"So, tell me again, daughter, where did you say she came from?" Lord Sitri inquired, his gaze fixed on the unfolding battle.
"Rome," Sona replied, her tone filled with intrigue as she too watched the skirmish below.
"Rome? But you say her power is connected to... what, South Arabia?"
"Yes," Sona confirmed, her eyes still focused on the field, "it was strange when I first saw it. I understand that the very earliest sacred gears all emerged in the Near East, but I had suspected something this ancient to have vanished with the ancient world."
Lord Sitri's interest was thoroughly piqued. He leaned forward, the battle momentarily forgotten as he delved into his thoughts.
"Interesting," he mused aloud, his curiosity dancing like a flame.
As usual, like all rating games, this battle had its spectators. However, due to the fact that this was a minor scuffle, it drew only a few onlookers. Among these select viewers were primarily the members of the Gremory and Phenex Houses, the two demonic branches responsible for sparking the reason for the game to begin with. Surprisingly, among the sparse audience was Lord Sitri himself, who had brought along his younger daughter, Sona. After recounting her time with Asia, Lord Sitri was struck with a sense of déjà vu, and this unexpected curiosity prompted him to attend the game.
"The ancient kingdom of Saba, huh?" Lord Sitri pondered aloud.
"Did you meet them?" Sona questioned curiously, her attention shifting briefly from the battle to her father.
"Oh yes," Lord Sitri replied with a reminiscent smile, "we would interact with them on occasions whenever we were passing by the Red Sea. They were a somewhat decent kingdom. It's sad their glory had to fade."
"What puzzles me is, why now specifically? Why choose to revive so late, and why choose someone of distant ancestry?" He continued, his voice tinged with intrigue.
Sona looked back at her father, curiosity now fully ignited by his interest. In the grand scheme of things, this minor skirmish may not have held much significance, but the infectious curiosity of her father had led her down a path of unexpected intrigue. Now, they both waited with bated breath to see how this enigmatic tale would unfold.
.
Meanwhile
.
She awoke in a realm bathed in ethereal shades of blue, her eyes filled with confusion and worry. How had she returned to this place, and why now of all times? With a sense of uncertainty gnawing at her, she decided to explore the enigmatic terrain before her.
As she ventured through this surreal landscape, she noticed Musnadic letters gently descending from above, like a delicate rain of glowing symbols. The sight perplexed her, but it also held a strange allure. A single letter, resembling a 'beth' (𐩨), floated down before her, almost touching the ground. She extended her hands, hoping to catch it, but it passed through her grasp like a wisp of air, leaving her slightly disheartened. Still, her curiosity urged her to continue exploring.
While she wandered, the cascade of letters intensified, forming a mesmerizing whirlwind around her. It was as though the letters danced in the air, creating a symphony of radiant characters. She couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch them, but as she did, the tranquil scene gave way to chaos. The letters swirled around her in a dizzying vortex, overwhelming her senses.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion resounded through the realm, and the letters ceased their tumultuous dance. Relieved, she uncovered her ears and looked around, hoping the worst was over. However, a new sound reached her ears - the distinct rhythm of footsteps approaching.
Straining her vision, she tried to locate the source of the sound. Amid her erratic gaze, she almost missed it. With a quick adjustment, she spotted a tall, enigmatic figure making its way toward her. The figure's long arms and eyes, aglow with an eerie light, gave it an otherworldly appearance. A peculiar, vertical halo with green diamonds adorned its head, extending behind it like a shroud.
As the figure drew nearer, it eventually halted, leaving them to face each other in an unsettling silence. There was no malevolence or intent to harm in this encounter; just a disquieting quiet between two enigmatic beings.
"W...who are you?" Asia stammered nervously, seeking to break the silence. She had a sense that this figure held answers to her questions, although she didn't yet understand what those questions were.
The figure continued to gaze at her with its luminescent eyes. It shifted its shoulders slightly, accompanied by a subtle movement of its hand.
