Cursed Queen: Battle Against Gods

Reborn Once More

Hm...

What happened? I'm hearing voices. I think it was Karis's. Did the time start running again?

"Flare, wake up..." someone said.

When I opened my eyes, there was already a human body in front of me. I c****d my head to the side as I examine it. We are still in Aiyana's domain. I don't know how much time passed, but I know that time stopped when I closed my eyes. And now that Alwina seems to have completed the vessel, Aiyana allowed time to flow on our bodies again.

Alwina stood beside the bed where the vessel laid. Karis helped me stand up and transfer to the bed beside it. Time still doesn't flow inside. I wonder how much time has passed on the outside world.

We were so quiet while waiting for Alwina to start the spell. I looked at Karis, and he gave me a reassuring smile. I pursed my lips and laid down properly.

"Brace yourself, Your Majesty," Alwina said as she raised her staff. She drew a magic circle in both mine and the vessel's head. "Translatio animam tuam..."

After she uttered those words, I felt like I moved from one place together. But when I opened my eyes, it seems like it's just the same. The only difference is that I'm able to move now. I tried moving my arms and fingers, and they seem to be working fine. I also feel like I have been reborn.

"How do you feel, Your Majesty?" Alwina asked worriedly.

"I feel a lot better!" I got up and looked around with a smile on my face. Alwina gave me a pair of clothes, so I wore them first.

Karis smiled at me. "Welcome back," he mouthed.

I smiled back and ran in his direction to hug him. "I'm back..."

He chuckled while I was hugging him. I have no sense of time right now, but I feel like it's been so long since the last time he embraced me. I felt so comfortable in his arms to the point that I didn't want to let go anymore. Perhaps I was too scared, and I always end up looking for his warmth.

"Thank you for staying with me..." I whispered.

"Hm? No need to thank me," he replied while caressing my back.

After hugging him, I approached Alwina with a smile on my face. I held her hand and rested my forehead on hers. She was flustered, but she immediately became comfortable. I chuckled because she's always calm and composed, but she becomes like this with me.

"Thank you. Words are not enough to express how grateful I am to you," I said sincerely.

She tapped my back. "Your Majesty, as long as you are safe and sound, I will not ask for anything more."

I chuckled and hugged her, so she hugged me back while laughing. And then I noticed my old body on the other bed, slowly crumbling down. I approached it and held its hand. It looked empty, like how I used to look. Strangely, I feel like I'm looking a the old me.

"We've been through a lot. Goodbye..." I said while looking at the scars that were imprinted there.

I watched it crumble until its traces disappeared as if it was never there. I smiled to myself and looked at my body. There were no more scars. I'm thankful to Alwina for not including them in my vessel's body. I'll consider saying goodbye to it as a step towards getting better. It has been a very long and dark journey, but it's time to let go of everything.

"Congratulations on getting better, My Lady..." Karis whispered as he hugged me from the back. "I'm happy to see you well."

I smiled and turned to him. "Let's go back, shall we?"

He nodded and held my hand. I took Alwina's hand, and we crossed the shrine gate together. Aiyana welcomed us after we passed through it. She hugged me, so it made me laugh a little.

"I told you, you will get better in no time," she joked.

I chuckled and tapped her back. She really seemed happy that I'm all better now. Ah, how lucky am I to have such good friends. I'm so happy I could cry. She noticed and tried to wipe my tears. However, we were surprised when she passed out.

"I told her not to do it," Alwina said, sighing as she made Aiyana float. She brought her to the bed and placed a piece of cloth on her forehead.

"Why? What happened to her?" I asked worriedly.

"She messed up after stopping time on the domain."

I blinked twice. "Everything seems to be fine, though?"

She shook her head. "Aiyana accidentally stopped time both for the domain and this world. She only allowed me and her to move while doing that. Doing both consumed her mana, so she's been regenerating it, but it seems like it backfired. After not being able to use her powers to such an extent since the last war of gods, her body took the recoil."

My mouth went agape. "Then, why did Aiyana keep us in the domain?"

"She said that chaos will not stop accumulating if your body stays here while you are vulnerable. Do you know what she meant by that?" she asked while brewing herbal medicine.

