Dimensions Collide: Destiny Bond

Chapter 214: Smoldering Embers

Despite all of Prota’s bravado, there were actually no plans for the time being. In fact, she remained relatively idle for a good few months.

Of course, this worked out well. Destiny needed time to grow closer to Danjo, as the two would be roommates in Scholaris. Additionally, confidence was something that took time to grow, [Story] or not, and there was no way around it. Besides, Prota, too, wanted to reconnect with someone she’d considered a friend in her past life, and she had no qualms being around him.

So it wasn’t Danjo that worried Prota.

No, it was his sister that raised a problem.

Even in her previous life, saving Olivia was something that had forced John’s hand, resulting in the loss of a small amount of [Deus Ex Machina] energy. After all, it was something that required going against the [Plot].

Of course, Prota planned on doing this to begin with. However, the issue was that, while this world was a [Story], it seemed to follow logic to a certain extent. Despite John’s talk of Deus Ex Machinas, aside from his own powers, they never seemed to work in his favour.

Then, by extension, they probably wouldn’t be working in Prota’s favour, either.

While she wasn’t going to be focused on the [Story] aspect of this world too much, she couldn’t just ignore it, either. There was a balance to these things.

Unfortunately, balancing was one of Prota’s weaknesses.

Fortunately, Anta seemed to be quite decent at preparing accordingly, but even she was, to a degree, lost on what to do. However, she did have some plans as to how they could succeed. The only problem was that this plan involved waiting.

“We have to bait him out, somehow,” Anta sighed. “The only problem is that I doubt he’s aware of our existence. After all, it wasn’t until far later that he… wait. Is that even true?”

Prota sat and thought. She’d been out picking herbs again, something unbefitting of her status as an A-rank adventurer, but it was a task she found enjoyable.

“Nn. Don’t think so,” Prota muttered.

To begin with, Doctor had been interested in her powers, but not her as a person. Once again, they were left with the question as to why he had failed to recognize her as his creation. However, knowing this implied that he likely didn’t know in this life, either, and so they couldn’t use that as a way to pull him out of whatever cave he was hiding in.

But doing so was absolutely necessary. Neither Prota nor Anta had the means to rescue Olivia while fighting Doctor, so the two actions would need to be separate.

“Oh, well,” Anta sighed. “I’m sure some interesting people will be coming after us eventually. Besides, Elfin is a spy, so we just need to wait. I’m sure Doctor will take interest in us at some point, with our story being a half-dragon and whatever.”

“So… what now?”

“Like everyone said. Take advantage of the peace and quiet while we can.”

Prota nodded and continued to pick herbs.

Recently, she acquired the title of “The World’s Most Dangerous Herb Gatherer.” Initially, they’d called her “The Ice Queen” after her performance with Elfin, but no one knew of any impressive feats besides that.

Of course, Prota didn’t care about such things. Whether or not she had a title was of no importance when the world didn’t know what she was up to in the first place.

What mattered now was doing things right.

So, after her talk with Destiny, she decided to take things easy. Of course, she continued to practice magic, as a maximum level core would be the bare minimum in fighting John. She still remembered the two spells she’d cast at the end of her life, and even that hadn’t been enough to take out a weakened John.

Thus, she needed to be able to use such spells constantly.

However, even training wasn’t that much of a hassle. Kit was with her a lot of the time, and it was a relatively even relationship. While Prota lacked the mana to cast most of her spells, her understanding of mana had reached that of Kit’s. Of course, such a feat was only possible due to the fact that she had been created with [Deus Ex Machina] energy, but it still felt like a cheat.

Kit didn’t mind, though. In fact, she seemed rather ecstatic to find someone as enthusiastic about mana as herself. As a result, the two often trained together, raising both their proficiencies in their respective spells.

Aside from that, though, Prota simply lived a slow life. She continued to gather herbs, occasionally taking on quests that were unfavourable or old. While she still avoided contact with strangers, she no longer shied away from them, acknowledging their greetings with a simple nod.

The biggest thing she missed, though, was John’s cooking. She hadn’t known it, but the man apparently had quite the nose for finding good restaurants, because she could never truly replicate the tastes he managed to find. Of course, there were the restaurants they’d visited in her last life, but she wanted some variety.

“Maybe you just miss his company?” Anta suggested one day.

“Nn. Tastes worse,” Prota insisted.

“Really? Are you sure-”

“Tastes worse.”

In a similar vein, Prota was also quite picky with her food.

It came to the point that she started trying to cook on her own. The first few times had resulted in catastrophic failure. She’d tried to make some sort of soup, but it had turned out like some kind of poisonous mass instead.

“...maybe this isn’t for us,” Anta said quietly.

