CHAPTER 109 – FAR FROM HOME

LYSANDER FARADEISS

As I reminisced on the memory, it felt like a scene from a distant past, almost like a fading dream.

Hiraya and I strolled through the bustling streets of Onishira, our arms laden with supplies from the market. Our next stop was a quaint magic antique shop, where I found myself drawn to a dusty grimoire while Hiraya admired the gleaming trinkets on display. But it was the Éclair D’amour, a delicate white flower, that captured her attention.

"You're interested in that?" I asked, noting the longing in her gaze.

Hiraya smiled softly, shaking her head. "Not really. It's just... It's been so long since I've seen a flower like that." She perked up, her elven ears twitching with excitement. "Did you know? Éclair D’amour originates from Yggdra. Other islands have tried to cultivate it, but it only thrives in soil rich with pure mana."

"Wow, you know a lot about it," I remarked, a grin tugging at my lips. "Brings back memories of home, huh?"

"Sort of," Hiraya admitted with a slight bow. "I worry about my parents, but Madam Corasell assured me they'll be safe. Yggdra remains neutral in conflicts, after all."

Instinctively, I reached for my wallet, counting the bills within. Matching the price of the Éclair D’amour accessory, I approached the oni shopkeeper with determination in my voice.

"I'll take that accessory," I declared, pointing to the Éclair D’amour without hesitation.

"Lysander!" Hiraya exclaimed, her cheeks flushing. "T-That's expensive."

"The price of returning home is often steep," I replied, my determination unwavering as I obtained the delicate white flower. Holding it out to her, I continued, "You're far from home, just like this flower. And to me, Éclair D’amours are just as pure and captivating as you are."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I cringed inwardly, biting my lip in a futile attempt to quell the embarrassment coursing through me. I'd spoken from the heart, but the cheesiness of my confession made me want to disappear on the spot. How could I be so foolish?

Hiraya seemed taken aback for a moment, her own cheeks tinted with a blush. Meeting my gaze, she sighed softly. "You certainly have a way with words."

But then, to my utter astonishment, she smirked.

"Why don't we skip straight to the part where you pin me down in a doggy style, grabbing my hair while thrusting me rough as you impregnate me?"

My eyes widened in shock. "W-What!? T-That was awfully specific!"

With a playful gleam in her eyes, Hiraya gracefully adorned the flower accessory above her delicate ears, the white petals accentuating her golden hair. She looked ethereal, like a goddess in human form—no, like the reincarnation of Exceria herself.

"So, does it suit me?" she asked, leaning forward slightly with her hands folded behind her back, a mischievous twinkle in her gaze.

As I opened my mouth to respond, a sudden shift in reality ripped through the fabric of our surroundings. The walls, the floor—all crumbled away in an instant, leaving me plummeting into the abyss with no ground to catch me, no air to scream.

Time seemed to stretch into eternity as I tumbled through the infinite void, the sensation of falling engulfing me in a suffocating embrace. Panic clawed at my chest, but no sound escaped my lips as I descended further into the abyss, swallowed by the darkness.

<><><>

As I opened my eyes, I found myself buried beneath a heap of rubble. It dawned on me that my mind was replaying the moment I gave the Éclair D’amour to Hiraya, omitting the reality-shattering scene. The longing for her must have seeped so deep into my subconscious that it invaded even my dreams, haunting me night after night in the confines of the dungeon.

Surveying my surroundings, I realized that I was no longer suspended upside down; instead, I was encased in thick bricks. Thanks to the blessing of invulnerability bestowed upon me by the Dragon Lords, I emerged unscathed. Testing my limbs, I found them free from constraint.

"I'm free," I murmured to myself, a surge of determination coursing through my veins.

Suddenly, a deafening roar reverberated through the ruins, accompanied by a powerful tremor that dislodged more bricks from above. Water began to seep into the chamber, signaling the urgency of my escape.

With a sense of urgency, I began to clear the rubble from my body, pushing myself upright. Dizziness washed over me as I struggled to regain my bearings, my muscles protesting against the unfamiliar movement. But escape was paramount, and I knew I had to reach Hiraya and the Daybreaker Squad. They were my only hope, my only chance at freedom.

As I dashed through the corridors, the rising water reached my knees, urging me to hasten my escape. With a desperate invocation, I ignited my foot with Trailblaze Accel, propelling myself forward with bursts of blue flames. Left turn, right turn, two left turns—my senses honed in on the faint glimmer of light ahead, guiding me towards the exit.

Emerging from the maze of corridors, I burst into chaos.

I found myself at the rear of the Guardian's Haven, now known as the Dragon's Fortress, where dragons soared overhead, breathing torrents of flames. Dragonoids, their Partial Dragon Forms manifesting in full force, brandished assault rifles amidst the chaos.

It was evident that the fortress was under siege. Gunshots echoed through the air, interspersed with elemental projectiles—fireballs, lightning bolts, and flying boulders—adding to the pandemonium. The ground trembled beneath the onslaught.

"Are they under attack by the Imperial Forces?" I wondered aloud, but the truth proved to be far more unsettling.

In the distance, a grotesque figure emerged—a mermaid, swimming through the air with unnatural grace. Its visage was a nightmare, with no face save for a dark obsidian gem that adorned its head, its jaws reminiscent of a shark's, ready to unleash devastation upon the fortress.

As chaos unfolded around me, the obsidian-faced mermaid let loose a terrifying supersonic scream, felling a dragon with alarming ease. Panic rippled through the ranks of the dragonoids as they struggled to fend off the relentless assault.

"They're everywhere!" one of the dragonoids cried out, unleashing a barrage of gunfire in all directions.

Despite the dragons' formidable power, the obsidian-faced mermaids held the upper hand with their anti-air supersonic attacks. Their sheer numbers threatened to overwhelm the defenders, casting a shadow of despair over the battlefield.

As I observed the unfolding carnage, pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Gazelle's ruthless bombing of Atlanticus, the mermaids' home, at the outset of the Purge of Humanity hinted at a connection. These obsidian-faced monstrosities were undoubtedly a manifestation of the mermaids' vengeance, exacting retribution for the destruction wrought upon their kind.

The urgency of escape gnawed at the edges of my consciousness. With Hiraya absent to trigger my Partial Dragon Form, I could still rely on the Wings of Light to flee this battlefield. Once free, I would navigate the Republic's territory with stealth and cunning, all with one singular goal—to return home to Hiraya.

But then, amid the cacophony of battle, a deafening roar shattered the air—a siren's supersonic scream, heralding a new wave of terror.

My heart clenched as I watched the Tachyon Dragon plummet from the bell tower, the structure crumbling in its wake. Meike, wounded and bleeding, emerged from the wreckage in her humanoid form, her orange hair matted with blood.

"Meike!" I shouted, torn between the urge to flee and the instinct to aid her.

But before I could act, five obsidian-faced mermaids descended upon her, jaws agape, poised to deliver a fatal blow with their sonic waves.

"Fuck!" The expletive tore from my lips as I grappled with indecision, the weight of the moment bearing down upon me. Should I abandon Meike to save myself, or risk everything to come to her aid?