Ch. 71 'The Last Hope'

Isabella was born into a family of pharmacists. Drugs, poisons, concoctions, and so on were the main fields of work for her family. Izzy herself also really liked the pharmaceutical field. Sometimes she would imitate what her mother concocted. Eventually, Izzy became a pharmacist at the age of twelve. She was one of the rare geniuses in this world.

When she became a purple knight at the age of eighteen, insight into the various poisons in the world grew. Not only that, but she also did not need to concoct a concoction with ingredients that must be collected. She only needed to play the flute, and everyone who listened to it will be affected according to her will.

She could manipulate someone's memory and hypnotize them to follow her orders. She could summon poison mist to attack her target. However, she never manipulated the human body. She may be able to treat external injuries, but she had never tried to repair broken bones or internal injuries.

Well, she did try to manipulate a fox's body once. But that's because she had a strong desire to save the fox. Moreover, there was a risk that will occur if the manipulation fails. Either the fox will get deformed for life or death.

But it doesn't matter to her because it's just a fox. It's just an animal, so if the fox dies, she won't feel guilty.

And now, she was confronted with all her friends expecting her to manipulate Niken's body with her skill. Even though she was a purple knight, she would not be able to bear the risk if she failed later.

"Hm... looks like I can't do it," Izzy said very carefully.

"But Izzy, you are our last hope. Please, save her."

Before Izzy responded to Shin Ha's words, Kazuto first opened his voice.

"Please. I will do anything to save her. I beg you, please do something to save her." Kazuto pleaded with the utmost severity.

Seeing the tortured expressions of Kazuto and others who looked at her hopefully, Izzy's heart was moved.

"Alright, I'll try it. But I told you before. I've never manipulated a human body before. If it fails, she could die right away. And even if it works, there's a chance that she can no longer use her elemental energy. The worst part is, she could be disabled for life."

Tension filled the room when they heard the risk described by Izzy.

"I can't guarantee her life being. Do you still want me to do it?" Izzy asked gently for confirmation.

"..."

After a pause, Kazuto opened his voice. "Do it. As long as she lives, I will not leave her." Kazuto glanced at Richard for his approval.

Richard was stunned, hearing the firmness of Kazuto's tone. If Niken were disabled for life, he would be sad. Not only him, but Niken would too. There was a chance Niken would rather kill herself than couldn't do anything, and he didn't want to see that. He didn't want that to happen.

Yet, he couldn't disallow Izzy to save his sister. He wanted to protect her no matter what. So, Richard would give his approval.

After seeing Richard nodded his head, Izzy approached Niken's body.

"Then, before I start, I will check her condition first."

Izzy placed his palms on Niken's body, and in an instant, Niken's body was enveloped in the smoke of her purple energy.

How strange. She could not touch the girl's astral dimension.

It felt something protecting it. It looks like a barrier.

It couldn't be… was this barrier the one-prevent Kazuto's energy to merge with her elemental water energy?

Izzy tried to break through the barrier with her own energy, but she couldn't cut it. The blockade was so sturdy and robust, so instead, she decided to find any hole to break in. Alas, she found nothing. No breach, no gap… nothing. The barrier was stable so that anything from outside would not be able to go inside.

Without a doubt, this barrier was the one that prevented Kazuto's energy to be merged with the girl's water elemental energy. It's not like her body rejected him, but this barrier was the one rejecting him.

"There is a barrier around her astral soul. I think this one has been refusing the black knight's energy. I need to break it."

"Wait! If there is a barrier inside her astral soul, does it mean the barrier is protecting something?" asked Shin Ha.

"Or sealed something." Continued Yuki.

"Either way, if there is something inside the barrier, wouldn't it be dangerous if we break the barrier carelessly?" this time, Hokuto voiced his concern.

"We still don't know yet. Should I try to enter her astral? I could try to find what is inside the barrier."

"You could do that?"

"Yes. But I need a lot of focus, and no voice shall interrupt my concentration. This way, I don't need to destroy the barrier and penetrate it with my astral soul."

"Izzy, please be careful. If it's something dangerous, go back that instance. Otherwise, you will be trapped inside her astral and die along with her."

"I will. Don't worry. But I do need a piece of proof."

Proof? What kind of proof?