Chapter 29: Fragment of the Past (5)

On the meantime, while the black-robed mages approached the Blood Essence Crystal. They noticed the body of a young village boy was lying beside it. Seeing that, their movements suddenly changed.

They became very cautious when they advanced toward the crystal while some of them headed to the body of the boy. The black-robed mages became curious about the boy for being able to save himself on dying and avoided to be absorbed into the crystal.

A body that wasn't absorbed by the conversion of magic that even the very essence of the land was able to be absorbed. It was the first time for them to encounter such an abnormal body of a human.

When the leader of the forbidden magic practitioners had finally secured the Blood Essence Crystal, he ordered his subordinates to also take the boy with them. However, when his subordinates tried to pick up the body of the boy, the boy's body unknowingly emitted some black mist and lightning that immediately made the black-robed mage who tried to lift the boy's body, jumps away quickly.

The black-robed mage jumped away unconsciously because if he didn't do that, the moment the black lightning from the boy hit him, he will definitely die—that was the feeling he has when he first saw it.

Even the other forbidden magic practitioners] also became alert. They clearly sensed that there's something dangerous about the change in the little boy's body.

The black mist that surrounds the body of the young Regis started to move. At first, it only stays around him but a moment later, it suddenly began to spread to the plaza like a wildfire in a dried forest. Also, the black lightning that at first very few and small suddenly began to shoot out in a very alarming rate as if it was on a rampage.

With that situation happening, the leader of the forbidden magic practitioners decided to use his magic to personally capture the boy, but he was one step late to decide…

And that was because in that very instance… The young Regis' body emitted a blinding black light, dyeing the whole village black.

—Complete darkness without either any spec of light or sound exists.

Even Arias' vision suddenly became total darkness. She thought the projection of Regis' past ended there but a few seconds after the blackout, her vision returned.

"What was that just now? It suddenly became dark—no, it's like the world became empty. What happened to the enemies? All of them suddenly went missing?"

'That was my magic running out of control. Anyways, the enemies had surely escaped. Those five…'

"Y-yes... Those five had surely escaped. So, what happened to the younger version of you?"

In front of her, only the bloodied body of the young Regis was left in the village. Not even a single trace of the forbidden magic practitioners remained in the plaza; only the young boy remained there—remained alone in the scorching Tomana Village.

'My mind was very hazy that time so I don't know…'

After a few minutes of standing blankly, wearing his blood-soaked clothes; the young Regis began to unsteadily walk towards the southern part of the scorching village. With his staggering footsteps, he continued to walk without even stopping.

"Oh, Regis..."

Based on the direction he's taking, looks like the younger Regis wants to go to the shrine. Knowing this, Arias once again felt compassionate towards the bloodied boy.

Although she can't affect anything on this realm of thoughts, Arias approached the staggering boy and walked beside him, matching his speed while looking at the bloodied blank face of the young Regis.

"Somewhere deep inside me, even just as wishful thinking, I hope it can lessen your burden… even just a little bit… that time."

As for Regis who clearly heard everything, he resolved himself to remain silent to treasure this feeling growing inside of him.

Sheesh… Arias, what are you doing to me… making me feel this way…

Few minutes after the boy was nearing the shrine, the staggering young Regis fell down the ground.

Mustering his little strength left, he still continued to crawl towards the shrine. On the road where the boy had crawled past, there is a trail of blood has made, like a trail made from his remaining life.

The young Regis dragged on his dying body and willed it inches forward, again and again. Then reaching his limit, the young Lezirth finally collapsed head down on the ground.

His whole body was just lying there motionless. No, he could not move. The huge amount of blood lost, together with the scorching atmosphere, had caused him to be unable to continue moving.

Finally seeing this scene from Regis' past, the princess once again starts to weep for Regis. From everything she had already seen, for her, this moment was the cruelest for her. Watching the young Regis like that, it repeatedly breaks her heart.

"Isn't this enough?! This is too cruel… I can't take it anymore… Regis…"

'I know… But the reality is too cruel. There's nothing you can do about that—look, the savior has come.'

Hearing the footsteps, Arias lifted her down-casted face and even the collapsed boy lifted his head faintly.

It was a silhouette of a person, who was wearing a tight‐fitting vestment and a black robe, despite the scorching night.

As the lights were strong enough, one could make out the appearance of that person in detail. Because of the voluptuous curves as well as the seductive figure, the young Regis recognized that the person was a female.

"—Eh?!!!! It really was the academy director?!"

'Yeah. It was Manaria, that time, saved me from this scorching earth and brought me to the west kingdom of the Edinburgh Empire.'

Arias was surprised to confirm that the benefactor of her lover was Manaria Sicily, her number one idol. At that very moment, Arias admiringly watched Manaria as she advanced towards the collapsed young Regis but at the moment Minerva stretched out her hand towards him—

Everything became white, leaving Arias floating in an empty space. A nostalgic feeling… like the moment after the Origin Link connected them for the first time.

-It was Regis who suddenly stopped the projection…

"------EEEEEEEHHHHHH????!!!!!!!!!!~~ WHY DID YOU SUDDENLY CUT ME OFF IN THIS MOMENT???!!! REGIS!!!!!~"