“No. Easy,” Prota insisted stubbornly. “Or…”

“No, I can’t cook,” Anta said sadly. “I’m you, remember?”

“Nn…”

Attempt number two, unfortunately, resulted in another poisonous concoction. It was a little better this time. At the very least, it looked edible.

However, just because something looks edible does not mean it is, in fact, edible.

“Are you going to keep trying until you get it right?” Anta sighed. “At the very least, you should just start with something simple.”

“...simple?”

“Go to the market.”

So, the next day, Prota found herself wandering over to the town’s market, where Anta instructed her to buy a slice of pork belly and some salt. Along with it, she bought a loaf of bread and a small basket of fruits, then quickly headed off to the forest, where she wouldn’t disturb anyone.

She quickly collected a bunch of dead branches and logs, lighting a fire before pulling a thin slab of metal out of the ground.

“Using magic to get a frying pan… seriously, this is ridiculous, you know that, right?” Anta laughed. “Alright. We can’t mess this up now. First, let’s wash the meat, then dry it off and rub salt into its sides.”

Such a task was easily completed.

“Alright. Meat on the pan, fat side down.”

Prota obeyed, and a satisfying hiss immediately rang out as the fat began to crisp up and render, some of the lard turning to liquid. She moved it around on the pan, essentially oiling it up, then placed it down on its side, where it continued to sizzle.

Occasionally, bits of liquid fat would drip off the sides into the fire, causing it to flare up, releasing a delicious smokey scent.

“Flip it.”

Prota did as she was told, revealing a lovely golden brown crust on the cooked side of the pork belly. There was another satisfying sizzle as the remaining raw side of the meat began to cook.

“We should deal with the vegetables and bread, too.”

Some wind magic made quick work of those, easily slicing them up into manageable portions. In a few more minutes, the meat was ready. Prota eagerly took it off, the fat still dripping off its golden sides. It went onto a clean plate along with the meat and fruit, and the meal was complete.

It was an incredibly simple meal, with little seasoning or variety. There was no creativity, no blend of flavours, just raw and cooked ingredients that happened to be put together. Anta had been telling the truth. She didn’t know how to cook.

But even something like this was doable for most.

Eagerly, Prota took the first bite.

Immediately, the warmth and homeiness of the meals John had once cooked washed through her senses. The pork was incredibly crispy and firm on the outside, but the inside was cooked just right, a mix of chewy yet soft meat and fat that melted in the mouth. Of course, the pork belly was incredibly fatty, but the bread helped, providing a neutral flavour that offset the strength of meatiness. When it got too monotonous, a piece of fruit provided a nice, tangy break, resetting Prota’s mouth to take yet another bite of the meat.

Soon, the meal was finished, not a crumb of food in sight. Prota sighed in contentment, leaning back in a hastily made chair, staring up at the sun setting behind the trees. The air was still, but the weather wasn’t too hot yet, making it a cool fall night.

“John… liked sunsets, right?” Prota said quietly.

“Oh? You noticed?” Anta said, surprised. “Yeah. Sunrise, too, although I’m not sure he’s ever awake for those. I think he sees them when he goes to sleep after the sun rises.”

Prota let out a small laugh at that. John’s sleep schedule was indeed messed up to the point that she could see something like that happening.

“Why… why does he like it?”

“You’re asking me?” Anta popped out, floating around. “I don’t know. That’s something we’ll have to ask him, I guess.”

“Ask John… yeah.”

Prota kicked her legs up, leaning back as she licked her lips, staring at the orange sky.

“That sounds nice.”

For now, though, just sitting here was fine. Although life was full of exciting experiences, Prota had already gone through most of those things. What she needed at the moment was something more than a purpose.

For once, despite having nothing to do, she wasn’t bored. The peace and quiet were nice when embraced of her own will.

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“...over there,” Prota muttered quietly.

She stood up, casting mana recovery multiple times before layering on her mana reinforcement. There were a concerning number of souls nearby. Two of the souls were definitely just normal people, but the rest…

“Oh? Maybe the rumours were right.”

From the shadows of the trees stepped out three familiar faces. Prota didn’t quite remember their names, but she definitely remembered who they were.

“Birdie and Mise. The chimera is Ten,” Anta said quietly. “Just in case you were curious.”

Prota nodded, but she didn’t particularly care. All she remembered was the hatred she’d felt toward these individuals.

She wasn’t sure about the chimera, nor did she entirely know what Birdie’s deal was. However, she knew that John had killed him with a seething hatred, something he rarely did, and that was enough for her.

There would be no keeping any of these people alive.

“Prota,” Anta said quietly. “Wait a minute.”

“...huh?”

“This is our chance. It’s been a few months, right? The fact that these guys are here… it means Doctor’s gained interest. This is our chance to take advantage of that. Leave one of them alive. The dwarf, if you can. The other two… you should probably kill.”

