To the Depth of Abyss

Chapter 144: Battle of Her Demon

The volcano meteor reaches the south area of Land of Honor. All the Hunters did whatever they could to protect the people and destroy the meteors.

Townspeople in the west district pray that the barrier can withstand all meteors.

Only a few meteors reach the cathedral. So everyone inside can rest easy. Even so, they prayed for the safety of the people of the city and those outside.

One of them is Elisa. She clasped both hands, praying towards Shield City which is being attacked by volcano meteor from inside the church.

She prays for everyone's safety and especially for her foster sister.

The volcano meteor finally stopped after spreading fire throughout the land.

Shield City is fine. 

It is unknown for people who are beyond the barrier. Hopefully, they are fine too.

It wasn't over yet, but at least they had time to catch their breath. And also for Elisa to do what she wants to do.

"Ars!"

She called Ars while walking with a little anger.

"Hey! Don't get mad at me just because I'm just spectating! You can see they can protect themselves, right?"

Elisa is not angry at him about that. Even though she is when she sees him watching the battle while sitting on a sofa and eating popcorn. 

Her foster mother, Maria Christina, is standing close to the Tree of Past, Present, Future. She is not watching outside. But when Elisa came back to the church, she begins to see Elisa as usual; gently smiling with her scary smile.

Elisa will not include her mother in that problem. But if the mother chooses to open her mouth, Elisa might never be able to do anything else.

"No, I will not waste my energy to get mad at you right now. You are not a hero after all."

"Thank you for your understanding."

"But, I want your help."

Elisa used 'want' instead of need. Usually, people use 'need' when they ask other people for help. But Ars is not other people for her. 

Their relationship is indeed complicated, but they had a closeness that they couldn't explain themselves. Therefore, Elisa wanted help from him. Plus, Elisa wanted that because only Ars could do it.

At that request, Ars looks at Maria for some reason. 

That made Elisa also looked at her mother.

At their gaze, Maria gently smiled, closed her eyes, then answered:

"Elisa is in puberty. A period where teenagers seem to be rebellious. Alice was the same. At that, stood I, their foster mother. A weak, and incapable woman. What could I possibly do to stop them?"

Elisa got a goosebump at hearing her mother mentioned Alice's name. It was the first time Elisa had not heard someone say that name in front of her.

Why is it? Why only she and her mother could remember about her missing foster sister? 

Elisa once asked La and Li about Alice. But their response is not clear. The same goes to everyone she asked about Alice. 

Alice's existence is disappear along with her disappearance.

Then now she remembers. She never once asked her mother about Alice. 

However, the facts that her mother does not forget about Alice shocked her to silent. For one reason also, her mother did not open her eyes yet. 

After giving her statement, she is just standing motionless and still showing her gentle smile. She is miserably sincere at Elisa's decision.

"Huuhhh. Yare-yare."

That was Ars. 

He breaks the ice in irritated.

"Yes, she genuinely let go of you. But I don't."

"Huh?"

He does not want Elisa to go.

"But, why?"

Elisa didn't know why she asked that to an ignorance person like Ars. Just to get a silent response.

"Hey!"

Elisa stands in front of Ars. She didn't know why, but she needs it. Even though Ars giving her a scary gaze with his red scary eyes that made Elisa a bit tremble.

"Why? Why won't you allow me? I thought you don't care ab "

Elisa stopped her sentence at Ars sharper gaze. That looks like Elisa was triggering something that could make him mad. 

Because Ars kept his eyes on her, the fear in Elisa grew bigger. She diverted her eyes in different directions to stay brave. But one other big explosion coming from east district made her lose her focus. 

The explosion came from the north side of the east district. Where her foster sister is. 

The Catastrophe Beast is still in its previous place, inside the smoke of the exploded mountain. 

That means Sylvia Shield was dealing with the Demon King Commander at the time.

Even for a Diamond Hunter, dealing with both Catastrophe Beast and Demon King Commander must be so difficult. 

