Alicia's Revival

Alexander lifted his hands, chanting ancient words from a long forgotten spell, words older than any existing kingdom, words taught to her faithful by Alicia herself.

The sigil answered the ancient spell, its sigil flaring in response. The once golden runes flickered, sputtered, then began to glow with a different light, from gold to alien violet.

"No... don't!" The others shouted, their words breaking against the chambers walls. But it was too late.

The outer layer of the seal shattered into a million fragments of light, the spider web cracks running across the middle of the seal spiraled outwards, spreading all over.

Despair began settling in, as the others watched the seal they had come to save, collapse before their very eyes.

The other knights fall to their knees as they began praying, their zeal taking over them.

Seizing that moment, Reiji made his move. At first, his mouth moved silently, his voice barely audible to the Reagent and Blade of light besides him. But as it went on, his voice slowly rose, until it matched the same level of intensity as Alexander. 

A blue aura began forming at his chest, pure mana gathering around him, alerting Alexander to the sudden change besides him. Furious, he signaled for Ophelia to stop Reiji, unable to stop his own spell now that it had started.

Before the sacred sword could slice through the air, Reiji lashes out with a ki powered kick, knocking back Ophelia. 

Within that moment, the others immediately took action, seizing the confusion of the knights. Souma, Vaelen, Kaldin, and Thalion tackled the knights behind them, knocking them down. 

Sable drops her shackles to the ground, her thief skills undoing the lock easily. Grabbing a sword from the fallen knight, she immediately moves, breaking the shackles of the others.

"No!" The lieutenant screams as he rushes towards the captives, ready to strike them down.

A wall of ice erupts, blocking the swords path, as Nraltia moves to intercept. The others quickly disarm the knights, stealing their swords to defend themselves. Souma darts towards Ophelia, blocking her off from attacking Reiji.

The sound of metal against metal bouncing off the sanctum walls as they begin struggling desperately against each other.

Frantic, beads of sweat lined Alexander as he desperately tries to complete his ritual before Reiji. The collapsing seal now a clash between a sickly violet glow and a pure blue, clashing against each other, pushing back and forth.

For a moment, it seemed like Alexander would win, the purple light pushing back the blue, taking over 80% of the seal. But as he glanced over at Reiji smirking is his victory, he saw a familiar figure overlapping over Reiji.

"A-Alicia?" The sight before him was enough to leave him in shock, completely stunned by the faint image of the Saintess he had been worshipping all his life. 

The more he tried to deny it, the harder it became. Although translucent, her features were all there, emitting a quiet grace befitting the legendary heroine of the past. Unable to hold on, his concentration shatters along with his ritual.

Not noticing the change in Alexander, Reiji and Alicia continue their ritual, the blue mana coalescing into the form of Alicia. Each passing moment, turning her form more visible than the last.

With one last final incantation, Alicia vanishes, the seal turns completely blue, shining purely, washing the entire sanctum with its gentle glow, causing a silence to fall over all those present.

With one resounding crack, like glass shattering, the seal bursts apart into a million light fragments.

A shockwave of corrupted mana hurls everyone off their feet, a thumping heartbeat echos off the sanctum walls, as a figure crawls out from the gaping wound, where the seal had been.

Alicia. 

Her body was pristine, her pale skin, now completely white. Her jet black hair flowing down towards her waist. Her once pure blue dress had been dyed jet black, the same color as her hair. Her eyelids fluttered opened, revealing eyes that burned with a sickly alien violet. Her veins beneath her skin pulsed with the same colored energy, radiating a dreadful pressure, that could silence even a god. 

Drawing open her mouth, she let loose a ear splitting scream, it's otherworldly wail, shaking the very walls of the sanctum, raining dust down from the unseen ceilings.

Without looking at anyone present, the corrupted Alicia shoots upwards, breaking through the cieling as she escapes to the surface, a beam of purple energy tearing through.

"No... it can't be..." Alexander sinks to his knees in disbelief, as half the chamber begins crumbling down on them.

"Quickly! We need to get out of here!" The lieutenant yells as he orders his men to evacuate. The others quickly follow them, no longer fighting each other, as they all run for their lives.

Reiji now free from the ritual, grabs Alexander by the scruff of his robes dragging him along as they run out, not once did Alexander bother to struggle against him.

Leading the way up the stairs, the Lieutenant and his knights exit first, closely followed by Nraltia and the Gryphon party, then Souma and Ophelia emerged. The last one to escape was Reiji and Alexander, just as the staircase collapse, blocking off the path to the sanctum below.

Tossing Alexander to the ground, "Take a good look at what your Alicia has done. Every action has consequences. What matters is what you do from now."

With those parting words, Reiji dashes out the temple followed by his friends who have retreived their weapons, the knights of the Holy Order no longer their concern.