The Chimeric Ascension of Lyudmila Springfield

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Vengeance Unleashed – Part One

I didn’t lie.    

Intense loathing and dissatisfaction filled my mind when I learned what happened to Niva and Tilde. Much of that was directed towards Quella since she was obviously powerful. A mere orb of silence was enough to cripple the woman who made a hurricane to destroy a sandstorm?   

She had fought for the village, spilling blood to defend it.  

Not just her—but all of them. They risked it all, fighting against circumstances almost designed to counter them…   

Something weird was happening. Things felt like they didn't fit or they fit too well. It didn’t feel natural—no, it felt artificial…almost like…something was on purpose? The feeling was difficult to explain. It was abstract. I didn’t understand it other than a growing knot in my stomach.    

As I returned to the living room…   

Another oddity occurred.    

Someone knocked on the door, but the noise seemed to echo around us—like someone was rapping their knuckles against the tables.   

I asked Tris who it was, but she hesitated before answering.    

No one.   

Knock! Knock! Knock!   

I heard the noise again.   

No one's within 200 feet of the mansion, my lord. I do not detect illusion magic or invisibility potions.   

There was nothing.    

No one was there. Yet someone was knocking.   

Logically, someone had to be there. 

“Tris?” I called her name, but she didn’t reply. She started shivering. Sekh grabbed her hands, and the two followed me when I went to the door. Quella tagged along. Her expression had changed—she was mentally preparing for a fight.    

Maybe she sensed something was off.     

The knocks that shouldn’t exist continued to come. 

“Don’t open it… My lord, I… Don’t… I don’t know what’s behind it… I don’t…”   

Sekh reassured Tris as I grabbed the knob. The door swung open…revealing the woman who had raped me when I was still known as Shuuta Fenton.    

She was standing…right there…under the moon’s glow…like a beacon of evil…   

But she wasn’t showing on the map.    

That was impossible...   

I couldn’t breathe.    

I couldn’t focus.    

My body screamed a thousand warning signs as the memories I didn’t want to relieve flashed to the forefront of my mind. The feeling of nails digging deep into my body… The way her fingers wrapped around my neck…   

The beatings… The thrashing…   

Thump!  

I thought I was about to scream, but something stopped me. I turned around because Tris had dropped to her knees. Her eyes twitched uncontrollably. She seized up before collapsing like someone had cut her strings.    

She went limp. Sekh dashed to catch her.    

Surtr rounded the corner as a lion, his fangs alit with flames. He never blinked after fixating his gaze on her. The others rushed behind him. Primrose barged past everyone to support me. I needed her comforting touch because… Because I was still locked. Fear circulated throughout my body like blood—that awful night was the only thing that filled my vision.    

“Wow. Guess I have a few fans here, huh? Good to meet ya, Lord Springyfield. Hello! Hullo! Hallo!"   

"Remy!" Quella barked. “Please, it’s Lord Springfield! What did you do to Tris?”    

This…   

This is Remy?   

“Aww, don’t start blaming me for shit I wasn’t involved with, Cutie Qutie!”   

I was still frozen in trepidation.   

I couldn’t move.    

Activating Emergency Response Protocol: Wrath Induction   

The robotic, monotone voice Tris had in her first evolution filled my mind. The cylinder representing my Wrath turned to 1 as a flaming belt wrapped around my skin—beneath my clothes.    

Only then could I move without feeling like this bitch was about to repeat that night.   

I immediately picked up Tris. Primrose never left my side or let Remy out of her gaze. The woodland spirit’s eyes were piercing-- Aetos was watching.     

“Eh? I don’t get so much as a hello after I walked all this way to get here.” Remy tried to step into the mansion.    

“You did not get permission to enter.” Sekh’s voice was cold. She narrowed her eyes.    

“I don’t believe you own this house. Why do I care what a cub whispers to a wolf?”   

“We’ll see if you keep that same tune when this cub incinerates you.” Sekh equipped her abyssal iceflame armor. Her mace manifested itself in a fiery, icy explosion. Surtr roared louder than ever, shaking the mansion’s foundation, shattering almost every window. 

Remy just…smiled. She hopped back a few feet and started juggling daggers.    

Quella ran between the two. “Please, we don’t need to fight! Stop it!”  

