Chapter 73 - Between Life & Death

"Rise!!" Aurora cried out, 

"I… told you… I am fine," Aaris tried to sit up, and then taking support of cave walls he stood up and walked close to Aurora.

-- Aurora - PoV --

Rise walked up to me and said, 

"Now, shall we go?"

How can he help her in such a state! He is in a worse condition than her, many of his bones are broken, many blue swellings, several scrapes, and deep wounds, wherever I see there is blood, moreover, he was burned by Golden Flames, normal healing or recovery won't help him.

How can l let him do this? 

'Rise listen to me, I don't think you should push yourself-'

"Didn't I say I am alright? Don't worry too much, they are just normal bruises, anyway, we don't have much time." He opened his arms, with a bright smile on his face, 

I can't bear to look at him like this, I want to stop him but… 'Lady Ruth'

*ping!*

_____

——» Rise Kier has lost the status of King to Niran Omer Azeiheil «—— 

——» Your all points are reset to zero «—— 

——» You will be teleported to your assigned region «——

______

"Damn, I wanted to save my energy." He chuckled, 

A wrap magus circle appeared upon him and lowered to swallow him, 

Does that mean the whole suffering he went through would go to waste? Once he'll be wrapped he won't reach here in time, No, it can't be! 

At last, my tears broke, I started sniffling and my tears fell down on lady Ruth's cold face, I wiped them off her but they kept coming.

'Rise, it's okay, don't worry, just go and don't think too much, there is no-' a warm sensation caressed my hair, it was Rise he was patting my head.

"I'll make this quick don't worry," The wrap gate was a few inches away from his head, and then something unusual happened, 

Rise breathed took some deep breath and closed his, then uttered 

[ ROUGE FLOW ]

[ POSSESSION! ]

His whole body burst in violet black smoke, his body looked like sizzling in black flames, then I looked at the wrap gate circle above his head, the smoke touched the circle and it swallowed the gate instead!

He… he swallowed a wrapping void? Is this even possible?!

Slowly the smoke got thinner and absorbed in his body, strange veins like markings appeared on his skin and each of his wounds was still oozing smoke like they were on the blaze.

He opened his eyes a little, gazed at me, his eyes which were entirely scarlet before, now have a violet crescent at the lower of his iris, and his pupil slit horizontally.

His whole presence turned into the embodiment of depravity and anguish.

Without knowing I started trembling, but I calmed myself and raised Lady Ruth's head.

'Can I trust you with her?' 

"If you don't believe me, then there is nothing I can do in the given time to earn your trust, now hand her over, or else don't blame me if something happens to her." Rise way of speaking is completely different than before! 

'I… I-'  my voice was stuck in my throat, I don't want to trust Lady Ruth with her, it's not Rise!

"Au...Aurora, its alr..." Ruth grabbed my hand and spoke, her voice became much fainter and she stopped speaking, 

***

''Lady Ruth!-''  Aurora shrieked in a wail, Ruth's heartbeats were close to being stopped, Aurora was able to feel them.

Slowly Aurora's presence became fainter too, 

"Seems like she's on the rope's end, you were using your mana to stay here right, but if she does your contract gate will vanish and you'll be sent back to your realm, looking at your presence it won't take longer than 10 minutes for the gate to vanish."  Aaris became more calm and relaxed than before, 

Aurora has wrapped concussion and cried out, she bit her lips, and stood up Ruth in her arms, 

"Please… save her." She raised her weeping eyes, 

Looking at her Aaris smirked, "well ain't this was the plan from the start!" Aaris slipped his hand under Ruth and took her in his own arms and pulled her close to his chest.

"Don't just go back and take some rest, you are probably going to need it." Aaris turned his back to her and walked out of the cave, Aurora clenched his thumb in her fist and wiped her tears, and then opened the gate of the spirit realm.

"Well then, see ya!" Aaris swept his foot back and pressed, shattered the ground, and took a great straight leap in the air, and disappeared from Aurora's sight. 