I licked my lips. "No, I don't. I'm sorry..." I lied.

I feel like I shouldn't tell them about it. After they have been good to me, I lied to them. Why did I have to say that I don't?! I could have ignored that feeling and told them instead. Ha...

She nodded and made Aiyana drink the medicine. "Have you adjusted well in that body?" she asked, changing the topic.

I smiled. "Yes. Thank you for making a fine vessel."

"I don't know if you'd want to hear this, but I think you need to know..." she trailed off and stared at Aiyana, who passed out. "You see, I needed the flesh of a god to create a body where a goddess can possess without crumbling. She's immortal, so she didn't hesitate to carve her own flesh out to create the vessel. It regenerated immediately, but she still felt pain. I just thought you should know."

My eyes widened as I stared at Aiyana. She's willing to do such a thing for me. I didn't like the thought of her hurting herself to save me. Yes, she did it for me, and I'm really grateful for it. But I hate it when people get hurt in my stead! I have to do something to repay her.

Aiyana, I promise that I will find a way to let you leave this place...

I took a deep breath and looked at the two women with determination. "Thank you for telling me. I promise that I won't forget Aiyana's kindness, as well as yours..." I said and bowed my head.

"Wait, no!"

She panicked and tried to help me up, but I kept my head down. This is not enough to thank the two of them. Such kindness deserves to be repaid. They didn't ask for anything, but I want to do something for them.

"Your Majesty! Please keep your head up!" she said frantically.

I stood up and smiled at her. "I'll make it up to the two of you, I promise. If you want me to grant you a wish, I will do it. Anything."

Her face turned red. I can totally see what she's thinking...

"Hey!" Karis complained.

I shook my head at him and turned to Alwina. "Is that what you want?" I asked and looked her in the eye.

She looked away. "No. Please forgive me. I...will save the wish for later. For now, please focus on your training. There's no time to lose. I will tell Aiyana about it, so the two of you can go now."

"Oh, right. Is it gonna be okay? I mean, is this body ready for rigorous training?" I asked hesitantly.

She smiled slightly. "Yes, Your Majesty. Do not worry. That body will not crumble anymore."

Karis draped his arm over my shoulder. "Surely, you didn't forget how to fight?" he teased.

Ah, he's getting arrogant again! I rolled my eyes at him and bowed to the two ladies again. When Alwina panicked, I chuckled and said goodbye. She's really cute when she panics. But I don't want to make her uncomfortable anymore.

"Ha, what nice weather," I said as soon as we got out of the house.

"I agree. It's a perfect day to train."

Hm...

A lot of things have happened since the last time we were out for training. Now that I think about it, time stopped, yet I feel like a lot of time has passed. It's weird because my sense of time has completely become a mess. Ah, what should I do about this? I don't think I should ask Aiyana to fix it later since she's still recovering.

I looked at Karis, who was struggling to hold my hand. Pfft. "Carry me again while on your hybrid form," I told him while we were walking towards the usual place.

He raised a brow. "Do you like that form of mine?" he asked. His face was red as he cleared his throat.

Pfft. Cute.

Well, Karis's hybrid form is good. He's buffer, he has fur on his arms and legs, his antlers are also bigger, his tail is a little bigger, and his hair turns brown. "Hm... I like it. But, I like it more when you just have the antlers and deer ears."

Suddenly, his antlers grew. I laughed when I saw how embarrassed he was. It was funny, but I immediately stopped laughing. He wouldn't hesitate to give me what I like and do what I want him to do. That's the type of person that he is. He's so selfless, it makes me want to cry.

"What?" he mumbled.

"You love me that much?" I teased.

He covered his face with his hand, but his ears were twitching. I chuckled and took his hand. He pouted and continued to walk, dragging me with him. Aw, how cute. I love it when he acts like a child. Sometimes, it's annoying, but I really like it.

"Let's train now," he said when we reached the place after a long walk.

We jogged together as a part of the physical training. He suggested doing some stretching first before doing separate training since it's still too early. I did those few attacks that I have learned again to make sure that I didn't forget anything while keeping the scale in check.