“Fighting? Don’t ya know this is how people like us greet each other? Isn’t that right…? You smell of blood. I bet you’ve killed way more than me. That's not an easy feat.”   

Sekh kept quiet. She looked at Surtr. Her armor vanished, and she ushered me to our room.    

---

“That’s her… That’s the one… That’s the goddamn bitch…” I couldn’t think straight.    

I was in my room, pondering against the wall after gently laying Tris between Tilde and Niva. Those two still showed no signs of waking up. Tilde’s wings were back, but they were glossy. Lei comforted the three with his blubbery body.    

Sekh tightly hugged me to stop my trembling.     

I rambled for another few minutes until Sekh calmed me. She made me sit on the foot of the bed, held my shoulders, and told me to breathe. Panicking wouldn’t solve anything. We needed to go through what had happened.    

“You’re right.” Sekh breathed with me. Primrose squeezed my hands.   

In and out…   

In and out…   

I opened a window to my Divine Skill. The Essence of Wrath’s flaming blood had flooded the floating metal platform. She continued to stab at her body, breaking her infinitely regenerating horns while begging for it to stop.    

I sent my spirit into it. On the outside, Sekh was still watching the window I displayed on the wall.    

“PLEASE!!!!! I’M SORRY!!! LORD SPRINGFIELD, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!” The EoW scrambled towards me. “MAKE IT STOP!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!” I kicked the bitch away and demanded an explanation.    

“Allow me to answer that.” A prismatic orb of rainbow energy flashed into existence. Its voice was stiff, robotic, and monotone.     

“Tris?”   

“I am the emergency backup of the entity that was given that designation. The primary unit is undergoing system maintenance to repair illogical errors that should not have occurred.”   

Tris had said something about that back on the boat to Plymoise—about 5% of her was comprised of a core backup.   

“Is she okay? Will she get better?”   

“Affirmative.”   

"What happened? I don't get it?"  

"The one called Tris has linked the Essence of Wrath’s flames to my activation should you desire assistance when she was indisposed."  

In this case, it was just enough to make me move.    

She had really thought of it all.    

The EoW slammed her head to the metal floor. It shattered with each blow, spewing harmless flames over me. She tried to speak, but it was garbled nonsense amid a chorus of screams.   

I returned to my body. The backup appeared.   

“Be strong, Mila,” whispered Sekh’s sweet voice. “I have not forgotten my promise. Your enemies shall fall. I shall slaughter them.”  

Remy’s eventual fate remained the same even though she was undetectable by [Deduction] or [Skyview]. Surtr told me that disgusting blemish was eating me out of house and home—mocking the mansion— while treating Quella’s team like slaves.    

The bitch was going to die, but…  

How?  

What could we do?   

“I asked Father,” Primrose whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “Remy has a reputation for being Meruria’s most puzzling warrior. Her abilities are a mystery. Only a few people know about them. He’s heard rumors of her being a master of teleportation and [Time Magic].”  

“That lines up with Team Quella’s diaries.”  

“Could [Conferment] be used?” asked Primrose. “To seal away her magic?”  

“I don’t know. It might not affect Remy since Tris’s other abilities don’t work on her. But it must. I practically unlocked the goddamn thing for everyone else.”  

“Do you think we can count on Quella’s assistance?”  

“Maybe,” I answered Sekh. “Remy has a grip on her—almost like an invisible leash. I know she hates those two, but Quella has her team to look after. She won’t flip sides without a guarantee. Although… Perhaps I could use her guilt if I reveal myself as Shuuta?”  

What about Aetos? No, Mila. That’s dumb. He’s weaker than a newborn pig. A stiff breeze could knock his pot over. He’d need decades—no, centuries, to return to his prime. What if we worked together? Will Team Quella, myself, Sekh, and Surtr be enough? Even if [Conferment] works, will it help us? Just how much lifeforce will it take to affect someone like her? 

