648 The Reunion [2]

The prince's hall shook violently and the stage started to creak.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The punches from the world's strongest level 9 landed on the barrier without mercy.  With each strike, the bright blue barrier dimmed a little.

The sheer aftermath of the punches sent Charles flying all the way to the end of the stage.

Every time he clenched his fists, Evander created a small hurricane. Facing such a scene, even the toughest of men would despair.

But his opponent didn't even spare him a glance.

"S-Si…Sia!" Varian muttered like a broken record as he collapsed on his knees and stretched his hands towards Sia.

His hand though…it refused to even approach her. Varian began to feel a strong repulsion from his hand.

"Fucking dammit!" Varian hated his body more and more.

Fortunately, his telekinetic power could touch her, and using it, he carefully held Sia from falling down.

He held her with utmost care and looked at her with reddened eyes.

She was looking at him with a wry smile as blood dripped from the injuries on her head.

She didn't die instantly because the mask took away a good piece of the attack. Yet, she'd face the consequence of taking a peak level 9 attack head-on despite being a level 8.

Death.

"W-Why…" Varian choked on his tears as he hurriedly turned his hands into branches and moved his leaves to heal her.

It was futile.

Evander's aura was wreaking havoc inside her body. It was destroying her from within.

Her own aura couldn't withstand the onslaught and was suppressed. If Varian was at least a level 8 plantae awakener, he could've tried suppressing that hostile chi.

But as a level 7, his healing was unable to shake off Evander's hostile chi from her body.

With each passing second, her situation continued to worsen.

"No…this is a nightmare." Varian felt the fluctuations of her body and bit his lip. Her life was hanging by a thread. This might as well be a nightmare.

"Y-You idiot…" Varian closed his eyes as tears dripped down his face. "W-Why did you…"

Sia struggled and lifted her arm towards his face to wipe his tears but when she was about to touch him, his face flinched by itself.

Sia's hand froze and fell powerlessly.

With a wry smile on her bloodied face, she said. "I…I moved without thinking."

Varian's heart ached as if someone was pricking it with a needle. He'd preferred it over this gut-wrenching pain.

"D-Don't cry…" she requested.

Varian's body shook from her words and he looked at her in tears.

"Sia…"

The girl of his dreams.

The one he grew up with.

The person he forgot.

As he looked into her golden eyes which seemed to have a million things to say, he wanted to tightly hug her and say they had an eternity for her words. 

That's why...

"Hang on! I'll never leave you behind! Never again! So...please, hang on!" Varian urged her as he poured potions after potions on her injured body.

"...Sorry." Sia smiled wryly as she looked at him. It seemed like she was apologizing for making him worry.

"I-I was really afraid to see you..." She said in a tired voice. 

The potions continued to seep into her but her vitality continued to weaken. Nothing seemed to be working.

"No. No…NO!" Varian scrambled in the little barrier space as he wrecked his head.

Her injury itself wasn't the big problem. It could be healed through his plantae form and potions.

It was the destructive chi inside her.

"I...It really hurt, seeing you forget me. I...I withstood Roxanna's torture but I can't bear you forgetting me." Sia's golden eyes started to tear up. 

"I...please stay alive...you can punish me for making you cry, okay?" Varian pleaded in a desperate tone. 

"I...I really wish I can..." Sia tried to smile but her face grimaced as her skin cracked and blood started to pour out. Her beautiful face was now painted red.

"Arghhh!" Varian flinched like he was facing the pain.

To solve peak level 9 Chi…

Varian's mental sense locked onto th man outside the barrier for the first time.

Evander's eyes were filled with complete indifference. His face was stoic to the point he resembled a machine than a human.

Varian had a gist of what was going on and yelled. "Stop it!"

Boom! Boom!

Evander replied with two dangerous punches and the barrier dimmed again.

"Master! Snap out of it! We need your help!" He requested.

Boom! Boom!

"Please! Save her! She's on her last breath!" He pleaded.

Boom! Boom!

"You son of a bitch! You think you can face Sarah again?" He snapped.

Boooom!

Evander's punch slowed down and his face showed a trace of confusion before he resumed.

Varian spotted the change and his heart grew hopeful.

"Sarah will hate you!"

Boooom!

Evander's punch weakened. Now, he was barely using the strength of a peak level 8.

"Sia is Sarah's best friend." Varian's eyes were locked with Sia's but he kept speaking.

Booom!

Evander's breathing turned haggard. His punch strength was barely at level 8.

Yet, he didn't stop. 

The barrier was now almost transparent and would disappear at any moment.

Varian gritted his teeth and turned to Sia. "Say 'I quit'. Let's get out of here."

