Transmigrated as The Forgotten Extra-Chapter 98 One Step Forward, Part 04.

As the storm of confusion reclaimed her, the tension bled from Louise’s limbs. In the heart of the clash, her body went slack, an open target for attack.

A moment later, her body shook after receiving a heavy impact that jolted her right shoulder; no, it jolted even her fading consciousness as light returned to her eyes.

Louise released the breath she was holding, and cold sweat began to drench her back. She clamped her mouth shut, teeth gnashing against each other. A vein popped out on the back of her palm as she tightened the grip on her spear shaft.

"Let’s stop the spar, right here."

For a brief moment, Louise saw her vision flicker like a glitched monitor. She took a deep breath, trying to clear out the fog that started to invade her mind.

’What is this!? Why does everytime he speaks, my consciousness is...!?’

Her words trailed off at the end, but in response to that, her body moved before her brain could comprehend what happened as she bit her own lips, tasting iron in her mouth.

The girl inhaled a deep breath, tapping into the power residing in her chest. A loud thump from her heart sent a warm sensation coursing through her veins. Louise saw the world turn grey as time slowed, yet her sharpened sense still caught up with any of it.

"I don’t want to hurt you anymore, so..."

When Adler’s words entered her ears, Louise’s vision started to shake. She clenched her fists, and the searing heat on her left shoulder snapped her mind out of daze. The girl stepped forward, but her body disappeared into afterimages, then stood before Adler with her right palm touching his abdomen.

"I see, so it was like that." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Louise tensed her right palm. Then, with a push, Adler’s body was blown away several meters from her place, rolling on the floor. Watching the boy writhing on the floor made her blackened thought regain its clarity.

Several times passed, and Adler managed to regain his feet. The boy clutched his abdomen; his glaring eyes emitted a killing intent that sent a chill down Louise’s back. She gulped; the pain in her shoulder pulsed along with her heartbeat.

’His voice is dangerous! ...But that last one... it didn’t cloud my mind.’

A dawn of realization struck her like a bolt hurled from the sky. Ever since she got close to the boy named Adler, her life began to turn upside down.

At first, he was a kind older figure who was willing to train at her side, but at some point, her memories of that time blurred as if something prevented her from peeking inside.

"You asked for it, Louise."

Adler’s voice was seething with rage, yet it didn’t carry a weight that dimmed her mind.

’I must finish this fast!’

Louise resumed her stance. The spear in her hand trembled because she held it so tightly. Her opponent also took up his stance, showing composure that dulled her judgment for a second.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself to fight her way out of her past. In response, the Ether in her chest stirred, slowing her heart to a focused beat.

"Here I come!"

Her opponent made the first start. His body dashed straight, planning to engage in a frontal clash. He arrived before Louise in a matter of a blink, then thrust his spear forward.

At that time, the girl’s pupils shrank when she could see her opponent’s movement clearly. She tilted her head sideways, dodging the incoming thrust.

’I can follow his attack.’

Louise shifted her attention forward, watching an incoming attack. She put all her thoughts aside, focusing herself to break away from her enemy’s onslaught. The girl changed her stance to defence, waiting for a chance to counterattack.

’I will finish the fight in one go.’

On the other hand, her opponent, Adler, had his face twisted in frustration because Louise had dodged his attack by a paper-thin margin. The glow in her green eyes felt different; it was sharp like a spear ready to pierce him.

Time passed as the battle turned into a stalemate. Adler clicked his tongue. He tapped the power within him. His black eyes shone ominously, and a sneer plastered itself on his face.

"Louise, have you forgotten..."

"Haaaa."

Before he could finish the words, Louise’s spirited shout cut him short, deflecting his attack, which made his stance crumble. Adler’s expression hardened in shock, watching his puppet move without his will. That fact caused a vein to twitch on his temple.

"You!"

Adler, who lost his composure, swung his spear downward, mimicking the style of swordsmanship. As a third-rate warrior, he would do anything to grow stronger, even to implement other styles into his spearmanship. But all of his tricks were nothing before a true master, who mastered her technique.

In the midst of her wavering mind, Louise saw her opponent’s attack. The senior took a wide swing, leaving him wide open to attack.

Louise inhaled deeply as she tightened the grip on her spear. Her stance was firm, and she took a step forward before putting all her strength into this last thrust.

The tip of her spear pierced through the air before it stabbed senior Adler’s right chest, pushing his body away several meters.

She held her ending stance, a statue of triumph. Her narrowed eyes gazed at the opponent, who showed no sign of stirring. All of a sudden, her body shook, and strength began to leave her. As the world faded to black, she fell inward.

