Ch.26Is This… The Protagonist?

A tingling sensation-

From wrist to elbow, elbow to shoulder. The pain, like lightning coursing through my nerves, spread systematically through my abdomen and lower body until it dominated my entire being.

“Mmm.”

Splitting Heaven and Earth, being Irefi’s special technique, demanded a heavy toll on the body. For a while, I would have to set aside any thoughts of utilizing my skills to their fullest.

If I had cast it over a smaller area, recovery might have been quicker, but unfortunately, the territory was vast. I had given my all, judging that the knights gathered at the Imperial Palace would be insufficient to quell the situation.

Even with significantly diminished physical capabilities, I calculated that the Imperial Palace could be protected unless the Chester family harbored treasonous ambitions.

“Is it… arrogance?”

I cannot deny that spending time with Netionpis… Nepy has caused me to lose my standard for normalcy. How many times had I worried about my Holy Memory breaking whenever Malice stirred?

The dull-witted Nepy probably never noticed. That whenever I was by his side, I took every opportunity to repair my Holy Memory.

“I wonder if Nepy is doing well… It’s frustrating that there are no documents about spirits to reference.”

Nepy had stated that Zikharun’s true identity was the last remaining spirit in the world. A declaration that suggested there could be no other possibility. Wouldn’t it be normal to question information revealed by an enemy?

Irefi sat perched on the railing outside the main palace, lost in thought.

‘Not only the question of whether spirits actually exist… but also the means to mobilize simultaneously across the territory. It’s as if they performed some kind of spatial leap.’

Irefi associated the mysterious mobilization with the powers of the Holy Maiden she had read about in documents.

Later generations recorded the period around Nepy’s sealing as the Age of Great Chaos. And one of the two people who greatly contributed to confining Nepy in the Great Cavern was the Holy Maiden herself.

With her unique ability to interfere with space, she regularly supplied the imperial family with a particular tool—a divine object that connected two installed spaces, limited to one use at a time—a disposable portal.

‘Even the Imperial Palace has no remaining stock now… there’s no way the Duke Feita’s household could obtain one.’

How frustrating.

If only she could have followed Nepy, this problem could have been easily resolved. Zikharun’s full capabilities remained unknown, but at least with Nepy, they could certainly subdue him together.

Who would have thought being tied to the Imperial Palace due to various constraints would cause such anxiety?

Irefi quickly shook her head.

‘Trust Nepy. That’s what I promised myself.’

She steeled her resolve and quietly extended her perception. It was quite an exhausting task, perhaps due to the aftermath of the sword strike she had launched toward the territory.

That’s when it happened.

As Irefi was sensing throughout the Imperial Palace while breaking out in a cold sweat, her ears caught an unknown sound.

Shhrrk.

Instinctively, Irefi turned her gaze toward the source of the noise.

“Feita’s carriages?”

They were the two carriages that had been taken from Duke Feita’s household when transporting Troph. Recognizing this, Irefi could only be shocked.

“The number of people is increasing…? How is this possible!?”

People began to emerge from the carriages one by one. To her perception, it felt as if life was being conceived in a vacuum.

Rustle, rustle.

About ten people walked silently from the carriages. Each one was covered in black robes with only their eyes visible through pitch-black masks.

There was no way they harbored… friendly intentions.

Irefi took her stance, placing her hand on her ceremonial sword.

Zzzzt-

“Ugh…!”

A numbing pain shot through her entire body like lightning. Though she tried to conceal it, her expression must have betrayed her, as the pitch-black assailants drew their sharp blades and approached with determined strides.

The assailants surrounded her in a circle, and they were eerily empty. Without her perception, she couldn’t sense their presence or emotions—they were like inanimate objects. Unless someone came out to see for themselves, no one in the Imperial Palace would recognize the confrontation taking place in front of the main palace.

“…”

In the rough silence that gripped her throat, they pounced with agility.

Swack!

A chilling sound like a whip crack! Formless slashes that ignored distance came flooding in.

Clang-!

“… Feita has truly harbored poison.”

The masked assailants hesitated only slightly, having successfully defended against her slash. They were likely a small elite force of high caliber.

‘Judging by how they’re not panicking, they seem to have estimated my capabilities somewhat, ugh.’

Zzzzt- Zzzzt-

‘My body will be ruined, but… I’ll have to push myself a little!’

Irefi steeled her resolve and charged like a gale into the midst of the black group.

◇

“Zikharuuuun! You damn bastard! Who told you to hole up in a place like this!!!”

Spewing coarse curses without a care, I arrived at the entrance of the Great Cavern.

Damn it all, this is insane, what the hell! Of all places to operate from, he had to choose the Great Cavern? A place of nightmarish memories—desolate, cold, and damp—where I had to grope my way forward when I first possessed this body.

