VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 13: Soalina
SAINT Soalina of Blooming Burials started life as an ordinary girl living in one of Qualia’s destitute northern villages. With the exception of one person, the status and abilities of a Saint were acquired later in life. No one knew what criteria the Holy God—whose existence had been verified—chose them by. The chosen were granted combat abilities that far surpassed a High Paladin’s and unique Miracle Artes unlike any that came before them.
Soalina’s ability was Blooming Burials. She’d received the overwhelming ability to control powerful flames, placing her at the top of the Saints when it came to destructive powers.
Soalina had a happy life. Her village and family were poor, but she managed to be content with her day-to-day, praying to God without fail and being an exemplary believer.
The Miracle Artes given by God came with a price. Recognition as a Saint came with a price. It wasn’t clear whether the price came from the sheer strength of the Saint’s power or if it was merely God’s will that they pay one. In any event, every Saint since time immemorial has sacrificed something to obtain that power, and as a result, more than a few of these bastions of the people’s faith and reverence have met tragic ends.
Soalina’s price was every friendly person in her life. Her family, friends, acquaintances—just about everyone in her village.
Е̇ ň u m а . і̂ ḋ
They weren’t involved in accidents or tragic incidents. That would have been a far kinder fate. No, it was none other than Soalina herself who set them ablaze with her flames.
At Central’s orders.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
…The people she loved went mad with the power of the Saint. Having obtained a certain kind of authority from their village producing a saint, they couldn’t keep their desires in check and began making unreasonable demands to the other villages.
Saints hold immense sway and influence over the countries that worship the Holy God Arlos. Labor, food, wealth—all of it could be easily obtained just by mentioning their Saint’s name. Even after Soalina cautioned them to stop their avarice, they only pretended to go along with her wishes briefly before returning to their ways.
Overwhelming good fortune and wealth had rained down on the once poor and frigid village. It eventually got to the point where the villagers let their rampant desires run unchecked. It’s not like Soalina just sat back and watched it happen, nor did Central immediately forsake them. But the time Soalina bought them by going to Central and pleading directly with the Mystic Saint bore no fruit, since the villagers refused to be persuaded no matter what she tried.
Soalina was forced to face the facts when the surrounding villages started freezing and starving to death due to her village’s actions. Her villagers weren’t devout believers in God, but wicked souls led astray by avarice. Corrupted souls needed to be purged.
Ӗñ u m̃ а̌
Her family, her friends, her neighbors…all that was left after she reduced them to ash were flowers in full bloom. Like a tribute to the departed, the flowers she offered to the dead merely existed where her loved ones once stood, never to speak to her again.
That’s the story of the day Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials was born. The day a lonely girl sealed her heart away in her sorrow.
She had come so close to being rewarded for that sadness and misery…
◇◇◇
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“…WITHOUT much ado~!”
A cheery, flippant voice addressed Soalina. When she heard that voice and saw that figure, Soalina cursed God for filling the world with such despair.
Е ńũ ḿ ã
“It’s time for the ever-so-fun-and-lovely revenge time! Soali~♪!”
“…Erakino,” Soalina choked out. Standing before her was Witch Erakino, the friend she’d been cradling in her arms only moments before.
No…it wasn’t Erakino, but Takuto Ira imitating her.
“Bingo! It’s little ol’ me, your good pal Erakino~♪! Your one and only friend! Your sister from another mister, ehe! …Oh, and let’s not forget, I’m yet another friend you killed, Soali.”
“No…no…”
Soalina buried her face in her hands and wept. Her past sins came back to haunt her, echoing a chorus of “Why did you kill us?”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“It was sooooo painful. I suffered sooooooooo badly… Say, say, Soali? Why did you hafta go and make such a rash suggestion? Eraki here was sooooooo against going after the King of Ruin, but you just wouldn’t take no for an answer, would you?”
Soalina knew. Oh, she knew. Knew who was the most at fault. Knew the source, the catalyst, that led to this tragic outcome. She knew and continued to turn a blind eye to it.
“You got greedy, Soali~♪! Blinded by greed, blinded by the thought you were invincible with the GM’s powers, you went and did something stupid. So, so stupid.”
“No, I didn’t mean to…I didn’t. Please…please…forgive me, Erakino…”
Soalina had become full of herself. She’d finally opened her heart up to someone for the first time in a long time and could just be herself. Erakino was a beacon of light in her life—she treated her like another one of the girls, instead of as an untouchable Saint. And that’s why, Soalina got the wrong idea—she started to think she was special.
Soalina had falsely believed that if everything kept going well, she could get back everything she’d lost and live a happy, content day-to-day like she did as a child. Erakino would be right by her side, laughing with her, chatting about unimportant things, fighting occasionally, making up…
W̌ ӗ b n о̌ v̆ ё l Е n ů m̄ а̃
Yes, Soalina got the wrong idea by believing she could live out those fanciful days.
“Like hell I’d forgive you,” Erakino hissed. “Everybody’s gonna die because of you. All the Paladins, Fenny, our nation’s citizens…every single one of ’em’s gonna die. Just like little ol’ me here.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Aaaah…aaaaaaaaaah!!” Soalina sobbed.
“You’re just as bad as the village that raised you. You arrogantly believe you have power and greedily consume everything around you until you lose it all…”
Erakino was so right it hurt.
It turns out I’m the same as those villagers when it comes down to it, Soalina realized. I’m greedy, have no self-control, and don’t care about the suffering of others. I’m being punished because of that. My punishment resulted in the loss of yet another loved one. I let this happen…when I know better than anyone else that Saints have to pay a price for their powers.
