Cursed Queen: Battle Against Gods

Training Day One

"Flare..."

Karis's worried face greeted me when I opened my eyes. His face lit up when I got up, and he even helped me. My head hurts a little, so I had to close my eyes and massage my temples.

"How much time has passed since I leaped back in time?" I asked in a small voice. I feel so exhausted.

"Four hours," he replied.

Aiyana came in, and she smiled when she saw me. "How do you feel?" she asked as she caressed my back.

I tried to find out if something was wrong with my body. Luckily, there wasn't anything. I shook my head, which made them heave a sigh of relief. Ah, my head seriously hurts. Aiyana noticed and made an herbal medicine to help me relieve the pain.

"Thank you," I said after drinking it.

A lot of things happened within a mere four hours. My sense of time got messed up after traveling through time, especially when I spent four whole days there. I massaged the bridge of my nose as I tried to get myself together. I promised Bythos that I would do everything to gain control over the power and the curse.

However, I need to get back on track first. Those four days felt like a dream. I know that it really happened and that I was there. The problem is that my memory seems a little hazy. Perhaps resting a little would help me recall everything that happened.

"Can I rest for a bit? I feel a little nauseous after everything. You see, it's a little hard to take in."

The two left me alone after hearing what I said. Karis and Aiyana were worried, but they knew that I need some time alone. I'm glad that they understood me. I shut my eyes tightly and recalled what happened during those days. It took me quite some time to remember everything. Ha, I need some sleep. I looked outside to see if it's still daytime. Luckily, the sun seems to be going down now. That's why I decided to sleep. Tomorrow, I'll start training myself. I know that Aiyana will see to it that I get stronger.

For now, I'll practice my concentration. I need to keep it even while I sleep. Bythos was able to do it. That's why I should learn to do the same. As far as I remember, Bythos visualized the curse as a scale. I tried to think of a scale wherein the good and evil were balanced. However, it seems like the curse hasn't awakened yet. Oh, right. Bythos told me that it would take two months for it to manifest. I should visualize a scale and make sure that it's always balanced. That way, I will be able to keep it that way when the curse manifests.

"Karis?" I called when I woke up.

I looked everywhere inside the house, but I couldn't find the two of them. Where did they go? Maybe they are on the farm? That should be the only place left. I went outside to look for them. Finally, I found them! They were harvesting some of the crops that Aiyana planted.

Karis saw me and immediately stood up to greet me. "Oh, you're awake! Did you sleep well?" he asked softly.

I nodded. "Yes, thank you. Can I help?"

"Maybe you should rest more?"

"No. I'm okay now. I had plenty of rest last night. Wait, where did you sleep?"

He smiled. "On the floor. It's fine. I slept well."

I stared at his face. "Liar. You look like you didn't get enough sleep. Why don't you rest? I'll help Aiyana."

"But-"

"Go."

He pursed his lips and obeyed what I said. I smiled and helped Aiyana. She smiled at me and taught me how to do it properly. It's a good thing that I immediately understood how to do it. It was easy since I'm used to doing physical work since I was a child.

"You work faster than him," she pointed out.

We laughed together. Karis isn't used to doing these kinds of things. I don't blame him. He was busy as the former leader of The Zodiacs, and now, he's the leader of the faction. He never had some free time to do such things. I looked at the house where he's taking a rest.

"I hope he's resting well. He's been on edge ever since he met me. I know that he's frustrated, but he never shows it."

"You care about him so much..." Aiyana said with a smile on her face.

I c****d my head to the side. "Yes, I do. Is there something wrong with that?" I asked, confused.

She shook her head and continued harvesting with a smile on her face. She seems happy about it, but I couldn't understand why. Maybe she's just glad that I care for the people around me. I shrugged and continued what I was doing. I don't have time to think about what she meant by that.

Since last night, I have been training to keep the scale balanced. It slips from time to time, and it frustrates me so much. I used to be able to keep my focus no matter what. It makes me mad at myself. However, I need to keep my cool. If I was able to do it before, I should be able to do it again.

