The fight between the two of them flared up again. This time, things were very different. Rika, now under the control of another being, began to show abilities she had never shown before. A black aura of energy she had never possessed now flowed from her body, giving her power far beyond anything she had been capable of until now. Attack after attack came with growing force. Each time the two clashed, a tremendous explosion rang through the air. The shockwaves from their collisions spread in every direction, slamming into buildings and destroying everything around the battlefield.
The explosions kept thundering one after another, along with tremors that rolled across the whole area. The ground shook under the clash of their powers, while dust and debris filled the air. What had begun as a fight between two figures had become a clash of forces that shook the entire region.
Even though Rika could now use energy she never had before, it still wasn't enough to overcome Nagini. The woman in the red gown remained in control of the fight. Every attack Rika launched could still be met, dodged, or even broken by Nagini, whose skill was far greater, and who did it with ease.
As time went on, Rika was pushed further and further back. The power that had once let her fight back was slowly becoming insufficient against her opponent's attacks. At last, one of Nagini's strikes sent Rika flying, and she crashed to the ground. She could no longer get up. Her body lay helpless, every limb robbed of the ability to move. She couldn't even lift her hand.
Nagini began to walk toward Rika, who was still sprawled on the ground. Her steps were calm and unhurried, as if the fight had not drained her strength at all. Her eyes were on Rika, who could no longer move, while dust and the remains of the destruction still hung over the area around them.
"This ends here," Nagini said coldly.
Without changing her expression, she moved one hand behind the shawl she wore. Her fingers found something hidden there and slowly drew out a keris. The blade gleamed between her fingers. Nagini gripped the weapon firmly, preparing to finish everything. There was no hesitation in her movements. She stepped toward Rika again, the keris in her hand.
But as the distance between them closed, something suddenly flashed through Nagini's mind. For a moment, a memory surfaced out of nowhere. Her attention was pulled away from Rika. Fragments of the girl's life began to unfold in her mind, as if a great book were being opened and its pages shown to her one by one. Each page revealed a different part of Rika's life, showing the chain of events that had shaped her up to this moment.
In that flash of memory, Nagini saw a little girl smiling. It was such an innocent smile, even while the world around her treated her cruelly. The girl kept trying to show strength through the mistreatment she endured, as if no amount of suffering was ever enough to take the smile from her face.
She saw Rika's struggles, witnessed every sorrow she had to bear, and the many wounds that slowly became part of the girl's journey. Yet beneath all that suffering, there was one thing that had never truly left Rika. Without realizing it, Nagini felt something warm begin to flow from the corner of her eye. A single tear slowly wet her cheek. She didn't even notice when it started to fall.
"Mother is a liar," Rika murmured faintly. Her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible. But even as a soft murmur, the words felt like a dagger piercing Nagini's heart.
Nagini slowly raised her head. She tried to hold back the tears still pooling in her eyes. In her mind, the image of her first master came back. The memory of that figure carried with it a promise she had once made, a promise she had held onto firmly even after so much time had passed.
"Leave this place," she said suddenly. Her voice sounded tired, but firmness still remained in every word. "Take that human to the great tree in the middle of the city. Do not take him anywhere else."
Rika looked at her with a confused expression. A trace of doubt showed on her face, as if she were still trying to understand what had just happened. But she raised no objection and did not argue. With what little strength she had left, Rika slowly began to lift herself up. Her movements looked heavy and uneven. Step by step, she began to make her way toward Arya. Her legs wobbled now and then, making her steps unsteady. Even so, Rika kept trying to walk. She didn't stop, as if she had made up her mind to keep going even though her strength was almost gone.
When she reached Arya, Rika immediately lifted his arm again and draped it over her shoulders, trying to rouse him so they could leave that place. A moment later, before she had gone too far, Rika suddenly slowed her steps. She turned slightly and looked back at the figure she was leaving behind. For a moment, her gaze lingered there.
"Thank you," she said softly.
A gentle smile slowly spread across her face. It was a simple smile, a quiet expression of gratitude, before she turned and walked on. Nagini could only stand rooted to the spot. For a while, she didn't move or look away. Something inside her was slowly changing.
The gentle look and smile Rika had just shown left a deep impression on her. For some reason, that simplicity felt so familiar. Something about Rika reminded her of the past, of memories she had buried deep in her heart for so long. Memories she might rarely recall, but which had never truly disappeared. Her eyes followed Rika and Arya as they moved farther away, until their backs slowly faded into the fog. Only silence wrapped around her, while her mind was filled with questions that found no answers.
Is what I'm doing right, my lord? she whispered in her heart.
The fog around the place slowly grew thicker. A grayish white layer crept between the trees, covering the ground and everything around it. Visibility shrank again, and no sound could be heard except the silence that blanketed the place. But that silence brought a heavy feeling, as if something had been left behind and had not been fully resolved.
In the thickening fog, Nagini still stood upright where she was. She looked calm and unshakable, as if nothing could move her. But beneath that composure, her body carried an unusual weariness. A feeling of exhaustion slowly crept through her, something she rarely felt.
"That sound of a bell..." Nagini murmured, breaking the silence that had hung over the place.
Her ears caught a faint chiming from far away. The sound repeated in a steady rhythm, growing clearer through the dense fog. Nagini lifted her head slightly, trying to tell where it was coming from. Her eyes then settled on a dim point of light that appeared in the distance, on the horizon.
The carriage looked unlike any ordinary vehicle. Its splendor showed in every part that slowly emerged from the fog. Two giant snakes were pulling it, moving calmly and steadily, as if they had been doing this task for thousands of years. The scales along their bodies reflected light like a rainbow, glittering vividly against the gray fog. Every movement they made seemed to match the chiming of the bell that kept ringing from the carriage.
Nagini did not move an inch. Her body, which had been standing tall all this time, now looked tense. Her eyes were locked on the royal carriage as it drew closer, and her expression slowly grew more serious. Even before the carriage came near, Nagini already knew who was inside. There was not the slightest doubt in her mind. The arrival of the carriage was no coincidence. A certain figure was coming, someone whose presence she had known for a very long time.