Innocence Seekers: April Light/Chapter 3/Episode 47

This is the twenty-third episode, "Burning Netherworld" (燃える魔界), of the third chapter of Innocence Seekers: April Light.

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Episode text
Inside a temple on Elrodom, Alcea was walking away from the chamber holding the water-elemental World Orb.

–Alcea: As long as I'm here, the orb should be safe.

As she walked, she noticed something.

–Alcea: Come out, whoever you are. You can't hide from me.

Two women came out from hiding. One was Akane, the other was a Trulauian priestess.

–Alcea: Ah... you're...

–Akane: It has been a long time... Alcea.

Akane turned to the priestess.

–Akane: You may leave now.

–Priestess: Ah, right.

The priestess left.

–Alcea: Akane... I know it has been twenty years since we last met. But remember that we are not allies. We were never allies.

–Akane: I know that. But what prompted you to return to the galaxy? And what is this "destroy all of humanity" all about anyway?

–Alcea: Humanity as a whole does not deserve to exist. Akane, not everyone is like you. People like you, your daughter and Uzuki are the exceptions.

–Akane: Alcea, of course humanity isn't perfect. But only the divine can be perfect. That is what I learned when I fought Gakran twenty years ago, and Akari also knows this.

–Alcea: Perfection is not our aim. I'm only taking this action because your kind have been incompetent. Earth is your kind's homeworld, right?

–Akane: What about it?

–Alcea: The people of Earth are ignorant, bumbling fools, particularly the people they chose to be leaders. If left to their own devices, they could've rendered much of the planet uninhabitable, and that is something I cannot allow.

–Akane: So... are you setting yourself up as humanity's common enemy? Just for their sake?

–Alcea: If I fail in that respect, then I will have no choice but to destroy them.

–Akane: Alcea... you're risking a lot with this plan. Not only could billions of people, both human and Donsilan, lose their lives, but you yourself could die.

–Alcea: My own fate is irrelevant. Mira has told me that my death is all but inevitable.

–Akane: But... couldn't you try to avert your fate?

–Alcea: It's possible; I just chose not to do it. After all, unlike you, I have already lost my own daughter...

–Akane: Your... daughter?

–Alcea: If she were still around, she would be around the same age as the pendant holders. But... I don't know what happened to her, or even if she is still alive. In some ways, I'm a bit envious of you, considering that Akari is still with us.

–Akane: Alcea... when did you lose your daughter?

–Alcea: It was eight years ago... we were about to establish a colony on the edge of the galaxy. It was then that those demons... lackeys of Gakran... attacked.

–Akane: I... believe it or not, but I've heard about that incident.

–Alcea: How?

–Akane: Another alien race's representative told me. The representative said that their forces came across a Donsilan colony being attacked by demons, and managed to rescue one young Donsilan from the demons. She was returned, but I don't know what happened after that. Maybe she was sent to an orphanage, like the pendant holders.

–Alcea: I guess that would make sense. So if that alien is right, then she must still be alive. But knowing the alien races, they all think that we're just one state. It's entirely possible they sent my daughter to the Greens instead of my former faction.

–Akane: Well, all I'll say is... don't give up. Anyway, I better leave now.

Akane left.

–Alcea: Heh...

Alcea turned back towards the chamber holding the World Orb, then turned around and continued on her way out.

Uzuki and the others managed to reach the Overlord's Castle. A portal to Menoroa's witch space appeared and opened, and everyone came out.

–Wakaba: That was quick...

–Menoroa: Well, speed is my specialty.

–Wakaba: Then maybe we should race sometime. I'm no slouch when it comes to speed.

–Menoroa: We'll see.

–Benio: Anyway, Aoi, what was that you just used?

–Wakaba: Yeah, what was that?

–Aoi: Ah, well...

–Wakaba: I didn't mishear that. That was a water-elemental version of Blast Calamity, right?

–Aoi: Well, it is.

–Eun-Yeong: I never knew such a spell even existed, and I've read quite a lot of historical material.