It's not that I want to go back to being that same person. All I want is to be able to fight that way again. It seems like I lost that style of mine when I obtained these emotions. I learned how to think like an ordinary person and look where it got me. But I won't make the same mistake again. I'll learn how to fight again while keeping these emotions.

When we finished organizing the goods in her kitchen, Aiyana whistled. A white horse came running towards us. My mouth went agape when I saw how pretty it was.

"Her name is Pearl," she said.

Aiyana caressed Pearl's cheek before riding her. I was about to ride with her, but Karis came out of the house. He stopped me from riding the horse with Aiyana. I only gave him a confused look.

"Wait here," he said.

He gave me a stern look, so I stood there and waited for him. He walked towards the back of the house. When he came back, he was already in his deer form. His clothes were on his back, neatly folded. I pursed my lips to stifle a laugh. I must admit that it was a little cute. Only a little!

"Are you being serious?" I asked.

"Yes," he answered.

I chuckled when he bent down so I can ride him. His deer form was twice the size of an adult deer. It was hard for me to climb up because of that, but he won't let me ride the horse, so I tried. I heaved a sigh of relief when I successfully climbed up. This jerk is so stubborn. He would have gotten upset if I refused, and I didn't want to argue. I shook my head in dismay. I know that he's a very affectionate person, but he's way too stubborn!

"Let's go," I told Aiyana, who was watching us with a smile on her face.

She led the way. It was a long way towards the place, but I wasn't disappointed when we arrived. The place we arrived at was empty, and I bet it would be a perfect place to train. There were no trees nor animals. It's also far from the house, and even if I somehow destroy some things, there would be no casualties.

Karis bent down so that I can get down. He left to transform back into a human and wear his clothes. Finally, this jerk learned how to do that. Before, he wouldn't care if people are watching and walk around without his clothes. I chuckled and decided to start training myself.

"Do I... need to teach you?" Aiyana asked.

I shook my head. "I already know what to do, but in case you see something wrong, please tell me."

She nodded and stood far back. Karis came back and sat on the ground, watching me intently. It's a good thing that I don't feel conscious when someone is watching. It would have been bad if I did because the way he looks at me could have distracted me.

Anyway, I remembered what to do. I figured it out when I dived into Bythos's mind while he was fighting. There was a figure of a man inside him. It was nothing but a lump of light gathered to form the body of a person. At first, I thought it was strange and didn't know what it was. But I realized that it was an image that Bythos created to represent his power.

That was when I figured how to use it. That was how I was able to manipulate the four elements as well. I have to create its image in my mind and communicate with it. As long as it deems me worthy, I should be able to make it obey me.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. First and foremost, I had the image of the scale at the back of my mind. After that, I visualized my version of my power in my mind. I used myself as its model. My mind was empty and black, so it shone brightly. However, it wasn't as bright as Bythos's. Perhaps I need to get stronger first. I'm not aiming to surpass him, but I need to be as strong as him to control this curse.

In my mind, I walked towards her and embraced her. "You are me. I am you..." I drawled.

I showed her my hand, and she slowly accepted it. I smiled at her as I rested my forehead on hers. She acknowledged me as her new master, and I take pride in that. That means I am worthy to wield this power. Bythos was not wrong when he chose me as his successor, and everyone agreed with him. Now, I'm confident that I can do this. Everyone is on my side, after all.

I opened my eyes, and I felt them heating up. I created a mirror made of water to see my reflection. My hair and eyes were glowing just like Bythos. I can't use Bythos's style because I was used to fighting using guns. However, I can't use guns here. Hm. Maybe I should improvise. I created a finger gun and pointed it on the ground. I shot bullets of light with it.

"Explode..." I thought.

The moment it landed on the ground, it exploded. The explosion and impact weren't what I exactly expected. It was a lot stronger and flashy. Almost blinding, even. It would be dangerous for my comrades if such a thing happened during a battle.

