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Tales of Vesperia: Lights and Shadows
Chapter 24 – To Save Them All
Yuri turned and faced Gameliel, but his eyes refused to depart from the princess standing behind him. Her weapon flickered with smoke, and it did not take long to realize that the prior explosion had originated from her. Every appearance of life had been stolen from her; even when she lowered her sword, she seemed to be nothing more than a lifeless doll.
"Well, well," Gameliel began, his voice jovial. "If it isn't my favorite group of puppets."
At his words, Yuri and Riddick's expressions both darkened, and in unison they both aimed their swords at their foe who was filled with glee. Repede snarled and crouched down, ready to pounce. The leader of the shadows simply grinned at them, baring teeth before flicking his snake-like tongue at them.
"How nice of you to join for our grand finale," he hissed. "Your performances thus far have been astonishingly predictable."
"What have you done to Estelle?" growled Yuri, every muscle in his body tightening. Trembling in anger at his foe and what had been done to his friend, he found himself having trouble breathing nonetheless produce more words.
"Oh no, not what I've done," sneered the former Entelexeia. "This is what you have done."
At this point in time, the others had risen to their feet. However, because none of them were armed, they remained on the opposite side of the tower in defensive positions, ready to move if they came under attack. Karol was partially hidden behind Rita and Judith, who stood guard over him though all three were leaning forward tiredly, breathless. Raven was weary but was standing straight. Both he and Flynn stood on guard in front of the emperor, though the blond commandant of the Imperial Knights was far more intentional about his positioning than the raven-haired former captain. Ioder was leaning and struggled to catch his breath.
Yuri, nor any of the others, bothered to offer a reply or utter words of protest that surely the shadow monster was fishing for. Gameliel continued on without receiving a response.
"That woman intended to kill me but unwittingly brought your princess to me. I merely exploited your princess' weaknesses and set into effect a chain of events that would create in her the ultimate weapon. And every single one of you is to thank for it," he said, beaming and with shining ruby eyes. He waved a hand in the air as he spoke. "That woman who wanted to kill me caused your princess to shed her powers into those crystals, ultimately leaving a vacant shell for me to do as I pleased with."
"That's not true," Yuri protested, eyes narrowing. "Nohealani gave up her own powers to create those barriers, not Estelle's."
"Is that what she told you?" Gameliel laughed. "Humans, when faced with adversity, become the most quivering cowards and deceptive creatures on the planet. That song she taught your princess was the very same incantation that poured the lives of the Children of the Full Moon into Zaude a thousand years ago—there was no escaping death when those words were spoken."
"But Estelle didn't die," Rita pointed on, huffing for air. She managed to stand up straight and take a few steps forward. Green eyes landed on Estelle, full of sorrow, before flying back to their enemy. Her expression grew fierce. "You used our energy to fuel your illusions because you had no power left of your own. Then you sucked human life out of the planet, then dumped it into Estelle whenever the tower was destroyed around her." As she continued speaking, her words grew more heated. "As Estelle was pouring out her life to create those barriers, you were filling her up with some twisted energy you stole from the world!"
"A more malleable energy. The Children of the Full Moon have spirits that are so difficult to force to submit to your will, after all," Gameliel said with a chuckle. "Shouldn't you be grateful that I kept her alive?"
"You set this all up," Yuri realized. "Everything from the moment we left Mantaic was orchestrated by you!"
"He captured us and left survivors so Lady Estellise would learn of it," Flynn told Yuri, his blue eyes narrowing. "The crystals, the towers, and everything else were set in such a way that she would sacrifice her own strength and have it replaced by something he could control."
"And now, it's complete," Gameliel laughed, turning and walking to the princess engulfed in shadows. "My beautiful weapon, the Child of the Full Moon who should have given her life for the world… but instead poisons it and destroys it."
"Are you talking about the princess? Or…" Riddick questioned, his voice dark.
Gameliel turned slightly and glanced at him, his eyes flashing as his smile widened.
"Thank you, Riddick—or was it Rolan? Or perhaps Serge," Gamliel hissed, facing the mercenary with accusing eyes. "You've gone by so many names in the past few decades that it's hard to keep track of who you really are."
"Riddick will suffice," replied the mercenary, ignoring the inquisitive looks he received from all of the others on the platform. "And don't thank me. I'll sever that head of yours from your body."