My heart nearly stopped at the thought that I would still be trapped in such a place if Irefi hadn’t released my seal. Though it seems a poor way to repay her, I can tolerate having my limbs and waist cut off.

Zikharun emerged from the shadows in response to my echoing shouts that reverberated even inside the Great Cavern.

“You… should certainly be dead. Even if you weren’t, you couldn’t possibly be this intact. Yet this is…”

Isn’t he looking too pristine? Zikharun swallowed his doubts.

Zikharun’s face was covered by a large hood as he slowly walked from shadow to light.

He asked:

“No, how did you find me in the first place?”

“That’s what I want to know. How did you get here in such a short time? As if you teleported or something.”

“… I have no reason to tell you.”

“Yeah, same here.”

Countering with the same logic, I spotted bloodstains on Zikharun’s hood.

‘I get it now. The blood I shed in the cave must have accidentally gotten on Zikharun.’

The tracking method Netionpis taught me was related to the blood on the hood. I never expected this peculiar ability to locate detached body parts would apply to this extent. Who would have thought even a handful of blood would be considered part of the body?

For the wound from the cave to work in my favor—truly, life is full of unexpected turns.

“… What exactly are you? I don’t know anyone like you. If someone like you existed, I would have certainly heard of it.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Do you know everyone in the world? Do you know who the village chief’s son in Citris Village is?”

“I don’t.”

“Yeah, me neither.”

“…”

Zikharun fell silent, perhaps because he heard a valid point. I roughly understood the nuance of what he wanted to ask, but there was no need for a detailed Q&A.

‘But this guy, hasn’t his demeanor changed somewhat?’

When I first encountered Zikharun, he had an arrogant and spirited aspect, whereas the current Zikharun gives off a calm and subdued impression.

‘In the original work, he was closer to having an unrestrained temperament.’

Just like when we first spoke.

He wasn’t the type to fall silent like a scolded criminal—if anything, he would have dismissed my words as sophistry and lunged for my neck.

While I was contemplating with suspicious eyes, Zikharun asked me in a composed voice:

“Are you close with Charle Millote?”

“No. If anything, she’s more like a friend of a friend.”

“Then why… even though you’re no match. Even knowing that, why did you come all the way here?”

“Don’t be so presumptuous. I can guess that Irefi is your target to some extent. Stop asking one-sided questions when you don’t answer mine.”

I made a show of loosening up, rotating my wrists and neck this way and that.

“And who says I’m no match? You insignificant youngster. Today I’ll show you the heaven above heaven, so look forward to it.”

“… I have no choice. Though I really don’t want to.”

Zikharun drew his sword.

“This time, you really must die.”

Whoosh!

Red haze rises from Zikharun’s entire body. The power known as the “Spirit’s Blood,” unique to his race. The immense energy that lightly enveloped Duke Feita’s manor now resided in his small frame.

Unlike Irefi’s ceremonial sword, his blade gleams ominously as if soaked in blood.

“Inhaaaaaale~~~ Exhaaaale~~~~!”

In contrast, all I was doing was taking deep breaths—nothing special. No defensive stance in front of an adversary.

Well, because it wasn’t necessary.

There was no need for grand gestures to show someone the heaven above heaven. After all, I possessed a secret means to ascend the imperial skyway!

I spoke softly:

“Hey, old man. Here I am, the insignificant youngster you mentioned. How about facing me?”

“Have you lost your mind?”

It was a dumbfounded response quite unlike Zikharun. Honestly, I’m a bit embarrassed too. Talking nonsense in this situation. Normal people would think I’m mentally ill.

But I had long cast aside any sense of shame to prevent Irefi from turning to darkness.

It was certainly not for any sentimental, melancholic reason.

If she became the Destroyer, she would target me first—a founding noble of the hated empire—before the empire itself or anything else. What wouldn’t I do to survive?

“…”

“…”

Silence.

Zikharun was on guard, not knowing what move I was planning, while I was sweating nervously at Netionpis’s lack of response.

“O-old man?”

“… I was too cautious of a delusional person’s nonsense!”

Zikharun, surrounded by a brilliant red aura, stepped on the ground like a flaming bullet. In my panic, I ended up utilizing the Malice stored in my Holy Memory.

Crack- Crack-

Bluish cracks gradually spread across the surface of my skin. Eventually, the fissures spread throughout my body, shattering like broken glass.

Shaaaaa!

Unpleasantly dark and gloomy mist-like Malice begins to rampage around me.

As Zikharun took a step back at the unexpected ominous energy, I finally shouted that declaration:

“Old maaaaaaaan!!! Come out right nooooow!!! If you don’t come out, I’ll dance naked on top of the fountain in Eldrion’s central square doing a d**k twirling daaaaaaance!!!”

[What a crazy child!?]

“Oh.”

… The effect was dramatic.

The urgent emotion, as if Netionpis from my mental world had hurriedly rushed out in socks, was surely just my imagination.

Yes, it must be.