Ch.208208. Time of Distortion (6)

“Ugh, I’m dying here, seriously.”

“I expected it, but isn’t this getting too much…”

Somehow, nothing ever goes smoothly when it involves Junon. Is it just my imagination?

John and Noel, who had successfully defended against the Lycans that ambushed Levrant, were sprawled out on the ground, grumbling like that.

Still, they both knew.

Although Renias had been there, the cleanup had clearly accelerated thanks to one person.

‘It’s definitely because of that guy.’

While everyone was pointing weapons at each other with no one paying attention, Junon had quickly stepped forward, allowing most efforts to be directed toward transporting the unconscious students.

Of course, the reinforcements that bought them time to successfully complete this defense were the biggest contributors to their survival.

“Are you okay? Would you like some water?”

“Ah, y-yes…”

Anyway, that’s how it was. These Rakan reinforcements had arrived during the sudden crisis, giving them time to regroup. And it was Junon who had brought them.

“John, don’t put your mouth on it, I need to drink too.”

“I got it.”

Gulp, gulp.

John raised his upper body to drink from the water bottle. Noel, who received it next, also gulped it down to wet his throat.

Wiping the water from his mouth with his sleeve, Noel set the now-empty bottle on the ground.

“The Rakan tribe… right? I heard they attacked humans, but could that have been a misunderstanding?”

“I think so too. Remember what they said about the Sirens during the Great Purge of Shit? Well… I don’t know why they ended up harming people.”

“I think I might know.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“John, you saw it too. That strange hallucination where I looked like someone you wanted to kill.”

“Ah… so it wasn’t just us…”

“And I saw it. Those Lycans were about to attack humans but then started attacking the Rakans instead.”

Impressed by this accurate deduction, the Rakan who had just brought them the water bottle joined their conversation.

“Wow. I guess all Levrant Academy students are as smart as Junon, huh? You got half of it right just like that.”

“I’m not as smart as that guy…”

“Wait, half? What’s the other part?”

“Well, that’s difficult to explain right now. I’ll tell you when this is all over.”

The two realized they had gotten involved in something complicated, whatever it was.

As they sat there, an idol with flowing silver hair approached John and Noel, seemingly looking for someone.

“Hehe. Mister, I saw you talking with Senior Junon earlier… Do you know where he went?”

Come to think of it, Junon was nowhere to be seen. John and Noel also looked around, but the black-haired boy was nowhere in sight.

“Hmm? That friend…”

The Rakan who had been their guide explained the situation to Renias.

“What? So he left even before the Rakan people did?”

“That’s right. When things were almost wrapped up, he said he’d leave the rest to you and the others, then ran off.”

“Huh, what’s that guy up to now?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Senior…”

Renias gazed at the main road leading from Levrant to Algenib Province, momentarily lost in thought before murmuring quietly.

“Do you know which direction he went?”

Following some intuition, the girl also decided to follow Junon.

***

‘Ju… non?’

‘The master…’

‘Why is he here…?’

Each person’s mind was filled with their own thoughts, but at this moment, they all shared the same question they wanted to ask him.

Why are you here?

But the situation wasn’t favorable. More urgent than why Junon had come all this way was how to break through the Lycans and how to reach the Sacred Emperor to stop the memory distortion waves.

In the chaotic scene, Junon used his chains to step on a Lycan’s shoulder and leap forward, quickly closing the distance to the Imperial forces.

Landing gracefully, he narrowed his eyes and ran straight toward his target.

It was still a long way to enter the area densely packed with soldiers on all sides.

Following their master’s orders, the Lycans moved to block the black-haired boy without fail.

Slash!

In response, the boy used the chains from his gauntlet to clear a path and move forward.

‘Unlike his usual self…’

‘He’s in a hurry. Definitely in a hurry!’

But he was moving much more urgently than usual, as if he was anxious. He must have immediately grasped that the situation was dire.

Forcing his way through, creating a path even if it meant pushing himself, he finally reached a distance where they could make eye contact.

And so, their gazes crossed.

Junon.

Aris.

Senia.

Back to Junon.

The three moved as if they had rehearsed it.

No words or signals were exchanged. No explicit communication occurred.

Yet they moved.

In this brief moment, their movements were executed like a pre-planned strategy, guided by eye contact alone.

As Junon ran straight ahead, Senia drew her sword on his left to fend off interference.

On his right, as another Lycan jumped to block his path, a lotus flower bloomed, sending the creature flying with a soft explosion.

All the Lycans that would have blocked Junon’s charge toward his target were cleared from his path.

And so, the boy’s acceleration continued uninterrupted.

With lotus flowers blooming to create a running start, he reached right in front of Defornice III and Pimpert.

“How foolish. Rushing in desperately won’t solve anything.”

Grrrr.

Pimpert’s central eye, which had been closed until now, opened.

“You seem to be mistaken, but this child can draw out your inner self at this distance, even if not at full range.”

“That’s…!”

“K-Kain! Can’t you use a barrier there? A barrier!”

“It’s impossible! It’s too far away, and I can’t deploy it quickly like Senior Erika, nor do I have the leisure to do so!”