"I appreciate all the gifts you've given me," said the former Entelexeia, turning again to face the princess. His eyes never left the mercenary. "For the bodies… For your allies, and for the princess…"
Yuri released a withheld breath before leering at the mercenary again. Riddick continued to ignore any looks he was receiving.
"What's the point of all this?" Raven asked the question everyone had been thinking. "Whaddya want the ultimate weapon for, anyway?"
"That's right," Ioder spoke up. "Wasn't your grudge against that young woman who perished when Estellise created the barriers?"
Gameliel's eyes flashed and his smile faded at the mention of Nohealani. At once, Flynn stepped in front of the emperor and blocked his view of him.
"The Children of the Full Moon have always been a poison that should not exist," began the monster made of shadows, hissing and flicking his tongue out at them between his teeth. "Entelexeia failed to deal with that poison, and humans persisted in destroying this world with technology they never truly understood." He tilted his head forward a bit, a wicked grin on his lips, as he spoke again, "As far as I am concerned, not a single one of them is worthy of life on this planet."
"That's sort of strange," Judith began, huffing. "Coming from an Entelexeia."
"A thousand years ago, you might call me that, but no longer," Gameliel retorted. "Technically, I'm much more than that now."
"An Adephagos," Yuri commented. "Technically, that means you've lost your mind."
Gameliel's eyes landed on Yuri again, contemplating his words before he laughed again, jubilant.
"It's ironic, then," he laughed. "The Children of the Full Moon should sacrifice their lives for the sake of the world to seal away the Adephagos, yet your princess will use her powers to destroy the world instead."
"Those nightmares," Yuri began, trembling with rage. "What was the point of that?"
Again, Gameliel laughed. His eyes flashed, filled with glee.
"You need to crush something beneath your heel in order to own it," he responded.
Filled with delight, the shadow creature stepped back and spread out his arms as though inviting them to him. However, as he stepped back, Estelle stepped forward with shadow sword in hand.
"In return for your great service, you will be the first to perish," hissed Gameliel. "Consider it an act of mercy. You will not have to watch as your beloved princess kills everything."
With a snap of Gameliel's fingers, Estelle went from stationary to attack in seconds flat. She pushed off the ground in a flicker of shadows, flying across the platform and landing her sword straight over Yuri's head. The swordsman was taken off guard by her incredible speed, staggering back and barely sweeping Dein Nomos up to catch her swing. She stepped back and swung again, repeatedly wailing on him and giving him no time to think, move back, or even breathe.
"Estelle!" Rita called out, and her voice was echoed by several of the others around her.
Yuri jumped back, but the princess did not fall back. She pressed on him until he staggered to the other end of the platform, closing in on the unarmed spectators.
"Estelle, wake up!" Yuri hollered at her, flinching as she continued to make him lose ground. He was barely able to keep up with her. "You've done this before! Come back to us!"
"She can't hear you," Gameliel replied with a grin. "The princess you know is dead."
Riddick watched the princess engage Yuri in battle, then turned and looked to Gameliel one last time. He carefully considered his options, tapping his sword on his shoulder. Dark eyes were met by crimson eyes, and Gameliel sneered at the mercenary. Finally, the mercenary turned and raced across the platform to face the young woman. Repede whined, hesitated, and then pursued.
"Estelle, come on!" Yuri shouted, refusing to believe that she was no longer there.
While the black eyes staring back at him suggested that what Gameliel said was true, Yuri would not believe it. Could not believe it. Estelle had been weakened but alive, even after all of the nightmares, all of the torture, all of the barriers, and all of the towers. He firmly believed she was still there.
Estelle slammed Yuri back a moment, pressed her sword down on him again, and then her lips moved slightly. No words were spoken and she did not even make a noise. However, the movement of her lips ignited a powerful arte; her magic was similar to how it always was, only her white magic had turned black. Black energy swallowed Yuri before exploding, tossing him aside.
"She didn't even have to cast that spell!" Karol pointed out, shocked. He remained well concealed by Judith and Rita, slinking back slightly.
Yuri staggered and fell back, but Riddick and Repede engaged the princess then. Estelle was fast and did not lose any ground to them, fighting with one and then easily twisting her body and defending against the other, never missing a beat. And then she twirled again, her pink hair spinning around her in a flutter of black energy. Moving her lips without a word, she called forth rings of black light that swallowed them both before blasting them away from her. With her inhuman agility, she sprung forward and caught Repede on her sword, slicing through him before blasting him away in an explosion of magic. Her canine target slid across the ground near the others, and Flynn immediately ran to him.