"𐩱𐩬 𐩱𐩡𐩣𐩤𐩠، 𐩱𐩡𐩠 𐩺𐩧𐩠𐩬، 𐩣𐩬 𐩱𐩬𐩩 𐩬𐩱𐩪𐩩؟"
The figure responded in a deep, eerie voice, like an echo composed of many voices. Despite its eerie nature, its tone remained soft and almost inquisitive, rather than commanding.
"I'm sorry, I can't understand you. You're speaking that Musnad language, right?" Asia replied, hoping for a response that would clear the fog of confusion shrouding her.
The figure began to move closer to her, and while Asia felt a twinge of fear, she knew there was no turning back now. She had come this far; there was no point in running. As the figure approached, it extended its hand, which gently touched her hair before retreating.
"𐩱𐩩 𐩲𐩴𐩺𐩨, 𐩨𐩬𐩩𐩺 𐩱𐩧𐩴𐩺𐩬𐩩, 𐩠𐩱𐩬𐩥 𐩤𐩵𐩣𐩩,"
the figure responded with an eerie but friendly cackle.
Suddenly, Asia felt a powerful force tug at her, dragging her away from the enigmatic realm. Panic welled up within her as she desperately tried to understand why she was here and what it all meant.
"Wait, not yet, please!!" she pleaded, her voice tinged with frustration as she felt herself slipping into slumber. With a forceful push, she was propelled away from the enigmatic figure and into a distant, blinding light.
"Salam," the figure called out, waving its hand frantically.
"What... don't go, I still don't underst..."
.
.
"Asia, Asia....Asia!!!"
With a gasp, Asia woke up, her senses gradually returning. Her face rested on top of something moving, a cozy feeling she was accustomed to. She was on Issei's back, who was running throught the forest.
"Issei? W..what happened?" she asked, her mind still hazy as she gathered her consciousness.
Issei turned his head slightly to the side, Asia could already tell it wasn't looking too good. Something had happened that resulted in them being in this predicament
"Isse..."
Just before she could finish, she began recalling the even that took place just after saving Koneko from Riser's queen
A Few Moments Ago
Yubelluna had infiltrated the school gym, catching Asia and Koneko off guard. In a desperate bid to shield Koneko from Yubelluna's explosive magic, Asia conjured a protective water dome, but this left her drained of her demonic energy, causing her to lose consciousness. Koneko was prepared to confront Yubelluna, but Akeno intervened, determined to face the enemy herself.
Akeno, with her devil wings unfurled, confronted Yubelluna in midair, their eyes locked in a tense standoff.
"Protecting your comrade, I see? That's cute," Yubelluna remarked, her voice dripping with condescension. Akeno, with a wry smile, retorted, "Come now, it's only fair for a queen to fight a fellow queen, is it not?"
Yubelluna taunted further, "Of course, seeing as we're being friendly, I'll let you attack first." Akeno accepted the challenge, summoning crackling streaks of lightning and directing them towards Yubelluna. In retaliation, Yubelluna conjured her own explosive attack, countering Akeno's lightning.
One of Yubelluna's explosions struck Akeno, inflicting damage and tearing a piece of her clothing. The force sent her hurtling toward the gym wall, but she managed to avoid it, albeit bruised and shaken. Yubelluna reveled in her momentary victory.
A cacophony of demonic energy erupted as the two queens clashed. Lightning bolts and explosions tore through the gym's roof, filling the air with chaos.
The tumultuous battle stirred Asia from her unconscious state. Despite her severely drained energy, she was inexplicably still in the game. She opened her eyes, witnessing Akeno and Yubelluna locked in combat.
"Asia, you're awake," Koneko said with a worried expression, tending to her. Still groggy, Asia inquired, "Koneko, what... happened?" Her question was punctuated by a nearby explosion, which roused her further. She could see the fierce duel between Akeno and Riser's queen unfolding above. With determination, Asia pushed herself to her feet despite her weakened state.
"Asia, wait, your body's drained, you still..."
"It's okay, you don't have to worry about me."
Asia interrupted Koneko and assured her with a calm voice, letting her know that it was fine, which amazed the Nekomata.
