Chapter 524: Discovering The Truth
Upon being thrown out of the capital, Alice felt a sense of weightlessness overwhelm her mind. Glancing back, she could see a tall woman with a single longsword looking at her with strange eyes.
It felt as though she was looking through her, seeing all of her secrets.
But more than that, Alice saw the turbulent energy around her.
A Lord!
Widening her eyes, she wanted to brace herself for an attack but it was already too late.
In the blink of an eye, she was dragged into an unfamiliar world.
A cosmic sea illuminated by numerous vibrant blue hues shimmering with the light of countless stars. Above, a raging storm roared with purple lightning crackling through the clouds. Around Alice, the space fractured as though it was a piece of glass.
She could see that she was alone.
Furrowing her brows, Alice traced her fingers along the cracks and noticed she couldn't touch it directly.
"Are you a retainer of the Zenia family?" Alice called out, knowing that the owner was here with her, somewhere.
"To a certain extent."
"Don't you think it's a bit too much? A Lord bullying a measly five Sigil Hunter." She forced a smile while scanning her eyes across the realm.
The flow of energy was chaotic and fractured with strands linking up in ways she hadn't seen before. It was hard to make heads or tails of this place.
'The only way out would be to use Ruinous Void. But she's keeping an eye on me right now. If I make any hasty moves, she'll be able to stop me before I can do anything about it.'
Against a Lord, she was helpless. And this time, she couldn't drink the blood of one to push herself up into the realm of Lord forcefully.
"I'm not bullying. Merely helping out." Eryn shrugged. She was just here to give Albert a helping hand.
Seeing that the Lord had no intentions of leaving things be, Alice realised she was wasting time trying to look for a chance. Therefore, there's only one option left for her. Break out forcefully!
Just as she was about to summon her Personal Artifact, the space in front of her shifted momentarily before revealing Albert.
*BANG!!!!
Out of instinct, Alice had already created a blade and swung it towards his head, only to be blocked by the cracks in space around him.
"You really are a monster, no different from the time you were stuck in that prison." Albert frowned. His wounds have healed up now thanks to a healing vial and he had to admit that Alice's power was more than what he originally expected.
If it wasn't for the fact that she was trying to keep him alive for a little longer, he might not have gotten the chance to push her out of the city.
"Hah! Do you even hear yourself?" Alice let out a sarcastic laugh before glaring at her brother.
"Who wouldn't want to tear that f*cking head of yours from your shoulder when you're the one who backed up the people that tore me apart? Should I be on my knees thanking you for using my blood? My body?"
Albert's eye twitched as he took a deep breath to calm himself.
"You're the one who's wearing my sister's skin and using it against us."
"I may be wearing her skin but I'm not the one who ordered scholars to tear it apart from the inside out." Alice snapped back as violet flames burst out from her arm. The cracks around Albert faltered momentarily as he took a step back.
Unfortunately, the flames didn't reach him.
Eryn was surprised by the power Alice was showing despite the power gap as logically, she shouldn't even be able to move right now.
"Where is she? I know my sister is still in there." Albert gritted his teeth, not wanting to talk to Alice anymore.
Blinking her eyes, Alice tilted her head before letting out a laugh.
"You want to see her? Sure, I'll let you see her." Alice grinned. Between the two of them, Alyss and Alice, there was no doubt that Alyss held the most hatred for her brother.
After all, she was the one who was experimented on the most.
Closing her eyes, golden chains manifested around her body.
Unsure of what's happening, Albert glanced back as Eryn swept her gaze over Alyss.
"Your sister should've taken over now."
Getting confirmation from Eryn, Albert smiled in excitement as he wanted to walk forward and give her a hug.
*BANG!!!!
Punching the space in front of her, Alyss clicked her tongue in annoyance. She glared at Albert with cold anger filled eyes.
"What's with that look? Don't recognise your own sister?" Alyss gave him a mocking smirk.
"Or did you expect something else?
"Big brother! You finally found me! I'm so happy! Blerg, f*cking disgusting." She acted in a sickly sweet tone before pretending to throw up.
Taking a step back in confusion, Albert couldn't wrap his head around the drastic change.
