ꀯꍩꁲꉣꋖꈼꌅ 22 - ꋰ꒒ꂦꂦꂠ ꂵꁲꁅꈼ

Indigo realized he was bleeding from the inside.

‘Whatever Flora did… I'm bleeding…’

His vision comes and goes, and he registers that something is not right with Flora. Mochi even stops his chase and starts barking in Flora's direction instead. He then noticed her eyes were glowing red. She stares him down like prey. He looks up to see the window of the ceiling showcasing the red moon. This only makes Flora look more sinister.

“Poor thing… Does it hurt? You have so much mana in your blood. Mind if I borrow it?” She made a hand movement, and blood flooded out of his mouth.

“B-blood mage? But how…” Blood mages are rare in history. They often evolve from mastering all water magic, turning into something more deadly, like blood. Most kept their presence a secret, as it was feared among the mage community. However, there is one exception to that, which is Flora's mother, who had already died.

‘Unless…’ Indigo slowly looked at the wand he broke, seeing it was glitching.

“Is this…part of the knowledge?”

Flora claps her hands, looking impressed.

Flora (?): “Ding, ding~ you're very smart.”

Just then, Indigo's trident transforms back to Tanya, who stood in front of Indigo protectively. Flora (?) didn't look threatened at all and simply walked closer.

Tanya: “Get away from M-”

Flora (?): “ꁕꂑꍟ ꋫ꒒꒓ꍟꋫꁕꐟ”

Her voice distorts, but Tanya could feel there was something wrong with her body. She fell on her knees and then melted into a puddle.

Indigo couldn't move his body, and talking now felt difficult. He was scared and didn't want to fight anymore because he could feel his skin crawl from the horrors.

Flora (?) turns to the rest, observing them closely.

Mochi was still barking, looking scared.

The moderator and Sherry stop fighting in wariness of the newcomer in Flora's body. Autumn got out of the pool and stared in disbelief.

Autumn: “That's… Mom's magic,” she mutters.

The blue-haired girl smiles at Autumn.

“It has been a while. Oh, how you've grown so much,” her words only confirming Autumn's suspicions.

“Mom…?”

The moderator looked beyond shocked.

Kazuyuki: “How… could I miss this detail… upon death… There are a few ways to still keep your soul from ascending, even if it isn't in a living thing.”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!”

Kazuyuki looked to his right and saw that Sherry was impaled by red tendrils from the ground. And then her body goes limp before it is thrown into the pool.

Kazuyuki: “April Falls… you haven't truly died, have you? That is something I cannot accept…”

April: “Aw… I helped you, and you couldn't let me go?”

Kazuyuki: “Unfortunately, not. That would be against the rules.”

April: “Well, Mr. Kazuyuki. Your rules are harming Flora. That is something I can't forgive.”

Her blood tendrils shot out at him, but he ran and dodged.

Autumn stood in front of April.

Autumn: “Mom, stop! You're going too far!” April leers at her.

April: “You are always like this… I can't blame you for this. But I can still get annoyed. You're such an EYESORE.” Her hand shot out a blood burst, and it sent Autumn back to the pool.

April: “So weak…but still. I'm glad you listen to me and never pursue magecraft. If only Flora listened too… then none of this would've happened. This is truly…a curse.”

Mochi recognized something else inside Flora and barked louder now defensively, getting between April and Autumn.

April felt lightning showering her, yet her body was shielded with a blood veil.

April: “Wow…so powerful. I had to use extra mana to build the shield.”

Autumn weakly made it to Indigo's side, who could barely stay conscious.

Autumn: “Stay with me, Indigo.” She uses a healing magic on him, which barely heals, realizing how serious the damage was. But Indigo can now breathe a bit better.

Indigo: “Why…? I hurt you.”

Autumn: “I won't abandon my family or you!”

Indigo widens his eyes but looks relieved, closing them.

“Thank you… Autumn.”

Mochi charges after April, going for the attack and barking along the way.

April raises her hand as if casting a spell when she hears a voice and feels pain inside.

‘Don't hurt Mochi!’

-ꍟ꒓꒓ꆂ꒓-

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!” April cries as Mochi pierces her arm, drawing blood. Yet she couldn't bring herself to fight back for some reason. April eventually tears him off, which resulted in a laceration left behind.

April: “You damaged her arm! You'll pay!” She tries to draw magic again but couldn't bring herself to do so, as if remembering the words earlier. She hears it again.

‘Mochi! I need to see Mochi again! Please! I have to keep Mochi safe!’

