Ch.255The Great Invasion (8)

Miracles exist in this world. Not transcendent phenomena created by gods or constellations, but miracles that humans gift to one another.

Some call this miracle by another name.

Comrades.

“Kyaaaak!”

The stem of the flower avatar bent backward.

Pububung!

The spores that were about to leave its mouth burst on the spot. The burned flower avatar writhed in pain.

Rustila Kersil belatedly assessed the situation.

“My jaw, my jaw feels like it’s going to dislocate!”

The flower’s receptacle had already been half-severed. The blue core was nakedly exposed. The flower avatar couldn’t control its wobbling head.

“Phew, that was a close call.”

A black-haired woman approached Rustila. She carried a large sniper rifle on her back.

Rustila spat out the grains of sand that had entered her mouth. Her face brightened as she shouted.

“Ireh unni!”

“Little sister, are you okay?”

“Y-yes. But what about the captain and everyone else…?”

Ireh Hazlen stretched her stiff neck.

“I don’t particularly enjoy delivering finishing blows… but given the situation, I’m sorry. Leave the rest to me.”

Ireh discarded the sniper rifle and pulled out a new gun. It was a pulse rifle that glowed brightly with the blessing of a constellation.

“What are you supposed to be?!”

“Someone who’s killed you hundreds of times over.”

“…What?”

Tung, tung, tung!

The first three shots hit the avatar’s jaw. It was precise shooting without the slightest deviation.

“Kuaaak!”

Bang!

The final shot struck the avatar’s core.

“Kueogh…”

The precariously dangling receptacle broke and fell. The head separated from the stem.

Passs.

The core crumbled to dust. The stems and leaves turned stark white. The cells had lost their regenerative ability.

“…Is it over?”

“Yeah.”

Ireh answered decisively. There was no sign of the avatar reviving.

“You managed to find a way to defeat it. Impressive.”

Ireh put away her gun and tried to support Rustila. Rustila shook her head and pointed in Naiere Clarke’s direction.

“I can walk. If you’re going to help someone, help the captain instead…”

Ireh nodded. She slowly helped up Naiere, who had been hit with a paralyzing sting.

“It’s all clear now. Please come down.”

Zernya von und zu Trisha Adelbein gestured toward the sky. Medical helicopters that had been hovering in the air landed gently.

Doctors moved busily, loading the injured onto stretchers. Zernya supported Rustila and walked toward a helicopter.

“Damn, you’re heavy. Lose some weight.”

“That’s my chest weight, you know?”

“Ha.”

Zernya chuckled. Rustila also giggled, finding her own comment ridiculous.

“Lie down here. Get comfortable. Put your left arm here, yes. Like that.”

Tudududu.

More than ten helicopters took off simultaneously. The interior shook slightly. Zernya carefully examined the wound on Rustila’s left shoulder.

“It’s blood poison. Contains pron.”

“…Am I going to die?”

The words of the smiling flower lingered in her mind—a curse that she would soon die after being stung by the poisoned needle.

“I can neutralize the poison itself. The problem is the pron. It seems to have spread to the bone. If not treated properly, you’ll either go insane or turn into a monster.”

Rustila let out a long sigh. Zernya added:

“Hey, do you trust me?”

“You?”

“My constellation can heal this.”

Rustila nodded. There was not a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

“Then I’ll do it.”

Zernya disinfected the wound and removed the needle. After applying local anesthesia, she used spirit arts to remove the pron accumulated in the bone.

Despite being in a helicopter, there wasn’t the slightest mistake. Zernya’s concentration was second to none, even compared to veteran doctors.

As the surgery was coming to an end, Rustila asked:

“What about Captain Naiere…?”

“My father-in-law is operating on him.”

“Ah…”

That’s a relief.

Rustila closed her eyes peacefully.

[— You have acquired ‘Great Triangle (Lv.6)’]

[— You receive Healing Boost (+30%)]

When she opened her eyes again, she was in a recovery room at the hospital.

***

News reached me that Rustila had been seriously injured in the battle with the flower avatar. I dropped everything I was doing and hurried to the hospital.

“Ah, Eidel!”

As I entered the room, Rustila waved at me with a greeting. She wore her usual bright smile. I sighed with relief.

“Are you okay?”

“She almost died.”

The answer came not from Rustila but from someone else.

It was Ireh. With an expression that made her look ten years older, she said to me:

“If I hadn’t arrived in time, we would have lost two people at once.”

Shamplawi.

The flower avatar that appeared this time.

Even a Great Omega-grade swordsman would struggle without knowing how to defeat it.

Ordinary avatars have one core, but this one has two. It’s difficult to subdue unless both cores are destroyed simultaneously. It also makes ranged attacks constantly, making it a terrible match-up for swordsmen.

“Somehow we got through it.”

