BXBX NOVEL Chapter 221 Reminiscence
-- POV General --
On the great grassy plain in front of the city of Elysium, a most incredible and unexpected spectacle was taking place, courtesy of the Empress herself. During the Empire's first funeral, seeing the distress of its citizens, Freya had allowed herself to try something brand new. With the help of her soul-related skill and her mastery of mana in all its strengths, she had finally created a whole new skill.
During the entire process, the Empress had had her eyes closed, concentrating to a point where even her current intelligence had struggled to keep up. It had all happened in her mental palace where she had visualized each step with perfect control of the amount of mana. It hadn't been easy, in fact, it had been very exhausting both physically and mentally, but all her efforts had paid off in the end.
Before the shocked eyes of every soldier and citizen, the bodies of the 478 warriors lying under the white sheets, had begun to glow intensely with a beautiful golden light. Then, as if traveling through all their limbs, it had stopped at the level of their heart before coming out of their chest in the form of a sphere of ice. After the shock and incomprehension, the people looked up at their Empress.
Freya had stood there, motionless, breathtakingly calm as her wolf attributes disappeared, her hair turned red and a demonic, icy aura filled the plain. These balls of ice were Freya's work, and even if no one understood right away what she was doing, soon enough the warriors, the families, the citizens could see the result.
"Freya, did...did you just do that ?!"
"I-Incredible onee-san !"
"M-Mommy..."
The Empress' demonstration of power was over and although her eyes were still closed, she could hear Gaya, Kira and Shiro exclaiming. She had used a huge amount of MPs and needed a few seconds but the power that emanated from the plain was palpable. Freya didn't know what her little experiment looked like yet but she felt with all her being that she had succeeded.
"Y-Your Highness..."
"This is..."
Gradually, after an imperial silence, the voices began to rise into the sky, one, then two, then ten, before hundreds of voices echoed. Cries of surprise, tears, heartbeats accelerating, the smell of tears and an aura of joyful sadness floated in the air. All this the she-wolf heard, felt, lived it and so it was with curiosity that she finally opened her eyes.
"Incredible..."
It was now Freya's own turn to be amazed at what she had just created with such determination. Everything was beyond her expectations and it wasn't hard to understand how powerful the skill she had just created was. Reminiscence...like memories brought back to life for a few moments, an army of ice soldiers stood there, hand on heart
"These are..."
"A physical image of the fallen warriors yes..."
The ice spheres formed from each body, once infused with the half-soul that belonged to it, had all taken on a form corresponding to its former host. Thus, the soldiers who had died a few hours ago had reappeared thanks to the enormous power the Empress held. There were beastmen, half-humans, and hybrids, and all of them stood by their loved ones for the very last time.
They were facing Empress Lucifer in her demon form showing immense gratitude for the one who had brought them back, even for a short time. However, the ice that formed them evaporated on contact with the air, a sign that the countdown had already begun. They were only memories, half-souls that had left the realm of the living...a reminiscence of the past that could not remain indefinitely.
"J-Julia, it's me !"
"M-My son...you..."
"My love, we are here ! Y-You recognize us ?"
While the ice soldiers were still motionless like statues saluting the ruler while those around them were far from it. Their loved ones, past the shock, were rushing to engage in conversation, spurred on by this new event that some called divine. To see one last time those they had thought they would never see again, to be able to say a final goodbye...that was what Freya wanted to offer them.
Shaking her head at the 478 brave men and women, as if she had just activated them by recognizing their movement of respect, they finally began to move. One by one they turned to their loved ones, each having a different reaction to those who had come to mourn them. Hugs, smiles, caresses, but no words came out of their mouths, no sounds, which confirmed what Freya had been thinking all along.
This new skill called Reminiscence, although she did not know the full extent of its possibilities, was only one representation of the person. Nothing was real, and even if part of their soul was locked in the ice, the real people were gone. Their inability to speak was proof enough for the demoness who was now asking herself lots of questions in silence.
Although their physical state and their soul were only linked for a short time, did they still have the same intelligence and strength as before ? What would happen if she decided to use souls that were still alive ? Not to mention whether she could have any control. Freya could not help but think of many things while her still unknown past remained in the corner of her mind.