Sia shook her head softly.

Evander would do the same once they did it and with his higher reaction speed, Varian wouldn't even be able to use ghost ship before they end up being killed.

So, the only way…

Sia's gaze altered between Varian's tearful face and Evander's confused face. Her heart stirred with emotions and she opened her mouth.

"M-Master…"

Varian's eyes widened and Evander's body stiffened.

His punch blasted the air and shot towards Varian. The blue barrier disappeared and his fist reached Varian's face in the blink of an eye.

Sia's weak voice, filled with pain and hope sounded like a plea.

"D-Don't betray him…like how you betrayed me."

Thump!

The fist, inches away from his face stopped abruptly.

Varian opened his eyes wide as Evander collapsed onto the ground, clutching his head.

Tears of blood started to leak out of his eyes as the high general of Earth gritted his teeth.

"M-Master…" Varian looked at him and then at Sia, unsure of what to do.

On one hand, he was worried about Evander. But mostly, he was afraid that he'd lose Sia since Evander wasn't in the right state to help her.

'I-We need to get out of here first.' Varian gritted his teeth. Outside, he could ask Sovereign Irene for help.

Yes!

If it's her…

"Master, say 'I quit!'" Varian shouted anxiously.

"Arghhh!" Evander clutched his head as he cried. "S-Sorry…Sia…I…I…I'm disgusted by myself."

"I...I am asham...Sarah...doesn't know..."

"D-Don't hate...her..."

Evander wasn't in a position to respond. The fact that he managed to break the control over his mind itself was shocking.  The only reason he was able to do so was he felt a strong regret about his actions. Regret that was strong enough to resist his 'natural actions'.

Varian swiftly turned to Sia. "I'll look for him later. Let's go now."

Sia shook her head softly. "If something happens to him…Sarah will hate you."

"Are you crazy?" Varian roared in rage, his eyes shaking violently. "You're on the verge of death! Dammit! I'll save you first!"

Sia shut her lips tight.

She was stubborn. As stubborn as him. He'd have appreciated it any time, but now, Varian was almost on the verge of exploding.

"Fuck!" Varian shouted his lungs out. "When is the ghost ship ready?"

'Just a few more seconds, Scion! Almost there!'

Varian wrapped his telekinetic power around Sia and Evander before he stood up.

"Sia...we need to have a good talk after you're fine," Varian said in a light tone.

Sia flinched. "I...you're scaring me."

Varian smiled for the first time. "If you're really scared, you won't act this stubborn, right?"

"..." Sia glared at him and he glared back.

In the end, the two smiled. 

"It's...really like a dream." Sia sighed. "Seeing you talk to me like this...It's been so long. I really don't know anymore."

"I don't want it to be a bad dream, so make sure to stay alive, okay?" Varian's telekinetic hand gently patted her head. 

"...Stay alive, is that what you really say to a dying patient? Like, how do I even do that?" Sia said with an exasperated tone, even though she had trouble speaking, she seemed to be enjoying it.

"Well," Varian rubbed his chin at her words. "What else can I say?"

"...Promise me something?" Sia's eyes glinted with a mischievous light. 

Varian's heart both warmed and stung at the sight. 

Even though none of them said it out loud, they could feel the pain in each other's eyes. That's why this small talk filled them with so much joy. 

It was as if they returned to the days when their biggest problems were the school homework and that day's lunch.

"I'll promise you anything," Varian said abruptly and Sia's eyes shone brighter. But he quickly remembered something and added. "As long it's not anything weird."

"Owww~" Sia sighed like it was a pity and glared at him. "So my plan of seeing you in Boo's get-up failed, huh?"

"Heh. Little girl, I'm not the one to fall for your tricks." Varian smirked. 

"Bully. Bully. Bully~" Sia's lips curled into a smile. 

The air suddenly shook and  Varian's eyebrows jumped. 

His face had a smile all the time, but it was filled with tension. Only now did the tension ease as he laughed out loud. "The ghost ship is ready. Let's g—"

At that moment, however, a terrifying aura enveloped the prince's hall.

Varian used all his powers to form a protective layer around Sia.

His eyes that had been locked with Sia's since the beginning suddenly shook and conveyed what he wanted to say. 'Say it now!'

Sia understood the severity of the situation and didn't oppose him anymore.

The next moment, both Varian and Sia opened their mouth.

"I qu—"

But before they could finish, the sinister voice of Julius Xander rang out.

"All preys in one place."

Standing on the stage, the strongest sovereign casually punched out.

Boooom!

The space blasted and the wind broke apart as death reached them in the blink of an eye.