CHAPTER 123: PRIDE, HELP ME BEAT UP YOUR FAMILY

Northward stretched another plain wasteland. Unlike the others, it was barren of trees, as if cleared by some unseen hand.

Mel blinked at the iced wasteland, eerily quiet now, devoid of cultists’ whispers.

Tilting her head, she spotted a grey dot at its center, then descended.

"Oh?" Mel’s brow raised in interest, discovering the grey spot was a human skull.

No glowy eyes. No Liches around bowing either. Just a normal-looking skull.

Unfortunately, there was no teacher to save her now.

Fortunately, Mel was confident that Nyrel was here herself, personally watching to ensure her scheme would not be disrupted by her.

Mel landed lightly, her dress fluttering in the winter breeze as she admired the blue-tinged night sky.

The vast snow and ice reached beyond her sight, the moon hanging atop her as the perfect overseer for the battles ahead.

With a little smirk, she eyed the skull in the distance.

"We meet again."

Silence. And her Echo Magic couldn’t detect any sneaky steps.

Shrugging, Mel walked forth with steps as light as feathers.

"Allow me to be honest: I dislike awkwardness dangling with me speaking alone."

She licked her lips before summoning her wooden staff.

The staff pulsed; a roar for its master, a cry for its tainted kin buried below.

At this, Mel halted. A voice reverberated, the breeze twisting itself into words to speak for ’her’.

"The same goes here, Miss Sakura."

Pride’s gift of Space; now used by Nyrel to talk with the Witch of Lust. The highest form of respect towards a Witch, her Master’s kin.

So formal. Mel chuckled at the politeness as she glanced at the skull.

No glowy eyes again. This time, it seemed that Master had only made it a decoration.

Yet judging how the voice was transmitted in her head, Mel deduced it must be either Telepathy, or...

A little sigh escaped Mel’s lips. "Didn’t expect me in this form?"

"...indeed."

The moonlight shrouded Mel’s figure, the velvet dress chasing the wind as Mel’s lips curled to a confident smile.

"You do realise," she lifted her staff, her grip loosely with a relaxed gaze.

"That you have no chance defeating me, right?"

The wind hummed in response, as Mel’s nose tickled at the weird sensation.

"Even if I do," Nyrel’s sigh drummed. "With Envy’s reach, my life will be snuffed out with a single glance."

So, she considered fighting rather than surrendering outright.

Mel’s brows knitted together; something was off, her surroundings were too... safe without any defender.

"Are you stalling for something?"

She summoned the broom with a gesture, then settled down on its bristles

"You should have known those roots have long been frozen; it is impossible to resurrect your Tortoise as an Undead now."

The Erdtree’s roots have long been frozen still.

And the time Nyrel unfroze them, Mel’s carpet bombings were more than enough the extinguish the Erdtree completely.

So, only the fifth site remained; the only Erdtree that was theoretically unfrozen.

Her knees folded before her elbow pressed into them, resting her cheek upon her palm.

"Or? Any back-up plan? I’m sure you do have one."

Only a fool would believe Nyrel’s action carried only a surface meaning for a mere conversation, though she remained uninterested.

She merely viewed Nyrel as an obstacle to Lila and her sister’s safety, and an enemy she swore revenge on.

"I must confess," Nyrel’s voice was low and defeated. "Even the Prophecy has its inaccuracy."

The ground vibrated, as if to echo Nyrel’s sentiment.

"That prophecy child was smart. Even in the most dire of circumstances, she managed to fool her elders, me, hiding the existence of you and that Witch..."

A teasing grin was plastered on Mel’s face. "Yeah, I agree."

Her mumble couldn’t express the joy and pride within her chest, threatening to spill over with the lack of kisses and hugs.

She promised inside to repay her later, should she agree to it.

"No matter." Nyrel’s voice seethed against the bitter cold. "Tonight. For tonight only. I shall take a risk, in the name of my sin."

Liar.

Mel’s lips pursed, unimpressed.

A familiar acting on ’Pride’ would refuse to kill an innocent Sister with petty poison; to resurrect her comrade’s corpse with defiling methods.

Nyrel may have respected her Master, but never the sin she represented.

Then, perhaps her observation was sympathised with, a panel flickered at the corner of her vision.

[ ...loading... ]

[ ...hello, child. ]

The Witch shuddered in awe, the last expected guest invading the soon-to-come fight.

[ Relax, please. ]

[ Just... I want to witness what has become of my family, and take care of you in that Devil’s stead. ]

Hm...

Delight flashed across Mel’s face, her thumb twirling idle circles on the staff.

"So, I shall face you right here, right now. Even if it means my death!"

With the declaration, the skull’s empty sockets shimmered with a glowy blue light, casting light rays from the hollow shell.

A trick of the eye, effective if one failed to know Nyrel’s cunningness.

In the split second, Mel’s left hand waved; magic circles formed around her like shields.

’Pride. I won’t tell her you’re here.’ Mel whispered inwardly. ’So, tell me where Nyrel is, or where she’ll attack, now.’

Nyrel was an Exarch ranked Necromage; her senses as an Adept ranked Witch were far from Lila’s to dodge the attack right before it happened.

[ Understood! Don’t panic, and stay still first. ]

With a slight gulp, Mel’s smile was unfaltered as she faced the skull.

Nyrel was in maximum alert, meaning? She would also assume the worst from Mel, assuming she knew her habits, attack pattern, and scheming nature.

Mere trickery won’t do. It had to be layer upon layer of deception to catch her off guard.

[ My child. Do not move from where you are, for now. ]

[ Trick her as she’ll trick you. The one who thinks the other’s guard is down will be the first defeated! ]

’Understood!’

Upon her answer, the skull spluttered into a white puddle, pooling over the clear ice.

Then, out from it emerged, and then stood a liquidified, armoured Knight.

Its sword dripped milky ink, its grey armor liquefying as it shifted itself forward with heavy steps.

Mel took a deep breath, the cool wind in her mouth reminding her of Lila’s presence.

"Summon: Owl Knight."

The final battle for Embervale’s fate has begun.