Chapter 34: Brand of the Fallen

Woken up by a hit on my chest I roll to my side, fall off the bed and leap up to look around what happened only to realize it was Khloe that hit me.

"No! Fira! No! Don't!"

Wildly rolling around she flails her arms into every direction nearly hitting me a second time. Swiftly evading her arms I tightly grab her shoulders and shake her around "Khloe wake up"

Unsuccessful I shake harder only for her facial expression to sharpen and scowl.

"GET OFF ME YOU FILTHY CAT!" She screams with a strangely demeaning, stately and high pitched voice before striking me right in my face.

"OW! What the he-"

Exclaiming from pain I see her arm fall back down but before it hits the mattress I suddenly lose my voice and begin to feel faint. Gazing at her twitching eyes I slowly lose my consciousness.

[Wait wha-]

--

-"Young one, wake up!"-

Overwhelmed by pain I manage to produce some sound in the form of a groan and try to open my eyes yet they won't cooperate.

-"Ah good, you can hear me"-

Dazed I manage to discern Leone's voice [What happened…]

Leone lets out a worrying sigh. -"It would seem Khloe is host to a Goddess as well. One that doesn't like me at all."-

[Who? How?]

-"Her name is Fira, as for how it does not matter. More pressingly, when she hit you she severely damaged and almost destroyed the link between you and my soul fragment. I fear it won't be long before I'll be completely gone."-

Stunned I feel my body tense up. [Is that why I can't see you?]

-"Yes. I already lost most of my abilities within your body, only my voice remains as of now. This was bound to happen one day, but because of Fira's attack, I'll have to leave you so-…"-

While she spoke, her voice became fainter and fainter only to grow so weak I was no longer able to understand her words causing the realization to hit that the damage done by Fira was even worse than she made it sound.

[Leone? Leone! Respond to me!]

[Come back! I need you!]

The cold silence in my mind is suddenly broken by some vague sounds that could be words yet I'm unable to hear much more than some vowels.

[LEONE! NO!]

Silence.

Getting desperate I focus as much as I can to scream as loud as I can within my mind.

[LEONE!!]

Yet it doesn't matter how hard I shout, there is only silence. I feel my eyes starting to burn and tears quickly stream down my cheeks while my emotions are in turmoil during which I just keep screaming her name.

Completely having lost track of time I don't know how long it has been since I've heard the last of Leone and I feel my senses getting weaker and weaker. Only to feel such an awful sensation spreading all over my body which after a moment I realize is water.

Suddenly being soaked by water I panic and shoot up. On edge I scream and search my surroundings for anything that could threaten me.

"Leone!"

Shivering I look around in confusion and dismay to see who called me. "What happened?! Where am I?!"

Feeling someone grab my hand I look to my left and see Khloe sitting down next to me, carefully she places her hand on my cheek causing a sharp sting to spread. "Your face… did I do that?"

Her expression is filled with guilt and worry causing me to frown and feel my face. Once I touch my eye socket I squeak and groan in pain "Ow… What the he- WAIT LEONE! WHERE IS LEONE!"

Panicked I once again scream within myself [LEONE?!]

Confused everyone gazes at me their frowns only deepening when I begin to cry from the silence in my mind.

"Hey now… Calm down dear, talk to us."

Khloe wraps her arms around me and embraces me tightly. Safely in her arms I can't help but cry my heart out. "Khloe… she had a nightmare and punched me awake, I tried to wake her u-"

Zhloe interrupts me while looking at Khloe "Khloe when is the last time you took a mana shot?"

"Yesterday"

Exhaling in worry Zhloe hands her a small item "It should have been fine, but take another."

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With a nod Khloe takes a tiny syringe out of the capsule Zhloe handed her and presses it against her skin scowling in pain.

Now that the silence has returned I continue talking "She mumbled about 'Fira' and when I tried to wake her up from the nightmare. She replied with a strange voice before striking my face with full force. It hurt like hell, but… but…"

Leaning forward Happy tenderly strokes my back "But?"

With a deep breath I wipe away my tears and listlessly gaze at the floor. "It hurt… but there was more to it. Fira.. she severed the last remaining link between the fragment of Leone that resided within me. She… she's gone…"

In the silence that falls the only thing I hear is the soft panting and moaning coming from Khloe. Looking up she seems to be in incredible pain with sweat dripping from her forehead while she radiates a rather intense heat.

"Khloe?!"