“Yes.”

I embraced Rustila. She hugged me tightly as if not wanting to let go. I felt her soft warmth.

“Are your injuries okay?”

“Yes, thanks to the Great Triangle effect, I’m fine. At this recovery rate, I should be discharged soon.”

My flesh still trembles. I almost lost someone I love in a single moment.

“Ireh unni, thank you. If you hadn’t shown up, it really would have been over.”

Rustila hugged Ireh too. Zernya crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.

“Don’t I get any thanks?”

“You’re the one I’m most grateful to.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.”

Zernya turned around abruptly. Her white coat fluttered. She glanced at me and twitched the corner of her mouth. A silent request for reward.

I smiled and wrapped my arm around Zernya’s waist.

Smooch.

Zernya sat down, looking satisfied. Rustila didn’t particularly react to this. Instead, the reactions from Ireh and Sonia were more pronounced.

First, Sonia clicked her tongue. That was expected.

Meanwhile, Ireh’s face hardened. She left the room, saying she was going to get water.

However, even after more than ten minutes, Ireh didn’t return. Wondering what was going on, I made an excuse about using the bathroom and went to look for her.

“Ms. Ireh?”

“Huh? Oh?”

Ireh was sitting on a chair in a secluded area. At my call, she startled like a mouse confronted by a cat.

“Didn’t you say you were getting water?”

“Oh, I drank water and was just taking a break. Just resting…”

Ireh rubbed her face vigorously with her hands. She mumbled as if she had something to say.

“May I sit beside you?”

“…If it’s you.”

I sat down on the chair and looked at Ireh. I wondered if she was worried about what would happen next.

“Are you worried about someone like Phosphorus appearing?”

“That’s part of it…”

Phosphorus.

Among the Queen’s loyalists, the most loyal of all.

If Shamplawi is Rustila’s counter, then Phosphorus is the one who has driven Ireh to death multiple times.

Its nature is literally fire, so ordinary bullets don’t work on it.

“…Shamplawi appeared too quickly. It should have taken another month or two to emerge. It’s different from before. History has been greatly distorted.”

“That’s actually good. It’s evidence that the Queen sees us as that much of a threat.”

“As a result, we’re running short on spirit bullets.”

Ireh was creating a “build.” Yes, like in a game.

“As you know, I can’t fire my spirit bullets for free. I have to pay coins. I want to increase my health, strength, agility, but I can’t. I always need to save extra coins for battle.”

There was a reason Ireh was desperate for the “Great Triangle” effect. The Great Triangle doesn’t require coins to activate.

“I’m not sure where to earn more coins…”

“Oh, I can solve that for you.”

I had a “Red Egg” that I had obtained from raiding the Adelbein treasury before.

What is the Red Egg? It’s a honey pot artifact that provides 5,000 coins and 5,000 pron daily. I had accumulated many coins without using them.

[— You have sponsored 150,000 coins to ‘Ireh Hazlen’.]

Ireh’s eyes widened.

“…You?”

“I don’t need them. Raising my basic stats won’t be enough against those who will try to assassinate me in the future. It’s better to give them to you, Ms. Ireh.”

“This… no, you could give it to Rustila.”

I shook my head.

“This is between you and me.”

Rustila has her own coin supply. I’d like to give her some too, but if it’s about using them where they’re most needed, giving them to Ireh is the right answer.

“Between you and me?”

“That’s a bit ambiguous. Should I say we’re people who know what others don’t?”

Regression and possession.

A secret only the two of us share. We can trust each other because we’re essentially open about everything. That’s the second reason I entrust the coins to Ireh rather than someone else.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity complains about why you’re not giving any to him.]

Cartesia, you didn’t do anything this time. Get out.

[— The God of Wisdom and Curiosity clicks his tongue.]

Anyway, I looked at Ireh and expressed my gratitude.

“Thank you for saving Rustila. I’ll carry this debt to my grave.”

But Ireh shook her head.

“This isn’t just thanks to me. Without Zernya, Rustila would have permanently lost the use of her arm. So your contribution in making those two get along is the greatest.”

“You’re too modest, Ms. Ireh.”

“It’s the truth.”

She smiled.

“I think you’re the first person to help me this much. You saved me from Sapaul, brought down the Adelbein family faster than expected, and even recruited that capable Zernya as a comrade. And now you’ve given me coins.”

Ireh placed her hand on my shoulder and moved her lips.

“Eidel, you’re like my constellation.”

Ireh truly believed in me too.

I wasn’t sure about other things, but one thing was certain—there was a subtle current flowing between us. There was something I had wanted to tell her for a long time. Now was the opportunity.

“…Then, could you grant me one request?”

“Anything, just ask.”

I spoke while trying to calm my racing heart.

“When I become a professor… would you join my lab as a graduate student?”