novelraw Chapter 216: Elizabeth's Universal Request
Chapter 216: Elizabeth's Universal Request
As Elizabeth casually brandished the unparalleled light golden sword in her hand, that scorching golden yellow flame also became scorching and frantic anew. The direction of that flame pointed straight at the Whale-kin Jasmine placed on the ground by the soldiers before her.
Fisher's expression changed. Just as he wanted to step forward to stop her, the soldiers behind him abruptly raised the longspears in their hands. While points of magical brilliance flickered, a chain-like ray of lightning spread from upon those longspears, charging straight toward Fisher.
Fourth-ring magic, [Thunder Chain Magic]
"Zzzt zzzt zzzt!"
That chain made of lightning instantly bound Fisher. That magic didn't cause substantive damage to Fisher, merely a numb powerlessness continuously spread over. And the more he struggled, the stronger that powerlessness became.
"It's fine, Fisher. Wait a moment, after I deal with this fish we'll go back, okay?"
Elizabeth wore a smile, her voice as gentle as an angel's, but the golden sword she held in her hand right at this moment was so bright. Watching the Jasmine before her eyes was also like looking at a dead person... no, like looking at a dead fish.
The golden colored flames grew increasingly brighter. Elizabeth raised the weapon high, pointing the sword blade straight at the Jasmine beneath her. Fisher struggled for a bit, but the several soldiers beside him similarly erected the longspears in their hands, using the lightning lasso to control him.
"Jasmine!"
The blade in Elizabeth's hand progressively approached. She raised the butcher's knife high, heading straight toward Jasmine. But at the final moment before blood flowed like a river, unknown whether awakened by Fisher's voice, the Jasmine collapsed on the ground abruptly opened both her eyes.She hadn't even realized what happened yet, but her body, sensing the crisis, had already taken the lead in reacting. Only to see the tail collapsed on the ground fiercely push; her entire person subsequently rolled out, dodging this strike. And that sword momentum constantly spread, hacking the ground until it was uneven.
"Fisher? Her Highness... Elizabeth?"
Jasmine, who took a step ahead to dodge, simply swept her gaze toward her surroundings. When she saw the Fisher controlled by the royal soldiers, she knew matters were extremely bad. She had just spoken doubtfully when the Elizabeth before her eyes already leaned on her sword and laughed,
"This is truly too wonderful. Dying muddled, dying clear-headed, either way is fine, as long as you die it's fine... Jasmine, I have waited a very long time for now."
Elizabeth's hollow eyes slowly drooped. When Jasmine's inverted image began reflecting within, Elizabeth's gentle smile also came to an abrupt end. She fiercely raised the golden sword in her hand, using the sword body to obscure half her face, only revealing a pair of golden eyes carrying pure killing intent,
"I want to let all women see what the outcome of approaching Fisher looks like... you are the first one."
In the next moment, she held the sword with both hands and brandished a circle. The boundless golden blazing flames completely awakened at this moment, transforming into the twisted triple Godolin crest in midair. Jasmine had just wanted to retreat, only to discover the flames behind her had also erected like a wall of fire cutting off her route of retreat. Jasmine already had no opportunity to speak; Elizabeth's pure killing intent to put her to death had already surpassed any explanation.
Jasmine could only purse her lips, clenching her fists and looking at Elizabeth. The fish tail behind her flicked and she no longer dodged, fiercely stepping on the ground and charging toward Elizabeth.
She didn't know what the situation was right now either, but it seemed she could only subdue Elizabeth first.
But Elizabeth held the sword with both hands, her golden pupils turning seven to eight times within a single second. Any place Jasmine might attack, any place Jasmine might dodge, were all keenly grasped at this moment. In the next moment, the golden sword in her hand trembled slightly, but the flames retaliated in her stead.
"Bang bang bang!"
"Ugh!"
Carrying high temperatures, waves of flame fiercely struck various parts of Jasmine's body in midair at an extremely fast speed. Palms, thighs, tail; that fierce high temperature caused severe burns to Jasmine. Crying out softly in pain in midair, Jasmine retreated, retreating anew to the front of the place isolated by the flames.
But Elizabeth didn't intend to let Jasmine off anew.