Moments after both Zhloe and I called out her name she collapses onto her hands. A bright fiery orange orb forms in the middle of the room and instantly turns the bed into ashes. A moment later the same demeaning, stately and high pitched voice reverberates through the room. "Good riddance. That vile beast annoyed me endlessly"

Just hearing the same voice causes my skin to crawl, my hairs rise on end and the sorrow instantly turns in a burning rage. My heartbeat spikes so high I can feel the blood coursing through my veins as I stand up to face the orb. "You…"

The orb slowly shifts into a translucent shade of a winged woman made of fire causing Khloe to groan "Y-You're real?"

A loud demeaning laughter follows "I'm the Goddess of fire, Fira! Of course I'm real you lowly mortal."

Shocked Zhloe gazes at the Goddess "How…? She's seventy-four percent angelic! How can she host a Goddess?!"

Scowling Fira chuckles "Lowly mortal, didn't that blasted furball tell you? The balance determines WHO you can host. The amount of Animus you possess decides if a reincarnation is possible and if so how strong it can manifest. It's just that near perfect balances only occur with high amounts of Animus."

While Fira was mockingly scolding Zhloe I've managed to get back in control of my instincts and gaze at her with unbridled hate. "You…"

Turning towards me she sneers "What? You blame me? What are you going to do about it filthy hairball? Stab me with your tiny knifes? I do hope you remember they'll melt before they hit me."

Feeling Felix's hand on my shoulder I don't avert my gaze from her yet shake my shoulder loose "Let go."

My voice sounds so cold and emotionless it nearly scares myself. As if he noticed I wouldn't hold back if he didn't, he immediately removes his hand.

That moment I set off feeling the floor crack from the pressure. The three meters between us feel like they pass by in slow motion yet barely takes an instant. Halfway towards her I feel my sword take shape in my hands causing her to exclaim.

"WHAT IS THAT WEAPON?!"

She instantly creates a large and thick fiery shield made of golden flames covered with what seem to be repeating figures. It successfully catches my blade yet in my unending rage and sorrow I keep on striking the shield tens of times per second wielding the heavy sword as if it's weightless.

Striking faster and with more force every swing it doesn't take long until the shield breaks. Her expression immediately worsens and as a last ditch effort she creates a flaming short-sword yet upon contact with my blade it instantly shatters.

A sphere of flames expands from her body singing my skin and causing me to step back, yet biting through the pain I ignore everything around me. The shocked faces of my friends, the carpet that's on fire, the ceiling that's melting. Even the desperate pleas of Fira don't register in my mind. Pulling back my blade I hold it horizontally on my right side before stepping forward and thrusting towards her.

Suddenly an unfamiliar masculine yet gentle voice echoes through the room "ENOUGH! Stop this immediately!"

Unable and unwilling to stop my attack, my blade pierces through the sphere, through her much thinner fiery shield and pierces her chest causing a hot liquid to flow down my blade. An ear piercing scream follows instantly obliterating all anger, all hatred, only leaving me with a painful, cold and hollow feeling.

Falling to my knees from desperation I drop my sword which hits the now bare metal of the floor with a loud clang that echoes around the room. With a lifeless gaze I hang my head and barely register Fira's last words.

"Heh… Seralapph… Genesis… See here the Warrior Goddess turned murderer and God-killer. She even bears the mark of a fallen."

The man whose voice rang earlier takes a deep breath and replies with a steady voice "Stay quiet. We've seen it all happen."

With an endless gaze I stare at the last cinders within the ashes of the carpet before me, causing me to miss the footsteps closing in.

"Leone."

A strong force pulls my gaze upwards making me look into the lavender purple, tranquil eyes of the man who radiates kindness. "Oh dear, the pact has indeed activated."

Perplexed I give him an empty and lifeless stare causing him to shake his head with a soft sigh "Are you there?"

He gently taps the bruise around my eye causing me to groan and flinch.

"Okay good, she's alright. Just in shock."

Suddenly two arms wrap around me and when looking down at the hands I notice the blue glistering metal bracelet of Khloe, yet my mind is too chaotic to be able to respond.

"Seralapph. Take Fira and see if you can do anything to save her. I'll clean up here."

Frightened I look up and shake my head "No…"

The blonde woman who I assume is Seralapph looks at me with disgust "What no?"

"Leone… she…"

The man sighs "Seralapph, go. As for you young one, rest." That moment he taps his finger against my forehead and I feel myself pass out.

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