"No, you're not her. This… This must be a mistake." Albert frowned. Turning around, he wanted Eryn to say that this was the monster talking.
"This is the second soul. The main one has taken a step back."
Eryn's words felt like a hammer against his head as Albert glanced back at Alyss.
No longer was there the sister that clung onto her brother's hand and in her place, stood a woman filled to the brim with anger and hatred. He knew that if it wasn't for Eryn protecting him with this space right now, she would've tried to tear him apart.
"No… No! You shouldn't be like this?! What happened to you? Is it the monster? Is that thing the one who twisted your mind?"
Hearing his slander towards Alice, Alyss narrowed her gaze as his shadow twitched. Darkened hands shot out but Eryn's figure flickered behind Albert and cut it off before disappearing.
"Tsk. Monster? What monster? Doesn't that apply to me as well? The other 'me' has done more for me than the Zenia's ever had. She's done more for me than you ever did. Where were you when I cried out for you huh? Remember that first experiment?" Alyss began to talk as she clenched her fist to the point it bled.
"The first one is always the hardest to forget. You were there with br- no, I can't even call him brother now. You and Agarin were both there with Luthor. Both of you glared at me like I did something wrong.
"How many times do you think I called out for you? Begging you to stop? Crying out that it hurt while you watched on. You watched as they stabbed needle after needle into me until I wasn't even recognisable. If you had stopped there, I might've forgiven you to some extent you know?" Alyss gave a mocking smile.
"But you made sure every experiment was more painful than the last. You wanted me to suffer. After all that, do you still think I can be the same sister that walked with you around the lake?" Alyss asked as Albert stumbled back.
Eryn was silent but she continued to listen.
Little by little, she began to piece together what had happened.
"I… I didn't know…" Albert muttered. He couldn't avert his eyes and mind from the truth. He couldn't convince himself that the monster twisted her mind when everything she said indeed happened.
Every time she called out for him, begging him, he only convinced himself that it was the monster talking. That the monster wanted to take advantage of his love for his sister.
"If everything can be resolved by 'I didn't know', then the world would be a better place wouldn't it? Twinnie didn't know what she was doing either at the time of her 'birth', but look at what you did to her. So I think we've talked enough now.' Alyss glared at Albert before closing her eyes.
'Go for it twinnie, let's end this.'
'Roger.'
Taking over, Alice slammed her hand down as Ruinous Void manifested around her hand.
Ruinous Void – Fractured Form!
*CRACK SHATTER!!!
Widening her eyes in shock, Eryn didn't expect Alice to have something that could break apart the personal realm of Lords! It wasn't done by brute force either, it was done by injecting the chaotic nature of the Void and the power it holds in disturbing space!
"Sh*t!"
She could see Alice activating her bloodline release as her soul form manifested behind her.
Flames coiled around her hand as a singularity spun to life.
One hit, one hit is all she needed. As long as she can be faster than Eryn, Albert dies here!
*KRK!!!!!
Just as she pushed her hand towards him, Alice saw a flash rush past her.
"ARGGG!!!" Stumbling back, she glared at Eryn who had cut off her arm. The rampant energy of her attack was redirected into the sky before exploding and Eryn was untouched.
Regenerating her arm, Alice glared at Eryn as fighting a Lord was impossible for her right now.
But since they were now out of the personal realm, the others could be here as backup!
*Clap Clap Clap
"Marvelous! Simply Marvelous! I was wondering what might've happened but it seems like my worries are unfounded. Ah~ Simply remarkable that you are actually able to escape the personal realm of a Lord. And that attack, a fusion of three different powers. You've grown dear Alice and glad I am to see it." A joyful voice rang out as Alice felt a chill down her spine.
Subconsciously, she reached for her own neck as her eyes slowly turned towards the source of this sickening voice.
A figure that caused Alice to take a step back, fearing the consequences of capture.
Giving Alice a small wave, the Doctor licked his lips in joy seeing how life had returned to her eyes.
It'll only make the enjoyment of breaking her a second time better than the first. To rip the hope from her hands that she desperately clung onto.
This time, he will not let her slip out of his grasp once he recovers her.