The Girl Raised by the Death God Holds the Sword of Darkness in Her Arms - Volume 6 - Chapter 5.6

VI

I’m sorry I had to be so harsh. But what comes next is my business. I can’t expose you all to danger like this.

Clouds passed over the face of the silver moon, sealing the corridor in darkness as Olivia walked along with even steps. Reaching a great door adorned with elaborate engravings, she traced a semicircle before it, then swung a leg up to kick it in its center. With an echoing bang, the door swung open.

It’s empty... Darmés was nowhere to be seen, nor was anyone else. The only movement was the curtain fluttering in the chilly wind blowing through the open window.

Is this the wrong place? But this was definitely where the floor plan showed... Olivia walked over to the back of the room. A moment later, her eyes found the staircase next to a towering bookcase in the wall that led down underground. Maybe he’s down there?

She peered down the stairs, then decided she might as well go down them. There was no light, but for Olivia, who saw well in the dark, this was no obstacle. She took the steps at a rhythmic pace, then proceeded down the passage until, without thinking, she stopped as she felt a familiar presence.

Could it be?! In her mind, she slipped into the language she had always used with Z. Before she knew what she was doing, she was running as fast as she could. A faint light grew until she emerged into a chamber hewed cleanly from the rock. As she did so, she cried out as loud as she could.

Z!!!

Olivia’s voice echoed in the chamber as a shadow that shimmered like the air above a flame turned slowly toward her.

A human who knows that name? it said. Ah, it said with an air of realization. You are Z’s plaything. 

Z?

Of course, you mistake me for Z. I suppose it is to be expected that we would look the same to inferior human eyes.

Huh? You’re not Z...? Olivia was bewildered.

Seeing as you know that name, I shall make an exception, the shadow said. My name is Xenia. I see that which is true. 

For all its similarities, this was not Z. As this became clear to Olivia, she felt the emotions that had threatened to burst out of her wither away. Looking again with a clear head, she saw it was true—though it looked the same, its small mannerisms and aura were entirely different. More than anything, Z would never have spoken to her in such an unfeeling way.

Xenia’s gaze fixed on Olivia’s hip. That is the ebony blade Darmés spoke of...?! You fool! Why would you go so far for the sake of a mere human?! The black mist that hung over its form suddenly roared up like a conflagration. Olivia looked down at the ebony blade.

“Z gave me this sword. What’s it to you?”

There is no need for a plaything like you to know.

“Would you stop it with that? I’m not Z’s plaything!” Olivia said, contradicting Xenia outright. She still wasn’t sure exactly what she had been to Z, but she knew for fact it had not seen her as a toy.

How pitiful. To think that you do not know. Humans have never been anything more than sustenance for us. Your very existence is pitiful. Like Z, Xenia’s face was blank, making it impossible to read its expression. Still, Olivia felt sure that Xenia was laughing at her. But enough of such trivialities. Tell me, why have you come here?

Olivia replied that she had come for clues relating to Z.

It is true that I imparted some of my power to Darmés... Xenia said. So you came here thinking he might know something of my kin. But I am afraid I must disappoint you. Even I have not seen it for many a moon. I have no idea where it might be.

“Oh...” Olivia said. “Then I suppose those walking corpses must have been your power too.”

Walking corpses...? Xenia repeated. Is that the kind of foolishness Darmés has been entertaining himself with? I swear, I shall never understand humans.

“If you gave him the power, then tell him to knock it off. It’s a nuisance for everyone.” Olivia didn’t believe for a second it would just be the once. Darmés would definitely do it again.

Why? Xenia asked. What Darmés does has nothing to do with me.

“You’re not going to tell him, then?”

Xenia kept silent. What if Olivia’s dearest friends and allies were in danger while she was wasting time here?

“If I defeat you, that means no more walking corpses, right?”

Defeat...me...? There was a pause, then, with a violent surge of black mist, Xenia burst out laughing. Olivia observed that unlike Z, this God of Death was very open with its emotions.

