dare you!" Raine said, looking up at Alecia's face, seeing only the white fringe covering her eyes.

"You don't talk about them," Raine's eyes beginning to glisten.

"You hear me? You don't talk about them!" A few tears begin to stream down her face.

After a moment, Alecia's lips twist into another grin, she starts chuckling once more, urging Raine to slowly widen her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she tightens her grip on her throat, causing Alecia to gag, and gasp for air.

Taking a few steps towards them, Aven watches them both. He can't seem to make up his mind if he should help her, or not.

"I won't make it quick this time," Raine said, glaring up at her, only to move the other hand to her throat, and clutches down.

"A painful death is the only thing you deserve!"

Squeezing her grip harder around Alecia's throat, she continues to glare up at her. Within that moment, Alecia smiles once more, urging Raine to have a wide-eyed look.

Looking down at Raine, her eyes ignite with a turquoise glow once more, causing her to loosen her grip. With a hard knee to the face, the gin falls on her back.  Now free, Alecia unpins herself from the cracked wall, keeping her gaze on Raine as she takes one step forward.

Closing her eyes, Alecia takes a breath. Feeling the high from being strangled is a strange thing, it's not worth dying over. The veins in her heck starts to glow and beat as it branches from under her jaw, to her face. After a moment, the marks around her neck fade, just as the glow of her veins.

Exhaling, Alecia opens her eyes, pupils now glowing brighter. Moving into a stance, turquoise flames surge from her body. Raising a hand, she tucks strands of hair around her ear.

"It's time," she said, staring calmly at Raine.

Moving into a stance as well, the flames around Raine's body surges as her wings glow brighter, urging Alecia to grin.

"Let's begin," Alecia said once more.

Standing there, facing Raine, sensing energy in the air, smelling the dampness within the hallway. With all this, Alecia's attention is set on Raine, and her alone. All she senses from her, is the vast energy emitting from her body; she has reached her peak. It will be interesting.

Chuckling, Alecia strengthens her stance. Moving one foot back, she turns it.

"Your sister would have been proud," her smile turns into a grin.

Letting out a scream with her hands clinching into fists, sapphire flames surge violently around her body.

"How dare you," she said through her teeth.

"Damn you!" Raine launches herself forward, and collides her fist into Alecia's hand, causing a large shockwave.

Both of them fade out, leaving the flaming energy to disappear into fillinments. Aven stands from the sidelines, watching as the two of them clash throughout the hallway in rapid shockwaves.

Looking away, Aven stares ahead of himself, his pupils stop glowing, returning to their natural brown hue. Now he knows why this seems so familiar to him, and why it troubles him so. He closes his eyes with a soft sigh.

"So this is your doing, isn't it," he muttered, opening his eyes.

"Eva." His brow turns into a frown.

In his mind's eye, he can now recall it. Back on earth, he remembers watching Alecia holding the dying body of Eva.

The whole ruined city was covered in ash, the clouds themselves continued to blot out the moon's light, only showing its light peeping through them.

Alecia is seen on her knees, with Eva on her lap. Aven continued to watch from a distance, after a moment, transparent blue flames emited from Eva's body. It began spreading to Alecia as it flowed around her, and started to obsorb into her, she stood up and looked at her palms.

The world around him flakes away into nothing, bringing his mind to the present, where the confining prison is. Waves of sapphire, and turquoise errupts from Alecia, and Raine's clash.

Glaring at them, Aven sighs.

"Alecia... You fool." He said, his eye pupils ignite.

Both Alecia and Raine's clash are even, exchanging blow for blow. After a moment, Alecia starts laughing uncontrollably while throwing strong punches at Raine's body, causing shockwaves with each impact. Just then, she hits Raine crashing to the floor.

Alecia slowly descends, her eyes gazing down at the cloud of dust, watching as it slowly disappears to see Raine on her hands, and knees.

Setting on the floor, Alecia stands before Raine, only to hear a faint laughter coming from her. Perplexed, Alecia narrows her eyes.

"Why are you laughing?" She asked, only to see drops of tears falling from Raine's lowered face.

Just then, Raine raises her head, her eye pupils glowing bright, tears drying up from the sapphire flames surging around her body. Her hands clinch down into fists. Gritting her teeth, and within a moment, she leaps up and arches her arm back, the flames around her body condenses into her fist.

Aiming at Alecia's face, her fist misses, only for her to be sent across the hall by Alecia's palm, causing her to tumble along the floor and lands facedown near the destroyed wall.