"He is fast! But the distance is too great, though maybe… maybe he can make it!" She clapped her cheeks assuring herself and went back into the spirit realm.

Leaping branch to branch, Aaris swiftly crossed several miles in a minute, 

"Ris...Rise" Ruth tried to raise her hand and hold the Aaris coat, but her hand dropped, and her breathing was more heftier now,

"Don't talk, we'll be there in a minute, and after you are cured you can thank me all you want." Aaris kicked the wind and bolted straight to the north, he passed from above of  many candidates like lighting, most of them didn't even realize what happened but Luke who was in the Throne, saw Aaris,

"Rise?! No it's not Rise, something is off, and is that Ruth? His speed is incredible; rather, he could easily rival his majesty in speed. I didn't know he possessed such power! But where are they heading?" Luke catches his glimpse and was awed for a while.

In just 2 minutes Aaris covered 34 kilometers and reached the coast. 

He slid in the coastal sand and came to a halt.

"Phew, well that's going to hurt me for weeks now, let's just get over it." Aaris sighed, 

And a red window appeared in front of him, 

_____

——» Warning! «—— 

——» Rise Kier  «——

——» You are in the restricted zone, you are recommended to head to continue to the game. «—— 

——»  Otherwise, you will be eliminated and shall be teleported back in the Academy «——

——» You have 30 seconds to return.  «—— 

______

"Man! 30 more seconds! Hurry up, you lazy system!" Aaris was tapping the ground anxiously.

--- Aaris - PoV --

Ruth's condition is getting worse with each second, and my form is tearing up my insides, this dreadful mana heaving my consciousness plus Niran has already beaten the crap out of me, I can't hold on for much longer.

_____

——» Your Time is up!  «—— 

——» Candidates is being wrapped back to Academy «—— 

______

Finally!

A large magus circle appeared beneath my feet and shone brightly, and in mere seconds we were wrapped back in front of Atlas tomb.

I closed my eyes from the flash and when I opened it the sight of Academy was in front of me, the yard was empty, then I should call someone to help then,

'I am. back! Now then is anyone here?!' I screamed out loud, but nothing besides my voice echoed back to me.

'I should probably take her by myself -" I raised my foot with some strength left in me but suddenly felt a great and strong aura radiating from behind,

"Wait! Aaris!" I recognized this voice and turned to it in relief, it was Tara standing on top of the Atlas tomb.

"Oh Lady Tara! Great to see you here can you please, " I felt giddied up when she was treading at me,

"Don't move from your place Rise Kier!" Tara yelled at him and came down, she was looking down at me clutching her fist.

***

Tara placed her hand on her forehead and shook her head slowly in disappointment, she walked slowly to Aaris, he looked at her and flinched after seeing her sour expression, 

"What do you?-" Aaris tried to ask what happened to her but Tara thrashed a strong punch in the gut avoiding Ruth, 

Aaris was sent flying and crashed to the wall behind, Ruth who was jerked from his hand in the air, Tara gently caught her.

"Just what the fuck is inside you?" Tara brushed Ruth's hair from her face and glared at Aaris,

"Lady… Tara…" Uttering with the last of the strength he had in him, he passed out, and mana that covered him disappeared along with it.

"I had high hopes for you lad, but in the end, you gave up everything, now rest until you are good enough to die again." Tara clicked her tongue and walked away from him, "Ahren!"

"Don't yell I am here, I can't fly as fast as you can." Following Tara's voice, Ahren came out from a wrap gate and appeared in front of her.

Ahren took a peek at Ruth in the arms of Tara and squinted, 

"Take a look at Ruth, is this what you wanted?" Tara yelled at Ahren, 

Ahren pulled Ruth from Tara's hand and walked back to wrap gate, 

"What happened to her was her fault, don't put your nose in our family matters, Tara!" Ahren spoke in a cold voice and went inside.

And thus Aaris was disqualified from The Grand Selection.