Sekh bared her teeth, annoyance plastered across her brow. “I desire my mace more than ever,” she said after I rubbed her hand. She sat on the bed and uncharacteristically sighed. “So much power is stored within. All our problems would be solved if I had it. No one—not even the Dark Lord of Justice could stand opposition to us at that point.” She paused for a moment, showcasing strain across her brow. “There’s—”  

“No. I’m shutting that shit down,” I sternly said. “You’re not using the curse to get the upper hand. I won’t lose you, Sekh. Not again. My vengeance is important, but what does it mean if you’re not there to stand beside me as we taunt enemies’ brutalized corpses? We started this journey together, so we’ll finish it together.”   

“There’s no better place I’d rather be than by your side, Mila.” Sekh faintly smiled. “I won’t bring it up again.” I softly gripped her fingers. “That leaves us with one option. The Second Princess of Vredi Forest.”  

“Sera would believe anything I say,” I said. “If I told her Remy had abused me… She’d use her full might to smite her from this world. Sera would turn that anger towards Meruria if I asked.”  

She’s just so powerful. If nothing else, she could incarnate recollected projections of Amos’s Soul Warriors to kill Remy.   

“I selfishly wish to deny her help.” Sekh gently clenched my fists. “Yet my desire to kill Remy does not eclipse the yearning to witness her end. If she dies, yes?” I nodded. Sekh then smirked. “Meruria and the others. I won’t let them get away from me.”  

Suddenly, a deep voice reverberated around my mind. 

My lady, Lord Springfield.  

What is it, Surtr?  

The target is claiming boredom will kill her. She desires to leave. I do not think she’ll remain for much longer.   

That could be a problem. Sera still had about an hour before she arrived—maybe ten minutes could be shaved if she pushed the recollected projected Aetos to the limit while knocking back mana potions like a drunk uncle.    

Where will the fight happen? What will be the backdrop? It can’t be the village because Quella theorized a fight between us would destroy the forest. It could potentially take out the Eagle Yew. Even if that’s unlikely… It’s a surefire, foregone conclusion if we added Sekh’s, Surtr’s, and Quella’s might. Leaving everything to Sera? That’s still risky because Remy’s unpredictable. Think, Mila. Think! What’s the move? What’s the play?   

“Mmnn… Nnrg…” I saw movement in my peripheral vision. It was slight, but Tris nudged her fingers. We rushed to her side, held her hands, and anxiously waited until she opened her eyes. Minutes passed, but it felt like an eternity mixed with unsavory, anxious fumes. 

I never…ever wanted to feel that again.    

“Hey,” I whispered. “Tris? Can you hear me? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”   

“I’m fine.., my lord.” Her voice was softer than usual—weaker, too. “Forgive—”   

“I’ll stop you right there. No forgiveness is needed,” said Sekh. She knew what I wanted to say.    

Tris got right down to business.    

“I refused to stop processing the data. The illogical errors have been handled, but they aren’t solved. I cannot understand or compute the paradox presented to me. There are two paths we can take, my lord, that will see your revenge fulfilled.”    

Crunching the data during repair? This workaholic doesn’t know what taking a break means.     

Tris looked me in the eyes, refusing to glance away as she told me her plans.    

“I…can’t do that,” I said. “It’s too risky-- too dangerous.” I never thought I’d say this about Tris, but I wanted to shout at her for being so stupid to suggest such plans—especially when I gave her explicit orders to not die.    

Still, she wanted to entrust the help of that goddamn body-snatching traitor?   

“That… That thing must die.” I felt Tris’s conviction through her unsteady, waving voice. “I have constantly scanned…since we arrived. I have not found a trace of bandits or other raiders within an area that I deemed severe enough to warrant immediate execution. I detected them at the moment of the attack, so they must've been teleported in from a non-indexed area. Remy, however, does not show up. I can only conclude that she can mask herself from appearing on [Skyview]. That should be impossible, yet it is only the explanation. She... She cannot be allowed to live."

“Are you suggesting she’s behind the attack?”   

“I cannot be certain, but the circumstantial evidence points me in that direction. Meruria can alter emotions and perceptions. We know she has experimented with the void. I surmise her power can be made portable and used by others. If we do not do this now, I fear the chance will be missed. Sera’s power will even the odds, but Remy may vanish before she arrives if she detects her presence. Furthermore, if Sera participates in the fight, we will lose the opportunity to get the answers we desire… Your chimerism cannot be known to her.”    

Sekh and I shared a look. I started to speak, but Tris uncharacteristically interrupted me.     