Lowering her hand, Alecia chuckles, her gaze fixed on Raine in the distance ahead. Looking at Raine as she is now, it satisfies her; after what she did to her, it is absolute payback. Now to finish what was started, decades ago.

Her pupils ignite, turquoise flames surge out from her body. She starts walking towards Raine; a grin slowly forming, just then, a hand latches on her elbow. Looking down at it, Alecia moves her gaze up to see Aven glaring down at her.

Her eyes narrow.

"Let me go, Aven." She said, pulling her arm away, but his grip tightens, only for her to glare up at him.

"This isn't you anymore," he said, with a stern look in his eyes.

"Nothing good would come by killing her."

"I said, let go of me!" She shakes her arm from his grip, and continues on.

"Have it your way!" he said gritting his teeth.

"If you think you have regret now, this would only make things worse for you!"

With that, she stops. Her gaze now drawn to the floor. Raising her hands, she stares at them. 'What am I doing?' she thought to herself.

'This isn't me.' Just then, she places her hands over her face, with her eyes looking between the two fingers of each hand. Clutching down on her face, she starts giggling, her voice beng muffled out by her hands.

Raising her head, she starts laughing out loud with her eyes shut. Aven just stares at her, a puzzled look etched in his face.

Still laughing, Alecia opens her eyes wide with her gaze drawn to the ceiling above, and laughs louder. After a moment, she stops with her smile fading away. Looking ahead at Raine, she continues walking towards her.

Raine's fingers twitch with a groan of her voice. She slowly picks herself up, her dark hair hanging around her face like a curtain. Raising her head, only one of her eyes is visible, now glaring through her hair at Alecia.

Standing herself up, with her hair still covering her face, she closes her hands into tight fists, blue liquid starts dripping from them. With the growling tone in her voice, sapphire flames begin to slowly seep from the surface of her body.

"I hate you..." she whispered through her teeth. The sapphire flames surges, and slows repeatedly.

Just then, she starts screaming out, with her hands clutching the sides of her head. The sapphire flames surge violently around her, causing gusts of wind to force Alecia back. Slowly the sapphire energy around Raine enlarges, the floor beneath them start quaking beneath. Her whole scream echoes throughout every corner of the prison, Mifflin out any sound of the storm outside.

Placing her hands over her ears, Alecia opens her eyes.

"Is that really necessary!" She shouted out.

"Now what is she doing?" Aven asked, raising his voice.

Raine finally silences herself. Lowering her arms, she straightens her back. Still with the surging flames around her body.

"I didn't think she'd ever stop," Aven said, lowering his hands to his side. Such power he senses from Raine, like a bottomless pit.

With her hands lowered as well, Alecia looks over her shoulder at him, noticing the worried look on his face. She looks ahead once more.

Raine raises her hand with her bloodied palm in view.

"Mother, father, sister," she said closing it, as well as her eyes.

"Please give me the strength to avenge, not just you, but everyone that has died at the hands of them." She opens her eyes, and looks at Alecia ahead.

Narrowing her eyes, she moves both of her hands forward with her palms facing ahead.

"You're going to wish you killed me sooner," she said, glaring at them.

With those words, the flames around her body starts spiraling inward into a single point in the center of her hands.

"Wait, what is she doing?" Alecia said, turning her head slightly with her gaze locked on her.

"I-I don't know," Aven said, narrowing his eyes. After a moment of watching a sapphire sphere growing within Raine's hands, his eyes widen.

"Oh no, I know what she's doing." His words urges Alecia to turn to him, only to face Raine once more.

The sphere starts beating, as it enlarges within Raine's hands. The light begins to bend around it as it reaches the size of her torso.

"Alecia!" she shouts out."

"For all the things you done and all the things you took from me! You'll pay for it all!"

Electrical currents start surging out from the energy sphere, as it continues to beat as the frequency starts quickening.

"Oh no," Aven said, widening his eyes.

"She's doing a similar thing Leah did on earth!"

"What?" Alecia said, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Leah?"

"Out of anger, Leah destroyed a whole settlement, turning it into nothing but a smoldering crater!"

"Are you serious?" Alecia said, with a slight jaw drop. Thinking back on it. That same settlement that she was travelling to with Vergil, and Diana. It was completely destroyed once they arrived. It was all Leah's doing.

Feeling the huge energy emitting from Raine's presence, Aven can only fear the worst. If nothing is done, Ruth, and Lumina will pay for it, not to mention the others on board.

"Raine!" He calls out, taking a step forward.

"You're going to take this whole ship down with us! You have to stop this!"

