Ch.150Starlight Scales

All senses perceiving the world intensify in an instant. The wind brushing against skin, the sounds reaching the ears, the world before the eyes—everything changes. Se-erin felt as if time had slowed down.

After the ring formed in her heart, everything changed. She had obtained the Star Dragon’s scale and vaguely perceived the dragon’s true form. The resulting expansion of consciousness and assimilation of mana had formed a ring of starlight in her heart.

Threads of golden coincidence had interlocked to become a powerful destiny. From the beginning, from the moment she grasped the Ice Dragon Sword, this situation had been predetermined.

Her soul’s rank as a living being had ascended. With each breath in and out, the starlight ring slowly began to rotate. Its effect was not much different from the mana amplification phenomenon created by the Ice Dragon Sword and Fire Dragon Sword.

Kiiing—

She brought under complete control the repulsive force of mana with two opposing attributes. The rotation created by this repulsion forged a new power, and the mana thus created emitted brilliant starlight.

It was an absurd manipulation of mana. To use knowledge from another world as an analogy, it was like building a nuclear reactor inside her body. The boundary between what was possible and impossible became blurred.

When she raised her arm, scattered mana in the surroundings clung to it, and the atmosphere vibrated.

A sense of omnipotence, as if she could do anything. The power overflowing from her entire body delivered mental pleasure. Strength drained from her arms and legs. Se-erin assumed a posture one should never take when facing an enemy.

Defenseless.

Literally. Se-erin made no defense whatsoever. She simply kept her arms, legs, her entire body relaxed. As her tense body loosened, composure flowed out.

She was intoxicated by the overflowing starlight. Se-erin could tell that her mind had entered a kind of awakened state. As starlight naturally spread and settled in her eyes, she began to see things previously invisible.

She could also identify the transparent entity flowing from behind Elder. A mass of tentacles so enormous that the true form was unimaginable. It was coming through a spatial passage created by magic.

Even facing this incomprehensible life form, Se-erin remained calm. She knew she wouldn’t lose. She knew that this enormous entity could never harm her.

She could tell without even testing their strength against each other. The instinct of a living being whispered so.

“Something…! Something is pouring out!”

“Push it back! Push back the invisible thing! If we’re pushed back, the city will…!”

So noisy. The short-legged ones running frantically below, trying to block the massive tentacles, looked like tiny ants moving about in Se-erin’s eyes.

Futile efforts. Yet it was their best.

‘I’m going mad.’

Se-erin frowned. As the starlight mana spreading throughout her body invaded her mind, it began to affect her thoughts. Ideas she normally wouldn’t have had flowed naturally, and she was slow to notice.

Se-erin exerted her strong will. Pushing back the starlight mana invading her mind, she spread it throughout her body. Her thoughts must remain entirely her own. Being influenced by someone else was unacceptable.

Back to the present. Se-erin breathed starlight. Her slowly exhaled breath sparkled and scattered with the wind.

First.

That thing needs to be removed.

With that thought, the Void-Breaking Sword at her waist let out a fierce cry. With a “woong!” sound, spatial passages formed around her.

‘Go.’

About a hundred swords remained in the subspace. Se-erin sent them all flying. Without touching them, mana naturally flowed into the swords, and starlight overlaid each of the hundred blades.

Shwiiik—!

The shower of starlight swords raining down rapidly looked like a meteor shower falling from the night sky.

Kwagaggang—!

Each sword that flew swiftly was stronger than the quick sword techniques Se-erin could perform before her awakened state. Over a hundred such swords flew out. Spreading in all directions, the swords pierced through the invisible tentacles, pinning the enormous body to the ground.

What about her current self? Se-erin recalled the Ten Thousand Sword Emperor she had seen before. She didn’t think she would lose. Even considering his overwhelming technique, the Formless Sword, she felt the same.

She indulged in idle thoughts even in the midst of battle. But that was fine. It was the proper attitude for one who was strong.

