Realms of Magic: Demon Invasion

69. Bitter Reunion II

"So here you are. You did betray us," I say.

Angelita flicks her fingers, weaving a barrier inside which we can talk.

"Look, Vio," Angelita insists, "pretend that you lose and get the hell out of here."

"You wish," I say. "You should get the hell out of here, Lita."

"Lita ... I've never heard that name for a long time," Lita says, gulping her spit. "I can't go back. I can't. I have messed up everything."

"You have," I affirm. "But this is your chance! Come back with me and start anew!"

"I know why you're here," Lita says. She throws me a scroll. "Here, take it. It's the recipe for Madu–my magnum opus and my shame."

I tear it apart. "I don't need it. I need you."

Lita's spell dissipates. We lock blades again. "Do you know why I ran away, Vio?" she whispers.

I am silent.

"After the attack on you when you were four, Grandma poured much of her attention unto you. That sparked my jealousy, injured my pride. I wanted to hog all the attention for myself."

"I ran off. They told me that my Madu would be used only for anesthesia, but I knew it was false. But I was so spiteful I just went with it. Don't you get it? I literally prioritized my ego over your safety. How can you call me your sister?"

"So what?" I cry. "So what if you made a mistake? Mistakes were to be fixed! To not make amends is to make another mistake!"

"No, Vio. No. Even if you forgive me, I can't forgive myself," Lita says. "From now on, I'm not Lita."

Lita tackles me to the ground, her marvelous strength pinning me down. I grab her sword. "Think, Lita, think!" I say in a panic. "Would you kill me, Lita? Your own sister?"

"I have taken the wrong path too many times," Lita says, dropping her blade and looking at the ceiling. "Slash my throat and kill me, Vio. I don't deserve to exist."

I drop my own sword. Instead, I encircle Lita's upper body with my arms. "Please, Lita," I say with a trembling voice. "Please come back. I forgive you. You are still my elder sister to me."

Lita looks at me, tears flowing from her eyes. "Sorry."

Lita hugs me. It's the warmest hug I've ever received. I coil my own arms around her shoulder even harder. The spectators must be whispering in confusion, but I couldn't care more.

"Vio! Watch out!" Aelita screams.

"What?"

Before I know it, a massive iron pillar races at me. "Divine Dispel!"

The pillar vanishes at John's command. Aelita and John break through the barrier, landing near me.

"Vio! It's Lord Eugene!"

Lord Eugene walks slowly into the arena, his red hair tied into a ponytail. His forces surround us from the spectators' seats.

"Lita, I think we've got a problem here," I say. She breaks off the hug.

"Lord Eugene!"

"I didn't think it would go this way," he says, an iron spear on his hands. Riots break out, initiated by, seemingly, Magnolia and her coots (oh, yeah, I forgot she hated demons, too). 

Aelita puts her hands on Lita's and my shoulder, healing our broken bones and restoring our cracked flesh.

Lord Eugene throws a bird-like machinery to the air. A massive barrier emerges.