"That's my girl!"
In the sky right above the new center of the continent, nine seats were laid out in the same pattern that they had first been arranged when the first Council of the Sovereigns had been held.
One of the seats was empty, while the rest were filled with those who were avidly glued to a display trinket that was showing the scene of the cavern where the four women were facing off against each other.
They had been silent until now while the situation had been progressing, but some of the sovereigns had drawn sharp breaths when they saw the first unwilling betrayal of the Matron.
Yet, when Eloise spoke, all of them smiled, and Daneel could not stop himself from saying this with pride.
Hearing the emotions in his words, Kellor chuckled and said, "She has learned a lot, my King. Maybe she has learned more than any of us ever will - she had always had a natural disposition for it, and I must say that she has not been wasting her time, unlike us old folk."
Robert, who was beside him, nudged him but then chuckled, too, as he heard this, but when Daneel spoke again, everyone looked in his direction.
"All of the credit goes to her. All of you know that I never actively tried to teach anyone what I do - those who could learn from seeing me, would, and now, it's clear that Eloise was like a sponge, absorbing everything without limit. In fact, I even know what she must be thinking right now - as I was in that stage, myself. She must be thinking that the plan she has made is not as complex or as layered as many of mine, but I wish I could tell her that the most important thing is to be able to trust yourself, and to implement whatever plan you've made to the best effect. In this case, I daresay that even I couldn't have done better, at least with the resources that she had at hand. She will go far… And I can't wait to see just how far that is!"
Laughing to himself with joy, Daneel flicked his fingers and made glasses of wine appear in the hands of everyone who were present.
With smiles all around, the sovereigns toasted the seat that was empty and drank the pearly liquid that had a faint tinge of apricot, and as the scene in the cavern was currently frozen in a stalemate, there was a little time to talk about everything that had happened.
After drinking for a bit, Cassandra could not help but look at all the excruciating pain that was visible on Xuan's face and say, "She had lost her grandmother, and she thought that she at least had her mother on her side. Finding out that even that is not true… Can be quite crushing. Why don't you step in, my King? If you did, wouldn't you be able to save her, and relieve her of the enchantment that's making her act in this way?"
It seemed that this question had occurred to the others, too, so they turned to Daneel to see what he would say.
His answer came instantly, which meant that he had already thought about it.
"Yes, I could do so easily with my Heroes, or in this case, even by myself, as that woman is just too weak at the moment. I still commend her for the way she fought, and I wish there was a way to use her to defend the continent… But in this case, there has to be an exception. She needs to die. And if I am to step in… It has to be at Xuan's behest. If I do so without her asking me, I would have done an injustice to her for which I would never be able to forgive myself - I would have taken away a golden opportunity for her to use this situation to grow. Keep watch, Cassandra, and you'll understand - moments like these are what drive people forward, and what keep people on the Path that they choose no matter how hard it gets. It is only because of many of my own such moments that I was able to reach where I am - and Xuan needs the same if she wishes to become my blade. Of course, if the time does come when she asks for my help… I have quite the perfect plan."
Daneel said the last part with a twinkle in his eyes, and this made the rest wonder just what he had in store.
Before anyone could ask, though, they heard a sound from the display trinket, which made them turn and see what was happening.
Back in the cavern, Xuan had just managed to get back on her feet while the Hero was hastily trying to stop the process that had begun within the Matron's mageroot.
"The Goddess's self-sacrifice… How the hell did you find this spell? Dammit, dammit, dammit!"
Muttering to herself in this way, the Hero started casting multiple spells, but in each case, she was either too weak, or the conviction of the Matron was just too strong.
Interrupting her, Xuan's voice was suddenly heard in the cavern, and it was so terrifyingly calm that it became clear that it was hiding a storm of emotions.
"The Goddess's self-sacrifice - the sacred spell left behind by the first Goddess for any of her descendants to use if they were faced with a situation like those in the old times when they knew that they would be forced into a life of pain and abuse. This is the spell that she worked for the longest on, ensuring that it would not be stopped even by those a few levels above that of the one who begins it. It symbolizes the essence of being a Goddess who does not bow to the world even if it wishes to crush her, and hence, it symbolizes everything that you are not!"
As soon as the last word left her mouth, she shot forward with so much force that she cracked the ground where she had been standing.
