Chapter 70 - That's Her Fate Then

In the middle of the dark forest, Niran was confronted by a big bronze Scorpion, he realized to whom that flickering belonged.

"Why do you have to be the one, Ruth?!" Niran evaded all the sting from his tail and attacks it with its pincers.

"I should end this quickly" Niran wrapped his fist in Golden Flames and smashed the scorpion's exoskeleton.

"So it l wasn't just color, its exoskeleton was really made of bronze." Niran's flame slowly spread the scorpion's whole body and the scorpion, dropped down and vanished in a gleaming green magus circle.

"As expected that was a spirit she must've summoned them to keep a guard of her domain, but her spirits weren't this weak before, also now her mana has gotten more swoon from before, something isn't right." Niran marched in the direction he felt Ruth mana coming from.

-- Niran - PoV --

The more I close to her, the better I felt her mana, 

Normal people should have continuously glowing mana in my hunting vision, but her mana is behaving different, her mana is now blinking slowly, 

don't tell me! 

'Ruth be safe!' Niran hurried through vines and bushes to search for her position, and in the end, his steps came to halt in front of a cave.

She's inside the cave, her mana has gotten weaker. I should finish this now.

"Wait, prince!" A woman's voice came from above the cave, a woman dressed in long blue clothes was standing upon it.

'This aura… you are one of Ruth's summons aren't you?' 

She was gazing at me with her sparkling blue 

eyes, "prince I am not sure if you are aware of her situation or not but I request you to please turn away and leave lady Ruth alone, that's what she asked." 

'I have seen you somewhere, what's your name?'

She possesses a spiritual mana essence, she is a high spirit, I never fought one before I know they are unbelievably strong.

"My name is Aurora, I am a servant of Lady Ruth, a guardian spirit." She answered with high pride, 

Aurora?! Out of all of them, why does she have to be the one in front of me? Though I can't back down now, she may be strong but noticing Ruth's mana I don't need to put much effort, I could put up with her till the first seal, but I won't be able to hold the first seal longer, I already continuously used so much mana.

'Well then Aurora I am afraid but I have to take down your master and claim her domain, so I hope you are ready for a battle.'

"Aren't you optimistic, sure you are stronger than lady Ruth but don't forget, we spirit also has a trump card under our sleeves, in the worst-case scenario, I would crush you like an ice cube boy." She neared the menacing gaze and sighed, 

"Though I must refrain now, but if you still insist on fighting then you leave me no choice if she won't be able to win then I'll put you out of the contest also." 

Suddenly a cold blizzard stormed at me, I was pushed back for many steps and so cold that if it was a normal human, he would've gone down with hypothermia. It wasn't an attack but it was just her mana radiation.

Aurora was blazing in shades of crystal blues and glinting green "I am sorry lady Ruth, but it looks like that's it for us, but rest assured I will fulfill your last-"

"Niraaaaaaan!!!" A loud scream echoed through the forest and interrupted Aurora.

This voice! How did he catch up to me?!

I was flying faster than human eyes can observe, yet still, he caught up and found me?

Rise Kier, you are hiding something, aren't you?

***

"Now who is he?" Aurora focused her vision in the direction from where the voice came.

Niran stood there in bewildered after hearing the scream, slowly the morning sunlight reached the land and Aaris emerged from the dark woods, 

Aurora finally saw Aaris and jerked in fright, 

-- Aurora - PoV --

This boy, how is he alive? I have seen many souls in the mortal realm for hundreds of years, but he…

He isn't like anyone I have seen so far.

How is he still alive when he doesn't have a soul?

Even still there is something inside him, 

neither living nor dead, 

Neither conscious nor somnolent, his mana doesn't belong to the mortal world, I need to avoid him.

***

"Just stop!" Aaris jumped from the tree and landed in front of Niran.

"Eh?" Aurora got confused, "Boy, who are you? Are you on his team?" 

"Yes, I am in his team and my name is-

woah! Are you one of the high spirits? Well I am not that surprised to see you here but I can't believe my eyes, there was one of the candidates, who is capable of summoning a high spirit!" 

Aaris eyes shone brightly with the sight of Aurora, 

"Well, of course, Lady Ruth is not just like other candidates, I am Aurora, Lady Ruth's guardian spirit,  but have you also come with an ill intent to hurt her?" Aurora was not dropping her guard but preserved her mana and ceased the blizzard.

"Did you say, Ruth? What happened to her? Don't tell me she is the king of this domain? But where is she? Ruth, where are you?" Aaris started yelling, 

-- Aaris - PoV --

Ruth?! This must be the worst turn of events, I have to stop Niran somehow, 

'Ruth!' 

"Stop yelling." Niran grabbed my shoulder, "Why are you here?" 

'Isn't it obvious, I was worried! Who knows what kind of enemy you are facing, and look my fear came true! There is a guardian spirit standing in front of you!' If had come a minute later, she would've folded him in her handkerchief.

"That's true, but don't worry, the heavens have favored us, she might not be able to stay in the mortal realm for much longer," Niran smirked.

'What are you-'

"This voice? Rise? Are you...are you here?" A faint stuttering voice came from the cave.

'Ruth are you inside?' 

"Lady Ruth! Go inside you stupid brat! I told you not to move! Go inside!" Aurora started stomping the cave.

With the help of the cave sides, Ruth came outside but fell down the moment she came into the open air.

"Ruth!" Aurora jumped from the cave and picked her up in her lap, "I told you to stay inside why did you come outside, I move then the poison will-" 

"I will be fine! You just worry...worry too much Aurora, besides grandma would get angry if I don't face them and lose like this!" Ruth huffed slowly, her skin had gotten pale and she was in pain.

'Ruth, what happened to you?'

"She was attacked by her own teammates! In order to get more points by becoming the king, they used that Cold promotion thing! First, they earned her trust by fighting together against many other teams but in the end, they showed their true colors." 

Aurora squinted and condemned them, she looked at us but her emotions didn't change, 

"Just like every other human! They attacked her when her guard was down, each one of them! continuously in the end there was the one who was using Takshak magia, she used her strongest spell and poisoned her, I managed to defeat them all, but some of Takshak magia spells can't be cured without high Dryad assistance, right now the poison in her body is eroding her mana."

"That's why her mana essence was flickering, and you are strong as before, the mana she was harnessing with you got weaker and weaker, and that's why, that explains that weak scorpion and no other spirits around, but not just mana, her circulatory and nervous system is also affected!" Niran didn't flinch or have an ounce of empathy for her in his eyes, but I may know the reason behind it.

'Niran, don't tell me you are still planning to fight her.'

"Rise, as I said it is for the best for our team and for her also, she doesn't have much longer-" Niran spoke coldly.

***

Aurora gently held Ruth in her lap but didn't have much choice but to sit and listen to them,

"You all huma-" Aurora bit her lips, 

"Niran! You are going to be king one day right? Have you lost your pride even as a man to attack a wounded person?" Aaris was furious and yanked the collar of Niran.

"It's for her best! If I defeat her, she'll go back to her region, and somebody will probably find her and take her to the beach." Niram grabbed Aaris wrist and jerked and released himself.

"But if you attack her now she'll probably lose much more mana! We don't even know if she'll make it there alive or not, let alone the possibility of someone finding her!" Aaris's tone became solemn.

"Then that's her fate then!" Niran smiled.

"You!"