In the span in which Shiko investigated the princess problem, Asuka and Alba went to many places in the city to have fun, the city had many candy stalls to which Asuka decided to take Alba.
-Asuka: Alba look, cotton candy!
-Alba: Caramel apples! I can't believe they exist in this world!
-Asuka: Do you like treats a lot?
-Alba: Yes! When I was little, I didn't usually have many opportunities to eat sweets, so once Ana brought me one with her savings, since that time I enjoy to the fullest every time I eat candy.
-Asuka: Great! I think I still have a little money left from the items I've sold with Shiko; we can buy any you like.
-Alba: Thank you Asuka!
Then Alba went to the candy apple stand and bought two of them with the money that Asuka gave her, one she gave one to her new friend and the other herself. After they walked through a kind of commercial area in which there was an exhibition of magic for entertainment, they stopped there since Alba interested. Once they left that area Alba went to a place where there were many strange animals from that world, Asuka was very surprised to see many of these species. Time passed and the girls sat on a bench near where they were and rested for a while.
-Asuka: Alba did you liked it, have you had fun?
-Alba: Yes! A lot! As a child I could never enjoy things like going to the zoo, eating out or watching shows... That's why seeing this kind of entertainment magic captivates my attention.
Having said these words, Alba's tears began to flow from the happiness she felt, she hugged Asuka and thanked her.
-Alba: Really, thank you... When I was eight years old, my sisters say I had an accident in which I lost my memory... But one thing I'm sure of is that I never got to do this kind of thing, and I really would love to have done it with them...
-Asuka: Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to make them when we return to our world.
-Alba: Are there any chances of returning?
-Asuka: It was the first thing they guaranteed us when we came here, hahaha.
-Alba: I see... so, let's end all this drama so we can go back and enjoy those things... Asuka, it sounds strange that I say it, but you are my first friend...
-Asuka: Seriously? ... hehe... Although I'm a little embarrassed to say it, you're still my first friend, in my life I've never had someone who can call them by that name.
Alba let go of Asuka and put both hands on her to tell her the following:
- Asuka, if we can understand each other, it means that we come from the same place! I don't care if you're from another city, once we get back into our world, I'm going to look for you and ask you to go out with my sisters!
-Asuka: Hahahaha, it would be an honor Alby! Can I call you that?
-It doesn't bother me at all- Alba replied somewhat embarrassed but happy, before they could continue their conversation, the explosion that occurred in the castle due to the appearance of the warlock in it, interrupted the conversation they had.
-Asuka: Alby, a part of that tower has been destroyed, and a lot of smoke is coming out!
-Alba: An attack!? Do you think my sisters attacked Shiko?
-Asuka: Let's get going now! Let's not waste time!
Both had to leave their conversation for another day, so they ran to the castle quickly. When they arrived at the doors of the building, they saw that all the guards and the people inside it were being evacuated and among such a crowd they went unnoticed when it came to entering.
Meanwhile, inside the tower that Shiko was, Lisa, the sorcerer and the sleeping princess were located, he showed his true person.
-Waaaajajajaja! - Thanks to black magic this form makes me much more powerful! And of course, it makes my poison work in the best way... Yes, I may have been a little naïve and fallen for your strategy, but that doesn't mean I can't fix it, I'm going to kill you here and now, so you learn not to mess with one of the most fearsome Guardians -Waaaajajaja! -
Shiko, already with his sword drawn and ready to fight, saw Lisa again and said to her –Lisa, I've heard you are called the fire mage, I need you to use an attack so powerful that it will burn it to the ground in one hit- Lisa only shook her head as a sign of understanding what Shiko needs, to which she began to be surrounded by blue flames, the young witches charged all her magic to use the ultimate attack against the mysterious guardian.
Shiko was ready to fight it and give Lisa all the time she needed to charge, to which he mockingly told the guardian – Hey! By any chance you don't have a name that makes you special like the others? – to which the guardian said:
– My name is Ulex and thanks to this black magic I will have the power of that orb to be the ruler of this continent. –
-Shiko: Well... Ulex? Your cliché villain monologue is about to be finished by yourself... It's obvious that you're hiding your real reasons, but it's not like I care enough about them to ask, if I stop you, I'll be happy.
-Ulex: What a reckless brat you are! Well, you are about to die from your stupid provocations.
Without giving him time to move, Ulex produced many thorny roots that came out from under Shiko, trapping him in a kind of flower bud -Ahhh! Help, it's dark!" - were the words that the young man said inside, to which Lisa was forced to stop her charged attack to incinerate the cocoon that had trapped Shiko -Hey, young swordsman! -It's no use if you die so soon! - the girl said to him as a sign to take care of himself. Shiko, once he knew his opponent's attacks felt more ready to fight him, Lisa continued to charge her flame attack and thus the battle began.