Eloise had been watching Xuan speak, and it turned out that the Matron had been right - back when they had discussed it, she had said that the moment the betrayal happened, Xuan would once again be hurt so badly that she might not be able to recover from it.
Yet, the Goddess's sacrifice was such a holy thing that each and every member of the sect who reached her level were aware of what it represented. Hence, her hope had been that the action of her initiating that spell would expose her true intentions and make it clear that she would always be the mother that Xuan had never had, and seeing the way in which she had been able to temporarily put aside all of the pain that had resurged in her mind, Eloise felt like applauding the Matron, while suddenly missing her own mother at the same time.
While Xuan shot through the air, she activated her Path to the fullest and gave all of the support that she could to the woman who had been wronged so much, and feeling her power growing in leaps and bounds, a determined look came on Xuan's face while she activated her own Path for the first time after coming awake.
As soon as her Mageroot blazed to life and sucked all of the Energy from her body, she suddenly… Split apart at her waist.
Not even a moment later, two Xuans were flying through the air, and as another second passed, the two split once again, turning into four figures.
At first, this did not look like anything special as using clones was a normal Path sought after by both Mages and Fighters.
However, when one studied her further, they would be able to identify just what made her path incredibly special, and as soon as the sovereigns understood this, many of them could not hide their shock.
Of the 4 Xuan's… Two were Peak Champion level Fighters, and two were Peak Champion level Mages.
It was unheard of! Typically, clones were supposed to have the same battle prowess as the original, as spells which were able to multiply one's power and make them output double the amount that they would normally be capable of were rare, but still in existence.
However, what was happening here was completely different. Xuan had managed to split apart her Mage and Fighter prowess, somehow, and she had also managed to make four perfect clones, each of which had as much power as herself.
Even as the Hero reluctantly turned in her direction, knowing that she was out of time, the two Xuans who had Mageroots stopped where they were, while the other two bounded forward.
The two that reached the Hero conjured weapons and began to attack her with marvelous precision, and at the same time, the other two began to cast a spell, together.
The Hero did not have to expend much Energy, at all, to defend herself from the two Peak Champion level fighters. However, soon, it became clear that their only purpose was to distract her and keep her from reaching the Mages.
A large, spinning globe of Energy came into being above the two mages' hands, and as soon as it was completely formed, it began to shoot forward red-hot arrows that left streaks in the air.
"You… So this is the Path of the Goddess you chose! How foolhardy! Even the first Goddess could only abandon it after trying for years! What made you think you could succeed? I thought you were a threat, but I was wrong! You're simply an overconfident brat!"
Spitting out these words, Hero Northstar suddenly raised both of her hands and managed to swat the Fighters away.
A barrier sprang to life to protect her from the attacks of the Mages, and without hesitation, she moved in the direction of that globe.
However, this was where the beauty of having four bodies with each following a different Path became clear.
The two fighters returned to stop her, and this time, they were joined by the Mage who switched to close combat magic.
Two scythes formed in her hands which had blades made of compressed heat, and with her help, the Fighters were able to keep the Hero at bay, as they were also being empowered by the Mage with the same weapons.
At the same time, the other mage was enough to control the globe of light which continued to shoot attacks, each of which contained the full power of a Peak Champion.
As each of the sovereigns understood exactly what was happening, they could not help but marvel at the path which should, normally, be impossible to follow.
Xuan was essentially showcasing power that was four times above her own for such an extended period of time, and even with the amplification that was being given by Eloise, it was something unheard of in the continent for most.
"No wonder the Path of the Goddess is so elusive…"
Kellor said this while watching the fight where Xuan was almost evenly matched with the Hero who kept getting thwarted each time she tried to get to the mage, and soon, it became apparent that she was also getting frustrated.
Due to the damage she had sustained, her power was currently locked at the Amateur Hero level, so this was why Xuan was barely able to match her.
The two Fighters were using the best Fighter techniques available in the Big Four, and the spell being used by the Mages was also a very powerful one that had been obtained from the Order.
With each move that she made, confidence began to grow in Xuan's mind.
This was what she wanted. This feeling, this exhilaration, this joy that came from crossing her own limits… There was so much pleasure to be felt in having power and being able to use it for something that one believed in, and at the moment, the wounds that she had sustained which had led to her feeling so powerless finally began to heal, as she grew even more certain of what she wanted to do in her life.