–Uzuki: I knew all along.

–Aoi: Uzuki?

–Uzuki: I overheard your conversation with Victoria during Benio's test. I also had prior knowledge of that variant of Blast Calamity, and the last time any human knew such a spell was a thousand years ago.

–Aoi: How do you know?

–Uzuki: Well, it was from the diary. The day before yesterday, I met with Akacchi and consulted our ancestor. She told us that she herself had three companions with their own versions of Blast Calamity.

–Menoroa: Ah, could you be speaking about Ingrid's Diary?

–Uzuki: That's right.

–Menoroa: Victoria told me the exact same thing you were told. I guess this must be a sign...

–Eun-Yeong: Anyway, I don't think we have much time to talk.

Eun-Yeong pointed towards the forest beyond the castle. There was an ominous orange glow.

–Benio: W-What is that?!

–Aoi: I'm not sure... but it's exceptionally powerful... the mana flowing from it is overbearing...

–Wakaba: At this rate the castle will...

Uzuki leapt into the air.

–Uzuki: Not if I can help it! Come on, everyone!

Uzuki headed off towards the orange light. The rest of the girls followed, leaving Menoroa behind.

–Menoroa: Ah, don't leave me here!

Menoroa followed the others.

The girls finally reached the source of the orange light. What they saw amazed them.

–Wakaba: What is that thing?

–Aoi: Careful, everyone. Look beyond it.

The girls turned their gaze beyond the creature, and saw the entire forest in flames.

–Benio: That monster did that, right?

–Eun-Yeong: I guess so.

–Wakaba: But is that...

The girls took a look at the creature in front of them. With tough scales, powerful bat-like wings, and a size that dwarfed even the massive castle behind the girls, it was clear that this was no ordinary dragon.

–Uzuki: A dragon...

–Wakaba: Weren't dragons all but wiped out?

–Menoroa: No. You are mistaken. Humanity, and most races, have only scratched the surface of the galaxy. Dragons roam where no mortal races have ever been. Except for the Donsilans.

–Aoi: Menoroa, are you saying that...

–Menoroa: This dragon was sent by the Donsilans. And do not, under any circumstances, underestimate the power of that beast. That is an elder dragon.

–Benio: Elder dragon?

–Menoroa: The most powerful species of dragon currently living in this galaxy right now. A single elder dragon can easily overwhelm an Overlord.

–Aoi: Wait, what? If that's the case, then...

–Menoroa: We won't stand a chance.

Suddenly, a voice called out to the girls.

–Voice: It's just like I predicted.

The girls turned around and saw Lyra and Mira.

–Mira: The wheel of fate has revealed itself to me. And it is clear that this creature has no endpoint.

–Uzuki: No endpoint? No matter. We'll just make one ourselves!

–Mira: Uzuki...

–Uzuki: It's just as you said, Mira. We are masters of our own destinies. If there's a dead end, then we'll blast our way through. I refuse to believe that we cannot win. Even if we have to bring about a miracle, we will defeat this thing!

–Lyra: Everyone, here it comes!

The dragon noticed the girls and sent a massive fireball from its mouth. Benio attempted to block the attack by putting up a magic shield, but upon impact the shield shattered and the flames engulfed her.

–Wakaba: Benio!

When the flames died down, Aoi was in front of Benio, and had entered Full Burst mode. However, she was severely hurt by the attack, although Benio only took minor damage.

–Benio: Aoi...

–Aoi: Are you okay, Benio?

–Benio: I'm fine. But sorry for severely underestimating its power.

–Aoi: Benio, please be careful. I'll head to the back, and see what I can do with my Inherent Ability.

–Benio: Okay, then.

Aoi headed to the back, where Wakaba was waiting. Meanwhile, Uzuki charged straight towards the dragon.

–Eun-Yeong: W-Wait, Uzuki!

Uzuki attempted to strike the dragon with her sword, but missed. The dragon responded by attempting to swipe her; the first attempt missed, but the second attempt managed to connect, sending Uzuki hurtling straight into the burning forest.