"I... can still do something, so you don't have to worry about me, okay?" Asia said with determination. Koneko nodded, placing her trust in her friend's resolve.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air. They looked up to see Akeno falling from the sky. Akeno hit the ground hard as Yubelluna descended gracefully.
"Asia, we have to do something!" Koneko exclaimed urgently.
"Don't worry, I know what to do," Asia replied, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
Akeno, battered and bruised, rose slowly, refusing to yield to her opponent. Yubelluna, taunting her, remarked, "Just give it up, you know you'll lose, right?" Akeno retorted defiantly, "I could do this all day." Her words further infuriated Yubelluna. She lauched an explosion at her, ready to finish her off instantly.
"Sab'a gimel (𐩴), Sab'a Zayn (𐩸)!!" she chanter as the Murals were conjure up in front of her, she stretched her hand at Akeno's direction.
The Mural fell upon their target just in time, restoring her to her peak and giving her a little bit more stamina than she already had, with that extra oomph, Akeno conjured enough lightning to counteract the combustion and dissipate it.
"Huh?" Yubelluna was shocked and enraged by the outcome. She looked back and could see the source of her opponent's recovery painting with a relieved smile on her face as her Nekomata companion looked at her with a snarky smirk.
"Why you little...." Just then, she sent explosions at Asia, they exploded successively as they got closer to Asia, but before they could ignite closer to her, Koneko picked Asia up and ran with her away from the explosion. Yubelluna didn't give up and kept firing at them, just then, when she was destracted, a bolt of lightning struck her and sent her flying. She looked and could see Akeno floating on top of her with a sadistic look on her face.
"I apologize, It seemed for a second you had forgotten who your opponent is, so I was just reminding you" She taunted, angering Yubelluna further. With immediate haste, Yubelluna sprang up and just began to throw a tantrum, she fired explosion after explosion at Akeno. Akeno would use her lightning to dissipate them.
In their dance, Yubelluna fired an explosion that hit Akeno's arm. Asia too notice and conjured another mural.
"Sab'a Meem(𐩣), Sab'a Kaaf(𐩫)" She chanted
Yubelluna took notice as the Mural flew towards Akeno, she attempted to intercept them by standing in their way, but this didn't work as they just flew past her and attended to Akeno as ordered. Akeno was healed once more. She tried to attack Asia and Koneko again, and the same thing happened again, Akeno got the best of her. This trend went on for over 10 minutes. Until new problems arose.
"Oh my, it seems your comrade can only keep up for so long. What a shame," Yubelluna taunted, her sadistic delight evident. Akeno, worn out and battered, grunted in response.
Asia recognized that her Sacred Gear was depleted, causing her murals to dissipate before reaching their target. Yubelluna seized the advantage, firing a barrage of explosions towards the fatigued Asia and Koneko. Asia felt the drain on her energy and her vision blurring.
Koneko, acting quickly, pushed Asia away to protect her, sacrificing herself in the process.
"Koneko!!"
Asia and Akeno called out simultaneously, Akeno, enraged, began attacking Yubeluna the way she was, the tables had now turned and now she was the frantic one. Meanwhile, Asia went on to attend to the now knocked out Koneko. She lifted her head and put it on her lap.
"Don't worry Asia, it's not your fault, at least this time...I got to return the fav...."
She said as she vanished.
[Rias's rook has retired]
With Yubelluna's laughter echoing in her ears, Asia collapsed, her strength depleted. Yet, to her surprise, she wasn't retired from the game.
Issei burst into the gym, alerted by the announcement. However, the scene before him was devastating - Asia lay collapsed on the floor, and Akeno was bloodied and panting as she confronted Riser's sadistic queen.
"Akeno, are you okay?" Issei called out, rushing to her side.
"No, don't come closer!" Akeno warned urgently.
Confused, Issei halted, unsure of why Akeno would ask him to stay back.
"Go... grab Asia and run!" Akeno ordered, her voice filled with urgency.
Issei hesitated but obeyed her command, rushing to Asia's side.
"You think I'm gonna let you do that!?" Yubelluna screamed, laughing manically.
