Sacrifice: Time of Mine

Sheran looked up to Darea who floats above her. It was time for her demise.

Her dragon body slowly turned to her human form. She does not have enough energy to maintain even her true form. 

She was sad. Sad that the friends she met on the way have died in front of her eyes and possibly just because of her stupid rivalry.

Why can't she just tell it?

Say that she just wants to be with her first friend? That she chased after her not to win but to stand side by side?

But how could she, it was already too late. Others have already lost their lives. War has already begun. There was no turning back now. She just laid down on the ground on her knees, waiting for Darea to finish her too.

Is it fine for her to cry?

Does she have the right to regret what she has done?

"Am I in the wrong?"

"No"

Darea simply replied while on top of her an ice island formed and just as it was created, it had its downfall. 

To kill the dragon as tough as Sheran, she needs to go on full power.

The ice island was already covering the sky. However, it was actually farther than what it seemed and far larger. However, for those who can just stare from below, they couldn't discern the size and distance properly. 

It was created in the exosphere, the outermost layer of Flasse's atmosphere just like Earth. It continued to grow bigger and bigger. The whole Arcansas Continent felt cold as this massive comet formed above them.

Sheran looked at Darea's elesp and didn't know what to say.

'She's waiting for something...'

That was her last strand of hope. But when the ice island, no, the ice continent began to compress as a loud rumbling noise could be heard, that last strand of hope disappeared.

Sheran smiled at her own ridiculous thoughts.

"Why are you smiling?"

Darea asked.

"Smiling? Are you looking at my face?" Sheran didn't try to cover her face that was filled with tears accompanied by a bitter smile.

"I just thought that... you're hesitating..." she continued, "That... you don't actually want to kill me. I thought you're waiting for someone to stop you. But I guess..."

As the ice continent grew smaller, it grew denser and finally, it began to fell.

The advent of destruction was a blew of cold wind.

Even the other surviving Apexial Beasts have retreated as they know that being near there would give them a slim chance of surviving.

The dense comet drew closer. Temperature drastically fell as the surface of nearby bodies of water turned to ice.

"That's true."

Sheran, who have stopped talking and just waited for the arrival of her death, heard Darea's response.

"... eh?"

"I don't want to kill you. However, it's too late. If I don't avenge my comrades, who will?"

Darea slowly continued. As if she's reluctant, but her expression was still as cold as ever.

"If only... someone can stop you, right?"

Sheran wiped her tears and smiled once more for which Darea nodded.

"But you're going to die, Sheran. Because no one in this world can stop me."

The dense comet has become much smaller than before but in the perspective of humans, it was still as large as a city. It had covered the sky again. Breaths have become white due to cold. Even others will not be able to survive this impact. Clouds were parted away.

Darea took a 'look' at Sheran one last time before leaving.

"Son of the Lord Sorcerer of Time."

Sheran muttered, stopping Darea in her tracks.

"Is he included?"

"..."

Just as Darea turned her head around, a bright blue light was blasted into everyone's eyesight. A great rumbling in the sky occurred as the ice city cracked and turned into millions of debris, scattering into all directions.

But before they even got that far away, those smaller debris that were still as large as buildings were hit by something so fast that they exploded into dust.

Everywhere from one horizon to the other. Sheran looked at the devastating attack that turned into a beautiful scene instead. Not just her but others as well were dumbfounded by the scene that has come to their senses.

"Avion?"

Darea spoke but she was not trying to call the person in question. She was, instead, still talking to Sheran.

"He's also included."

She frankly continued.

"Don't you know, I'm his sole weakness in the entire world?"

"Huh?" Sheran was unable to keep up with what Darea was saying. Weakness?

"It's true." 

A third voice entered the scene which the two looked at and saw Avion standing not too far away from them.

He didn't need to look around to see the overall picture.

"You didn't stop the time."

Darea was a bit startled by him. Also, a bit cautious. They didn't see him there. That would be normal for Sheran but for Darea that should be bad news. Whenever Avion stops time, she should be able to know it as per usual.

"Yeah, I didn't stop the time."

Avion nodded which Darea was silently relieved to hear.

But then... how did he get here?

"It's true that you're my only weakness, Darea. But it's not me who's going to bring you down."

Darea frowned upon hearing this as she didn't know what he was talking about. He doesn't feel any presence nearby. But... aren't Arcansaa with him?

None can escape from a Rank Eses's sense other than fellow elementalists on the same rank.

Which means-

Darea immediately launched herself upward before the ground below her exploded and two women came out with their respective elements along behind them.

The intense amount of elemental energy that they have was enough to let anyone know that they are not just Rank Es Elementalists. But because they didn't reveal their power earlier, they just began producing it as a sneak attack. 

"Hm..."

In just a span of a second, a pair of canyons were created and the sound of the explosion reverberated throughout the entire area.

"That won't work on me."

Darea looked down upon the scene where her two new opponents were buried the instant they arrived.

"W-woah... Haliviana, you good?"

The nearby soil melted as a lady made out of flames rose.

"Yeah, just still getting used to this body."

Birds flew out even though the area should've been barren by now. Soon, Haliviana came out with a wooden physique.

"So this is Darea..."

"Yeah, this should be exciting if only deaths are allowed!"

Arcansas raised her voice and laughed.