–Eun-Yeong: Uzuki!

The dragon turned its attention towards Eun-Yeong. It opened its mouth, and an orange magic orb formed within.

–Eun-Yeong: Uhh...

Eun-Yeong only meekly pointed her crossbow at the dragon. The dragon then fired a massive magic beam from its mouth, but just before the beam reached Eun-Yeong, someone grabbed her and sent her upwards and toward safety. Eun-Yeong turned her head and noticed Miho holding her.

–Eun-Yeong: Ah... you saved me...

–Miho: What are you, a deer?! You could've been utterly annihilated by that attack.

–Eun-Yeong: Ah, sorry. Anyway, since you're here, then Tamaki must also be here, right?

Tamaki entered Eun-Yeong's field of view.

–Tamaki: That's right. Sorry for being late. Anyway, where's Uzuki?

Eun-Yeong pointed towards the burning forest.

–Tamaki: Ah...

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning emerged from where Uzuki was, striking the dragon. However, the attack had no effect, and only served to provoke the dragon, who responded by sending another fireball.

–Miho: This isn't going so well...

–Eun-Yeong: Anyway, where's Erelia?

–Tamaki: She had to stay behind. While you were fighting the dragon, a small force managed to enter the castle.

–Eun-Yeong: But how are we supposed to defeat this thing?

–Wakaba: Leave it to me.

Wakaba closed her eyes and began to focus. A massive green magic circle appeared beneath her feet, and a powerful aura began to envelop her.

–Wakaba: Bloom, my flower.

Wakaba entered Full Burst mode. But instead of the twin cannon form, her weapon was in the form of an oversized bow.

–Wakaba: Aoi!

–Aoi: Right!

Aoi went towards Wakaba, with the two now side-by-side. Wakaba pointed her bow at the dragon, and Aoi placed her spear on Wakaba's bow. Both girls then began their respective spells. A massive ball of water appeared in front of the two.

–Wakaba & Aoi: Secret Skill, Calamity Torrent!

Wakaba let loose the magic bowstring, causing Aoi's spear to spawn a magic spear, which then merged with the ball of water. Once merged, the ball then began to hurtle at great speed straight towards the dragon, and upon impact it sprayed water throughout the entire area.

–Wakaba: Did we do it?

However, the dragon was still airborne.

–Tamaki: Although, you seem to have hurt it a little.

–Miho: My turn now!

Miho leapt into the air and began to focus. A massive purple magic circle appeared beneath her feet.

–Miho: Bloom, my flower!

With a massive burst of purple light, Miho entered Full Burst mode.

–Tamaki: Oh dear... she's going all out...

–Eun-Yeong: What do you mean?

–Tamaki: Miho's Inherent Ability, Duplicator, allows her to exactly replicate the effects of any spell she witnesses. In Full Burst mode, she gains the ability to doublecast and even triplecast, vastly increasing her power output. It's fair to say, that with our enemy being exceptionally powerful with magic, mana starvation is a significant risk.

–Wakaba: But we do have plenty of mana potions.

–Aoi: Wakaba, given the power of that dragon, it's possible that Miho could deplete her entire mana reserves with a single attack.

–Wakaba: Eh? Then...

Eun-Yeong moved forward.

–Eun-Yeong: Well, if Miho is going to go all out, then maybe I should too.

–Wakaba: Eun-Yeong?

A large cyan magic circle appeared beneath Eun-Yeong's feet.

–Eun-Yeong: Bloom, my flower.

With a flash of light, Eun-Yeong entered Full Burst mode. She almost immediately began casting a spell, and a cyan magic circle appeared in front of her. After a few seconds, blue magic ribbons shot out of the magic circle at high speed and ensnared the dragon.

–Wakaba: Wait, that won't work!

Almost immediately, the dragon attempted to break free using its magic. However, the bonds proved difficult to break, with attempts to cut the ribbons being countered by Eun-Yeong repairing the specific area damaged. Meanwhile, Miho began to cast a spell, and a purple magic circle appeared beneath her feet.