In a final, desperate move, Akeno summoned all her remaining energy, enveloping Yubelluna in a massive lightning attack. Yubelluna screamed in pain as the intense electrical assault coursed through her. With Asia in his arms, Issei fled from the gym, leaving behind the tumultuous battle.
Asia was only half-conscious, but as they left the building, a colossal explosion rocked the gym, reducing it to ruins
Asia POV.
"What happened after we left?" I inquired, my voice filled with a mix of desperation and curiosity.
[Rias's queen has retired]
the announcement answered, sending a shiver down my spine. Yubelluna remained undefeated, my efforts in vain. As I contemplated the outcome, a couldn't help but feel guilty. I had made decisions, taken actions, and tried my best, yet this was the result. I couldn't protect anyone, and my weakness had been laid bare. At this point, what was the use of trying anymore? I felt so ordinary, so unlike Issei, Kiba, and the others. There was nothing special about me, and maybe, just maybe, the Church had been right to send me away. Perhaps I am nothing more than trouble a curse... I give up.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted in front of us, causing Issei to halt abruptly. I nearly tumbled off his back, my heart pounding. Trouble seemed to follow me relentlessly. Through the swirling dust and debris, I spotted a slender figure wielding a sword, approaching us. I knew immediately who it was.
End Of P.O.V
.
"Impressive. She actually fought off three of Rias's peerage. And you were not wrong about the Musnad too," it is a shame though that Riser's queen showed up, don't you think?" Lord Sitri exclaimed, leaning forward with newfound interest. He anticipated a response from his daughter but was met with silence. Concerned, he turned to his right, finding a pensive look on Sona's face, her attention fixed on the girl.
"Is that concern I'm noticing? What's wrong, Sona?" Lord Sitri inquired calmly. Sona took a deep breath, her gaze dropping.
"The girl has low self-esteem. This might be because of her upbringing. I don't know if she'll be able to cope with losing two of her comrades in front of her eyes," Sona voiced her apprehensions softly. Her father's reassuring touch brought her some comfort. While Sona was not one to openly display emotions, especially not to this extent, her father's gesture was a solace.
"As far as I have seen, her friends seem to really care for her. If that is the case, then I don't think she has anything to worry about, and that goes for you as well," he assured, gently placing his hand on her shoulder and then patting the top of her head.
"I should hope so. Every single person in her peerage has a power that stands out greatly. You have Rias, who has destructive energy, Kiba and his sword birth, Issei who wields a Longinus, Koneko who can manipulate Ki, Akeno and her lightning, not to mention that other bishop of hers. Aside from her Musnadic connection, nothing about her power stands out," Sona stated bluntly, her words sharp but factual in her perspective.
"I wouldn't say so," Lord Sitri countered, prompting a confused 'Huh?' from her.
"She has been knocked out twice now, and in both cases, her demonic energy was completely drained. By the laws of the game, she should be retired. Not to mention the speed at which she's able to recover her lost energy. I have never seen anyone do that," Lord Sitri mused, his tone taking on a more serious note.
"She has a healing ability, it makes sense for her to be capable of such a thing, is it not?" "No, if her entire energy was drained, she should have been out. You were right to call hear Sona. I have noticed some strange things about her power." Lord Sitri responded, his voice now more serious than normal....
.
Asia's P.O.V
An explosion erupted in front of us, jolting Issei to a halt. The sudden blast nearly sent me tumbling off his back. Just when we thought we had escaped danger, trouble followed relentlessly. Peering through the dust and debris, I spotted a slim silhouette, sword in hand, advancing towards us. I recognized him immediately. Maybe there was a glimmer of hope yet.
"Hi there," Kiba greeted casually as he approached. We waved back, the tension palpable even though he tried to appear nonchalant. It wasn't entirely clear why he was being so casual, given the bruises on his person.
He explained that the dust and rubble were the aftermath of his clash with one of Riser's knights, though she hadn't been retired yet. Her absence from the announcement made sense.
"Well, you seem to be doing well yourself?" Issei quipped.
"I...I guess. What about you?" Kiba replied.
