Chapter 65:

  Gcial Flowers

  (Yuki's POV)

  Maybe if she pretended to be dead, he wouldn't notice. Her body ached everywhere. She couldn't move. Every blink took great effort. She struggled to keep her eyes open, for she feared closing them. If she did, she would surely fall asleep, and she couldn't let that happen.

  "I can't...fall asleep..." it was more fear than determination fueling her. Ever since she arrived at the Antarctica base, Yuki had been afraid for her life. Sis appeared nice on the outside, but inside was a demon worse than Hades herself. Of course, that was just the fear talking.

  For the past several months, she had been under grueling training that tested her limits. Sleep was nonexistent. The only way she could find any peace was whenever he wasn't around.

  "Fooound, yooouu~," a chill ran up Yuki's spine as she heard Sis's voice directly next to her.

  On pure instinct, Yuki leapt away from the frozen tree she had been hiding behind. A millisecond ter and it exploded in fractured bark and ice. Turning on her heel, Yuki saw Sis looking a little disappointed as he stared at his hand, glowing in an icy-silvery aura.

  "You dodged..." he said dejectedly.

  "Am I not supposed to!?" Yuki shouted angrily, "Are you trying to kill me?"Sis tilted his head as he looked at her, a look upon his face like she had just asked a stupid question.

  "I mean...yes," he answered simply, "But you dodged."

  "I don't want to die!" she yelled once again, but this time, knives came to her hands as she tossed them his direction infused with the skills [Precision Strike] and [Homing], "Fuck you!"

  Sis smirked, almost as if he was pleased, but she knew better. That sadistic fucker was enjoying this. Before she even registered if her attacks hit or not, she was already on the move. [Shadow Step] into [Fsh Step] was enough to propel her hundreds of feet away in a matter of seconds. However, she knew it wouldn't be enough.

  "So, where are we going?" Sis asked, curious like a child, "You know, you shouldn't just leave a conversation before-"

  He had easily caught up to her as if it was child's py. Kicking off of a tree, she used the momentum to twist her body in an attempt to kick him. His arm was up, blocking the attack easily. Her entire body twinged at the impact. "Fuck...it's like he's made of steel or something..." she cursed to herself, grimacing.

  "Hey, that's not nice..." he stated sullenly, "I was talking, you know."

  With a simple movement of his arm, he had grabbed her by the leg and in an instant, she was suddenly flying through the air. Her back smmed into rock and ice, crashing into a nearby snowbank. A grown escaped her lips against her better judgement.

  "Damn it..." she cursed, opening her eyes to see Sis standing over her with a nonchant smirk, "Smug bastard..."

  "You've gotten better, but..." he shrugged, pointing towards her leg, "I tagged you. You're it now."

  "...Fucking hell," Yuki sighed heavily, "You sure do have a strange idea of pying tag."

  Sis offered her his hand, which she took as he helped her to her feet.

  "You know why you failed?" Sis asked, gncing at her.

  "I shouldn't have kicked you..." Yuki grumbled, but he shook his head.

  "No, that was good," he expined, "It was that you kept your leg there. You were too focused on how much it hurt to move away."

  "...Fuck you," Yuki muttered to which Sis just ughed.

  "You have until sundown to find your team," Sis told her, gncing up at the sky, "Not that it sets here very often."

  Yuki stared at him dumbfounded.

  "Was that...a joke?" she asked, genuinely concerned for his sense of humor.

  "Was it not funny?" he inquired.

  "Not at all," she replied with a shake of her head.

  "I'll work on it," he joked, "Though, I am serious about sundown. Even though the sun doesn't set here unless it's winter, you have two hours. Find everyone by then."

  "Two hours?" Yuki asked as she began to stretch, working the kinks and stiffness out of her body, "Come on now. I won't even need an hour."

  "Is that so?" Sis raised an eyebrow as she smiled confidently, "Alright, then. If you find them in under an hour, I'll reward you all."

  Yuki's eyes went wide in surprise, but then narrowed warily.

  "You're not joking, right?" she asked, and he shook his head.

  "No," he answered, sounding genuine, "I give you my word as a Falcrest. Surpass my expectations, and I'll reward you."

  "You better keep your word," Yuki told him gravely, gathering all of her energy, "If you don't, I'll hate you forever!"

  With that, Yuki took off into the frigid depths of Antarctica to find her team in this insane game of hide and seek mixed with tag. Little did she know that Sis believed in her, and was looking forward to rewarding her efforts. They had come far in the st couple of months in Antarctica, fighting in the Wild Zone and training with Sis.

  "Godspeed, Yuki," Sis whispered, though she was too far away now to have heard the tinge of pride in his words.

