The King's Beloved

[Music Recommendation: "The Price of Freedom" - Crisis Core: Finals Fantasy VII OST - available in Spotify or Youtube]

Seeing such monstrosity of power before them, there was only one thing they could think of.

"No matter what… we have to avoid 'that'."

The thought of creating a barrier to block the dark energy ball didn't even cross their minds—even an absolute barrier would break from such concentrated magic. There was only one way to survive, and that was to avoid it at all cost!

With another wave of her hands, Vindicta's dark energy ball fell fast towards them. 

The calm air became a tempest due to its power.

Everyone teleported towards a great distance in haste just to be able to get away from it. Despite that, the strong impact it produced when it touched the ground swept them like leaves in the mercy of the violent wind. They had to cast a barrier around their bodies to stop the impact from getting to them.

The dark energy ball penetrated the ground up to its deepest area, boring a big hole in the continent of Amare. 

It didn't stop there. 

After penetrating the grounds, it continued downwards—towards the vast ocean!

If the ocean weren't liquid, it would have borne a hole in it as well. Instead, it made the ocean turn into a wall and wreaked havoc on the seabed, destroying everything left in it!

When the team saw that, their faces grew pale, and their mouths were left open, bewildered by what they witnessed. Cold sweat and shivers ran through their bodies.

If a single attack from Vindicta managed to create a massive hole on the ground, and even unto the ocean floor… how much more if she did that all over the world? She could literally destroy the planet in a wave of her hands!

Amused by what she did, Vindicta laughed like a madwoman. Her voice echoed for everyone to hear once more.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA! This is how it should be! DIE Gaia! CRUMBLE AND BURN UNTIL NOTHING IS LEFT!"

She raised her hands again, and this time, tons of huge dark energy balls appeared in the skies all around the planet!

"Vindicta! Stop this at once!" Elliot shouted at her in rage.

He materialized the Zweihänder on his hands and lunged at her in a flash. With a heavy swing, he slashed towards her body, and the magic contained in the sword touched Vindicta's body.

But then… it didn't graze her.

Unsatisfied, Elliot infused more of his spiritual energy into the sword and even transformed it using the different forms it could take using the Guardian's crystals. He attacked her again, and again, and again, but Vindicta was too fast. She easily evaded his attacks. On some rare occasions he managed to wound her, she healed them instantly with her fast regeneration.

Even so, Elliot didn't stop attacking her. He wanted to make sure she didn't have the time to launch those thousands of energy balls hovering in the air. If she did, surely, the world would be destroyed.

The whole team assisted Elliot in battle and attacked Vindicta one after another.

The wind was soon filled with the sounds of swords clanking, magic swooshing or booming, and barriers shattering here and there.

Along with it, was the evil laugh of Vindicta which continuously spread fear in the Magi's hearts.

Seeing them fight like that was like watching the end of the world.

The people's hearts grew faint and weary.

With tear-stained eyes, they prayed earnestly to the Supreme, for it was the only thing they could do to help in such a situation. The Sortis family led the prayer and worship to the Supreme.

Hours passed as the battle went on. 

Everyone did their very best in fighting the enemy.

But still… it wasn't enough.

They began to feel worn out—both in body and magic, while Vindicta didn't even show an ounce of exhaustion.

"Haah… haah… haah…" they panted heavily.

Despite the weariness, they continued to get up and fight.

"I will not give up. I will not give up," they repeated over and over in their heads. "For Gaia. For the people. For the future."

However, when Vindicta noticed that the battle was getting dull and that her enemies were already tired, she took back her control over the hovering destruction in the skies—the dark energy balls aiming at the planet.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!" everyone desperately shouted.

Elliot teleported towards her and attacked her, but a thick barrier blocked his path. He slashed and cast magic on it, but he couldn't destroy it. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hands in anguish and despair.

"Vindicta, STOP THIS! DON'T!"

"Please, NO!"

"I beg you, please stop!"

Tears fell from their eyes as their hearts were crushed in hopelessness.

They all pleaded with her one after another, begging her and trying to talk her out of it.

But Vindicta didn't listen.

With a wild grin on her face, she waved her hands down, signaling the thousands of dark energy balls to fall onto the planet.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

The people's hearts beat terribly in great horror.

The Guardians tried to cast the fastest way they could and the strongest barrier they could make to block her attack, joining their spiritual energies in the process.

"ABSOLUTE BARRIER!"

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Yet… Vindicta's magic penetrated the barrier, shattering it like mere glass.

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…

Closer and closer, the darkness fell to the ground.

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And then…

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Rania followed it.

In a snap faster than the traveling speed of the darkness, she teleported in front of it, stretching her arms from side to side.

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She breathed in deeply, gathering all the holy energy she could muster.

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And in a shout, she said—

"DIVINE PROTECTION!"

A thick, translucent, cloth-like material suddenly appeared on the skies and covered the whole planet in a snap. 

Its colors were that of an aurora, and its body was fluid like a water surface.

Yet do not be fooled by its soft appearance!

For that softness was only a shell.

Its sturdiness was beyond words!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

The people screamed, thinking it was the end of them.

They closed their eyes, terrified of what was to come.

But after a few seconds, they didn't feel anything, so they opened them again.

There above them, they saw Rania with her little arms stretched wide.

Her platinum blonde hair and white battle dress fluttered in the wind.

And her magic called Divine Protection, stood strong!

It managed to withstand the devastating might of Vindicta's attack!

That wasn't all…

The energy balls that were once made of darkness transformed into different colors, signifying the different elements they once were!

With a loud bang, they exploded and scattered into the air as sparkles of light… until they disappeared in the air, absorbed back into nature's womb.

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Silence covered the entirety of Gaia.

Not a single one was able to utter a word.

The people were relieved, yes, but to witness such a miracle before their very eyes? Their hearts leaped in joy, and their minds needed time to process all the feelings that rushed into them at that moment. At last, they began to see the light of hope once more.

After a few moments passed, they all shouted, cried, and wailed in great joy.

Rania's teammates also sighed in relief and were very much thankful and overjoyed.

For a second there, they also thought it was hopeless, but once again, they were saved.

Only… it came with a price.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Rania's body felt heavy after releasing such a tremendous amount of holy energy and letting it pass through her body.

Blood trickled down from her nose and came out from her cough.

She immediately wiped them away in fear that anyone might see them.

"H-haah… h-haah… h-haah…."

Even her breath trembled from the relapse it placed on her body.

Then… a gentle voice whispered to her.

"Rania… It's time."

Hearing that, her eyes widened in surprise. 

Then, it turned gentle, shed a tear, and smiled.

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"Are you ready?" the voice asked.

Faced with that question, there were so many things she wanted to say, but…

Instead of saying anything else, Rania simply relaxed her body and smiled.

Her eyes looked below her and stared lovingly towards everyone—towards the Magi, who were yelling praises and thankfulness at the top of their lungs.

Then, she looked up—towards the Guardians, her friends, and Elliot.

Her heart thumped loudly to the point that she could hear it ringing in her ears.

Lastly, she replied in a tone filled with peace and love.

"Yes.. I am ready."