Before he could finish his sentence, a sense of urgency gripped him, and his eyes darted around. Something was approaching.
"Hide!" he exclaimed, and Issei, along with me, rushed to seek refuge behind a tree. A shockwave swept past the area where we had stood.
Issei gently placed me on the ground as we huddled behind the tree, our hearts pounding. As we emerged from our hiding spot, it became evident that confronting our foes face-to-face was inevitable. We had no choice but to stand our ground.
From the direction of the shockwave emerged seven of Riser's chess pieces. Two knights, five pawns, and one rook made up the group.
"Aargh, where are they, nya? Are they hiding, nya?" a nekomata pawn grumbled in annoyance.
"They're probably hiding...cowards. We should stay here; they'll show up eventually," the rook declared.
At some point, we were gonna cross paths, so hiding only prolonged fate, it didn't stop it. We knew we had only one choice. To confront them face to face. I should probably stay her, after all, what's the point if we're going to lose anyway. There is no doubt that they'd do well without me. Just then, when the decision was made, Issei turned to me with a determined look on his face.
"Asia, do you think you could handle some of his Pawns?"
Huh? What? Why would he ask if I'm ready? Doesn't he know I'm a fail...No. Of course he doesn't, he made me promise to never call myself that again. I know I might have some issues, but the least I can do is not let them get between the faith that he has on me. So despite my current predicaments, in my own hopelessness. I picked myself up and nodded to him.
"Yes, yes I can" I responed.
He smiled. It was a bright smile from the one I willingly fell for. There was no way I could let him down.
"Great, I'll handle the knights," Kiba stated.
"I'll take care of the maids and the ninja lady."
"And I'll handle the twins and the other pawn" I said.
We eventually came out of our hiding place, and it didn't take long enough for them to notice us. Coincidentally, the three pawns I had decided to focus on were the oneswho took an interest in me. It made sense for the two knights to take an interest in Kiba since they were alike. With that, the maid pawns and the rook focused themselves on Issei. The all dispersed, leaving me to deal with the three pawns
Readying my staff, which Issei had retrieved for me earlier, I prepared to engage the nekomatas. I launched an attack from above, but immediately regretted it as Li, one of the nekomata twins, countered with a palm strike that sent me reeling back. The force felt like a shockwave surging through my body. Before I could regain my composure, Ni, the second twin, attempted a powerful kick from above. I narrowly dodged, witnessing the ground shatter beneath her blow. Had I been struck, the consequences would have been dire.
They were incredibly strong, their energy reminiscent of Koneko's. But just as I was caught in my thinking, a massive blow to the stomach sent me flying into a tree. The pain radiated throughout my entire body from the punch and the impact did a number to my back. I coughed up a small amount of blood into my hand. The sight of it terrified my. This was not like back in the gym; these two were much stronger, and so were their physical attacks. Once again, I lost my guard. I looked back up and immediately saw a kick about to strike me in the face. It was Shuriya, the other pawn, and she was about to deal the final blow. Just then.
"Asia!"
Issei called. For some reason, when I heard that, I felt a great power envelop my being. Just then, a wave of water appeared in front of my face, managing not only to block the kick but also to push Shuriya away, knocking her against a tree. I stood up, confused about where the strength came from. I knew it had something to do with Issei, perhaps it was a new ability, but I was unsure.
However, as I had learned, this was no time to lose my guard. I immediately decided it was time to pull out my triumph card. I wanted to save it for a very dire situation, and I guess this was it.
ሳብዓ ኣሐይል
I called out, and a green aura surrounded me, this feeling was very intense, I could feeling my hair rising upwards and the cool sensation of the power enveloped my body.
"Wow, so scary!" Ni taunted as she moved to strike me again. I narrowly avoided the attack, and my new surge of power allowed me to launch a counterattack. Seizing the opportunity, I struck her with my shinai, sending her hurtling into a tree, incapacitated.
"I...I underestimated you...nya," Ni admitted, her voice reflecting her shock.
[Riser's pawn has retired.]
A voice announced her defeat.