Ah, this is harder than I expected. Never mind that. I know that I will learn how to control it properly soon. I was panting after only a few shots! Unbelievable. I used to run around all day without getting tired. But then again, it's different here.

I stopped for a moment and approached the two who seem to be busy criticizing me. "I need help," I said and sat on the ground.

Karis smirked at me. "Tired already? Why? You've only made little progress," he mocked.

I glared at him. "I'm quick to run out of stamina. What should I do?" I asked worriedly.

Aiyana wiped my sweat and smiled at me. "It is only your stamina, Flare. All you need to do is to keep doing what you are currently doing. As long as you do not run out of mana, you will continue."

I blinked twice. Until I run out of mana? Bythos was known to have an unlimited stock of mana in his pedestal. That means it should be the same for me. It means I have to continue trying to control the impact until I drop from exhaustion. But that's necessary. I need to learn how to do it, even if it kills me.

I sighed. "Okay, I understand."

"Drink some water first," Karis said.

"No, thanks. Besides, where can I drink water here?" I chuckled.

He gave me a ridiculed look. He put his palm out, and water started to spurt from it. What the hell? I threw him a weird look because of what he did. He dramatically held onto his chest, offended.

"You want me to drink from that?" I asked sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes. "Why not? You can use yours if you want to!"

Aiyana only laughed at us. I shook my head and continued to train. It's hard to keep the scale in check while trying to the explosions, but I did not stop.

"Explode..."

I've failed a bunch of times. Sometimes, I would shoot bullets of light continuously without stop. I can control the amount most of the time, but there are times when I can't keep up. I had to stop the whole technique and fall on the ground whenever it happens.

Regarding the intensity of the explosions, I haven't landed a single bullet that has the correct strength. It's only either too strong or too weak. I know that it will take a lot of practice to get it right, but I already feel exhausted. I haven't even used half of my mana, and my body is already at my limit. This type of magic takes so much toll on my body.

I held onto my knees for support. It was so hot, and I'm covered in sweat now. I took my armor and boots off. Only the tube and skirt were left, but it felt better. I didn't have to tie my hair in a ponytail because it was floating, and I don't even know why. Perhaps it's because the mana is flowing in my body.

I felt thirsty. Damn. I have no other choice but to drink water from my palm. I put my palm up and made water come out from my index finger to drink from it.

"Ha, that felt refreshing..." I said and continued to shoot bullets after recovering from exhaustion.

"Don't force yourself if you can't!" Karis shouted from behind.

"Shut up and watch!" I shouted back.

I took a deep breath and focused on the momentum of the explosion. Maybe I can manually control it. If I do that, I might be able to prevent it from going over the limit. It would reduce the number of bullets that I can shoot, but it doesn't matter. The bullets travel at the speed of light, so the target can't dodge it unless they can move at the same tempo, which is impossible because no one else can manipulate light magic. That should do the trick. I fired a shot from my right hand and manually controlled the explosion with my left hand.

"Explode..."

It was close! On a scale of one to ten, the accuracy was eight. The timing was a little off because I wasn't used to it. If I continue to practice doing that, I'll be able to do it accurately!

"Flare, eat first!" Karis called.

I looked back at him. Whoa. It seems like Aiyana prepared a lot of food for us. I heard my tummy growling, so I sat with them. She served the food and prepared the utensils.

I smiled awkwardly when our eyes met. "Is it okay that I sit with you? I'm sweaty..." I trailed off and looked at myself.

She giggled. "I do not mind. Now, eat until you are full," she said.

I didn't notice my hunger because I was way too focused earlier. I probably look disgraceful as I ate, but Aiyana didn't seem to mind.

Karis shook his head in dismay as he watched me. "Have you forgotten your manners?"

"Ha! As if you're one to talk. Look at you, eating like a pig," I retorted back.

"Did you call me a pig?! I'm a deer, not a pig!"