  -----

  (Sis POV)

  He knew that his methods weren't seen in the best light. Sis had always had a certain way of doing things that simply just...worked. Why change what wasn't broken?

  He knew what people said about him. That he was eccentric and insane. There were other, less fttering names, but one stood out rather amusingly against the rest. The Falcrest Failure. The reason for it was because he didn't run a single business, and was delegated to this remote pce, and so many believed that he was the bck sheep of the family. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

  "If only they knew I was one of the more normal ones," Sis ughed to himself as he looked out from the window of his office in the Antarctic base, "Honestly, Elizabeth...what are you thinking?"

  Sis was talking to himself, as he usually did when alone and had a lot on his mind. It helped him organize his thoughts and focus on what was needed. In this particur instance, he was thinking of the request that his cousin, Elizabeth, had tasked him with a couple years ago as well as recently.

  "Monitor the Antarctic Wild Zone..." Sis sighed, shaking his head, "Watch for signs of changes...and then you send me barely formed children. Potential you said..."

  Sis was being a little harsher than what was necessary, but he wasn't far off from hitting the truth of it. Yuki and her team from Clouds were nothing more than toddlers when compared to what the world was currently facing. Ever since the Gates had appeared, Sis had been fighting for his life in this frigid wastend, and it was all because his cousin had given him those damn puppy-dog eyes of hers.

  She didn't order him here. She had simply asked. He saw it in her eyes that he needed to be here, but he couldn't understand why, and she wasn't exactly giving away that information freely. Of course, he couldn't really say no. She had an uncanny knack of knowing things, and had lifted the family to the heights of influence and power around the world. Not to mention...he didn't hate her.

  She was, perhaps, one of the few who appreciated him for what he was capable of. The most she had told him is that this pce would be beneficial to him, and he hated to admit it, but she was right. His growth had been explosive from the moment he had arrived. Not to mention, he would have never found Jenna if he hadn't come here.

  "And...you were right again," Sis muttered in amused disbelief, "They really do have potential."

  True to her word, Yuki was returning with the entirety of her team in under an hour. More than that...it had only been half an hour. Pride swelled in Sis's chest, for there were not many who were capable of handling Sis's training. He knew just how unfair and arduous it was, and that people avoided him like the pgue because of it, but...Yuki and her team had proved themselves.

  He had to be honest, though. At first, he didn't have high hopes for Yuki and her team, but she had a surprising amount of determination...even if it was fueled by spite.

  He didn't hate it.

  "I'm sure they'll appreciate the reward," Sis smiled to himself, "Hot chocote, pizza, and a movie. A well needed rest, all things considered."

  Watching them trudge through the snow, Sis's eye caught something that sparked his attention. Elizabeth's voice echoing in his head.

  "Report any changes," she had said, her tone demanding his attention, "The world thinks Antarctica is isoted, and that we're crazy for ciming it, but what Wild Zone hasn't been dangerous?"

  He had asked what changes to look for, and in this moment, her words rang clear in his head.

  "Anything that isn't already there," she answered sarcastically with a pyful ugh, but then her eyes focused and tone grew serious, "Temperature changes. New Monsters. Flowers or any new flora. The typical stuff."

  At the time, Sis was a little confused. He didn't know why she had said flowers separately, but now...perhaps she had some kind of premonition. That woman was terrifyingly accurate.

  Tilting his head, Sis furrowed his brow curiously. There, peaking through the snow a few yards away from Yuki and her team, was something that shouldn't be there. At least, not in that form. It was a flower, but not just any flower. It was a daisy.

  What made this so intriguing was that, while there were flowers in the Antarctica Wild Zone, there were none that didn't look frozen or made from some kind of ice. This daisy didn't look frozen or made of ice. It was a daisy that should be blooming upon a nice spring day in the Nethernds.

  "What the hell...?" Sis whispered, already pulling out his phone, "That's definitely a change. Just peeking through the snow like it's not even there..."

  He found the number easily enough and pressed the button to dial it. He put the phone up to his ear as he watched Yuki and her team. It rang once...twice...and before it could ring a third time, it was picked up on the other side.

  "Sis, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Elizabeth's voice was as silvery smooth as usual, but something within her tone sent a shiver down his spine.

  She sounded as if she was expecting him to call, or perhaps had hoped he would. Was it excitement that he sensed or perhaps something a little more...sinister? Shaking the feeling from him at the moment, he took a deep breath before speaking.

  "You were right," Sis told her, leaning against the wall of his office, "Even in the frigid depths of hell, flowers bloom."

