Part Seventeen

Lia halts, signaling their arrival. A hint of satisfaction crosses her face as she announces, "Alright, we're here." Her smile is brief but genuine. "Let's head back to the academy."

Orion, with a resolute nod, echoes her sentiment. "We've waited long enough. Once we free our lord, he will guide us." Approaching a seemingly nondescript wall, he begins to chant, his hands tracing a complex magic circle. The wall responds to his incantations, pulsing with a radiant glow before dissolving, revealing the hidden portal.

With a determined expression, Orion slices his finger, letting his blood trail across the runes. The portal's glow intensifies with each drop, signaling its activation.

Lia, turning to Sera, cautions her with a tone of seriousness. "Watch out on the other side, Sera. It's a complete mess out there." Her words carry the weight of foreboding, hinting at the chaos awaiting them.

Stepping through the portal, they are immediately engulfed by a tumultuous storm. Lightning arcs across the sky as fierce winds buffet them, a testament to the turmoil engulfing the academy.

Lia, steadying herself against the gale, addresses Sera directly. "Hey, Sera, we're going to be busy. We need you to guard this portal until we return." Her voice cuts through the howling wind, clear and authoritative.

Sera, standing firm amidst the tempest, nods in solemn agreement. "Don't worry," she assures them with a resolute tone. "I'll make sure nothing happens here." Her commitment is unwavering, a solid rock in the midst of chaos.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for what's to come. They've set it up and have crossed. I already know Nyssa instructed Sera to guard the portal. It would be stupid of her to have her tag along.

Touching my forehead, I grapple with the weight of my decisions. I really need to do this, even though I'm aware that Sera will probably... No, she will definitely hate me once she's free from the cult's influence. But I had no other choice. Wiping the sweat from my brow, I try to focus.

Lysandra, ever observant, notices my discomfort. "Ugh... Why was that girl with her? And why are you sweating?" she asks, her tone a mix of curiosity and mild concern.

I let out a weary sigh. "Don't worry about it, I'll explain later." I hand her the pouch. "Once we're through the portal, head straight to the fountain. It's a bit of a distance, but you should manage. Expect monsters and a nasty storm. And a tip: if you end up fighting, use the environment to your advantage."

Standing up, I lead the way to the portal. "As soon as we're on the other side, Sera will try to stop us. Don't worry about her; I'll handle it. Just find a way around."

Lysandra smirks, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "Come on, Kael. Don't fuck this up, alright? You don't usually do that, right? And I expect something good from you when this is over," she teases.

I can't help but slap her head, this damn Idiot. "Hey, you're more likely to mess it up," I retort.

We step through the portal, emerging into the academy, which is in utter chaos. The scene is a mess - monsters roam, and a fierce storm rages.

Nearby, Sera sits, her posture relaxed yet alert. She tilts her head, a look of confusion crossing her features as she spots us. "Huh? What are you doing here..." she questions, her tone one of genuine surprise and curiosity.

Sera rises, unsheathing her sword with a swift motion. She rubs her head, wincing in pain, her expression a mix of confusion and distress. "You shouldn't be here... Why, why are you here?" she demands, her gaze fixed on Lysandra and me.

I let out a sigh, heavy with unspoken thoughts. "Go," I instruct Lysandra, who doesn't hesitate and bolts off. Sera moves to follow, but I step in her way, blocking her path.

"Sera..." I begin, my voice low. "Does it hurt?"

Her eyes narrow, glaring at me with a mix of anger and pain. "What are you talking about?" she snaps.

Rubbing my eyes tiredly, I respond, "I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Sera." I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, I could have done something different. But the risks were too high...

Sera's grip tightens on her sword, her other hand clutching her head as she grapples with her pain. "I am Sera, are you crazy?" she retorts, her frustration evident.

I take a deep breath, looking up at the stormy sky. My glove shifts back into a sword form. "Sera... Thank you for fighting for so long. I was afraid you'd be gone by now. I don't know how I'd face Ash if you... died out."

My stomach clenches uncomfortably. It hurts... I'm used to pain, it doesn't bother me much, yet why is that when I see someone I know in pain... Why does it always hurt like this?

"Died out? What the hell are you talking about? Were you hiding Ash from me!? Where's my brother!?" Sera's voice rises, laced with accusation as she lunges towards me.

I raise my sword, blocking her strike. "You're just a pathetic fake. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Sera." Ah... this is really annoying... I hate this. 

"I'm Sera! You've become crazy, Kael!" she shouts, her confusion and anger intermingling.

Crazy? I've been that way forever. I push her back, feinting a strike, only to kick her in the stomach. "You're not Sera. You're a parasite trying to take over. The real Sera wouldn't have fallen for that feint."

Sera charges at me, her legs coated in wind magic, boosting her speed to a blur. She strikes, and I block, but the force of her attack pushes me back. "Kael, what's wrong? Are you okay? You need our lord to help you. I have and always will be Sera," she insists, her voice laced with a confusing mix of conviction and desperation.