I glared at him, and I was about to retort back when Aiyana slammed a cup of tea on the table. I pursed my lips. Oh, damn. Is she mad?

"Now, now. Let us not fight in front of the food," Aiyana told the two of us.

I was worried that she might be annoyed at the two of us, so I decided to shut up and eat. Aiyana is very kind, and she smiles a lot, which is why I don't want her to get fed up with the two of us. It would be bad if someone like her gets pissed. I bet she's scary when she's mad.

I offered to help them clean up when we finished eating, but they wanted me to continue my training. Right, I don't have much time to lose. I have only consumed half of my mana. It is only noon, so I still have time until night falls. But I don't want to hurry. I'm worried that I would mess up if I do so.

That's why I spent the rest of the day trying to make it explode at the right timing. After I shot the last bullet, it exploded almost accurately. The timing was perfect, and the intensity of the explosion was only a little too strong. I don't think it's good enough. It could still affect those who shouldn't be, and if it does, they're as good as dead. That's how dangerous this is. And I'm a messy fighter, opposite to Bythos. It will put my comrades in danger if I continue to fight that way. I know that there's still room for improvement. I need to do better.

But I need to rest. My body hurts like hell, and I'm so exhausted. Karis was already in his animal form. Aiyana helped me climb up his back. She picked my clothes up and hanged them on his antlers. It was a funny sight, but I don't have the energy to laugh. I thought we were going home, but Aiyana wanted to stop by somewhere.

"Karis, stop there," she said and got off her horse.

There were only bushes there. Aiyana borrowed my sword and got rid of them. My mouth went agape when a hot spring greeted my eyes. Whoa. I've always wanted to go to one! She smiled when she saw my expression and helped me get down.

"I found this here some time ago, but I did not want to go alone."

"Wow, this place sure is pretty," I said as she helped me walk.

I wanted to hurry up and bathe in it, so I took my clothes off immediately. Aiyana chuckled when Karis groaned. I know why, but I decided to ignore it. The both of us never talked about those things again after I learned that they would die if they had a baby. Karis means so much to me, and I don't want to lose him. That's why I never teased him about it again. I don't want to do something I'll regret.

I soaked myself in the hot spring. I couldn't help but let a whimper out after doing so. "This feels amazing..." I drawled.

She smiled. "This hot spring has rejuvenating properties. You will surely be back to normal tomorrow."

I nodded and closed my eyes, feeling the sensation. I feel refreshed. No, more like, I feel alive. That's how I feel right now. My exhaustion was gone. I also had some wounds in my hands from the recoil of the bullets, but they're gone now. I smiled and enjoyed the hot springs instead.

I turned to Aiyana. "Is this the only one?" I asked.

She shook her head. "There's one on the other side of the rock formation."

I nodded. "Karis?" I called.

"What is it?" he answered. Oh, he's still in his deer form. I tried to stifle a chuckle when he refused to look at us.

"Don't you want to bathe in the hot spring as well? It feels good, you know," I said.

I noticed that his frustrations have piled up, and he's only trying to act tough. He needs to bathe in a hot spring, too. I bet he'll feel better after doing so. And besides, he deserves it. He's been working hard to guard me.

He sighed heavily. "No."

I chuckled. Karis thinks I'm inviting him to bathe with me. What the hell? It's amusing, but I didn't want to tease him further. "Or do you not want to bathe with us? There's another one, you know. You can go there. It's on the other side of the rock formation."

It took him some time to answer. He probably debated on it in his mind. "Okay..." he replied.

He reverted into his human form and went to the other hot spring. I hummed while taking my sweet time bathing. Aiyana was also enjoying it, so we stayed there until we got dizzy. Aiyana looked like she saw stars. I chuckled and helped her put her clothes on. Karis waited until we were fully clothed before coming out. He was already on his deer form. I don't think Aiyana can ride on Pearl, so we rode on Karis's back instead.

"You two are heavy," he teased.

"Say that again, and I'll make a stew with your meat."

"Sorry..." he murmured and started to run towards the house.