Those terrifying waves of flame seemed boundless, beginning to spread from beneath Elizabeth's feet. The terrifying high temperatures swept up violent winds blowing Elizabeth's blonde hair until it was frantic, setting off her appearance at this very moment to be both noble and crazy. She stared straight at the Jasmine before her eyes, watching helplessly as she struggled and retreated within the high temperature.
Jasmine gnashed her teeth, and the black water currents within her eyes began flowing anew. Forced into a desperate situation by Elizabeth, Jasmine had no choice but to use her Curse ability that absorbed life force.
But Elizabeth had long anticipated seeing this scene. Regarding this trick, she was merely seen to sneer, grabbing the hilt of the golden sword backhandedly. The javelin-like golden sword pointed straight at the Jasmine ahead. She fiercely took a step back, fiercely throwing that golden sword out.
Boundless flames transformed into a tornado-like scorching storm following behind the flying golden sword. Jasmine had just prepared to use her Curse when she was already unable to dodge in time, watching helplessly as that world-destroying scorch assaulted toward her.
"Clang!"
But at the final crucial moment, a blade of liquid like mercury abruptly sprang out from within the wall of fire formed by the golden flames, fiercely striking the sword body of that golden sword. While emitting a bursting crisp sound, that golden sword fiercely changed direction, heading toward the nearby Nari Lake.
The golden flame storm behind also entered the nearby Nari Lake along with the golden sword. The icy cold lake water didn't halt the burning of that flame in the slightest. Conversely, as if it was a groundlessly growing combustion-supporting agent, very quickly that flame spread upon the surface of the lake water, merely in an instant igniting the entire Nari Lake's lake water.
That massive Nari Lake at this moment was entirely wrapped by a layer of scorching golden flames forming a sea of fire. And before that burning sea of fire, Elizabeth with a cold face and Jasmine clutching herself where she had almost been pierced through by the golden sword simultaneously looked toward the nearby Fisher. There, several soldiers clutched their lower abdomens in pain and collapsed on the ground, and beside them were holding guns pointing at him.
"Even now you still want to protect this fish! The more you are like this, the more I want to kill her! I want to completely hollow out the places in your heart occupied by these women piece by piece, and then make room..."
"Boom!"
Looking at the Fisher who took action, Elizabeth's words were ice-cold. The flames upon Nari Lake also became even more vigorous along with her explosive rage, becoming like pillars of fire rushing toward the sky. The golden sword also appeared in her hand anew.
The panting Fisher didn't answer. The wounds upon his body from previous battles hadn't completely healed, and the wound at his lower abdomen dealt by Black began seeping blood anew. After all, Eliog also wasn't a professional doctor, and could at best barely set a bone, stop bleeding, and such.
Seeing droplets of fresh blood beginning to seep out from beneath Fisher anew, Elizabeth's just-now ice-cold expression instantly melted,
"Wait, your wound, doc..."
"Clang!"
But before her words finished speaking, Fisher already gripped the Fluid Sword and assaulted toward her. Elizabeth hurriedly erected her sword to resist. At the instant the two weapons collided, an intense friction sound erupted. Even so, her Pandora still gazed at the wound at Fisher's lower abdomen.
Along with the confrontation of the two's strength, the fresh blood at his lower abdomen also grew more and more. Elizabeth's pupils shrunk slightly, and she fiercely dissipated her strength, thereby being effortlessly pinned down in place by Fisher.
"Thump!"
Fisher effortlessly pushed the Elizabeth before his eyes, making her fall backward. This strike wasn't heavy but came abruptly; even Fisher hadn't expected she would abruptly dissipate her strength.
"Your Highness!"
"Stop!"
Jasmine was just about to stand up when the soldiers beside her raised their weapons one after another. But almost simultaneously, Elizabeth, pinned beneath Fisher, raised her hand, issuing an order to stop attacking to the soldiers beside her.
Under military orders weighty as a mountain, all soldiers lowered the weapons in their hands without hesitation one after another, merely continually staring vigilantly at Fisher and the ready-to-make-a-move Jasmine aside.
While at this moment, the golden long hair and a stained white dress upon Elizabeth beneath Fisher spread out, as if a rose with scattered petals, facing Fisher's Fluid Sword completely defenseless.