–Miho: Secret Skill, Nox Aeterna!

Suddenly, a massive envelope of darkness covered the battlefield. While the girls managed to orient themselves through telepathy and Eun-Yeong's Inherent Ability, the dragon was disoriented as most, of not all, of its senses were cut off. At that point Uzuki emerged from the forest and charged straight towards the dragon.

–Uzuki: Secret Skill, Divine Lightning!

Uzuki slashed the dragon with her sword, and a massive bolt of lightning traversed the path her sword took. It managed to deal a fair amount of damage to the dragon, but Uzuki knew that it was not enough.

–Miho: Ah...

Somehow, the dragon managed to counter Miho's spell, and the darkness lifted. Almost immediately, the dragon sent a massive fireball straight towards Eun-Yeong, causing her to jump up to evade the attack. However, this distracted her enough that the dragon was able to break free.

–Miho: Only one attack... that was disappointing...

–Benio: Well, what else are we supposed to do? That went too quickly.

–Uzuki: Calm down, Benio. And besides, it's not like Miporin anticipated that the dragon would counter her spell.

–Benio: I know that, but...

–Uzuki: And look, you're already in Full Burst mode. You used up that time already.

–Benio: You got me...

Meanwhile, Wakaba was trying to convince Menoroa to join the battle.

–Wakaba: Menoroa, why aren't you fighting with us?

–Menoroa: Call me a scaredy-cat if you like. I just can't bring myself to fight something that powerful, knowing full well what it could do to an Overlord. If anything, I'm amazed that you were even considering facing it in battle.

–Wakaba: Perhaps... but we choose our own paths to our future. Menoroa, we humans are not the kinds of people who would simply accept fate. We fight to the very end.

–Menoroa: Heh... it's easy for me to forget that I'm half-human. But still, I can't join the fight just yet.

–Wakaba: I see. Anyway...

Wakaba pointed her bow at the dragon.

–Wakaba: It's time to show my true power!

Wakaba shot a single magic arrow straight towards the dragon. Despite evading the arrow the first time, the dragon was unprepared for what was about to come. Benio charged straight towards the dragon and with a single punch sent it flying straight into the path of the now-returning arrow. The arrow went straight through the dragon's scales, but not before dealing damage to it.

–Menoroa: Wait, is that...

–Wakaba: My Inherent Ability, Infinity Arrow. It allows my attacks to ignore any and all defences, which is why it was able to penetrate the dragon's tough skin. I aimed straight for the heart, of course.

Suddenly, a massive fireball approached Wakaba and Menoroa at such speed, they were unable to react in time. However, Mira noticed this and parted the fireball with her sword.

–Wakaba: Ah, that was close. Thanks, Mira.

–Mira: Well, at least be more careful next time.

Suddenly, Mira was hit by a massive magic bullet, sending her flying. Lyra saw this and caught her.

–Mira: Owowow...

–Lyra: You okay, Mira?

–Mira: Somehow; I did not see that coming.

–Lyra: Well, I better join the fight myself. Mira, stay here and recover.

Lyra charged ahead and took out her staff. She pointed it at the dragon, and began to cast a spell. A white magic circle appeared in front of her.

–Lyra: Secret Skill, Shining Inferno!

A massive beam of light came out of the magic circle, aimed straight towards the dragon's eyes. Being light, the dragon had no time to react to the attack, not even being able to sense it before it hit. Almost immediately, it was blinded and disoriented, in addition to sustaining significant damage to the head, which was now on fire.

–Wakaba: W-W-Wait... Lyra, did you just set its head on fire?

–Lyra: That, and blinded it. It shouldn't be able to see anymore. After all, the most vulnerable parts of a living being's body is the eye, and the same should apply to elder dragons.

Meanwhile, Uzuki approached Benio.

–Uzuki: Benio, there's something I need to tell you, Wakaba and Aocchi.

–Benio: What is it?

Wakaba overheard the conversation.

