Beyond the Bloodline-Chapter 421: Sisterly Bonds

Many described Angela’s destruction of Mercury as a ’rampage’.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

How could it be called a rampage when a single burst of Chaotic cosmic power was all it took to end every life within the galaxy, whether sentient humanoid, monster, Cosmic Horror, Planet, or even the Galactic Consciousness itself?

But why had that burst of energy been confined within the borders of the Mercury Galaxy?

The reason was the presence of one survivor.

A member of the Cathedral Main Family who had been away from their home planet on the day of the disaster.

She had been attacked where she was, but she managed to fend off her attackers, though with severe injuries that left her barely conscious.

But conscious and alive she was, and her mere presence had slammed a dam into the wave of uncontrollable cosmic power released from Angela.

Her survival snapped Angela back to her senses, enough for her to stop herself from killing her own sister in a fit of rage.

◇　◇　◇

Daniella Cathedral woke up to the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling.

She blinked, needing a moment to gather her bearings before her memories came rushing back like a tidal wave.

She tried to sit up, but pain coursed through her body and soul, and as she groaned in agony, she sensed movement beside her.

"Daniella!"

The familiar voice made her turn her gaze to the side, where the figure of her younger twin came into view.

However, her appearance was...far from ideal.

Her long hair was unkempt, she had dark eye bags, her clothes were stained with blood, and some black liquid marred her face. Her eyes were red from crying, and her irises no longer shone amber but carried traces of multiple colours.

"...Angela?"

She forced out the name in one breath, and her twin flinched slightly before offering her a tall glass filled with glowing light-green liquid. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Drink this!"

Her hands trembled slightly, causing some of the liquid to spill, and as it fell onto Daniella’s arm, she immediately felt the pain in that spot fade away.

"What...?"

"It’s a... a... it’ll help with your wounds! And uh... the d-damage too!"

Angela seemed to stumble over her words, something completely uncharacteristic, but Daniella, trusting her sister, silently drank the liquid. A cool, minty sensation flowed through her bloodstream, easing every trace of pain she felt.

Her motor functions returned, and she could finally feel her legs, which had been numb before. There was still a dull ache in her chest, but compared to earlier, it was almost nothing.

"How do you feel?!" Angela asked, grabbing the empty glass and tossing it aside. "Does anything hurt?!"

Daniella’s expression grew strange as Angela leaned closer, her eyes darting over Daniella’s body, searching for even the smallest wound.

"...the pain’s eased up...I can move better, no—"

"No! Don’t move! Just... lie down! You n-need to rest," Angela said, trying to push Daniella back onto the bed as the elder twin attempted to sit up. "And let me know if there’s anything wrong, too!"

Not only was Angela more frantic than usual, but she was also speaking louder, stammering, and completely lacking her usual calm or composure.

It was only natural that Daniella grew suspicious.

Her last memories before losing consciousness were hazy, but she clearly remembered being attacked and taking a near-fatal blow.

Looking around once again, she asked, "Where... are we?"

"Ah! I... don’t know. I didn’t check... just the nearest galaxy I could find..."

Angela’s voice trailed off as she continued checking Daniella’s bandages, inspecting the magic circles drawn across them to ensure everything was still functioning.

Hearing that they were in a different galaxy, Daniella raised an eyebrow and then asked the question that mattered most.

"Where’s everyone el—" "!"

Daniella froze mid-sentence, her eyes locked on Angela, catching the subtle flinch the moment she mentioned ’everyone’.

For a long moment, silence filled the space between them, Angela biting her lip and opening her mouth as if to speak, only to go silent again.

At this, Daniella searched through her last memories, recalling the words of the General who had led the attack against her, one of the Galactic Ruler’s right-hand men.

She pieced together his words with Angela’s reactions and dishevelled state, and gradually, her eyes widened as realisation dawned.

’N-no way...!’

She pushed herself upright, making Angela whip her head towards her and try to force her back down onto the bed.

"Y-you need to—"

"Angela!"