  For a moment, there was silence, and Sis could swear he felt her smile from the other side of the phone, and not just any kind of smile. He could picture it in his mind. That devilish, pleased smile that she often had when something went her way. He could barely contain the shiver that ran through his body as he was reminded once again of how uncanny her predictions were.

  "How are Yuki and her team doing?" Elizabeth finally asked, like a cat pying with its prey, "Are they growing well?"

  "You got the report," Sis replied, a little nervous from how nonchant she was being, "That's not why I called you. There are-"

  "I heard you," Elizabeth spoke calmly, though her words cut through his easily, "What kind of flower?"

  "...A daisy," he answered, wondering if that was important or not.

  Another moment of silence fell over them before Elizabeth spoke up once more.

  "How many researchers do you have?" Elizabeth inquired.

  "A team of three currently," Sis told her, and before she said anything else, he already knew what to do, "I'll have them carefully extract it and investigate its properties, but Elizabeth...how the hell did you know there would be flowers?"

  "A lucky guess," she replied teasingly, but then went on to answer him seriously, "All Wild Zones are constantly evolving. That's why we monitor them. It would be weird if flowers not typically found there would suddenly appear, don't you agree?"

  "...I suppose you're right," Sis agreed hesitantly, "So, it was just an educated guess?"

  "Something like that," she told him, taking a breath before continuing, "Are you worried?"

  "Worried?" he asked, "Why would I be worried?"

  "You seem suspicious of me," she told him bluntly, "Do you not trust me?"

  "What? No, of course I trust you!" he excimed, taking a little bit of offense to that, "I just find it creepy how you always predict these things."

  From over the phone, her ughter could be heard. Sis couldn't help but blush in embarrassment.

  "I'm just that good," Elizabeth told him as she settled down from ughing, "You never fail to amuse me, Cousin. Thanks for reporting the change."

  "Yeah...no problem," Sis said rather shyly now, "So, what now?"

  "Now?" Elizabeth took a deep breath, and once she spoke again, it was with commanding authority befitting the heir of the Falcrest Family, "Now, you remain even more vigint. Changes are coming, Sis, and you need to make sure you're prepared. Not to mention those under your care."

  Sis looked down below to see that Yuki and her team had finally entered the main building of the base. Letting out an exasperated, yet determined sigh, he nodded to himself.

  "Don't worry, they're growing well," he told her assuredly, "Yuki is on the cusp of breaking her limits. If I push a little more, she'll break into S-Rank soon. Though...I did promise her a reward recently."

  "Oh? Aren't you sweet," Elizabeth teased, much to his chagrin, "What reward are you going to give her?"

  "Shut up," he growled, "I was going to allow them to rest. They honestly have all earned it, but she exceeded my expectations today. She found her team in only half an hour."

  "Seriously?" Elizabeth sounded actually surprised, "The infamous hide and seek tag of the eccentric Sis was completed in a half hour?"

  "It's not that infamous..." Sis pouted, "Give me some credit."

  "Sis..." Elizabeth said in that loving way when someone didn't want to break the bad news to you, "The st time anyone was able to keep up with you was Kelsey, and she ended throwing up after just twenty minutes."

  "Ah...right," Sis scratched his cheek bashfully, "I guess that did happen, but how was I to know she had motion sickness? She was in the military!"

  "I don't think what you did could be considered simple 'motion sickness', Sis," Elizabeth chuckled, "[Zero Gravity] and [Acceleration] was vile. She was spinning for a good ten minutes before getting out of it."

  "...I only increased her velocity a little bit," Sis tried to defend himself, but Elizabeth was right, "Okay, maybe I did go a little overboard, but she's a lot better for it!"

  "Heh, true enough," Elizabeth ughed again, "Though, now she can't take elevators without the pit of her stomach sinking from the initial jolt of it moving. And carnival rides? Forget it."

  "...I plead the fifth," Sis sulked, "I apologized, you know."

  "I do," Elizabeth assured him, "Though, I have to say...you sound rather proud of Yuki."

  "Do I?" Sis felt a little embarrassed, "I mean...she's not given up, which is admirable, and those who follow her take strength from it. They refuse to give up when she hasn't. It's honestly rather touching."

  "They're loyal," Elizabeth stated simply, "It's a good thing."

  "Yeah, it is," Sis agreed, but then had a question of his own, "You know, I've been meaning to ask something. You didn't just send them here for training. I know you better than that. This was a punishment...so, what the hell did they do?"

  "Does it matter?" Elizabeth asked, "It's beneficial to everyone."

  "Elizabeth..." Sis coaxed, "I'm curious. Yuki doesn't seem like a bad person, so what did she do that you'd subject her to me?"