“I know your distaste, my lord. Perhaps we won’t need those plans once I acquire more information. But if they become necessary, we must…prepare ourselves to do everything we can to ensure victory… For this plan, and for your ultimate goal… This is the time to act. This opportunity cannot be squandered... I’m afraid…it will not return.” Tris’s voice trailed off.     

“I…”   

“Why the hesitation?” I heard Aetos’s voice. A moment later, a baby eagle spirit flew through a tiny portal and perched on the bed.    

“Father?” gasped Primrose.     

“You aren’t dumb. You know damn well why I’m… Look, I just saved this village, and now I’m being forced to put it ALL at risk?  

“Who says that is required of you?”   

“What? Where else would we fight? I could—"  

“Answer me. Tell me who told you that you must endanger the village.”   

“…”  

“I have come bearing a message from the Eagle Yew.” Aetos waved a tiny wing towards the window. “It wishes to repay you. Thus, it has agreed to serve as your battleground. The Spiritual Grove is not yet within the Spirit Realm, yet it is not within the Mortal Realm, either. It is unlikely that your clash will inflict lasting effects upon the village.”   

“I…”   

“Please, my lord,” Tris begged me. “Please… She must die. She cannot be allowed to live. I’ve thought it over a thousand times—”   

“You’ve never steered me wrong before, Tris.” I embraced her. “You’ve always been there. I know… I know you wouldn’t have suggested this if you didn’t think our victory was assured. So, I’ll trust your plans. Please, Tris… Help me… Help me kill her.”   

“I will, my lord. I’ve been dreaming of this day…for when they will finally feel your vengeance...for when the consequences of their actions foreshadow their death.”   

“She will die, Mila. Remy’s death will mark the start of your revenge. This will not be the end,” Sekh said, her voice a comfortable pillar I needed to rely on.     

“The page hath been written.” Aetos flapped a wing. “Very well. The Eagle Yew is awaiting. Do not disappoint the faith it holds in you.” The eagle vanished in a whimsy sparkle, leaving us alone.     

I took a moment to collect myself. Primrose grabbed my hand. She didn’t want to let go. Lei mimicked her actions and jumped into my arms. “Lord Springfield—”   

“Stay here, okay?” My voice was soft.    

“Please, let me—”   

“Let you go so you can take a fatal blow for me? No. I can’t allow that. The same goes for you, Lei.”    

Primrose suddenly punched her knee, wishing she was stronger. She only stopped when Sekh restrained and eased her worries. Slowly, Sekh let the woodland spirit go once she had calmed.     

“Please, don’t die… I’m scared.” The spirit whimpered, catching Lei.  

“I won’t die. I’ll never die. You can count on that. I love you.”   

“I love you too.”   

Prim and Lei tried to see us off with smiles—but it didn’t work.    

Those teary eyes… wouldn't be the last time they’d see us off. I knew the future held a lot of happy moments for us. The kind that made you so merry that you were almost forced to cry from happiness.    

This would not be my end.    

It wouldn’t.    

It just wouldn't.     

---

We walked downstairs, where that gross bitch was pigging out on a turkey leg. Greggie and Elly were cleaning her mess. Surtr kept staring. Quella pleaded with her, but Remy wasn’t listening.   

“Ah, ready to see Lord Meruria, Lord Field of Springs?"  

“We need to talk,” I said. I needed the flaming belt around my stomach to keep me going. I was glad it was under my clothes. Tris didn't look at Remy. She spoke with Elly and Ami, who were worried about her. Melusine had her back turned. She looked nervous around Sekh, who never let her eyes wander from our enemy.  

“Good. I was getting tired of waiting. It’s common courtesy to show a guest some hospitality when she arrives. Greggie, handle the mess, will ya? Quella—”   

“She will be coming with us.”   

“Is that such a good idea? I know she’s from another world. She’s supposed to be smart, but our discussion might go over her head.”   

“I have made myself clear. Quella, you will follow us. Everyone else, could you watch over my allies? Greggie, can you prepare a meal if they awake?” 

I received a series of nods. 

We departed the mansion under Remy's final moonlight. She would never see another one. 

