“I know it’s hard, Helena, but you know…”
“Some sacrifices are necessary for the greater good… right?” Helena interrupted, her voice soft yet resolute as if trying to convince herself as much as Aria.
A faint, almost sorrowful smile tugged at her lips as she cast a glance toward Victor, who was mercilessly throwing the elite-class students and professors outside of the dome.
Helena could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on her chest, a suffocating dread that threatened to crush her. She understood all too well…. everyone had reached their limit. The sight of Aria’s bloodied and battered body was a cruel testament to their dire situation. It was only a matter of time before that monster would finish them all off, one by one.
But before that inevitable end, they had to make choices…. horrible, heart-wrenching choices.
They had to prioritize those who were deemed more important!!!
“W-What about us?” one of the remaining students asked, his voice trembling, barely above a whisper, as if he feared the very question might seal their fate.
Helena bit down hard on her lower lip, and the metallic taste of blood was sharp on her tongue.
She lowered her head.
The students around her, already on the edge, grew even paler, the realization dawning on them like a dark, cold shadow.
There was no hope for them!!
Still, Helena forced herself to speak, her voice shaky but determined, “D-Don’t worry. Once Victor throws them, he’ll come back for you guys.”
But no one was listening to her anymore. Their attention was fixated on the monstrous figure looming in the distance, the Mechaflesh Arachnid, its grotesque form moving with an eerie, mechanical grace as it followed Victor. Each step it took seemed to reverberate through the ground, sending shivers down their spines.
The creature was getting closer…
“WHY!! JUST RUN AWAY, YOU BASTARD!! DON’T COME TOWARD US!!” The boy who had spoken earlier suddenly screamed, his voice raw with a mixture of pain, fear, and desperation. He was losing it, the reality of their situation pushing him over the edge.
“Aria, out!” Victor’s voice cut through the chaos. He appeared in the stadium, and without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed Aria and threw her out.
Aria’s heart skipped a beat as she was flung through the air, but she managed to steal a worried glance at Aether before she escaped from the dome.
She wanted to scream and fight beside her beloved, but she knew she had to trust him. She trusted that he would do what needed to be done. Aether wasn’t a child, just as her mother had always said. He could take care of himself… couldn’t he?
“Next,” Victor muttered, his voice devoid of emotion as he turned his attention to Helena. He was about to push her out when she suddenly pointed toward Finnian and Jack, who were lying on the ground, their bodies twisted in pain from their injuries.
“No! First, let them out!” Helena’s voice wavered, her desperation clear as she tried to protect the others.
Finnian, despite his injuries, struggled to protest, “No! First, let her oooooouuutttttttttttt—” But before he could finish, Victor had already thrown him aside, his plea lost in the wind.
Victor then turned his cold gaze to Jack, lifting him as if he weighed nothing.
Jack’s face twisted in agony as he was pulled up, but he managed to choke out, “P-Please… help the students first… they need…” His voice faltered, the pain too much to bear.
But in reality… He wanted so badly to speak to Kenley one last time, to find some way to work together!
Victor stared at Jack for a moment, his expression unreadable, then without a word…
Thud!
BOOMM!
Victor drove his foot into Jack’s abdomen, the impact sending him flying out of the stadium with brutal force!!
“H-He’s hurt…” Helena whispered. But Victor didn’t care… couldn’t care. His mission was clear, and nothing would stand in his way. He grabbed Helena by the neck, ready to throw her out as well, when—
“A-Aether!”
“Hmm?” Victor paused, his grip tightening slightly as he glanced at her.
“You need to help Aether first!” Helena asked. She couldn’t leave Aether behind, not like this. She turned to him as she tried to wake him….. But He was slumped in his chair, unmoving, his breathing shallow and ragged… Like a drunkard!
“Aether, wake up!!” Helena screamed, her voice tinged with panic as she shook him, but he didn’t respond.
Just as she was about to softly pat his cheeks, trying to rouse him with a gentle touch—
BOOM!!!
“RUN!!!”
“PLEASE HELP US!!”
“I don’t want to die!!”
The students’ screams were a symphony of terror as they watched in horror as the Mechaflesh Arachnid hurled Snowflake into the stadium, the impact sending shockwaves through the air.