***

Louise, who unknowingly dived into her own subconsciousness, was now facing the endless darkness that enveloped her mind. She reached out only to grasp shapeless fog. The girl was about to retract her hand, but something cold coiled around her wrist before pulling her inside.

The girl let out an inaudible gasp, her body gliding through the chilling darkness that wanted to invite her down into the abyss.

{N-No!}

However, a flash of orange light burst forth from her hand, burning the thing that was wrapping around her wrist. Louise widened her eyes, watching a flame left behind by her best friend. Her vision blurred as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

{Thank you, Rika}

Even though it was small, it was enough for Louise, who held wind attributes that could adapt to any element.

With her will, a gust of wind swirled around her. When the wind touched the flame on her palm, the tiny light transformed into a blazing pillar, with her at its centre.

The storm pushed through the darkness, burning everything it touched. With a wave from Louise’s hand, the flamestorm exploded with a deafening ’boom,’ emitting a blinding light that made her gaze squint.

Louise opened her eyes. She held her breath, watching an endless white space stretch far into the horizon.

{This was?}

{Hiks, sob.}

The girl turned around, her eyes widening in surprise as she watched a little girl stand alone in the vast space.

But Louise realized who the girl was: a short brown-haired girl who wore a white dougi, a uniform she wore when she held that long stick.

{W-Why did I do wrong?}

The little Louise began to rant; her voice was muffled by crying. Louise, who heard that, took one step forward, approaching her past self.

{...Hiks, everyone says I’m useless, unwanted, and weak.}

With each step she took, the words turned into blades that sliced through Louise’s ears. Yet despite the torturous experience, she gritted her teeth and stood before the little girl whose face was shielded by her arms.

Louise crouched to match her gaze with her past self. She opened her arms wide, then wrapped them around the girl’s back, embracing her tightly.

{Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright.}

{Really?}

The little girl lifted her face, her large green eyes staring straight at Louise. Louise couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her fragile, past self. Then she corrected the thought: ’No. I am still fragile.’

The current Louise was the culmination of the bonds she formed after meeting her teammates.

There was Cain, a leader and someone she respected.

Abel’s cheerfulness and naivety brought a smile to her gloomy self.

Peter, his consideration always put her heart at ease.

Then last but not least, Rika, her best friend, who was always there for her.

{Um, you, no, we’re not alone anymore.}

After uttering those words, Louise saw her past self wipe her eyes furiously as her figure started to fade. The little girl looked at Louise for the last time before her lips parted into a joyful grin.

{I see.}

Her fading body burst into a golden dust scattered in the vast space. The glittering golden dust moved in unison, enveloping Louise’s body in a warm embrace.

As the dust touched her skin, a black chain, thick and cold, erupted from her back. It stretched into a sudden tear in the sky, like a scar. From there, an immense, shadowy hand of a puppeteer gripped its other end.

However, Louise didn’t mind it at all as she clutched the dust gathered on her palm, then pulled it tight into her chest.

{Thank you, everyone.}

As soon as she said that, the chain that connected to her back let out a crack; no, the whole space itself began to crack before it shattered into nothingness, pulling back Louise’s consciousness from her mind.

***

Louise snapped her eyes open, exhaling the breath she was holding. She gasped for breath and saw a high ceiling coated with silver metal, which reflected the perpetual neos.

"Louise!"

Rika’s worried voice approached her side, and she shifted her eyes toward the source and witnessed Rika and her other teammates running toward her.

The red-haired girl crouched down, pulling Louise’s weakened body closer.

"Louise, are you alright?"

Several faces peeked from above. Louise could see her leader, Abel, and Peter gazing at her with a calm expression. But the intense light emanating from their eyes couldn’t hide the joy within.

Louise tensed her hands, trying to push her body into a sitting position. On her side, Rika opened her mouth, but swallowed back the words and threw a helping hand.

She took a deep breath, then raised her brows. Far away from the middle arena, there was a figure of a boy lying on the floor, unconscious.

The girl stared blankly at him for several seconds until the grip on her shoulder pulled her attention toward the girl next to her.

"Did I?"

Rika nodded, her expression was bright like a rising sun.

"Yeah, you won!"

Louise turned to her other teammates, and all nodded while raising their thumbs simultaneously. From there, reality seemed to hit her paralyzed brain. She swept her eyes toward her friend, a genuine, triumphant smile finally bloomed on her beautiful face after a long battle with her own insecurity.