Е̌ǹ u̇ m̂ а .і.d
“It’s all your fault, Soali~♪!”
Soalina no longer had enough fight in her to talk back. She wanted to let everything come to an end. Perhaps she could meet Erakino again if she did. She didn’t believe in heaven, but just the possibility of seeing her friend again—the possibility of being with the people who were sacrificed because of her—made her want to meet her end.
I’ll apologize when I see everyone again, she thought. I don’t know if they’ll ever forgive me…but I’ll apologize for all eternity if I have to. Forever…and ever…
Erakino’s claws flashed in the corner of Soalina’s eyes. An undefended hit by those would bring death even to the most enhanced Saint’s body.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
I’m okay with that.
She was okay with that.
Е̂ n u ṁ a .і ď.
Something exploded as the claws stronger than any steel arced through the air to cleave her in half.
“…Ngh!”
Soalina hadn’t died. She was dumbfounded for a moment as she tried to comprehend why she was still clinging to life. She blinked to see something had forced its way between her and Fake Erakino.
“Run away, Soalina! You still have things to do!”
“Saint…Fenne…”
Veiled Saint Fenne Kahmair stood between her and death. Her veil was tattered from the battle, and darkish-red blood oozed from her abdomen. Even so, she mustered what little life she had left to save Soalina.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“I’ll hold them back,” Fenne said. “Erakino— Your friend told you to live, didn’t she?! Then fulfill your duty to her! Don’t just stand there waiting to die, SOALINA!!”
The face behind the veil was that of a wrinkled old woman. Soalina was shocked by how her youthful, enchanting voice belied her facial features, but understanding dawned when she remembered all Saints pay different prices for their abilities.
Fenne had her reasons for teaming up with Erakino and for being on the receiving end of Takuto’s taunting words: “You foolish, foolish woman who teamed up with a Witch for the sake of your own happiness.” She must’ve been clinging to some hope, no matter how impossible it was. Just as Soalina had things that were important to her, Fenne did too.
Is it really all right for us to give up on our dreams? For me to run away on my own? Soalina wondered. And anyways…
“Get out of here, Soalina! Hurry!” Fenne shouted.
…Where in Arlos’s world am I supposed to run?
Eǹům̀ a. і̃ d
“Yeaaaah, I’m not gonna let you escape. Things will get messy later if I don’t finish you off,” Takuto, who’d reverted to his true form during their brief exchange, told them in an exasperated voice.
Even if she chose to run, there was no getting through the forces of evil surrounding them. Neither Saint wanted to admit it, but they were doomed.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Resign yourselves to your fate and look forward to a better life next time. You might actually have a chance at one,” Takuto said, beginning to imitate something else. His outline blurred, and something attempted to form from within the distortion. “…?! GHHH!!”
Takuto suddenly clasped his head in his hands and staggered backward.
“King Takuto?! What’s wrong?!”
Atou stopped watching from the sidelines and raced over to Takuto, shooting Soalina and Fenne an enraged look. But neither of them expected this outcome. They didn’t know what had happened either.
Еn u m̌ а̇
“Damn it… Caria, Maria!” Takuto called for the Elfuur Sisters, his voice pained, his hand pressed against his head.
“Here, here!”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
The twins responded like usual, though they were worried about him.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Is it done?” he asked, keeping it short.
“Indubitably, yes.”
Ẁе̃b̀ň о̆ v̂.ё l Е̌ n̂ ům̄а
“Perfecto!”
Takuto nodded and shifted his gaze toward Elder Moltar. “Everyone here and accounted for?”
“Yes, my liege… However, what ails you? Did those rotten Saints do something—”
“No…not them. They aren’t the threat, but we’ll withdraw. Gather around me now.”
Takuto wasn’t taking questions. Elder Moltar quickly realized something unexpected had happened within Takuto and that they had a duty to follow his orders swiftly.
“At once!”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“All units, gather around His Majesty!” Gia ordered in a loud voice after receiving the signal from Elder Moltar.
Mynoghra’s army converged around Takuto.
“That’s everyone. This range should be fine… Okay, let’s go.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Takuto transformed into Ice Rock. Several Dark Elves instinctively braced themselves, but hastily resumed their positions within the designated space.
“More important matters came up. I’ll excuse meself here for today,” he said to Soalina and Fenne. A tinge of impatience infused his voice while he still maintained the cool of the absolute victor.
“I hope we can have a friendlier conversation next time around,” Takuto said, temporarily reverting to his true form just to convey those words before shifting back into Ice Rock. Then he chanted the teleportation spell anyone who ever played Brave Questers would know and retreated with his army to a jaunty tune.
Е̇ n u m̃ a . ĭd
◇◇◇
LEFT in the wake of the forces of evil was a bereaved Soalina, an unconscious Fenne, and the shattered remnants of a dream called the Divine Nation of Lenea.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Aah…aah…aah…” Soalina wept.
It was all over. Her dreams, her friends’ dreams, all of it. When she closed her eyes, she felt like she could hear Erakino’s overly friendly, loud voice that she never could come to hate. She had a feeling that if she looked over her shoulder, Erakino would pop out from behind a pillar like she was just playing a bad joke on them.
But Erakino was gone from this world…
“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”
W̆è b̄n̊ōv́ ĕ l̊ Е̂nūm̌ а
Soalina broke down crying, for that was all she could do now.
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
