Adriana couldn't accept it. She couldn't accept being forced to retreat. Leaving those she had been brought here with behind. Leaving those with whom she had struggled to survive, and clawed for any chance at victory.
Yet, they would not listen. They even threatened to knock her out if she didn't go. As a result, she climbed onto the Alicorn as she watched the miasma cover the entire city. As her friends gripped the weapons they had been given by the Chosen, and dug in their heels.
They would stay to slow those chasing the rescued slaves. They were all ready to give their lives for for this, alongside the hundred or so Chosen who were to act as a distraction while the other groups attempted scattered.
Tears formed in her eyes as she thought of all those lost. Of all those who were doomed to die even after everything. She held the babe in her arms tight, resolving to give it a good life. Resolving to see the mother's wish come true.
To let the child live a free, happy life.
The last thing she saw was an injured elf leaning on the shoulders of a brown haired girl. They were headed towards the horde of approaching undead. Separating from the distraction group, they moved slowly but steadily forward.
—
"Elizabeth." Eldrian mumbled, he had little to no strength left. Retreating would have been the best option. But he couldn't.
He couldn't leave things as they were.
"I'm not going." She replied. Refusing to leave Eldrian alone against the black mass of undead. "Besides, you can't even kill one in your condition. How do you plan to pull any attention in your condition?"
A smile crept onto Eldrian's face. She had him there. He wouldn't even be able to kill one zombie in his current state. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had grown a lot. Her growth might not be comparable to his, but she put nearly all her free time into her training.
During his week of preparations, Eldrian had even devised a new spell for her. He couldn't perform it, it required divine mana and he was unable to call upon it. He had once managed to control divine mana, but he couldn't form it at will.
The spell, however, wasn't easy to master. Eldrian didn't even know if it was possible. It was more a concept than anything else. As was normal for Eldrian's own spells.
It was based more on visualization and what he assumed the mana control would need to be. He hadn't even given Elizabeth a spell module to memorize. Simply the theory behind the undead and why this spell should be capable of rescuing the trapped souls.
"I'm using it."
"Can you?" Eldrian had a feeling this was why she refused to leave. Why she had taken him with her to the front.
She normally always stayed behind to better manage those beneath her. But no one else was as well equipped to face the undead, even without that specific spell theory.
"Hehe." Elizabeth chuckled, drawing upon the foreign power of divinity. However, this time was different from all the time before. She was still relying on the system installed for players to gather the mana, but she wasn't letting it do the casting.
Normally, she needed to pray for a spell to appear. This time, she was clearly manifesting it herself.
Eldrian watched in wonder. He could see that she had some accord with Ziraili. Somehow, Elizabeth was able to ask the god for divine mana without directing it into a spell prayer. As with all spells, it came at the trade of her own mana, but that she had control of it was spell bounding.
An aura of divinity enveloped Elizabeth as she gathered the mana. It grew in strength as she formed the vision of its effects. These effects made her appear like an angel to Eldrian's mana sense.
"When did you—?"
"You're not the only one improving!" Elizabeth shouted, letting go of Eldrian as she struck the ground with both hands. Sparkling divine mana filled their surroundings, dispelling the surrounding death particles faster than even wrath had consumed them.
When the zombies entered the field Elizabeth had summoned, they collapsed and turned into particles. Leaving nothing behind.
The spell was beauty incarnate. Eldrian watched in wonder as the torn souls, wretched from the afterlife and deformed to create the undead, were rescued. Unlike Vivian's flames that devoured the curse of undeath, this spell was targeted at strengthening the torn soul.
It could only work on freshly turned undead, and even then only on the lower undead. But in return, its efficiency was striking.
"Ugh!" Crying out in pain, Elizabeth grit her teeth as blood seeped through her lips. Cleansing an uncountable amount of undead was certainly far past her abilities. Even if it was the most efficient spell possible.
'I see.' Eldrian smiled in understanding. Feeling as if he had found another kindred spirit. Someone who would stand with him in this war. He was not alone.
White knuckled, Elizabeth gripped two mana crystals. It wasn't astonishing that she had learned to use mana from the crystals. To use them as active batteries, however. That required some serious skill.
Sadly, she wouldn't last long. Her efficiency was growing by the second, but each zombie still took a dozen mana or so to be cleansed. After half a minute, it was down to just four to five MP per zombie, but Elizabeth's mind was going to be fried if this continued.
Placing his left hand on her shoulder, Eldrian told her to stop. "They're here." He said, looking towards the lich.
The reason he had needed her help was simple. He couldn't cause any damage in his current state. Her normal spells would have been enough. This, however, had likely caused those in command to jump in fright.
First, Eldrian had wreaked havoc in their city. And now an unknown priest had cleansed thousands of zombies on their own within seconds.
Each zombie might be weak on their own, but it still showed that there was more than one threat here. A threat they couldn't allow to escape, lest it grow strong enough to kill all of them.
"That's him! Kill him!" An extremely pale woman shouted, her complexion closer to that of a ghost than a living being.
Seeing her, Eldrian's anger exploded. Eldrian had no idea who had originally launched that attack at him. He would not miss her unique wavelength. As soon as he saw her, he knew she was the one who had killed Two.
A crystal flew towards the manic women. The sight of it caused her to faint, but alas, the crystal fell to the ground harmlessly just a few meters shy of its target.
"Did you think I wouldn't prepare a countermeasure?" The lich asked. Despite the composure it was trying to convey, it was clearly on guard.
Unsure if Eldrian might have other tricks up his sleeve. This elf had killed dozens of skilled personal and even tore down a magic tower. Being over confident would be foolish. Especially when that priest was next to him. She might appear exhausted, but it could be an act.
Yet, despite this logic running through the lich's thoughts, it could not help but look down at Eldrian and Elizabeth. The elf was clearly on the verge of death. That he was not dead was a testament to his strength.
Killing him, however, was not in the lich's best interests. "How did you survive Devour?" The lich asked.
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
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