With another beat, the energy sphere enlarges once more, urging Aven to take a step back.

"Listen, Alecia!" Blue flames surges from his body.

"We're going to have to try and counter her attack somehow."

Chuckling, Alecia steps back to stand beside him.

"I'm happy you said so," turquoise flames ignites around her body.

"As much power I have, I could never do this on my own."

"Let's do it quickly then," he said, shifting next to her.

"Alright." With that, they raise their hands  together with their palms forward.

The energy around their bodies swirl together into a single point, until they both form a glowing sphere, which enlarges with each beat. Both the blue, and turquoise sphere merge together into a larger one.

"Die, Alecia!" She shouted out, and with a loud scream, the sphere collapses inward, only for it to shoot a large beam of pure energy towards her two enemies. The darkness around the prison cowers away, as it hurtles towards them.

"Now!" Aven shouts. Both him, and Alecia shoots a powerful energy beam of their own.

Both beams collide with each other, causing a loud thunderclap. The energy at the center begins to condense into larger sphere of energy. Between the two forces, strong electrical currents surge out in all directions.

Slowly, Alecia, and Aven slide back, while keeping their composure. Their bodies continue to stream energy into the beam.

"I can't believe this!" Aven shouted out, gritting her teeth.

"Even with our combined might, we're even with her."

"Just keep pushing," Alecia shouted, pushing her hands forward, and pours more energy into it.

The sphere in the middle of the clash slowly moves towards Raine, causing her to slide back, only her heel to touch the wall. Looking back at the wall behind herself, she grits her teeth, and pours more energy into her beam, moving the middle sphere towards Alecia, and Aven once more.

"I won't let you!" She moves her foot forward, and leans into her beam, pouring even more energy into it, only to take a few slow steps forward.

Slowly, the sapphire beam grows, and begins to overwhelm Aven, and Alecia's.

"How can she?"

"No one can have this much energy!" Aven added.

Pouring more of their energy into their attack, it only slows down Raine's energy beam; still, it gains, and continues to move towards Alecia, and Aven, until their beam loses its size.

"I-I don't know how much longer we can keep this up," Aven said, his arms starting to shake, beads of sweat surrounding his forehead.

"This is the strength of my species!" Raine shouted out.

"The memory of those who died, rests entirely on my shoulders!" With that, a burst of energy flows into her beam, causing her to gain ground once more.

With her hands slowly lowering, Alecia's body jerks, only for her to start coughing out. Looking at her with a wide-eyed gaze.

"No, Alecia!" Aven said, looking ahead once more.

"Hang on, please."

"I can't Av-" she continues coughing, urging her to bring her hand to her mouth, slowing down the pouring of her energy. In her mind, her thoughts head to Angelica, and starts pleading, even with her doubts of her actually being there, she has to find some stength to help.

"Let me," with that, she opens her eyes when hearing that familiar woman's voice in her mind. Her eye pupils ignite, and glow brighter.

Everything around her is now black, and void of any sound. She can only guess that she has blacked out once again, and the ship is on its way to destruction along with her sister and niece.

After a moment, she hears something, a sequence of beats. What could it be? It sounds familiar, and so close.

In front of her, a light is seen. Ahead of her, she sees the most unusual thing. The beating is coming from a heart; a heart that's incased within a glass on a small pillar.

Slowly she steps towards it, with her hand reaching out. Her curious eyes drawn to it, with each beat, a turquoise glow shines from within it.

The pillar starts falling over, urging Alecia to run after it, only for the glass to fall on the floor in front of her feet, still the heart continues to beat.

Crouching down, she reaches her hand to it, with her fingers just inches from the slimy surface. Just then, the heart flashes bright. Now there's nothing but a blank whiteness.

Opening her eyes slowly, Alecia stares ahead at the large beam in front of her.

Her eyes train to Aven.

"Are you alright?" He asked, still holding his arms up, continuing to pour out his energy into the beam.

Alecia grabs his shoulder, with a glare and throws him behind with ease, causing him to fall on his back.

"What are you doing?" He shouted out, now climbing back on his feet.

"You have done enough, Aven," Alecia said with a calm tone, urging him to stop walking.

"If she can't stop it, I will."

Letting out a loud scream, a large done of energy flows out from Alecia's body, forcing Raine's beam back, as it collides with the walls of the hallway.

The done continues to enlarge into the surrounding area until it reaches Raine. Just then, it swallows Raine's beam, and knocks her back against the wall.

With the done fading away, a cloud of dust surrounds the whole hallway. Both Alecia, and Aven stand within it.

