Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

612. One Way Ticket to Heaven

She felt powerful, but her stats did not reflect any change in strength. However, she was able to sense the faint heartbeats of countless still within the ruins of Paradise. Her eyes stung, and strands of her hair burned with a golden light, shining like a beacon to those lost souls.

“I can feel them. A dull throb from out there. It’s like I have nerves spread all over the city. It’s just heartbeats and small murmurs. Small desire spoken like a whisper. Hey Voice. Can you tell me what the effect of this Ability is?”

< I cannot say for certain >

< But I presume that you can sense the ‘One Sin’ inside of all >

“… even the Corrupted?”

Frost could see a faint glimmer of light emanating from only Elysia. Except that light was tainted by a dark fog. The heartbeat of the Icon of Judgement throbbed like thunderous murmurs.

< Unknown >

< But I advise that you hold onto it dearly >

There was more Frost wanted to say and ask. But the moment she opened her mouth was when she was faced with death itself. She saw it for only a split second before her body was thrown back by a powerful gale.

Elysia had appeared right in front of her. The black spear was pointed at where Frost was once was. The only reason why she survived was because of a pale spear that intercepted the attack.

It belonged to Lailah.

Frost wanted to ask why, but she knew better than to reason with a Corrupted. Elysia’s golden eyes that stared back at her behind that pale visor were proof of this. Only hunger and desperation fueled Elysia’s desire to impale both her and the Princess.

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< The Icon of Judgement has recognized you as the One Marked by Judgement >

< A wing extends to invite you into its sacred garden >

< UNIQUE ABILITY GAINED >

< ABILITY: Mark of Judgement >

< One Way Ticket to Heaven >

< CONDITION: The death of the One Marked by Judgement will fulfill the Suppression Criteria >

< This means that if either you or the Princess dies then it will also fulfil the Subjugation requirement of enacting [Penance] >

< You must not die >

Frost flew far ahead in the direction of the gate. Her body rolled along the surface of the red sea as Elysia jumped back and forth between her and the Princess, striking them relentlessly to the point where the flaming greatsword revealed a sudden crack along its length.

By the time Frost could move back onto her feet, she was swept away by another shockwave like a grain of sand caught in a storm. She landed on the ruined highway, her hands anchoring her to the stone as she watched the Princess approach.

The girl’s eyes widened when she met Frost’s.

“D-Danger! Run away! You’re going to turn into them too if you stay next to that! Please…! Huh!? Miss Colorless –!?” She cried, unable to conjure anything further before she too was flung forward.

Frost could not leave the Princess alone.

“Lailah won’t be able to protect us both at this rate! Dammit! Princess! I’M COMING TO GET YOU!”

With their fates tied, she knew that the only course of action now was to retreat from the direction of the gate to catch the soaring Princess. Further clashes only caused the girl to tumble in midair, her eyes swirling as tears fell like tiny crystals.

Frost caught up to the Princess, extending an arm as she anchored herself with the other, waiting for the perfect time to catch her. And just as she was about to pass overhead, Frost finally released her grip and caught the girl into her arms with a great leap.

“Y-You’re not –!”

“Forget that! Don’t think about anything! We both need to survive so hold on tight!”

The girl didn’t question her further no matter how much her lips quivered. She stared up into Frost’s eyes, then onto her hair before they moved back towards the gate.

“… I don’t need to survive.”

Her arms wrapped around the apple.

“Like I said – Don’t think and just hold on!”

Frost, without thinking, snatched the apple from her hand.

“Wait Miss! You can’t take my apple – You’re going to turn into a monster like that!” The girl pointed up at the Icon of Judgement. “Give it back! Give it back! Please… Please give it back to me!”

Had the girl not warned her about eating it, then she also would have devoured it.

“This thing turns people into monsters!?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know! I… I didn’t know…” The Princess sobbed. Her nails began to bleed as she clawed at Frost arm.

It was not intended to hurt Frost. Rather, it was to prevent her from eating the apple.

“I wish I did! I wish I knew! So that I never would have done it!”

The girl struggled for control over the apple but to no avail. Frost had no intention of surrendering it. If the effects were historically accurate, then there was no telling what would happen to Frost.

However, the fact that this was also a memory also meant that it was unlikely that the object of an Advent would have lasting effects. Neither did she know if she would keep the Ability, she had gained from the Rewound either.

Nevertheless, there was more to gain from devouring the apple.

“I don’t want another person to have to turn out like my –!”

Frost’s jaw closed, and she could only taste blood. A powerful blast from behind caused her to miss the apple as it tumbled free from her grasp, flying forward as the girl failed to catch it.

"No… NO! Give it back! I have to bring it back!”

Both her and the girl were thrown around much like the apple.

Lailah was pushed back.

Her legs flanked them as they found themselves directly in the footpath of titans.

Her flaming greatsword collapsed into itself like a dying star, revealing a black core that consumed her right arm before it disappeared entirely from the elbow down. The force dragged them upwards before they were flung forward.

Then, in midair, they were dragged back into the vacuum of an explosion then thrown forward again. They were less than two hundred meters away. Debris surrounded them, flying in both directions as they tumbled and twirled to the vast blasts of air that flattened ruins.

Despite this, the girl still tried to reach for the apple. Frost focused on preserving their life as she sunk a hand into the ground and inched her way towards the bright light of the garden.

“Almost there… Listen to me! And listen close! I know what you want to do!”

“And I have to do it!”

The girl retorted as their voices fought against the roaring winds.

“But I can’t let you or else nothing is going to change!”

“It will! I know it will! Because I took what was forbidden! We’re all being punished because of me!”

“They were all being punished before you bit into that apple!”

“You don’t understand! No one understands! I never bit into it!”

Frost’s mouth parted but no words came out. The story of the Price of Paradise revolved around the apple that the Princess had eaten. A part of Frost suspected that it was never the Princess. More than that, she believed that Iscario was the one who bit into it all along.

“Then was it Iscario!?”

“He… He could never! Because I was there when it happened! I…!”

Her fingertips touched the surface of the apple as they neared the gates of the Garden. With only a few meters remaining, the girl, with glowing eyes, stared up at the Icon of Judgement and lamented with a bloodcurdling scream.

“I’M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THEM APPLE IN THE FIRST PLACE!”

One last blast of air threw them into the blinding light.

Everything was silent like time had ceased moving.

All forms of sensation were lost.

Everything was a homogenous white light.

“Why do people look up to Stars?”

A voice familiar to Frost asked.

This voice belonged to Michaela.

“Because they’re something we want to reach. Hello!”

Another one that belonged to a child responded.

It was identical to the Princesses’.

“It doesn’t look comfortable in there. Are you ok? I have something I can give you if you’re hungry.”

The white eventually turned dark. Countless dots of light filled that darkness like stars in the night sky.

A hand reached out to a feathery being wrapped up in silky wings.

And in the palm of that tiny hand was but a humble golden apple.