It was truly intoxicating.
The fear radiating from his enemies was like the sweetest wine. This was it. This was how things were meant to be. Total domination.
Meanwhile, the previously arrogant girl did not even dare flinch as he stroked her cheeks. Her flesh was soft beneath his claws. Soft and fragile. All it would take was a twitch of his fingers, and his claws would tear her skin to ribbons.
Unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of enjoying this feeling any longer. Every second he remained in this state, his Draconic Essence burned away. He was trading momentary power for long-term gains. Though part of him resisted ending it so soon, the knowledge that he could one day sustain this state permanently, if he gathered enough essence, eased the unwillingness in his chest.
Zeke drew back his left hand and struck with measured force. It landed against her right temple with a sickening crunch.
Her head snapped to the side, though it could not move far with his other hand still holding her. Her eyes turned vacant, and a thin trickle of blood began to seep from the corners of her eyes and mouth. He had tried to be gentle, but the result was still the same. Without a healer, she would likely die, or at the very least suffer severe brain damage.
His gaze shifted to the three worm-like creatures, still frozen in fear. As reptiles, they were even more susceptible to his presence.
Zeke studied them for a moment, his mind weighing his options. Everything from devouring them to taming them crossed his thoughts. In the end, he chose to leave them be. There was no point in interfering with another’s bonded creatures, especially ones tied to a Geistreich. There was no telling what hidden safeguards might have been embedded within their minds.
As for eating them, the idea was tempting, but he would not waste essence on something so trivial as a snack. He had already decided to act with restraint.
Zeke lifted the unconscious girl and slung her over his shoulder, preparing to return to the Alexandria. He would need to prepare an isolation chamber before she woke. There should still be some available from when they raided the prisons.
Yet something felt off.
He was still unable to extend his senses beyond his body.
It felt as though the space-locking array remained active. But that was impossible. There should have been no one left to maintain it, and with the commander unconscious, it should have collapsed.
"...!!"
A sensation like a bucket of ice water washed over him, assaulting his nerves all at once. Then, just as quickly as it came, it vanished. Yet his situation had changed completely.
His draconic strength was gone, as if it had never existed. More than that, he could not move. It was the most confusing feeling he had ever experienced. There was no barrier, no restraint. It was his own mind that refused to act.
It felt a little like lying in bed early in the morning, unable to get up out of sheer laziness. All he could do was observe from within the confines of his own useless flesh.
Then he felt it. The girl slumped over his shoulder began to stir.
She shifted slightly, loosening his grip, and slowly slid down to the ground. Her face was almost fully within his line of sight, but remained hidden behind a curtain of blonde hair. Then she raised her hand, brushed it across her face, and slicked her hair back in a movement that seemed as natural as breathing, yet entirely unfamiliar at the same time. But what shocked him even more was the expression that was revealed.
Her previously stoic features were gone, replaced by a friendly smile. She looked warm and approachable, as if they had known each other for years. And yet, it was exactly that smile that made the hair on the nape of his neck stand on end.
She took a half step forward, close enough for Zeke to catch her natural scent, including the rich trace of blood that was still seeping from the corners of her eyes and mouth. But if she noticed or cared, she gave no sign. Her curious blue eyes seemed to glow faintly as she studied him.
This... This was...
Had he not experienced something very similar recently?
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Her current state was eerily similar to the time he had witnessed Yggdrasil taking possession of that elven girl. The being before him carried the same alien presence, a subtle wrongness in the fabric of the world itself.
There was one clear difference, however. While Yggdrasil had been awkward in both movement and speech, barely able to communicate, the being before him seemed completely at ease in this state, as natural as a fish in water.
"Ezekiel of Feldstadt..."
"Ezekiel von Hohenheim..."
"Ezekiel of Tradespire..."
'Helena' paused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face.
"This is our first meeting. And yet, our fates seem to have crossed before."
Zeke stared at the figure in front of him, his mind screaming. He knew who this was. He knew it without the slightest doubt. And if that was true, then he was in greater danger than ever before in his life. Yet he was completely unable to move a single muscle.
Fortunately, 'Helena' did not seem to be in a hurry. She casually brushed a finger across her face, wiping away the tear-like trickle of blood from one eye. A moment later, the blood returned, coating her skin once more.
"You have treated little Helena quite roughly."
There was no accusation in her voice, no judgment. It was merely an observation, as if it held no importance at all.