Lucifer Nightshade...an ancient Goddess but not just any Goddess since the two elements that made her powerful were none other than: Blood and Death. In her mind, Reminiscence was linked to the second one because although she couldn't bring the dead back to life, it was very close. Shaking her head to clear her mind, the Empress looked up again to enjoy the moment of exception putting it all off.
On the plain, the soldiers still alive, the families, the friends...all without any exception were crying their eyes out, aware that this moment was ephemeral. Yet, what the Empress could hear was the sound of joyful hearts that despite the pain, felt like they were living a dream. The scene was warm, filled with a sweet melancholy as no one could ignore their bodies that were slowly dispersing.
"How long do they have ?"
"Probably five to ten minutes at most..."
"That's short...very short to say goodbye to someone precious..."
The silence on the Imperial side of the family had been broken by Gaya and Kira who were watching the scene with a sad rather than happy look for a very good reason. The two women could not help but imagine themselves in the place of those people and the beauty of this moment made the sadness more acute. The dragoness for having experienced this with her entire family felt even more understanding though slightly worried.
"Freya, this is great but...this skill still looks dangerous"
"Mmmh, I know."
The Reminiscence skill was not physically dangerous at first glance since the Empress could control it to a certain degree. What Gaya meant by that was that it could affect people psychologically and eat away at their insides. To be able to say goodbye to those you love was a privilege, the Queen knew this better than anyone who had never been able to do so.
Yet it was also very difficult to let them go, especially if magic could bring them back for even a few minutes. The mind and the heart were the source of many beautiful things like compassion, courage, love, and loyalty but also desire, greed or even...madness. This was Freya who knew better than anyone else having observed the same humans in two different lives.
"I think I know how you did that, it's only temporary and even if all the citizens begged you, you couldn't do it again. It is a magical moment and I am happy that you have done this for our people despite the exhaustion that you try to hide. However, promise me one thing Freya..."
"What is that ? I can..."
The dragoness dressed in black, carrying her two newborn children in each of her arms then raised her head revealing a serious face. At that moment, the Empress could not utter a single word, respectfully waiting for what her wife had to say. The Queen's piercing amber eyes were locked in hers sending shivers down her spine as Gaya opened her mouth to continue.
"Please Freya, promise me that you will not use this magic lightly or abuse it until you understand its full function. The most lost and fragile minds could become obsessed with such magic, but you already know that. I know you are responsible and would never do anything to harm us or the Empire but..."
"..."
"But when I think about what you just did...I feel like a ball in my stomach. This new skill is amazing like everything else you do, but it gives me the creeps. I...I have no explanation, I don't know why it scares me so much it's just my dragon intuition."
The Queen's fiery look at her last words had changed to a melancholy, distant look as Freya guessed she was thinking about the past. A soft sad smile was on her face a bit as if she was forcing herself to smile as the strength of her feelings was about to boil over. Not being able to bear to see her wife in this state, without even thinking the she-wolf approached closer to hug her without saying a word.
While the hugs and goodbyes were still more fervent, at the entrance to the city, the Empress hugged a Queen in the grip of the demons of her past. However, a few seconds later, the dragoness found her bright face, unable to forget that her family was with her. As Gaya wiped a small drop from the corner of her eye, Freya pulled away before replying with a rare soft voice.
"You don't know why this skill scares you so much, but you know you're one of the people I trust the most. I promise. I promise to be careful and follow your recommendations."
"T-Thank you Freya."
"As you wish my Queen fufu~"
While the she-wolf and the dragoness laughed softly as if they were alone in their world, two small hands came and grabbed their clothes simultaneously. Shiro, who had been silent until now, had attracted their attention from the top of her one meter. Of course, as always, knowing this feeling she had felt her mother's sadness and had rushed to ask in her own way if everything was alright.
"M-Mom ? Are you sad ? Are you still thinking about grandpa and grandma ?"
Since the little moon of the Empire had learned about Gaya's past, she had decided to acknowledge her grandparents even without having known them. This had touched the dragoness immensely, who had her heart a little more soothed to know that they would not be forgotten. Shaking her head with a smile, the Queen would then answer her, followed by two new and rather unexpected callers.