Prota nodded, taking a step forward. She didn’t quite have the innate mana to create an overwhelming pressure, but regardless, there was an aura about her that screamed danger.

It seemed that the opponents had realized this already as well.

“That’s… you’re definitely not normal,” Birdie called out. “I suppose it’ll be somewhat of a task to bring you back alive.”

“...no.”

“What was that?” Birdie said tauntingly. “I didn’t hear-”

“Move, idiot!” Mise yelled, shoving him out of the way.

Thanks to the dwarf, the Frozen Bullet missed him by a hair’s breadth. Prota clicked her tongue disapprovingly. She’d been hoping to end it quickly, but it seemed that these two were still somewhat capable. How she’d managed to beat one of them in her past life was a mystery, but this wasn’t her past life.

She could take care of this easily.

Immediately, she started drawing mana from Mise. The dwarf tried to block Soul Steal, but Prota’s mind was far stronger this time around. Although the flow of mana slowed down, it didn’t stop entirely.

“Tsk… so you can use it after all,” Mise muttered. “Seriously, this is such a pain in the ass… I need extra pay for this.”

A giant hand rose out of the ground, threatening to swat Prota away, but it was too late. An even bigger hand of ice appeared out of thin air, almost instantaneously, smashing the hand of earth into rubble.

“What the- how did you cast that without chanting?!” Birdie yelped. “That’s not-”

“We’re up against a half-dragon!” Mise yelled. “Focus, man!”

“Tch… fine. I’ll go all out this time.”

In a blink, Birdie dashed forward, closing the distance in an instant. Unfortunately, it seemed neither of them had heard of Prota’s physical prowess. She had already started moving, dodging Birdie’s first knife swing with ease. A platform of earth rose out of the ground, elevating her and moving her out of harm’s way, avoiding the shadow spells Birdie had cast. Without a second thought, Prota leapt off, dodging the rocks hurtling her way.

“That’s not your real appearance, is it?” Mise exclaimed. “Haah… you. Go get her.”

The ground began to shake as Ten began to move. With a roar, it swung its arm, a barrage of fireballs flying Prota’s way. She weaved through the spells with ease, approaching the beast and Mise.

Thankfully, its attacks were rather clumsy. Prota had fought against this kind of opponent far too many times for her to slip up against such an enemy. In the first place, she’d fought against opponents who could kill her with a single hit in addition to being skilled, so this much was nothing to her.

“What the- that’s not the movements of a caster! What are you doing, you fool?!” Mise screeched. “Stay back! You, defend me! Birdie, get your sorry ass over here now!”

“Yeah, yeah, be quiet!”

Prota ignored the distractions. In fact, she was quite upset at having been interrupted during her time of peace, so this was a perfect way to blow off some steam. She flipped over the chimera, shooting five icicles into its head, but that didn’t seem to do much damage. It roared, swinging at her, but it wasn’t enough.

Still, the beast was surprisingly fast. Prota would have to deal with it quickly, but doing so would be difficult, especially considering how many souls were inside of it. She wasn’t sure how such a fact would translate into practical battle, but she couldn’t afford to lose because of a misconception.

“Birdie, now!”

Prota whirled around, just a little too late. A knife caught her in the shoulder, leaving a deep gash. Blood began to stream out, staining her white cloak a crimson red. She grit her teeth, staring at the man with the knives as he licked her blood off of the blades. A shiver of disgust ran down her spine.

She was beginning to understand why John had dealt with him in the way he had. This wasn’t about a personal vendetta or [Characters] or anything.

He was just a disgusting person to begin with.

“Birdie, we’ll support you, so do that again! Again!”

“I heard you the first time, so just shut up!”

Prota was a little worried, now. If she could just kill all of them, this would’ve been a done deal, but leaving Mise alive but damaged was an issue. With Birdie launching surprise attacks, Mise firing off constant spells, and Ten just being a general annoyance, things were looking grim.

“Prota!”

Suddenly, a new voice. Prota whirled around to see Destiny, running up. His sword was already drawn, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness, and he seemed ready to fight.

“What’s going on?!” he exclaimed.

“Enemies. Fight.”

“Right.”

That was all Destiny needed to hear. In the first place, the situation was pretty obvious anyway, so the hero simply needed confirmation that this was something he should be involved in.

“What do you want me to do?” he asked.

Prota hesitated for a moment, then pointed to Ten.

“Big one. Kill,” Prota said. “Has ten souls. Be careful. Use your power.”

“My… got it.”

With that, Destiny charged forward, blade shining with a golden aura. Mise tried to stop him, but Prota fired off a volley of fireballs, forcing his attention back to her.

