Bella has travelled very far. It's been two hundred thirty-seven days, fifty-eight minutes and seven seconds since her brother left her. Yet until now, not even a second she believed she wouldn't be able to meet him.
She never lost hope, since she had those. Those memories...not dreams, but memories.
She cannot be mistaken anymore. Those flashes were not dreams. They were too consistent and vivid to believe them just as dreams.
She was...living as a different person in those dreams.
Someone who was feared and respected by the people around her. Someone who held the strength to shake the world, and an ego greater than Satan. Someone who can fight for what she desires and go against the world if the person she loves is on the line.
Bella found herself quite similar to the person. Not only because the person from her dreams and Bella had similar magical attributes but also because they love the same person more dearly than their own life.
"Leader! We have found another horde of Grey Crabs near the shore!" Hearing the voice of the battalion commander, Bella got up.
She has recently acquired a great deal of powers, all of a sudden, and her physical prowess has elevated quite a bit as well. As such reaching several kilometres ahead within seconds never seemed something to be amazed about.
The horde of large crabs with massive claws that could bisect humans as celery appeared in her view.
Bella halted and looked around. Thankfully, just as she ordered, no one was there to interfere.
In a voice as calm as a whisper, she began to chant, the words ancient and powerful. Flames flickered at her fingertips, growing brighter and hotter with each syllable. The ground beneath the crabs started to crack, glowing with a molten red as the earth itself seemed to awaken.
Suddenly, the flames surged forth, but not as a simple wave of fire. Instead, they formed into massive, serpentine dragons made entirely of living flames. Each dragon roared silently as it dove towards the horde, their bodies twisting and turning with an almost sentient fury.
The fiery dragons struck the crabs with surgical precision, their searing touch reducing the monstrous creatures to nothing but ash. The flames danced and coiled around the battlefield, leaving no creature untouched as they moved with lethal grace.
Bella remained unaffected even though she just chanted an A-rank spell.
She was finally reaching that height...where no one would be able to threaten her and her brother. And when she would meet him...hehe~ no one in the world can come between them.
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"How are you feeling now?" With a warm smile and his eyes red, Ethan asked his mother.
He has fed her the potion and supplements which Richard provided and as the future Duke promised, his mother showed instant recovery after being fed the three dosages.
"I feel weak....but better." The elderly woman with a face full of wrinkles smiled warmly at her son. She dearly wanted to hold her son in her arms. To tell him that he did well and now he doesn't need to carry the burden of the family alone.
Seeing that desperation in his mother's eyes, Ethan warmly held her hand and pressed it against his cheek. His dry eyes got wet with tears again as he muttered, "Don't worry mother...soon, we will overcome every problem in our lives and start a happy life again."
Richard not only gave Ethan the cure for his mother's illness but also sowed a seed of hope in Ethan. A hope that their future would be bright and Ethan would get a chance to make his mother happy.
He finally has the opportunity to change everything.
*RUMBLE*
...or so he hoped.
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[A few minutes ago]
The exchange of rings happened. The engagement between Richard and Lilia was done peacefully as both parties and their families were in agreement.
Lilia smiled in happiness as she stared at the small and beautiful ring that adorned her finger. The pink ruby resting at the centre of it would always remind her that she was cherished and loved by her master.
Her husband.
"Look at that blush. I can't believe my daughter changed so much." Cristina teased, which was met by a side-long glare from Lilia. But it didn't stop the older one from having her fun.
Henry heaved a sigh before telling Richard, "Always take good care of her. That's the only thing I can ask for."
Richard smiled in assurance and replied, "Don't worry, I won't let her get hurt-"
*Rumble*
**CRASH**
Suddenly, the ground began to shake at a furious pace, like something massive had just landed. The flower vase from nearby landed on the ground and broke, but no one had the leisure to care about it.
"T-This presence..." Cristina felt her tongue trembling just by uttering those words. The vividness of dread was so palpable that she felt her skin crawling and her subconscious cried in alert.
Henry was non-awakened, yet just by the ferocity of the quivering, he could tell that something ominous had just entered the territory.
Lilia put curtains over her anxiety and adopted a bold front before announcing, "Let's go out and see what this is about."
The group of four slowly exited the mansion. The sky has taken the shade of the death bird. The echoes of cries arriving from the town made the air tremble. The air was laced with the thick and evil essence of Aembr. And amidst the chaos stood the towering figure.
The tall and headless body of an Ambrobate. The humanoid body that stood at a height of several meters was completely stationary at its position and seemed almost lifeless. However, the malice it was radiating couldn't be possessed by a dead being.
Richard stared in horror. He knew what kind of Bate this was. He has read about it in the novel since this Ambrobate was the only one in this world.
The Headless Puppet.
The archenemy of the Protagonist which Ethan kills near the end of his journey.
'This is a fucking S-rank danger!' Richard's calculations were overturned by this presence. He didn't anticipate that the Headless Puppet would arrive itself rather than throwing its minions.
But he can't panic now. Looking at Lilia's pale complexion he realised his role. If he had to cower away then he would have never arrived here. He now wasn't alone, surviving in this world. Now he had someone to protect as well
"Lilia! Get it together!" He shook her violently which helped the brunette to climb out of her daze.
"Can you see that thing?" Richard asked while pointing at the huge humanoid Bate. Getting a slow and confused nod from Lilia he added, "If we don't do something about it, we will die. And if we do, then at least there won't be regret when we die."
Hearing the word 'death' coming out of that person's mouth whom she has taken an oath to protect, made her heart heavy. More than the dread she felt from the Bate, she felt concerned about something happening to Richard.
She knew what she had to do.
"Let's fight that thing, Master."
Richard smiled as he cupped her cheek and gave her a warm look.
Turning back to the situation, he said, "That is an S-rank monstrosity and releases several small versions of itself while remaining idle. If that thing moves, its minions will disappear."
"So as we talk now, that thing's minions are attacking the town?!" Cristina exclaimed and sadly, Richard had to nod.
Cristina drew a sharp breath as she marched inside the mansion at lightning speed and brought her twin sword. Just as she was about to launch out there to save her people, Richard called out,
"Here! Wrap this around your blades." He threw two parchments which were folded in a scroll.
Cristina, while blinking in confusion, unfolded the parchment before a wild grin adorned her lips.
"You rich people sure have the coolest stuff. Thanks!" Saying so, the figure of the ex-adventurer disappeared in a streak as she marched towards the red zone.
Richard turned toward Henry, who was looking at the place where his wife left worryingly before the redhead said, "Henry, for the time being, remains inside the mansion. I will leave some soldiers-"
"No please don't. Save as many people as you can. Don't waste your resources on me. I can protect myself." Henry assured, clearly not wanting to get specially treated here.
Richard seemed reluctant but Lilia held his hand and said, "Let him be, Richard. I know Pa can protect himself."
Heaving a sigh Richard nodded.
He summoned all the soldiers he had brought along and gave them a straight and simple command, "Go and rescue as many civilians as you can."
Thankfully, Richard has gained complete command over this battalion, or they wouldn't have left, saying things like, 'As Madame Duchess commanded, protecting Master Richard is our only duty!'
Once the soldiers were sent away, Richard turned towards Lilia. Her eyes wavered, anxiety clearly evident in her eyes.
Richard held her hand firmly before telling her, "Whatever happens, I won't let anything happen to you."
Chaos has ensued in Awsperg. The appearance of an unprecedented danger has appeared, and Awsperg wasn't prepared to face it. What an otherworlder can change?
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A/N:- Damn! Let there be chaaaaos!