Culmination of War

"Crap!" Luna removed a large thorn lodged in her shoulder as her face winced up.

Then she channeled lightning and dashed to three Corrupted. They were instantly burned to crisp by the high-voltage lightning.

"Haaa...haa...I can't keep this up anymore."

The olive-skin beauty muttered as she felt her essences drained out entirely.

On the other side of the battlefield, Yuna and Mina weren't handling it any better.

Both of them had used up all their remaining essences to clear another Corrupted wave.

But the Corrupted were still coming in with no sign of stopping.

Mina, whose face was bloody and bruised looked tiredly over the horizon as she mumbled:

"...Where is the calvary at?"

Yuna clung to her greatsword as she tried to use it to help her stand.

The three of them were about to charge ahead again, but something unexpected occurred.

The Corrupted froze in their track as they silently gazed at each other for a moment.

"GARGHH!!"

And they began attacking one another.

The three were dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events, but Yuna soon realized that this meant they no longer needed to fight.

"Let's retreat!"

Luna and Mina nodded in agreement and they retreated back to where they were before.

On arrival, they saw Jackson who was standing nonchalantly along with Ryan and Tiffany who apparently had woken up.

The three were surprised by Luna's group appearance as Ryan and Tiffany rushed toward the ponytail girl and the fox girl and asked for their condition.

The two didn't utter a single word as they started at the dumb couple before them angrily.

This made Ryan and Tiffany flinched back in fear.

Yuna was also looking at Jackson but in a scornful way.

The latter just avoided her gaze and explained in a stammering voice:

"M-my essences ran out so..."

The bob-cut woman ignored him and turned to Luna:

"Why did they suddenly act that way?"

"...I think big sis killed the leader." Mina answered in the ponytail girl's stead.

"...Big sis? You mean Anastasia Evernight?"

"Yeah."

Yuna was silent for a moment, then turned to where the Corrupted were slaughtering among themselves.

"That woman is truly formidable...she is younger than me yet..." She mumbled something to herself.

"What about that guy then?...the guy who calls himself Achilles."

"You and I saw him go with big sis so maybe he is still with her?" The fox girl replied after some thinking.

Yuna's face became grim for a split second which puzzled Luna and Mina. But they quickly forgot about it thinking it was just their imagination.

All of the sudden, Luna clasped her hand which drew everybody's attention to her.

"By the way, why are there only the six of us here? Shouldn't the government and the Augustus family send more than the two of you?"

"...Everyone was busy, I was the only one who was able to come." Yuna turned slightly uncomfortable by the question.

"Same goes for my side."

"Hmm...ok. But-" Luna was about to say something when she noticed a large group of aura approaching them from the inner section of the city.

The group that just arrived wore clothes that classified them as government officials.

Yuna saw this and walked toward who seemed to be the boss of the group.

"Ms.Yuna?" The latter asked.

"Yes. Why are you here? I thought everyone was busy?"

"It is done already, miss. The president sent us here to assist you?"

"A little too late for that. You lap dogs really know when to come in and do the easy part." Luna scoffed as she looked at the officials.

"It is...done? But how could it be-" The group's leader spoke halfway through before someone came to his side and tap his shoulder.

The man seemed to be in a panic as he quickly stopped talking.

Mina who stood a little distance away raised her eyebrow at the man's action.

"So...everything's done?" The boss spoke hesitantly.

"Not really. There are still Corrupted killing one another. If you would be kind enough to do the favor, then please."

Yuna said then went to find a spot to sit down and rest.

The man bowed in respect before ordering his troop to advance.

Once they were gone from the sight, Luna turned to Mina and said in a relieved voice.

"...Well, we can finally get to rest..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moments earlier, outside the city.

BOOOM!!!

A massive explosion resounded as the gale behind Sia's ability pushed the Armored Leechworm down, stopping it from devouring Achilles.

A gust of wind spread throughout the land due to the force caused by the worm's collision.

Blood was beginning to spurt out like rainfall all over the place.

'Shit! Run!' Achilles saw the sight in front of him and used all his essences to run away.

He sought a nearby tree and hid himself from the infectious bloody rain.

After the dust was settled, Sia's graceful figure landed on top of the worm's immobile body.

Despite the gory, disgusting sight around her, the silvery-white-haired goddess was untainted by the filth around her.

She was akin to a holy angel surrounded by the world's disgusting nature.

The sight before Achilles was both divine and profane — both terrifying and beautiful — both holy and unholy.

...An embodiment of contradiction.

So wrong...yet so right.

He snapped out of his gaze and began approaching Sia while avoiding the blood stains on the ground.

When he was about to jump on top of the worm to meet her, something else happened.

The Leechworm started to disintegrate along with its blood on the ground.

At the same time, Achilles felt a horrifying power begin flowing into Sia like a river.

The presence of the little succubus in front of him grew into something more powerful, more overwhelming.

More godly...and less human.

Sia suddenly clutched her chest like she was in extreme pain. The Leechworm completely disappeared as she began to fall.

Achilles acted on his instinct and leaped up, catching her in time.

He landed on the ground and looked at the little succubus worriedly. The latter was breathing raggedly and constantly holding her chest.

It seemed that the usual remnants absorbing process would bring an euphoric feeling to one. But if the power being absorbed was too great then it would backfire.

Achilles let Sia rest on his large shoulder as she gradually calmed down.

Soon she returned to her usual self and stared at him with loving eyes.

"...Did I have you worry?"

"You sure as hell did. But I'm glad you're okay now." He answered in a tender voice.

"...I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Or rather, save your apologies for something else. Since you owe me an explanation."

Sia didn't say anything and buried her face in Achilles' neck, then she nodded obediently.