Then 'Helena' turned her back on Zeke, her gaze shifting to the three snakes that had remained frozen in place the entire time.
"Bloodline ties..." She muttered. "Their greatest strength, and their greatest weakness."
She raised her hand and made a light, casual gesture. Nothing seemed to happen. No attack, no movement, not even a trace of Mana.
Yet in the next moment, the snakes collapsed like puppets with their strings cut. Their heads hit the floor hard. Zeke could feel it. All vitality had vanished. In an instant, all three were dead.
Only then did the girl turn back to him. Her expression had not changed, despite the fact that she had just killed her own loyal guardians.
Well...
Zeke would have been more surprised if their expression had actually changed. If this was who he thought it was, then there likely would not have been any visible change even if they had slaughtered a thousand newborn babies instead of three insignificant beasts.
"We don't have much time..." 'Helena' said casually.
Zeke had noticed it as well. The initial trickle of blood had turned into a steady stream. Her injuries were worsening with every second. If this continued, she would likely die within minutes.
Small blessings.
As if reading his thoughts, the stranger smiled even more warmly. "Don't worry, little deviant. There is more than enough time to resolve matters between us. So why don't we have a little chat?"
Zeke remained silent. Even though he could clearly feel that he could use his mouth again, he did not dare make use of it. A small measure of freedom, and yet he refused to take it.
'Helena' furrowed her brows. "Do you truly have no questions for me? Or could it be that you still have not figured out who I am?"
Zeke's lips twitched. There were many things he wanted to say, questions he had longed to ask. And yet, now that he had the chance, he did not dare open his mouth. A sense of immense danger pressed down on him.
Earlier, he had allowed Helena to freely construct her mental framework, cooperating with all her probes. But in front of this being, he did not even dare make a sound.
"...Are you afraid to comply? Scared to open the door?"
They had hit the mark. Zeke was afraid. Though he had held out so far, he could not keep such a tight leash on his mind forever, and certainly not while engaging in conversation. Any spike of emotion could become the opening they needed to enter.
"You don't have to worry that much. Even I cannot use Magic beyond the limits of my vessel."
Zeke wanted to curse. Not beyond the limits of the vessel? They had just killed three powerful magical beasts with a casual wave. But he could not remain like this forever. The more tense he became, the easier it would be to slip.
"Didn't you earlier want to know about Helena's appearance? I'm willing to tell you. All you need to do is ask."
Zeke remained silent.
"Not interested anymore? Then perhaps you would like to hear about Sophia? She has gotten herself into quite a bit of trouble..."
Zeke forced himself to ignore the voice, refusing to react to anything he heard.
"That's cold. That girl might cry when she learns how little you care. She ended up like that because of you..."
He was a stone. A stone had no ears. A stone did not hear. And most importantly, a stone had no emotions.
"The Windtänzer girl, then? Viola? I always thought you favored her. She is quite close, you know. Closer than you imagine."
A stone had no ears. A stone had no emotions.
Despite the blood flowing more and more freely, Helena continued speaking without the slightest hint of impatience. If Zeke could not sense her fading vitality, he would have thought her worsening condition was nothing more than a trap.
"It seems you have truly severed all ties to your past self. Perhaps you would not even care to learn what became of your mentor's corpse..."
A stone...
"Maximilian suffered quite a bit to see you leave alive. Yet this unfaithful student does not even care to learn of—"
"Never..."
One word, but it was enough to silence the chattering girl instantly. Zeke's voice was hoarse, as if he had not spoken in days. Yet there was an undeniable strength in it. A quiet conviction.
"Never speak his name in front of me."
"Not bad."
Helena, no, Augustus exclaimed. "It seems mentioning your master was a mistake. Your mental defenses have become even firmer now."
Zeke ignored him. He knew better than to believe a single word. Everything they said was meant to manipulate, to provoke a reaction. If he allowed himself to believe he was safe, even for an instant, he would be damned.
He had to keep that simple truth in mind at all times. He could not let it slip, not even for a moment.
Every advantage taken was, in truth, freely given. A poisoned gift, meant to ensnare or provoke. Every compliment carried a barb. Every offer was a trap.
He could not outsmart this opponent. He could not outwit or deceive them. All he could do was endure.
That was what it meant to face the greatest Mind Mage.
That was what it meant to face the smartest man alive.
That was what it meant to face Augustus Geistreich.