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After everyone was done with their goodbyes, and all the guests had been escorted away, Emilia gathered everyone together in the center of the banquet hall before summoning Cynthia.
—Follower Summoning: Cynthia!
—Cynthia's projection can be sustained for: 4 hours 28 minutes 53 seconds.
Although they had all already been more or less aware of Emilia's presumably fantastical abilities, watching her summon a beautiful girl out of thin air still surprised most of the people present. But to their 'credit', none of them freaked out.
To be able to believe that someone could take them to a different dimension without ever seeing even a hint of proof, needless to say, their thought processes were far from what could be considered normal.
There were many faces in the crowd that she never expected to be there, such as her old teacher Mrs. Macmillan, that little girl Bianca, and Dixie's three friends. Emilia was of course a little flattered that they were so adamant about following her, but she'd still been reluctant to approve of their wishes.
After all, not only did they all have quite a few ties to those they would be leaving behind, but Bianca in particular was only in her early teens. Who was to say that she wouldn't regret her decisions later?
With Crystal assuring her otherwise, however, Emilia was soon able to put away the resistance in her heart, allowing them to tag along.
Of course, most of the people she'd favored personally were present as well, including even some of their loved ones, such as Crystal's mom and Noelle's little cousin sister.
Emilia believed that most of them had already prepared their hearts, and also said their farewells to those they needed to, so she didn't beat around the bush anymore. "Everyone, my partner Cynthia will now begin the transfer process. Let's all hold each other's hands, and no matter what happens next… don't let go."
It took a few minutes for them all to settle down and finish forming a long chain, even with Penny guiding them quite efficiently, mostly due to the subtle 'fight' they had for the closest spots to their princess.
Of course, Emilia herself had no time to pay attention to their shenanigans, and continued chatting with Cynthia while holding Crystal's hand. "We have enough energy for the transfer, right?"
The raven-haired girl nodded. "A hundred and thirteen percent… it should be fine. But you understand how things will go anyway, right?"
Emilia obviously understood what her partner meant. She'd already been warned that while it might all happen almost instantly, Cynthia would activate the transfer in a way that those closest to her would be moved first, and once their energy reserves reached a certain point, the rest... would be left behind.
This way, the chances of anyone being left stranded between planes were minimal, and even if it happened, it would at most happen to a single person.
It still wasn't perfect, but just the fact that Cynthia came up with this new method out of consideration for her feelings made Emilia feel incredibly touched.
She knew just how lazy her partner was, after all, and how little she cared for anyone else. For her to make such a move… showed that she must have a place in Cynthia's heart, right?
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Crystal could feel Samantha's hand sweating as they waited nervously for the transfer to begin, and even the usually cool duo of Noelle and Dixie next to the taller girl didn't look as calm as usual. As for the rest, their condition was no better.
Of course, none of them dared to disturb Emilia and Cynthia at this point, for fear of something going wrong.
Suddenly, the petite raven-haired beauty next to their princess opened her eyes, and an overwhelmingly dark, oppressive aura shrouded the sealed banquet hall instantly.
"Focus on your feelings for Emilia."
pαndα-noνɐ1,сoМ That was all the warning she gave them, and a few moments later, everyone's world was plunged into complete and total darkness.
Emilia suddenly felt the chaos energy being siphoned off of her. She wasn't sure if it was the process of the transfer itself, or just the extreme loss of energy, but the drain was both heavy and painful. It was as if someone had plunged a metal straw straight into her heart, and was sipping away at her lifeblood without a care in the world.
Energy Reserve: 113.06% → 103.06%
Energy Reserve: 103.06% → 93.06%
Energy Reserve: 93.06% → 83.06%
.
.
.
Energy Reserve: 43.06% → 33.06%
Suddenly, it seemed to stop without warning, and Emilia knew that it was over. And despite the sore throbbing in the depths of her soul, she couldn't help but smile. 'I-I didn't run out!'
No one was lost, and she even had plenty of energy left over!
Of course, aside from Cynthia, no one else could see her beautiful smile in the boundless darkness. To everyone else, there was only the fear of the unknown and a feeling of emptiness in this vast, dark world.
Suddenly, there was a shockingly loud crack in the darkness. It seemed to ring not in their ears, but straight from their hearts, almost terrifying everyone to death.
And then… a vast, clear blue sky opened up over their heads, and the scent of fresh, soft grass beneath their feet greeted them along with the light and warmth of a bright morning sun.
The darkness was gone in an instant, but for many, it was no different from being plunged into an abyss for eternity. Fortunately, the warmth being transmitted through their hands had kept them sane.
"Yes! We did it!"
Penny, Justine, Bianca, and a few of the more easily excitable knights couldn't help but jump for joy, though they still didn't dare let go of their hands until they were told to do so. Some didn't even bother controlling themselves and cried, while many collapsed on the grass, dragging their companions along, either relieved or overjoyed.
Emilia chuckled. "It's okay, everyone, relax. Take your time to adjust. This will be the world we will all live in from now on. Feel free to look around, but don't wander too far. I'll be back soon."
Not to mention the others, even Crystal and Sam were too absorbed in observing this 'new world' to pay attention to much else, but they were still reluctant to let go of her hand. As for Dixie and Michelle, they also remained steady by her side, so Emilia could only chase them off sternly. "Go help Noelle set everything up first, alright?"
Of course, the gray-haired girl was already set on having people set up temporary shelters, and was currently considering the problem of procuring food.
Crystal and the rest could only bitterly follow her instructions and explore.
Emilia waited for a while and watched as everyone looked around in wonder with a faint smile, though Cynthia remained expressionless by her side.
This world might not seem too different at first glance, but the trees, the fruits, and even the grass were all from a completely different origin.
What could and could not be eaten was unknown, and while they'd carried quite a lot of things necessary for survival in the wilderness, it was important to stay on their toes until they'd settled down properly.
After all, they couldn't carry any of the heavier equipment along since Emilia didn't want to risk increasing the energy cost, and there was only so much that these pocket-sized modern gadgets could do.
Of course, if living a leisurely and luxurious life was their top priority, they wouldn't have chosen to follow Emilia to the unknown.
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