Supreme Magus

Chapter 3311 Nothing Alike (Part 2)

"Because if you don't get out of my hair right now, we are going to find out."

"Mo-enadion, stop!" Solus rushed to correct herself since there were still people within earshot. "Look, whoever you are, there's nothing we can do. Wait for the call of the new World Tree or whatever your people do when the fucker dies."

"My name is-"

"Not interested." Solus cut Azit short. "If none of that works, here's the communication rune of a fellow elf of yours. Aalejah Eventide. She will care enough about you and your people to help you connect with the rulers of the three great countries."

"But-" Azit exchanged runes with her, yet with the elven villages gone and the fields still burning with Origin Flames, the elves would soon run out of food.

"You tortured me!" Solus yelled with so much fury that her voice blasted the elf off his feet. "Your kind imprisoned me and did… things to me! I made a promise and I am upholding it, but my patience is running thin."

She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in the attempt to control herself.

"Get away from me. Now!"

Azit stepped away slowly, keeping his hands raised in plain sight. The collective murderous intent in front of him was enough to keep him from breathing, making his lungs burn from the lack of oxygen.

He could have Warped away, but he didn't dare cast a spell and risk it being mistaken for an attack.

As soon as fear allowed him, he turned around and sprinted, feeling the fresh breeze filling his chest and easing his pain.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose my cool like that." Solus wished to be kinder with Azit, but her body twisted in revulsion at the mere sight of an elf.

"Don't apologize. You just saved his life." Lith patted her shoulder.

"You sure did." Menadion snarled.

Once everyone was out of the Fringe, the boundary closed by itself even though Lith was still nearby.

"See? It wasn't me."

The various factions waved their goodbyes and left. The exit led to the republic of Chalal and getting back home would take a while for those who didn't want to leave a trail in the Gate Network that might trace them back to their lairs.

"I bet that we'll find Aunt Loka and Malyshka waiting for us in the Blood Desert." Solus said after she made sure they were alone.

"Just the time to get rid of all those obnoxious Liches and lose anyone who might attempt to tail them." Lith nodded. "I doubt they'll miss to give you and your mother a proper welcome."

"I can use the advice of trusted friends right now." Ripha sighed while glaring at Lith. "I'm not in the right state of mind for seven hundred years and need to make important decisions."

"Before we get back to the Blood Desert and start celebrating Solus' return, I would like to ask you a few questions, Menadion." Bytra cleared her throat to get their attention.

"Can't they wait? I've just reconnected with my daughter."

"No, they can't." The Fourth Ruler of the Flames shook her head. "I can understand our truce while Solus' life was at risk but why did you lie for me once the battle was over? Why didn't you attack me even though you've seen with your eyes what I've done with your teachings? With your life job?"

"Why would I?" Ripha frowned in confusion. "Oh, now I understand. You don't know I was by Solus' side all this time, do you?"

"You what?" Bytra took a step back.

"I mean that I was there when you gave her the Fury back and did everything you could to find the pieces of my Set for her." Menadion said. "I witnessed you offering Epphy-"

"Solus." Solus corrected her.

"Solus your Absolution." Ripha rolled her eyes. "Just like I was there all the times you risked your life to save her and I've learned from Lith's chain that you still keep the secret of the tower from your allies.

"Only your wife knows and only because Lith needed her help to convince the others to join the rescue missions."

"Are you saying that you have forgiven me?" Bytra's voice cracked as her mind refused to believe her own ears.

"Why should I forgive you?" Menadion's scoff broke the Raiju's heart in a thousand pieces. "You did nothing wrong."

"What?" Bytra's knees buckled and she fell to the ground.

"Kid, I'm not my daughter. My memory is intact and I remember how the real- I'm sorry, the original Bytra was." Ripha stepped forward and helped the Raiju to stand up. "No matter what you tell or call yourself, you are nothing like her.

"She was arrogant, even more than my daughter…"

"Mom!"

"And she was the most ambitious and prideful person I've ever met." Menadion pretended to not have heard Solus and continued. "Bytra always bugged me to borrow the other pieces of my set to the point I often joked she would kill me just to take a peek at my tower.

"As we all know, in the end she did. You, instead, are humble and caring. You could have taken not one, but three pieces of my set for yourself, and Solus would have never known about it.

"She recovered the Fury, the Mouth, and now the Ears only thanks to your help. Not to mention you could have ambushed Lith at any time and taken the stone ring from him, achieving Bytra's lifelong dream of having my tower."

"But I'm Bytra!" The Raiju said in frustration. "I killed you and Elphyn. I stole your hammer. I copied your work. I'm everything the 'real' Bytra was!"

"Really?" Ripha furrowed her brows in mock indignance. "Then tell me how and when you, and I mean you, not the person in your memories, have wronged me or my daughter. I'll wait."

"Well, I…" Bytra racked her brain but there was nothing to find.

She had spent every waking moment since she had discovered that Solus and Elphyn were the same person trying to find a way to make up for the crimes of the original Bytra.

"My point exactly." Ripha nodded after the silence lasted long enough to become awkward. "I was dead so we've never met until today. As for my daughter, you've done everything in your power to preserve and restore our family legacy.

"For that, I'll be forever grateful to you. Tezka may have opened the Fringe, but you pushed him to do it."

"Really?" Bytra said amid hiccups as a huge burden was lifted off her chest.

"Absolutely." Menadion said. "To be honest, I think you are more talented than the old Bytra. She held my hammer for years during her apprenticeship but she never managed to come even close to it whereas your Absolution surpasses my creation.

"Also, you've managed to improve on the Mouth as well and based on what I've learned from Lith, you've studied the Ears enough to crack its code in less than one day."

"I didn't do any of that." Bytra shook her head. "I had help. The Eldritches of the Organization are among the most ancient and powerful beings on Mogar…"