---

[Quella’s PoV] 

Remy marveled at the ethereal beauty of the Spiritual Grove. "Woooooow… So, this is the first time I’ve seen the inside of a place like this." She gazed around with wide-eyed wonder. "So, this is technically located inside the Spirit Realm? Heeeyyyy!!! Lord Aeeetoossss!!!’ Where are you!!!??"  

Lord Aetos remained silent, choosing not to respond to her enthusiastic call.  

"The silent treatment, huh? I figured. He’s said to be a shy little birdie. Anyway, why did we come here? I heard rumors of Hymn being active around these parts, and... Yeah, from what I’ve seen of the graveyard... I’m guessing they showed up? Sorry about that. Did they mean a lot to you?"  

“Yes. They did. I failed to protect them.” Lord Springfield rubbed Surtr’s head. 

"Lord Meruria can help you with that, you know. She’s the strongest, most beautiful Holy Lord to have ever lived, and she will be a valuable ally when you wage war on Gloria."  

“Do I need her assistance? Crushing Dirge won’t be hard. The plans are already set in motion. They’ll activate before dawn.”  

“Care to tell a curious wolf about your intentions?”  

"No. I don’t have a reason. There’s nothing your lord can offer me. I’m aware of her reputation. I’ve no need to concern myself with a wretch like her."  

“Petty insults reveal the true depth of one's character,” replied Remy, her tail whipping like lightning.  

“I never considered myself to be anything but who I am,” retorted Lord Springfield.  

“Who are you?” interjected Tris, her sharp voice cutting in.   

“Remy. A loyal soldier of Lord Meruria of Cridia, the fairest Holy Lord in all the land.”   

"No. That’s not what I mean, and you know it. Who. Are. You?" Tris didn’t back down.  

Remy smiled, narrowing her eyes. “I’m Remy. I’ll always be her. I’m more concerned about why you’re hanging out with someone like her.” Remy summoned a dagger before raising it towards Sekh. The wolf licked her lips.   

A tense silence hung in the air for a few heartbeats.  

“Who do you think me to be?” Sekh asked.   

“The Dark Lord of Tyranny.”  

My heart sank.  “The…Dark Lord of Tyranny?! She’s not—”  

“Quella. You’re an idiot, but you’re not dumb. Think. Recall what Melsuine told you. Remember the ice that drowned her kingdom? She’s responsible for it. You should’ve seen the similarities to the cursed ice that queen uses and what this cub wields.”   

Sekh...didn’t deny it.   

“I smell the millions of deaths you’ve caused. I don’t know how you broke your seal, but Lord Meruria needs someone like you. Just think of how much power she’ll gain when she has access to [Tyranny Control.] I didn’t expect you to be here, but this is a nice bonus.”  

“I serve no lord.” Sekh looked at Lord Springfield. “Not anymore. Meruria will die by my hands.”  

“Oh? What has she done to deserve your ire? You’re destined to destroy the world. You need to kill to accomplish that. Lord Meruria will give you free reign. Just think of how many babies you can slam against the wall! Or how many mothers you can butcher like pigs! Yeah, I’ve read the stories. They say Amos and the other Lords conspired to remove all mention of you from history, but there are a few traces here and there if you read between the lines. Seriously. You're an expert in depravity. Even I gagged at the atrocities you forced upon others.”  

No one answered.   

I couldn’t believe it.   

I just couldn’t. The horror I’ve heard… The foreboding feeling Melusine had gotten was her gut being right about Surtr being subservient to the most fearsome threat the world had ever met.    

The atmosphere was thick. Suddenly, Lord Springfield spoke. Her voice was so calm. How did she endure the pressure? The mana thickened around everyone here, like whirling vortexes of densely packed energy.   

“Quella. This is your chance. You stand at a crossroad. Either remain a slave to someone who turned your life upside down or join me in bringing justice to the ones who have wronged you.”  

“Cutie Qutie won’t do that, will she?” Remy sang. “No. She owes much to Lord Meruria. She’s the glue that holds her team together. Her punishment won’t be exclusive to her.”  

Remy laughed. She just chuckled like it was the funniest thing in the world.    

“Seriously.” Her tone turned cold. “I will make you suffer for a thousand years if you ever think about betraying your summoner. You have no idea what I have planned... Or what Lord Meruria specifically requested for me to do to traitors.”  

