20 I Hate Portals
In the depths of the forest, the ground trembled.
Wild animals fled in a panicked wave — deer and tigers, natural prey and predator, scrambling side by side through the undergrowth. They tripped over bushes in their desperate, instinctual escape.
An ominous boom followed, sending a second tremor of terror through the land.
Moments later, an emerald flare shot skyward, illuminating the dark canopy. A concussive blast of wind tore through the trees, snapping branches and sending them spiralling.
Then, silence. Utter and absolute.
Two figures materialised in the sky just above the treetops, easily five metres high. Gravity, merciless and unyielding, immediately dragged them downward.
"Fried!?" Aurelia screamed, her red hair lashing against the rushing wind.
"Aurelia!" Friederich called back. His blue eyes gleamed in the darkness as he twisted mid-air, adjusting his trajectory.
His chant was a clipped, urgent thing. "Lampos-spatha!"
Blades of pure light sparked into existence, forming a luminous pathway between them.
With phantom-like agility, Friederich sprang from sword to sword, ricocheting through the air.
"Eeeeek!? I'm dead, Papa!" Aurelia shrieked, squeezing her eyes shut as the ground rushed to meet her.
Friederich's mind raced.
Gritting his teeth, he chanted again, "Lampos!"
More radiant swords manifested, hanging motionless.
He calculated every step, his mind working at blistering speed. Bending his knees against one of the floating blades, he launched himself forward, rebounding off three in rapid succession, each impact propelling him faster.
His hands reached for Aurelia, pulling her flat against his chest. One arm cradled her small frame while the other secured the back of her neck to prevent whiplash.
Just before they collided with the earth, he twisted, planting his feet into the ground.
His knees buckled from the sheer force.
A shockwave erupted outward, scattering leaves and debris.
Aurelia cracked open one eye. "Are… are we dead?" she asked, her gaze locking with her rescuer's.
As she took in Friederich's panting form, his pale skin slick with sweat, her eyes dropped lower.
"Holy Gaia! The crater!" she gasped, staring at the deep indentation in the ground beneath them.
"And that's what you're worried about…?" Friederich groaned, collapsing onto his back. "Damn it." His legs throbbed with a bruised, battered agony, barely responsive. He shouldn't have pushed himself to the limit to save his reckless princess.
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"Fried!" Aurelia scrambled to his side, her eyes falling on the red bruises already marring his legs. "Idiot! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"What?! I didn't do this on purpose... Sheesh!" he snapped, folding his arms as he lay on the disturbed dirt. His once-pristine white attire was streaked with soil. "Damn it! I should've worn darker colours for this expedition!"
Aurelia ignored his complaints, hovering her palms over his wounds. Closing her eyes, she focused, envisioning the damaged muscle and fractured capillaries beneath his skin.
"Iasis!" she chanted.
Green glyphs shimmered from her hands, slithering into his legs and seeping into his flesh. As the light faded, so too did his injuries, vanishing as though they had never existed.
Friederich wiggled his toes experimentally. "Oh, thank you," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Eh? Before you blame me, this wasn't my fault! You messed up the portal spell!" she shot back, crossing her arms defensively, her cheeks puffed in a stubborn pout.
"Hah?! Of course, it was your fault!" Friederich countered, his voice rising. "Ryusei-sama explicitly forbade us from crossing into this war-ridden land. And you ignored his direct orders for what?"
"For the greater good!" Aurelia's voice boomed, her fiery conviction unmistakable. "Osten's Arcanii are people, too! Should they suffer while we do nothing? Are we meant to just sit in our high castle, unbothered and uncaring? Is that what we are?"
First of all, our castle isn't high!
Friederich exhaled sharply. He hated how much sense she made. He knew this was the right thing to do.
That was why he had risked it all in the first place.
Still, he couldn't ignore the reality of their actions. "We can't risk our country's stability either. If Ryusei-sama sends humanitarian aid, what do you think the people of Dunkelheit will assume?"
Aurelia faltered, her lips pressing into a thin line. She had no response to that.
Then she mumbled under her breath, "Zeta wouldn't have messed up the portal…"
A muscle in Friederich's eye twitched. "What did you just say?"
"I said Zetius would've succeeded in opening the portal, and we'd have ended up at the Porand border, not stranded in the middle of nowhere."
Friederich's jaw clenched, a vein pulsing at his temple. He couldn't refute her. Running a frustrated hand through his dark hair, he suppressed the bitter irritation swelling within him.
The mere mention of Zetius Zel Celerius left a sour taste in his mouth.
The three of them, Aurelia, Zetius, and Friederich, had been childhood friends. But two years ago, Zetius's envoy was ambushed by Armatus mobile suits, and the boy was presumed dead.
No trace of him was ever found.
What truly irked Friederich wasn't just losing a friend. It was her comparing him to Zetius. The girl to whom he had given his heart, soul, and body always held Zetius in higher regard.
If only she knew.
Eighteen hours a day. Relentless training. Swordsmanship, throwing, fencing, footwork, anatomy. Friederich had honed himself, sharpened his skills through sweat and blood.
Meanwhile, Zetius had simply been born with immense arcane affinity. Favoured by the gods. Blessed by Gaia herself.
Aurelia's warm hand rested on his shoulder, her touch gentle. "Fried… I'm sorry," she muttered, sincerity lacing her voice. "I shouldn't have yelled at you... Thank you for saving me."
Friederich let out a slow breath before pushing himself upright. He brushed off stray leaves and dust, straightening his posture.
Aurelia giggled, joining him in tidying his clothes. "Nice Arc coat, there! No dirt can stick to it, fufufu!" she mused, rubbing the smooth, pristine white fabric adorned with gold accents.
Friederich hesitated, then reached out to pluck a stray leaf from her hair. But before his fingers could make contact, her sharp gaze pinned him in place.
He quickly retracted his hand. "…You had a leaf stuck in your hair," he muttered, looking away as a faint blush crept up his cheeks.
"Oh, thanks," Aurelia hummed, picking it out herself.
The breeze carried it away, twirling it into the dark forest beyond.
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