Chapter 36: Elaine and Pero’s Homecoming – 2
Not just with two hands, but with the whole body.
From the whole body to the world.
The winds that had bound her, stained with blood, were released into the entire world.
She believed that with Pero’s newfound strength, he would soon move beyond his crawling stage and bind the attention of the two Variants.
So, until Pero grew accustomed to the wind… it was Elaine’s job to stall.
—UAAAAAAAAAH!
The fist of the giant Variant descended like a meteor.
Elaine took a light step. Like a sail capturing the full force of the wind, she accelerated smoothly.
BOOOOOM-!
The fist slammed into the ground. Elaine lightly sent forth a wind blade. The Variant’s skin was sliced with a Srukkk, but the wound wasn’t deep.
“As expected, the destructive power has decreased significantly.”
Yet, there were almost infinite possibilities at her disposal. Moreover, there was no longer any time pressure. All that remained was to calmly carry out what needed to be done.
Elaine gathered soil, stones, and sand from the ground with the wind. Several spheres formed around her, orbiting like satellites.
Then she fired.
BANG BANG!
As the wind sphere struck the giant Variant’s head directly, sand burst into clouds obscuring its vision. The Variants flailed their arms in confusion.
When Elaine gestured once more, a cold blade of wind sliced past the Achilles tendon of the Variant, continuing without interruption, ceaselessly.
Forcing the opponent to expend their energy while protecting herself. This was completely opposite from her previous combat style… yet it felt as comfortable as wearing a perfectly tailored dress.
And then, Pero soared high into the sky.
Elaine confirmed this and began gathering and condensing the wind in a defenseless stance. She was preparing to forge a blade that would sever the neck with a single strike. Believing in him.
===============================================================
Pero felt the wind wrap around his body. Focusing his consciousness, he could sense it and even move as if he had developed a new sensory organ.
It seemed to be the ability to control the wind, borrowed from Elaine.
“Such a fascinating ability you have, Elaine…”
It’s called Metamorphosis.
“Is it different from my healing? Will I ever be able to use it?”
Only under a lot of stress.
“Sounds like a bad ability, huh?”
I’ll draw their attention; just try moving it.
Pero nodded in agreement with Yuna inside his head. Imagining he had wings made of wind, he flapped vigorously. But the only thing that happened was the wind stirring; it was as if it were all a grand illusion.
“…?”
You need to anchor the wings to your body to fly. And sadly, wings aren’t a good model for flight. For beginners… think of it as launching your body instead.
“Ah, yes… launching? Like this──”
Whoooooosh-!
Before he could even finish, Pero’s small body shot straight up into the sky.
Higher. Even higher than the giant Variant’s head, he floated toward the moon and clouds. Looking down, he saw the colossal Variants staring up at him and
Elaine, below, gathering a monstrous wind in her grip.
The gazes of the giant Variants were now focused on Pero floating above. Two pairs of massive arms shot into the sky, reaching out to grab the boy.
“…What do I do next?!”
If you restrict the movements of the Giant Variant, it’ll make things easier for Elaine.
“Should I try… throwing sand into their eyes with the wind?”
The wind responded kindly to Pero’s thoughts, moving according to his intent, but that made it hard to control. Mesmerized by the heights, hovering in the air was the culmination of his barely maintained concentration.
A virtual persona armed with only minimal information couldn’t skillfully handle the powers of Metamorphosis assigned to him. After all, Pero wasn’t a wizard or a warrior; he was just a boy with healing abilities.
But in Pero’s mind was the Archwizard of the Purple Magic Tower, who had reached the realm of Sublimation.
Yuna briefly took over his body.
The Archwizard drew strange shapes in the air with Pero’s fingers. The wind swirled around and quickly took form. They were giant chains.
—UUUUAAAAH!
The wrists of the Giant Variants were simultaneously bound by these chains woven of wind. As she dragged her finger down, immense pressure acted in the direction of gravity—the bound wrists slammed to the ground.