  "From the sounds of it, you're enjoying the subjecting," she replied coyly, causing Sis's face to burn hot, "But, if you must know...she interrupted my date with Lucas. I was enjoying a nice day and she had to ruin it."

  "...You're terrifying, you know that?" Sis stated, clearing his throat as he tried to compose himself.

  "Thank you for the compliment," Elizabeth's tone sounded amused, "Now, if there's nothing else, you have a reward to give."

  "I said it's not like that!" Sis excimed in bashful frustration, "Damn it, I'm hanging up!"

  "You're too easy," Elizabeth teased, but then her tone took on a genuine nature, "Take care of yourself, Sis."

  "Yeah, I will," Sis assured her, touched by her gentle words, "You as well, cousin. I hope things work out for you."

  "They will," she replied with fiery determination, "They have to."

  With that, she hung up and Sis was left there, alone with his thoughts. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath before opening them a gain. He was calmer now, and his mind turned towards other things. Mainly...what kind of expression Yuki would make upon seeing the reward he had pnned for them.

  -----

  (Elizabeth's POV)

  Ending the call with Sis, Elizabeth leaned back against the wall of the building she was by. Humanoid lizards, known as Lizardmen, y dead in the alley nearby from where she had cleared them out from. A Gate Break had occurred within the sewers nearby, and it spilled out into the streets.

  She had just finished killing the st one when she had received the call. It was good to hear from him, and more importantly...a relief. She had hoped against hope that one of the next Critical Dungeons to appear would be The Sun's Pace in Antarctica. Perhaps luck was on her side with this, but she had to temper her expectations. The appearance of a daisy, unfrozen and not made of ice, meant only that the Sun's Pace was beginning to ready itself.

  There was no guarantee that it would appear any time soon. As such, while Elizabeth was grateful for the information, she tried not to let it distract her. There was still so much to do, and as long as Sis was there, she could focus her efforts elsewhere for now. Still...she couldn't help but smile inwardly, for things were finally falling into pce.

  "Gather the cores," Elizabeth ordered the Aegis team with her, "Take what materials you can and deliver them properly."

  "Yes, Ma'am," a young man in harvesting gear acknowledged, quickly getting to work with the others.

  Harvesters. Those who gather materials from monsters. Indispensable assets in this fight against otherworldly forces. They were skilled and efficient with their methods of gathering materials. Each one wore an amalgamation of what looked like a mix between a butcher and a surgeon. They used specialized skills and tools to make the harvesting easier, as well as keeping the materials intact.

  The better the Harvester, the higher quality the materials became. Even the lowest tier monsters could be used in something grand if a proper Harvester gathered their materials. It was these elite Harvesters that Elizabeth has been training since the gates had appeared which would prove essential to properly gathering the Ambrosia needed to cleanse the Angel's Teardrops, and most importantly...the medicine she would use in an attempt to cure Lucas of his curse.

  Watching over the Harvesters of Aegis closely, Elizabeth set her mind to the other ingredients she would need. It wouldn't exactly be a pleasant thing to make, but as long as she didn't tell Lucas what was in it...it should be fine. In total, there were seven main ingredients, but of them, she had only personally ever found four of them.

  First, there was the key ingredient. Ambrosia. Crystalized Heaven's Fire. She needed the highest quality taken from the Sun's Pace.

  Second, the stabilizer. A herb called Cat's Tongue. It was much like mint, but only found in a Material Dungeon known as The Cat's Cradle. It would appear in Irend and was a dimension of maze-like proportions reminiscent of the artwork of M.C. Escher. It was a disorienting reality, but with high-grade materials. The most dangerous thing about it, besides getting lost or growing insane, were the creatures known as Prowlers. Tricksters that took the form of humanoid felines.

  Third was an ingredient from a Critical Dungeon known as The Slumbering. It was a dark, yet cozy vilge filled with a perpetual vender colored mist. The vilge was much rger than you'd expect, and appeared as if it was taken straight out of medieval times. A comforting smell unique to each individual permeated the mist, lulling them into a sense of calm. Haunting, yet pleasant music pyed through the vilge that caused lethargy and peace. Hallucinations would pgue the mind. So strong as to appear and feel incredibly real.

  While seemingly innocent at first, the threat was soon made apparent as you were urged to rest. Doing so, however, meant you'd enter into an eternal slumber. So sweet were those lies, wanting just one more moment with Lucas after losing him again, that Elizabeth had fallen victim to it in the past.

  When she finally broke through in another life after that, she had discovered the cause of the vilge's plight. Blossoming from the center of the vilge was a singur flower. Its petals were a dark purple and shimmered as if containing the very night sky. It was known as The Amethyst Blossom. Its appearance was much like that of a rose, but about twice as big.