"Seriously..." I groaned when I messed up a few times.

Damn, I'm so confused now. How much time has passed since the time I woke up after traveling in time? All the events that happened made me lose my sense of time. Ah, why am I getting distracted again? I groaned again and focused on the training. I missed a shot because I was lost in thought! I took a few deep breaths and focused on the training. To rid me of distracting thoughts, I slapped my cheek. That should do it.

"Flare! Time for lunch," Karis shouted when we finished our morning routines.

"Okay," I said and followed him. I smiled when I noticed that I'm not tired at all. This body has good stamina even if it has never undergone some physical training.

"What are you smiling for?" Karis asked.

"This body has good stamina," I said enthusiastically.

He raised a brow. "Mine's still better," he said smugly.

I scoffed. "Lucky you."

He smirked at me. "Am I really the lucky one here?"

I glared at him. He looked away, whistling. I thought we were never gonna joke about something like that again?! And he, of all people, shouldn't say things like that. What if we weren't able to control ourselves and...

Tsk! I should just forget about it.

We were about to walk towards the house, but Alwina appeared before us. I jumped because it was so sudden! This is why I need to keep my guard up all the time. That was dangerous.

"I apologize for startling you, Your Majesty. But I brought lunch for the two of you," she said and tapped the ground with her staff. Lots of mouth-watering foods appeared on the table where we usually sit to eat. 

I thanked Alwina and started to eat. "Hey, stop pigging out!" I told Karis.

He pouted. "The food's amazing! And you're doing the same!"

We glared at each other, but the food was so amazing that we immediately stopped to continue eating. I've only had porridge for my last meals so getting to eat something such foods felt like some sort of luxury. When we finished, we quietly sat there to digest the food. Alwina came to get the utensils so we cleaned up immediately.

"Let's start our afternoon training now," Karis told me after we finish resting.

"Wait, lower your head first," I said.

His gullible ass obliged. I ruffled his hair. "Aw, good boy."

He took a few steps back and glared at me. "I am not a dog."

"Your face is red," I pointed out with a smirk on my face.

He looked away and took his top off to take his hybrid form. I raised a brow when I saw him smirk at me. I ignored him and took my armors off. The weather is a little hot today, so I tied my hair in a high ponytail. Karis was staring at me from the back, I can feel it. I saw his ears twitching when I looked at him, but he immediately composed himself. I stuck my tongue out at him to tease him, but he did the same.

"Can we stop acting like children and start now?" I said sarcastically.

"You started it!" he complained.

"Yeah, okay."

The both of us quickly took our stances and fought. He was having a hard time defending against me without support because I can use the techniques accurately now.

"Can you still go?" I teased.

"Uh-huh." He smirked and made his antlers grow more. That was so attractive, damn.

We continued to fight, even in close combat. I used the two katanas while he only used one. I was having a hard time because of his antlers! They're way too big to the point that they could almost hit me whenever we crossed swords. I've tried releasing bombs of light from the sword to create a distance between us, but he immediately recovers!

I asked for a break so we stopped for a bit. I held onto my knees for support as I was panting. Somehow, I look more exhausted than him when he's the one who's been jumping all around the place.

I glared at him while he was drinking from his own palm. "Wait, are you serious? Your hand's dirty!"

"No, I cleaned it with water." He rolled his eyes and continued.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Hey, answer me honestly. Have you been holding back during our past training?" I asked while wiping sweat off my neck. I was also thirsty so I drank water as well.

He smirked. "What do you think?"

I gasped. "How dare you?!"

"I did, but I won't go easy on you anymore. Don't worry, I'm telling the truth." He smirked at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Uh-huh..."

He chuckled. "Yes. Now, get up! We need to continue."

I agreed and got up. I cracked my fingers before taking my katanas up. He did the same and started to attack me. I whimpered when the sword almost grazed my neck. By instinct, I backed away and fired light bullets using the sword.

Oh, I guess I can do that.

We continued to spar for the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow, I'm planning to learn how to summon arrows and spears. Aiyana doesn't want me to summon the sword that Bythos had during the war. I guess it's really dangerous.