Li and Shuriya reacted with panic, launching relentless attacks at me. Their strikes were wild, lacking coordination. Yet, I couldn't afford to lower my guard. When Li attacked, I cushioned her punches with my water element. Shuriya, on the other hand, conjured fire in an attempt to weaken me, hoping I'd be left vulnerable. In my enhanced state, it was unlikely, and they knew it.
Shuriya attempted a drop kick from above, but I anticipated it. Slightly tilting my body to the right, I grabbed her descending leg and pulled it downward. Using her own momentum, I delivered an uppercut, sending her flying.
[Riser's pawn has retired.]
The voice announced her defeat.
Li, surprisingly, proved easier to handle than I had expected. She had underestimated her opponents before, and it wasn't working for her this time. As she wore herself out, she collapsed, ultimately retiring.
Perhaps there was hope after all.
.
Issei P.O.V
It took some time, but we finally managed to take down our opponents. Kiba and I had defeated our respective foes, thanks to the support of the others. As we regrouped and continued on our mission to the New School building, Asia's gaze settled on me, her cheeks flushed as usual.
"Is something bothering you, Asia?" I inquired, noticing her unease. She fidgeted with her hands, her voice wavering.
"When I was fighting, I heard you call out to me, and suddenly, I felt this surge of strength. Was that you?" she asked, curiosity mingling with nervousness.
"Of course, it's the cool new ability I unlocked called gi..."
Before I could finish explaining, Asia's soft lips met my cheek in a gentle kiss. She quickly looked ahead, her face still tinged with embarrassment.
"That's all I needed to know. Th...thank you, Issei," she stammered.
"NO PROBLEM," I blurted out loudly, earning a laugh from Kiba. How was I supposed to anticipate such a response?
Our moment of happiness was cut short as an explosion rocked our surroundings. The blast left us all heavily injured.
[Rias's knight has retired.]
Of all the moments for an attack, it had to be now. I gazed skyward and spotted Yubelluna, her torn clothing barely covering her. Her expression was far from pleasant; she looked like she wanted to exact vengeance on someone. Stretching out her hand, she cast a purple forcefield around the unconscious Asia, lifting her up toward her.
"Asia!!!" I screamed out in desperation, reaching out with my hand, but there was nothing I could do to save her. She was carried away by the vengeful queen.
25 Minutes Later
Asia P.O.V
"Wakey wakey, little princess."
A gentle voice stirred me from my troubled slumber. I blinked my eyes open, realizing I was still trapped in the strange game. Yet, there was something more sinister at play. The voice belonged to Yubelluna, and she had ensnared me within some kind of unbreakable seal. Panic welled up within me.
"Why have you brought me here?" I questioned, my voice trembling. Yubelluna regarded me with a crazed expression.
"Well, since you're so stubborn, I thought I'd let you watch your boyfriend get beaten to a pulp," she responded, her laughter tinged with madness.
As I watched, helpless and trapped, Issei suffered under Riser's brutal assault. Rias rushed to his side, only to be forcibly pushed away by Riser. He continued to torment Issei with his fiery powers.
The agonizing screams pierced the air. Yubelluna reveled in the brutality unfolding before her, deriving pleasure from the suffering. I couldn't bear it any longer. I struggled and writhed within the confines of my prison, desperate to escape, but it was all in vain. I could do nothing but watch in horror as my beloved endured unimaginable pain while my captor laughed in sadistic delight.
Why was this happening? I had trained so hard, yet I felt utterly powerless. Why did I have to witness the suffering of those I cared about? Why couldn't I have what I desired? Was it so wrong to be selfish? With no one to turn to, I finally succumbed to despair. I buried my face in my hands and screamed, tears streaming down my cheeks.
And then, as if in response to my cries, a voice echoed.
"ንነዊሕ እዋን በኺኻ ኢኻ."
Once again, I found myself in that enigmatic corner of my mind. Footsteps approached, and I could see the silhouette of a man before me within the blue void I was trapped in.
"ቀሊል ዕረፍተይ ኣዕርፍ ንመንእሰይ ድማ ኣጸናንዓኒ ኣብዚ ኣለኹ ። ንስጋኻ ኻብ መጠን ንላዕሊ ኣይትዕየዮ," the man spoke in a gentle voice. This time, I could understand the language, as its speakers were alive and well.
