Damned Healer-Chapter 128: Like A Sinner

After everything was discussed, the official call went out, and everyone began preparing for the massive, historic battle.

The three days ahead were for prepping — but also to wait for the new Spiritual Guardians coming back from their trials. They still needed some support at the start, and in those last few days, they would join the defensive lines of the galaxy to train and help the locals.

Meanwhile, the Mannaz stationed on the defensive lines were already in place and had been training even before this latest batch of powerful Spiritual Guardians arrived. They all knew they were going to die there, but no one backed down — not at such a critical moment.

Even the Elders from the academy — the ones who had once been Summoners themselves — had stepped in to help with the battles, acting as generals leading the Mannaz.

Everyone still alive in that universe was burning with determination. Taking back one of the great academies from the past could bring back hope — and real chances of turning the tide. A lot of the benefits they had lost would be within reach again.

***

Southern region of the galaxy.

On a planet almost completely consumed by miasma — one of the first lines of defense —

A lone, slender figure roared and fought like she was in a frenzy.

She was covered in green scales, now almost entirely stained with her own blood. She hadn’t stopped fighting — day after day, kill after kill, no rest.

She was a Summoner who had lost her partner, but refused to stop fighting. In her mind, she had just one purpose in life:

’I have to fight... and save his world.’

She roared and attacked, and kept repeating the same words in her mind like a mantra:

’All that innocent blood spilled by my hands... it can’t have been for nothing!’

But reality was cruel. A lone Mannaz couldn’t even take down a slightly above-average Risen. She knew that — and still, she didn’t stop. She’d rather die fighting than do nothing.

"DIE!"

*Crack!*

Purple blood rained from the sky. At that moment — after slashing a Risen in two midair — her muscles and scales suddenly locked up...

She had fought the whole time with all the caution she could, avoiding getting hurt or poisoned. But there were just too many enemies, and some of them were smart enough to set traps.

Her eyes turned purple. A maddening fury started taking over her mind. The end of her fight was near — her life force was being drained away by the corruption.

*Bang!*

Niara crashed from the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust. But she forced herself up again, her wings curling around her body like a shield.

It was just reflex — a habit from so many battles. She was always getting hit by long-range attacks. She’d always managed to dodge and avoid corruption before... but this time, she couldn’t stop it.

Niara panted, breathing deeply, fighting to stay in control of her body.

’No... I have to... fight...’ she whispered in her mind and shut her eyes.

Memories came rushing back — of when she was a bright, cheerful child living in a sunlit castle, loved and cared for by everyone.

It only took two seconds before other memories surfaced — from when she had finally reached the "right" age to be used. Forced into an absurdly long and painful "training" session.

Her life had never been easy, but she had learned to endure. Almost a full century of it. At first, Niara suffered inside that pool of blood and bloodline. But with time, she started to feel pleasure from absorbing it — from getting stronger.

The King and everyone else got excited. They started ramping up the sacrifices — anything to make her as powerful as possible. And she turned into a voracious devourer of bloodlines... and lives.

It was only after it all ended that she truly fell into the darkness.

That’s when she learned the truth — about herself, about what she had done, and about everyone around her. And then, she let her bloodthirsty instincts take control.

She killed. Over and over. Her instincts were sharp enough to tell her when to run, when to avoid the Summoners.

There was no point in counting how many Mannaz had died by her hands. But — she never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it.

The problem was... she knew the number of young girls sacrificed to feed her strength had been ten times greater. She hadn’t known the truth back then, but that didn’t make the guilt any lighter.

Now, she lived chasing redemption. She carried the weight of those deaths and had decided she’d make their sacrifice count — she’d fight every second of her life to save her universe from the Risen.

Niara shut her eyes tight, trying to gather what strength she had left, and clenched her fists.

Memories of that small, cute slug she’d spent just a few days with filled her mind. Those days with her partner were unlike anything else in her life. For once, she’d felt hope. She’d wanted to laugh, to live, to relax — and she’d seen a clear path open up right in front of her.

All the talk about Summoners and their partners — stuff she used to think was just dumb — turned out to be real. She felt like he was exactly what had been missing in her life. He liked thinking things through, and his powers gave her the chance to do what she did best: fight, without feeling like a sinner every time.

And honestly, she found it hilarious how flustered he got whenever she teased him. She could feel what he was feeling during those moments — and for some reason, it made her want to keep pushing, just to see his reaction. He was this naive, pure kid... someone she could actually be herself around.

But...

Even giving it everything she had... it still wasn’t enough.

He was gone — and with him, all her hope. Even so, out of respect for him, she wouldn’t back down. She’d rather die fighting to the bitter end than give up.

*Gwah! Gwah! Gwah!*

Sinister laughter echoed all around her, followed by the sound of countless footsteps. They came from every direction, surrounding her.

She could barely move now. Purple lines covered every inch of her scales. When she opened her eyes — now fully corrupted — she stared out at the thousands of enemies closing in.

Just regular Risen, led by a single smarter one who had been quietly messing with her for a while now.

Niara took a deep breath. A faint glow lit up her finger. It was the spatial ring her partner had worn — when that battle ended, she kept it. Inside were a bunch of supplies he’d bought but never got the chance to use.

After Celestia Academy gave her the "confirmation" that their contract was no longer valid, she sold everything in the ring and traded it all for gear that would keep her alive on the battlefield. Then, she headed off alone to that part of the galaxy, throwing herself into nonstop battles against the invaders.

Being a Summoner had been her only shot at changing something. But now, there was no more hope of completing that goal. So sticking around inside the galaxy just to keep running away from her enemies didn’t make sense anymore.

She reached into the spatial ring and pulled out a black potion — the last thing she had left. She’d bought it as her final move, her last resort before it all ended.

’Cataclysm of Life...’ she looked at the potion, and without a second thought, drank it.

Its name said it all — it burned up the one thing a person holds most precious: the life-force they’re born with.

She’d burn like a flame — just once, shining bright for the last time.

Give in and die? Or become a Risen and live the rest of her life being controlled?

"I’ll never be controlled by anything..." Her voice came out twisted and raw. "Not even by the heavens themselves..."