We dropped on the ground after training for the whole day. It was so tiring! I have mastered the techniques, but I don't think it's enough. I still have to learn how to move at the speed of light.

"I'm beat..." I murmured.

Karis agreed so we stayed that way for a few more minutes. When we recovered, we got up and walked towards the hot springs.

"Ah! What a great way to end the day," I said and enjoyed the warmth. It feels like it has been a very long time since the last time we were here. I smiled to myself and looked up at the sky. "Pretty..." I murmured.

"You mean, you?" Karis said.

I turned to him. "If you're going to look anyways, why don't you just bathe here?" I said sarcastically.

He chuckled and turned his back on me. "Alright, sorry..."

I closed my eyes. We've constantly faced challenges, and we're still here. I'm glad that I never gave up. Either way, I wouldn't be able to let everything else go. Right now, they are nothing more than bitter memories that felt like they happened ages ago.

Ah, what a good life. I mean, this one. People love me, and they constantly make me feel important. They would do everything to make sure that I'm okay. However, I don't want to take advantage of it. Once I defeat Hildus, I'll make sure that they can live their lives to the fullest. I don't want the people of Plaisiria to suffer more than they already have. I'll make sure that I get strong enough to defeat him.

Oh, wait. The slaves! I still need to free them!

"Karis," I called.

"Hm?"

I cleared my throat. "Where did they take the slaves?"

"Probably sold to the royalties who lead the other cities. Don't worry. You can take them back once you become queen and appoint new leaders. I'm sure that you'll be able to do it."

I pursed my lips and looked at my hands. These hands are going to take the throne from Hildus. I wasn't able to save anyone before. That's why I'm going to save everyone now. This is how I'll atone for the sins that I've done before. After all, I am their 'goddess'. I may not be pure, but I can fight for my people. That's right. I swore on the emotions that I recently acquired.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, okay?" Karis said in a very serious manner.

I frowned. "I'm not."

"Sure, you're not," he mocked.

Dead silence followed after that. We left the hot springs and slowly walked back to the house. If he carried me in his hybrid form, we could reach the house within a minute. But we wanted to take our time. 

"Do you really want to do this? You're not forcing yourself, are you?" he asked while kicking rocks on our way.

I smiled. "Yeah, of course. You think I'd stubbornly train all day if I was forcing myself?"

"Maybe you just thought you had no choice. Tell me honestly, Flare..." he said.

We stopped walking to face each other. He cupped my cheeks and looked me in the eye, trying to see if I was lying or not. I chuckled and held his hands. This guy...

"Stop worrying about me. I'm really okay. I'm happy that I entered this world and I'm not regretting anything. And this, I'm doing it because I want to."

He rested his forehead on mine and closed his eyes. I smiled and did the same. What's he being clingy for? It's amusing.

"If you say so..."

"Shouldn't we go home? They're probably waiting for us now," I said.

He licked his lips, which made me look at them. It's so red...

I remember being kissed by those lips some time ago. I swallowed hard and gave his lips a peck. We were both taken aback by what I did. I covered my mouth and walked ahead. He was still standing there, dumbfounded. Ah, why the hell did I do that?! We were trying to avoid such things and I still went ahead and did it. That's something we shouldn't do! What if we got lost in the kisses and forgot about everything else?! Flare, so dumb!

I ran my fingers through my hair and plopped on the ground. I hugged my knees and closed my eyes tightly. s**t. I messed up...

"Flare..." I heard him call me.

He was behind me and I'm too scared to face him! Not only am I embarrassed, I'm scared that I might end up doing it again if I see his lips. They're way too enticing...

"Hey, get up..." he whispered and held my arms.

I didn't stand up, so he carried me. I shrieked and automatically wrapped my left arm on his neck. 

He smiled and kissed my forehead. "Don't be embarrassed. I would have done it if you didn't..."

"Are you teasing me...?" I mumbled and covered my face with my hand. My actions are...feminine now.

He chuckled. "No, I'm not. Stop covering your pretty face."

"No..."

He kissed my forehead once again. "Let's go home..."