Chapter 314 314: Miracle born of blood [pt1]
Chapter 314 314: Miracle born of blood [pt1]
"Mother! Mother, we have a big problem. Do you remember the nest of blood butterflies we found and tried to destroy? It is blooming right now. We have no idea what happened and we cannot get close enough to figure it out as well." Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire
Sean looked pale and tired when he made it to Amane and the trio. His eyes showed genuine fear and even Amane agreed that it was an emergency.
Blood butterflies were one of the deadliest creatures in the world and they were also the reason behind all the 'vampire' rumors.
As the name suggested, the blood butterfly was a beast that survived on the blood of other creatures and it was a completely black butterfly that looked like a swallowtail butterfly. It was impossible to spot one by appearance alone.
The main reason they were dangerous was because of their resilience. They needed to be killed in the larva stage since any attempt made on the cocoon would only make them resistant to that kind of magic in the future.
And once they hatched, the easiest way to kill them all was to starve them of blood.
The butterflies would die if they did not receive blood for a few days. But any drop of blood would only make them stronger and more persistent.
"We put up a barrier around the best, right? Then those butterflies should start to die down within a few days. Why do you look so panicked?"
Charlie asked Sean and that was when Sean dropped the big bomb, he had been carrying all this time.
"T-That's the thing. Those butterflies are behaving rather aggressively. They are attacking the barrier and trying to break free. We cannot tell why this is happening so we want you to look."
This was troublesome indeed. Amane knew that she needed to look at this situation as well. She might be the only one who could figure out what was happening.
"I see. This is troublesome indeed. Yoko, I am sorry to ask this of you but…"
"I will come with you. Blood butterflies are a menace but they can be tamed and domesticated if you know how to. I would like to add them to my arsenal if I can."
These butterflies were huge in number and easy to hide. They would make a great tool for intimidation and getting her point across.
Both Sakura and Charlie sighed at Amane's intentions but they were not surprised.
"Should I accompany you both as well? I am sure my flames would come in handy and…"
"For now, you should remain here Sakura. No matter how distant you were from your mother, you were family after all. People would expect you to be here for her."
Amane held Sakura back and Sakura did not protest this time. She wanted to stay back this time as well so things worked out.
Besides, Sakura knew that she would be a huge liability if she went to the clearing and accidentally burned a cocoon. She would make them resilient to all kinds of fire which would be a disaster.
"I understand. Then I will hold down the front here while you go and do what is necessary."
Sakura agreed and Amane could not help but ruffle Sakura's hair. It made Sakura flush pink but she did not say anything about it.
"That's a good girl. I will reward you once I am back home for your good work. So, wait for me, and do not do anything reckless."
Amane's grip on Sakura's head tightened just a little bit before she patted Sakura and let her go. The flush that covered Sakura's face turned her red and she was unable to look at Amane in the face.
That was their cue to leave for the next location.
...
"The isolated nest of blood butterflies was found in one of our forest grounds. Unfortunately, by the time we found the nest, half of the larva had already started forming cocoons and we had no choice but to wait things out."
Sean explained the situation to Amane as he drove the car. It was a jerky journey since there was no road in the middle of the forest.
As soon as they reached the dense parts of the forest, the car could no longer be used and they had to walk on foot from there on. They reached the end of the path and Amane noticed the mass of black flying the same path.
Hundreds of black butterflies knocked against the barrier that held them in place. The person who maintained the barrier seemed to be having a tough time.
"L-Lady Divine, you are finally here. I-I don't think we can hold on to these butterflies for any longer. We do not know what set them off but we cannot control them any longer."
The guard complained as he tried to hold back the butterflies. But they kept on knocking at the door to be allowed out.
Amane's sharp eyes look at look at the mass of black and noticed the red strain in the middle of the clearing. Someone had thrown a dead body in the middle of these butterflies and no one had noticed.
"Hey, is this barrier one-sided?"
Amane asked but she already knew the answer. The guard nodded with an almost hesitant look on his face.
"Yeah, this is one-sided. We decided to cast a one-sided barrier because it is easier to maintain and can be used better with limited resources."
The guard explained but Amane already knew all that. As soon as she had asked this question, Amane was sure that the others had realized why she had asked this question as well.
Charlie had exceptionally sharp eyes and she noticed the spot of red in the middle of the barrier as well.
"These butterflies got a taste of human blood. It would be impossible to calm them down now. We have no choice but to get rid of them. Should we try fire to burn them all? We can gather the butterflies in a conditional barrier and incinerate them."
This was a good idea. A conditional barrier was one of the toughest things to cast but it was very helpful in this situation.
As the name suggested, it is only a barrier from which only a selected few things would exit and enter. It was extremely useful in some cases but just as difficult to master because of the control issue.
Ideally, Amane wanted to cast this barrier but she felt her powers acting unstable right now. Rabelais's aura was creating havoc inside her and she did not want to deal with it right now.
"Charlie, you cast the barrier and I will see if I can tame these butterflies or not. It should be possible if they are not too far gone."
Amane ordered and Charlie looked a little worried. She knew that the way to tame these butterflies was not a normal one. She had seen her adoptive mother do such a thing once.
It involved offering your blood to these creatures and then forcing your aura inside them that way. Who knew how much blood it would require from Yoko's side to tame them all? Not to mention, these blood butterflies were bigger than the usual butterflies as well.
"Are you sure you want to do that? You will hurt yourself unnecessarily and these butterflies might not even be worth saving. I say we should burn them all and kill them."
Charlie offered this since she did not want to see Yoko get hurt. But Amane only shook her head in regret. She wanted these butterflies at all costs.
"I am afraid that it would not work out as well as we hope if we burn them all, but that will remain as a last option for us. For now, let's focus on acquiring these butterflies."
Charlie sighed as she gave up. She knew that there was no point in arguing with Yoko. The younger was stubborn and would do what she wanted to.
Amane signaled for Charlie to make the barrier. Charlie did too until the barrier became smaller and smaller. Soon, it had nothing but butterflies inside it. But it was still compared to a small room.
"Your blood will not be enough to cover the whole room. I still suggest you give up on this stubbornness."
Charlie warned Yoko but the younger had a way to ensure that she succeeded.
"There is no need for you to be this worried about me Charlie. Just watch and learn what I do."
Amane made a small cut on her palm and her blood welled up in her hand. Amane dropped it all on top of the small extension of the barrier in front of her and commanded her power to spread her blood thin.
Rabelais's power contradicted Amane's but it was a calculated risk on Amane's part. She was able to will herself as the victor in that situation and continue spreading her blood thinly around the barrier.
The butterflies began to drink her bloom slowly and Amane flinched as more and more of her blood was forced into the formation. She was beginning to feel lightheaded and her body felt heavy.
But before she could pull back, someone else began to cast their magic on Amane. She looked back, only to see a scared but determined woman helping her out.
"I-I am a medic and I should be able to replenish your blood for some time. So please, continue with what you are doing."
The medic looked scared but determined to carry out her work.