"ንስኻ/ኺ መን ኢኻ/ኺ?" I inquired.
"ንስኻ ተጣባቒኻን መማሰዊኻን ተስፋኻን ኣነ እየ," he responded, placing his hand atop her head. "ምንጪ እቲ ዜበርትዓካ ሓይሊ ኣነ እየ ። ኣወጅቲ ኣልከቡላን እየ ። ኣነ ኣምላኽ ዲምትን ሳባን ኩሽን ካታኒን እየ ። ኣነ ወርሒ ብጸልማት ብብርሃን እተጸናንዓካ እየ። ንማዕበላትካ ዚደፍኦ ሓይሊ ወርሒ ኣነ እየ። ኣነ ራዕዲ ጸላእትኻ እየ። ኣነ ኻብ መዓልትታትካ እቲ ዝበለጸ እየ። ጭንቀትካ ሕደግ፣ ኣነ እውን ከረጋግሓልካ እየ።"
"𐩱𐩡𐩣𐩤𐩠,"
I called out his name in that strange language, and he revealed himself to me.
He was a dark-skinned Semitic man with a neatly trimmed beard, dressed in all-green Middle Eastern attire adorned with gold accents. A necklace featuring a green jewel hung around his neck, and a golden wheel or halo radiated behind his head, its glow complementing his piercing green eyes. This man was a Sabaean, the one Sona had mentioned.
He extended his hand toward me, and as I bowed my head and closed my eyes, his palm gently pressed against my forehead...
End Of P.O.V
.
A few Minutes Earlier.
"No, if her entire energy was drained, she should have been out. You were right to call hear Sona. I have noticed some strange things about her power." Lord Sitri responded, his voice now more serious than normal.
"Firstly, her power appears to be somewhat of a healing factor, but beyond that, it's old, very old. Something originally that simple couldn't have survived for so long; it should have withered away into obscurity. It's highly likely that what we're witnessing are remnants of that ancient power. Besides, her endurance after draining her demonic energy suggests one thing: she hasn't drained much. There's something more potent than her at play, lurking in the shadows, and it's only a matter of time before it reveals itself," Lord Sitri stated, leaving Sona further perplexed
.
Back in the real world, Yubelluna watched in joy and ecstasy as Issei was being relentlessly beaten. However, her victory was short-lived as everything suddenly went dark. She wasn't sure what had happened, but something had knocked her out, draining all her power.
[Riser's Queen has been eliminated]
Meanwhile, Rias, unable to bear Issei's torment any longer, decided to concede. She rushed towards Riser, ready to surrender. But then, out of nowhere, a red blur streaked past him, striking Phenex before vanishing. The force of the impact sent him tumbling off the building and crashing to the ground.
"What the hell?" He groaned, dusting himself off. Rias looked up to the source of this force, and it was Asia. However, something was different. Besides emitting a green aura, her eyes were now glowing green as well.
Asia had been possessed by a spirit from the ancient unknown.
She descended to the ground and fixed her curious gaze on Riser. With a slight tilt of her head, she regarded him.
"Ph...Phenex," the spirit spoke. Before Riser could react or retaliate, he was struck by intense pain and debilitating headaches, causing him to fall to the ground, overwhelmed by the dizzying sensations. The spirit then turned her attention to the moon, extending her hand towards it.
"ወርሒ መሊኣን ደሚቐትን ኢያ እዚ ኸኣ ኣብ ዝበለጸ ግዜ ክመጽእ ኣይክእልን ኢዩ," the spirit's words flowed, a chorus of countless voices echoing in eerie harmony, with a deep, resonating undertone.
In that moment, a golden halo enveloped Asia, resembling the spirit itself. It extended its hands downward, conjuring a magic circle with graceful movements. The circle appeared on the ground, its outer rings adorned with Sabaic script and the inner rings inscribed in Ethio-Semitic. The rings rotated in different directions, casting a mesmerizing aura
To be continued.