✔ | At Least We Have Forever

Chapter 52 - Ultimate Battle

Riya's plea was soon heard as her staff began to emit a silver glow before her body was soon covered with the same glow.

"What's going on?" Yumi asked as she looked up to the sky upon sensing a tremendously powerful energy signature.

"Riya-chan couldn't possibly emit such power, could she? I mean, Celeste was only residing inside her. Is she really that powerful? Can someone like her hold such tremendous amount of power?" Botan uttered while staring wide-eyed to the sky where Riya was currently positioned.

"She's really going for it..." Keiko muttered. "With all she got, she's going to finish this once and for all."

"But will Riya-senpai be alright after this?" Yukari asked worriedly.

Yusuke sighed and positioned himself to a stance as the orb that concealed Erithea began to break. "We'll find that out later."

"Right now, we have a war to finish with Riya's help," Hiei added nonchalantly and drew out his katana.

With each of them heaving sighs of giving up, they materialized their weapons while Botan watched from a corner of that frozen park. To their surprise, though, a surge of powerful energy rushed through them. Their weapons ー in Yusuke's case, his fists ー began to emit silver glows similar to Riya's staff, which caught them surprised even more. The surge of energy inside of them was definitely amazing.

It didn't take long, though, before Erithea finally freed herself from the orb that intercepted her immediate regeneration and transformation as it was finally destroyed. Riya's eyes snapped open and raised her staff to the sky. At that, she remembered something from her conversation with her past self while she was at the Alyssum Castle a while ago...

"Barrier?" Riya asked the silver-haired, blue-eyed lady wearing a white flowing kimono in front of her ー which turned out to be the image preserved by none other than this woman named Celeste.

That's right. The woman in front of her was her past self. But Riya had to admit, Celeste was more beautiful than she thought, especially when she was projecting a gentle smile. Even when the deity was grave serious, she still looked beautiful. Riya couldn't believe she was that beautiful during her past life.

Celeste nodded as an answer. "You might have not remembered this since it happened eons ago. But when I first fought Erithea and she showed her ugly but powerful form for the first time, six layers of physical and magical protection guarded her. If you want to defeat her and let your attack pass through her, you have to destroy those 6 protective layers first before anything else."

"Why are you saying this to me?"

"You already managed to defy the laws of your own fate in order for you to create a new destiny with the one you love, as the prophecy had foretold. Because of that, I knew I made the right choice of shattering the Crystal Spear and turning those shards into the Dragon Gems. I may have been dead for many eons now but my will remained here until youーmy incarnationーreturned here and retrieved what is rightfully yours. I want you to have that power to release yourself from the chains of destiny that binds you and your heart."

Riya scratched the back of her head. "I'm not sure if I understand what you said to me but I'll remember them."

"Erithea is vulnerable without those protective layers. Destroy the layers one by one and your attacks will pass through. You can let them do that."

"I can?"

Celeste nodded as a response. "Your will power is tremendously strong so I know you can..."