Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

Thane kept his eyes on the queen, confusion written all over his face. Then, he wrapped his palm over the queen's and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Forgive me," he muttered, "The baby... is dead."

The queen narrowed her swollen eyes and turned to look at the baby on her abdomen. When her gaze fell upon the baby's bleeding chest, she shook her head.

"No... It can't be... No..."

Her eyes watered, and she let out another sad wail, which rang through the entire tower. Her voice was low and sorrowful, and the sound made Prince Jirel's heart wrench.

Her energy spent, the queen turned to Thane once again. She held tightly to his sleeve, her eyes narrow and reddened from endless sobbing.

"Bring her back..." she coughed, blood spurting from her lips. "Please... she's... our only heir."

Thane bowed his head low, and let out a soft sigh.

"I'm sorry..." he said, "It's too late."

"No!" Queen Lana shrieked, eyes widening. Her grip on Thane's arm tightened. "There must be a way... There must be..."

The queen fell back, releasing her grip on Thane's arm. Her gaze shifted to her baby, then back to Thane.

"Save her... Save..."

Her lips quivered as she drew in a long gasp. Then, the glimmer in her eyes faded.

Jirel felt a sudden tightness in his chest. His heart ached deep within, and his eyes grew heavy. Dragging his feet, he moved closer to the queen and placed two fingers over her eyelids.

"Those animals!" Thane fumed, pounding his fist against the wall. "Murdering innocents in the name of war. How cruel!"

His eyes darted to the lifeless baby, then he turned to Jirel.

"The healing potion..." He said, his voice rising. "Use it on them. Quick."

Jirel dipped his hand into his bag for a bottle. He snapped off the lid and poured the shimmering liquid into the baby's mouth, as well as the mother's.

"Come back to us," he whispered.

The liquid slipped into their mouths, gliding down their tongues, and disappearing behind. But both bodies remained motionless.

"Why isn't it working?" Thane asked, his voice wavering.

"It's too late," Prince Jirel closed the bottle, his fingers trembling as he did. "Their souls are gone."

Thane let out a furious yell, pounding his fist on the wall again. He rose to his feet, his hands resting on his waist.

"There must be a way to save the baby. There must be."

He paced around the small room, his gaze darting all over like the solution was somewhere within.

Jirel stared at the tiny infant, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest. The sight of the bloodied hole in the child sickened him to his core. A mere newborn whose only chance at life had been snatched away by a cruel soldier.

But deep down, he knew there was a way to reverse it.

"I know a spell... which can save the child."

Thane halted in his tracks, turning to his companion.

"But..." Jirel continued. "It's a forbidden spell."

Thane marched towards him. "Let's not delay any longer. Use it."

"No... It's far too dangerous."

"O, spare me that bollock. You heard Lana. We need to save her child."

"No, you don't understand," Jirel said, retreating. "I've never done it before, and the consequences could be far beyond our understanding."

"Aw... You fool. Why did you mention it in the first place if you had no intention of using it?"

The room fell silent. Thane paced around for a moment, then stopped, arching his eyebrows in contemplation.

"What kind of spell is it?' he asked.

Jirel sighed. "It's a fusion spell."

"A what?"

"A fusion spell. It is an unstable spell used to bind the soul of another creature to a host, but I do not..."

"Can it save the child?" Thane cut in.

Jirel paused for a moment, pondering the question. "It should."

"Then do it." Thane moved closer, closing the gap between them. "Save her."

"But the consequences..."

"Damn the consequences!" Thane muttered, stomping his foot on the floor. "We promised to save as many people as we can. This child is no exception."

Jirel kept mute. He wasn't convinced about using the spell. Using it would tether another creature or spirit to the body of the child, but he had no idea what kind of spirit he would be summoning and he didn't know if it would work on a child who was already dead.

Besides, the spell was an S-Tier spell, and he was only an Arch-Mage. Using it, could cost him dearly.