“W-what on earth is happening…”

“Se-erin…”

As Se-erin descended to the ground, Theo and Flora approached and questioned her condition. As if submerged in water, her hair undulated endlessly, and a veil of starlight that had settled from her shoulders gently wrapped around Se-erin’s body, mysteriously gleaming.

The strangest thing was that they couldn’t feel anything. Theo and Flora couldn’t sense any aura from Se-erin. It was like facing a part of nature, like a rock.

Se-erin kept her mouth shut. She found it bothersome to explain her condition in detail. Later, for now stay away. You’re in the way. The words that echoed inside her didn’t escape her lips.

‘It’s happening again.’

Once more, rising starlight mana began to invade her mind. Se-erin suppressed the mana again and said:

“I’ll handle this, please provide support.”

With those words, Se-erin’s form disappeared in a flash of starlight. If she had moved at high speed, there should have been some afterimage of something flying in that direction. Even Theo, the fastest in the Blue Wing, left blue lightning in his path of movement.

But Se-erin didn’t even leave that. As if by magic, Se-erin had appeared elsewhere. Most things that seemed possible were indeed possible.

Se-erin stretched her arm straight toward the massive tentacles. A boldly extended force strike pounded the giant fabric.

Kung—!

The sound wasn’t loud. However, after a slight delay, a massive explosion occurred.

Kwang—!

Among Se-erin’s developed striking techniques, the most powerful was a skill called Fengbai. She had simply filled it with new mana. The power had increased incomparably from before.

The resulting explosion shook the air. Starlight mana that passed through the giant tentacles shot high into the sky, dispersing the clouds above.

It was then that Elder attempted to escape. Stopping the ritual, abandoning the subspace and the strange life form, trying to flee. Se-erin shouted behind her:

“Vice Captain Sephiroth!”

As Se-erin’s voice rang out, a golden flash shot out in a straight line. Before she even finished speaking, the quick-witted Sephiroth had already taken action. She had sent the most reliable person here, so there was no need to worry.

Se-erin stepped back and looked up at the enormous life form. Just now, the tentacles were thrashing about, destroying Star Forge, as if in pain from the blow Se-erin had delivered.

At that moment, a giant head extended from the subspace. Blinking its large eyes as it appeared, the head immediately identified the one who had harmed it upon recognizing its surroundings.

“Seems like you’re not fully awake yet.”

Its gaze was dim. Had it lost its reason?

Se-erin immediately drew the sword at her waist. Starlight settled on the Ice Dragon Sword as it was drawn with a “srrng” sound. Right after, the charge began. Se-erin’s legs stepped onto the tentacles fixed to the ground, and with her blade embedded in the tentacles, she ran upward.

Kagagak—!

As she advanced rapidly, the tentacles split, and transparent blood burst forth from within. The fishy smell of blood spraying everywhere didn’t even have time to cling to Se-erin.

Masses of tentacles flew at her from all directions. Each moved at supersonic speed. The explosions that erupted as they were swung shook the air. But Se-erin didn’t allow a single strike to land.

Starlight raced along the body of the enormous life form.

Chwaaak—!

Finally reaching the head, the starlight rotated rapidly. Se-erin plunged the sword in her hand into the giant creature’s head. Behind the dim gaze, what she felt was faint gratitude.

Se-erin closed her eyes while gripping the sword. The ring situated near her heart rotated rapidly, pushing starlight mana toward the sword’s tip.

Kugugugu—!

It was mana of a nature not permitted to ordinary living beings. As the starlight injected through the sword began to rampage inside the monster’s body, its enormous form swelled as if about to burst.

The explosion had already begun. It was only due to the monster’s tough skin that it still maintained its form. As Se-erin injected more mana, the tentacle mass began to explode from the ends, unable to withstand it.

Kung—! Kwaang—!

Fabric-like debris scattered in all directions. Only in death did its power fade, revealing the massive tentacles to the world. Amidst the crimson blood raining down from the sky, Se-erin stood atop a single sword, looking down at the world.

The light from the scale in her left hand faded away.