The meticulousness of thought and the treacherousness of methods of Elizabeth, now in Fisher's eyes was like a piece of fragile glass. In her beautiful golden eyes, it was full of hollow fragility. Up until this moment, she conversely fell silent, not saying a single word, allowing Fisher's sword blade to constantly draw near her.
But that deathly silent silence not only didn't make Fisher relaxed, but conversely seemed more like it was constantly torturing Fisher's Soul, rendering him unable to act all along.
For a long, long time, the Fluid Sword in Fisher's hand slowly retracted, turning into a harmless black hilt. He sighed, speaking like so.
"I lost, Elizabeth..."
But Elizabeth laughed coldly, saying,
"Do you think I wanted to hold a competition with you, so as to verify who is more intelligent?! Or to say, are you currently blaming yourself, blaming yourself for why you didn't discover the clues of my plan, blaming yourself for today's result being like this?"
"Arriving at now, do you think I still care about anything else?! It doesn't matter if Fisher wants to kill me, I am perfectly willing. As long as we are together, however it is doesn't matter..."
The golden sword in her hand had already disappeared. Elizabeth simply looked up at the Fisher above like this, gently reaching out and caressing his face, just like how she often fantasized when at the Royal Academy.
They should have been like this; they were supposed to be the most enviable couple. They were supposed to live together happily...
And even up to today, even if Fisher had never liked her, she could only maintain the lowest request.
They would be together!
Fisher didn't cast Elizabeth's hand aside, because only at this moment did Fisher discover however scorching the golden flames in the distance were, that was how icy cold her skin was. That bone-piercing coldness seemed like a corner constantly leaking out from her hollow inner heart, making Fisher unable to warm her body temperature no matter what.
His body had also caught a little icy coldness from her fingertips, and his inner heart also subsequently sank heavily,
"Elizabeth, I am indeed blaming myself..."
"Because that poor boy named Fischer Benavides walked from the orphanage to the Royal Academy relying on a bit of talent and luck, yet didn't expect that such a dazzling Crown Princess could favor him. Not only didn't the Princess look down on him, but she also poured all her emotions upon him, yet he didn't accompany the Princess to the very end."
"I kept thinking, if at the time I didn't evade, didn't ignore you, and always stood together with you to face problems, would we not have reached this stage today? When I carefully recall that Black, Muxi, Anna, and other human lives who died because of you, I persistently feel a certain guilt toward you and them because of this... Elizabeth, this is what I owe you. I will eventually repay you one day, but absolutely not today."
"I'm sorry, today, I cannot return to the Golden Palace with you."
Elizabeth's gaze trembled. In fact, her impulse wanting to weep was so obvious, but a dried-up tear lake couldn't squeeze out any drop of tears,
"Do you think I will let you and her leave today?"
Fisher didn't maintain that oppressive posture. Panting somewhat, he covered his lower abdomen with one hand, while the other hand gently gripped Elizabeth's fingers,
"Erwind is a scourge to this world. His target is me; even if I stay in the Golden Palace he won't give up. I am already unable to bear seeing any more suffering resulting from my negligence. I must kill him one step ahead before he takes action."
"Moreover, there's one point you got wrong. It's not that Fischer Benavides didn't like Elizabeth..."
"In the Royal Academy when I dashed ahead regardless of my safety to participate in the Griffin Race for you, I truly deeply liked you, wanting to take responsibility for your friendship and marry you..."
Elizabeth's pupils shrunk slightly, and the action of her fingers gripping Fisher's palm consequently became even more forceful.
And behind where Fisher and Elizabeth both couldn't see, Jasmine watched helplessly as the two in the distance conversed. She didn't speak nor made any other actions, but the black color within her eyes also grew increasingly thicker, and the bitterness of feeling wronged spread within her heart.
Fisher simply looked at Elizabeth like this. That earnest gaze simply fell straight into the Pandora within Elizabeth's eyes like so, passing through the lengthy golden hollow blocked by chains, ultimately falling within her heart.
Possessing observation abilities surpassing ordinary people like that, Elizabeth of course could easily judge the truth or falsehood of those words. But this bit of warmth Fisher gave at this moment spreading along her heart riddled with a thousand gaping wounds unexpectedly could only make her feel pain.