"Sweetheart~ I'm fine please don't worry, that's very sweet. I was indeed thinking about your grandfather and grandmother but my sadness was only temporary."
"Gaaagahaha !!!"
"Boooyahaha !!!"
Tyle and Altaïs in the dragoness' arms were shaking their little dragon wings while waving their little hands closed like fists. They had very big adorable smiles up to their ears and seemed to be talking even though no one could understand them. At that moment, the entire Imperial family present began to smile back, amused and under the spell of these two little creatures as bright as two stars.
"I think these two living stuffed animals that are way too cute for my own good are trying to say something, but what ? Could it be a language that only the cute beings of this earth know ? Shiro my little sugar niece, translate !"
It was Kira's turn to come out of nowhere, circling Gaya watching her two nephews carefully with a look of complete wonder. She had one hand under her chin and couldn't help but move right, left, up, down as if trying to figure out the secret of their language. The little white-haired Princess would then start laughing under her aunt's antics before responding.
"Hihihi~ Auntie, they speak baby that's why you can't understand. Besides, I can't understand either, I haven't been a baby for long !"
Not knowing if she should sulk or feel proud, Shiro opted for both by taking her famous position that made her family melt. Putting her two fists on her hips, bulging her chest, she smiled not without sulking a little making her cheeks even chubbier than usual. The whole Imperial family was laughing, proving that the atmosphere was joyful again, while in the distance the last statues disappeared.
The sky was a scarlet red as the last farewell was said thanks to the power of the Empress who had given them this moment. The first funeral of the Empire had ended as the last piece of ice had evaporated. Neither Freya nor Gaya knew if the demonstration of such skill would do any harm, but the salty smiles of their citizens were enough to allay their fears.
One thing was certain, no one would forget that afternoon when rather than a speech the Imperial family had knelt and the lights of Elysium's protective warriors had gone out under a blazing sky.
___
FULL STATUS
Names : Freya / Lucifer Nightshade
Age : 0 years old / Mentally : 25 years old
Sex : Female
Course: Ice Demon Wolf of Chaos - Adult
Race : Imperial Demon
Titles :
- Demon Goddess of Primordial Blood and Death (former - until all powers are recovered) - 20%.
- Wrathful Lucifer (7th Sin) - Master of the uniques Sins Demons (to unlock it, please gather the other 6 - 3/6 - (locked)
- Dragon tamer
- Ruthless slayer
Level : 45/70
Exp needed for next level: 0 / 46 000
HP : 163 000 / 170 000 MP : 66 000 / 85 000. BLOOD : 100 / 100
Strength: 560
Defense : 560
Agility : 566
Endurance: 563
Speed : 562
Intelligence: 560
Charisma: 500 (imperial she-wolf)
Attribute points to allocate : 600
Married to : Gaya Nightshade
Daughter : Shiro Nightshade
Twins (son & daughter) : Tyle & Altaïs Nightshade
Little sister : Kira Nightshade (Greedy Fox)
Big sister : Kalaa Nightshade
Empire (menu)
Subordinates: 2239
Humans killed: 153
Souls: 2/3
Elements: Ice / Chaos (Freya) - Blood / Death (Lucifer)
Skills (all):
Attacks :
- Demon Claws (Lvl 5)
- Bite of hell (Lvl 6)
- Infernal ice spikes (Lvl 6)
- Fighting techniques (Lvl max)
- Mastery of the katana (lvl max)
- Demonic Empress aura (lvl 7)
Défense :
- Ice demon wall (Lvl 6)
- Demonic Cloak (lvl 5)
- Pain Resistance (lvl 6)
Attack/Defense :
- Domain of the Ice Empress "Frozen Wrath" (lvl 4)
- Death Gaze (lvl 1)
Others :
- Humanoid form
- Demonic form (linked to the title so incomplete) - 20%.
- Ice creation (Lvl 6)
- Detection and control of mana (lvl 6)
- Storage of chaos (Lvl 4)
- Devouring Chaos (Lvl 5)
- Master of Souls (lvl 3)
- Lucifer's Threads of Blood (lvl 3)
- Healing Blood (lvl 3)
- Analysis
- Telepathy
Passives :
- Commander (lvl max)
- Natural Aura of the Ice Empress ]