The dust clears, and from it, a large trench is seen stretching across the whole hallway of cells.

"What were you thinking, pushing me aside like that?" Aven said, standing from behind her with a puzzled look on his face.

With a huff, Alecia walks away, and towards Raine at the other side of the hallway.

"Alecia!" He called out.

"Answer me when I'm speaking to you!" Only for her to ignore him still.

Crouched on her knees, panting, and sweating. Raine stares at the scorched floor before her. Gritting her teeth, she looks ahead at her approaching enemy. 

She looks around herself, only to spot a black rod on the floor. Gripping it tightly, she stands herself up. Now catching her breath, she shouts out, and runs towards Alecia while holding the rod up.

Calm, and collected, Alecia continues to walk towards her. Raine reaches her, only for her to dodge every swing of the rod.

With each crying swing on the rod, Raine's movement starts to slow. Alecia snatches it away from her. Holding it on both ends, she smashes it in half with her leg, and drops the remaining pieces.

Grabbing Raine by the collar, Alecia arches her arm back with a tightened fist, and starts punching her square in the face. For a moment she continues her repeated attack as blue blood starts splattering out from Raine's nose with each strike it receives. After a moment, Alecia arches her hand back once more, and hits Raine harder, forcing her to fall on her back across the floor.

Sitting herself up, Raine stares up at Alecia, watching as she slowly approaches, her turquoise eyes glaring down at her. Looking at her helpless state, it can only show how she's broken her spirit to fight. Standing up Raine gets a backhand from Alecia, forcing her to fall across the floor.

Pushing herself up, Raine looks up at Alecia standing over her. Glaring up at her, Raine crawls backwards with her eyes fixed on her, only for Alecia to follow.

Giving up, Raine sits still with a stuttering sigh, only to wait for another attack from her.

"Go ahead," she said, her eyes beginning to glisten.

"Kill me." Raine looks down at her lap, and closes her eyes, only for tears to fall on her pants.

With her lips twisting into a smile, Alecia raises her hand, and points her index finger at Raine's head. After a moment, the gin looks up, and jerks back, her eyes squint at Alecia's finger.

"You fought well, Raine." The tip of her finger begins to form a small beating sphere.

"You'll finally go to the same place as your sister."

Staring up at her immerging demise, with her eyes now capturing the turquoise glow before them. An explosion erupts from the wall, and engulfs Alecia, only for it to send her flying back, causing her to tumble along the floor, and lays face down.

Lowering her hands from her head, Raine looks up to see smoldering fire and smoke seeping out from the destroyed wall. Something is heard from behind it, a ship's engine. Calling out Alecia's name, Aven runs to her aid,

Standing up, Raine walks to the destroyed wall, and looks out to see a bright light, urging her to shield her eyes. The ship rotates itself until the rear of it is seen. Lowering her arm, Raine narrows her eyes.

Moving her on his lap, Aven continues to call Alecia's name and taps her face a few times, but no response. Looking up, he spots Raine standing near the opening of the wall.

The hatch of the ship lowers, revealing armed individuals. One of them is a woman with emerald hair, urging Raine to smile.

"Captain, we have your ship!" The women shouted, now stepping down the hatch as the ship lowers.

"I'm sorry we took so long."

"Eyla!" Raine said with a growing smile on her face.

"And you came back for me?" She walks through the wall to meet with her.

"Of course we would," Eyla said, grabbing her hand, and pulls her in.

"You don't look too good, Captain."

"Nevermind that," Raine said, turning to face the wall, with Aven carrying Alecia. His eyes glaring at her and her crew. Aiming her hand at him with a frownful gaze, an energy sphere forms, only for Raine to launch it at the top frame of the wall, causing it to collapse on itself, blocking her view of her two enemies.

"Looks like you had a hard time with them, huh?' Eyla said, her eyes turns to her.

"Let's just get off this planet," Raine said stepping into the ship.

"Roger that," Eyla said, punching the button on the side, and with that, the hatch closes them in. After a moment of hovering, the ship accelerates, and flies off into the storm.

Within the prison, Aven stands with Alecia still in his arms. Looking down at her. He waits for signs of her breathing. After a moment, her eyes open to meet his gaze, urging him to smile, only for her to close them once more. Thinking about what happened tonight, after witnessing Alecia's strange behavior, and power, it was truly strange.

Despite what happened with her, he can't help but feel proud. She has truly come a long way.

"Let's go home, Alecia," he said, with a gentle tone in his voice. Turning away from the collapsed wall, he walks through the trench within the hallway of cells.