I exhale a weary sigh. "No matter how many times you tell yourself that. You are not Sera. Your habits, technique, and body may be the same, but you're just a parasite slowly taking over her brain." I infuse my sword with aura, striking back, forcing her to step back.

Sera clutches her head, grimacing in pain. "Kael, please stop lying already and just tell me where Ash is!" she demands, her body glowing with enhanced power as she speeds up her attacks.

Damn, she's fast. Too fast. I can't afford to waste too much energy right now. "Why? You want to go after Ash to finally kill off the real Sera who's fighting for control? Using a kid... You're pathetically disgusting," I snap, my disgust evident.

She clashes with me, creating a small crater with the force of her blows. "Okay, I'm not her, so what!? And yes, I'm pathetic for using a boy to get her, so what!?" she yells, trying to land a kick.

I counter, punching her across into a wall. She coughs up blood and struggles to her feet. I can feel the frustration, the futility of this whole situation weighing on me.

"Why are you trying so hard to be her?" I ask, my voice betraying a hint of sadness.

Sera grits her teeth, her hand trembling as she grips her sword. "I don't have a choice... Why!?" she screams, charging at me again, her sword creating shockwaves with each frenzied strike. "Why!? Tell me why I'm alive!?" Her attacks grow more fierce, more desperate. "I didn't choose to exist! My lord created me!"

★ ★

Kael watches Sera intently as she stands before him, her determination and inner turmoil palpable. "You know what you're doing is wrong, yet you still do it. You're stealing her body, making her suffer. Just what have you done to her in her head?" he demands, his voice tinged with both accusation and a hint of sorrow.

As he strikes down, his sword morphs into a giant battle axe, the transformation swift and smooth. Sera, her teeth gritted in resolve, manages to block the attack, but the force pushes her feet deeper into the ground. In a quick maneuver, Kael releases the axe and kicks her in the stomach, sending her flipping mid-air before she lands deftly on her feet.

Tears stream down Sera's face as she confronts Kael. "I have the right to live just as much as she does!" she cries out, her voice cracking with emotion. She swings her sword with fervor, declaring, "I-I don't want to do it, but I have no choice!"

Clutching her sword tightly, Sera wipes away her tears and sniffles. "I-I want to live! This is the only way I can do it..." Her eyes, wet with tears, glare at Kael, a mix of defiance and desperation in her gaze.

Kael remains expressionless, his face betraying no emotion. "It doesn't matter if you want to live," he states coldly, pointing his sword at her. "The fact is, you are killing someone I can't allow to die."

Sera's fists clench tightly, her body shaking with the intensity of her emotions. She rushes towards Kael, leaving a crater where she once stood, and strikes him with such force that it pushes him back, breaking the wall behind him. Pointing at herself with one hand, she asserts, "I am Sera! I have no other memories apart from hers! I am no different than she is!"

Kael stands up, his movements deliberate as he puts on his mask. "No... Look at the memories you have. You know my real name is Kael and you know how I met Sera. But you do not share the same emotions she has about me or anyone else."

Sera, consumed by a mix of rage and despair, punches the wall, breaking off a huge chunk. "Why, Kael? Why can't you just let me live?" she demands, coating her sword in mana, her voice trembling with emotion. The sword vibrates unsteadily in her hands as she adds, "Why did you have to find out about me? Now I have to kill you. Once we free our lord, I'll beg him to bring back Sera and you back to life in new bodies."

Kael, maintaining his composure, sighs deeply. "Your lord will not help you," he states plainly. "He and she are nothing more than beings who seek revenge. They are not gods, not omniscient or omnipotent. They were sealed away for a reason."

Sera's frustration boils over. "What do you know about our great lord!" she exclaims, launching an attack on Kael. The two engage in a fierce battle, their swords clashing with increasing intensity.

In the midst of their confrontation, Sera's voice breaks slightly. "Kael... Please, I don't hate you or anyone else. I-I have a life, and I want to live it." Tears stream down her face as she strikes harder, her emotions raw and exposed.

Kael, undeterred, counters her with a stern reality. "Do you realize how much pain Sera is enduring in your head? I know it very well, and it's unbearable, something no human should have to go through. You are ignorant, and you know you deserve to die."

Biting her lip, Sera's expression wavers between defiance and despair. "What am I supposed to do then!?" she asks, her voice breaking as she clears her stuffy nose. "I didn't choose to be born, but it's something I need to do to stay alive. If I don't do it I'll be the one to die."

Their battle intensifies, but Kael manages to break her focus, landing a solid punch in her gut, sending her staggering backward. She coughs up blood, her body wracked with pain. "Am I supposed to let myself die? After being alive for such a short time... I-I don't want to pass away," she confesses, clutching her head in anguish.

"I've talked to Sera in her head... she is a nice person, and I feel terrible for doing this, but... I'm not going to let myself die after experiencing the beauty of being alive," Sera admits, her inner conflict evident in her trembling voice and teary eyes.