Chapter 48: Reunion

Lisa lay silently inside the transparent glass tube, her entire body bound by chains.

Pink hair.

And a pure white dress.

Her appearance was exactly as I’d seen her in my dream.

I approached and examined the inside of the glass tube closely.

Her hands and feet were bound, immobile.

Her eyes were covered with a bandage imbued with dense mana.

She endured 100 years in this state?

…That couldn’t be.

Just like Beta and the other like-minded Chimeras entered a long slumber.

She also seemed to be asleep using a similar method.

But it was time for her to awaken from her long slumber. I reached out to the glass tube to wake her.

As my hand touched the glass, a red light emanated from the scar on the back of my hand, enveloping me.

And something began to flow into my mind.

A memory of someone, from an unknown time.

A young girl with a bright smile was strolling through a peaceful countryside village.

With her light pink hair fluttering in the wind, the girl ran somewhere busily.

Her eyes were a bit unusual.

Sparkling like jewels whenever they caught the light.

I immediately knew who she was.

Lisa.

I was now peering into her memories.

“Mommy!!”

“Oh my, what makes our little princess so excited?”

A middle-aged woman appeared as soon as the door opened.

Lisa, embraced in her arms, acted spoiled with a happy face.

“There’s a really pretty flower blooming over there!”

“Oh my, really? Then let’s go see it together later.”

“I don’t want to go with my sister…”

“Lisa! Be quiet!”

“Sister’s voice is louder.”

“What?!?”

There was another girl looking at Lisa with a disapproving gaze.

And her face was very similar to someone I knew.

…Rina?

She was once part of the rebel group.

But now she’d left and was looking for something she lost.

For some reason, she was bickering with Lisa in Lisa’s memory.

“Waaah! Mommy, sister hit me!!”

“Don’t exaggerate. When did I hit you?”

“Rina! Is Lisa telling the truth?”

“No! I just brushed something off her clothes…!”

“You should be kind to each other. Apologize now.”

“Yes…. I’m sorry, Lisa.”

A typical family scene.

But the peaceful memory ended there.

The scene changed, and the peaceful atmosphere instantly shifted.

“Aaaagh!!”

“Find the girl!!”

“He, help me!!”

Someone attacked, the village was on fire, and people started running away screaming.

The attackers massacred countless people while searching for someone.

“Mommy….”

“It’ll be alright. Stay close to me, both of you.”

Lisa and her mother hid in their house, waiting for the commotion to pass.

But the approaching disaster didn’t spare them.

“Found them! Here!”

The attackers eventually found Lisa’s house.

And as soon as they entered, they seized her mother.

“Run, children…!”

Lisa’s mother, captured by the attackers, couldn’t move.

She struggled to protect her children.

But it was impossible to escape the burly men.

However.

“No! Don’t hurt my mommy!”

Lisa threatened those who were hurting her mother, her hands imbued with red mana.

“Vampire…! Everyone, battle stations!!”

“Wait.”

“D, Doctor.”

A man approached Lisa, who bravely stepped forward.

Wearing a white coat, he spoke to Lisa.

“You must be Lisa.”

“…….”

Lisa glared at the man, who was looking at her with a curious expression.

The man said something unexpected to Lisa.

“I have a proposition for you.”

“…A proposition?”

“Yes. If you come with us quietly, I promise we won’t harm your family.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. We need you, not their lives. We don’t want bloodshed either.”

“No! Lisa! Don’t believe him!!”

“Stay put!”

“Mmm…!! Mmm!!”

“Mommy…!”

While Lisa hesitated.

The attackers tightened their grip on her mother.

“So, will you accept my offer?”

“…I will, but you must keep your promise.”

“I promise.”

Unable to bear seeing her mother suffer, Lisa finally accepted the suspicious man’s proposition.

Seeing the man nod, she withdrew the mana from her hands.

“Lisa! Lisa!!!”

Leaving behind her mother’s desperate cries, Lisa took the man’s hand and left the house.

And the memories that followed were horrific.

A laboratory filled with unknown devices.

There, Lisa had to endure torturous experiments.

Her blood was drawn.

She screamed in agony inside a glowing magic circle.

Her tear-stained face writhed in pain.

And.

“Aaaagh!!!”

I returned to reality as Lisa screamed during the experiment.

Horrible.

Just a glimpse into Lisa’s memories gave me an unbearable sense of the pain she endured.

Could I maintain my sanity if I were subjected to years of torturous experiments?

Shaking off the pointless thoughts, I emerged from the memories and met a pair of eyes staring intently at me.

The glass tube was now shattered.

Now free, she looked straight at me and said.

“You really came.”

“…You asked me to save you.”

“I believed you would definitely come and save me.”

Why did she believe in me, someone she barely knew?

I chuckled at her brazen words.

It was time to go back.

Although my mana was completely depleted.

I was still physically fine.

I carried Lisa, who was still struggling to regain her balance, on my back to return.

“Thank you.”

I felt something touch my back as I lifted her.

Ignoring it, I left the lab.

Past the maze where the Chimera had been reduced to ashes.

After passing through the long corridor, we finally returned to the hall.

“Eve!”

“Iota! Beta!”

As soon as they saw Eve on my back, Iota and Beta approached.

A touching reunion after 100 years.

Of course, since they were asleep during that time, it wouldn’t feel that long to them.

Anyway.

Their heartfelt embrace was quite moving, even for a third party like me.

Considering both of them were born through Lisa’s power.

Perhaps they could be considered family.

The story would be a bit different if we delved into DNA and such.

But at least, calling them family didn’t seem out of place.

Now, all that was left was to escape.

I sensed the end of this long story.

“Let’s go.”

“Wait a moment.”

I urged them, thinking they’d had enough time to catch up.

But Beta pointed somewhere and said to me.

“Preparations are complete. We can escape through the teleportation device over there.”

…There was such a thing?

My eyes widened at the mention of a teleportation device.

Just how advanced was the technology 100 years ago?

“It’s a disposable device for emergency escapes, but it should be usable.”

They created artificial lifeforms like Chimeras, which were unimaginable now.

And even a teleportation device.

Although disposable.

It felt like 100 years ago had higher technology than now.

As I was about to help Lisa towards the teleportation device.

Roar!!

A roar echoed from somewhere.

“He’s here.”

But Beta, with a calm expression as if anticipating all of this, said to Iota.

“Iota, please hold off Epsilon for a moment.”

“Growl! Got it!”

At Beta’s words, Iota puffed up his fur and prepared for battle.

And not long after, a giant creature broke through the door and entered.

Roar!!!

A lion’s head.

And a body resembling a dragon’s.

And giant wings on its back.

Goosebumps ran down my spine as it unleashed its unrestrained ferocity.

But Iota, undaunted, charged towards it.

However, after a brief exchange, he was quickly knocked down.

This was dangerous.

Sensing it was time to use it, I immediately took out the item I brought for this moment, seeing how much stronger this Chimera was than any other.

Cain’s Tears.

The small black jewel filled my hand.

And without any hesitation, I threw Cain’s Tears at its head.

Epsilon, preoccupied with fighting Iota.

Perhaps it didn’t see the tears I threw.

It struck its head, creating a loud explosion.

Boom!

Roar!!!

Epsilon screamed in agony, half of its head blown off.