Before anyone could stop it, the distortion wave was fired.

Unless one had a mental magic immunity buff or a barrier that blocked interference, they would be 100% caught in that wave.

It was already too late.

And yet.

“W-what…!”

His legs didn’t stop. The boy who had rushed in before anyone could stop him was certainly affected by the wave, but he showed little difference from before.

“Ugh! At least this…!”

The old man watching the approaching boy was equally confused about what was happening.

Frantically trying to create a formation to push back Junon, who kept coming relentlessly.

But he was one step faster.

Clatter.

The chains unfurled and wrapped around the Sacred Emperor’s body. There was no time to cast magic, and his body was already floating in the air before he could channel mana.

“You insolent brat…! How dare you not let go, ah, ahhh! Aaaaargh!!”

The old man’s echoing voice continued until his body was about to splash into the lake below.

“W-what? Did he just jump in?”

“It… seems so.”

While everyone was bewildered, Goden and Senia immediately realized what had happened.

‘He dropped him!’

‘The Sacred Emperor, the main body!’

The mana they sensed had drastically changed.

When the Beholder, which had been practically attached to the Sacred Emperor, separated from its master, the main body’s mana turned out to be quite minimal.

To activate a distortion spell of that magnitude would have required enormous mana consumption. The level of mana currently sensed from the Beholder wasn’t enough to use such a wide-ranging distortion magic.

There was only one answer.

Someone must have been supplying it with mana.

“Senia? Goden? Why are you suddenly using buffs…”

The two immediately began cutting down Lycans with all their might, despite Erika’s immunity buff still being active.

“Aris, fight now and ignore the immunity buff!”

“They were using supplied mana. That single creature can’t do anything on its own!”

“Great, so I don’t need to hold back anymore, right?”

Aris broke the buff as if shedding a stifling layer. A satisfying explosion echoed through the area where the Lycan forces were gathered, creating a hole in their ranks.

Additionally, reinforcements they hadn’t expected arrived.

“Goden, these footsteps…!”

“It’s not just one or two. And from the direction of Levrant… this is.”

—Let’s gooooo!!!

They were Lycans—the same creatures they had been fighting. But fundamentally different.

“Why are Lycans attacking the Imperial forces…?”

“No. Those people… they’re not Lycans!”

“Goden?”

Withdrawing the mana he had focused into his sword, Goden shouted from where he stood.

“Don’t confuse enemies and allies!! Those helping us aren’t Lycans, they’re Rakans!!”

With his booming voice, Goden immediately joined the side of the Rakan tribe attacking the Lycans, proving they were allies.

The key figure of this purge, who had made it possible for the Rakans to arrive, had taken the Sacred Emperor down below to buy time.

The Tembris party needed to purge Pimpert with them while Junon kept the Sacred Emperor occupied.

***

I tried to bind his body completely with the chains, but it wasn’t easy. Still, it’s better than nothing.

Though it was just one arm, I succeeded in separating the two of them.

Soon the chains were repelled by magic, and both of us plunged into the water.

“Ugh, you persistent wretch…!”

The old man, now completely soaked, emerged from the lake, grinding his teeth in frustration.

His once dignified robes now hung like a soggy, cumbersome rag.

His pride must be hurt.

“The wretch is you, showing people those kinds of memories.”

Once-cherished memories instantly transformed into the worst moments. The scene of all the Tembris party members in my head scorning and reproaching me was enough to make my teeth chatter.

But feeling that way is ancient history now.

“What are you? How are you still fine after being hit by Pimpert’s wave?”

“Well, I don’t see why I should tell you.”

“H-hahaha. I’ve been had. To think there would be a human without memories to distort. My, my.”

Why is this man laughing? Well, it’s not like I don’t know.

The old man has realized that the effect didn’t work on me because there were no memories to distort.

Laugh all you want.

“To think you’ve lived a life without even a shred of happiness. I never dreamed someone could live such a life. Bwahaha!!”

He’s laughing because there’s a lonely human before him who has no one close to.

No one to ask for help, no one to listen to troubles, no one to be there in hard times.

People who could be called connections in human society.

Without those, there are no joyful memories, no happy memories.

All those people were only the Tembris party members, and I deliberately discarded those memories to distance myself from them.

“You don’t even react when I laugh at you like this. You really are cold-hearted.”

“Thanks for the compliment. I really do live with resentment.”

Every day, every minute.

Because I know I’ll obviously die if I don’t live that way.

“But do you think they can handle all the Lycans up there? Not a chance. Miss Aris might be troublesome, but the Lycan forces are still plentiful.”

He’s right. The Tembris party’s main strength against Lycans came from Michelle and Charlotte’s coordinated play, not from the people up there.

Aris’s lotus explosion magic is effective against beast types, but it’s inefficient against multiple targets.

Kain, Senia, and Goden are all front-line positions, and without a buffer for sustained combat, it’s only a matter of time before they’re overwhelmed.

That’s why I brought you down here.

“Don’t you think I’m going to take you down myself?”

To defeat you directly.