"Repede!" both Yuri and Flynn called in unison.
The blond commandant of the Imperial Knights crouched and began to pull the dog up. Repede whined and also tried to stand, weak and injured but not finished. Still, he remained with Flynn and waited for an opening.
As Yuri was getting back to his feet and rushing after the princess, Estelle chased Riddick around on the platform. The mercenary was on his feet and using brute force against her, throwing her light form around every time she landed on his sword. He attempted to use the light energy from his sword to destroy the shadows around her, but the princess bound in darkness never once allowed him the time to do it. She slid back a moment, and he thrust his sword through her sword.
Rather, she allowed him to do so, and then she slammed her own sword through his shoulder without flinching. Her lips moved, and black lights filled the platform and blew Riddick away. He flew across the platform and landed with the others, his sword skidding across the ground a short distance away. Judith, Rita, and Karol immediately went to his aid, though there was little they could do.
Estelle immediately turned on her unarmed allies, soaring across the platform without her feet even touching the ground. Yuri intercepted and shoved her aside, meeting blades with her again. Nothing about her countenance had changed, but Yuri was sweating and breathless and having a hard time keeping up. Flynn watched as his childhood friend lost ground to the princess before noting the sword dropped by Riddick. Without hesitation, he fetched the sword and went to join Yuri.
"Yuri!" Flynn called out.
Yuri had no time to glance back or respond. He pushed Estelle back as best he could, cringing.
"Come on, Estelle," he said, huffing. "This isn't who you are. You have to keep fighting them!"
Unaffected by his words, the shell of the princess cast another powerful spell and threw Yuri back, and then she spun and caught Flynn's blade as the Imperial Knight attacked to prevent her from pursuing the then staggering swordsman.
"Lady Estellise," Flynn started, quickly getting beat back by her. "You're stronger than this. Please! Wake up!"
Hearing their encouraging words to the princess, all of the others began saying similar things to her and calling her name. Yuri flinched as he got to his feet, listening to them shouting for her before stepping forward again. Flynn fell back and Yuri took his place, and together they worked on pushing Estelle away from their unarmed allies and toward the far end of the platform where Gameliel remained. Their forward motion was immediately halted when Estelle called forth another powerful spell that flung them across the platform again.
The darkness around her grew in size despite the encouraging calls of her friends, and then with the simple movement of her lips, she called forth black rain that fell upon them all, filling the platform with explosions of powerful energy that took her allies down. Flynn fell back, having already been wounded by one of her explosive attacks, landing on one knee near the others.
Yuri, however, remained standing despite the blows and raced forward again, aimed at preventing her from casting any more magic that harmed those who were defenseless. Estelle clashed swords with him again, and the two were engaged in yet another heated battle.
"Don't do this," Yuri told her, more hushed than before. His voice was tense and firm but filled with unwavering hope. "I know you won't do this. You won't let your life end being used like this. Estelle!"
Attempting to dislodge her weapon from her hands, Yuri slid the blade of Dein Nomos up across her blade, allowing her to graze his shoulder but ultimately running his own blade to her hand. He began to flick his sword down upon the hilt of her shadowy weapon in order to break her grip, but she instead slid her sword straight down and used it as a prop to push herself off the ground.
Breaking free of his vain attempt to disarm her, she landed just behind him and thrust her sword along his side. She missed him but stabbed through the hole that adorned the center of Dein Nomos' blade. Moving her lips, she dropped a powerful spell on Yuri that threw him back and sent Dein Nomos sailing in the other direction. The violet blade landed beside Gameliel, and the leader of the shadows looked down at it briefly before looking up again at the humans who were losing the ability to fight back.
"Estelle!" Yuri yelled again, this time more firm than before.
The princess lunged across the platform, unleashing another spell on him that threw Yuri to the ground. Flynn was on his feet and rushing to his aid, but Estelle closed on the dark-haired swordsman far faster, sword pointed straight at him as she threw her entire weight toward him. Yuri was sitting up and preparing to evade in any way that would preserve his life, but he was in line for a direct hit.
"Yuri!" called out his friends.
