The Summoner's Rebirth: Awaken, Milady

Chapter 169: Secret

"My sister is offering you to be blessed under her power. I know that you might not trust her that much, but I can guarantee that she is a skilled individual. If you cooperate with us, then we can take down this monster much easier." Blythe offered, to which Aria frowned.

After thinking for some time, Aria finally came down to a decision. "Thank you, but I won't take you up on that offer. I will just have Reina bless me, it should be more than enough." Aria rejected and approached Reina, tugging her along.

Reina was shocked, and her mouth gaped at a loss of words. She did not know how to respond. She had a complicated expression on her face, as she gazed towards the Serpent multiple times as she was being brought towards Blythe.

"Reina Alaster.. Huh? I suppose if that is what you wish... Then there's nothing that could be done. Very well. Let us go with this plan. Miss Aria, you seem to have very high mobility, and I think you would do better in trying to damage the serpent with its slithery movements. I have confidence in setting up the defences and protection of everyone here. Are you comfortable with being on the attacker's side? I will join you when I deem that it is safe, so you won't be fighting alone." Blythe did not object to Aria's decision and explained the general gist of their plan.

"That's exactly what I wished for. Let's not waste any more time. Reina, give me the strongest protection you have. After that, rejoin Elgin and the others. I want you to do one more thing... The technique I taught you before. You will have to scrape off all the remaining mana you have. Do you think you can do it?" Aria questioned with a sneaky grin on her face.

The moment she saw the Serpent, she knew she had just hit jackpot.

From the very first time she met Reina and saw how she was able to manipulate her Shadow ability, Aria had already formed ideas on how she could utilize this for the safety of them all in the upcoming future. There was a skill that someone in her past had formulated, and it was so brilliant that she taught her Shadow spirits how to work it out.

The desire to help Reina use this skill escalated, and it was further heightened when she came across the Necromancer Leonis. As he was a major figure who inspired the Shadow lunatic user to work on her set of skills.

She assessed Reina, and knew that she would be able to pull through with learning this skill.

As opposed to Aria, who perfectly knew what she was doing, Reina did not get to experience the same fortunate thing.

To be honest, ever since she met Aria, her skills had always been put to the test. From when they fought the disgusting Cluster together, she was pushed to use her power to extreme limits, to points that she didn't even know were possible.

The technique Aria relayed on to her. It started from a simple chat when they were both free. From there, Aria had told her to work on that technique for it would be useful in the future.

Did she doubt her words? Totally.

Did she go along with her words?  Yes, yes, and yes.

She had barely managed to comprehend what on Earth this crazy idea Aria served to her, barely understood and learned it, and barely mastered it. Barely.

So much so that in the process, she doubted her abilities multiple times.

She, who was held dearly by her people and put on a pedestal as a Queen. But when she struggled to learn the skill, don't even mention the title Queen, she felt like she was lesser than a measly bug.

After she understood the mechanism of the skill, she knew that it was possible, and was even amazed at Aria for having proposed this kind of thing. However, acting it out was not the same as understanding it.

Time was spent in deciphering the skill, and even more time was spent in actually having it work. The second part of the work took much longer, and drained her out.

She didn't want to give up, because it would mean that she was inferior to the skill's maker. That she wasn't capable enough. This was not only considered to be a good stroke of fortune by her, but rather also an opportunity to prove herself after having experienced culture shock when she met Aria with her wicked antics.

There were times that she thought she would die while she worked around this dangerous skill. But alas, she came out alive.

The most important question was still left unanswered.

Can she do it now?

In this trying times, in this hectic situation, this pressing moment- the chance for her to prove herself even farther than she had ever done before?

It depended on the conditions, and how much she was willing to sacrifice.

Was she willing to partake in that sacrifice, even if it could mean harm for her, however?

The answer was not known. It laid within her.

"..I will try my hardest.. No. I will do it. Even if it's at the cost of me fainting." Reina assured with a determined pair of eyes, even though the condition of her heart did not say the same thing. She was very nervous and uncertain, but she had to do this.

The moment Aria told her that she needed to execute the 'technique', she experienced a major fright. A chill ran through her back. She figured out the reason Aria went out of her way to specifically direct her to learn that type of thing, and the fact that she brought it up to this specific subject was heavily uncanny. Borderline creepy.

It meant that Aria more or less knew that a monster with the characteristics that was weak to that technique existed, and that Aria was able to predict them from coming up and making trouble. Just like this Boss, the Serpent.

-What a scary person, she thought.