Chapter 43 - Destiny

Amidst the capricious dance of the leaves, Moana gazes intently, seeking to decipher her enemy's intentions. At the same moment a leaf brushes the ground, the mummy disappears from view. Highly reactive, she covers her perimeter with a sweep of her hands, creating a screen of smoke. In the blink of an eye, a cold breath chills the back of her neck, and there, in the darkness, stands the bandaged creature. Attentive, she turns, following meticulously with her eyes the speed of her head movement. Then, she narrowly dodges the mummy's sharp hand.

With a leap backward, she penetrates her own smoke screen and ignites the particles blocking the mummy. The fire particles fail to hinder the mummy's progress. With a fluid movement, the opponent displays a vibrating membrane directly from the palm of their hand, which, as it unfurls, releases a deep, heavy rumbling sound. One knee on the ground, she tries in vain to stifle the noise that overwhelms her. Her hands, pressed against her ears, cannot stem the tide of sound that washes over her, letting a thin trickle of blood escape from her eardrums.

After inflicting severe hearing damage on the young woman, the hot, humid steam makes its way through the fabric, giving off an acrid, dusty smell. The strips on her arm, chin, and nose, cracked and fragile, give way under the pressure.

_ Moana: “ Given his combat skills, he's probably an Unclassifiable. ”

She straightens up, her balance restored. Her clear violet eyes rest on her opponent, observing the damage to her arm with a blank, emotionless stare.

_ Moana: “ Its Source must be the Decibel. I must be more vigilant from now on. ”

With her gaze once again focused on the young woman, the mummy rushes forward, dropping her partially burned bucket hat.

Anticipating the attack, the young woman drew her two daggers with lightning speed. Already lowered, she dodged the assault before plunging one of her daggers into her opponent's sternum. Unperturbed, the mummy deploys its vibrating membrane again, activating it at a lower speed, and thus reaching the young woman at point-blank range.

With the leader off balance, he takes advantage of his leg to deliver a violent roundhouse kick to her face. Instinctively, Moana drops the other stylus from her hand and unleashes a crazy amount of phosphorus toward the blow, generating an explosive blast sufficient to mitigate the impact. Thrown several feet, she quickly gets back up. The adrenaline masks the pain in her bruised ears, keeping her thirst for battle intact.

_ Moana: “ What strength... Without my Source, he would have broken my arm. ”

The mummy bends its legs, ready to pounce.

_ Moana: “ I'm going deaf and running out of energy. I have to finish this now. ”

Under the silvery veil of the full moon, the mummy transforms into a stealthy shadow, gliding between the gnarled trunks like a panther. His movements, usually direct, are tinged with a subtle malice tonight. He exploits the shadows of the forest to thwart Moana's vigilance, leaving her disoriented. Her eyes struggle to capture the ballet of shadows. Her hearing impaired, she finds herself suddenly pierced. Riveting her pupils downward, she sees her chest perforated by the attacker's sharp hand, which also touches her heart.

The mummy then loosened its grip, allowing Moana to take a few small steps back, the pain unbearable. But in a split second, the mummy in the bob hat burst into flames from head to toe. With her back pressed against the rough bark, the fighter hears the guttural screams of her dying opponent. Despite her pierced chest and bleeding mouth and ears, a smile appears on her face.

_ Moana: “ It wasn't smart of you to go through my smoke screen... You breathed in particles... What's more... by piercing me... you now hold in your hand... all my phosphorus. ”

The mummy's screams cause terrible panic among the creatures of the woods. Birds and squirrels, seized by sudden terror, flee their nests, disturbing the tranquility of the forest.

_ Moana: “ The stylus I just stabbed you with... was also coated in phosphorus... In other words... you were already doomed. ”

The mummy, a dried-up body engulfed in a raging fire, writhes convulsively on the ground, begging the void for relief that will never come. One after another, the young woman slips from the bark, gradually losing consciousness.

_ Moana: “ I hope the children will manage without me. ”

Then she rolls her eyes.

_ Moana: " That said, I have no regrets. Ah... Although... I should have eaten the fruit tart I had saved in the village. "

Her pupils gradually close.

_ Moana: " I'm leaving the children and villagers defenseless. But I'm sure Gwen will be a good leader. I wish I could have gotten to know her better. Who knows, we could have been friends. In the meantime, I'm going to join Dad. "

With a frozen smile on her lips, the young woman breathes her last breath, transforming the battlefield into a macabre tableau where two lifeless bodies lie, victors and vanquished united in death.

Several kilometers away from this bloody battle, the orphans continue their journey.

_ Son: “ You've been carrying her for about fifteen minutes. Let me take over. ”

_ Maïko: “ Don't be ridiculous. You're hurt and I'm fine. ”

_ Son: “ Huh? But Maïko… ”

_ Maïko: “ I told you I'm fine! ”

Silence falls for a few seconds. Then I place my hand on Son's shoulder, signaling him not to insist.

_ Maïko: “ Don't worry, Shailly, I promise I'll save you! ”

_ Ayden: “ She's really anxious. We absolutely have to get to the village, and fast. ”

_ Son: “ According to the scroll, we're not far now. ”

Five minutes pass. We finally reach the entrance to the village. Its thick, imposing brick walls rise up, topped by a drawbridge of dizzying height, nearly three meters.

_ Guard 1: " Pfff, it's 3:20 in the morning, when is the other shift coming, damn it? "

Stuck at the entrance, two guards, clad in their armor bristling with iron and spikes and each equipped with a spear, stand before us, visibly surprised by our nocturnal appearance.

_ Guard 1: “ Kids here? ”

_ Kona: “ I beg you, our friend is unconscious and injured. Save her! ”

The two guards exchange a doubtful look.

_ Guard 2: “ Sorry, no one except our villagers is allowed in. ”

_ Ayden: “ Please! She's lost a lot of blood, we have to help her! ”

_ Guard 1: “ Unfortunately for you, there's nothing we can do about it. ”

_ Guard 2: “ Orders are orders. ”

_ Son: “ But… ”

In anger, mixed with pain, her voice rises with desperate force.

_ Maïko: “ OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR! ”

Surprised, including the guards, their expressions change and they raise their spears.

_ Guard 1: “ Insolent, who do you think you're talking to?? ”

_ Individual: “ What's all this noise? ”

A voice coming directly from the village has just spoken. At the same moment, the drawbridge slowly lowers, revealing a guard of honor composed of four soldiers, followed by a royal figure, whose head is adorned with a crown.

_ Emperor: “ I've heard what's going on. Let them in. ”

_ Guard 1: “ But Sir? ”

_ Emperor: " Don't worry. The rest of you, quickly wake up the doctors to take care of them. "

_ All guards: “ Yes, sir! ”