Chapter 8: Field Trip (7)

~8.7~

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“Eyes forward, Eli!” came a familiar voice. Alfia was standing before Kye. Rather than floating in the sky, the two were facing each other on the ground. One woman was standing to the side, acting as a referee.

She was confused, but quickly composed herself. She immediately sensed everything that was different. Her body was lighter, and she was already channeling white aether far beyond what she had grown used to in the past two decades.

What is this?

The feeling was so nostalgic that some of her reactions were automatic. The moment the referee gave the signal, she jumped into action.

There can be no mistake. There’s white hair dangling in my vision. My inner voice even sounds different. Kye’s voice is still young. This voice is that of my true self. This is a memory of my time as Elysia Athas. Fia’s mere presence has been enough to trigger things. But what of the battle? I suppose it doesn’t matter right now.

Elysia met Alfia’s blade head on and lost no ground in the clash. The blade she wielded was not Hikarimaru. It was different, but still a katana. Under her hand was dark purple wrap, the favorite color of both herself and another she knew all too well. One that was always with her.

“Azalea?”

“Yes, mother?”

“Mother?” Elysia smiled at the idea. “Do you understand what this is?”

“You are dreaming of a distant memory that was sealed when you raised the barrier around central Elysium.”

“Central? Not all?”

“No. You asked me then not to casually speak of the details, that I could confuse you without full context. Has the time come for your memories to be restored?”

“I do not know. I would very much like to restore them, but I don’t know how or if it’s safe.”

“I see. Then perhaps it’s not time. For now, you were able to wrest this memory from beyond the seal. I think you should enjoy it.”

Elysia smiled. “Enjoy it I shall.”

With a smile on her face, Elysia faced her elder sister, matching her blow for blow. A thundering boom sounded with each strike. Alfia jumped away and unleashed a series of mana waves from her blade, something she was known for. It could be called her signature technique. Every swing of her blade carried a dense blast of mana that burst forward at the apex of the swing.

Elysia responded in kind. She ran her index and middle fingers together over her own blade and met each sword wave head on. She cut wave after wave and unleashed one of her own. Alfia launched another of her own to match Elysia’s sword wave. The two collided and disappeared into a shockwave that sent every onlooker backward several feet, even the referee.

“Finally come around to the Sword Wave Technique, have you?” Alfia asked after she landed. She wore a huge grin. “My dearest Eli, I couldn’t be happier!”

Elysia smirked. “You look so cool using it, after all. Maybe I can look cool, too, eh?”

Hearing exactly what she wanted, Alfia kept going. The two sisters fought for what seemed like hours, neither showing an ounce of fatigue or the slightest opening to exploit. It was only when the referee called the match that they stopped.

Alfia hugged her sister once their weapons were sheathed. “Eli, you are doing so great! I daresay you may best me in the arena now.”

Elysia smiled as she embraced her sister. “Perhaps.”

Alfia sensed hesitation and pulled away. “What’s wrong, Eli?”

Elysia looked up at the sky. “Join me for a moment?” Alfia, confused, only nodded her head. Elysia took her hand and teleported the two high into the sky. Elysia went so high that she expected to find herself in space, and thus had already wrapped them both in white aether.

But there was only more sky.

“Where are you wanting to go? There’s nothing up this high except Apex, but it’s way higher than this.”

“Then let’s go there.” Elysia prepared to go, but Alfia stopped her. Instead, the elder sister teleported them to their destination. They appeared nearby a floating island, not unlike the one housing Atlantis City. It was similar in size but had only one inhabitant. Elysia looked around and saw what she wanted to see. She could see Elysium in its entirety.

Elysia turned back to Alfia and began to ask a question, but her vision became blurry. It was soon replaced by the sky over Northern Forest. The white bangs that hung down in her vision were replaced with blonde bangs. The dream-like memory had faded.

I still have many questions, but at least now I have a small handful of answers. I now know who taught me the Sword Wave Technique that I’ve been so hesitant to wield.

She gripped the hilt of Hikarimaru and blasted forward, ahead of the others. Except Alfia, who was already neck-deep in demon beasts. Kye swung her sword and launched several waves of golden mana into the foray, each one of them aimed so accurately that none missed.

“Eli! You’re using sword waves!” came Alfia’s voice via Liliana’s telepathy.

“Heh.” Kye hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell her. “I just recovered a single memory of the past.”

“Elysia’s past?”

“Yeah. We were having a match, and you said I might be able to best you in the arena afterward.”

“Oh, that! Yes! That was at the end of your formal education. Master Seris wanted you to fight me as your graduation test, and you passed!”

“You let me win, though?”

“Not at all. Eli, you earned that. I did not hold back.”

Kye smiled, though Alfia was too far away to see it. “I see. I liked that memory. It was… nostalgic.”

“Hopefully soon, it won’t be the only one. But for now, we have more pressing matters. I’m holding back here so as to not appear too out of the ordinary. You lot should get up here.”

“Right.”

With her left hand, Kye held a fist in front of her face and prayed. “May the souls on this battlefield find their way by purification. Let none remain lost. I offer this prayer to the goddess that watches over us.”

Alethea, Doran, Michelle, Liliana, and Aliana each repeated the prayer to themselves before joining the battle.

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Revision 12-13-2023