“HIISSS!!” Snowflake hissed, its eyes glowing with a fierce, almost primal rage as it glared at the monstrous creature before it.
Kenley, perched atop the monstrous creation, sneered down at the terrified students, her voice dripping with malice as she taunted them, “Look at those bitches… most of the cowards have already run away… pathetic!”
A girl, her voice trembling with fear, called out desperately, “K-Kenley, it’s me, your classmate! P-Please, let me get out of here—”
“BOOM!!”
“Tsk,” she clicked her tongue in annoyance, her eyes narrowing as she saw Victor save the girl in the nick of time. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not interested in letting any of you leave.” A cruel smirk curled her lips as she patted the monster’s head, her voice laced with sinister delight as she added, “My uncle needs nourishment!~ So please, help him out, won’t you?~”
The students’ faces blanched with terror as her words sank in. There was no escape, no mercy. The stadium was surrounded, the Minions closing in…
“W-We’re going to die…” The boy whispered, his voice breaking as tears welled up in his eyes.
He could feel the weight of the sword in his hand, heavy and cold, a symbol of his last stand. He looked around, his eyes filled with despair, before settling on the nightmare that loomed before them.
With trembling hands, the boy lifted the blade, tears streaming down his cheeks. His breath hitched his voice barely a whisper as he prepared to end it all. He knew he had no chance of surviving, but if he was going to die, he would do so as an Elf… not a tortured and used as flesh for some monsters!!… Just as the blade grazed his neck, a firm grip halted his hand.
“Are you giving up?!!” Helena’s voice rang out, She stood before him, her eyes wide with fear and desperation. The boy looked at her, his lips curling into an amused yet sorrowful smile. “Y-yes,” he stammered, his voice cracking under the weight of his grief, “Unlike you, we are worthless, right? You, chosen ones just leave us behind.”
Helena’s heart twisted painfully in her chest. His words echoed in her mind, each word laced with truth she couldn’t deny. Her gaze fell to the ground, unable to meet his tear-filled eyes…. “It’s not like that,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Her lips quivered, struggling to form words that wouldn’t come.
The boy’s sobs grew louder, his body shaking with each breath,
“C-Can’t answer, can you? W-We know we’re not the chosen ones like you. We’re not strong, not even worth enough to be saved… W-We know, but still… d-don’t we have families waiting for us too? Don’t we have futures?”
Each word and question pierced Helena’s heart!!
Helena murmured, her voice breaking, “Y-You have a future, I swear…”
“Then why are we left to die?!” he shouted, his voice filled with a pain so deep it made Helena flinch, “W-Why? Just why are we supposed to die? WHY?!” The boy’s hands gripped Helena’s shoulders, shaking her with a strength born from sheer despair.
Helena’s eyes blurred with tears as she struggled to respond, “T-That’s F-Fate!” she choked out, the words bitter on her tongue…. She hated the words as soon as they left her lips, bitter and cold, a mantra drilled into her by the Archpriestess for moments like these, moments when she had no answers.
But they offered no comfort, not to him, and not to herself, ‘I didn’t want this… I never wanted this…’
“Fate?…” The boy’s voice was hollow, his face contorting in anguish, “Yeah, Arcane chose you and not me, right?” His broken smile cut through Helena’s resolve, shattering her heart into pieces. “So that’s it, huh? Fate decided I’m nothing… that my life is worth nothing…”
The boy’s voice cracked as he screamed, “Why does it feel like no one cares? So fate includes my family’s fall… ah,” he muttered, his voice trembling. He looked down at his hands, hands that had worked tirelessly to support his family, now trembling in uselessness, “M-My… ‘sob’… H-How am I supposed to pay my mother’s medical bills?
She’s terminally ill… so it’s fate that her son dies before her? And then fate kills her too… Fuck that!!” His voice rose into a scream, raw and agonizing, “Aawwwww… Mommyyyy….” He cried out, his voice breaking into a wail of pure pain and hopelessness.
Aether, who had been silently observing, was taken aback by the intensity of the boy’s emotions. ‘Damn man!! Who is he?’ he thought, shocked at the raw sentimentality pouring from this boy with such a tragic backstory—
‘Wink’
“…” Aether blinked, utterly surprised when he saw the boy secretly winking at him….. Soon, Aether’s lips curled into an amused expression as he realized what was happening.