But the more it hurt, the more she wanted to be reluctant to part.
She had waited for Fisher's liking for too long. It was only that when in the Royal Academy she had never possessed Pandora, and of course couldn't see through the inner heart hidden beneath Fisher's calm face, so only then would she produce doubts regarding him never having liked her.
However, as smart as she was, she deeply knew this portion of warmth didn't belong to the present her.
"...No matter what you say anew, I will no longer let you leave anew. Even if you are unwilling, even if I have to use forceful methods, I also have to lock you up, staying together with me for a lifetime."
After listening Fisher didn't reply, merely gently erected an index finger toward her.
This action that looked a bit abstract to outsiders, Elizabeth however could effortlessly read his meaning.
Remember back in the Royal Academy Fisher had once participated in the four-yearly academy tournament "Griffin Race". Fisher, who won the championship in the Griffin Race, consequently obtained a "Universal Request" from Crown Princess Elizabeth.
"Any request can be proposed to me, and Elizabeth will agree to it."
This promise passed on as a beautiful tale within Saint-Nazareth circles, was a promise made by Fischer Benavides and Elizabeth who were deeply trapped in love. They had a tacit understanding between each other like soulmates.
Fisher was going to use this promise to propose to her, and Elizabeth would therefore use this promise to transcend the shackles of class and concepts to be together with him...
But now, this request, conversely couldn't be used just like in the past anymore.
"Elizabeth, give me thirty minutes to take Jasmine and leave here. And if one day, I return to your side anew, no matter if I'm willing or you caught me and forced me, I will together repay what I owe you and those dead innocent souls over these years... this is a Blood Oath Magic made by Fischer Benavides."
Droplets of scarlet fresh blood dripped along the wound at Fisher's lower abdomen, dyeing Elizabeth's white long skirt red.
She simply looked at the Fisher before her eyes like this, as if unable to speak. She unexpectedly could only rely on that bit of warmth that appeared in her heart just now to strugglingly speak the following dry words,
"...The Nari Royal Navy has already completely blockaded Saint-Nazareth, lest variations arise. You cannot escape; even if you can escape, you will be wanted by my bounty at any cost, until the day you return to my side."
"I understand."
Fisher, covering his lower abdomen, stood up, took a step or two back, and responded like so.
But Elizabeth didn't get up, and even closed her eyes, as if opening her eyes to see Fisher at this time would cause harm to her.
Within a patch of darkness and silence, she only then said,
"...Only twenty minutes."
"I understand."
But the more readily Fisher agreed, the more furious Elizabeth's inner heart became. The entire Nari Lake beside them was wrapped by her golden flames; they couldn't possibly leave from the waterways underneath here. And now the entire Saint-Nazareth was blockaded by her fleet. If he hid in Saint-Nazareth, even if she turned Saint-Nazareth upside down she would ferret him out.
Panting, when she opened her eyes anew, the Fisher before her eyes had already disappeared. She slowly got up, and all the soldiers beside her bowed their heads, not daring to look directly at the current Elizabeth.
And in the museum behind, at this time another squad of soldiers walked out. The leading soldier held several items covered by pale golden satin in both hands.
Although Elizabeth looked somewhat sorry state upon her body, the majesty upon her body didn't decrease in the slightest because of this. Only before her beloved Fisher would she reveal such obvious flaws.
"Your Highness, the items have been obtained."
Elizabeth turned her head and cast a glance at the entrance of this forbidden area. There, the figures of Fisher and Jasmine were gradually going far away. She narrowed her eyes dangerously, walking in front of the soldiers behind her, reaching out and lifting that piece of covering satin.
Beneath that satin, a crown made of gold was inlaid with invaluable gemstones. At the top of that precious crown, a three-ring overlapping and interlacing Godolin crest was so conspicuous.
Beside the crown, there was similarly a scepter made of gold.
Looking at that pair of items that would be used when ascending the throne later, Elizabeth, however, seemed to lack interest. She gently covered that satin anew, abruptly speaking on her own,
"Ten minutes later, search the entire city for Fischer Benavides, and make sure to bring him back straight to the Golden Palace safely ALONE... remember, it's him alone."
"Yes! Your High- no, Your esteemed Majesty the Empress."