All of them were moving now. Repede scampered after Flynn in desperation. Riddick was standing and staggered, flinching but determined to move. Despite the army coming to his aid, Estelle reached Yuri first, the sharp blade of her sword shifting its aim toward his heart. She lunged and landed just in front of him, and he attempted to slide back and out of her way. He did not move fast enough, and she pressed the sword down toward his chest. Her blade halted on bare skin.
As Yuri's eyes widened, Estelle's lips moved again, though this time, sound escaped them.
"Photon," she said in the tiniest voice.
White lights flashed around her and then exploded, blasting her backwards and away from the swordsman she had nearly killed. The black lights surrounding her flickered, and for a moment, an expression of pain washed over her face. Gameliel was as surprised as her allies as they rallied around Yuri with Flynn and Repede in the lead.
"What?" Gameliel snarled, taking a step forward.
Estelle shook her head and returned to her former expressionless self, closing in on Flynn and pounding on him and Repede. With ease, she was able to disarm Repede and send the dog flying again in an explosion of black magic. The canine's dagger disappeared over the edge of the tower, plummeting toward the icy waters that were now beneath them. The princess met swords with Flynn before disarming him as well, stabbing her sword through his thigh before blowing him back in an explosion of energy. Not content to simply harm him, she aimed to kill him. Jumping over him as he fell, she set a foot on his chest and aimed for his head.
And again, her lips moved and words escaped.
"Grand Chariot!" she called out.
White light flashed around her and threw her back, causing her to stagger. Very briefly, the black cloud over her eyes wavered, revealing turquoise beneath. Flinching her eyes shut, she crouched down and cried out weakly before shaking it off, possessed again by the darkness.
"She's attacking herself!" Judith gasped.
"Estelle," Rita breathed, dismayed. She took several steps forward, her eyes filled with concern for her closest friend. "Estelle, wake up! You can fight it!"
"Come on, Estelle!" Karol added, stomping a foot on the ground.
Ignoring their calls, Estelle lunged to attack them all, surrounding herself with a powerful wave of black energy, parting her lips to launch another magic attack upon them. She skidded to a stop, and immediately the black shifted to white.
"Angel Ring!"
A white ring of light closed in around her, then knocked her back and away from them. Estelle dropped the sword made of shadows from her hand and staggered back. Her eyes flickered turquoise again. Shaking her head and gripping her arm, curling in on herself as though in great pain, she flinched and spoke again.
"Holy Lance!"
Lights rained down upon her and continued to press her back. The shadows around her began to crumble.
"No," Gameliel hissed, moving toward her. She was gradually blasting herself towards him, so he did not have to go far.
Estelle's eyes remained turquoise, though darkness still engulfed her body. She flinched and then shook her head, calling out one last time.
"Sacred Penance!"
White light filled the platform, and the injuries on her allies were immediately healed. Gameliel was screaming behind the sound of her white energy filling the air. Her own magic rained down upon her and knocked her to her knees. She dropped one hand to the ground and kept the other to her chest. Looking up at her allies on the far end of the platform, she clenched her teeth and closed her eyes, whispering words rapidly to herself.
The crystals then worn by Yuri, Riddick, and Repede began to glow, surprising their owners and those standing nearby. As Gameliel reached Estelle and reached a hand over her head, Estelle finished the incantation she had spoken to herself. A brilliant barrier erupted from the crystals worn by her friends, wrapping them in a protective shell.
"No!" Gameliel growled, viciously.
The shadow creature hovered his hand over Estelle's head and called forth his dark magic, causing her to scream and crumble underneath it. At once, the darkness around her grew more powerful than ever before, and her eyes were clouded by black once again.
"Estelle!" Rita called out.
"Submit to me, Child of the Full Moon," Gameliel hissed, tightening his fingers inward and calling on more black energy to engulf the princess.
Estelle screamed and then grew silent again. No longer in pain, she rose to her feet, created another shadow sword in her hand, and then lunged toward the barrier. Ferociously attacking it and launching black magic attacks upon it, she caused it to flicker and waver. The people trapped within her barrier looked up in bewilderment before Yuri stepped forward to the edge of the wall separating them from the princess. He pressed his hands against a very solid wall, and Estelle immediately attacked where he touched, attempting to reach him.