–Wakaba: Aoi, come on, let's listen to what Uzuki is about to say.

–Aoi: Ah, right.

The two girls approached the other two.

–Uzuki: You all have your versions of Blast Calamity, right?

–Aoi: That's right.

–Uzuki: And you can combine them to create even more powerful attacks, right?

–Benio: That's true.

–Uzuki: What I will tell you, is that there is a special Full Burst Skill that combines all three versions. Do you think you can pull it off?

–Wakaba: I don't know; we've tried two, but not all three.

–Uzuki: Well, I think now's a good time to try.

Uzuki called out to Tamaki.

–Uzuki: Tama-chan, over here!

–Tamaki: Ah, right!

Tamaki headed over to where the girls were.

–Uzuki: Did you hear what I just told the others?

–Tamaki: Yes.

–Uzuki: What these three will do is to cast Calamity Tempest.

–Tamaki: Wait, can they handle that spell?

–Uzuki: Possibly, possibly not. But we don't really have much of a choice. Even blinded, the dragon is still an extreme threat to us, and to the area. Tama-chan, I want you to stabilise the mana field. I will help you.

–Tamaki: Ah, okay.

Wakaba, Aoi and Benio moved to the front. All five girls began to cast their respective spells, and in addition to magic circles beneath the feet of each girl, an extremely massive white magic circle appeared in front of them. A massive ball of boiling water appeared in front of the girls.

–Wakaba, Aoi & Benio: Full Burst Skill, Calamity Tempest!

The massive ball of boiling water was sent at high speed straight towards the dragon. While the dragon was able to evade it initially, the ball of water abruptly turned around and struck the dragon on the second attempt, spraying hot water and steam in a wide area and causing a massive explosion.

–Uzuki: Did we do it?

Wakaba and Benio suddenly collapsed.

–Uzuki: Ah!

Uzuki caught Wakaba, while Aoi caught Benio.

–Wakaba: Uzuki... I feel light-headed for some reason...

–Uzuki: Wakaba, rest up. I'll take over healing duties from here.

–Wakaba: Okay...

–Tamaki: Unfortunately, it seems the dragon is still in fighting condition.

–Benio: Wha...

–Aoi: No way...

Suddenly, the dragon sent a massive bolt of electricity straight towards the girls. While Tamaki put up a shield to protect the group, it turned out that it was not needed; the bolt was diverted. Uzuki turned around and noticed Eun-Yeong, in the middle of a spell.

–Uzuki: Eun-Yeong, was that you?

–Eun-Yeong: Yes. I just made it...

Eun-Yeong collapsed as well. Tamaki caught her before she could fall.

–Uzuki: You too, Eun-Yeong?

–Tamaki: This is bad... three of us are already exhausted. Mira is injured, Lyra has been pushed to the back foot by the dragon's constant barrage, and Miho is nearly out of mana as well. In the mean time, I don't think we have enough power to tip the scales in our favour.

–Uzuki: No... I refuse to believe it... there has to be a way...

–Tamaki: Uzuki... you know the odds are against us. Despite the beating that dragon has taken, we've only barely scratched it.

–Uzuki: Even so...

Uzuki noticed Aoi looking at the flower bud on her left hand, which was in the process of opening.

–Uzuki: Aocchi? Does that mean... you're going to throw all of that mana towards the dragon?

–Aoi: No...

–Tamaki: Aoi, what are you thinking?! If you don't release the mana you've gathered, it will explode and take you out as well!

–Aoi: I know that. But I've been thinking about what Victoria said to me back in West Pimbia, when we were after the World Orb.

–Uzuki: Wait, are you talking about...

–Aoi: My Ultimate Skill. I don't know if I can pull it off, but I think it's now or never. Uzuki, just leave it to me.

–Uzuki: Aocchi...

–Tamaki: Aoi...

Aoi began to fly towards the dragon. Along the way, she closed her eyes and began to focus.

–Aoi: Everyone... please, grant me power.

Suddenly, she was enveloped in a blinding white aura.

End of Episode 47

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