Chapter 33: Love, Pain, Death and Suffering

Jane's POV

"What have you done to him!?" Guinevere exclaimed.

"I... I don't know. The sword just-" I stuttered.

"Give me that sword!" Guinevere rushed at me with killing intent. She hurls a fireball on my direction but I managed to blocked it with Excalibur.

"You're not the only one with tricks Guinevere" I replied and casted Aqua Corossion. Her armour started melting revealing her inner clothings.

She casted a reinforcement magic and unequipped her armour. I prepared and hold Excalibur tight.

"It seems the only way I can kill you is to cut you into pieces with my sword" Guinevere said and summoned a crystal sword with carved diamonds and gold.

"A swordfight it is then" I replied.

"Lady Jane, if you will attack using me, you will have greater chance on winning" Excalibur whispered.

"And why is that? I don't even know how to use a sword" I replied.

"Your mana is still low, you can only cast a spell or two before your body gives up. Swordfight doesn't use mana and at the same time it will give you a chance to replenish it" Excalibur explained.

"Right. Thanks for the tip" I answered.

"Prepare" Guinevere said and dashed at me pointing her sword towards me. I parry her attack and tried to stab her. She blocked it with her arm and kicked me.

I got knocked back but atleast I managed to wound her arm.

"You sacrificed your arm for a single kick?" I taunted.

"Just shut up" She replied and casted a pillar of flames at me. I let Excalibur absorbed the fire and lunged at Guinevere. I almost got her but the sword stopped by itself so I stepped back.

"Don't have the guts to kill someone?" Guinevere laughed as she tried to hide the pain from her bleeding hand.

"Excalibur why did you stopped me from killing her?" I asked.

"I didn't Lady Jane. I'm telling the truth" Excalibur replied.

"Then why did you stopped?!" I exclaimed.

"It was me Jane" Lancelot's voice? "I should have done this the moment I saw her. You're right. She's not the Guinevere I used to know"

"What are you trying to do Lance?" I asked. I glanced at Guinevere and she's still wincing from her arm wound.

"Let me out Jane. I will kill her with my own hands" Lancelot said.

"But... How?" I replied.

"Let go of me" Excalibur said. I nod and dropped Excalibur on the ground.

Guinevere seeing me let go of my weapon, quickly grabbed her sword and lunged at me. Helpless, I closed my eyes and waited for her sword to cut me into two. I waited and waited but... I'm still fine. I glanced at what happened... Lancelot appeared infront of me, his sword buried deep in Guinevere's heart while Guinevere's sword thrusted Lancelot's abdomen.

"Lancelot!" I shouted.

"Let us rest my love" Lancelot held Guinevere's face and smiled "Our time already stopped"

Guinevere smiled back and died.

"Jane, I trust Excalibur to you. Please-" He pulled the sword from his abdomen and faced me "Take care of it and lived"

He kissed my forehead and smiled. A moment after he collapsed on the ground.

"I promised Lance. Guinevere, your love is the most beautiful from the love I have seen so far. I respect you for that. Please, take care of Lancelot for us" I said and burnt their corpses using Excalibur. As much as I want to revive them, I don't have any mana left in me and they just want to rest eternally.

I hope both of you are happy wherever you are.

I quickly scanned the surroundings and found Matt, stuck with debris. I cleared the debris and placed Matt on a safer place. I used my remaining mana to heal his wounds. It slightly recovered due to minimal mana, causing him to wake up.

"What happened" Matt asked "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. Don't move too much, your wounds are still healing" I replied.

"What happened to Lancelot and the girl that blasted me" Matt said while wincing.

"They're gone. Went to a better place" I said while looking at the window. It's already morning, no sleep, no food and yet here we are. Alive.

"They're dead?" Matt said and chuckled "You've become pretty strong for a support Jane. I still remembered when you cried about having the least contribution these past few months"

"Yeah" I replied and completely healed his wounds. Although healed, he is still exhausted. My mana is almost dry too.

"We should head inside the depot and find the keyhole" Matt said and stood up. I followed him and went inside.

Although full of debris, the area is still manageable. We scanned the surroundings and searched for the possible keyhole.

Matt pulled some of the debris using ice chains and cleared up some space. I also sliced some debris using Excalibur and melted the pieces using corrosion.

Now that the area was cleaned up, it is easier for us to move around. The room is now empty, no food stocks nor empty barrels. Just a concrete and empty room.

"Where do they possibly hide the keyhole?" Matt asked as he touched the walls looking for a secret passage.

I glanced left and right but found nothing that could resemble a keyhole. Where can it possibly be. The floor was also normally tiled, no pattern or inscriptions. Then that leaves us... The ceiling!

I glanced above and saw a painting. It was a picture of a giant tree, its branch spreads put across the entire sealing, covered with golden leaves and crimson flowers. There were seven flowers in total.

"Matt, look up" I said as I tried to decipher the painting. Matt looked up and also saw the painting.

"East, West, South, North, North-West, North-East, South-West... Jane, the flowers resembles directions but there are no flower in the South-East" Matt said. I looked at the flower and he's right. I walked into the South-East corner and took out the key of prosper. A brick opens and revealed a golden keyhole on a pig's mouth.

"Geez, did they really designed it like this?" Matt said.

"Matt, go to the smith. I'll keep guard here." I said.

"Then be careful" He replied and left in a hurry.

Sigh, this trip thought me many things. Love, pain, death and suffering. Sheila, Eva, please be safe.