The Giant Variant, structurally similar to a human, tilted its center of gravity forward, causing their heads to collide with one another. Pero shouted.
“Elaine!”
Trusting that Pero would successfully distract the Giant Variant and create an opportunity; within Elaine’s grasp, which had quietly gathered the wind, a giant blade, as if condensed by a storm, was held.
From below to above.
From the ground towards somewhere in the night sky, she drew a diagonal line. The compressed wind blade was unleashed in a violent surge.
Slice.
The sound of the cut wasn’t loud.
But the neck of the Giant Variant was cleanly severed.
BOOOM-!
The grotesquely patched neck of the Variant hit the ground, and Pero gently landed, wrapped in wind. Elaine faced him with a more relieved expression than before.
There was no drastic change in her demeanor. She would still hold suspicions and make practical decisions in her actions. Yet perhaps in critical moments, she could dare to trust someone.
And at that moment, looking up at the moon, Elaine inquired of Pero.
“So?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, wasn’t there something else you wanted to say?”
“Ah, yes…! That is, umm…”
Pero’s face turned beet red as he fumbled, then knelt on one knee, presenting something. It was a ring, painstakingly woven from grass.
The boy took a deep breath and poured out his feelings.
“I… like you, Elaine! Maybe I’ve liked you since the first time we met!!”
===============================================================
Elaine’s response to Pero’s confession was as follows.
“Isn’t it a bit premature, Pero?”
—Do you fall in love quickly?
“Ehh?”
“We’ve only known each other for five days, and all we’ve done is walk together a bit. Matters between men and women often require a bit more time.”
—What have we even done? I seriously don’t know.
“Uh-huh.”
“So, I appreciate the sentiment, but…”
—Let’s just be friends.
“Ah…”
That day, Pero’s world crumbled.
===============================================================
Remaining distance to Paradise.
0.
Pero went ahead, bouncing with excitement. He was as lively as someone checking if a long-ago purchased lottery ticket was a winner.
“It’s here, Elaine! The compass is pointing right ahead!”
“We finally made it. Timing is perfect too.”
The tattoo on her wrist raced toward 0. To arrive on time, Elaine had even borne the indignity of crawling on all fours twice.
“You’re truly a princess rider both in name and reality now.” “D-Don’t say things like that!”
*…
The Archwizard, speaking through Pero’s mouth, blurted out a ludicrous comment. It was based on three facts: they weren’t looking each other in the eye, everyone thought she was a benevolent Variant Larva, and there was zero risk of her identity being revealed.
Yuna was fully embodying the stereotypical demeanor of an internet tough guy.
During their journey, the two shared many stories. They heard about Pero’s village being destroyed and Elaine talked about coming from another dimension and the events that transpired in the Imperial Court.
There were also sharp calculations from the First Princess tucked into this narrative. In the original world, discussing imperial secrets often brought heavy consequences, but here, in this otherworld, even if Pero spread rumors, there would be no repercussions.
So opportunely, it was time for a rehearsal. She wanted to explain the situation to Irid and Sledo, hoping to persuade them to rekindle their camaraderie.
Elaine swept away the sand dune in the direction the compass indicated with her wind. Once the top layer was blown away, a sturdy-looking iron door appeared.
“…There’s an entrance!”
“Indeed, it does seem so, Pero.”
“It really exists… Paradise!”
“It does.”
“…Are you maybe sulking because of what the Larva said?”
“It’s just… the novelty of the moment struck me. It’s surreal that it genuinely exists.”
Elaine brushed aside Pero, who was struggling with the handle of the iron door, applying her strength instead. With a Creaaaak, the door swung open.
A ladder leading deep down was revealed.
The passage appeared neat and there wasn’t any blood smeared anywhere. The likelihood of Paradise functioning normally seemed to have increased a notch.
Elaine adjusted her skirt’s hem, gazing at Pero.