Each and every move was made with a perfect sense of purpose and direction, and as each of them did their job, Xuan fell in love for the second time.
Again and again, the Hero made to move forward, and again and again, she was sent back to the corner of the cavern, while all of her barriers kept being broken by the attacks from the globe.
At the same time, the three clones that were fighting her were learning actively, so they began to get better and better at dodging her attacks. It was quite obvious that she was holding back her own power, but still, dealing with her as she was was no easy feat, and hence, Eloise had a broad smile on her own face as she watched her friend excel, and get closer to her goal.
Alas, as Xuan got closer and closer to making a fatal attack…everything suddenly changed.
"ENOUGH!"
With a loud scream, the Hero raised her hands, and instantly, feeling danger, Xuan retreated.
However, she was too late - a wave of Energy exploded outwards from the Hero which captured all three of the clones that she had been fighting until now, and as they disintegrated, the last Xuan quickly flew back to the corner of the cavern while starting to bleed from her eyes and nose.
In one move, she had changed everything, and a moment later, it became clear why that had happened- risking even more injury to herself, she had increased her own power to the Eminent Hero level, and even though Xuan had been able to hold her own until now, there was no way that she could combat against someone that strong while she was just an Eminent Champion, herself.
Once again, that same yearning for power and shame due to her weakness covered Xuan's mind, even though it had seemed as if she had had the upper hand until now.
The truth was that she had known, subconsciously, that a moment like this might come, but she hadn't been prepared for it.
As the Hero advanced with malice in her eyes, Eloise and Xuan could only stay where they were.
They glanced in the Matron's direction, and saw the reason why the self-sacrifice hadn't succeeded until now - while Hero Northstar had been fighting Xuan, she had also actively been slowing down the process which had been begun by the Matron, and it seemed that the reason that she had also broken the limits she had set on herself so that she wouldn't have to take even more damager was that despite her actions, the Matron was going to succeed soon.
With this, Xuan understood that no matter what she did, she would only lose.
Either the Matron would push forward and succeed in self-sacrifice, thereby removing herself from Xuan's life, or the Hero would succeed, resulting in the death of all three of them.
There was nothing more she could do to change the situation. She had given it her all… But it was simply not enough.
She remembered the words she had said to Daneel, about how she would succeed, and she wondered how she would face him with this failure.
Yet, at the same time, all of their interactions came to the forefront of her mind, which made her realize right away that he was not someone to gloat at the failure of one who had tried their best.
Slowly, she knew what she had to do. Even though she said she didn't need it, she had to ask for help if she wanted to save her mother, and Eloise who had trusted her and come along.
Xuan had really, really not wanted to do this, as she had wanted to accomplish something on her own.
Only, now, she understood that this was both too lofty a goal for himself at the moment, and that she had been wrong in rushing to rid herself of the wounds that had been caused to her in this hasty manner without taking time.
Looking to the side, she saw an encouraging expression in Eloise's eyes, who also knew what they had to do.
And with that, she let out the breath that she had been holding without knowing it herself, and made her decision.
This time, she had failed thoroughly. This time, she had not been able to keep her promise. This time, she had overestimated herself, and had risked paying the ultimate price.
However… There would not be a next time.
And she… Would make sure of that.
The pain, shame and anger at herself due to the failure were there, but along with them, there was also the conviction that these feelings would drive her forward firmly in the direction she wanted to go.
And with that… She looked up, and spoke.
"Daneel…a little help?"
The response arrived instantly, and on hearing it, Hero Northstar widened her eyes.
"Of course, my dear Goddess."
In the sky above Lanthanor, the king suddenly stretched forward his hand in a certain direction.
Going through a void, the hand reappeared at a location near the Fortress.
It was a very scenic place with a waterfall crashing down from a few hundred feet up in the air, and below it, a man was meditating calmly while dressed in fur.
"Oi, your lover is in danger, and you're taking a nap? Go help her!"
As this voice appeared in his ears, a hand suddenly appeared behind him and yanked his collar before he could do anything, and as he suddenly appeared in the cavern in between the Hero and the two women, he couldn't help but blink and wonder what the heck was going on.
A moment later, Marcus laid his eyes on the Matron, and as the message sent to him clicked in his mind, a small smile came on his face.
Rotating his hand to loosen up, he spoke in an excited tone.
"Ah…I've been itching for a fight since becoming a Hero. Come get some!"