Shiko started the fight by using "Dashing" to attack Ulex directly, but the guardian being very cunning made a wall of thorny roots so strong that the swordsman could barely cut them without getting close to where the guardian was, once the young man stopped, more roots equal to the previous ones came out of the ground and when he cut them to defend himself, he was taken by the foot by one of them who hid to take him by surprise, the root hung him making the young man be in the air looking down while the sharp thorns hurt his entire leg, while the boy struggled to let go, another root with a huge thorn on the tip went to him to cut him through to which without wasting time, the young man used his "Boost" to quickly cut the root that strangled him, and avoid being pierced by the other that attacked him -Stupid plant!- He exclaimed furiously, fell to the ground and when he saw his opponent again he noticed that a small seed fell on the balcony, this seed strangely grew fast, and transformed into a huge purple carnivorous plant which when it opened its mouth showed its huge sharp teeth capable of crushing anything.
Shiko began to worry about the situation they were in "Fiery girl, change of plans!" Your target is now that intimidating plant, we must kill it now!" exclaimed Shiko with all the fear he felt to see it, Lisa ready to execute her move aimed at the plant, but at the moment Asuka and Alba reached the balcony to which both fighters were distracted by seeing them.
-Lisa: Alba!? How did you get here?
-Shiko: Asuka! Why did you bring her with you?
-Asuka: We have come to fight alongside you.
-Lisa: Damn it, we forget that Asuka doesn't know anything about what I told you!
-Shiko: Asuka, the explanations are for later, get Alba out of here!
While they were arguing, they confused the two girls who had just arrived, Ulex could notice the desperation they felt to protect Alba, to which he could instantly grasp that she was the person he was looking for all the time, thus directing two roots with huge thorns to kill her instantly, Lisa, witnessing the enemy's movement, could not think of any solutions, she could not shoot the lightning because even if she did, Alba would be hit by the roots, so instead of attacking she opted for the worst solution of the moment...before Alba was hit by the plants, one of them was cut by Shiko but the other... the other went through Lisa's stomach, who stood in the middle of root and Alba to prevent her beloved sister from losing her life. The root was cut off by Shiko instantly upon seeing what had happened, but it was too late... Ulex sent to attack more roots, which Asuka and Shiko had to fight non-stop so that they did not reach Alba and avoid another dangerous maneuver like the one Lisa did... the young woman, with the irreparable wound, fell to the ground which was held by her sister Alba, full of tears in her eyes and unable to assimilate what happened...
-Alba: Lisa! What have you done? You... why you...?
Lisa, with her last strength, put one of her hands on Alba's face and while she was overflowing with tears she gave her some last words:
-Sister... All this may be very confusing for you... from one day to the next we started attacking you, without even listening to what you had to say... and suddenly the one I tried to murder I have defended with my life... Alba, you are the key that we must protect at all costs, the key for which the princess was also determined to give her life.
While Alba cried, she did not want her sister to finish speaking, to which she replied desperately:
"Why do you speak that way!?" ¡You talk like you're saying goodbye! You know!? Today I made my first friend, I did a lot of fun things with her, and I promised her that next time I would go out with my sisters! Alongside you! Don't think about saying goodbye in this stupid way! We must return to our world, see our mother again, we must grow up and get a couple and feel proud of each other!
Lisa, in agony... stopped Alba's words to tell her what she thought with her last breath:
-Sister... together with Ana I am the person who most wants to see you grow... but things are not always as one thinks... therefore, you must be strong and face situations... And I know that you... You're a strong girl, so... you have to live Alba... you are the person I love the most... There are so many things I still have to tell you, but because of my misfortune, because of my lies... I... Couldn't...
In her last breath, Lisa smiled at Alba and passed away... Shiko and Asuka without having a way to react to the situation, could only continue fighting against the roots of the enemy, which began to be more and more, so much so that they could not stop them, roots that they could not cut took Lisa's body and others stood in the middle of her and her sister who did not stop crying because of her sadness -Sister! ¡I... I always wanted to be your pride! - were the words that Alba released while inevitably the roots that took Lisa's body moved her further away from her, then the huge plant that had come out, made these roots grab Lisa's body to eat her and put an end to all traces of this girl...
During all the trouble, in an instant, so small that it was as if time stood still, the same voice that communicated with Shiko in the fight against Deaby, headed towards Alba:
"Listen little one... Things didn't turn out as I expected... I have caused you great pain with this, but your sister has left you her legacy, her magic, the seal that belonged to her is now yours, do not feel ashamed to express what you feel, be angry and release all that power that your sister has given you."
It was then that Alba let loose all the accumulated magic she had inside, her own magic and the one that had been transferred by her deceased sister using her first spell to fight -Creation: Magic Sword!- she screamed with all her fury and created a magic sword full of vigor and flames, which contained all her fury and pain. "For my sister's sake, I will defeat these plants, and I will take care of what I have been entrusted to protect!" the girl put herself on guard to join the fight...
To be continued…