/Celestia../
/Heheh…./
Her laughter echoed in his head, Aether shook his head, unable to suppress his amusement. She really deserved a reward for orchestrating such a convincing act.
“Done with your talking?” Kenley’s voice cut through the tension, her expression one of cold amusement. She watched them with a predatory gleam in her eyes as if they were nothing more than pigs awaiting slaughter. The sight of their fear, their desperation, sent a thrill through her, her body trembling… She got excited!!
As if on cue, the Minions launched their attack, their grotesque forms descending upon the nearby students. Screams filled the air as the students struggled to defend themselves, their fear driving them to fight with whatever strength they had left.
Victor, caught Helena by the shoulder, “You need to leave now,” he ordered.
But Helena wasn’t listening. Her mind was racing, her heart pounding in her chest as she quietly mumbled something under her breath.
“Huh?” Victor frowned, his grip tightening as he leaned in closer, “What did you say?”
“I said… I will save them all,”
Victor’s frown deepened, “What are you talking about? This is not the time to play around.” His hand moved to her neck, his grip firm, but Helena struggled, her eyes blazing with a fierce resolve.
“L-Let me go!!” she shouted, her voice straining against the pressure of his grip.
“I-I will not, ‘Cough’, “I will not leave them…” Her eyes were locked onto Victor’s, filled with determination.
Victor’s annoyance was evident in his voice, “I don’t care what you want, Helena! Do you think you have the power to defeat them? Or did you forget what your Archpriestess taught you?” His words were sharp, biting into her like cold steel.
Helena’s expression crumbled, her lips trembling as she bit down on them, trying to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
She knew. She knew all too well what the Archpriestess had taught her…. survival above all else. To prioritize her life, to be the one who could help another day.
But…
… “Seeing my daughter eating always fills my stomach, Dear~”
She remembered something… Something she had long forgotten!!
A memory surfaced, something she had buried deep within her heart…..
Her golden eyes flickered as she looked up at Victor, her expression deadly serious, “It is my duty as Saintess… to save the people who are in need… Let. me. go!”
Victor clicked his tongue in irritation, “Tsk, this is why I hate stubborn girls!” His grip tightened, but Helena gritted her teeth, “P-Please gives me a chance, I-I will definitely save them…” she pleaded, her voice filled with a desperation that matched her determination.
“No, you are not! You are just a healer, don’t forget!!” Victor’s voice was harsh, almost cruel, as he jumped to avoid a monster’s attack.
‘Why does no one believe in me?!’ Helena’s mind screamed in frustration as the edges of her vision began to blur. She could feel herself slipping, losing consciousness under Victor’s unrelenting grip…..
“Victor, Stop!”
Just then a voice, cold and emotionless, echoed through the chaos.
Helena’s eyes flickered open, just in time to see Aether, still drunk but determined, holding Victor’s hand.
Victor clicked his tongue, clearly exasperated, “You too, Aether? Man, this is not the time to pla—”
“I told her I would protect all of her… and I believe her beliefs! If she wants to save everyone, then I will stand beside her… Let her go!” Aether’s voice was calm.
!~Ding~!
[+5000 A-]
Error!
!~Ding~!
[+5000 AP]
Error!
!~Ding~!
[+5000 AP]
Error!
!~Ding~!
[+5000 AP]
Error!
[Sigh….]
…..
…..
Aether’s eyes narrowed as the errors continued flashing before him. The Log seemed to be malfunctioning… Weird… Again!!
Whatever, the girls around him were the real Malfuctioned ones!
But he didn’t care… Instead, a smirk tugged at the corners of his lips, an expression of both understanding and amusement.
This wasn’t a story about him swooping in to save a damsel in distress…. as so many might think.
Nope! Not at all!
This was about something deeper, something more profound!! It was about saving her true beliefs, the very core of what made Helena who she was…. She tried hard to hide it!
Yes, Helena might be a hypocrite for wanting to save everyone when the odds were stacked against her when the world had already made it clear that not everyone could be saved…. But It wasn’t wrong to want to protect everyone, even if it was impossible.
And Aether was the one who pulled her true self and… just a little more… He would,
‘Hehe…’