章 32: Distant VI
"You think I'll let you get away?" Aron guffawed, raising both his Visblades. The Aspect of Telum that was able to characterize as sharp materials, was the nemesis of Leriat's Vis of Praesidium, which the boy used to conjure up the barrier.
With one powerful swing of his Visblades, Aron's Vis level allowed him to shatter Leriat's barrier to pieces.
"Got you n—Argh! You damn it!"
Anthony sent a chunk of rock that flew away and crashed into Aron. The remaining amount of Vis inside that chunk was enough to allow Anthony to keep pushing it, pinning down the eagle-winged Aron to the ground.
Leriat finally managed to make a run for it, leaving Anthony, Aron and Giori behind.
At that moment, Giori sensed Anthony's Vis control in his earth armor weakening. Seizing the opportunity, she rapidly increased the usage of her Vis, allowing the amplified amount of Venevisium to override Anthony's control.
Without a moment's hesitation, Giori raised her wand with a flick of her wrist. The gesture caused Anthony to be flung upward and then mercilessly sent crashing toward the ground.
The impact had damaged Anthony severely. If he had not attempted to suppress the force with his Terra Vis, the impact would have surely been fatal.
Anthony's body convulsed as he coughed up blood, his vision blurry as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Despite the pain, he summoned all his strength to crawl out of the wreckage.
The only thing he knew in clarity was his earthen clump that held Aron. He kept one hand clenched tightly, holding the focus of his Terra Vis that kept Aron pinned to the ground. His mind was fixated on protecting Leriat, and he wouldn't let anyone catch up to him.
Giori moved closer towards the helpless Anthony, giving him a pitiful look as he continued to hold his Vis on Aron.
The winged subordinate squirmed under the weight of the rocks and struggled to break free, but Anthony's control was too strong. Despite his injuries, Anthony refused to let go, determined to keep Aron restrained.
"Argh .... Giori! Shut him down now, before we lose Leriat!" Aron growled, struggling to break free from the earthen clump that pinned him down.
Giori just let out a breath, knowing that time was running out. Without hesitation, she raised her wand and swung it in a fluid motion. Her Terra Vis overtook Anthony's, dispersing the earthen clump and releasing Aron from his restraints.
"Heh, you should've done that earlier. Don't worry, I'll thank you later."
Aron swiftly flocked his eagle wings to fly through the dense foliage of the trees.
"C-curse ... y-you ...."
The glowing eyes of Anthony flickered and dimmed, signaling the exhaustion of his Diluvism state as his Vis pool had been mostly depleted. Despite this, he focused every last bit of his Vis towards his hand, which lay on the ground.
He formed it into a sparkling blaze. But its size was not able to grow beyond the size of a chicken egg.
"Enough is enough, Anthony." Giori trampled his hand, dispersing away his Vis focus.
Anthony forced his smile. "At least .... I die, knowing what I fought for ... was right."
His words almost insulted Giori about her deeds, but she quickly composed herself, realizing that arguing with someone who was about to be killed was pointless.
She used her Vis to manipulate the earth, forming shackles around Anthony's wrists and ankles. She vent the frustration boiled inside her by unleashing a surge of water that later encapsulated Anthony's head in a bubble.
The end was nearing for Anthony as the water began entering his lungs. He had no way out from Giori drowning him on land.
'If only I had been much stronger ....'
***
The serene atmosphere of the forest was abruptly disrupted by the sound of a stifled sob emanating from within the confines of the horse-drawn carriage.
The delicate hand tightened around the limp body that Leriat held over him as he sobbed quietly.
"I promise, I'll carry on your vision of the Auspex, grandma."
He had been telling himself to leave this place hundreds of times, to escape the pain of losing his beloved grandma. But the thought of never seeing her again, never hearing her stories and feeling her gentle touch, was too much to bear. So Leriat held her lifeless body close, his heart filled with grief and longing.
The moon had emerged from behind the clouds, casting a soft glow over the forest.
Thanks to that, Leriat saw a moving shadow with alarming speed. It surprised him, as it was unnatural and was too big for a bird.
With a heavy heart, he gently laid down Claire's lifeless body and proceeded to sneak outside, reaching for the other pair of horses that had not been burned to death.
After he cut the rope with his sword, Leriat spurred the horse, urging it to gallop faster as he made his escape.
As Leriat galloped away on the horse, the loud thumping of its hooves on the forest floor betrayed his presence to Aron.
"Found you, naughty boy!"
Aron's eagle wings propelled him forward, allowing him to move at an accelerated speed that surpassed the horse's pace. He dove towards Leriat, quickly catching up to him.
Leriat forcefully turned the horse toward the dense foliage, leaving the King's Road behind that was disadvantageous to him.
The sudden turn caused Aron to miss his chance of grabbing the boy by a mere inch. He cursed under his breath as he followed Leriat's trail into the thick foliage back with his cheetah Visbeast form.
"You think you can get away from me that easily, hah?!"
Aron was left dozens of steps behind, but he could just easily navigate through trees and bushes as the cheetah was slim, unlike the larger body of a horse.
The forest was dim. The moon light barely filtered through the foliage, making it harder to navigate.
But so long as Aron was not diving through the air, Leriat had in mind that with his Venevisium, he may stand a chance.
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