While Zanthrix and Zariel were facing off the demon, Shika was still under the spell that continued separating her from reality, dragging her consciousness into the vast sea of illusion.
Her body stood still. Her eyes were lifeless and her consciousness drowned further and so on.
When she opened her eyes, she saw her child self running towards her parents who were probably on a picnic—or at least it appeared that way. They were in their human appearance.
"Look, Mommy! I’ve prepared a crown for you." Little Shika exclaid with joy as she was holding a crown crafted magnificently from ice. Even when she was young, she was very talented. The subtle architecture of the crown proved it otherwise.
"My, my. What a lovely present you have there, Shika." Yuukina mumbled, patting Shika gently, "This is the most beautiful present I’ve ever received. You’ve done a wonderful job, my precious!"
"Didn’t I, heh-heh!" Shika laughed joyfully.
"Absolutely!" Hiba joined, "You’re using your powers with a different perspective. I’m proud of you."
The family was having a good ti on their vacation.
Older Shika stood there and watched them having joyful monts. Seeing them, Shika was about to let out a warm smile, but then it happened.
The mories seemingly the reality that Shika wanted to last forever, shattered within a re instant. Shika’s sapphire-like eyes which were about to ease a bit, turned helpless. Her happiness turned into despair without delay.
"No...No...No....NO!!!!"
She scread, trying to keep it that way but it was inevitable. The fall of the Iceborns. It was inevitable.
The other clans beca rebellious. That included Shika’s mother too, who didn’t flinch to forsake Hiba and the rest of the clans, including Shika herself.
They abandoned them and left.
Older Shika felt the sa agony she had been suffering for years now. It hurt her more. It was like a trauma that was hard to forget even with therapy for decades. It ached her heart deep inside.
She was about to cry but held herself back as the Superior Seraphyll of ice had given the premonition. It was a new hope and probably the one that would help them revive their clan.
"And so I decided to look for the Fallen Heir," Shika murmured as she saw herself waiting years for the person—going through the sa day over and over, fighting the beasts over and over.
Then she finally t him. She saw the day when Zanthrix arrived. She was happy—probably happier than anyone in this world. But she held her emotions back and invited him to their clan.
Shika’s mories, one after another, ca and vanished as if soone had started the biography on a film tape and she was the only audience who kept watching the agonizing monts over and over.
Her emotions tangled with each clip passing by. She was on the verge of utter despair. Even the joyful mories she had once shared with Zanthrix and Zariel began to ache with a quiet, unbearable sorrow. She couldn’t help it.
Her tears were about to admit defeat as well.
Suddenly, a mory flashed before her eyes, shaping itself into a reality she hadn’t faced yet—but sothing inside her sensed it would co soon. Hence, it was no different from any reality she had been in.
"This is ridiculous! The whole reclamation thing is nothing but a waste of my ti, Shika." Zanthrix told her with pitiful eyes. "If there are issues within your clans, that has to be resolved within yourselves. You cannot expect a third party to bring reclamation for you. I have my ambitions and I need to fulfill them. If I stay with you any longer, I won’t reach my goals. You’re just dragging behind."
It wasn’t sothing Zanthrix would tell her—not even in a million years. She knew it. She knew Zanthrix wouldn’t say such words.
Yet, deep down in her heart, she believed. The fragnt of illusion before her, she believed in it. It felt strongly real to her.
’No, please no. Don’t say such a thing, Zanthrix.’ She cried, but those words never ca out and continued hurting her throat as if they were stuck like an unforgettable regret—neither could she let it go, nor could she accept.
She cried.
She cried and cried—like the griefs she had been bottling within her heart were struggling to blast away but couldn’t. Her chest was heavy and she couldn’t do but cry.
***
Shika fell victim to the illusion the demon had cast upon her. Her senses were dead and the illusion seed an unavoidable reality to her.
It eventually entangled her and twisted her sentints too much. Like the demon had said, she was on the brink of utter despair.
At this rate, even breathing felt a burden to her. She was giving up on everything. Reclamation felt irrelevant at this point. She was prepared to give up on it too.
"I have faith in you."
A sudden chunk of mory that had been suppressed by the illusionary realities, flashed back. She rembered.
When the dusk sky was drawing a pleasant atmosphere and Shika was hanging, one hand stuck on the icy wall and the other embracing Zanthrix, Shika rembered it.
Of course, it was fragile and had been overwheld by the trendous illusions. However, it wasn’t easy to forget.
"I have faith in you."
They weren’t just a bunch of words Zanthrix had said on his whims. They were real. They were Zanthrix’s honest thoughts. It made Shika unimaginably happy.
Shrouded by the fake illusions and bounded by those uncountable threads of doubtful realities, Shika opened her eyes.
"That’s it. Zanthrix has faith in and only that matters to ." She mumbled, "I don’t care if we can bring reclamation or not. I don’t care if he’ll say those cruel words or not. I don’t care. I JUST DON’T CARE!"
She sighed.
"He has faith in and I have to live up to his faith." She scread and the first thread fell apart. "I WILL LIVE UP TO THE FAITH HE HAS IN ."
With a strong pull, she tried overcoming the overwhelming illusion. It felt as if her bones were shattering one after another, her muscles were tearing apart one after another and her nerves were overloading with burning sensation.
Yet, she refused to give up.
With just the truest she had in Zanthrix, she refused to believe any of those illusionary realities. With just her sheer will, she overca the obstacles and finally broke out of the spell.
When it happened, she was holding the Frost Daiken.
Yes, it might have two fragnts to acquire its original state, but there was an inconspicuous line that completed the sword montarily.
The magical powers flowing from it were imnse. It surged through Shika as well. With half of its original capabilities, it was still akin to sothing that surpassed the SSS-Grade.
"Where’s Zanthrix?"
With the newfound power—montarily or not, Shika scanned the cave and found nothing.
Then there was a powerful electric blast outside that caught her attention.
"What was that?" She tightened the hilt of the half-katana, "That blast, it has to be Zariel. Are they outside?"
As she told herself, she dashed towards the source.
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