  The fourth ingredient, and the one Lucas should probably not be told about...was the blood of a Titan, but not just any blood of a Titan. No, there were two types of Titans. The typical giant-kin with incredible strength that towered over all others, and the actual Titans who were near god-like in nature. These true Titans were embodiments of divinity that housed great power, and almost all of them were extinct. Only their corpses remained, and for one of them, it had become the haven for an unholy host of creatures of the vampiric variety.

  That Titan was known as Vitaer, The Progenitor. It is their blood which soaks the nd of the Critical Dungeon, Moor of the Damned, and had made it into a hellish wetnd. Here, a grand cathedral had been built over their corpse, made with their bones, and deep within its chambers y what remain of its still beating heart. There, it was guarded by those who zealously took its power for their own, and it was there that Elizabeth would take it from them.

  "All done, Ma'am," the same man from before reported, "Will you be joining us on the return?"

  Elizabeth looked over their work on the Lizardmen, pleased to see not a single speck of them remained. All flesh had been stripped, hides perfectly skinned, and bones spotless. Their cores were stored neatly in containment, and all that was left was to get them back safely.

  "Yes," she nodded, motioning for them to follow, "It's still dangerous. I'll see you back safely."

  There was a look of relief amongst the Harvesters, grateful for the protection. While they were all capable Pyers themselves, Elizabeth was on another level. The extra protection went a long way in easing the nerves.

  Turning to escort them back to Aegis, Elizabeth sent a [Message] to Maya.

  ----

  "How is he?" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "Sleeping. Finally" – Maya Rosengard

  "Good" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "Harvesters are improving" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "How many ingredients do we need?" – Maya Rosengard

  "Seven, and a handful of other reagents" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "Will it be ready in time?" – Maya Rosengard

  "It has to be" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "It will be" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "I apologize. Of course it will" – Maya Rosengard

  "No need. I understand you're worried" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "Keep him safe, I just wanted to check in" – Elizabeth Falcrest

  "I will" – Maya Rosengard

  ----

  Elizabeth let out a soft sigh. She understood Maya's concerns. As much as Elizabeth has pnned for this, there were variables that could always happen. That's why she couldn't let herself get too excited by the appearance of a daisy in Antarctica. If she jumped the gun too soon, she might make a mistake. A mistake she couldn't afford.

  Once again, she went over the list of ingredients she needed for the medicine. As she told Maya, there were seven ingredients, and a handful of others that were simply reagents to help bind and solidify the main ingredients. However, she had only heard about the fifth and sixth, with the seventh being something...personal.

  Ambrosia – From the Sun's Pace.

  Cat's Tongue – From the Cat's Cradle.

  The Amethyst Blossom – From The Slumbering.

  Vitaer's Blood – From the Moor of the Damned.

  Nectar of the Weeping Lotus – From the Temple Gardens.

  The Fruit of Eden – From The Orchard of Gods.

  Essence of the Heart and Soul – Elizabeth's own lifeforce.

  Elizabeth had come to this list of ingredients after over a thousand lives worth of research. While she may not have personally seen, or discovered the Nectar of the Weeping Lotus or The Fruit of Eden, she had heard enough about them over time to understand the necessity of them in the creation of this miracle cure.

  The st bit was something she figured would prove useful. He had, after all, given her everything. So...what if she gave a bit of it back? In order to do that, however, she had to complete what she had set out to do all those regressions ago. She had to recim her full power, and that meant finding every single Fragment of Von Angeal as she could.

  She wasn't sure if this would take away her ability to regress, but it was a risk she was willing to take. Before she had ever thought it a blessing, the ability had been a curse. To watch Lucas die over and over again was beyond painful. The soce of knowing she would see him again, however, had quickly become her crutch.

  Those moments were some of her happiest, but they had always been just that. Moments. Fleeting portions of time between her regressions. Now, she wanted something more permanent. Needed it. It's what she's been working towards all this time.

  If she couldn't save him once and for all in this life, then she at least hoped to reunite with him forever in death.

  Her phone buzzed, breaking her from her thoughts. As she checked it, her heart fluttered and she had to use every ounce of self-control she had to not squeal right then and there, though inwardly, she was melting from the sheer amount of cute that was staring her in the face. Maya had just sent her a photo of Lucas on the couch with Azure, now the size of a rge dog, cuddled together completely asleep. It was enough to send her heart into orbit.

  This was what she was fighting for. She didn't want this to be fleeting anymore. Enough was enough. This had to end.

  -----

  Nikushimi