"Estelle," Yuri said, calmly. "Alexei took away your free will once, and you beat him. We may have been there, but that was all you. That was your choice! Your resolve! "
His words did not reach her, and she persisted in attacking the barrier he pressed his palms against. He did not waver, meeting her black eyes with his own. Even as the barrier began to flicker and crack under his touch, he did not flinch.
"You're strong enough to beat this!" he yelled at her, his voice firm. "Fight back! Estelle!"
Black pierced through the barrier, shattering the protection just above Yuri's head. The swordsman staggered back in surprise, watching as she slipped her black sword through and began to tear away at what was currently protecting them from her.
From the tip of her sword, she launched black magic into the barrier, creating an explosion that battered all of those trapped inside what was intended to protect. Estelle reeled back to attack the barrier again, but her lips uttered another spell that cast white magic upon herself, knocking her back again.
"Stop!" Gameliel hissed, approaching her again.
"Stop, Estelle!" Rita called out, dragging herself to her feet and rushing to the barrier. "You'll kill yourself!"
Estelle staggered, reeling from the attack, and then shook herself off. Black energy flickering around her, she dove across the platform and stabbed her sword into the barrier again, casting another powerful black spell. This one created a massive explosion within the barrier, and the sheer force of it blasted most of the protective wall to pieces. What remained of it lingered and slowly began to crumble away. As she landed on the ground and stepped forward to attack and completely destroy the collapsing wall and her targets beyond it, she uttered words again.
"Holy Lance! Grand Chariot! Angel Ring!"
A radiant display of white magic threw her back, shadows crumbling away from her under the brilliance of the light. Her eyes flickered and became turquoise again. As shadows faded away, injuries to human flesh became far more apparent. Nonetheless, the princess raised her head and looked first to her friends, all collapsed on the far side of the platform and struggling to rise after her attack. Then, she turned and looked to Gameliel, who was approaching her with every intent of casting shadows upon her again. Finally, her eyes landed on Dein Nomos, still discarded and not far from her.
Taking a deep and painful breath, the princess looked up at Gameliel in defiance.
"Nohea decided to destroy you," breathed the princess, her eyes unwavering even as he drew near. "And she told me how. The only way…" Her voice was breaking up slightly, her body weak.
Slowly, she slid her hand across the ground and took hold of Dein Nomos.
"No…!" Gameliel hissed again, throwing out a hand to reach her.
Shadows overwhelmed her again, but this time, they did not overpower her. Despite the pain it inflicted upon her, she slowly climbed to her feet. As she rose, her allies were finally pulling themselves up. Those who were able to stand helped the others up until all of them were on their feet. Yuri staggered and gasped for air, having the wind knocked out of him. He took several steps forward, watching as Estelle stood against Gameliel's darkness in defiance.
"I know how to reach you…" Estelle said to the monster made of shadows at her side.
"No!" roared the former Entelexeia, casting every ounce of darkness upon her he could muster.
Estelle did not waver. Slowly, she shifted the weapon in her grasp. The blade of Dein Nomos turned to gold within her hands, even as she turned and pointed it at herself. Turquoise eyes fell upon the golden blade before filling with tears. Slowly, she lifted her head and found her allies across the platform.
Wide eyes met hers, and her actions took the breath from every single one of her companions. The sword Flynn had been holding clattered to the ground as he lost the strength to hold it.
"Estelle…?" Yuri started.
At first, he took a few small steps. His entire body felt numb, and his chest tightened. Breathing became impossible. His eyes met hers. Even from such great distance, he could tell from her expression that she had made her choice. And then his hesitant walk turned into a run.
Everything happened in slow motion. Yuri and the others were too far away. There was too little time. Even so, Yuri ran. And though he was not aware of it at the moment, the others were only a split second behind him. The barrier was crumbling, and there was nothing standing in their way anymore.
Nothing except distance.
"Don't do it!" Yuri screamed.
It all felt surreal and as if he had no control over his own body. He found himself unable to think, unable to breathe. All he could do was run.
"I'm sorry," Estelle said, tears running down her cheeks. She offered one last smile to her friends… to her family. "Please don't let it trouble you."
Yuri lunged forward and stretched out his hand in desperation. He was yelling, and everyone behind him was yelling.
It was just too far.
The princess steadied the blade of her sword at her chest, aiming for her heart. And then, in one swift motion and with a sad smile on her face, she ran herself through.