“I wanted to check out the interior, but time seems short.”
“Are you heading back?”
“Yes. I can hear the ticking in my ears. How kind of them to even count down for me…”
“I like you!”
“This will be the twenty-sixth time, right? The saying ‘There’s no tree that doesn’t fall after ten strikes’ wasn’t meant to be taken this way, Pero.”
“I-I l-l-like…”
Elaine grabbed Pero’s cheeks and stretched them sideways.
“Uuuueeeeh!”
“Let’s wrap up by wishing each other good luck on our journeys. After all, the saying ‘This is just the beginning’ suits both of us perfectly, doesn’t it?”
It was indeed just the beginning.
Pero had reached Paradise, but it didn’t mean the end of labor and adventure. He still needed to check if there was enough food for the next generation and inspect the facilities.
Elaine had reached Paradise, but it wasn’t a farewell to all her traumas. It was merely the first step. A lot more effort would be needed to erase the scars.
“I wish you good luck, Pero.”
“And I wish you good luck too, Elaine!”
After their laughter danced in the air between them, the visitor from another world vanished in a purple shimmer. Pero quietly watched the spot where Elaine had disappeared and…
“Let’s do our best.”
He began his life anew.
===============================================================
First Princess Elaine rose sluggishly from the magic circle.
It felt like waking up from a long dream. For some reason, she felt dazed and strangely aloof, leaving her sense of reality awash. Two wizards from the Purple Magic Tower crowded around her.
“You’re awake, Your Highness. Did you enjoy… yo—Ack!”
The wizard was cut off mid-sentence by the sharp elbow of the Tower Master.
“H-How was it? Was it enjoyable?”
The Tower Master asked with an oddly thrilled expression—similar to the look when ladies gossip animatedly about someone’s romantic saga in a salon.
Elaine thought deeply for a moment, then opened her hand and stared at her palm.
Wind swirled around it. The change attained from the otherworld was even connecting to reality. This felt like a significant harvest.
“I’ll just express my gratitude. Although there were moments that recalled unpleasant memories, which didn’t make me feel great…”
*!!!
The Tower Master recoiled.
“There was still much to gain. It was quite lovely.”
The Tower Master released a sigh of relief.
Elaine enjoyed watching the expressions of the Archwizard shifting quickly, stretched her body, and turned around.
First, she intended to pay a visit to Irid and give him a good, tight hug after such a time apart.
===============================================================
“The First Princess came away with something extraordinarily significant.”
“Wasn’t it just another Metamorphosis? Just because an Eevee changes from a Vaporeon to a Jolteon, it doesn’t mean the stage of evolution itself changes!”
“If we simplify it using the martial arts novels you mentioned before… it’s the difference between the Orthodox Sect’s martial arts and the Demonic Arts. Apparently, making advancements in Demonic Arts is harder—Right? Extreme changes in Metamorphosis make Sublimation difficult to achieve.”
“Ah.”
“Essentially, the First Princess has ditched Demonic Arts for the Orthodox Sect’s martial arts, so it’s a positive development for her, got it?”
“Right. Ah, I need to get the log.”
STOP!
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“I’ll take care of the log this time, so you rest. It’s fine to take a break.”
“No, I feel like there were many areas that need improvement, so I should review…”
“I-I will! I’ll handle it, so if you don’t want to face my wrath, get going!”
“Why are we going this far?!”
The Tower Master slapped the slightly crazed wizard’s back and chased him out of the simulation room. She was bemused by the prospect of how he might react upon recognizing a living AI.
“How dare you ruin my session. Such a wicked AI deserves to go to hell!”
In the worst-case scenario, he might say something like that and obliterate the character completely!
Tower Master Yuna swallowed nervously and reconnected to the simulation room. Although she wasn’t sure what she wanted to pursue, she primarily wanted to ensure the safety of the boy who had his first confession neatly rejected.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.