"Look," Thane said, noticing the hesitation on his companion's face. "I wouldn't ask you to do anything you do not want to do. But this child, is the last of House Daevalia. We cannot let them go extinct. Please."

Jirel lowered his head. He was still not convinced, but for the sake of his friendship, he decided to try.

He took in a deep breath, then exhaled sharply.

"Fine," he said, taking off his saddlebag and placing it on the floor.

He stared out the window briefly, taking note of the position of the evening sun. Then he moved over to Lana's body.

"Let the light lead you home, Queen Lana."

He lifted the infant off her, slow and careful, like he was holding a fragile gem. In one swift motion, he pulled out the dagger from the queen's abdomen and cut the grey cord that held the baby to its mother.

"I need... blood," he said, turning to Thane.

"Blood?"

"Yes. I need it to form the tether. It's part of the ritual."

"You want my blood?"

"I don't know. I just need blood."

"Use the queen's. It should work better."

"She's dead."

"So?" Thane shrugged. "It's still fresh. Just try it."

Using the blood from the queen's stab wound, Jirel drew a small octagram on the floor. Then, he carefully placed the infant in the center, dotting her head with some more of the queen's blood.

"May the gods forgive me," he whispered, rising to his feet. Then he stretched his palm towards the child, gathering mana to his fingertips.

"Light Affinity: Heavenly Summoning!"

The blood on his fingers glowed with a soft, pulsing beam. The lines on the octagram lit up, bathing the room in a soft golden glow.

Jirel could feel the intense amount of mana draining from his body, but he remained determined to complete the spell.

"Forbidden Spell: Soul Fusion!"

The glow of the octagram intensified, the light almost blinding Jirel. Moments later, the golden hue changed to a bright red. Low tremors erupted beneath the octagram, shaking the entire tower.

"What's happening?" Thane asked, his eyes widening as he watched the whole spectacle unfold with awe.

"Something's... not right."

Jirel had never done this spell before, but he could sense it: the vibrating hum in the air, felt completely different. None of the spells he'd done before had emitted a red aura.

At that moment, a powerful beam of red light erupted from the octagram. Jirel retreated, shielding his face with his arm.

When the light faded, a strange figure stood in the pentagram. It was a dark misty figure, a silhouette shaped like a woman, with cold red eyes that could pierce through the strongest steel.

"Alas, I return."

Jirel swallowed. This was not the spirit he'd intended to summon. He'd made sure to use his Light Affinity, but something else had botched his spell.

"Thane..." He muttered, lips trembling. "It's... a demon."

The shadow figure stared at Theo, a red smirk on its face. Then, it shifted its gaze to the infant beneath it.

"No!" Jirel yelled.

Without hesitation, Thane raised his arm toward the figure.

"Weather Affinity: Deadly Shock."

A bright blue bolt of electricity jumped from his fingers, headed towards the shadow demon.

"Weakling."

The demon raised its hand, the lightning penetrating through its misty skin.

Thane's jaw dropped. "How the..."

Without a word, the demon shot back a powerful red bolt, ten times more intense than Thane's. The bolt headed for him, crackling through the air. He managed to duck just in time, and the bolt crashed into the wall behind him, smashing it through.

Jirel raised his arm at the monster, ready to wield his light sword. But before he could utter the spell, the demon returned to a mistified form and planted itself into the baby.

Soon after, the bright red beam vanished, and the glow of the octagram faded, leaving behind the baby on the floor.

For a moment, all remained quiet.

Thane raised his head, recovering from his shock. "Where did it go?"

Jirel turned to the infant, staring at it with narrowed eyes. The wound on her chest had disappeared.

"It's in her," he whispered.

Both men watched the newborn, dread written over their faces.

Summoning a little courage, Jirel reached for the child, poking it lightly with his finger.

The baby remained still, her eyes closed shut. Then, its lips parted, and with a powerful shrill voice, it began to cry.

"She's... alive," Thane whispered in awe.

Jirel moved closer, lifting up the child and cradling it in his arms. But when he stared at her face... cold, red eyes stared back at him.