“So…this is your answer to happiness, Flora.”

She mumbles before Mochi bites her shoulder, and she feels her body sink into the pool.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

‘Cold…it's dark and lonely here.’

Flora sat in the darkness, wondering how she got here. And then a light illuminates, and she sees a familiar woman with long blue hair and red eyes.

“Mom?” Flora immediately went to hug her, but her body went through the woman. It seems her mom couldn’t see her.

The scene changes to something familiar. Her mom was wearing her own adventuring outfit. Her dad was there, with her sister and herself. Both Autumn and she look like little kids.

‘So this must be in the past,’ she wonders

She can hear a voice. It sounds like her mom.

“During my earlier adventuring days, I set up with my husband and children to slay the evil demon king who plagued the world with its minions. Usually, one would set themselves in a party with many people, but I was rather confident in my abilities, and we made the best duo protecting the children. I would be the main offense with my water magic. And my husband would be the healer if anything goes wrong.“

The scene changes again, and it shows little Flora taking curiosity to the world and trying to catch a fish with her bare hands. Her mother watched with amusement. Autumn and her dad would be the ones setting the campfire

“At first, the adventure is like a dream. We all have dreams. My husband wanted to complete this adventure. I wanted to be the greatest mage. And my daughters said they wanted to be just like me. It was a happy time for me and my family. I was especially close to Flora, who likes to follow what I do closely. It was so adorable. So I realized I needed to set a better example and become much stronger.”

The scene changes again

It was this time that it showed April had been carrying the fight for her family with her spells. The girls cheered for their mother.

“And yet…happiness doesn't last as long as do our adventures. At some point, I got stronger. Way too strong. Yet just like any other mages that reached that territory, it was never enough. I sought forbidden knowledge. It was knowledge that the gods were hiding from us, but legends have it that if you obtain it, you can even slay the gods. So what better way to set an example than to have that knowledge and be a god.”

The scene changes, and Flora could feel a shift in the tone of the atmosphere.

This time, Flora's mother stood alone, crying with blood tendrils flowing around her

“It was a mistake… all of it was a mistake… the adventure… the dream ꈼꌅꌅꂦꌅ… none of what I did ever mattered… so why do I long for something so pointless… what exactly is my purpose?”

April then felt a poke on her shoulder, seeing a young Flora.

Flora: “Mommy… why are you crying?. Are you okay?” April immediately hugs the young girl.

April: “Everything is okay…sweetie. Mommy is just being emotional right now. As long as you're here, I'm okay.”

“That's right… I came to realize this girl was my purpose for being here. Because she is -ꈼꌅꌅꂦꌅ- as long as I can protect her, I feel my life has meaning… so please, Flora… Don't become like me.” Her blood tendrils change into bloody wings and wrap around little Flora.

It fades again.

The next scene shows little Flora creating bubbles with her wand.

Little Flora: “Mommy, look! I created these bubbles in one try.”

Her mother gave her a smile, but her eyes didn't match the expression.

April: “That's great, honey, but… It's not exactly at my level yet. I honestly don't think you can reach my level. So you shouldn't pursue magecraft.”

But the little girl looks determined.

Little Flora: “No way, Mommy! You told us before to never give up! To pursue your dreams no matter what!” April looks caught off guard.

April: “Yes… You're right… I did say that before.”

“I was careless. I fed the children these delusions. I don't want them to find out the truth… I need to protect her.”

The scene fades again.

“I was running out of time. I know that they caught on, and soon my time will end soon. The journey was already close to an end. The demon king shows up at a city, declaring war there. I know I could easily defeat the demon king, but wouldn't it be a better story if I were to sacrifice myself, escape the gods, and still keep her safe? The day is here. I had been planning my death for a while. “

The scene shows April casting a powerful spell. It was an explosive spell made out of blood that requires the user's own body. And soon, the demon lord and April exploded into oblivion.

“I wasn't gone for good. I made this plan to convince my family not to pursue my future, and if Flora wasn't convinced after all this, I had put my soul into her ward to hijack all her magic. I know it's cruel… but I wanted to create a better future for you… Flora. I'm sorry I've failed you.” April looks at the real Flora now with pity. Flora widens her eyes.

“I am so sorry…. After all this time. But this is where we part ways one last time.”

Flora ran to her mom while her mom was fading away.

“Mom, don’t go.”

April: “I truly want you to be happy…thank you, Flora…for my happiness,” she says before her body fades to nothingness and everything goes black.