"!"

The younger twin froze at the sound of her sister’s voice, and seeing that reaction, Daniella’s mind immediately drew the worst conclusion.

But she couldn’t bring herself to accept it.

"...mother? Father?... Older brothers?"

Angela’s body trembled with every word that left Daniella’s mouth, her lips quivering as she averted her gaze, and before long, she began muttering under her breath.

"...i-it’s all my fault...I’m sorry... it’s all my fault...I’m sorry... it’s all my fault...I’m sorry..."

As she repeated this like a broken record, the cosmic energy within her body began to stir uncontrollably, causing the surrounding space to distort, and Daniella, instantly realising that something was wrong with her sister’s current mental state, reached out and embraced her in silence.

The hug snapped Angela out of her daze, and for a moment, she blinked in confusion.

In the next, she broke down crying and apologising while Daniella held her quietly, streams of water slipping from the corners of her own eyes.

Angela cried herself to sleep in Daniella’s arms, and the fact that she, an Ultimate Realm existence, could cry herself to sleep showed just how mentally and emotionally broken she was.

She clung to Daniella firmly even as she slept, and when the older twin tried to move away from her to get off the bed, Angela immediately woke, her grip growing stronger, as though she was afraid Daniella would disappear.

"W-where are you going?! You need to rest! Your soul is not—"

"Angela," Daniella said, cutting her off, and when Angela tried to speak again, Daniella interrupted her with another question.

"What is wrong with you?"

"...huh?"

"You look like a mess. Your mind is clearly a mess. And I’m not talking abo..." Daniella stopped herself, her expression darkening for a moment.

"I’m ok-kay! You’re the one who—"

"Just stop talking, Angela."

Daniella’s eyes narrowed as she reached out and grabbed her sister’s hands, her grip growing stronger with each word that followed.

"I know I’m not okay. And neither are you. Tell me, Angela. What the hell is wrong with you? Why..."

She paused, biting her lip briefly before continuing.

"Why do you think...it’s your fault?"

"!!"

Angela froze at that question, slowly shaking her head as she leaned back, but as she tried to pull her arms away, Daniella held on with even more force, keeping her in place as she demanded,

"Angela! Answer me!"

"n-no! You don’t need to k-kno—"

"ANGELA!!!"

Daniella shouted, partly to pressure Angela into answering, and partly to mask how terrible she felt for taking advantage of her sister’s obviously fragile mental state to force the truth out of her.

Angela turned her gaze aside, still trying to pull away, but unconsciously not using enough strength to matter, since deep down, she didn’t want to hurt Daniella.

Eventually, under Daniella’s fierce stare, the younger twin finally broke down and muttered,

"...chaos...mental...poison...encroachment... couldn’t make it...in time..."

"...?...!!"

The first four words left Daniella puzzled for a split-second, but as her mind pieced together everything she knew about her sister, her eyes widened in dawning realisation.

"Chaos...was trying to encroach on your mind?"

Angela nodded silently, and at this, Daniella asked,

"How...long?"

The younger twin bit her lips hard enough to draw blood, and at that, Daniella called out,

"Angela!"

"!"

"How... long?"

Angela didn’t answer, so Daniella, taking a deep breath, began to speak.

"Years?"

Angela shook her head.

"Decades? Centuries? Millennia?"

Angela shook her head after each word, and Daniella’s expression worsened every time.

"Ten thousand? Hundred thousand?"

When Angela shook her head again, tears formed in the corners of Daniella’s eyes as the next word that left her lips was one she didn’t want to believe.

"...million?"

At that, Angela finally nodded, and the realisation that her sister’s mind had been attacked by the Cosmic Force of Chaos for millions of years silenced Daniella completely.

She had known her younger twin was an Envoy of Chaos.

But this...she hadn’t known about this.

The most the Envoys of Chaos she’d fought had ever revealed was the power their title granted and the voice that constantly rang in their heads, urging them to spread its influence.

That was nothing compared to what Angela had endured.