“Me,” Prota said quietly.

Birdie behind. Mise in front. This would be hard, but it was now infinitely more manageable.

“Fight me.”

“Fine. You were the target to begin with,” Mise muttered. “Now!”

Prota whirled around, catching Birdie off guard with an icicle. The spell impaled his leg, even through the mana reinforcement, sending him stumbling. Still, she hadn’t let her guard down. She spun back, blocking the spells Mise had sent flying. They were definitely of high calibre, but the current her could deal with them easily.

“...fine,” she sighed.

Since Destiny wasn’t using magic anyway, it was about time she pulled this out.

“Snowstorm.”

Immediately, the effective domain took effect, a whirlwind of snow flying through the forest, even though the weather was warm.

“A- a domain?!” Mise exclaimed. “What are you?!”

“...Prota.”

That was all she said. A flurry of Frozen Bullets flew forward, impaling the dwarf several times, rendering him useless before he could even react. Prota hadn’t had the time to set up the domain with Ten being active, but Destiny arriving had been a godsend, in more than one way.

In the first place, he needed to fight this creature. He’d done so in his past life, and from what she remembered, he’d gotten noticeably stronger after doing so. The second reason was obvious.

With one less distraction, Prota could easily deal with the remaining opponents.

“Tch- Mise! I’m using it!” Birdie suddenly yelled.

Prota whirled around and saw the man holding some strange marble in a test tube. Her eyes widened.

A soul.

Why hadn’t she sensed it earlier?

“Do it!” Mise yelled.

Prota suddenly felt panic well up within her heart. She couldn’t let him get that off. In this state, she wasn’t sure if she could deal with a Final Stand. Although she vaguely remembered deflecting one in her past life, that had been a strange circumstance she wasn’t sure she could replicate.

She had to end things now.

Although she’d planned on taking this fight relatively easily, there was no time for that now. She hated the feeling, but she’d have to struggle again. It was pathetic that she had to do so in this life, but such was her circumstance.

Blood trickled from her nose as her brain went into overclock, using mana reinforcement on her nervous system to increase her perception a hundredfold. Time practically stopped, allowing her to see the dark mana slowly emerging from the soul.

“Anta,” Prota thought quietly. “Can I…”

“Ugh. Fine. Well, you can do it with some [DEM],” Anta said smugly. “It’s going to be an immaterial amount. It’ll just boost your understanding. We’ll have to train this later, understood?”

With that, Prota took a deep breath. Or, at least, she tried. Physical action was impossible in this state.

But she was able to focus nonetheless.

The same way she took mana from others. She just had to do the same to the ambient mana being summoned from this strange soul.

And it worked. It was slow, for sure, but it was working. Although her skill wasn’t at the level that she could destroy spells with this skill, it was now a new method of obtaining mana.

Then, with that infinite mana…

“Han.”

The mana began to gather, moving from the Final Stand to herself.

“Tool.”

Time remained still, but the mana continued to move.

“Set.”

More. Mana continued to fold, just like when Sofya had shown her. Just like when she’d used the spell to create multiple spells.

Just like when she’d taken down her mentor with her own hands.

“Net. Tas. Yas.”

Although there was no physical reaction, Prota could still feel the sheer intensity of the spell. Well, that made sense.

After all, it was possible this spell in itself could rival the Final Stand that was about to be cast.

“Il. Yod. Ao.”

Finally, that loud, roaring pressure went quiet.

“Yol.”

The tenth step was completed. Like the eye of a storm, the spell was perfectly calm. Just a single dot of mana, one that might appear harmless to anyone who might have been able to see it.

Then, as Prota’s focus finally ran out, time rushed back to normal, and the chaos of the storm came rushing in all at once. There was a deafening crash of sound as the spell tore through the air, obliterating anything that came in its way.

No one had time to react. No one had time to even cry out. Before anyone had realized what had happened, Birdie and the spell he’d been about to cast were wiped from existence, not even a trace left behind. The massive beam of pure energy continued to pour out, unrelenting and unstoppable, like a force of nature harnessed by a living being, something that should’ve never been possible to begin with.

Then, quiet. Everyone had stopped fighting. Both Destiny and Ten had instinctively brought their combat to a halt to stare at a force not meant for mortal hands. Even without a conscious mind, Ten seemed to understand that there was a pecking order to these things, and that it could never win.

In that moment, Destiny reacted first, cleaving through the beast with a roar. With that, it died, its last soul apparently gone.

Then, silence once more. In the middle of the chaos and destruction stood a little girl, her cloak floating in the serene breeze. The now dark sky was illuminated by the full moon shining down on her.

Slowly, she turned to Mise, her cold blue eyes staring down at him.

Her mouth opened, and she uttered a single word.

“Run.”