Good, good. You mean to defeat me, do you? What a fascinating human you are. You weren’t that fool’s plaything all this time for nothing, I suppose. I don’t think I’ve been so entertained in, what, a millennium? Xenia went on. Very well. I do not fight lesser beings as a rule, but I shall make an exception. Come, then, hold nothing back. A great scythe materialized in its hands. That, too, was exactly like Z.

But it’s not Z. It’s not Z, except...I feel that same crushing intensity from it, Olivia thought. I can’t wait and see how it reacts. This time I’m going all out from the start.

She drew the ebony blade from its scabbard, then let out a deep breath to calm her mind. Sharpening her focus to razor’s edge, she sent Odh streaming through her entire body.

She began to shine with a flickering, silvery light.

Ah! Xenia exclaimed. The glow of extraordinarily pure Odh. You are of the Deep Folk, then. I’m surprised to see you survived into this age. This only grows more fascinating. Xenia paused, looking about them. Hmm. In that case, this will be a little cramped. It snapped its fingers. Just like that, Olivia found herself in the middle of a desolate plain she had never seen before. She wasn’t surprised—Z had often used the same instantaneous transport.

What do you think? This should give you ample space to show off your Deep Folk skills.

Olivia didn’t bother to acknowledge Xenia’s words. Instead, she sank deep into her stance, holding the ebony blade to her side.

Swift Step of Shadows! she thought. There was a shriek of wind around and in the blink of an eye, she was behind Xenia, blade flashing out. But Xenia, without even looking back, casually raised its scythe to block her attack. Olivia was not deterred. She unleashed a whirlwind of slashes from every angle, and yet Xenia deflected them all without taking a single step.

Then try this! She crouched, then shot high up into the air. Concentrating magical essence in the edge of her blade to form a ball of light the size of her fist, Olivia somersaulted forward at high speed to slam blade and light into Xenia’s scythe. There was a blinding flash, along with a bang and a blast of wind that swept across the wilds. Olivia quickly moved back to see the effects of her attack. Her eyes found Xenia, standing there with its scythe over its shoulder as though nothing had happened.

I guess I’ll have to do better... As Olivia raised the ebony blade once more, Xenia clapped its hands together.

Deep Folk girl. Z’s little toy. You really are quite something, aren’t you? I didn’t expect to see you using magic. I suppose Z taught you that?

“That’s not all. There’s loads and loads and loads of other stuff Z taught me too!” Olivia replied, chest swelling with pride. She treasured everything she had learned from Z.

The only magic that survives in this world is that poor imitation they call magecraft. No humans can cast real magic. With the exception of you, that is... Z, you really are a fool. Don’t you think you’ve taken this game of yours a little far? Of course, I never fully knew what you were thinking... 

Xenia went on muttering as though it had forgotten Olivia was there. She didn’t care. She used Swift Step of Shadow again, readying a Mantra on her lips as she did so while simultaneously sliding the densely concentrated magical essence at her fingertips down her blade. Cryptic runes appeared along its length as it began to blaze with light. Olivia launched into another barrage of strikes from all angles, but even then, she could not make Xenia move even a single step. The scythe obstructed her every attack. But after her final blow from above, Olivia saw the death god lower to the ground. In the same instant, she spun around, concentrating magical essence in her foot as she threw a kick as hard as she could at the back of Xenia’s head. There was a roar of thunder as a bolt of lightning shot down, straight through Xenia.

Olivia hit the ground, then immediately leapt back, breathing hard. The cloud of dust around her slowly faded, carried on the wind.

Xenia laughed. Sword of the Sun with Thunderbolt Palm? I am impressed that a mere group of three being such as yourself learned to wield such magic. So is it Fangs of Water next? Or perhaps Windbringer Dragon? I am offering you up an opportunity here. By all means, don’t hold back. It taunted Olivia, showing no sign of being intimidated.

From what Olivia had seen, Xenia’s movements were far from polished. Its defenses were sloppy and full of holes. All of this was a far cry from Z. And yet, Olivia thought, gripping the ebony blade tight, against Xenia, she could not win.