I Became My Healer Elf Character - Chapter 99

Chapter 99: A Sister’s Final Smile

By the time Amelia arrived at the ship, the sun had started creeping down the horizon. The goddess landed on the port side and was greeted by an elven goddess.

“Good afternoon,” Hikari said, “I’m surprised you came so quickly. And what about Akari and the kids?”

“You should already know, but they left safely towards your domain. I urge you not to mess with me right now. I want to figure out the strategy for dealing with my sister.”

Hikari sighed. “There’s no need to be so serious about it at the moment.”

“What do you mean? I’ve been anticipating such a thing for centuries.”

“That’s exactly why you need to relax. You’re so high strung like a rubber band. No matter how much you prepare, you won’t truly understand the meaning until the moment arrives. Why don’t you have a little bit of Hope?”

The pink-haired goddess looked towards Hikari in bewilderment. “I’m not entirely sure what hope will get me at this point. I’ve already hoped that she’d turn over a new leaf. But it seems that there is no stopping her from enacting her vengeance against this world. That’s exactly why I must prepare for the inevitable.”

“Do you plan to kill her?”

Amelia sighed but her head nodded slowly. “What else can I really do? All of the other possibilities end up with a bad taste. If I spare her, then that makes me just as bad. Do you have any idea how many people have fallen to her? The sailors that dared to venture out into the Misty Isles. The people whose lives were claimed by her followers. Countless mortals have died due to her actions.”

“That’s fair, but consider the fact it was only mortals. Are gods really held to the same standard? If a goddess of death reaps the lives of mortals, can the mortals judge her?”

Amelia frowned at Hikari’s judgment. “I thought you were the type who wanted to be treated the same as mortals? Why would our lives be so much above theirs? We were only lucky to be born in these positions.”

“That’s true, but I like to see multiple perspectives. Ultimately, whatever you decide, I will be there to back you up. I am the one who brought you here after all. You needn’t feel guilty for taking the life of your sister, and if you want someone to blame, you can blame me when this is all over.”

The pink-haired goddess shook her head. “You’ve already done enough for me. I can’t blame you for the road my sister took. You’ve helped me see this through until the end. Even though I know that you only did it because you didn’t want to be bothered.”

The elven goddess chuckled. “That was definitely part of the reason. But more than that, I think two sisters should resolve their own issues. What happens if I’m the one who killed your sister? You’d surely resent me, and you’d start hating yourself, since you couldn’t give her your final regards.”

“So wise, but I don’t recall you ever having a family to begin with. At least, none that were related to you.”

Hikari shrugged. “Once upon a time, I did.”

///

Several hours later, and the sun had completely dipped below the horizon. The stars loomed in the sky, creating a calm atmosphere. But to Amelia, it was obvious this was the calm before the storm. The raging torrent was just past the horizon.

The ship was left behind, and now, she hovered in the air next to Hikari and Kurayami. Amelia’s eyes scanned back and forth repeatedly. However, it didn’t take long for the revelation.

Hundreds of ships began appearing one after another. They floated on the water and spread death in their wake. Octopus tendrils wiggled beneath the surface. The largest ship cruised in the center of their formation. And at the ship’s helm, Edith sat in a throne.

Once the ships were only a few hundred feet away, Edith decided to greet her sister. The entire fleet halted, and the Black Rose flapped her black wings, taking to the sky. It took her but a moment to arrive in front of the goddesses who stood in her path.

Amelia stared at her, realizing she still looked the same as the day she left. At least, her face was the same chiseled beauty. Her long black hair was full of luster, yet her eyes looked dead. The black orbs swirled, and a miasma was created around the girl’s form. It cloaked her dark dress. The thing that stung the most was the endless aching that seemed to radiate from Edith’s form. It was as if life had lost all meaning, sucked away by a feeling of despair.

Yet, to serve as a contrast, the black-haired goddess smiled. She spoke in a tender, mocking voice. “Long time no see, my dear sister.”

Amelia felt the pain in her chest even more pronounced. However, she’d already promised herself she’d not shed a tear. “Do you do this knowing how much it hurts?”

“Maybe? Maybe not? It’s not like you had no chance to come and see me, yet what kind of sister would I be if I didn’t give a proper greeting.”

“I can say the same to you. I don’t understand. Why do you cling to sadness? You revel in it.”

For the first time, Amelia saw her sister’s anger. The other goddess frowned and gritted her teeth, shaking her head.

“Of course, you wouldn’t understand. You’ve never felt that feeling. You’ve never been in love, only to watch the thing that made you so happy disappear right in front of you.”

Amelia bit back her tears. “You still blame me for that after all this time?”

“Wrong! I stopped blaming you a long time ago.”

“Then why?”

“It’s not you who failed me. It’s existence that failed me. This pain will never be buried, unless I bury this world.”

For the first time since the conversation started, Hikari finally reacted. She chuckled at the words of The Black Rose.

“What’s so funny?” Edith asked.

“Nothing, you just sound like a typical tragic villain. Don’t get me wrong. I understand your plight. But what is all of this? You lost who you cared about, so you want to throw your life away? Is this how you repay the love of your life? You want them to continue suffering even after they already died? What a joke that is. Do you think your lover would have wanted this?”

Edith finally seemed to snap at the words. Rage seeped into her mana, breaking the flow, and more miasma spread around her body, burning like a black flame.

“And what the fuck do you know!? You think I don’t know all of this already!? I already know everything! Of course, she wouldn’t want to see me like this. That’s why it’s all already useless. Everything I’ve done is pointless. I’ve already failed her in the worst way, so I just want to die!”

Amelia recoiled from the harsh self-evaluation. The goddess became shaken from the vivid emotions. Every word was laced with spite and pure hatred for existing. It was there that Amelia realized something, Edith didn’t hate the world as much as she expected. No, the black-haired goddess hated herself.

“Very well,” Hikari said, “if you want to die, then so be it.”

Both of the other goddesses looked at the elf in astonishment.

///

Hikari had already made her decision. She lifted her staff into the air, ignoring the pleas of Amelia from her side. The bells chimed and sang a chorus, echoing into the night. Even though it was dark outside, Hikari lit up the surroundings like a bright white torch. Her skin glowed. Her eyes shone purple, and the staff rang out.

With all of the preparations done, she smiled at the black-haired goddess, and Edith smiled back.

“[The First Light of Hope]”

A white light spread across the entire sea. It became so bright that people in the Imperial capital could see it. It was like the formation of a small bright star. The light’s center became the miasma, coated goddess.

All of the dark energy was immediately cleansed. A ripple formed in the air, and a swirling light began evaporating the dark goddess. Every inch of her was being disintegrated on collision. Her skin, mana, and existence was slowly being stripped away, while a pink-haired goddess could only watch with wide eyes and terror.

“No!”

Edith’s fleet suffered the same effect. The wave of energy continued spreading along the sea, cleansing every single thing in its path. A storm of bright radiance traveled over the water, to the lands of the Misty Isles, and beyond.

The ships melted into the sea, becoming nothing. Their existence was completely erased as if they were never there to begin with. There were no death throes of the fallen undead. Everything ended with the same noise all around.

Silence.