In fact, dealing with a Demon King Commander is already difficult enough to take on one Diamond Hunter life in the Blackish Mountain incident. 

That is why Elisa is trembling in fear of losing her big sister now.

She turns back to face Ars again. 

"Ars, please!"

At Elisa's stubborn, Ars gives up, to stop staring at her terrifyingly. 

"You can't compare this incident with the fall of Blackish Mountain. She has subordinates fighting beside her. Besides, what can you do if you were there? Your arrival will only burden them."

He is worried about her. Even though the way he put that sounds rude and irritatingly uncare. 

With that, Elisa got speechless. Even though she is rebelling right now, she is not strong enough to fight all the adult surround her. 

The surrounding adults have the power and reason to stop her. Meanwhile, she is just a weak and incapable girl, just like her foster mother. 

If she faces a different problem with Ars just like they usually did, Elisa will not let herself to lose, in term of reasoning and logically. 

But the problem is now different and potentially will hurt her in any way. If she got unlucky, she could also lose her life. That is why even Ars won't give her a permission to go nor will lend her his strength. 

"Why did you save the cathedral, but the city is not?" asked Elisa, all trembling.

That is a stupid question, but she needs to know the answer. 

"Because you seek for my help. Well, not literally to me, but to Arsen, the Sword Master teacher. Plus, your mother offered me some benefit of saving this place. So, I have to do it."

That is logically a correct way of asking a help for a greedy person like him. 

Now Elisa remembers, Ars always did something that could help people because he can gain benefit from it. If he not, he will let people die just like happened in the Blackish Mountain. 

So literally Elisa has to talk to him for one benefit or two if he saves the city. 

"Don't try it."

"But, isn't people will come to say thanks to you if you save them atleast?!"

"Normally, yeah, that is correct. But there is something that makes those city folks hated me. Well, I don't really care though. And, thousands 'thanks' are not what I want. After all, the scenario that is going to happen is bound to have only a few people as representatives coming to say the thanks to me. And they must be just sycophants who want the advantage of being close to me. You know what I am going to do if that really happens? I will spit at them then kicked their asses out of my sight."

All Ars just said is true, or going to be true. He has seen the future that is to come, and all his guesses are correct. 

"Besides, even if I came to save them, they will think that I have some reason that will make them feel disadvantaged. Why do I have to save people like them?"

"Then you will let them die just like that?!"

"Why can't I?"

As a man, he has everything. He is a strong, rich, has a sense of leadership, visioner and many more. But he sure doesn't have one simple thing. 

"Where is your morality?! A city is in disaster and many people will die! You call yourself a person! No, you are not! You are a demon just like that Demon King!"

At that question, Ars sharp gaze came back.

"Why do you question this but not at the Blackish Mountain? Oh, let me guess, because someone sure was telling you to don't really care at other people. Am I correct?"

That is correct. And that certain person who told Elisa that is the same person who is fighting really hard for the city. 

Actually, no one was actually caring for what happened in the Blackish Mountain except for the Seven Colour Mountain folks outside the incident. 

That is why, Ars' argument is logically correct and cannot literally be at issue. 

But not actually everyone. 

"I care."

Elisa is care, and she cries because of Ars' words. She cries so hard that her voice is broken.

"I care for what happened to them! For their miserable death!"

She has a big heart for a tiny teenage girl. But one thing she doesn't have, is strength. Strength to be able to help those in need. 

That is why, she will ask a person for help, even from a demon. 

"So, please."

She lowered her feet until sit to the ground. Then puts her staff to the ground too. After that, she bows in front of the demon. 

"Please, I beg you, save them. Save the city. I will do anything for you. I will give you my everything. Even my breath. I will follow you forever, even to the Depth of the Abyss. That is why, please, save them. Save them that I love. I beg you."

Elisa purred those words with every her sincere tears. Nothing of it fake or lies. She shows only her genuine intention and love for the people.