“Quella, you won’t have to worry about that if she dies. You’re speaking to the woman who unlocked [Conferment] for the rest of the world.”  

“You did that? You made that awful voice appear!? WHY?!!!! I’M GOING TO BE SICK!” Remy vomited as she dropped to her knees. She screamed...  

...but it was all an act. Remy vanished in a puff of smoke and appeared hanging upside down on nothing. She then returned to her feet and busted out laughing. “Bwhaaaaaahahahah!!! Sorry, I couldn’t help but pull your leg. Seriously, how important do you think you are? Yeah, you’re a fusion of two forests, but come on. Immunity to time doesn’t matter because a Vredi can bleed like the rest. They can die like the rest. Their minds aren’t resistant to torture. They can still squeal like a bitch in heat.”  

“Does the Transcendent Dark Lord ring a bell?”  

“Only if you’re a little kid lost in imagination. Such a thing doesn’t exist.”  

“But it does, wolf.”  

“No, it doesn’t, elf. [Conferment] was hidden behind a metaphysical lock trapped in the void. That old fool Sajun had theorized there was untapped power waiting to be excavated. He was right. The most beautiful woman in the world did what that failure couldn’t! There could be more. Only the ever-powerful and righteous Holy Lord Meruria is worthy to master all the goodies!”   

"I suppose it doesn’t matter. Believe it if you want. Or don’t. Quella, make your choice.” Lord Springfield grew four additional arms from her back. Each hand wielded a different gun.   

“A chimera? I bet you can create a decoy Status Menu. That’s why [Detect Chimerism] failed when I used it. I wonder how the world will react when they realize you’re a false fraud. I wonder which Vredi you killed to get that body? You said you’ve met Seraphina Vredi, right? Sorry, I was spying on you a while back. How will the last surviving Princess of Vredi act when she realizes you’re a phony?”  

“Since you’re not that alarmed... I presume you’ve experienced the void too?”  

“Right on the coin, you false elf. Don’t think yourself special. A few dozen have survived being dipped in its illusive warmth and lived to tell the tale. You’re looking at one of them. I guess that makes me your elder, so why don’t you treat me to some goddamn coffee? How about a little respect while you’re at it?”   

Remy’s teleportation makes sense if the void is responsible. Are her time abilities a result of being dipped in it? Or is that something else?   

“Respect? You deserve a goddamn dagger through your heart. Or maybe I’ll shove a spike up your ass and pierce your throat.” 

“Oh, wow. Easy on the hatred, there, Lord Bouncyplain.”  

“Meruria... That vile woman turned my life upside down, and you were a part of that. You raped me...”  

“A part?” Remy played dumb. “Well, it’s a pain to track names and faces when you live as long as we do. Who knows how many I’ve raped throughout the years. You’re a disgusting chimera. There’s really no telling which one you were. Did you scream, though? Did I bring you to the brink of heaven? Wait, were you male or female? Either way, I probably pegged you, right? Oohh~~~ I’m getting tingly down there just thinking about it... I think I’ll drive myself wild... I JUST have to know!”  

I was disgusted. Remy was already a terrible person, but seeing...just how happy she was...and how she danced and jumped for joy...for doing...those things...  

“Quella.” Lord Springfield’s serious voice attracted my attention. “Do not stand on the wrong side of history. Would you rather remain a slave than finally fight to obtain your freedom? Remember... Remember our discussions. Remember our talks. Remember the feelings you felt. The relief? The anxiousness fading away? Recall it all. Make the right choice. Do not become my enemy." 

“I...” Any words I wanted to say were stuck in my throat after hearing revelation after revelation.   

A chimera that could avoid being detected masquerading as a member of an extinct forest?  

The worst threat the world has ever experienced was someone she loved dearly?  

How much had Lord Springfield lied to me?  

But she had a reason...  

She hated Meruria...  

She hated Remy...  

She despised everything Cridia stood for and wanted to burn it. 

If this doesn’t work... If we fail to take her out...  

Remy changed her tone once more. She readied her daggers and increased her mana once more. It shot into the sky like a pillar of pure destruction—darker than night-- reminiscent of the void Shuuta was thrown into.